#plus he would absolutely rock scrubs like he would look amazing

[goaheadandgetinthebog]

so i've been thinking about what career kon could have (if dc ever let the boy age up goddam it). i've seen a lot of posts about what he could do. reporter (no). paramedic. vet (i like this one, he does like animals). librarian.

but i have a different one.

have we considered.... pediatric nurse.

[hermannsthumb]

possible prompt for a university au: newt is the biology major who maintains all the fish tanks in the physics building at 11pm and hermann is the physics student who likes to wander the halls to think. newt accidentally flings water all over the ground and hermann trips, hijinks ensue.

earlier today I was thinking about how I wrote a college AU fic almost 3 years ago to the date, and how I wanted to do more bc its fun thinking about newt and hermann as dumb college students

----

Newt's not really sure how he ended up with the weirdest work-study job on the planet, but honestly, things could be much, much worse (he could be stuck down in the dining hall, or dealing with confused freshmen in the school bookstore) so he keeps his thoughts on the whole thing to himself. Every Friday at eleven sharp, Newt pulls on his grodiest t-shirt and a pair of long rubber gloves and treks all the way over to the physics department to set to work scrubbing down the fish tanks that line the classroom walls. Why does the physics department have fish tanks? Newt's not really sure about that, either. It's kind of an insane amount of them, too, more than even the marine bio department has. Maybe it's supposed to boost morale or something. Hey, look at these crazy cool tropical fish who get to do nothing but eat and swim in circles, sorry you're stuck inside calculating velocity and shit.

Whatever, Newt's not complaining about that either. Let the physics nerds have their fun. It'll be good for them to branch out a little, realize there's life beyond robotics club meetings.

Also, Newt likes the fish. They're cute. He likes to think they like him, too, because they're very well behaved when he has to scoop them out of their tanks and plop them into smaller fish bowls (the kind goldfish in movies always use). He's going to teach them tricks eventually—he had a beta fish once who would do a little flip when Newt tapped the glass a certain way because he knew he'd get rewarded with dried worms, so Newt knows it's possible. Just imagine, a hundred fish doing flips on command. Newt Geiszler, fish whisperer.

Yeah, maybe the job could be more glamorous. It's really hard to get algae out of the gloves, and he hasn't been allotted the budget for a new pair yet.

"Hey, guys!" he shouts as he pushes in the door to room 214. The fish don't acknowledge him: they just continue swimming in their giant tank. In and out of plastic plants and rock caves. The rock caves were a gift from Newt three months into the job, and so were some of the moss balls—stimulation is important for fish! He wouldn't want to be trapped in a glass box with nothing to do, either. "I bet you missed me. Ready for a clean tank?"

Newt always talks to the fish, even if they don't talk back, because he thinks it's important to build their trust. He'll usually keep a running commentary of his week as he scrubs the tanks, just get everything off his chest that he needs to get off. Stuff he's worried about. Stuff that went well. Stuff that went badly. Therapy's expensive, and Newt's student health insurance can only cover so much, but talking to fish? That's free.

That's also kinda why he does it so late at night and over the weekend. The last thing he wants is an audience. Because, one, talking to fish is admittedly weird, and two, no one wants a glimpse at Newt's psyche like that, probably not even the fish.

The first step in cleaning the tanks is relocation. Newt digs his stereotypical goldfish bowls and an industrial-size mesh wand out of the supply closet, fills the former with some of the special tank salt water, and begins the slow and arduous task of scooping out the fish and depositing them into the bowls. "I had the lamest week," he announces once he's about three clownfish in. "I was working on a group project Saturday—"

Then Newt stops, because he hears footsteps in the hallway just outside the classroom.

Serial killer, Newt's instincts supply helpfully.

No, Newt corrects himself, that's dumb. Why would a serial killer wander into the physics building at eleven o'clock at night? Why would anyone, period? He's probably imagining stuff. Lack of sleep, stress over his upcoming projects, residual embarrassment from his disaster study session Saturday, all of it culminating in Newt thinking there's someone there. No, definitely imagining it. Newt can only even get in this late to the department because his ID swipe card is set up with the right permissions—not even the physics students have the permissions he does to be in this late at night. Well, not unless they clean the kitchenette in the student lounge or something.

Or if Newt left the door unlocked.

More footsteps. Closer now.

Newt's pretty sure he didn't leave the door unlocked, because he thinks it locks automatically behind him, and he would have to literally prop it open for anyone to get in after him. But anything's possible. The door could've caught on a dropped pencil or a paper scrap or other weird shit that physics students leave around, and a serial killer could've noticed and taken the opportunity to sneak inside on the off chance a hapless young biology major was scrubbing slime off fish tanks in the middle of the night. Any minute now, Newt's about to end up on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. The Physics Department Murder. The Disappearing Biologist. (Nah, neither of those are very good titles, but that's why Newt isn't on the creative writing track.)

Step-tap-step. Closer now; Newt's heart leaps to his throat. Step-tap-step. Step-tap-step. Pausing just outside the door of room 214. God, why didn't Newt turn the lights off? Why didn't he shut the door?

Newt reaches for the first vaguely weapon-shaped thing he can find—an empty fishbowl, because Newt's not going to sacrifice any of the fish for this—and, as the door swings open, hurls it with a cry.

The bowl clunks on the ground. Except it turns out Newt grabbed the wrong fish bowl, because (even though it doesn't shatter, thank God) water quickly begins to seep across the slate floor tiles towards Newt's serial killer, a pathetic little clownfish (Newt thinks this one is named Albert, because the physics department is made up of nerds who do shit like name their random pet fish after their kind) flopping around in the puddle. Newt's serial killer, meanwhile, cries out similarly, his arms windmilling as he loses his footing and slips backwards, his cane—

Oh, fuck.

The intruder is not a serial killer. It's someone possibly worse, actually: Newt's mortal enemy, Hermann Gottlieb.

Newt's not really sure at what point Hermann became his mortal enemy and not just some guy I have class with that I hate, but he can pretty easily say that they've hated each other since the moment Hermann walked through the doors of Engineering 101 and was deigned Newt's lab partner by the Alphabetized By Last Name Seating Chart god. Something about Hermann just gets under Newt's skin. It's not his prissy English accent, or his oversized sweaters, or his absolutely horrendous haircut, and it's not even that he takes every opportunity to savagely rip apart every single thing Newt says in class. Don't get Newt wrong, that's all super fucking annoying, but it's annoying levels he can deal with.

It's the stuff they have in common that makes Newt hate him. It's like Hermann's a slightly broodier and more angular mirror that reflects all of Newt's most egregious faults—his arrogance, his stubbornness, his social awkwardness, his desperation to be taken seriously—right back at him. It sucks.

Plus, one time Newt caught Hermann ripping down the flyer he put up on the quad for Anime Club to advertise his stupid chess club instead, and he's never managed to forgive him for that.

Newt may hate Hermann, but he's not about to let him land on his ass in a puddle of fishy water (especially not on a freezing November night) just because the subsequent bitching would be unbearable, and, yeah, it would be supremely shitty of Newt, so he leaps forward just in time to catch Hermann and his cane before he hits the ground. He's so impressed with himself with his amazing catch that it takes him a few seconds to realize that Hermann is shouting and probably has been shouting since he slipped.

"—bloody maniac! What on earth are you doing in here? How are you in here? Did you just assault me? I'm going to phone campus police, you wretched—"

"Hold that thought," Newt says.

He rights Hermann and snags the mesh net and rescues poor Al before it's too late, dropping him back into the big tank with the rest of his friends. Newt can't be sure, but he thinks Al blows a bubble in thanks at him. Maybe he needs to make friends outside fish.

Hermann is still yelling at him.

"I am going to tell the head of the department you're—you're skulking about in here after hours!" he declares. "You're a menace. Pay attention to what I'm saying to you, Newton!"

Newt sighs and turns around. Hermann's turned an interesting shade of red—sort of like an over-boiled lobster, or if he fell asleep in the sun for too long. Newt wonders if it's from embarrassment (almost falling on his ass) or anger (almost being knocked on his ass). Probably anger. "Look, dude, I'm sorry," Newt says. His face twists like he ate a lemon, and he hopes Hermann doesn't notice. Newt hates apologizing to Hermann. "It's my job to clean the tanks every weekend. You scared the shit out of me and I freaked out—it's just that, like, no one ever comes by this late. Ever." He decides not to mention the serial killer thing. Hermann might make fun of him for being jumpy or paranoid or something.

Hermann's scowl doesn't lessen, but he does nod. Plus, he stops shouting. That's as much as Newt's gonna get of forgiveness. "Hmph," Hermann says. "You clean the tanks?"

"Every weekend," Newt repeats. He realizes he got some fish tank slime on Hermann's button-up when he caught him. Oops. Hopefully Hermann won't notice until Newt's in the safety of his dorm. "Gotta pay for my textbooks somehow." Then he frowns. "Wait, so what are you doing here? I didn't know you had access to the building this late."

Maybe Hermann is the kitchenette-cleaning guy after all. But, to his surprise, Hermann sniffs and casts his eyes to his dorky Oxford shoes. "Er," he says. "It's just—I was having trouble working out a solution to a problem, and thought a walk might do me good. Chilly nights like this one always do. And I quite like this building at night—it's calm, and much quieter than my dormitory." He fidgets. "And—well—only don't say anything to anyone, but I rewrote the permissions of my ID card so I could come and go wherever I please ages ago."

"You rewrote the permissions?" Newt says. "What the hell, wouldn't you have to hack into the security system or something to do that?"

"Well, obviously," Hermann says.

Despite himself, and despite Hermann being his Mortal Enemy, Newt is genuinely impressed. "Dude," he says. "That is so badass." Since when has Hermann been a badass?

Hermann's eyebrows jump, and he blinks at Newt behind his dorky librarian glasses. What twenty-one-year-old wears librarian glasses? With a chain? "You think so?" he says.

"Uh, totally," Newt says. "What problem were you stuck on? The one from Saturday?"

Being lab partners for engineering means Newt and Hermann have to collaborate on pretty much everything, including their midterms. Their midterm is what they've been working on for the past two weeks. On Saturday, though, they met in neutral ground to work on it (a reserved study room in the library), and, after a stupid and massive argument that had the librarians hoisting them out by their shirt collars and threatening to ban them for life, Hermann called Newt an idiot and stomped off into the night. Newt still hasn't gotten around to giving the problem another shot. Whatever, they have another week before the dumb thing is due. Plenty of time. Hermann nods. "Yes," he says. "Er—that one."

Newt glances at the clock ticking away on the wall. Quarter after eleven. Hermann's delayed him a whole fifteen minutes. Technically, he reminds himself, he doesn't actually have to have the tanks scrubbed by Friday night—he has the whole weekend to get it done. Also, he kind of feels like he owes Hermann for attacking him the way he did. Accidentally attacking. "Listen, Hermann," he says, feeling totally insane for what he's about to suggest. But he kind of wants to know more about Hermann The Badass. "What if we went back to my place and worked on it together? I'll buy us pizza, and I have, like, a bunch of energy drinks." The pizza place nearest campus is open until three in the morning, almost definitely because they get all of their business from sleep-deprived undergrads. Plus, they have midnight specials where you get free breadsticks with every pizza. Newt could go for some breadsticks. "It might be...fun," he adds.

Fun? With Hermann? Hermann will think he hit his head or something.

But to his surprise, Hermann doesn't hesitate even a second before saying "Alright, then."

"Oh," Newt says. He honestly thought Hermann would put up more of a struggle. "Cool!"

"But I might need to borrow a jumper," Hermann says. "If you'd be so...courteous, that is. I'm a bit chilly."

For some reason, the thought of Hermann (Newt's mortal enemy, but also a secret badass) curled up in one of Newt's baggy sweatshirts makes Newt feel all weird and warm all over. He swallows a few times, because his throat feels a little weird, too. Too tight. Like he just ate something he's allergic to. "No sweat," Newt says. "Let me just get these fish back in the, um, the tank. And—" He waves his slimy, gloved hands. "Take these off. And clean up that puddle. Gimme—um, gimme like, ten minutes?"

"Of course," Hermann says, and gives Newt a small, terse nod.

From Hermann, it's a smile. Newt almost slips on the puddle he's so blindsided by it. Stupid Hermann, making him feel all weird and clumsy.

[aalissy]

Anniversary

Day 22 is doneee!! Sorry it’s pretty late but I’ve been swamped with work now that finals week is coming up D:. I’m not readyyyy. Anywho, I hope you guys like this chapter!! Lemme know what you think <3

AO3

Adrien flopped onto his bed with a loud groan. Slowly, he pulled out his phone to stare at his lockscreen with a fond smile. It was a picture of him and Marinette that he had taken a few months after they had revealed their identities. In it, she was kissing his cheek as he grinned at the camera rather dopily. With a quiet sigh, he checked the date. Yep, he was definitely screwed. With another pained moan, Adrien buried his head in his pillow.

He felt Plagg squirm out of his pocket before the small kwami floated above him. Adrien was absolutely certain that he was staring down at him rather judgmentally. With a soft exhale, Plagg spoke, “What’s got you so down in the dumps, kid?”

Adrien spoke into the pillow, his words coming out muffled and inaudible.

The kwami snickered at that. “You’re going to have to speak up, Adrien. I may be a God but I’m not all-knowing.”

He lifted his head up, staring blankly at his headboard before speaking rather monotonously, “I said that the anniversary of my first meeting with Marinette is tonight and I still don’t know what I’m getting her.”

“Just get her some camembert,” Plagg shrugged. “That’s the best gift that you can give anyone. Plus, you might not have a lot of time but you do have plenty of cheese.”

Adrien turned around to glare at his kwami. “I can’t just give her stinky cheese, Plagg! She’s worth more than that. Besides, I just know she’s going to make me something amazing while I still don’t know what to get her.”

“Well, why don’t you just make her another good luck charm then? She seemed to like the last one you gave her.”

He sighed, scrubbing his face with a hand before muttering, “I can’t get her the exact same present, either. That’s too unoriginal.”

Plagg rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “Then just take her out somewhere. That’s easy and simple. Besides, I know she’d love that.”

A light flush lit up Adrien’s cheeks. Images of him taking Marinette out to a nice dinner filled his thoughts. He’d pull out her chair and could finally brush a kiss on her soft cheek. Marinette would giggle and turn pink and he would be able to give her a lovestruck smile. They’d finish the date and he’d walk her up to the front door of the bakery before he would, at long last, lean in to give her a kiss that they’d both be able to remember.

Snapping out of his daydreams, Adrien finally realized that Plagg was smirking directly at him. His blush turned a shade darker as he rubbed the back of his neck. Glancing back at the phone screen, he mumbled, “I can’t just ask her out, Plagg, as much as I might like to. Marinette’s important to me and I already know that she’s in love with another boy. Besides, we’ve already decided to meet at the top of the Eiffel Tower later tonight.”

“Right,” his kwami drawled sarcastically with a roll of his eyes, “Then I really don’t know how to help you, kid.”

Adrien pursed his lips, tapping his phone against his lips. Flipping his body around, he stared blankly up at his ceiling and tried to come up with more ideas. Heaving a sigh, he began scrolling through his camera roll, looking at the many pictures he had taken with Marinette for inspiration. Eventually, an idea sparked in his mind and his eyes lit up.

Sitting up straight on his bed, he grinned brightly. “Plagg, I can make her a photo album! That’s pretty easy to make and it shows her some of our best memories together!”

Plagg stuck out his tongue, making a face. “Blech, you may as well write her a heartfelt poem at that rate. I thought you were trying not to tell Marinette you were in love with her.”

Adrien turned a deep red even as he glared up at his kwami. His lips tightened as his eyes blazed angrily. “Shut up, Plagg! I know she’ll love it.”

Not waiting for his kwami’s answer, Adrien went over to his computer to begin printing some of the pictures he had already saved. Finding images of him and Marinette was easy, considering he took a picture with her every time they hung out. It was choosing which one of them would go in the album that was difficult. Marinette looked amazing in every one of them and Adrien couldn’t help but grin adoringly at his computer screen as he worked on his project.

After finally selecting and printing all of the pictures, he set to work on making the actual photo album. Scrambling through his desk drawer, he found an old scrapbook. With a satisfied smile, Adrien began carefully gluing the images onto the pages. So focused on the book, he barely noticed when Plagg hovered nearby to peer over his shoulder. Once he had filled every page, he took a few colored pencils and began doodling small images on the pages. Adrien’s tongue stuck out in concentration as he worked hard on making certain it looked good.

When he had finally finished, he held the book out in front of him with a beaming grin. He then quickly shoved the book into his backpack before shouting proudly. “I did it!”

Adrien then grabbed his phone and checked the time, feeling his eyes bulge out of his head. “And not a moment to lose either! Plagg, claws out!”

The kwami got sucked into the ring with a loud yelp. Chat Noir then leaped out from his bedroom window, making his way over to their meeting spot on the Eiffel Tower. When he finally got there, he saw Ladybug tapping her foot at him impatiently.

“You’re late,” she huffed at him, her arms crossing over her chest.

“By five minutes, m’lady,” Chat gave her a bow. “Plagg wanted a snack before he transformed.”

Immediately, her arms uncrossed as her sapphire eyes sparkled at him in amusement. A mischievous smile twitched at her lips as Ladybug giggled adorably, “You were still working on my gift, weren’t you?”

“What can I say?” Chat shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. “I’m a purrcatsinator.”

She scrunched her face up at his pun even as her smile grew fonder. Punching his shoulder lightly, Ladybug laughed. “That was terrible! Now, can we detransform so I don’t have to hear any more silly cat puns from you?”

He couldn’t stop the goofy smile from stretching across his face at her laugh. Chuckling along with her, he nodded his head. “Alright, but unfurtunately for you, m’lady, the puns may stay even when I’m Adrien. You’ve already told me that you pawsitively love my sense of humor.”

She flicked his bell with a roll of her eyes. “That was before I knew that after I made that comment you would make a cat pun every other sentence.”

Chat chuckled, his eyes fluttering closed before he called for his detransformation, “Plagg, claws in.”

“Tikki, spots off.”

Opening his eyes back up, he saw Marinette’s face grinning back at him sweetly. Instantly, he ran towards her and wrapped her up in a tight hug. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear quietly, “Joyeux anniversaire, Marinette.”

“Joyeux anniversaire, Adrien,” she murmured back before brushing a light kiss against his cheeks.

Adrien’s heart thumped painfully in his chest as he pulled back to stare into her bright, blue eyes. How was she this perfect? And, for that matter, how did he get so lucky?

Plagg’s cough broke their tender moment though. He then spoke up, even as Tikki gave him a harsh glare, “All this lovey-dovey stuff is giving me a headache. Can I get my camembert, now?”

“Plagg!” Tikki hissed, her lips pursing as she crossed her arms. “Be quiet!”

Marinette simply giggled before stepping out of his embrace. His arms felt empty without her there and he disappointedly dropped them before turning to his kwami. She stepped up first, though, pulling a macaron out of her purse as she held it out for the tiny creature. “It’s alright, Tikki. I know you’re hungry too.”

Her kwami’s glare immediately disappeared as she took the macaron with a grateful smile. Adrien then sighed before pulling out the piece of camembert he knew his kwami wanted. Plagg’s face instantly lit up before he gulped the cheese down in one bite.

When he then turned away from Plagg with a disgusted grimace to face Marinette, he saw her staring up at him with a rather nervous smile. In her hands was a black, wool sweater that contained a small, green pawprint next to a tiny ladybug. Instantly, he took it from her with a gasp of awe.

Rocking back on her heels, Marinette murmured, “I hope you like it.”

“Marinette, I absolutely adore it. It’s purrfect for me.” Adrien gave her a bright grin, already excited to go home so he could try it on. Realizing he had his own gift, he then dug through his backpack and thrust out the picture album. “I got you this! It’s nowhere near as amazing as yours but I still hope you like it.”

She blinked before slowly taking the book from him. Opening up the first few pages, her eyes immediately softened before she cooed happily. Looking up at him, Marinette threw her arms around him once again, murmuring, “Adrien, this is absolutely amazing! I love it so much! I hadn’t even realized you had this many pictures of us.”

She leaned back before giving him a quick kiss on the lips. Of course, almost as soon as he realized that Marinette was kissing him, she pulled back with a gasp of horror. Adrien’s lower lip jutted out slightly as he quietly groaned at the fact that he didn’t even get to kiss back before she began stammering, “I-I am so, so sorry, Adrien! I don’t know why I just did that. I know you don’t like me that way anymore!”

Immediately, he frowned an almost indignant feeling building up inside of him. Didn’t like her anymore?! Was she blind? He spent practically every waking moment with her and she didn’t think he liked her. Wait... did that mean?

Slowly, Adrien reached out and grasped onto her hands tightly. Marinette peered up at him with a quiet sniffle, looking anxious. He gave her a soft smile before murmuring, “Marinette, I’ve been in love with you for years. That still hasn’t changed. B-but I thought that you were in love with someone else.”

She looked shocked, her mouth was gaping open as she practically stared at him with disbelief. Slowly, she shook her head before gulping. “A-Adrien, the boy was you. I-it’s always been you for me too.”

“So, all this time?” He breathed out incredulously.

Marinette nodded her head before a large smile bloomed across her face. Cautiously, she lifted her hands to cup his face, her grin getting even bigger as he leaned into her palms. “D-do you think we can make up for lost time, then?” she whispered.

“Definitely.” Adrien nodded back before the two of them leaned in, connecting their lips together into a kiss they’d both remember. As his hands ran through her hair, tugging out her pigtails out, he made a promise to himself. He was never going to let her go again. Pulling back, he placed his forehead against hers with a light chuckle. “So, is this still going to be the anniversary of our first meeting or is it going to be our first anniversary.”

Marinette threw her head back to laugh loudly. Eventually, she leaned back in to flick at his nose playfully. “Both, my silly kitty.”

“Both it is,” he said before wrapping her up in another perfect kiss.

[teriwrites]

2020 Writing Wrap-Up

Something that I do every year on the 1st is go back through absolutely everything I’ve written throughout the previous year and compile it into one massive word document. Everything from outlining notes to unfinished short stories to my NaNo project wind up in that file, where I like to read back and reflect on what I’ve gotten done through the year. 

Every year, I end up having written more than I expected, and this year was no different! 

Total for 2020: 203,119!

This is the first recorded year (I think it’s year 4 that I’ve done this for?) in which I’ve cracked 200K! It’s also the first year I’ve ever actually followed through on my resolution to share some of my writing online! So as rough as 2020 has been, I still somehow managed to break some personal records in writing. Which probably has everything to do with the fact that I joined this community earlier this year, and it’s been incredibly encouraging and supportive!

I also branched out a bit more this year in a few ways. I worked on some poetry and prose, which is not something I’ve put a lot of time into before so tends to be a challenge. It’s nothing that I’ll be posting anytime soon, but it was fun to work on in the moment, which is especially important in such a wild year as 2020.

One snag that I definitely hit was the fact that I have a lot more unfinished work than most years. A majority of the short stories I started working on never got finished. But I can’t even be too upset about that, because I totally loved being able to read back on even the fragmented pieces I ended up with. And while I do think a large part of that (for me) is discipline over inspiration, I’m willing to accept that, sometimes, things will remain unfinished. And it’s okay to stop working on them. 

My overall focus shifted a bit this year, too, which was interesting. I worked more on longer things than most years - started out the year by finishing my first draft of Castle on the Hill, continued making some edits and reworking its outline, did a large part of Beneath Alder Creek’s first draft in November. Right now, I’m working on what I expect to be a novella by the time I’m done with it. It’s a big contrast to the usual, short and snappy short stories that fill most of my previous wrap-up files. But I still definitely write those sometimes, and it’s nice to be able to try stretching and testing my own boundaries. 

This is the part of my wrap-up where I go ham throwing in some of my favorite out-of-context quotes from a variety of different things I’ve worked on. Some of them might be familiar, a lot probably won’t. I’m going to post it beneath the thing so this doesn’t become even more absurdly long!

Some of the ~highlights~ of 2020:

First Thoughts in the Morning: wow the sexual tension between me and the alarm clock right now. Later Reflection: wtf? (a literal note on my notes app that I included because I Cannot remember writing any of this and it made me laugh)

Edriele’s gaze trailed down to the woman’s armor, and her stomach twisted. ���Where did you find your attire?” The woman glanced down in surprise, as though she’d forgotten she was wearing it. “It was fitted to me when I gained my ranking. I suppose it draws attention, but after my confrontation at… you mean to ask me whether I’m impersonating a Knight!” “The thought had crossed my mind,” the Sister replied dryly. (novella WIP)

“Do you need to make a stop at your house before we head to the chapel?” Leslie asked as they started off. “What for?” Winnie asked. Leslie looked pointedly at the tip of her galoshes poking out from beneath her dress. With another roll of her eyes, Winnie sighed. “Oh, I suppose so.” (Beneath Alder Creek)

When the third meeting for the Society of the Hidden Immortal Tribe was called for the decade, I knew heads would roll. Gathering the entire society together took months. Everything had to be hush-hush; that was the entire point of spreading ourselves out. Plus, every time a letter arrived in the mail, it was a reminder of the idiot who had decided we needed a name change. Everybody agreed that being deemed the ‘S.H.I.T.’ was humiliating, but nobody could agree on a better title, so it had remained the same for nearly a full century. That was the problem with living forever. You always had more time to make decisions, and, in the end, nothing ever got done. (S.H.I.T.)

When she leaves, I’m not sure I remember a word of what she’s said. But as the stresses of the semester wash back in, and my mind clears like being pulled out of a dream, I suddenly understand how one could crash upon the rocks without realizing they’d ever changed their course. (A Modern Siren)

When Georg arrived later, he found Klaus leaning forwards onto the table, staring vacuously at one of his textbooks. "Studying hard?" he taunted as he approached and dropped into the seat Ingrid had been occupying. "I talked with Ingrid," Klaus explained. Georg's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise, but he quickly recovered and looked pointedly at Klaus' posture. "Go that well, then?" "She said I'm arrogant and completely self-involved and that I never take what a girl says into account whenever I'm on a date." With a haunted gleam in his eye, Klaus stared up at his friend. "I think she's right." "Well then it's a good thing somebody pointed it out," Georg offered, and he turned to his work. (Castle on the Hill)

Takemoto Hana rested a hand over her face. She couldn’t see the swirling of darkness over her head, but she heard the whine behind its words. With a wry smile, she asked, ‘Do you not know how to brew tea?’ ‘Of course I know how to brew tea!’ The dark spirit’s voice boomed with a defensive defiance that rang false in the funny little woman’s ears.  (The Funny Little Woman)

“None of us want to be here right now,” Edgar called out to the hall. “None of us want to go back through the handbook and listen to the steps of proper etiquette in immortality. But it seems that, once again, it’s necessary.” “Dammit, Dave,” muttered the man next to me. I said nothing, but I couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. Dave was… how do I describe Dave? To call him an idiot would be underestimating his craftiness. To call him a genius, I’d have to ignore all of his dumb antics. Cruel was too strong. Misguided was too innocent. Mischievous fit best, but even that fell short. Dave was a trickster god, if ever one existed. (S.H.I.T.)

Ridiculous, he told me with a self-conscious laugh of someone who didn't expect to be believed. I smiled, but I didn't join in. (The Little Roads)

“Hey, where did Alina go?” Lorelai asked. Zoe shrugged, but Jaiden cleared his throat. “I think you crossed one of her boundaries, Lo. She specifically asked not to involve her girlfriend in this, and then you did anyways. I know we needed the help, but friendships have to be built on mutual trust, my dude. You should’ve at least let her know your plan before you went behind her back.” The two women stopped and shared a look. “Hey, Jaiden,” Zoe asked. “Do you know the capital of Canada?” He shook his head. “I dunno, Ontario?” “Amazing.” (Mirror, Mirror)

"We had a bet going over whether you'd make it in time," Hans told him. "Did you win or lose?" Josef replied. Hans flipped a 5-Deutsche Mark coin over to Peter, who grinned as he pocketed it. "I'm glad you have so much faith in me." Josef's voice dripped with sarcasm. (Castle on the Hill)

Taliesin reached over his head and grabbed at one of the low-hanging bows, picking leaves from it. “I’m not sure.” Winnie stopped. “What do you mean?” “I mean that I don’t know.” (Beneath Alder Creek)

While she attended to these, the man beside her began to stir. Ella could see him out of the corner of her eye, attempting to push himself up into a sitting position. ‘You may want to lie back down,’ she told him, scrubbing uselessly at her skirt. The man continued to sit up anyways, pressing a hand against the side of his face. ‘Am I killed?’ ‘No, but your savior may be.’ Ella threw her skirt back to the ground. ‘When the Madame sees the state of me, I’ll be spending my future afternoons off making a new dress out of the fabric scraps.’ A frown crossed the man’s face as he considered her words, followed by a scowl of understanding. ‘You work for them. The bourgeoisie.’ (Cinderella)

Ingrid took the seat and began digging through her bag for a book. As she did so, she explained, "There were no other tables open in the building - even in the quiet section upstairs - so I figured that I would just ask the first person I recognized if I could sit with them, and well... here we are." "Don't worry about it," Georg answered when Klaus found himself dumbstruck again. "Just ignore the oaf, he'll leave you alone." Ingrid shot a grin at Georg, and Klaus suddenly wondered whether it was a good idea to have the two of them sit together. (Castle on the Hill)

Up ahead, I could see the glass walls of the bus stop. Usually, I waited for the bus leaning against the metal frame of the stop, leaving the seats inside open for children on their way to school. But the seats were empty now. I still avoided them. (Flo’s Magical Emporium: The Pandemic)

Now, I ask that you do not feel too much self-pity. For as easy an error as it may be to mistake a visiting aristocrat’s son for the hired help, the true talent in such a display causing his immediate departure lies within you alone. And to think that the meeting was the work of your father’s tenuous sway over the court! Well, I am sure the time away will do him some good, lest you begin to consider that you’ve ruined his position as well as your prospects. (Dearly Detested,)

Edgar was at the front of the lecture hall, and standing beside him was Dave, smirking as though at some private joke that only he was in on. He was wearing sunglasses, despite the dim lighting of the room, probably because he thought he looked cool. I rolled my eyes. What a tool. (S.H.I.T.)

 The work is different now. Countryside pathways winding through the forest lie forgotten for years without the familiar steps of a traveler. Off beaten paths in the city are never unknown for long, and sometimes streets that were once crossed by thousands a day fall back into obscurity. (The Little Roads)

“How much time will you give me to think on it?” she asked suspiciously, wrapping her arms around herself as though afraid they’d reach out to him if not kept in check. “You have all the time in the world,” the golden man said. “The boy’s, however, runs out with every passing second.” He extended his hand. (Beneath Alder Creek)

You ever met a rich person? Not comfortably wealthy. Not ‘my Uncle Kenny is a lawyer’ rich. Not even ‘widow answering the door to her manor on a hill dressed in fine silk’ rich. No, I mean proper, so-much-money-you-literally-can’t-spend-it-fast-enough rich. They say it isn’t worth Bill Gates’ time to pick up a $100 bill off the floor because he’ll have earned more in the time it takes to grab it. That kind of rich. They seem to be bred for times like these. Their houses are a source of endless entertainment – movie theaters, bowling alleys, personal gyms with a view of the sprawling landscape they overlook like cruel dictators. There’s no need for them to leave during a pandemic; they have access to the equivalent of a luxury resort most families have to save up month to visit. Necessities can be stockpiled in one of the useless extra spaces in the house. I mean, I once had to hide out in a luggage room for a contract. That’s right. An entire room dedicated to holding luggage, bigger than some of the apartments I’ve rented. I thought their residential labyrinths were my greatest source of grief. But social distancing? I’m one bad contract away from retirement. (Bounty Hunter During a Pandemic)

Shaking his head, Detlef pulled a new sheet from his notebook. “Look, I’m just saying, if we can get the satire right, we can be a modern Jonathan Swift.” “I don’t want to be a modern Jonathan Swift, I want to be a student actually passing his debate course!” Peter snapped. (Castle on the Hill)

Moonlight illuminated the German’s fair hair and pale skin, the effect more malevolent apparition than man. (Face on the Other Side of a Dark Window)

Back then, he’d been known for commissioning the exact same portrait of himself every hundred years, hanging them in a hallway in his manor and trying to pass them off as his line of ancestors to any of the locals. It had been a far less skeptical age, and Dave had earned himself a small band of worshipers before Jeff Goldblum himself had been forced to intervene. (S.H.I.T.)

Clara stood before the board of advisors assisting with her thesis. She was one, very intense paper away from her M.A., and she wasn’t about to risk it all by being too proud to ask for help. When she’d made the appointment to meet with them, she expected a series of questions surrounding her topic. Instead, they’d opened by offering her a job. “You want me to steal from the school?” Dr. Pye wrinkled her nose at the suggestion. Next to her, Dr. Pritchard said, “Don’t think of it as theft, dear. It’s merely redistribution.” Clara hadn’t amassed tens of thousands of dollars in debt to be lectured on the definition of robbery. “Either way, it involves me sneaking into the Chemistry department and taking a huge risk to get you some new toys to play with.” (Origins: The Ghost)

“Why is undermining Pryderi so important to Queen Ceridwen that she would risk breaking a timeless alliance just to dismantle them?” Her stomach twisted into a knot, protesting against the answer. “There are few members of the Dusk Court that we know by title.” A shadow passed over Enid’s expression. “The Lord of the Undernell is second only to the Queen.” “Great deeds build the reputation of one in their own court. Cruelty builds it in both.” Taliesin buckled under Winnie’s weight as she suddenly leaned against him. (Beneath Alder Creek)

“Why are all my friends so quick to endanger themselves?” I muttered as I packed up Midas’ crate. Natalie swiveled around from the candy aisle. “So you’re finally willing to admit that we’re friends?” “Save it.” (Flo’s Magical Emporium: The Pandemic)

[likesomekindofcheese]

Hello!! Bit of a weird request but like, could I get some HCs for what would the Queen boys be like finding out reader is a witch? I am a witch and like I'm a little insecure about just. Telling people that because a lot of people LOVE to invalidate me and my beliefs (so fun) but I just really wanna know what they'd be like. Especially with lil rituals and stuff that I do, or just like how I absolutely vibe with some people and then others I can't get over when their energy is bad.

Thank you!! :)

Hi there! I can understand having things about yourself that you are a bit insecure to talk about, so yes, I can write that! In fact, I wrote about Roger with a Witch! Reader a little while back and you can read it here! Let me know once you got this and read it, anon!

So I will be focusing on the other three, with Freddie being more platonic since the reader is more neutral.

Also, to give you a warning, I am not a Wiccan or a Witch or practice witchcraft nor am I a pagan or consider myself one of any of these things. I am writing from the POV of a culture I am not a part of. Like always, I had to read up on some stuff. So, like I always say, if I get something wrong or offensive, although anything that could be read that way is accidental, nevertheless, send me an ask or a dm to explain what I got wrong and drag me gently.

Freddie (in a platonic relationship): 

You were quite a bit nervous telling Freddie. Yes, he was an extremely talented Rock legend who also happened to be your close friend. And well, since he confided in you about coming out of the closet you figure you might as well come out of your own. That is, the broom closet.

 He would raise an eyebrow and say “oh really, darling!?” He asks a couple of questions about it. 

Though he gives you the odd grimmerie, a book of shadows, or ingredients for your spells or potions. Sometimes too much. Like, you need another room for all of the flowers and herbs and sage he handed over to you, but you laughed it away. You’re grateful to have a friend like Freddie. Every full moon or so often, you make sure to create a spell that gives him good luck and happiness for him.

Brian: 

I think he would be a touch intimidated when you tell him over dinner. He blinks and then he asks a few questions. 

“I’ve read some things...do you...do you make potions?” With a relaxed smile, you nodd. He asks about your different rituals and you explain it cheerfully. One time you have to call the corners before a spell and you bet Brian would be in the back to observe quietly, soaking in information. So you do all of your rituals together. You even read Tarot cards for him once and he gently touches them, admiring the art. 

He just thinks you’re amazing and when he knows a ceremony just happened, he gives you a hug and says “hello, love, did it go okay?”

 “It went perfectly!”

 He kisses your forehead and says “I’m glad.” 

Plus, it’s not a coincidence that the imagery of spells, magic, and craft is more common in his songs now with some magical, beautiful figure representing love..so yead, he basically writes nice songs about you!

 Sometimes you light candles as he writes songs, strumming on the guitar, and he thanks you. “It’s for inspiration and peace...” You give him crystals that he places around and little gifts like that. When he’s feeling depressed or even a bit gloomy, you suggest mediation and a special spell together. He looks at you and smiles, moved that you do something so special for you to help him. 

Deaky: 

It is more of an accident. You had just bought yourself a pentagram necklace and thought it was tucked beneath your sweater. You were both enjoying your tea room and as you reached to refill your cup, it slipped out. 

“Ah-what is that, my dear?” he asked, head tilted.

 Feeling your face go hot, you mumbled “I...I...I’m a witch, John...” 

He glances around, hoping no one is giving you any evil looks or else they will have to reckon with him. No one bats an eye. 

He then leans closer. “Wha...really?” 

You sputter out “yes...” 

So that tea date wound up with you explaining everything. 

Since then, John tries to help you out. He organizes your crystals and even wipes them clean (”No, this is the right spot for it! See it! Right where the sun hits it-it’s ah, lovely! Don’t you think, Y/N?”). If you both are at a store and you can’t decide what to buy, he might crack a pendulum joke and then lo and behold, you have one in your pocket! He then apologizes ten times. But like Brian, he observes and learns a lot. 

Though one time you witnessed some drama among the community and noticed hexes and curses were taking place. Running into his house, you got into his arms and sobbed in fear. 

He patted your head and went “There...there...” 

You asked if you could use the shower and you nodded. He got out calming candles and lighted incense for your nerves. 

He even joined you in the shower. You kept scrubbing furiously, repeating “if I am truly cursed today, let the water wash the hex away, if I am truly cursed today, let water wash the hex away...” Once you were sure, he let the water run and hugged you, feeling it’s heat and comforting pressure. Then you got into pajamas and cuddled. Then you knew you could trust him with anything and it would be alright.

Taglist: @seraphicmercury @ewannmcgregor @queenlover05

[rosywaifu]

Home {A Percy Jackson Oneshot}

Hi Everyone! This is for @coldheartedgay ‘s AU: 

“Can I ask a small request from a PJ AU I made? The general premise is that Half Bloods are born with certain hair color depending on their Godly Parent. Percy - Aqua Annabeth - Silverish blonde Grover - Deep Green Etc.” 

I read this request at one in the morning, so I may have gone a little off-book so if this isn’t what you had in mind, LMK and I will redo it to what you actually wanted! But, when I reread it this morning, I thought what I wrote was actually kind of cute so here you go! Please, enjoy and keep requesting, I love it!! 

Percy brushed the hair from his forehead, trying different hairstyles by pushing and pulling the strands in different positions. He made faces at his reflection; pouted lips, smoldering eyes, sucked in cheeks for the haute couture look. Finally, he let his aquamarine locks flop against his forehead framing the deep green eyes staring back at him. He was worried about today. If all went well, he’d be engaged. He gave his appearance a last once-over and walked out of his cabin. The air was warm but he was able to stay cool from the breeze coming in from the ocean. He brushed the invisible dirt from his dark blue dress shirt, not being able to keep from fidgeting from his nerves. He tucked and smoothed and picked at his entire shirt to keep his nerves smothered. Once he reached the door of the Athena Cabin, he was sure his shirt was worse than when he started. After a deep breath of the May evening air, he rapped his knuckles three times sharply against the dark oak wood. He took a step back to let the air take hold in the space between him and the door. Hardly a second passes before the door swings open to reveal the silver haired beauty that was Annabeth. Percy drank in her appearance appreciatively; soft, silvery hair curled like a princesses draping down her shoulders with just the slightest bounce. Her tanned skin sporting a bright smile. Her dark grey sweater dress contrasted nicely against her hair and complimented her skin tone. Her camp necklace adorned on her neck. Percy thought she was incredibly beautiful and could hardly keep himself from proposing right there in the door way in front of all her siblings. “Wow, Seaweed Brain, you look great! Very dashing.” She smiled as she teased slightly with her words, but meaning every one. “Not so bad your self, Wise Girl. Took my breath away.” He said smoothly making her smile as she clasped his hand tightly into her own as she closed the door behind her. “Ah, I thought Piper got a little crazy with all the primping but seeing how smart you’re dressed, i’m glad she made me look so nice- even for just a casual date.” She sighed as she talked, half because she was so content with walking with Percy right then and half because she was frustrated he never gets any of the hints she’s dropping to have him propose. Annabeth wasn’t normally one to beat around the bush, but she had let Piper and Hazel convince her that proposing was a delicate matter. She had to use subtlety, they said. It had been 3 months now and Annabeth was about ready to shove that subtlety right in its—

“So, I thought we’d have a picnic near the strawberry fields and the water.” Percy’s voice musing out his plan for the evening kept her from finishing her derailed train of thought. “Sounds lovely, Percy.” They walked in step to the place where Percy was sure he pulled off the most romantic picnic area that ever was. A deep blue and grey plush rug, mechanical candles (as to not start and forest fires), fresh strawberries, cherries, macaroons, and sparkling lemonade. He wanted to get champagne to toast to like they do in the movies, but Chiron, as happy as he was that Percy was proposing the Annabeth, would not bend the rules of no alcohol on camp; even to those of legal drinking age. So, sparkling lemonade it was. Annabeth gasped at all the effort, Percy went through- all the food and drink with the candles glowing in the fading blue sky, even lily pads with little pink and purple flowers floated atop to the water in the little inlet. The whole area looked like a magic forest. She gave Percy a big smile who looked a little sheepish at her happiness. He wanted to make this their most memorable date yet. Sure it was happening at camp, and not a fancy french restaurant but camp was home and their favorite place to be, especially with each other. They sat down and talked about random things and nearly anything that popped into her head. Annabeth talked about the new building design she came up with, explaining all the intricate and delicate ideas and designs she came up for it. Percy half listened to Annabeth, truly trying to listen no matter how hard it was for him to pay attention when she talked about stuff like architecture. He wasn’t super into it but that didn’t mean he didn’t try to pay attention and ask quality questions. The other half fretted about the right time to pop the question without cutting her off too soon or waiting until the end of the date. Soon, Annabeth started asking questions for Percy; how his day went, what he had done since the last time they saw each other (which was only since breakfast that morning). Percy’s tensed shoulders relaxed at talking about the sea animal he got to save that day; a large sea dragon of sorts, about the size of a baby calf, got caught in flurry of fisherman’s hook, fishing poles and netting. He got pretty banged up and his dad sent word to him, via hippocampi, that the mythical creature needed his help. And Percy truly animated when he told the tale of his daring rescue, diving under the ocean waves, swimming as far as the English docks to rescue the incredible creature. Annabeth smiled as she could literally feel the love he had for animals. Eventually, the evening began winding down as Percy felt the anticipation buzzing his every nerve. Annabeth began to clean up but Percy stopped her quickly. “Hold off on that a second. I-i have to talk to you..” his voice was jilted and stiff. Annabeth had a gut instant fear that he was breaking up with her. Would Percy really be the type of guy who would give her a great last date before breaking her heart, like how you give your dog the best last day before having to put him down just so they have one last good memory? Percy, with how completely endearing he is, and idiotic, would probably think a great last date would ease the blow of a breakup, unknowing how wrong he was. Annabeth’s moment of doubt was quickly scrubbed away as she remembered how amazing her relationship was with her boyfriend. Things started to ease as they left their teen years behind; calm and soothing. They spent a great deal of time with one another but still had their own friends and lives as to not smother one another. In fact, it was her relationship being so great that led her to wanting to get married in the first place. She stood up and grasped Percy’s hand gently as he led her a tad closer to the water, wanting to feel the comfortable rock of the waves; encouraging him. He knelt down and grasped both her hands tightly in his grasp. “Annabeth, I love you so much, I would probably, no actually i know i would have died without you back when we were twelve on our first quest together. You have saved my butt so many times over the last ten years, I know i’ve saved yours at least half as many. Without you, my life would be less interesting. I wouldn’t know any of the differences of buildings, I wouldn’t understand what it means to be a hero at all without you teaching me your resolve, confidence, determination and power. You are the most incredible, smart, beautiful, infuriating and talented person i’ve ever met. I love getting lost in our discussions on the lives of the greeks might going on, I love getting lost in ADHD and caffeine fueled ramblings. I love to being in the same room as you. I have been building to this moment for years now.” He pulled out a ring box and exposed the small and dainty silver ring, with the most intricate engraving of wave designs and olive branches interchanging curling up to wrap around the small and modest ocean colored jewel. The jewel seemed to change color with the light passing through it giving it the appearance as if the jewel contained a part of the Mediterranean sea within it. “Annabeth “Wise Girl” Chase, will you do me the absolute pleasure of becoming your husband, your meddling partner, for good?” His eyes twinkled with hope and promise, a smile tearing his face apart as he stared adoringly at her deep storming grey eyes pool with love and excitement. Annabeth fell to her knees, a large smile unable to be constrained on her face. “Yes! Gods, yes seaweed brain! I love you!” And before Percy could slip the dainty ring on her finger, she pulled him into a kiss, embracing him fully, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. His own arms pulling her closer into him, wrapping his own arms tightly around her waist. Seconds later, they pulled apart and Percy was able to pull the ring from the box and slide it softly onto her ring finger. As he did so, Annabeth reveled in the fact that some times when the light danced perfectly on the sparkling jewel, it looked like it was colored as vibrantly aqua as Percy’s hair. Percy watched her face smile at her new rings as she admired it. “I got the jewel straight from the ocean. I went deep sea diving for months looking for the perfect one. When I saw it, the filtered light from the sun streaking through the ocean made it look silvery blue and it reminded me of you; your eyes and your hair. Plus I had Leo and Tyson design the actual ring part, giving my two-sense about the design here and there of course but they built it. However i did make sure they included a specific point.” He smiled conspiratorially, making her arch her eyebrow in piqued curiosity. He gently grabbed her wrist and gently pushed the jewel deeper into the ring. It turned into a half shield, covering her wrist to her elbow and about her arms width above and below. She marveled at the beautiful shield; deep silver with the etched designs of ocean waves and olive branches seemingly moving in wave patterns across the shield. “I named it stavroménoi erastés, meaning Star Crossed Lovers, as a reminder I guess that even though our parents hated each other, our friendship and love can survive and conquer anything. To always protect you and to have a little piece of me when we’re apart.” He winked with the boyish grin adorning his features. Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw something move near the bushes. And thanks to the nearby ocean, Percy had the same quick instinct. With incredible precision from years of battle reflexes, that and living this close to a forest packed with monsters and Clarisse, Percy drew his sword Riptide from his pocking, dislodging the cap as he pulled it out, ready for use just as Annabeth shielded part of her face with her shiny new sword as she drew the dagger that had previously been strapped to the outside of her upper thigh. They pointed their weapons to the noise, poised to attack at the slightly motion of an ambush. “Show yourself!” Annabeth called with incredible strength, almost making Percy want to drop his weapon at her mercy. He thanked all the gods on his good list that he never had to be on the business end of her dagger like that. Suddenly a large tuft of forest green hair appeared above some of the bushes, sporting rather silly looking branches, that Annabeth quickly deciphered as horns. Soon a glimpse of pink hair, flaming red hair, sky blue hair, dark black hair, dark, oil slicked-looking red hair, bright gold hair and blood red hair peaked over the top. Percy And Annabeth shared amused looks before lowering their weapons. The spots of colored hair soon officially identified themselves as Grover, Piper, Clarisse, Jason, Nico, Leo, Hazel and Frank. They all shared a slight look of embarrassment but it was more or less overshadowed by their excitement. “S-s-sorry, guys! We couldn’t help but watch! We would never want to miss the proposal of Percabeth!” Grover bleated. He ran and gave Percy the manliest embrace he could muster. Suddenly, the whole gang was surrounding them, cheering him for finally being able to muster the courage to do it, admiring the ring, and celebrating their engagement between the favorite couple of camp half-blood. As much as Percy wanted to be mad and embarrassed that they had all heard him pour his heart out and let it gush all over the place, he was actually very glad to have his own little cheer squad, cheering him on and lending their support to this anticipated moment. Annabeth was a little more angry than Percy but her anger quickly subsided as her friends gushed over the idea of a wedding making her insides feel all giddy and excited. The stole a glance at one another over the roar of love and support from their friends, no- family and admired each others glow of love making their hair glitter silver and aqua in the bright, sparkling moon. He was so glad he proposed, knowing right there, right then, the wedding would most definitely take place here at camp; at home.

Word Count: 2,261

[hi-i-love-u-bitch]

Sanders Sides Queer Eye AU

I know, I know, I come up with a lot of fucking AUs and never do anything about them! But listen, I was watching Queer Eye season three and it just kind of hit me like a freight train. Idk if it’s been done before or not but fuck it, here’s my version of it!

Patton (Antoni Porowski – food and wine expert)

I’ve always loved the idea of Patton having a passion for the culinary arts

He mainly enjoys baking and sweets but he knows a full range cuisines

Always promoting healthy food options with the occasional guilty pleasure (mainly cookies)

Just like Antoni whenever they go into a client’s house he goes straight for the kitchen and is always smelling funky things or putting stuff in his mouth.

Always makes sure to teach each client simple and healthy recipes that they can continue using in their everyday lives as well as a few fancier ones for special occasions. 

Rocks the fanny pack look like nobodies business!

Logan (Bobby Berk – design expert)

I was actually going to make him Tan but I really couldn’t picture Logan as a “fashion expert”

Our boy is smart and has a good eye for design and is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get down and dirty on the job.

Also really likes plants so in almost every redesign he does there’s always got to be at least one plant somewhere.

Our boy is still a HUGE nerd whole loves space!

Came off as really serious and cold at first but as time went on he warmed up a bit

Usually the one that ends up driving the Fab 5 car around because he’s the best driver and honestly the other’s are not the best multitaskers

Roman (Jonathan Van Ness – grooming expert)

Do I honestly have to explain WHY I chose Roman as Jonathan?

Most fabulous! Most extra! The biggest Queen ever to slay!

Plus Roman being able to rock heels and skirts is always amazing! Toxic masculinity where? Gender norms who? I don’t know her!

Likes to incorporate a lot of home remedy self care stuff: home made facial masks, exfoliant, hand scrubs, etc.

Has had some funky hair styles throughout the season, from long hair to multi colored hair of every shade.

Just like Jonathan he is the WORST driver!

Virgil (Karamo Brown – culture and lifestyle expert)

Virgil has had the most growth and personal development throughout the Sander Side series so who better to help other people grow in their own self fulfillment

Obviously he’s not as chipper as Karamo but he’s still very kind and warm

Likes to keep things real, he knows when to call people out on their bullshit and how they should use this as a motivator to better themselves

Has a weird form of positive nihilism: “Life is meaningless anyway, so might as well do the thing you want to do. It’s not like you have anything to lose?”

Despite his dreary exterior people still very easily open up to him and because Virgil is a soft boi he’s always ready with tissues and hugs.

Still an introvert to the fullest, so after they finish with each client he just crashes on the couch back at home base and naps for the entire day.

Deceit (Tan France – fashion expert)

I find this ironic because his outfit in the Sanders Side series is very cheesy and cartoon villain-ish. But for some reason in real life I always thought that Deceit would be very fashionable.

Still has that yellow and black color scheme and makes it work! Roman is forever envious!

Still promoting the French Tuck to every client just like Tan (shut up!)

Crocs are an atrocious invention of man and it is his life goal to burn every single one of them!

Can be very cut throat and critical but also very sweet and gentle. People should always feel beautiful and amazing in the clothes they wear.

Has vitiligo on one half of his face as well as being blind from one eye and still looks amazing!

More headcannons!

Okay, so the whole “To Gay Or Not To Gay” episode was just a sobbing emotional mess and the Fab 5 all fucking sobbed for hours after watching the epilogue clip

Same thing with the “God Bless The Gays” episode!

The “Sky’s The Limit” episode where Tan and Skyler have that moment when getting fitted for a proper suite and Tan has a breakdown because he had no idea how difficult it was for trans people to find clothes they feel comfortable in while other people could just grab and go so easily. That’s like a whole Deceit mood and afterwards he makes it his goal to learn more about transgender folk and their different body types so he’ll be more knowledgeable next time.

Yes, they were in Lip Sync Battle and yes they were absolutely fabulous!

They’re all married with loving husbands and all either have kids or at least two pets.

(*gasp* Whaaat, Bunny not projecting their default ships into their own AU??? Bitch yes! Platonic DLAMP is a beautiful thing and there should be more of it in the world!)

So many platonic hugging, hand holding, and cheek kisses! They’re best friends damn it and they love each other!

Just like the og Fab 5 they support each other and send complements through social media and it’s super cute!

Do they vacation together? Of course they do!

Roman and Virgil always go out together for spa days and to get their nails done.

Patton likes to have family potlucks whenever they all get together

Logan actually has a doctorates degree in astronomy and physics but fell in love with design so much he decided to changer career paths

Deceit likes to run a lot of charity events and fashion shows which helps provide clothing for children and families in need.

They all actually have their own charity organizations that they manage and are always willing to help each other with planing.

They call and facetime each other a lot when they have to separate and head back home after each season.

Patton is still the “dad” friend and Logan is still the “mom” friend and their fan base always makes fun of them for that!

There has literally been a moment when both of them have been sitting in the driver and passenger seat while the other three bicker in the back and Patton is trying to be the mediator but Logan turns around and is like “If you guys don’t settle down I am turning this car around, right now!”

On long car rides they like to do karaoke and sing all the classic 80s and 90s bops! Plus a bunch of musicals, of course.

Like, it’s all so gay and beautiful aND I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! 😭❤😭❤

[brooke0297]

Julie Purple Nail Polish (A Julie and the Phantoms Fic)

Masterlist

So last week was absolute garbage for me and after wallowing for a bit, I decided I needed to paint my nails and write some ghost bois fluff. Plus, I would pay Netflix an insane amount of money to let the boys have painted nails in the show. Sacha and Owen rock painted nails and I am HERE FOR IT. Enjoy lovelies!

It was just one of those days for Julie.

The days where the hole in her heart where her mom used to reside seemed to throb and made it hard to breathe. Where it got harder and harder to swallow the lump in her throat and the smallest thing could begin a meltdown.

They had been fewer and far between since the boys had literally dropped into her life. Those first few weeks after she’d found music again and they’d formed the band, she’d been more preoccupied with rehearsing and writing and saving her boys from evil ghost magicians. 

And the Orpheum. Oh man, the Orpheum had changed so many things in Julie’s life for the better. Andi Parker from Destiny Management had found her and now (with her dad’s blessing) Julie and The Phantoms had official representation. Andi was still booking some smaller gigs, but doors had been opened for the band that the boys hadn’t even seen when Sunset Curve was at its peak. Venues were calling, begging for the band to headline and had willingly agreed to strictly Friday and Saturday gigs (school came first was one of the first things Ray and Andi had agreed on).

The boys had recovered beautifully from Caleb’s curse. Alex was still worried about Willie and tried to hang out at some of their favorite places to make sure he was safe. Reggie was still following her dad around and had taken to casually making sure a forgetful Ray never left without his wallet and backup camera battery. Carlos had been clued in on the secret the night of the Orpheum and spent most of his free time while Ray was at a shoot playing Mario Kart with an invisible opponent. And Luke was still...Luke. The ability to touch the guys had remained after their luminescent group hug and no one was happier to take advantage of that fact than Luke. The casual touches he’d always given the boys extended to Julie now and she tried not to let on how much the hand holding and brush of their shoulders made her heart flip flop in her chest. It was hard to be sad when she had her ghost boys around to love her.

Today, however, it seemed her mood just couldn’t be salvaged.

Flynn had seen it immediately when Julie had trudged into school that morning: the dark circles and barely contained tears in her eyes. She hadn’t said anything about it, only launching into one of her crazy stories as a way to pull Julie from the pit in her mind and distract her until there was a ghost of a smile on her face. Despite Flynn’s distraction techniques, classes felt overwhelming and she spent the whole day on the verge of a meltdown until she finally made it home and collapsed face first onto her bed. She was exhausted from trying to keep herself from bursting into tears and all she wanted was to curl up and disappear for a few hours. Her dad was out at a shoot and her brother had baseball practice all afternoon, which meant she would have the house to herself for a while. An added bonus was that Luke had (reluctantly) designated Wednesdays as their day off from rehearsals, so the boys would probably be up to their own shenanigans and Julie could mope in peace.

She decided a nice hot shower would make her feel better, first and foremost. Maybe a bath, but she didn’t feel like getting her bath bombs out and lugging all her stuff to the ensuite in her dad’s room. So she pulled her hair up and into a cap, grabbed her comfiest sweats and a flannel she was pretty sure she’d stolen from Reggie at some point, and jumped under the stinging hot water.

Her muscles immediately loosened and she sighed. She could almost feel the stress of the day wash off of her as she scrubbed at her skin with her favorite body wash. Her mom had always told her there was nothing a hot shower and Disney movies couldn’t fix. 

She spent some extra time moisturizing and using one of her “girls day” face masks her and Flynn had splurged on. She knew Flynn would forgive her for it, knowing what kind of day she’d had. After she had cleaned the bathroom up and put all her stuff away, she padded into her room to grab her laptop and her case of nail polish. Her nails were looking a little sad and could use some TLC. Plus, doing her nails always relaxed Julie in a therapeutic way.

She paused in her doorway when she caught sight of Reggie lounging on her small couch, looking chipper.

“Hey Julie! Sorry, I knew you were in the bathroom so I waited here for you.” he said. Julie’s mouth turned up slightly.

“Hey Reggie. No worries” she said quietly, climbing into her bed and sliding under the covers.

“Whatcha doin? We didn’t see you come to the studio so I thought you might have been at Flynn’s.” He trailed off, sensing that Julie wasn’t quite herself. His face fell minutely into a worried frown.

“Are you okay? You seem...tired.” he asked, shifting on the couch. Julie sighed.

“I guess I’m just having an off day. I’ve been missing my mom and today just felt like a lot.”

Reggie’s face morphed into understanding and he nodded. 

“I’m sorry, Julie.” he said softly; sincerely. Julie felt a rush of adoration for her ghost bassist and his extra large heart. Usually when she told people about missing her mom and they apologized, it felt hollow. Like they didn’t know exactly what to say or how they could make it better. Reggie knew what it meant to lose people you loved. His was more of an “I’m sorry you’re not having a good day” instead of an “I’m sorry your mom died.” 

Julie, not wanting to wallow and bring her sunny bandmate down with her, patted her laptop gently.

“I was actually about to start a movie and paint my nails, if you wanted to watch with me.” she said. Reggie’s eyes lit up and he hurried to pull his shoes off and climb onto her bed beside her. As Julie queued up Tangled on Disney+, Reggie shifted so that his left side was pressed against Julie’s right. She couldn’t help but still feel a shot of surprise and contentment when she could feel his warmth radiating off of him. Now that she could actually feel them, ghost cuddles and casual touches were not only encouraged, but required. So she snuggled in closer.

“So what’s this movie about?” Reggie asked as Flynn Rider’s opening monologue began. Julie began telling him the premise of the movie as she rifled through her nail polish case. By the time she’d decided on a color and had begun putting on the clear coat, Reggie was enthralled. He had tugged one of her throw pillows to his chest and hugged it tightly as Gothel kidnapped the baby princess.

Julie let the sound of the movie fade into background noise as she carefully spread the thin clear coat on, paying attention to around her cuticles. She gently blew on them to help them dry before taking the brush from the purple color she’d chosen to begin carefully applying the color to her nails.

Julie could remember her mother spending many Saturdays in their bathroom, painting her nails a deep red color. She had always watched in fascination until Rose had sat her on the counter and let her pick her own colors. Then she would take Julie’s hand and gently cover her little fingers in vibrant shades. When Julie got older, they would share the counter and Rose would help her clean around the tips of her fingers where the polish would smudge. After her mom had died, it had taken Julie a long time to feel right about painting her nails without her mom. It was a sacred ritual they had shared and it was only when Flynn had handed her the nail polish before the Orpheum gig that she had felt right about it.

Now, she let the small brush glide along her nails and fill the blank spots with a deep purple that made her think of her dress from the Orpheum. She smiled softly, remembering the poofiness of her skirts and the exhilaration of performing at one of the biggest venues in LA.

“Hey Julie…?” 

She looked up from her left pinkie finger to see Reggie watching her in fascination.

“What’s up Reg?” she asked, waving her hand around to dry the polish.

“I like that color. It’s a really good Julie purple.” he said.

“Julie purple?” she asked, grinning.

“Yeah, like your dress from the Orpheum and how you always seem to have some sort of purple with you. It’s very...wait what does Flynn call it? ‘On brand’? Yeah! It’s very ‘On Brand Julie.’”

Julie giggled.

“Thanks Reggie. Purple is one of my favorite colors so I tend to gravitate towards it.” Reggie nodded and turned back to the movie. Julie started on the second coat, painting until the color was to her satisfaction.

“Julie?” Reggie was much quieter this time.

“Hmmm?” she hummed, keeping her eyes fixed on her ring finger. It was the trickiest finger for her for some reason and she wanted to get it right.

“Do you...I mean...could you…” Reggie suddenly flushed and Julie quirked an eyebrow, glancing up.

“What do you mean, Reggie?” she asked. Reggie swallowed harshly and blinked.

“Doyouthinkyoucouldpaintminenext?” he blurted out. His eyes widened, as if he couldn’t believe he’d actually asked. 

Julie thought nothing of it, only grinned and nodded at him.

“Sure Reg. Let me finish my second coat. Pick out a color that you want.” She finished the second coat of her right hand, carefully filing in the spots she’d missed and trying to avoid her cuticles. Once she had finished, she glanced up and saw Reggie smiling at her brightly.

“What, do I have something on my face again?” she teased, blowing on her nails.

“No I just...you’re amazing Julie.” he said quietly. Julie smiled at him as she reached for the black polish he was holding in his hands. She held out her hand for his and placed it on her thigh as she began spreading the black color on his nails. Reggie watched in fascination as the pale pink of his nail beds were slowly covered by Julie’s expert hand.

“You know, it’s pretty common for men to paint their nails nowadays…” Julie trailed off nonchalantly.

“Really?” Reggie asked happily.

“Yeah. You know that artist I was playing the other day? Harry Styles? He always has his nails done. And a lot of guys at school paint theirs. Nick does before the lacrosse season starts. He doesn’t like to wear it during the season because he hates when it chips too much.”

“I’ve always thought it looked really cool. Bobby and I always talked about doing it before gigs to see how it would look but we never did.” Reggie said. Julie smiled sadly.

“Actually, Trevor always paints his nails before his shows. Says it always brought him luck…” Julie saw a shadow pass over the bassist’s face for a moment before he was back to his happy go lucky self. Julie finished his right hand and began on the left.

“Blow nice and gently on them to help them dry enough for a second coat,” she instructed. Reggie followed her directions, eyes wandering to the movie still playing on her laptop. They sat quietly for a moment as Julie finished his left hand until the tell tale sound of ghosts poofing into the room made them look up. 

“There you are!” Luke groaned dramatically, flopping onto the bed beside Julie. The momentum sent the nail polish bottles flying and Julie grunted, sending the guitarist an exasperated look. Alex only sighed.

“Luke…” she warned.

“I’m sorry. Julie, can I please sit on your bed while you and Reggie hang out without us?” he pouted. Julie rolled her eyes and Alex groaned.

“Yes, you man child, sit down and don’t make me spill on my bedspread.” she chastised. Luke smiled contently and spread out on the mattress, curling his head in towards Julie’s leg. Julie tried to ignore the flush of her cheeks by focusing intently on Reggie’s hand.

“Anyways…” Alex cut in, sitting on Julie’s bean bag. “What are you guys doing?”

“Julie’s painting my nails!” Reggie blurted, waving his newly painted nails at his friends. Julie grinned as Alex grabbed Reggie’s hand to look.

“That looks really awesome, Jules.” Alex said quietly.

“Yeah! That looks lit!” Luke crowed. Julie and Alex shot him another look and he shrugged.

“Just trying to get the 2020 lingo down.” 

“Thanks guys,” Julie said, pulling out her top coat. As she grabbed Reggie’s hand to finish his nails off, she glanced over to see Alex eyeing the case of polishes with an unfathomable expression on his face. Luke had summoned his guitar and was idly strumming it, but every once in a while he would pause and glance at his own bare nails. Once Julie was done with Reggie, she grabbed the case and shoved it towards Alex.

“Pick some colors, Alex. I'll do yours while Reggie’s top coat dries. Then I’ll need your help to pin Luke down to keep him still enough”

The drummer’s face broke into a wide grin and he sifted through the various colors, ignoring Luke’s indignant squawk from beside her.

Which is how Julie ended up giving Alex a rainbow set and Luke ended up choosing black as well, with the added purple on his pinkie fingers to match Julie. He cited wanting to have cohesion as a band, but based on the looks Alex and Reggie were throwing at him, she knew he just wanted to match her. As Julie finished Luke’s top coat, Reggie and Alex were chatting quietly about how they could incorporate new nail colors into their performance outfits and what Flynn (their unofficial stylist) would think. They praised Julie’s work and Julie quirked a smile as she was once again reminded how lucky she was to have her boys.

Maybe her day hadn’t turned out as bad as she’d thought it would.

******

Thanks for reading everyone! Let me know what you think and don't forget to check out my other stories if you liked what you read.

[tauers-go-dutch]

Greece-y Turkey

Hold onto your butts- this one is a long one.  We spent a week on vacation, so we have a lot to write about.  

A couple of months ago, Mariah and I were talking about plans to go on a longer trip for her birthday and for Thanksgiving, both of which would fall on the same week.  We first discussed Iceland- eventually turning it down not due to the cold (it’s apparently always cold in Iceland), but due to the perpetual darkness with no guarantee for a decent view of the Northern Lights.  So we looked for warmer alternatives.  After talking to various friends that had been there before, our minds turned towards Turkey.  Sure, the political climate hasn’t been great the past couple of years, but we figured the everyday people would be friendly enough. Besides, Turkey looked beautiful, and Istanbul is one of the most historic cities in the world. So we made plans… oh, and we decided why not go to Greece in the same trip?

The trip wasn’t without snags… Turkey requires a visa for US citizens.  We bought ours online, and two days later, shit went down and the US and Turkey revoked tourist visa privileges from each other. So… we didn’t know if we could go for a few weeks.  We ended up calling the embassy and previously issued travel visas were said to be honored.  Further, eventually privileges were reinstated by both countries.  That didn’t stop the Dutch checking agents at the airport from harassing us with outdated information- they almost didn’t let us board because, ‘Well, the presidents of both countries are fighting right now.’  Um, close… I guess.  And people say Americans are ignorant.

Obviously we got on the plane.  It was literally the last flight out of Schipol at midnight.  A poor three and a half hours of sleep and we were in Istanbul. But that was just the layover. Another sleepless few hours and we were in Kayseri- a small city in the center of the Asian portion of the country. From there, it was an hour shuttle ride to Goreme, the main city in the Cappadocia region.  Yes, I wrote this to indicate the bit of a pain to get to Cappadocia, but it is worth it.  The region is populated with ‘fairy chimney’ rock formations.  They are gorgeous, and even more so when you learn that people carved homes and churches in them in the middle ages.  Now, whole hotels are embedded in the rocks- including ours!  After settling in, Mariah and I found lunch (delicious Turkish pide), and just walked around taking in the sites.  I mean, the sunset was amazing!  Then was an early dinner (seriously delicious and home cooked) and early bedtime.

Our cave hotel  

The next morning, we were supposed to have a balloon tour to see the sunrise, but the wind was too strong to go up.  Oh well, we made the most of it by going to see some of the aforementioned churches in the Goreme Open Air Museum. If you end up going, pay the extra fee to go into the Dark Church.  Luckily, when we went, we were the only people in at the time, and the docent was kind enough to give us a mini tour of the church and the beautiful frescoes adorning the walls.  Unfortunately, the frescoes are only preserved from the little light entering the church (hence Dark Church), and no photos are allowed.  

Afterwards, we tried Turkish ravioli (which is a dish from Cappadocia as we came to find out later) and some amazing Turkish samosas (I can’t remember the actual names, so I have to resort to analogizing the dishes).  We then took a quick taxi to a small town to the north called Avanos. The main part of town is very nice and picturesque, but we quickly found out the rest of town is not so nice.  We bobbled around a bit (and were guilted into buying a souvenir), then  we made our way back to Goreme.  We were told that the balloon ride would be canceled again the next day, so Mariah scheduled a consolation prize- a hamam bath.

This was a real treat- just be sure to check you inhibitions at the door.  We paid for a bath, massage, and facial.  We started in a sauna, which we really got the sweat going. Then, in just a towel, you lie down on a stone table.  A person then dowses you in water and gives you rough luffa scrub up and down your entire body.  This is followed by a lavender soap rub down- again all over.  You are rinsed and then given slippers to go back and relax before your massage.  Too bad my slippers were three sizes too small!  The massage and facial were standard, but welcomed.  We left the place feeling so relaxed and refreshed. Dinner that night was some of the best I’ve had.  Truly a great night.

Avanos

One size... fits all? 

The next day wasn’t too eventful.  Honestly we just made our way back to Istanbul, which was rainy.  We had some good durum and climbed the Galata Tower for some spectacular views of the city.  Plus we had some great baklava.  You might be sensing a theme that I enjoyed the food there, which was good because the next day we scheduled a food tour around the city.

Galata Tower

We met our guide, Latif, in the old city.  Latif opened up a small local tour company, Istanbul on Food, with his college friend. His friend has since moved to Australia, but Latif carries on the business.  I can’t stress enough how good this tour is.  Latif has been in the tour game for 12 years, and his passion for Turkey really shows.  If you go to Istanbul, book this tour.  The food is so good, and there is so much (really too much).  

We went on the ‘Taste of Two Continents’ tour, and started the day off with breakfast in the Spice Bazaar.  Latif gathered simit bread, various cheeses, Turkish pastrami, menemen (eggs with peppers and tomatoes), clotted creamy and honey, and both chunky and smooth hazelnut butter.  Holy shit, everything was amazing, but the smooth hazelnut butter was dangerous, which shouldn’t be a surprise given it was basically Nutella without chocolate. Afterwards we hopped on a ferry over to the Asian side of the city.  While it was chilly, we sat outside and caught some amazing views.  In the meantime, Lafit shared how the Asian side, specifically the Kadikoy neighborhood, is, ironically, situated more like a European city than the European side of Istanbul.  After living in Europe for a year, I completely agree. It really is an intangible feeling, but Kadikoy was hip and trendy, and very enjoyable. To hammer home the European feel, we started at a sweet shop by the port.  There we had salep, a spiced hot drink made from orchid flour.  While the Salep was good, the really cool thing about the shop was the Christmas sweets that they sold.  Turkey, as you may know, is predominately an Islamic nation. However, it is a secular nation, and very open to people of other faiths, as evidenced by its sale of chocolate Santas.  It was very heartwarming to see Latif relive childhood memories upon sight of the chocolate Santas which he used to have as a kid growing up in Germany (Germany has the largest Turkish population in Europe, outside Turkey).

From there, we had lunch at Ciya, which is widely regarded as the best lunch in the city. Each day the restaurant has a new menu of various dishes from regions throughout the country.  We had samples of two different stews, baba ganoush, stuffed eggplant, puff bread, and Turkish pizza.  Seriously, SO. MUCH. FOOD.  And this was stop three of 12.  The next stop was to the originator of a special type of donor kebap- an iskender kebap. This one doesn’t come wrapped up, but is rather eaten like an open-face sandwich and smothered in tomato sauce. And it is considered more upscale than the common street food version.  Luckily, after this stop we a stop for some lighter fare- traditional pickled veggies.  We had cucumbers (ie pickles), beets, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, and even a plum. The plum was weird, but we cleansed our palate with a mix of pomegranate molasses and tahini.  Yum!  

Next we walked over to a street stand, and tried some mussels.  We had both fried and steamed- the steamed was mixed with rice and lemon, and was heavenly.  Well, at least for me… not sure Mariah thought as much.  But our next stop was for tantuni.  This was described as Turkish tacos, and that’s pretty accurate. They’re even better with hot peppers! The sour yogurts drinks that came with them were pretty awful, though.  Latif said every American he’s taken on tour has hated them, so there’s that. Next was kokorec, which, stay with me here, is pig intestine wrapped around tripe, roasted, diced, and served in toasted bread.  Actually not too bad, but I wouldn’t make it a habit.  Supposedly, the EU is cracking down on kokorec for sanitary reasons (Turkey is/was half-heartedly trying to join the EU), which is probably a good call. Next is a quick stop for raw meatballs, which is actually meat-free, and made from walnuts.  Supposedly, the original recipes called for meat, which wasn’t cooked due to a punishment from god, but now is made from walnuts.  It’s actually decent.

Unfortunately, this is not a milkshake- it is a salty, plain yogurt beverage! 

Ok, so now after a few lighter stops, we went to a small pide restaurant.  Pide is a popular dish in Turkey.  It is sometimes called Turkish pizza, but Turkish pizza often refers to the flat pita with a meat and tomato spread.  Pide has a thicker crust, and layer with cheese and toppings like a typical pizza, and sometimes wrapped like a calzone.  It is delicious.  We had a veggie (which unfortunately included mushrooms to Mariah’s chagrin), and was the absolute best thing we had all day.  In fact, Latif didn’t really eat all day (he tries to keep from eating too much on the tours to keep from gaining weight), but indulged here.  My only regret is that I forgot to take a picture of the restaurant, and I can’t remember the name.

I don’t think she can eat any more

On the final stop, we stopped at a local ice cream chain- Mado.  While a chain, this has the best ice cream according to Latif. We had some traditional Turkish ice cream, which is made thicker and richer than the American version.  We were also treated to a surprise birthday cake, courtesy of Latif.  SO. MUCH. FOOD.  Also, I forgot that we had some delicious baklava and Turkish coffee (no, you don’t drink the grounds that are left in the cup).  Latif even treated us to an extra treat of pudding made from barley/wheat topped with cinnamon and chickpeas.  It was good (truly), but we could barely eat it after stuffing ourselves earlier.  After the tour, we wanted to see the Taksim neighborhood, which is where Latif’s evening tour was located.  So he accompanied us and gave us a few more tips.  We thanked him and explored the neighborhood, including a holiday market, an orthodox Christian church, and an extremely lavish high school.  Then we went up to a brewery to close out the night. If I were hungry, I would have tried a burger, because they looked delicious (the beer was decent).  We called it a decently early night, but were pleasantly surprised when our hotel left us a complementary chocolate cake for Mariah’s birthday.  We made room. Overall, I think we can call this a birthday success.

Just kidding - she made room

The next day, we hit up all of the hot tourist spots of the city.  We went first to the Blue Mosque.  The architecture is tremendous, but I feel that the lack of décor within mosques leaves them feeling empty.  Outside the mosque we were harassed by a vendor who wouldn’t take no for an answer, and despite our best intentions, we admittedly fell a bit into his tourist trap and bough some spices and candies.  After that annoying side quest, we went to the Hagia Sophia, which was the grand church of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-6th century, until being converted to a mosque in the Ottoman Empire.  Now it is a museum, and houses the art from both eras. Additionally, there are some neat tombs for old sultans of the Ottoman Empire.  Afterwards, we toured the Topkaki Palace.  The palace was grand, but I’m still palace’d out.  There were some beautiful views that made the entrance fee worth it, though.  What I was really excited for were the city cisterns, though.  These used to house the water for the whole city.  It was pretty cool seeing the setting for (*spoiler*) the climax of Dan Brown’s Inferno. Finally, we walked through the Grand Bazaar, which is really a glorified flea market, before getting a small bite to eat.  Oh, and we saw a surprise aqueduct along the way.  Not much more going on for the rest of the evening.  

Underground cisterns

Hagia Sophia

The Blue Mosque

The tombs of young princes

Alright, so now we are on to the last leg of the trip.  We went to the airport to hop over to Athens… literally, we were going in a puddle hopper.  I may have been in a prop plane before, but I honestly don’t remember it.  I even got to have the window seat right by the engine- some cool photos ensued.  We traveled with an interesting set of characters, including an American diplomat (hopefully she made some progress while she was in town).

Upon arriving in Athens, we of course went to find food.  To our surprise, Turkey was really lacking solid falafel, despite being neighbored by several countries in the Mediterranean that specialize in it. That wasn’t a problem in Athens! We arrived in the afternoon, so some of the sites had closed their entrances early for winter hours. However, we still got to see some cool stuff, including the first arena for the Modern Olympic games (side note- don’t pay to go in, you can see it all from the outside).  We also walked through the city garden and found a little pond with so many turtles!  They had even stacked on one another- super cute.  We then climbed up toward the Acropolis (but not actually to it- that would be for the next day), and watch the sun set over the city.  It was gorgeous.  We walked around the city a bit more, and found some awesome street art. We also found a beer bar, which had some solid brews.

First falafel!

We started the next morning with brunch!  Mariah had a Greek omelet, but I tried something new.  Alas, I again can’t remember the name, but it was basically orzo-esque pasta, tomato sauce, and eggs.  Mix it up, and you have deliciousness on a plate.  We then split Nutella stuffed pancakes.  Yum!  Then we went up the Acropolis.  Yes, it is worth it.  The views are amazing.  Just check out the pics.  We also went to see the agora, which is cool, but probably not entirely worth admission. BTW, despite Greece not having the best economy, they sure know how to price admission to their attractions. They take a page from Disney, and charge the maximum you’re willing to pay, cause, I mean, you’re not going to not see the Acropolis.  As a side note, I was actually surprised at the number of Americans I saw around the city, considering it was Thanksgiving weekend.  We got some souvlaki (basically gyros), which by now you probably know were amazing- you just have to wait in line for an hour or so before getting some.

Pretty excited about having a Greek omelette in Greece!

A view of Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Zeus from the Acropolis

That evening, we caught a drink in a cute coffee house that changes décor for the season. We happened to catch them as they changed for the Christmas season.  The drinks were awful, but the atmosphere was really cool.  We then found yet another amazing meal for dinner.  This place was seriously cool, because it was a family deli with a dinner service.  They not only give you free bread, but also pastrami and cheese as a free appetizer. We then ordered some dolmas (basically the first of the whole trip) and bulger salad.  We also had a pastrami egg dish (well, I did) and a Greek salad. Superb!  We then closed with drinks in a trendy bar called the Clumsies. My Celtic Forest drink played with my head a bit, since the ice kinda looks like seaweed.  

Final baklava

A quick stop for Christmas tea

Seaweed cocktail?

The next morning, we went home.  It was particularly interesting, since we (ie, the whole plane) were immediately stopped after landing by border control.  This was very odd since we were traveling from one EU member country to another. Fortunately, we were able to pass with no problems (even though Mariah had to check her hand luggage at the gate so she didn’t have her passport).  At least we made it back in time to join our friends for a belated Friends-giving celebration.    

To say the least, this was an epic trip.  Easily one of the best we’ve had.  While I miss our family, and the traditional food, I loved trying out this Turkey for Thanksgiving, even if it was a bit Greece-y…

…

Ok, that was a bit much.  Tot ziens for now!

[qualitytacolover]

20 Trendy Ways to Wear Short Angled Bob Haircuts

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20 Trendy Ways to Wear Short Angled Bob Haircuts

A short angled bob is a ladies' haircut cut shorter at the back and longer at the front. Practical but extra fashionable and versatile – this combo makes this hot cut the most desirable Bob Style since the beginning of time!

You've certainly seen photos of Hollywood fashion icons Regina King, Gabrielle Union, Emily Ratajkwoski and Jourdan Dunn, who round their voguish short hair in an angled cut the Internet. Her hairdressers made sure to take her face details and hair type into account when making her free hair cuts.

Just as Orlando-based hair specialist Gerilyn Ghaisarzadeh blends the face and personality of her clients with the right hairstyle and even vibrant colors – you'll find a long list of ways to style an angled bob cut. Style with beach waves for a carefree, boho atmosphere or iron it straight and slim to exquisitely define that angle – you will not go out to try out your curls.

Its versatility is not the only amazing thing about angled bobsleds. Easy maintenance for short cuts, there are also additional fashion points!

chopped off blonde with and undercut

This cut is timeless and usually low maintenance. We shaved it under to make a small undercut because her hairline has some cowlicks. It was a fun way to help this problem and look super cute, even if she wants to tie it back a bit.

My favorite part of it is that it should look carefree and effortless, so if she styles it in the morning, she does not have to think about it anymore! We went with cooler tones for her highlights, and I just think that it fits so well with her skin tone.

I think this style works well with hair on the thinner side. It looks more body. It's great for any lifestyle, as this particular customer is in the active military living on the base, with two young children, I could add.

Especially bobs with this hair type are so easy to style and always look cute. A few passes with the curling iron, and she is good to go!

Pine-length Bob

This look is a classic, and I feel like it's going to go out of style. It is good if you still want length around your face, but still have some fullness, without being too short.

Be ready to style it everyday. This is not a wash-and-go deal. A good blowjob will do wonders with this style, depending on your texture.

Wavy and short

I think my client describes this look best as cool-mom Bob. We wanted something that, when styled and curled, makes it fun and cheeky, but even if it's just blown out, it's slim and still has a great shape.

I think the versatility of this look is my favorite part of it. For styling, I used Color Wow's Carb Infused Dream Cocktail for extra volume, curled in alternate directions with my Croc Hybrid Iron, and then sprayed Cult-Favorite Hairspray from Color Wow.

Usually, when a customer is considering a shorter look, I remind them that short hair is sometimes more work than long hair. In most cases, in addition to the analysis of the face shape, the actual length is determined if you want to put it on.

Not all customers want it so short that ponytails can be made, so daily styling is usually something that needs to be done. Then I recommend a product for her hair type. Whether that's for straightening frizzy hair or inflating the volume depends on each customer, but no matter what, I feel every customer needs something with thermal protection.

I always talk to my clients about how to use products and then how to style because I want them to feel comfortable and confident and to re-create their look at home.

chopped off with an undercut

This is a choppy, angled short bob with a Peekaboo shaved undercut, though it is not visible in the picture. I love its versatility: elegant but edgy and modern. She rocks her natural color, embracing her amazing gray hair that blends so well with the natural smoky blonde.

I would ask if she is an active person or not and how long she would have to get to make the haircut better for her lifestyle. If she prefers to put her hair in a ponytail, we may need to rethink the length and keep it a little longer. If not, we can go even shorter.

Short hair does not need much care besides using the right products. In essence, I would recommend using a good product before drying – like a mousse or a texturizing lotion – and a styling wax / paste to give that extra texture and fun. I think, "Less is more." It takes a few weeks to get used to short hair, but trust me when I say it's addictive.

Blonde Balayage

This is a crisp classic form, but with the subtle disheveled movement and golden tones – I would describe this look as a subtle softness. What I love about this look is that the overall shape is visually appealing. The back is short and stacked while maintaining the length around the face for a soft, feminine, versatile look. I added golden highlights to their warm caramel base to create beautiful depth and dimension for a stunning style.

This timeless style has so many different variations that can be adapted to the specific needs and desires of each client. Being honest and real with your stylist about the amount of time you are willing to invest in styling will help him / her recommend suitable products for your hair and provide styling tips.

This timeless style can really be refined and detailed in so many ways to make it suitable for all hair textures and densities. It's amazing for a girl on the go, professionals, young and mature women !!!

For thin hair

This look is the perfect balance of sexy and chic for me. This cut is one of my absolute favorite haircuts for women with thin hair. My favorite part of this cut is how versatile he is. You can wear it elegant and sexy or add some soft waves for a playful, soft look.

If my client considers this haircut, I ask these questions. What is your everyday life? How much time do you want to spend on your hair every day? Which styling products and tools do you have at home?

This cut is super easy to style, but I always tell my customer that they need to blow dry their hair with a round brush to achieve the sleek look as pictured here, then finish with a straightener to smooth the sides to give it the sharp appearance.

The perfect face shape for this cut is round, as it will lengthen your face, but I love this cut on most face shapes, as you can adjust how long and angled the face will be to fit any face shape.

I would rate this hair cutting medium for maintenance as you need it trimmed about every 5-8 weeks to keep the shape.

Mostly, all hair types can deduct that. It all depends on the perfect styling products to make styling easier. My absolute favorite products are from Unite Hair. In this look, I've used a product called Unite Lazer Straight and Unite Boosta Volumizing Spray.

With pony and layers

This short angled bob haircut is fun and flirty. Their natural texture works with this cut. This kind of slightly jagged look is really the moment. It is for women who want to look together, as well as stylish, but want to spend little time in the morning.

This cut is paired with an edgy asymmetrical fringe to make it a little more fun. The neckline is soft and textured to give more of a feminine feel.

She has a small amount of waves in her hair, but with the right texturing and product usage, the wave jumps up and creates a ruffled beach wave look. The way I styled was easy. While it was wet, I have some Catwalk Sea Salt Spray from TIGI. The back was dried naturally. In the front, I dried everything and made volume, while intermittently scrubbing it with my hand. After drying, I sprayed the sea salt again and it collapsed. That took care of every frizz.

To give it even more of an edgy feel, you can use a texturizing paste to make the look stand out. After styling it would be a funny look to add some accessories. This is a simple, on-the-go, low-maintenance style and can be styled with just one product.

This cut is suitable for all ages. If you're worried about the face shape, do not do it. If you feel like you have a round face, add more volume, longer front length and longer bangs. This cut could be honestly personalized on every face shape.

Stacked Short Angled Bob

This bob is a classy hi-end style – a hairstyle that makes it easy to wear comfortable clothing to stylish clothing while still looking stylish and trendy. I wanted to choose a color that has expressed something deep and refined. I also wanted to make this bob, so when you get ready with a busy life, it just falls in place, creating a simple way of on-the-go and still stylish.

You have to have the right bone structure to have a raised bob. To achieve this eye-catching look, it would be best to have thick to coarse hair. It will make the Bob look more defined.

I like to use a very light anti-frizz cream to smooth out any fly. It tends to give the heeled Bob a more elegant look that creates sophistication for people who are busy living and do not have too much time to spend every day on their hair.

For curly hair

This haircut is a short mid-heeled bob with natural diffused curls. My favorite thing about this haircut is how it shows its natural curls. It also shows that even curly girls can have a nice angled bob.

Make sure it fits your lifestyle. This fabulous lady was a lifeguard who wanted something simple but stylish so she could still pull it up when she worked.

She also wanted to work with her natural curls, so we discussed what products she should use and decided to use Amikas Plus Size to help keep the shape of her curl and softness, without crunch having normal mousse.

Layered Short Angled Bob

I love this layered and bent Bob, because he is very slim and versatile. This is one of my favorite cuts. It has the edge that you can wear it smoothly to work, but still give it some beach waves and have some fun.

The color is very dimensional, although it gives the appearance of a neutral brown base, unless you are in natural light. There is a mix of four shades of brown from mocha to chestnut brown. Then we have their crown and glory section, as I call it, where it is heavily highlighted with super fine pieces as well as balayaged everywhere to still give the soft look of their natural base color as it starts to grow. So you have the best of both worlds.

Do you know that you can have fun with it! It requires some work, so be prepared to style it. Whether it's blowing out a round brush, ironing flat or using a wand, use products that help with styling, protect from heat and provide a little grip.

A good leave-in conditioner prep spray to restore the hair to its normal pH, a styling mousse, a blow-out balm, a shine / smoothing serum and a thermal protector are an absolute must. Short angled bob cuts like this have so many different styles to style – do not forget to be naughty!

Very short with a pony

This very short angled bob with pony is timeless, chic and easy to style.

I would tell you, blow-dry with a paddle brush to smooth it out and fight the ends that could turn the wrong way. You can also air-dry or use a diffuser to highlight the natural texture. Depending on the length, it can be worn with any face shape. It's definitely for someone with a hectic lifestyle who wants a manageable cut but still looks stylish.

Structured and springy

It's a dull bob with broken ends. I love that look because it's effortless and yet so chic!

This is ideal for curly or straight hair. This haircut needs a bit more maintenance by cutting every two to three months to wait.

For black hair

This is a shorter, angled bob with texture, and it is very naughty. It gives you attitude and confidence. Not many people can take that look away. One thing that I really like about it is that it attracts attention when you walk on the street. It shows the ability of the hairdresser and her technique. I have a lot to do with this haircut and style. What inspired me for this color look is autumn and winter. The dark tones, midnight blues and purple haze remind me of this season.

Everything depends on their face shape. If you have a shorter neck, accentuate it by pointing the neck and maybe stack it in the back. If you have a long neck, you might do more of an A-line bob.

What fascinates me about these types of haircuts is that it depends on the personality of the customer, and everything is customized and aligned with what suits them best. Maintenance wise, look at the haircut for about 8-9 weeks.

Maintenance at home is easy, and many times you just have to paddle dry and then iron flat. When one of my clients gets such a new look, part of the service is to teach them how to style it at home.

For round surfaces

This is the perfect short angled bob haircut for a round face. You will love to look at yourself in the mirror by wearing this beach wave hair on a light ginger color.

Long front, short back

This long front, short rear angled bob cut is cheap for most ladies with straight thin brunette hair. With subtle bangs, this haircut will complement your innocent and beauty kings-like face.

For thick hair

Her charisma shines best when combined with this stunning hairstyle for thick hair. The textured, long-angled bob cut is the ultimate in daring. Do it extra with the soft balayage and ombre hair color.

The rear view

The perfect short angled bob hairstyle does not look good on the front, but also has to be polished on the back. This French haircut on a natural balayaged brown and blond hair is a work of art by stylist Ryan Amacker. He proves that a first-class haircut and style "begins with a thorough consultation to determine what's best for your lifestyle and face shape."

For fine hair

Make the glass-looking effect of your hair your best advantage by styling this simple, short, angled bob cut with loose and thin waves. With blond highlights, this is the cutest hairstyle you can get for fine hair.

With side swept pony

Wanted a naughty hairstyle for your naughty attitude? Do not look any further. It's one of the coolest short angled bob haircuts you'll see. What is reinforced with more texture and volume on curls with laterally swept bangs. The rich, brunette balayage from look creator April Lancaster is enough to convince you to wear these now.

With pony

Are you the sweetest darling in your group? Combine your personality with a cute short angled bob with a pony. This is the right hairstyle for ladies with straight and straight hair on a combined brunette and brown hair color.

[easynaturalhairstyle]

20 Trendy Ways to Wear Short Angled Bob Haircuts

A short angled bob is a ladies' haircut cut shorter at the back and longer at the front. Practical but extra fashionable and versatile – this combo makes this hot cut the most desirable Bob Style since the beginning of time!

You've certainly seen photos of Hollywood fashion icons Regina King, Gabrielle Union, Emily Ratajkwoski and Jourdan Dunn, who round their voguish short hair in an angled cut the Internet. Her hairdressers made sure to take her face details and hair type into account when making her free hair cuts.

Just as Orlando-based hair specialist Gerilyn Ghaisarzadeh blends the face and personality of her clients with the right hairstyle and even vibrant colors – you'll find a long list of ways to style an angled bob cut. Style with beach waves for a carefree, boho atmosphere or iron it straight and slim to exquisitely define that angle – you will not go out to try out your curls.

Its versatility is not the only amazing thing about angled bobsleds. Easy maintenance for short cuts, there are also additional fashion points!

chopped off blonde with and undercut

This cut is timeless and usually low maintenance. We shaved it under to make a small undercut because her hairline has some cowlicks. It was a fun way to help this problem and look super cute, even if she wants to tie it back a bit.

My favorite part of it is that it should look carefree and effortless, so if she styles it in the morning, she does not have to think about it anymore! We went with cooler tones for her highlights, and I just think that it fits so well with her skin tone.

I think this style works well with hair on the thinner side. It looks more body. It's great for any lifestyle, as this particular customer is in the active military living on the base, with two young children, I could add.

Especially bobs with this hair type are so easy to style and always look cute. A few passes with the curling iron, and she is good to go!

Pine-length Bob

This look is a classic, and I feel like it's going to go out of style. It is good if you still want length around your face, but still have some fullness, without being too short.

Be ready to style it everyday. This is not a wash-and-go deal. A good blowjob will do wonders with this style, depending on your texture.

Wavy and short

I think my client describes this look best as cool-mom Bob. We wanted something that, when styled and curled, makes it fun and cheeky, but even if it's just blown out, it's slim and still has a great shape.

I think the versatility of this look is my favorite part of it. For styling, I used Color Wow's Carb Infused Dream Cocktail for extra volume, curled in alternate directions with my Croc Hybrid Iron, and then sprayed Cult-Favorite Hairspray from Color Wow.

Usually, when a customer is considering a shorter look, I remind them that short hair is sometimes more work than long hair. In most cases, in addition to the analysis of the face shape, the actual length is determined if you want to put it on.

Not all customers want it so short that ponytails can be made, so daily styling is usually something that needs to be done. Then I recommend a product for her hair type. Whether that's for straightening frizzy hair or inflating the volume depends on each customer, but no matter what, I feel every customer needs something with thermal protection.

I always talk to my clients about how to use products and then how to style because I want them to feel comfortable and confident and to re-create their look at home.

chopped off with an undercut

This is a choppy, angled short bob with a Peekaboo shaved undercut, though it is not visible in the picture. I love its versatility: elegant but edgy and modern. She rocks her natural color, embracing her amazing gray hair that blends so well with the natural smoky blonde.

I would ask if she is an active person or not and how long she would have to get to make the haircut better for her lifestyle. If she prefers to put her hair in a ponytail, we may need to rethink the length and keep it a little longer. If not, we can go even shorter.

Short hair does not need much care besides using the right products. In essence, I would recommend using a good product before drying – like a mousse or a texturizing lotion – and a styling wax / paste to give that extra texture and fun. I think, "Less is more." It takes a few weeks to get used to short hair, but trust me when I say it's addictive.

Blonde Balayage

This is a crisp classic form, but with the subtle disheveled movement and golden tones – I would describe this look as a subtle softness. What I love about this look is that the overall shape is visually appealing. The back is short and stacked while maintaining the length around the face for a soft, feminine, versatile look. I added golden highlights to their warm caramel base to create beautiful depth and dimension for a stunning style.

This timeless style has so many different variations that can be adapted to the specific needs and desires of each client. Being honest and real with your stylist about the amount of time you are willing to invest in styling will help him / her recommend suitable products for your hair and provide styling tips.

This timeless style can really be refined and detailed in so many ways to make it suitable for all hair textures and densities. It's amazing for a girl on the go, professionals, young and mature women !!!

For thin hair

This look is the perfect balance of sexy and chic for me. This cut is one of my absolute favorite haircuts for women with thin hair. My favorite part of this cut is how versatile he is. You can wear it elegant and sexy or add some soft waves for a playful, soft look.

If my client considers this haircut, I ask these questions. What is your everyday life? How much time do you want to spend on your hair every day? Which styling products and tools do you have at home?

This cut is super easy to style, but I always tell my customer that they need to blow dry their hair with a round brush to achieve the sleek look as pictured here, then finish with a straightener to smooth the sides to give it the sharp appearance.

The perfect face shape for this cut is round, as it will lengthen your face, but I love this cut on most face shapes, as you can adjust how long and angled the face will be to fit any face shape.

I would rate this hair cutting medium for maintenance as you need it trimmed about every 5-8 weeks to keep the shape.

Mostly, all hair types can deduct that. It all depends on the perfect styling products to make styling easier. My absolute favorite products are from Unite Hair. In this look, I've used a product called Unite Lazer Straight and Unite Boosta Volumizing Spray.

With pony and layers

This short angled bob haircut is fun and flirty. Their natural texture works with this cut. This kind of slightly jagged look is really the moment. It is for women who want to look together, as well as stylish, but want to spend little time in the morning.

This cut is paired with an edgy asymmetrical fringe to make it a little more fun. The neckline is soft and textured to give more of a feminine feel.

She has a small amount of waves in her hair, but with the right texturing and product usage, the wave jumps up and creates a ruffled beach wave look. The way I styled was easy. While it was wet, I have some Catwalk Sea Salt Spray from TIGI. The back was dried naturally. In the front, I dried everything and made volume, while intermittently scrubbing it with my hand. After drying, I sprayed the sea salt again and it collapsed. That took care of every frizz.

To give it even more of an edgy feel, you can use a texturizing paste to make the look stand out. After styling it would be a funny look to add some accessories. This is a simple, on-the-go, low-maintenance style and can be styled with just one product.

This cut is suitable for all ages. If you're worried about the face shape, do not do it. If you feel like you have a round face, add more volume, longer front length and longer bangs. This cut could be honestly personalized on every face shape.

Stacked Short Angled Bob

This bob is a classy hi-end style – a hairstyle that makes it easy to wear comfortable clothing to stylish clothing while still looking stylish and trendy. I wanted to choose a color that has expressed something deep and refined. I also wanted to make this bob, so when you get ready with a busy life, it just falls in place, creating a simple way of on-the-go and still stylish.

You have to have the right bone structure to have a raised bob. To achieve this eye-catching look, it would be best to have thick to coarse hair. It will make the Bob look more defined.

I like to use a very light anti-frizz cream to smooth out any fly. It tends to give the heeled Bob a more elegant look that creates sophistication for people who are busy living and do not have too much time to spend every day on their hair.

For curly hair

This haircut is a short mid-heeled bob with natural diffused curls. My favorite thing about this haircut is how it shows its natural curls. It also shows that even curly girls can have a nice angled bob.

Make sure it fits your lifestyle. This fabulous lady was a lifeguard who wanted something simple but stylish so she could still pull it up when she worked.

She also wanted to work with her natural curls, so we discussed what products she should use and decided to use Amikas Plus Size to help keep the shape of her curl and softness, without crunch having normal mousse.

Layered Short Angled Bob

I love this layered and bent Bob, because he is very slim and versatile. This is one of my favorite cuts. It has the edge that you can wear it smoothly to work, but still give it some beach waves and have some fun.

The color is very dimensional, although it gives the appearance of a neutral brown base, unless you are in natural light. There is a mix of four shades of brown from mocha to chestnut brown. Then we have their crown and glory section, as I call it, where it is heavily highlighted with super fine pieces as well as balayaged everywhere to still give the soft look of their natural base color as it starts to grow. So you have the best of both worlds.

Do you know that you can have fun with it! It requires some work, so be prepared to style it. Whether it's blowing out a round brush, ironing flat or using a wand, use products that help with styling, protect from heat and provide a little grip.

A good leave-in conditioner prep spray to restore the hair to its normal pH, a styling mousse, a blow-out balm, a shine / smoothing serum and a thermal protector are an absolute must. Short angled bob cuts like this have so many different styles to style – do not forget to be naughty!

Very short with a pony

This very short angled bob with pony is timeless, chic and easy to style.

I would tell you, blow-dry with a paddle brush to smooth it out and fight the ends that could turn the wrong way. You can also air-dry or use a diffuser to highlight the natural texture. Depending on the length, it can be worn with any face shape. It's definitely for someone with a hectic lifestyle who wants a manageable cut but still looks stylish.

Structured and springy

It's a dull bob with broken ends. I love that look because it's effortless and yet so chic!

This is ideal for curly or straight hair. This haircut needs a bit more maintenance by cutting every two to three months to wait.

For black hair

This is a shorter, angled bob with texture, and it is very naughty. It gives you attitude and confidence. Not many people can take that look away. One thing that I really like about it is that it attracts attention when you walk on the street. It shows the ability of the hairdresser and her technique. I have a lot to do with this haircut and style. What inspired me for this color look is autumn and winter. The dark tones, midnight blues and purple haze remind me of this season.

Everything depends on their face shape. If you have a shorter neck, accentuate it by pointing the neck and maybe stack it in the back. If you have a long neck, you might do more of an A-line bob.

What fascinates me about these types of haircuts is that it depends on the personality of the customer, and everything is customized and aligned with what suits them best. Maintenance wise, look at the haircut for about 8-9 weeks.

Maintenance at home is easy, and many times you just have to paddle dry and then iron flat. When one of my clients gets such a new look, part of the service is to teach them how to style it at home.

For round surfaces

This is the perfect short angled bob haircut for a round face. You will love to look at yourself in the mirror by wearing this beach wave hair on a light ginger color.

Long front, short back

This long front, short rear angled bob cut is cheap for most ladies with straight thin brunette hair. With subtle bangs, this haircut will complement your innocent and beauty kings-like face.

For thick hair

Her charisma shines best when combined with this stunning hairstyle for thick hair. The textured, long-angled bob cut is the ultimate in daring. Do it extra with the soft balayage and ombre hair color.

The rear view

The perfect short angled bob hairstyle does not look good on the front, but also has to be polished on the back. This French haircut on a natural balayaged brown and blond hair is a work of art by stylist Ryan Amacker. He proves that a first-class haircut and style "begins with a thorough consultation to determine what's best for your lifestyle and face shape."

For fine hair

Make the glass-looking effect of your hair your best advantage by styling this simple, short, angled bob cut with loose and thin waves. With blond highlights, this is the cutest hairstyle you can get for fine hair.

With side swept pony

Wanted a naughty hairstyle for your naughty attitude? Do not look any further. It's one of the coolest short angled bob haircuts you'll see. What is reinforced with more texture and volume on curls with laterally swept bangs. The rich, brunette balayage from look creator April Lancaster is enough to convince you to wear these now.

With pony

Are you the sweetest darling in your group? Combine your personality with a cute short angled bob with a pony. This is the right hairstyle for ladies with straight and straight hair on a combined brunette and brown hair color.

20 Trendy Ways to Wear Short Angled Bob Haircuts

[h-gtot]

William Shakespeare and Bisexuality

Now, I would like to preface this by saying that we couldn’t possibly know how William Shakespeare himself would identify, and obviously the term “bisexual” was not coined and used until much later. When discussing historical figures sexuality, it gets very tricky with labels. However, if we look at whether or not William fit into the category “bisexual”- that is to say, if he was attracted to two or more genders- that is a question we can attempt to discuss.

Due to the rampant homophobia of society, traces of anyone that wasn’t heterosexual were attempted to be scrubbed away. That combined with the extreme lack of information about Shakespeare’s personal life means that it isn’t likely we will ever find a blatant “I like guys” confession. Shakespeare did, however, explore many gay themes in his works. Though of course straight men can explore gay themes, even modern day straight men are just getting into that. Back then, in a society where being openly gay was heavily looked down upon, not to mention many men didn’t even write strong female characters? It seems… unlikely that a straight playwright would have so many gay themes. And let’s add in his sonnets- my favorites! 1 through 126 are dedicated to the “Fair Youth”- often called Mr. W.H. This man is suspected to be Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton. A lusty, bisexual earl, whose initials were reversed to protect his identity. He was the dedicatee of Venus & Adonis and other poems. However, this hasn’t been proven and people also say W.H might not even be the Fair Youth in the first place. Because we don’t have super solid evidence for either, I’m just going to refer to the Fair Youth as that.

The famous sonnet, Sonnet 18 (Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day) was included in these. Yep, one of the most famous romantic sonnet was possibly written as a love letter to a guy he liked. Now, of course, these could have been written from the viewpoint of another person, not Will himself. But one, I doubt it, and two, like I said, writing 126 gay sonnets as a straight guy? Seems pretty sketchy. I’m on to you, Bill.

Let’s look at some especially convincing sonnets- I’m personally gonna skip 1 through 17, because they are literally all. About. Kids. William really wanted the Fair Youth to have some kids so his beauty would be preserved. It’s all he talked about until Sonnet 18. Sonnet 20- the basic idea? Something like, “you’re super hot like a girl. You have a dick, though. But I don’t care that much.” This sonnet is kinda sexist, but it gets the point across. He also calls the Fair Youth “the master-mistress of my passion”, which honestly seems like something you would call your genderfluid lover. This one is very hard to deny- it’s obvious what it’s about, and it would make zero sense of it was written from the viewpoint of a women- plus, it’d still be pretty bisexual. And if you bring up it could be another man’s viewpoint- see above.

In sonnet 26, he calls the Fair Youth the “Lord of my love”, which is honestly super sweet. In sonnet 30, he talks about being super depressed (basically, I’m paraphrasing here,) but then goes on to say that when he thinks of the Fair Youth, he is able to recover. Honestly? Same, Will, thinking of cute people always helps me out of a depression spiral. In sonnet 40, he says love a lot. He also begins to talk about how the Fair Youth and Will’s mistress are sleeping together, which makes him sad, but he forgives him. In sonnet 53, he says “describe Adonis, and the counterfeit is poorly imitated after you. On Helen’s cheek all art of beauty set, And you in Grecian tires are painted new.” If you can’t read the Early Modern English, here’s No Fear Shakespeare’s translation: “If an artist tries to depict Adonis, he’ll wind up creating an inferior imitation of you. If he were to paint Helen as beautifully as possible, he would again wind up with a picture of you, decked out in Greek costume.” In my mind, it is pretty gay to describe your crush as prettier than Adonis and Helen, two bangin’ Greeks. Helen literally started a war cause she was so pretty. So that’s a pretty nice compliment.

I know what some may be saying- “Jane!” You cry, “I’m sure these are just platonic, no-homo love sonnets!” But are you, dear reader, telling me that Sonnet 18 is platonic? That “Lord of my love” is platonic? That calling the Fair Youth “love” repeatedly platonic? Are you honestly telling me that, were these not about a man, and instead a woman, you would still call them platonic? If but a woman was called “Lady of my love”, people would be swooning and saying how romantic it was. But the moment it’s gay? All romance is evaporated. This, readers, is heteronormativity- the idea that being heterosexual is the norm, it’s the base, that people are “hetero until proven otherwise.” This viewpoint makes people act like we need 5 eyewitness to William Shakespeare sucking a dick to truly call bisexual (not to mention that most people ignore the idea of bisexuality, but we’ll get to that eventually.) Instead, look at William like a blank slate- he obviously loved women, the Dark Lady sonnets (all sonnets after 126), prove that. But, as a Certified Bisexual myself, I can say that just because I like girls doesn’t mean that I don’t like guys. And just scrolling through, we can see there's definitely some attraction between the narrator and the Fair Youth. Now, yes, this all depends on if the sonnets are written from William’s viewpoint. People claim them to be a writing exercise, though this doesn’t explain the 17 sonnets solely devoted to begging the Fair Youth to have kids. If it is a writing exercise, why are all of them seemingly told about the same person from the same point of view? As a writer, that seems… strange. Not to mention the fact that Shakespeare seemed to find these very private, and though I’m sure most artists don’t publish their exercises, the fact he didn’t want them to be known at all is strange. Writing about gays a a straight man back then would be weird, but writing sonnets to a gay lover? That’s how you die, sir.

It is the opinion of most scholars that these sonnets are autobiographical. If this is true, which I and many other, smarter people believe, than this is the closest we get to and insight on his personal life and, more importantly (at least, for this essay), his sexuality.

“Alright, Jane, if this is all so obvious, why isn’t it fact?” Well, dear counter argument, due to previously-stated heteronormativity and the fact that we don’t have any rock solid evidence, we can’t say anything for absolute sure. Not to mention the fact that many people often ignore bisexuality as an argument. If you say “William might have been a smidge… gay,” people can jump in and fire back “But he liked women!” This bisexual erasure isn’t only annoying and hurtful but also makes this whole issue more mysterious than I think it needs to be. Bisexual men often like women. Bisexual men often marry women. William Shakespeare’s attraction to women isn’t a counter argument to his bisexuality, it’s just showing that he definitely played for one team, and most likely the other! Another issue is that people act as though a bisexual historical figure is amazing. The idea that LGBT people have existed before modern labels. Shocking! But that’s an idiotic statement. People haven’t gotten gayer, the world has gotten clearer. People stopped hiding, and started inventing communities and identities and started to be proud. There are so, so many LGBT people throughout history- you just have to try and spot them. Acting as if we are a modern invention is hurtful and erases our rich and history and identity. If there were gays in Ancient Greece, then I’m sure as Hell there were gays in the 15th century. We didn’t take a break.

As stated before, we probably will never be able to say for sure, until I either go back in time or see him in the possible afterlife. Both of those, by the way, are in my top 5 goals of life. Regardless, the evidence we currently have seems to make a pretty convincing case, and we might even find more evidence as time goes on! A couple days ago, I was listening to a Podcast, Shakespeare and Contemporary Theory. They had one on q*eer theory, so obviously I had to listen. A woman who works at a Pennsylvania and was writing a book on q*eer theory was talking. I really enjoyed the episode, and I especially like this quote: “If Shakespeare’s work isn’t q*eer, I don’t know what is.” She also mentioned that to read his work as only straight is to “misread the plays and misread the historical moment.” If you want more information on the subject (and told by a smarter person), I beg that you check it out. If you take anything from this essay, take this: Shakespeare’s work was, at least, filled with gay themes. And when you are in the 15th century, putting gay themes in your plays and writing 156 gay sonnets? It doesn’t scream heterosexual.

[fictionalescapeartist-blog]

    I know, I know I have been gone for a while. I took a bit of a sabbatical, because I was having a hard time coming up with content and then would go into a shame spiral etc. Blogging stopped being fun and became another thing to beat myself up about, if you haven’t picked up on it I might have a slight self esteem issues… but I am back and applying less pressure on myself because ultimately I enjoy blogging.

  Anyway! I wanted to take a few to talk about some of my favorite Fictional Escapes (see what I did there?) from 2017. Some I blogged about already, some I have not. Even though I have it in a list format, it is not a ranking. THAT WOULD BE LIKE ASKING ME TO PICK A FAVORITE CHILD! Here are 10 favorite things from 2017:

s1. Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I blogged about this book, so I wont spend a ton of time on this one, my feelings on this book are well documented here, on Twitter and Facebook. BTW Taylor Jenkins Reid is a mega sweetie to her fans, I suggest following her. This book was absolutely amazing! I read it in like a day. I say read, but more devoured it. The book takes you through 2 stories of very different women and how their lives connect. It is beautifully written and so well done at times I forgot I wasn’t reading an Autobiography.

2. Reincarnation Blues

Another one that I haven’t shut up about since I read it. Milo is the oldest soul in the universe, living nearly all of his 10,000 lives. We are taken through several of his lives as he tries to reach perfection, as well as his time between lives where he is in love with a Death who goes by Suzie. This book is magical, fun, and at times heart breaking. This book is reminiscent of Douglas Adams. The many different worlds Michael Poore has built in just one book is astounding.

3. Twin Peaks the Return

What can I say about this show? Honestly I am never so happy to be confused then when watching Twin Peaks, and the Return took that up a notch or. Kyle MacLachlan playing several hard roles so perfectly, you forget its the same actor. Dougie Jones absolutely broke my heart on a weekly basis, while the bad Cooper was scary as hell. The fact they were on Showtime, they were able to get a lot darker then in the original show. Plus we so got this beautiful sigh-worthy moment:

#BigEdandNormaForever

4. The final season of the Mindy Project

Mindy, Mindy, Mindy. There is nothing that Mindy Kaling has done that I didn’t love, this show included. I was hooked from the very first episode. The characters, the story line, the jokes, everything was perfect. Season 6 was the shortest and one of the best seasons of the show. They wrapped up everyone’s story line, with out every feeling like everyone was short changed or rushed. With out spoiling the overall story arch, I was nervous about how the show would end, the direction it seemed to head and they nailed it, with out sacrificing the character’s emotional growth as I feared they could. This show goes down as one of my all time favorites with 30 Rock, Parks and Rec and Scrubs. I will miss this show so much!

5. Season 3 of Playing House

  Ugh! I guess technically I should have titled this one “The final season of Playing House” but I’m not there emotionally and it is too soon. I knew the Mindy Project was ending, this one was ripped from my arms by the cruel USA. This show. THIS SHOW YOU GUYS! I have so many thoughts and feelings about it, and have blogged about it in the past. The entire show is amazing, but season 3 was something truly special. Season 3 had Emma being diagnosed with breast cancer and shows her and Maggie battle it together, in a story line “ripped from the headlines” as Law and Order likes to say. You see in reality the lead actresses Jessica and Lennon are best friends, and Jessica did have breast cancer. The way the show handled the story line was perfect. It was touching and informative. It was sad at times with out ever actually feeling too heavy. They educated us on cancer treatment options, with out ever pulling you out of the story or feeling preachy about things. Damn you USA Network for canceling it! If you have On Demand, I could not recommend watching this show enough.

6. Womp It Up! Podcast

What? Jessica and Lennon get 2 spots on your list? Yes they do, because they are amazing people who rocked my 2017. Womp It Up! has been around for a while, but I didn’t discover it until this year, and luckily for me I didn’t have to wait a year and half between episodes like other fans. Womp I Up! is a comedy podcast that was birthed from Comedy Bang Bang characters. Jessica St Clair plays Marissa Wompler, a 17(ish) year old, not very well adjusted, student at the Marina Del Rey High School, the podcast is her senior project. She is doing some alternative learning in her school’s program called STARS, ran by her teacher and lets face it best friend Charlotte Listler, played by Lennon Parahm. Every week there is a new comedian on playing a person in the Marina Del Rey community. My favorite has been Andrew Daly as Joe Bongos, the Health teacher who has some interesting ideas on what to teach the kids.

7. Oh, Hello on Broadway

Oh, Hello got it’s start on the Nick Kroll Show, where Gil Faizon and George St Geegland had a prank show on public access channel in New York. Their one prank was ordering a tuna sandwich with way too much tuna, ultimately getting the person say “That’s too much tuna”. What was the prank show called? Too Much Tuna of course. Somehow, in Nick Kroll and John Mulaney’s brilliance they were able to make a super successful Broadway play based on these two dirt bags.

Gil (a writer) and George (an actor) have been best friends and roommates since the 1970s. They decided to write an autobiographical play telling their story. The brilliance of this show is the play that is happening around the play. It gets pretty meta at times, often Gil and George stop the actual play to have their own interactions, generally it is Gil giving George notes on how he is doing in the play. The sheer detail that has gone into this show is mind boggling. I can’t even describe the layers of the play. I highly recommend checking it out.

8. Wonder Woman

Let’s not get into a DC vs MCU argument here, generally I am an MCU fan and haven’t been too excited over the last few DC movies, but this one. I will admit was a little nervous when I first saw Gal Gadot was cast as Wonder Woman, but she won me over immediately in Batman vs Superman. I was still cautiously optimistic for the Wonder Woman movie, but it came out better then I imagined. In my opinion it was just awesome (I am aware of the issues people had with it, but to me the good outweigh the bad). I enjoyed the hell out of it, it made me laugh and cry. I also enjoyed the feel of it, different then the other super hero movies, it felt more like a war movie. If you haven’t seen it, check it out!

9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and Thor: Ragnarok

I decided to combine these two into one, because well I didn’t want this list to be 3/4s super hero movies. I could also write a book on my feelings for these two movies and their directors. Guardians was written and directed by James Gunn and Thor was directed by Taiki Waititi, a kiwi writer and director known for his work with Flight of the Concords, What we do in the Shadows to name a couple. Also if you’re looking for a sort of weird but sweet movie, check out Eagle Vs Shark.

These two movies have a bit of a rag-tag team thing going on, and both delve into family relationships. They are both visually stunning, and laugh out loud hilarious, (yes I know that is a problem some people have with Marvel, but I love to laugh and they are right up my alley). Their similarities are one reason I decided to group them together. The first Guardians became my favorite Marvel movie about 10 minutes into it, and was thrilled that James Gunn actually made something better. I have always had a soft spot for Thor, and been sad at the state of the movies he’s had. I left Ragnarok thinking they finally gave him the movie he deserves, also Jeff Goldblum at his Goldbumiest.

My other favorite part of both of these movies, is they seemed to fix the villain problem. Hela and Ego managed to be interesting and complex. They didn’t seem to fall flat like others have in the past.

These two movies are all in all a good ass time!

10. Hamilton the Musical, paired with Hamilton the book

   I know, I know. It’s based on true events, but some of it is changed for dramatic effect. I am so late to the game on Hamilton, but I just recently got Spotify Premium which let me listen to the soundtrack in order… and I am HOOKED. I decided to check out the biography the musical was based on by Ron Chernow. Combining the two adds a lot more depth to the play, certain lines in songs make sense. There is so much drama in Hamilton’s life, so much that the play never even touched on.

If you want to add to your Hamilton experience, read the book as well. Honestly, it makes the entire experience so much better.

  Thanks for reading everyone!

    Check out my top 10 from 2017 list of my favorite Fictional Escapes. I know, I know I have been gone for a while. I took a bit of a sabbatical, because I was having a hard time coming up with content and then would go into a shame spiral etc.

[nashvillewifestyles]

It’s National dad’s day…ok call it Father’s Day if you want. Hey I’m not sure about you but my dad and my husband surely deserve the best I can give them. Also even though he’s not my dad, my father in law is one of the best dad’s I’ve ever seen. He has helped us so much and I’m eternally grateful. Since it’s Father’s Day and all, I’m gonna share a couple personal stories with you to celebrate the two dads in my life and also Father’s Day gifts every dad wants.

My husband. Man he’s my rock. I know it sounds cheesy when people call their significant other their best friend, but it’s seriously the truth. Before we ever even dated, we truly were great friends. He’s living proof you should marry your best friend. I’m not gonna touch too much on that because our anniversary is coming up and I wanna give him all his husband dues then. So I’ll tell you a few reasons why he’s the best dad.

Matt is the dad every little girl wishes she had. Our daughters get his full attention when he’s not working. He’s never too busy for them and he’s always hands on. He stayed up with Charlie and Keatyn as newborns and has had more than his fair share of crying nights and diaper changes. That’s a real dad. Someone who gets his hands dirty but also sits in the floor playing tea parties and dolls. Seeing him with our girls makes me swoon even more than I already do. He takes pride in being a good father and I respect that more than anything.

My dad. He was always so strict with me growing up but all out of love. My parents divorced when I was not even quite a toddler. Every moment spent with him as a child was full of fun and laughter. I missed him terribly each time I had to leave. I’ve always been a daddy’s girl. I have lived my life just wanting to make him proud. Now seeing him with his grand children shows a side to my dad I’ve never seen. He loved me so much and I always knew that but he had to be tough because he was the father. With my girls, he can relax and be himself. He loves those girls and it shines for everyone to see. I love seeing him with them.

Now that I’ve shared a little bit about my top two dads, I have rounded up some really solid gifts the Dad in your life is going to love.

Minted has some amazing Father’s day promotions going on right now. My personal favorites are THIS kid drawing turned to art. I mean how cool would it be to turn your children’s drawing into a piece of art to hang on your wall at your office? I’m also loving THIS framed hand print of your baby’s hands. Such a memorable token and you can keep it forever. Minted has pretty much any Father’s Day gifts every dad wants. I’m actually in the process of picking out a piece of Minted Art for my bedroom wall. (Sharing that soon too!)

I love supporting small business as much as I can. One of Matt’s favorite presents I have ever given him is a bar necklace with our daughters name and birthdate on it. (I told you he is a great dad!)So now Charlie is here and I’m getting him a new one with both girls. I thought THIS money clip is hilarious too, and so true. If you’re looking for stellar quality personalized gifts, you definitely need to check out Her Silver Lining and support wonderful, small businesses. I have ordered 3 necklaces for myself and daughters as well and am absolutely in love.

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My husband has a killer style when he dresses up. One thing he loves to have on point is his shoes. I can’t decide whether or not to get him a pair of dress shoes (I love a good wing tip and these are on sale!) or casual daily shoes. No matter which one you’re debating on, I am sharing two of my favorites with you. Johnston & Murphy also has great quality for a reasonable price point.

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My husband travels a lot for his start-up and I’m pretty sure he has had the exact same toiletry bag since we’ve been dating. It’s definitely time to upgrade that. We are in our 30’s now. I am loving these toiletry bags from Dagne Dover, plus they have great bags of all assortments for women. At least now I know he will travel in style. This carry all is perfect for his quick 1-2 day trips.

My husband has a love/hate relationship with grilling. Especially depending on the weather but we love that grilled food feel to our food. This indoor grill is perfect for the guy who can still feel manly working the grill but can move it inside if need be. Plus clean up is a cinch. You don’t have to scrub the grill, it’s dishwasher friendly, just pop off the parts. Bonus: It’s under $60.

My husband is a sports fanatic, as I’m sure most men are. Currently, the Nashville Preds are going into the 5th game of the Stanley Cup and he’s wild with team spirit. There’s nothing wrong with bandwagon fans but he’s the furthest thing from it. He’s been supporting our boys since they came to Nashville. I found THIS rustic sign at Score Art and knew he needed it for his man room. I also got him a Vandy one because I simply can’t beat their prices.

My husband said the other day that he needed a nice hotel robe and I laughed thinking of the visual image. The brother from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation that walks around in his robe. Not that I could blame him, this things are comfy as heck. So I found THIS comfy 5 star rated robe on sale for less than $60. I’m so excited to give it to him so he can lounge around and feel like he’s on vacation.

So happy Father’s Day to all you guys out there showing the rest of the men how to do it right! If you’re active in your child’s life, I commend you. Hope you guys like some of these Father’s Day gifts every dad wants.and get some good ideas from it. Make sure to check them out 🙂 If none of these work, golf or sports typically always work 😉 Xoxo.

Some of my favorite ideas for gifts for Dad this Father's Day. It's National dad's day...ok call it Father's Day if you want. Hey I'm not sure about you but my dad and my husband surely deserve the best I can give them.