#safety tips for winter season

[cuddleschildclinic]

As winter is approaching, so you should also be cautious about your child’s health. The utmost thing to take care is to avoid catching cold, which can easily be prevented by taking due precautions.

[constructionsafetynetwork]

Winter Construction Safety: Tips and Guidelines

Embracing Winter Construction Safety As the icy winds blow and the landscape transforms into a blanket of white, construction sites face a slew of additional hurdles. The frigid climate not only affects the physical well-being of the workers but can also influence the performance of machinery and the durability of materials. Winter weather, characterized by freezing temperatures, snow…

[cinnamostar]

blankets and kisses

pairing : chan x gn!reader

summary : the bitter iciness of winter wore you down, yet your boyfriend knew how to melt away your sorrows

wc : 913

cw : alludes to seasonal depression, established relationship, comforting bf chan, fluffy, not proof read

a/n : this was entirely self indulgent LMAO sorry if formatting is bad though, im on my phone and wrote this kinda quickly bc i felt inspired hehe . also im floridian so i know nothing abt snow or winter so i did my best

in the hushed whispers of the night, you found yourself yearning his comforting embrace, a closeness you always craved and yearned for. the chilling zephyrs brushing against your skin, your hair bellowing in response as you shiver under the icy winds the harsh winter always brought in its company.

you couldn’t bear this season alone, it was taxing to repeat the same mundanity and solitude adulthood had introduced you to. daylight was always so fleeting and witnessing it had become a luxury during these cold months.

it was always the same deep blue morning sky that greeted you as you made your way to work, and after eight grueling hours, the same sky would be waiting to be welcome you once more, except this time with the sun rays barely peeking out from the edge of the sky. you hated this time of year, and you could never understand the holiday joy and excitement everyone seemed to buzzing with around you. what was there to enjoy?

the weather was unpleasant, the low temperatures of the world pricking the tip of your nose as you briskly made your way home, trudging your way through the light sheets of snow that covered the sidewalks. the glacial breeze never relented its attacks on you, always piercing through the layers of warmth you adorned yourself with.

the lack of sunlight allowed dreary, dark clouds take over your mind as you surrendered yourself to exhaustion. how much longer would your days be like this? how much longer would the wintry season plague your mind with somber thoughts?

you crack for the door open to your shared apartment, basking in its inviting warmth that provided you refuge from the world you had just shut behind you. the comforting smell of fresh linen making its presence known as a grateful smile graces your features. you gently place your bag on the small side table, shedding the layers of coats you had worn to endure freezing winds, not caring that they’d remain on the floor.

your mind was too focused on finding solace and reprieve to worry about your belongings as your feet dragged you to your living room. your own personal source sunshine that kept your afloat during these difficult times was waiting for you on the sofa, his head turning to your direction once he heard the pitter patter of your steps.

a smile stretches across his face, his eyes becoming crescents as he lifts himself off the couch to meet you half way.

“hi baby,” chan whispers as his arms envelope you, a chaste kiss landing on your forehead, melting away the restricting stiffness the icy winds had diseased you with. the tension in your muscles loosen under his summery touch, your mind relaxing knowing you had found safety in his arms once again.

“hi,” was all you could muster out, your sleepiness catching up to you as your heavy eyelids flutter shut, snuggling your head into his chest, taking in the comforting thumping of his heartbeat.

chan’s hand found itself resting atop your head, his other drawing gentle circles on your back, “i warmed up some blankets for us to cuddle up in,” he spoke, “i think you deserve some rest.” he knew this time of year was suffocating for you and without fail, he found ways to bring light and warmth into your gloomy world, whether it was through gentle words or acts of love, he was the healing your ailing mind needed.

his words were soothing to your worn-down soul, a small smile appearing on your face as you peer into his eyes, chin resting on his chest. “that sounds so nice, thank you, chan,” you feebly mutter.

without skipping a beat, chan swiftly lifts you up, carrying you to your bedroom as a hearty giggle escapes him, you squealing at the unexpected action. he softly drops you atop the bed, the sheets rippling under the sudden weight as you lost yourself to a fit a giggles, blood rushing to your face as you succumbed to the bustling butterflies that made themselves home in your stomach. chan lays himself next to you, hastily pulling a toasty blanket over your bodies. his arms pull you into him, your body fitting snuggly into his as his leg rests over yours. he cups your face with one hand as his lovingly gazes into your eyes, his eyes sparkling with adoration as he drank in every detail before peppering your face with kisses.

airy laughs continue to leave both of you, overwhelming you as each kiss tickles your flustered skin, leaving burning warmth and desire behind each kiss as your eyes squeeze shut. after bearing his feverish affection, he then places one last, languid kiss on your lips, lingering for a few moments before pulling away, beaming at your dazed state.

“i love you, y/n.”

“i love you too, chan.”

despite the brutal winter season that sapped the happiness out of you, as long as you had chan by your side, you knew you’d be able to uncover the joyful glee everyone else seemed to have. his very presence shooed away the heavy snow clouds that darkened your thoughts, rays of sunshine peaking out to thaw out the icy shell that encased your heart, reminding you that this too shall pass. somehow, in the midst of harsh snowstorms, he was a blooming flower that emanated infectious jubilation, and you were blessed to be able to bask underneath it.

[jinxhallows]

kinktober #o17 | glory

KINKTOBER 2023 || jinxhallows glory (praise kink) || chan x fem!reader summary: you and chan met as volunteers for the local cabaret theatre, working as stagehands, but when it blossoms into something more, and the temperatures drop below freezing, chan figures out a way to warm you up, and fast... warnings: praise kink, and all that entails, plot heavy, fluffy, lots and lots of praise, 'daddy' petnames, non-idol AU

word count: 4k masterlist - click here

The first time he let it slip, you two were still just friends.

You both volunteered as stagehands at the downtown cabaret theater, and you had been sent out to purchase some last-minute supplies. Your coat was dripping wet over your arm from running through the rain, a shopping basket hooked in the crook of your opposite elbow, and you held the phone to your ear, spinning around to decipher the location of the checkout.

"Did you get the safety pins?" Chan's voice came through the phone.

You nodded, even though Chan couldn't see you. "Yeah."

"And-"

"I also got the glue gun sticks, an extra pack of AA batteries, and a small can of black acrylic paint," you rattled off.

"Good girl," Chan responded, genuinely impressed.

At the time, he had no idea that his words had a much different impact on you than he could have ever imagined. The idea of him praising you under very different circumstances had ignited a fire within you, one you couldn't ignore.

The season progressed and Chan worked up the courage to ask you out for drinks and now you two are barely two months into a very new relationship. Still working together, now as hired staff seasonally, at the cabaret theatre, you two are now working together on helping out with the production of A Christmas Carol.  It’s two months until showtime, so you’re in the thick of things, managing a team of stage designers. Chan is managing the costume department and overseeing music direction. He has a brief gap between meetings, so he decides to surprise you by grabbing your favorite drink and muffin from the local coffee shop. After leaving a generous tip in the paper cup at the front of the register, he heads back to the theater through the brisk winter cold.

Chan enters the theater's workshop, finding you in your office. He closes the door behind him, greets you with a kiss and your drink, and then takes off his coat. As he hangs it on the nearby coat rack, you take a sip of the drink, savoring the warm, spicy flavors of your favorite spiced winter beverage. Opening the small, white paper bag, you take out your favorite muffin. "I needed this so badly. I was late this morning and couldn't grab breakfast."

"Why didn't you call? You know I could've picked you up," Chan says, sitting on the edge of your desk as you ease into your chair. You blow on your drink, preparing it for a sip. "Your car's been in the shop for weeks now. Any word on what's going on with it?"

You pause for a moment, taking a sip of your drink as you ponder how to address the issue. You've been avoiding Chan's questions about your mode of transportation since receiving the bad news. You're hesitant to reveal that you don't have everything under control, fearing it might push Chan away. After swallowing, you gather your thoughts and finally speak up.

"It's gonna be a while," you say, your voice tinged with a touch of uncertainty.

At this point, Chan has confirmed his suspicion that you're intentionally keeping this information from him. He nods, taking in your response, and glances at his watch. Fiddling with one of its links, he contemplates whether you've been together long enough for him to press you about these matters. He doesn't want to start an argument or intrude on your privacy, but he's genuinely concerned, especially with the weather getting colder and the distance you live from the theatre.

"That... doesn't sound good," Chan finally says, after you've taken another sip, looking back at you. You can feel the hesitation in his words and sense that he's holding something back. Your fingers nervously tap against your cup in an unknown rhythm that's stuck in your head. "Yeah, the engine, it's kind of... shot," you say, tapping the cup at a higher tempo. You find the lid of your cup more interesting than Chan's attempt to hide his shock. He knows he's not great at concealing his emotions, and he clears his throat, suddenly fascinated by his watch.

"Wow, that's... I'm sorry to hear that. Engine troubles can be expensive. You know if you need any help at all—"

"I'm just getting another car. I've been looking, but I haven't had the time yet, especially with the production coming up, so I've been taking the trains. I'm okay, though, Chan, really," you reassure him. Setting your cup down, you interlock your fingers, resting your chin on them, and offer him a disarming smile.

"Since you've had time to come visit me, I'm guessing you're ahead of schedule?" you inquire, relieved when you see his focus shift, steering the conversation in a different direction. 

For now, you've evaded his questions again.

"Like a well-oiled machine. In fact, there's a little bit left over in the budget to get the fog machine fixed."

"Chan!" you laugh, "How did you manage that?"

"A few people owed me a few favors. I know how much you wanted to give those Ghost of Christmas Future scenes more ambiance." Chan embraces you, and you eagerly rush into his open arms, hugging him tightly, the scent of his shampoo and cologne filling your senses. When you let go, he slowly turns you around in his embrace, his arms encircling your body, your back against his chest.

"Thank you for this. Oh, Hailey will be so excited to hear this, and Thomas, we'll have to space out the set for Act Three, but that's no problem. I—" You stop yourself, your hand on your forehead as you catch yourself from rambling again. Chan loves seeing you excited like this, so he never stops you during your enthusiastic outbursts. You turn around, your arms resting on his shoulders, and you kiss him, expressing your gratitude with a hundred silent thank-yous.

Chan finds the courage to speak out, his hands gently resting along your waist. "Please let me give you a ride, at least to and from here. You live outside the city, and I'd feel better knowing you're safe in this cold." He anticipates a rebuttal and adds, "Just for the cabaret. Whatever else you do is your business, but if you did need me for other rides, I'd be up for it—just needed to get that out there," nodding affirmatively to you and himself.

You decide to accept his offer this time. You had guessed wrong; it had never left his mind the entire time.

"Fine," you roll your eyes with a small smirk, "I just know you live in the city, and that's out of your way."

"It's not, honest," Chan stands up and leans forward, kissing your forehead. "You're really special to me." With a smile, he heads out and adds, "I'll meet you in the lobby after rehearsal."

"You're really special to me..."

Those words reverberate in your mind for the next four hours of work. They're louder than the hammering of nails into wooden boards, louder than saws cutting through plywood, and even louder than the timpanis in the orchestra pit.

As you work, your head down while distressing the paint on the side of a fake building, you can hear Chan stopping and starting the musicians, going over pieces meticulously. It's hard not to lock eyes with him when he glances over at you occasionally.

Unbeknownst to you, Chan is entranced by the way you bring a vision to life, ingeniously assembling pieces that leave him baffled. He observes you walking among other stagehands, adeptly adjusting a streetlamp, your gloved hands confidently resting on your hips, toolbelt hanging down. You point, shake your head, and oversee adjustments, stepping back and tilting your head, scrutinizing it from various angles before granting it a thumbs-up.

Every so often, you cast an inconspicuous glance over your shoulder, but Chan has already shifted his focus long enough to deceive you into thinking he wasn't watching. He splits his attention between you and the piano, directing the musicians, a sight he relishes.

At one point, a designer stands beside the piano with a partially costumed actor, waiting for the right moment to approach Chan. The designer holds up a piece of velvet red fabric against the navy blue costume.

"Was thinking maybe this material?" the stylist asks.

"Nah, not really, the blue is better against the gold buttons," Chan nods, providing his expert opinion.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Thomas' voice teases, breaking your focus and startling you from your reverie.

"Oldest one in the book. And corniest," you quip back.

"Don't do it, boo. I'd be distracted if Chan were mine too," Thomas remarks, and you both sneak another glance in Chan's direction. "He is a delicious piece of sweet potato pie, ain't he?"

You nudge Thomas playfully, and both of you head backstage.

As the day concludes, everyone gathers around for announcements and updates from the director. Afterward, people begin to disperse. You're embraced by hugs from Thomas and other crew members who've become like family. The holiday break is upon you, and some are leaving town to enjoy their vacation. The lobby teems with people, and amid the crowd, you spot Chan. You hear him chatting with others, and as he finishes, his expression brightens as he spots you.

You’re really special to me… You give Chan a warm hug. It's cozy inside, a welcome refuge from the cold winter winds outside.

"Ready?" he asks with a grin.

You nod, and together, you make your way to the exit. The bitter cold greets you as you step outside, and the wind feels like needles on your exposed cheeks. You tug your scarf up around your nose to protect yourself from the icy gusts. Chan holds you even closer as you both step out into the open, and he opens the passenger door of his nearby parked car.

The car's interior offers immediate warmth, and you welcome it with relief. Chan yawns as the silence settles in around you. He had a busy but good day, and now he's just as eager to hear about yours, especially after getting lost in watching you do your thing.

"Are you sure you wanna do this? Like, drive me all the way home?" you ask, your voice tinged with doubt.

"Yes, I want to drive you all the way home," Chan says with a chuckle. He starts the car, shifting it into reverse to back out of the parking space. "And then I want to walk you all the way to your door, and then I want to kiss you, like we're a couple of teenagers from the fifties."

You laugh at his sweet sentiment.

"I'm serious! You make this relationship thing feel like it's worth something, like it's something I can do... forever," Chan says. He starts to feel a little self-conscious about gushing and quickly dials it back. "You're just... really special to me." There it is again.

"Chan," you begin, and there's a moment of hesitation.

"Yeah?" Chan's gaze remains fixed on the road, but he's eager to hear your words.

"I love you," you say, surprising both yourself and him with the sudden confession.

Each quiet second Chan spends frozen on the road ahead makes you want to backpedal.  It’s too soon.  Are you dumb? He’s gonna think you’re crazy.  It’s not even three months yet.

“I love you too.” He says, and it comes out like his own kind of word vomit, at the tail end of his ruminating thoughts of whether or not you actually meant your statement.  Then he guilts himself for doubting the expression of your feelings. Chan would just like to get out of his own head for thirty seconds.

"Ok, now that that's settled," you say, your humor helping to break the tension, and you settle into your seat with a sigh. "I'm sorry I get so weird about you helping me sometimes. I just feel like you have your shit together, and I'm still trying to figure it all out. I know you didn't sign up to get a girlfriend with a bunch of problems—baggage."

Chan snorts, a mixture of amusement and relief. He's glad to hear that this is what's been on your mind, that you've been carrying a self-imposed burden. He appreciates the vulnerability in your words. Sometimes he needs to feel needed, especially in a relationship.

"I'm not sure what your definition of having my shit together is, but this version of me, isn't it," he says with a smile. "I didn't sign up for a girlfriend with a perfect life. I signed up for Y/N, and all that comes with her. How dare you short me the fries to my combo?"

You both share a laugh, and as the car settles into the quiet hum of the engine, you notice snow falling and sticking to the slushy roads as you leave the city behind and enter the suburbs. You check the weather forecast on your phone, prompting you to speak up.

"There's a frost advisory tonight, love," you muse. "You think you should stay over tonight? The roads are gonna be awful."

Chan hadn't planned on it, but he realizes he has nothing urgent to rush home to, and he's getting pretty tired too.

"Good idea."

It takes another thirty minutes, but soon, Chan is pulling into your driveway, turning off the car and walking you to your door just as he said he would. He waits patiently next to you, his hands warming in his pockets as he looks around at the snow falling and piling up, covering the black streets in blinding white reflected against the streetlights.

It's a perfect night to snuggle with a special someone.

You turn on the music, an old Aqualung album filling the former silence, making the blanket of white outside look even more magical. You had never found yourself enjoying the quiet company of another until you started dating Chan. It's a new experience for both of you since you can get lost in conversation for hours. But with Chan, there's no pressure to keep coming up with new topics. It's one of the many reasons why he enjoys your company. He can just be himself around you.

You come over to join Chan as he sits on the floor against the couch. He initially begins to unfold his crossed legs to make room for you, but you extend a leg over his, straddling him instead, holding two cups of hot cocoa in your hands.

"Oh, well hello, beautiful," he chuckles, taking one of the mugs from you.

The way he says it makes your heart flutter, and you can't help but tease him. You sip your drink, looking at him with a mischievous gaze. "There's just something about the way you say those things to me."

"What things, baby?" Chan asks, playing along. He knows what you mean, but he loves hearing it from you. "When I tell you how pretty you are? How I get caught staring at you at work at least five times a day by the other volunteers?"

You can't contain your giggles, and he takes your mug and his, placing them on the coffee table as he cups your face. "I can feel how hot your cheeks are getting too."

"Because!"

"Because why? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't list every reason why I've fallen in love with you to your face."

You bite your lip, realizing Chan's winning the playful banter. He holds onto your hips, shifting himself underneath you and readjusting, all while focusing on being romantic rather than all the nasty things he wants to do to you with you straddling him like this.

He kisses you, gently at first, and then more passionately. "For one, you are beautiful. Anyone with eyes can see that..." You notice the drop in Chan's volume and the edge his tone gains, making you crave him in ways you haven’t been able t0 have him yet. “I like that.” “Yeah?  You do? You should, ‘cause you’re a pretty girl, my pretty girl of course.” Chan's eyes linger on your lips, and you lean forward, capturing his lips in a single kiss that leaves both of you lingering, breathing heavily, your faces close.

"Call me your pretty girl again, and you might start something you can't finish."

"Who says I can't finish it, pretty girl?" Chan counters with a sly smile, his lips dangerously close to yours.

Chan is the next to initiate another kiss, drawing you into a passionate embrace. His hands trail up the bare skin of your back, hidden beneath your hoodie, leaving a trail of sinfire in their wake. You lean your head back with a gasp as he hums against your neck.

"Listen to those breaths you take, so sweet for me," Chan says, eager to hear more of your reactions. He sucks hard enough to leave a bruise under your collarbone, making you gasp in response.

"Oh my God, Chan, I—" You start to express concern, but the juxtaposition of his arousal and your own, both concealed beneath clothing, interrupts your common sense. He shouldn't be marking you up like this. You realize you'll need to wear a turtleneck or a collared shirt to cover your collarbone.  “B-Be careful-”

"I'm sorry, baby. You're just so intoxicating, you know that?" Chan manages to peel himself away from devouring you for a brief moment, a feat that takes immense self-control. "And you have the most adorable smile."

You try to hide your smile, but he pulls your arm away. "No, let me see it. Look at how you get when I compliment you. I can't tell if you love it or hate it, but it's damn hot seeing you get all shy like this. Makes me want to say more, see how else your body responds to me."

"I think it's turning me on," you admit, your voice slightly shaky, and a coy smile forms on your lips.

“You think?” Chan states more than questions, running his nose and lips against your chest, peppering kisses up your neckline. He sucks again, leaving another mark, this time closer to your jaw. You moan in response, and he tangles his fingers in the hair at the nape of your neck as he pulls you in for a kiss. Your lips bruise against his, swollen as he pulls back, looking up at you as if you were Aphrodite herself.

“Thank you, babygirl. I’m sorry I left a couple of marks.”

“It’s okay, you should leave a couple more.”

So Chan does just that.

You hold onto his neck as he moves forward, pressing you into the floor, lifting your hoodie up and sliding it over your arms so he can lay more open-mouthed, deliciously wet kisses down to your navel. He dips his tongue in, taking your piercing between his teeth. Your back arches, and he's going for your jeans, ready to unbutton them, but he stops, sitting up on his knees.

Chan knows if he goes any further, it would be akin to dragging him from quicksand.

He has to ask first.

“We’ve never gone this far,” Chan says, feeling somewhat awkward for not just outright asking you. You realize, of course, that you two haven't gone this far, but Chan wants to ensure you're comfortable. How much further are you willing to go? Chan can easily wrap things up right here, but the way you're writhing underneath his lips every time they press into your skin, leading further and further down south; Chan needs you to tell him otherwise. “I want to go further,” you say, your thumbs hooked into the top of your pants. “You told me you'd finish it, didn't you?”

You assist him in getting your bottoms off, and he nuzzles against the damp fabric of your panties, taking in your scent. “Had no idea you’d smell this amazing,” Chan says, pulling your panties aside to slip a finger in, curling it up. “You must really want me, hmm?”

“Mhm, I do.”

“Can you take more fingers, baby?” “Yeah, I can,” you nod fervently, vigorously, eager to feel him spread you further. Chan gets two more fingers inside of you, and he pulls the panties even further around your lips, leaning down to kiss and suck your clit. He enjoys the way his saliva catches the light as you buck your hips up.

“Prettiest pussy I've ever seen, babygirl. Are you going to let my cock feel it too?”

“Yes, please, daddy?”

Chan has to process the fact that you've called him this. He nearly short-circuits.

“You must want to be my good girl tonight,” he says as he pulls off his hoodie, tossing it aside and unbuttoning his pants.

“I'd give anything to be your good girl, Chan.”

“Anything?”

His fat cock slaps against your wet slit as he holds it firmly. “Anything.” you begin to twist your hips, attempting to grind in a way that will make him slide inside you. You're wet, it's spread everywhere, slicking your inner thighs and cheeks. All it takes is one good thrust, and he can –

“I want this, right here,” his firm taps stop you in place, and his eyes lock onto yours as he pushes his cockhead between your folds, stopping as soon as he's sheathed inside, feeling your walls begging for more. “You feel so wet, baby. Is this for me?” he asks, inching inside until he's halfway in. Chan wants to stop, but the sensation of your walls squeezing him proves to be too much, and he bottoms out inside of you.

“Yes!” You cry out, stronger and louder than you intended, spawning Chan to thrust again, rutting into you. He doesn't always go deep; in fact, he's stroking you at just the right angle to make you see stars as you drag your almond nails down his back, feeling his muscles tense under your touch.

“S-sorry,” you hiss, your head falling against the floor as you cum around his cock. “Keep it up, baby,” he encourages you, “You look so good taking me like this right now, so fucking good.”

"I-I look—"

His firm grip on the strands of your hair at the nape of your neck forces your gaze upwards, compelling you to meet his intense, smoldering eyes.

"Beautiful," he breathes as his thrusts take on a deliberate, measured pace. Each motion propels you closer to the precipice of another orgasm, and you can barely keep your eyes open. His hand presses flat against your head, angling it so you can witness the raw, primal connection between your two bodies. "You look beautiful, say it." You gasp and muster the strength to whisper, "Beautiful," as he introduces two of his fingers to your lips. You eagerly accept them, your tongue tantalizingly caressing the pads of his digits, still bearing traces of your earlier essence. He withdraws his fingers and expertly circles your clit with confident, steady pressure, evoking whimpering pleas from deep within you.

"Such a good girl," he praises with a low, smoky voice, pride lacing every word. "I'm so proud of you, baby. Can you cum again for me? I just wanna see that face one more time.” He wants to etch the vision of your blissed-out expression into the depths of his consciousness, ensuring it's the first thing he sees every morning as he awakens with thoughts of you.   Instinctively, you attempt to shield your contorted, furrowed brows with your hands, but Chan swiftly restrains your wrists, pinning them above your head with a powerful grip. His other hand intensifies its attentions to your clit, moving more vigorously.  He pairs this with shallow, accurate thrusts,each one striking your g-spot with unerring accuracy, causing you to unravel until you could think no more.  You’ve been fucked dumb, for the first time in your life.  As you gradually return to your senses, you struggle to find words or even make sense of how another human being can make you feel this extraordinary.

Amidst the haze of your post-orgasmic stupor, a lucid thought pierces through: sex is a potent, heady concoction, a force to be reckoned with.

Then, the second wave of awareness washes over you when you hear Chan's voice, close to your ear, whispering those two potent words, "Good girl." - fin

[mizuseyebrows]

the boy and the imp —teen!mizu x f!reader

warnings: not proofread, violence, intense fight, blood, period misogyny, swearing/cursing. he/him pronouns for mizu (reader's pov), she/her pronouns for mizu (mizu's pov)

includes: bratty, arrogant fem!/afab! reader. grumpy, arrogant teen!mizu. they're around 13-15 word count: 4.8k

summary: you and mizu meet during a tsuyu's night, the rainy season. your personalities clash as you continue to provoke mizu. what started with a teasing tug-of-war ended in an intense fight.

here's part 2

梅雨 || Rainy season

“Focus, focus. Remember how that man did it.” Mizu whispered to herself, closed her eyes, and swung her katana to try to slash the bamboo tree. She trains alone to become strong and be able to fulfill her desire for revenge against those four white men—those four possible fathers.

She was neglected, mistreated, and harassed by Kohama's villagers because of her mixed blood. Now she lives with Master Eiji, the finest blacksmith in the zone, maybe in Japan. Many men had come to ask for a sword made by a great master. He was the only person who completely accepted her. Well, him. She couldn’t say if it was because he thought she was a boy or because he just needed some help. Be that as it may, she was grateful to count with that grumpy blind man.

Although it is not like it mattered whether Eiji ‘saw’ her as a girl or a boy, Mizu never knew how to be a girl. The only thing that was certain was that she had to pass as a boy to survive. That was the only way to not get murdered. That was the only way she could ensure her and her mother’s safety. But it’s not like that had a good ending for her only relative.

“I hate everything!” She shouted, and then, with rage, slashed the bamboo and panted heavily. “I’m just a monster,” she whispered, closing her eyes with grief.

Everything about her was a problem. From her breasts starting to grow to her devilish blue eyes. Her icy, unnatural, and unpleasant blue eyes.

She hated them.

However, without knowing it, someone was intrigued by her eyes and her training.

You were accompanying your father, who wanted to buy a sword from the great Master Eiji. However, you had to wait outside while the two adults talked about men’s things. It did not attract your attention to hear the same stories of fights and combats your father had; you could even recite them from memory as if you had been present.

While exploring the surroundings, far from the town, you peeked at Mizu training in the gyoka’s courtyard. It caught your attention. You could tell the ‘boy’ was someone who was just starting his training by the way he moved.

With a soft smile, you hid behind a tree to continue snooping on the training.

As soon as the boy opened his eyes, he looked at another bamboo. He shook his head and swung the katana back and forth to practice. His stance was somewhat correct, his concentration was good, and his speed and agility were acceptable. Additionally, you noticed that he was wearing weights on his wrists and ankles. Seems like he took training seriously.

“But I can do better,” he whispered. As he moved from side to side, he hit the trunk with the katana, causing the blade to get trapped.

It was risky, but you enjoyed playing with the boys’ patience, and you couldn’t help but feel the tickle of a teasing comment on the tip of your tongue.

“Do you train yourself, or do someone teach you?” You asked with a giggle, still hidden.

The giggles caught his attention. He turned fast to check where the noise was coming from. It sounded like it had come from the forest, and now he was looking into the trees. His eyes reminded you of what a winter sunrise looked like, with the different shades of blue in the sky reflecting on the frozen lakes.

“Who’s there?” He snapped at the voice. He hadn’t seen you hiding in the shadows yet. “What do you want?” The boy had a raspy voice, taking out the katana from the bamboo trunk to point it towards the forest.

“Don’t worry. I was passing by and saw you having difficulties.” You answered without coming out of your hiding spot yet.

“What makes you think I’m having trouble?” He objected while gripping the hilt of the sword.

You just poked your head out, a haughty smile not leaving your face. “Your technique is not very clean.”

It’s disastrous, actually, you think

“Plus, you looked angry at something; even the katana was embedded in the bamboo.” You shrug and point to the logs the boy tried to cut.

“That’s a womanly observation; are you a lady?” He asked with an annoyed smile. He wasn’t willing to let a girl interfere with his training. “I don’t recall asking for your help.”

 You chuckled, nodding. “Of course you would take my remark as an offense. I didn’t know that you had a very fragile ego and that you couldn’t accept criticism. Boys are all the same, huh?”

“I’m not here for your opinion,” he said, smirking. “You’re really irritating, but I want to see who you are, unless you’re scared of showing up.” He teased, pointing at the forest.

You came out from behind the tree. You were wearing a red hakama and a white uwagi. Daily clothing of a samurai. Your appearance made him narrow his eyes with cold anger.

“Yes, I should be afraid of you. You can scratch me with your toy sword.” You walked toward the courtyard fence and leaned on it.

Your sarcasm triggered his rage. “You have quite a mouth for someone who doesn’t even know me. Are you always this annoying?”

You bit your lower lip as you smiled, teasing the boy in front of you with your gaze. It was cute to see him trying to be intimidating with his frown hidden behind his bangs. He didn’t even have a good posture to attack you.

“You don’t like it when a girl doesn’t bow down to a boy? Does your pride feel threatened?” You pouted mockingly, speaking in a higher tone, as if you were talking to a hurt child.

When you received no response, you let out an airy chuckle and began to walk away from the yard. What a big loser you had found yourself.

“Are you running away or trying to prove that you have more courage than me?” He tried to appear calm and collected. “Why don’t you stay? Are you the type of girl who runs when she senses danger?” He provoked you again with a smirk.

You stopped and looked at him over your shoulder with a pleased smile. So he had good comebacks.

“If you reacted violently when you noticed my presence, what could await me when I touched your fragile little man’s ego?” You raised an eyebrow, leaning against the fence again nonchalantly.

“Didn’t you say it would just scratch you? I thought I heard that, though maybe I just imagined it.” He responded in the same tone as you; it seemed like he was starting to gain trust.

“Good one. I must give you a point for that.”

“Thank you. Although I feel like a loser for putting myself on your level,"

You smiled mischievously. The way he was talking to you now impressed you. “What level? The level of someone who knows how to properly use a katana?”

The boy’s confident expression immediately faded, and he returned to his previous angry one. “You’re a pain in the ass.”

You shrugged and looked away. It felt like the challenge was over, and now you were starting to get bored. You hoped your father would not take much longer.

“Hey, what makes you have that attitude and confidence in yourself?” He buried the katana in the ground to support it. "Is it because you’re spoiled, or are you just a bitch?”

“What did you just call me?” You felt an eye twitch when you heard that word.

“Oh, you didn’t like it? It’s just that you act quite like a bitch, and I’m genuinely curious to know if you are or if you’re just a mama’s girl.” Now he was the one feigning a soft tone, with a very condescending attitude.

“Huh, so you enjoy insulting girls.” You chuckled and jumped over the fence to get closer to him, intimidating. “Well, this bitch can kick your ass in seconds; I can even kill you. If I were you I would think very carefully before calling me a ‘bitch’ again."

“Why? Do you think you’re better than me? What do you know besides makeup and dresses? Just because you see your dad training and fighting, do you believe you have some knowledge of swordsmanship? If you think you’re better than a man, you’re dead wrong.”

“Boy, your inferiority complex is quite lovely. Do you feel that you are not strong enough to be a man? Who hurt you so much?”

You know that when a boy resorts to putting a girl down, it’s because there is something that threatens his poor, almost nonexistent, pride.

“Who do you think you are to mock me?” He was breathing hard and trying to stop himself from attacking you. You were getting under his skin. “I’m not having an inferiority complex,” he replied with a sharp tone of anger. “You’re just too much of an insolent girl. Maybe I’ll have to teach you to respect me.”

He grabbed your wrist and started twisting it violently. You frowned at this, and quickly gripped his forearm tightly and firmly.

“Let go of me, and I won’t hurt you.” You assured him in a calm tone.

“Oh yeah?” He laughed, as a dangerous threat. “You’d hurt me? Do you even know how to fight and kill?” he asked with a smirk.

You sighed and gripped his forearm tighter. Then spread your legs a little, and before he could react, you had managed to throw him to the ground, climb on his back and twisted his arm.

“You have to improve your balance. It’s easy to knock you down.” You laughed softly, burying your knee in his back.

He was taken by surprise when you, who he thought was a delicate brat, threw him down and pinned him to the ground. The boy winced with pain as he felt his chest pressed against the ground.

“Let me go!” He tried to get away, but then stopped, knowing he couldn’t win in this situation, so his best option was to pretend he had lost. “You have an impressive strength for a girl," he growled with his husky voice getting lower. “Or is it just luck?”

“Or maybe I learned to protect myself from guys like you.” You leaned against him, whispering in his ear. Which made you settle more against his body. "Although you saw me fighting as a woman, I must kill you before you rat me out to the authorities or ruin my father’s chance to get a good sword.”

“You think you can kill me?” He tried to seem collected while teasing you.

“Just tell me when and where. I’ll hurt your little mama’s boy ego even more.” You scoffed once more and forcefully let go of him, standing up again to fix your clothes.

He was still on the ground, and he glared at you with anger, his hand shaking and his ears buzzing. He was breathing hard, and he couldn’t hold the rage in his chest anymore. All he wanted to do was punish you for your insolence.

Finally, he stood up and brushed his clothes. “I’ll show you how a real man can make a girl like you regret being insolent to him.”

He growled and quickly ran toward you to tackle you. He secured your legs with his as he grabbed your wrists tightly.

“I have enough problems, and right now, you’re my biggest problem!” His anger was uncontrollable. "You know nothing about men, so why do you open your mouth?” His grip tightened, causing an intense pain.

“Maybe because I have a father and a brother? Let me go now!” You tried to set yourself free from his grip. You raised your head to hit him on the forehead with yours, which made him move away to caress himself there.

You stood up and approached him to take him by the shoulders and kick him hard in the stomach with your knee, managing to knock the air out of him.

As he writhed on the ground in pain, you walked over to the katana and pulled it out of the ground to walk toward him again, pointing it at him. He looked at you with fear and was surprised by your skills.

"Give me… my katana…" He coughed, trying to breathe.

“Ow, you look so adorable,” you laughed mockingly, walking in circles around him. “You really are weak for a boy my age…”

“I said, Give me my katana.” He repeated this with a serious and firm tone.

“Come on, man! Fight me.” You threw the katana to the ground. “No boy has ever tried to spar me. Don’t disappoint me.”

He could see the mockery in your eyes, and it irritated him. “So you’re saying you like picking up fights with boys?” He asked with a cold stare.

"Hah…I might as well give you the satisfaction of getting beaten.” He said it in a cold state and picked up the katana from the floor after getting up.

You looked for something to defend yourself with, and grabbed a wet wooden bar from the ground. “How are you so sure you’ll beat me? Did your little man’s ego tell you that?” You taunted the boy, circling him again, wielding the bar in your hand.

“Why don’t you come here and find out who the real man is?” He asked with a sarcastic tone. He was looking straight at you, his eyes not moving.

“I assure you, there is no real man in front of me; I only see a little boy who can’t stand criticism.” You laughed loudly and ran toward him. You hit his wrist with the wooden bar and kicked him hard to the side, then took distance.

The blow to his wrist made him drop the katana. There was no way he could hold on with so much soreness. Your kick on his side caused him to coughed, but he blinked away the pain. “Is that all you can do?” he asked in rage. “You’re weak; you’re not even a real challenge.”

You threw the wooden bar and waved with your hands for him to come over. “Come, let’s fight without swords. Show me how much strength you have without your toy katana.”

Your arrogance was too much; he couldn’t take it anymore. With an angry shout and full of rage, he ran toward you without any fear, after throwing the sword away. "Is that what you want, you fucking brat? No weapons? Fine!” He screamed and raised his fists.

With excitement you ran towards him. As soon as you were close, you landed a blow on his stomach, but before he fell, you grabbed him by his shoulders.

 “You call me weak again, and I’ll kill you, you bastard.” For the first time you were not laughing, now you looked upset and serious.

“You stupid bitch…" He spat with his bottom lip trembling from anger and pain in his stomach. As soon as he had a chance to free himself, he launched a knee strike at your stomach.

You groaned in pain and moved away to hug your stomach. You looked up at him from your spot, feeling your anger rising within. “What did you call me again, asshole?”

He looked at your enraged looks, and he smiled. His own arrogance returned. “A bitch,” he said, and then laughed. “Can’t you take it? You’re the one who wanted to fight without weapons, and this is what you get.”

You growled furiously and sprinted toward him, managing to tackle him to the ground. You climbed on top of him and started punching him in the face. “Never call me a bitch again!”

Your fists pounded his face non-stop. Every punch was landing on target; he was getting dizzy. You were strong and skilled. Through his pain, he cursed you and then shouted in a loud voice, “Get off me, you bitch!”

“Force me! Fight like a man.” You tightened your hands on Mizu’s shirt to lift his head from the ground. “Hit me if you dare."

“You’re crazy," he mumbled through his bloody lips. With that word, he launched an elbow strike at your chin.

You brought one of your hands to your face, feeling your mouth was beginning to bleed. You looked with bloodshot eyes at him, and again, you began to hit him everywhere. At the same time, you also received punches from the boy under you.

He was not going to lose. He tried an uppercut on your stomach, but at the last moment, you avoided the blow and landed a knee on his nose. "You…" he muttered angrily, his face contorting from pain.

You moved away from him, to take a breath. Your entire face was beaten and covered in blood, just like his. The breathing was heavy, and you had to shake your head from time to time to avoid falling unconscious. "I'm going to… kill you." You managed to say it between deep, fatigued breaths.

Mizu’s whole body hurt, and she was sure you both had huge, horrible bruises on your skin. She coughed, and blood was dripping from her lips. She was breathing fast and couldn’t even think clearly because of the intense and sharp pain.

With an angry expression on her bloodied face, she glared at you. “I would never lose to you… never!” she said in a loud and menacing tone.

“Wanna bet?” You spat blood to the ground, glaring angrily at her.

But before you could run again, a hand grabbed your wrist violently. It was your father, an imposing and terrifying samurai. He looked angry.

“What do you think you’re doing, little one? Do you want to ruin my business with Eiji or what?” He growled angrily, tightening his grip on his daughter’s wrist and hurting her.

You shook your head repeatedly, trying to free yourself. “No, no, sorry, sorry.”

Mizu’s anger turned into surprise when she saw the man grabbing your wrist. She didn’t expect that at all. The man was intimidating; his grip was so tight that it must have hurt you.

With all the anger inside her boiling, she took the chance to get a break from the fight and jumped to her feet. “Let her go.” She shouted in a furious and threatening tone.

You were a pain in the ass, but she wouldn’t let someone stronger than you hurt you like that. Only you two could hit each other because you were on the same level, so she thought.

“You better stay out of this, kid. This is a father-daughter thing.” The man looked at Mizu and then at his daughter, still upset. “Walk. We’re leaving.”

You nodded softly and jumped over the fence to approach your father. “Bye…you.” You realized you didn’t even know the name of the person you had been sparring with. “Thanks for the fight.”

That surprised Mizu. She didn’t expect you to walk away without protesting. She expected you to be more like before and fight your dad over this.

She watched you going through the forest and then nodded to herself. “Bye...” She picked up her katana and went back to Master Eiji’s.

Mizu was nervous about possible reprimands from Eiji, but the man just remained silent. Dead silent. He only spoke to her when he needed firewood, when he needed her to keep the fire going, or when they needed to eat. She knew he was aware of the fight, and perhaps the lesson he wanted to teach her was hidden in his quietude.

But not only was her head plagued with thoughts about Eiji, your memory was also floating around. She wondered if your father had hurt you, punished you or hit you. He looked furious when he found you fighting. She had to admit that she was a little worried about your well-being.

The days passed, turning into three weeks. The blows to both of your bodies hurt horribly, and you two could hardly do physical activities without ending up complaining. Mizu always tried to keep her moans of pain to herself so as not to make Eiji angrier. Although all she wanted to do was hiss because of the stings that moving her limbs caused her.

However, one night, that samurai returned to look for the katana he ordered. And there you were. Accompanying your father again, your face was full of bruises and some cuts. You looked at her with a serious frown while sitting on the ground, unable to help but grimace in pain.

Mizu was standing next to the swordsmith, studying your looks. She watched you with inquisitiveness. You looked equally terrible; your body was covered in bruises, and your skin was practically pink and purplish just like hers, but you still had some grace surrounding you. You looked like a worthy daughter of a samurai.

“My little imp likes to say a few words to your kōhai, Master Eiji.” Your father said this after clearing his throat and kneeling in front of the old man.

You sighed heavily, staring at Mizu. “I’m sorry for provoking you and starting the fight. I just wanted to brag about the training I’ve been receiving from my father, plus I have a terrible temper, and I will work on it to avoid future altercations."

Mizu only raised an eyebrow, looking at you in disbelief; although she wanted to let out a smirk. She felt quite satisfied to see you finally apologize.

“And Master Eiji, I also apologize for taunting and hitting your kōhai and apprentice. I didn’t consider that by messing with him, I was doing it to you too.” You performed dogeza for Mizu and the blacksmith, hoping they would see the sincerity in your words.

Mizu couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear now, almost laughing. Seeing you kowtowing only made her feel pleased, showing so much vulnerability… Maybe she will start to like you.

Master Eiji forgave you; he always would, no matter what. Now you were just waiting for Mizu’s response, without separating your forehead from the ground. You knew she was making fun of your position, but you couldn’t break your bow until you received an apology, which made you frown slightly. You didn’t want to continue humiliating yourself in front of that arrogant boy. That arrogant boy with an attractive smirk…

Mizu coughed softly into her fist, trying to hide her laughter. She sniffled a little and smiled in your direction. “No problem; I also provoked you and encouraged the fight.”

Finally, you broke your bow and sat back on your heels without taking away your gaze off her. Mizu kept looking at you with a sly smile, mocking you.

Did he just want to continue playing to provoke each other? Because I’m about to rip that smile away with one punch. You though clenching your fists.

The two adults started talking about the samurai’s new sword, and for once, Mizu wasn’t interested in paying attention to that. She was much more attentive to what your next move would be.

You began to move your lips, saying something without making the slightest sound. “What is your name?” You asked, not wanting your father to see you talking to her.

Mizu narrowed her eyes as she saw the movements of your lips. She tried to figure out what you were saying. She moved her left hand slowly and pointed to her ear. “I can’t hear what you are saying," she muttered quietly.

You rolled your eyes and started to move your hands, attempting to communicate. You pointed to your mouth, then to your father and your ear, and finally shook your fingers. What you wanted to tell Mizu was that you didn’t want your dad to hear you both talking.

She got your message, nodded, and put one hand over her mouth, the other raised showing that she wouldn't say a word. Mizu was now very interested in what you were going to say. This girl is so mysterious.

“Are you grounded?” You moved your lips again, mimicking the words.

“Sort of.” Mizu gestured with a shrug and a sway of her head from side to side, wrinkling her nose with a silent giggle.

You laughed silently, covering your mouth. You looked askance at your father as he stood up to test the weight and flexibility of his new katana. That means you will be gone soon.

 You pointed at your own face and then pointed at Mizu. “They hurt?” You asked, referring to the bruises.

Her curiosity turned into surprise as she nodded her head again. She pointed at her own face and then moved her hand to try to mimic how the bruises hurt. You nodded several times as well. Your face also hurts a lot. You now moved your hand over to the rest of your body, and then clenched your eyes and fists, wanting to communicate that it also hurt like hell.

Mizu inclined her head repeatedly to assure you. She rubbed her tummy and winced in pain, closing her eyes. But then she opened them again to see you.

You bit your lower lip and sighed softly. “I’m sorry.” You moved your lips, smiling with sincerity. You were remorseful for hurting her so much.

She smiled slightly and shook her head. She nodded and rubbed her bruises to show you that it was fine. She could tell that your words were sincere. Mizu felt flustered for getting this kind side of you. It was weird. She was sure she hated you minutes ago, but now she feels she took a shine to you.

Your father swung down the katana one more time and bowed before Master Eiji. He sheathed his sword and thanked the blacksmith, then saw you. “Come on, we must continue with the trip.”

The man made a reverence again and walked out of the gyoka, with a straight and intimidating posture.

You stood up quickly, which made your ribs hurt horribly. Despite that, you approached Mizu, looking at her. “What’s your name?” Now you spoke normally, your father was no longer there to reprimand you.

"I'm…I’m Mizu,” she said, looking at you with shock, realizing that neither of you knew each other’s name. She serenely studied your face, mesmerized by the color of your eyes. Despite having bruise marks, your facial features were still graceful. You were a pretty girl, Mizu had to admit.

“Mizu. Cute.” That’s the only answer you gave her before walking towards the door of the house, still holding your ribs, after your father called you again.

Mizu watched you leave, absorbed in that word that played non-stop in her mind. Cute. Something deep inside her told her that it was a sarcastic comment on your part, but the way her heart was beating desperately made her perceive it as a sincere compliment.

Are boys called ‘cute’? Did you know she was a girl? Was she cute? Was that a degrading and debilitating term, or was it a validation of her looks?

Or just her name seems cute to you?

‘Cute’ was a word that made her feel seen and appreciated. Especially coming from someone who irradiated such elegance and grace. You were the daughter of a samurai, probably an important one. Your clothes were obviously made of the best material on the market.

The duality of your appearance made her envious. You could pass for someone fragile and delicate, but underneath that mask was a strong, skilled, and stubborn girl. Besides, that sudden change from arrogant to kind intrigued her, and she had to accept it was very appealing from you.

Plus, you never mentioned her eyes nor her looks. As if she were just another fellow around. Mizu couldn’t determine if she liked that you hadn’t mentioned her mixed-race heritage or the possibility of you seeing her as 'just another boy.'

However, she needed to know what you thought of her. It was a nascent desire that was beginning to confuse her.

By the time she realized she had spent ten minutes watching where you had gone, she realized she didn’t know your name. She couldn’t even ask you your name, and asking Eiji would be a huge embarrassment. She cursed herself for not snapping out of her reverie in time.

“Stupid, Mizu. You hear her calling you ‘cute’ and you become a fool." She scolded herself and wrinkled her nose in bewilderment and anger.

Now she has to wait for you to return to that place or perhaps meet you by chance while traveling. Another fight didn’t seem like such a bad idea, especially if you two would treat each other so well afterward.

tell me if this is worthy of a second part or is it okay as a one shot

[violetsiren90]

Under the Hunter's Moon

Pairing: Yoongi x f!Reader (What the Moon Saw universe)

Genre: drabble; non-idol AU; friends to lovers; young love; autumn/harvest vibes, pure unadulterated fluff

Summary: A disappointment turns into something unexpected when Yoongi encounters you outside of your cliffside haven.

Content warnings: PG rating, but ALL my content is off-limits to minors; depictions of underage smoking; allusions to divorce; school bullying; Yoongi being a scaredy cat on rides lol; mentions of eating and food; allusions to a difficult home life; cuties at a carnival 💕; brief feelings of panic; riding in the back if a truck sans safety restraints.

Word Count: ~3200

Author's note: I spent my birthday today at a little pumpkin patch by the sea. I'd been wanting to go since getting the idea for this drabble a few months back. I felt like I got to ring in the next year with them, somehow. I felt them in the salty breeze and I heard them on the crash of the waves. They are so precious to me. ❤️

If no one has told you yet today you are loved and so worthy of it! 🧜‍♀️💜

He had found you sniffling under a sprawling valley oak that had tilted its way over the aged planks and posts of the two-rail fence and stretched out toward the naked expanse of the strawberry field and the last fiery rays of the late-October sun. He and Hoseok had broken away from the pack of boys he hung around with to find a quiet nook for a smoke. When he had seen you look up at him in surprise from where your face had been buried in your drawn-up knees, nose red and cheeks stained with tears, he had shoved a cigarette into Hobi's shirt pocket and sent the freshman packing. Now Yoongi was sitting next to you in silence, his back to the trunk, stealing furtive glances at you between drags. You heaved a sigh and leaned back against the tree, your shoulder brushing his. 

"I'm okay," you murmured, drawing the back of your hand a last time over your eyes, mascara that you rarely wore smudging across your knuckles.

"Yeah?" he asked, his gaze trained over the mulched land that stretched from the tips of his Converse to where the dying light strained out to bathe his soft, porcelain features in a golden sheen. "You here with somebody?"

"I...was...I guess," you muttered despondently. "Don't really know why I ever let myself believe they would want to hang out with me. Should have just stayed home like last year."

You kept your gaze from his, your eyes instead catching the movement of his slender, athletic legs stretching out in front of him and kicking up little clouds of silt that caught here and there as they dissipated over his light-wash skinny jeans.

"What are you doing here, anyway? You hate crowds."

You felt his shoulder shrug against yours.

"It's the Fest," he remarked, "Everybody goes."

Every year on the Friday before Halloween, your high school loaded its coastal-dwelling autumnally-deprived students onto busses for a forty-five minute drive inland and into agricultural territory to attend the massive Fall Fest for which its hosting county was acclaimed. It was the highlight of the semester - more anticipated than the winter formal - and for good reason. Tickets purchased upon entry (and sold in homeroom two weeks in advance) could be traded for carnival rides and games and seasonal attractions, while a little cash could afford attendees delicious treats and festive souvenirs.

You had never really seen what all the fuss was about. But, then again, events of such a nature were infinitely more enjoyable when one had someone with which to share them - a novelty you had never been afforded until a week ago, when Miranda Dallet and another girl from her posse had asked you to sit with them at lunch. When they asked you to attend the Fest with them you had been surprised, a feeling which had given way to one much less pleasantly anticipatory when Miranda had begun asking you about your newly-divorced father's house - the one just a few miles into town from the Fest grounds, and the one he had apparently told Jacqueline Peters' mother had a hot tub and a 50-inch flat screen TV.

When your father had agreed to let the lot of you stay over at his after the big bash, the reaction of your new acquaintances had you feeling the tiniest bit proud, even if you knew you were being used...you had never really had girlfriends before. Their squeals of excitement and insistent vows that you were the best had lit a little candle in your heart you hadn't even realized existed. Its flame had grown brighter over the days that followed as you planned outfits and borrowed lip gloss and let the others style your hair. And then, half an hour ago, it had been snuffed out when your father had called to cancel last minute, and the news had seen Miranda call you a liar and a poser, thereby revoking her friendship, her crew, and the white puffer jacket she had insisted you borrow, to leave you crushed and alone beside a candy-apple cart.

Your heart sank at the prospect of recounting your pathetic tale to Yoongi...but, he never asked. He merely finished his cigarette, tossing the butt into the upturned soil, and then standing and brushing off his jeans, shoved one hand in the pocket of his bomber jacket and extended the other down to you. You took it and let him pull you to your feet. As you swiped away the smudges your tears had made of the supposedly waterproof eye makeup, you felt Yoongi's gaze drift over you. You blinked up at him questioningly.

"You look...different," he offered, shoving his other hand into its corresponding jacket pocket.

You wrapped your arms self-consciously around the bare inches of your midriff. A trip to the local mall with Miranda and company after school the previous day had resulted in the purchase of your current attire: a light-pink spaghetti-strap tank that hugged your torso, ruched sides pulling it well above the studded waistband of your snugly fitting lowrider jeans, accompanied by a pair of hoop earrings larger than you had ever worn and which were nearly as shiny as your lip gloss. Temperatures remaining in the low seventies well into the late days of fall allowed teenage girls across your county to continue their relentless pursuit of getting dress-coded in the name of Brittany Spears. At events like these, however, the chaperoning staff were wise enough to let it be, as such efforts would likely result in wasted funds and totally empty busses. You had decided to take the plunge and wear something rather decidedly out of character.

"Well," you huffed, "I couldn't come the way I usually dress..."

Yoongi's brow creased.

"What's wrong with how you dress?"

"Ah...I don't know...I just wanted to look nice, I guess."

He nodded, eyes on his shoes.

"Do I look...bad?" You asked quietly, smoothing your hands down over the denim of your pants.

Yoongi looked a bit surprised when his eyes flicked up to yours again, and then they softened as he answered.

"No...no, of course not."

You smiled gratefully and his dark eyes went wide like a baby's as he tilted his head down, glancing about as he drew his bottom lip between his teeth and raised a hand to scratch behind his ear. If you hadn't known better, you would have thought he looked a bit shy. Was he shy? Something inside you preened a bit at the thought. Your bashfulness having dissipated, you moved your hands to clasp behind your back. Yoongi cocked a brow, a little grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he stripped of his jacket and held it out to you.

"Looks a little cold though," he remarked, a teasing glimmer in his eyes.

"I'm fine, thank you," you huffed, feeling a bit caught, and crossed your arms in indignation.

He shrugged, still smirking, and tossed the jacket over his shoulder.

"Suit yourself," he remarked, "But it's gonna be a lot chillier when it's dark."

"I'm leaving anyway," you sulked, trudging toward the low fence and clambering over it.

"Why?" Yoongi asked quickly as he followed, nimbly vaulting the wooden structure and coming to land beside you.

"Because I got ditched. I'm not gonna wander around here alone like a loser."

You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye, and watched him physically swallow the joke that had formulated on his tongue about it being too late for you in that regard. Instead he reached up and poked you on the cheek.

"So don't go alone. Come with me."

You blinked at him. You had never once hung out with him outside the ledge. There had been the occasional brief wave of a hand across a parking lot or small affectionate smile when passing in a hall, but never so much as a word between you when at school. It had been an unspoken mutual agreement, keeping the worlds of your lives and the ledge separate. It kept your shared hiding place a haven from the rest of it all - one that you both desperately needed. So, his proposition caught you off guard and feeling a little uncertain. Yoongi must have realized your quandary, because he draped his jacket gently around your shoulders and gave you that little hopeful raise of his brows you'd have moved mountains for, and before you knew it, he was ambling alongside you as you trotted towards the lights and laughter of the rides.

It was strange and new, being with him like this, and you began to realize that even though you could read his face like the pages of a book and stood gatekeeper to many of the secrets of his gentle, burning heart, you'd never seen the sweet little smile that cotton candy caused to bloom on his lips, or how quickly it could vanish at the prospect of riding the slingshot. This being so, you couldn't help but take him in like some lovely unknown creature as you sat beside him on the Ferriss wheel and watched him glance nervously toward the ground growing further and further below.

"You okay?" you asked in amusement, glancing at his whitened knuckles where they clutched the safety bar across his lap.

He hummed in assent, now peering down over the tips of his shoes. You followed his gaze, leaning forward and consequently causing the little bucket seat to rock as it climbed toward the peak of the structure.

"Yah, yah, yah, yah!" Yoongi hollered, eyes wide as saucers as he yanked you back upright and only succeeded in rocking your seat more violently.

You didn't understand what he said next - he had slipped into Korean - but you were laughing too hard at his terrified and exasperated expression and how he clutched your arm to pay any mind to what he had to say.

The Ferris wheel proved to be the sole ride of the evening, as Yoongi flatly refused to endure another, and you made your way into the stretch of grounds that smelled like cinnamon and grilled meats and sounded with booth attendants enticing festivalgoers to try a hand at winning their wares. You stopped to toss a few coins onto dishes, coming infuriatingly close with your third penny to winning a giant Pikachu plushie.

You then proceeded to toss and toss until you had nearly exhausted your change purse without luck - only pausing when Yoongi appeared at your elbow with a two corndogs, slipping one into your hand. You protested at him spending his money on food you knew, though simple, could not have been cheap. He ignored your indignation, however, leading you back into the bustle and sermonizing over the rigged nature of the coin-toss game.

You looked down with a small plaintive smile at the paper boat encasing the deep-fried fare in your hands. Yoongi, though sharp and driven, wasn't a good student. He had a reputation for slacking off on assignments and cutting classes that won no favors with teachers who would never know that he had been working two jobs under the table since he was thirteen. That without his help his family would likely lose their home. That he had bought his mother nearly every single earthly possession she had. That the dinner you were holding meant a hell of a lot more than just a few bucks for some carnival food.

He was still chatting on in an endearing, self-satisfied drone, eyes half-lidded and head tilted back pedantically, when you suddenly slipped your arm under his, squeezing his bicep affectionately.

"What?" he looked down at you, interrupting his own stream of thought.

You shook your head as you took a bite of your corndog and grinned up at him through full cheeks. He let out a chuckle, taking a bite of his own.

"Were you listening to anything I said?" he grumbled in lighthearted accusation over his own mouthful. 

"Of course not," you hummed, bumping his hip, and causing him to stumble beside you.

He grunted, the corner of his mouth pulling up just ever so slightly. 

"Fright walk!" you crooned, pointing at a structure decked out in campy cobwebs with a lopsided grim reaper standing wobbly attendance at the door.

"Nope," Yoongi shook his head, tugging you suddenly in the opposite direction.

"Chicken!" You whined.

"Korean. Fried." He deadpanned with a straight-lipped smile and you nearly choked on the last of your corndog as you snorted with laughter.

Yoongi grinned down at you. There it was on your pretty lips again, that smile that lit up his world like a beacon in the night. If someone had asked him if it was more important for the sun to rise in the east each day or for that smile to reach your eyes, he would have plunged the very earth into darkness every time, deny it as he might.

"Come on," Yoongi murmured.

Weaving through the booths, stray leaves crunching underfoot, he led you to a long line of festival goers queuing up to pile into the beds of big trucks loaded down snuggly with bales of hay.

You had only been in line a few minutes when you heard their voices behind you. You recognized Miranda's snicker and your stomach twisted into a knot. The brisk breeze suddenly tripping over you from behind carried with it their mirthless laughter, and you froze in place as your body and mind waged a war of priority over delaying your tears and moving your feet.

A victor was never decided.

Your swimming eyes blinked and saw him, his little smile and soft, determined eyes, as he moved in front of you, pulling up the collar of his jacket on either side of your face. He held it there, steady hands, the fabric brushing your hot ears as his eyes locked yours and silently told you to breathe, wordlessly promised it would all be alright. The sights and sounds of the festival faded and all you could hear was the soothing, rhythmic crash of the sea.

"Want to get out of here?" Yoongi asked lowly, after a long moment, gaze still holding your own.

You nodded and he took your hand.

Yoongi borrowed your cell phone to make a call and walked with you down the dirt road that opened into a rural highway from the mouth of the festival grounds. As you walked you told him about the girls. About your father's broken promise. About the not being needed, and not so not being wanted. He let you pour out and sift through your anger and hurt in the company of his gentle and receptive silence.

Half a mile's trek brought you to a tiny gas station, its aged, yellowing sign flickering to life as the sun finally yielded the dim glow of its last strains to the darkness beyond the strawberry fields.

Yoongi bought two cans of cola from a buzzing old vending machine, handing one to you as he sat beside you on the iron bench chained to the side of the building. The stars began to peep out and speckle the sky as the full moon tipped over the eastern horizon to find you, much to its surprise, quite far from your little ledge, though still side by side. It watched you curiously until its flaxen beams were joined by a pair of bobbing headlights as a truck rumbled up off the road.

"Thanks, hyung," Yoongi clapped the driver, a handsome older boy who glanced between the two of you with a sly smile, on the shoulder before gripping the edge of the bed and bracing a foot against the tire to hop into the back of the truck. He turned and held a hand out for you.

"We're riding back there?" You asked skeptically, glancing over the dusty plastic ridges of the bed.

"We never got that hayride," Yoongi said with a shrug, and your heart squeezed in your chest as you grabbed his hand and let him pull you in.

You scootched against the back of the cab, pulling your knees up to your chest. The warmth was quickly dispelling in the darkness, and cool air whipping around your body as it dipped through the bed made you shiver. Your eyes flicked to Yoongi's bare arms.

"Here, thanks for the loan..." you murmured, shrugging the jacket off and holding it toward him.

Before he could refuse to take it, your ride jostled on the unpaved road, tossing you across his lap. His arms caught you, and after a moment's hesitation, pulled you to his chest and over his right leg, fanning the jacket out over your bodies. Your back to his chest and his arms around your waist, he held you, as he had a dozen times before. A dozen times and your heart still fluttered - fluttered and then settled into safety as you settled into him.

An hour or so later, Yoongi reached up to lift you down onto the sidewalk. You didn't notice as your eyes caught his - sweeter and rounder - how his hands lingered a moment too long at your waist. The driver asked if Yoongi wanted a ride back to his place and he declined, thanking him again. The older boy said Yoongi owed him a fishing trip and Yoongi chuckled, waving him off as the truck rolled down the street.

Your house was dark, and Yoongi walked you to the front door, hands stuffed in his pockets. You turned the key in the lock, and then you turned to him.
You took him in as he looked down at you, his pretty, soft features concealing none of his affection. He swallowed, shifting on his feet.

"What?" he asked.

"Thank you," you murmured earnestly.

"For what...?" and he began to scoff gently, but your answer came too quickly and sincerely for him to protest.

"For tonight. For every night," you sighed a little breath full of aching gratitude. "For being my friend."

His lovely dark eyes widened and his lips parted and suddenly you found yourself raising up on your tip toes to press your mouth to his cheek.

You did it before you could stop yourself and you turned before you could look at him, and you slipped into the quiet house, closing the door behind you just a bit too quickly - so that he wouldn't see, so that your eyes wouldn't give you away.

In doing so, you had missed it.

But the yellow hunter's moon gazing fondly down through the dark, wispy clouds had seen.

It had watched you kiss the boy's cheek. It had watched you hurriedly take your leave. And while you sighed wistfully on the other side of the door, it had watched the boy raise his hand to touch his face, walk back down to the street, and quietly lose the battle he had been fighting all night - every night, in fact, since that first on the cliffside. 

It had watched him fall in love with you.

-Fin-

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

Prediction for the start of season 5

I've been going crazy trying to figure out just how they'll transition into season 5. It certainly seems like "life goes on" in Hawkins despite everything that happened at the end of season 4. While it does seem like there's a military presence in town, there are clues that quite a bit of time has passed.

Aside from dates left on papers on set and whatnot, which could potentially be faked to throw people off, we see character differences that indicate time. El's hair has grown back. It's hard to tell just how long it is now, but it looks to be at least as long as it was in season 3, if not longer. We've seen little of Hopper, but we've been able to see set photos of David with a long beard. Then there's Holly, who seems older even taking into account the casting change.

This tells me we're looking at an approximate 8 months to one year time skip. While we might see some immediate aftermath from after the ending of season 4, the bulk of season 5 seems to be set in late Fall/early Winter of 1987. This isn't taking into account a possible rumored second time skip considering they're only halfway through filming.

So, how do we go from the end of the world to almost a year later? Well, there wasn't much that could be done in the position our heroes are in. Here's what I think happens after that final scene in the field.

Shortly after the "earthquake," an Army Corps of Engineers detachment arrives to help rebuild, overseen by Lt. Col. Sullivan. They proceed to block off affected areas for "safety concerns" under the pretense of having to seal up the fissures to allow for later rebuilding. In reality, they are setting up research stations and entry points while also preventing anyone else from getting in...or anything getting out.

Blocked off from being able to go after the weakened Vecna, and now faced with the concern of Sullivan possibly finding El, the heroes have to regroup. They both need to be able to hide El and have a safe base of operations. Agent Stinson arranges to set El and Hopper in the old WSQK radio station under the guise of the station being under new ownership.

While researching, I found out that many old radio stations had emergency shelters built by the government during the Cold War in case of a nuclear attack. Like the Dept of Energy Lab before it, the radio station would serve as a legitimate front for getting equipment and other resources they may need for what they're really up to. The shelter would also provide a place to hide their real activity and keep El safe. It may also even potentially provide access to the areas the military blocked off if the shelters contain escape tunnels.

We would essentially find out that the time since the end of season 4 were spent with the heroes trying to find a way into the Upside Down to get Henry while he's weak. However, it's just not possible with the military presence. The mission turns to trying to monitor both the military and the Upside Down threat until a window presents itself.

What might be the event that provides this window? I have some ideas.

The military breaches a Gate, which allows for Upside Down creatures to get out.

El has a breakthrough in her search for Max, providing them a critical clue.

Henry comes back to full strength, leading to Will getting Harry Potter-like visions of his plans.

Problems I have with this idea:

El is once again living in hiding, just as she did in season 2. I can't imagine she's able to get any kind of education unless Owens' people can set her up with tutoring.

The Byers being in town would certainly tip off Sullivan, and it doesn't look like they're lying low. I suppose they could feign moving back to Hawkins because they think she's dead.

What is up with Owens, and would his people even have the ability to do anything after the losses sustained from Sullivan's actions?

Why the hell would anyone even stay in Hawkins? This isn't the first disaster the town has dealt with in the past few years. I suppose it would cause property values to plummet to levels that could prompt a rich family to buy up land in preparation for owning everything after rebuilding. There was a Turnbow Land Development & Realty ad seen on set.

Does anyone else have thoughts on this?

[robfinancialtip]

Join Charlie Chun, an expert dog trainer, as he shares crucial winter care tips for your canine companions. In this comprehensive video, Charlie introduces the innovative Halo Collar 3, a game-changer in ensuring your dog's safety during winter. Learn about the features and benefits of this cutting-edge technology through insightful Halo Collar reviews.

As the temperature drops, it's essential to prioritize winter safety for dogs. Charlie guides you on adjusting your routine, emphasizing the need for a flexible dog walking schedule. Discover how to tailor your dog's diet with Charlie's advice on maintaining a proper winter dog diet plan. With practical tips on dog hydration, Charlie addresses the common issue of dogs becoming dehydrated in cold weather.

Explore the advantages of the Halo Dog Collar, not just as a safety measure but as a tool to monitor your dog's activity levels. Charlie demonstrates how this collar becomes an invaluable resource, helping you track your dog's movements and ensure they stay within the safety of your yard during outdoor playtime.

Charlie provides a step-by-step guide on desensitizing your dog to winter accessories like dog booties for winter and a cozy dog winter jacket for those chilly winter walks. Using positive reinforcement and reward-based training, Charlie makes the process enjoyable for your furry friend.

Charlie doesn't stop there—he offers insights into engaging indoor dog activities for those days when it's too cold to venture outside. Whether you're a seasoned pet owner or new to the world of dogs, these easy winter care tips ensure your canine companions stay comfortable and cared for throughout the season.

Discover the secrets of positive reinforcement with Charlie's dog training techniques, making every training session enjoyable for you and your pup. Learn about puppy training and how to create a positive association with winter wear, preventing dogs from shivering in the cold.

Ensure your dog's well-being with valuable insights on how to protect dogs from cold weather. Whether it's the right winter attire or adjusting their diet, Charlie's expertise covers all aspects of winter care for dogs.

Tune in for this holistic guide on how to keep your dog safe and warm in winter. Charlie Chun's expert advice ensures your furry friends thrive, no matter the weather.

[nowaysguidetothebestkeptsecrets]

Wonders of Norway: A Traveller's Guide to the Best Kept Secrets

By John Kirby, G. Soliven From BSIT-1A

Imagine a land of stunning fjords, majestic mountains, and vibrant cities under the shimmering Northern Lights. Norway is not just a destination; it's my dream vacation, a place I long to explore one day. Though I’m currently studying and can’t visit just yet, this guide will unveil the hidden gems of this Scandinavian paradise for when I can finally embark on my journey. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast, a history buff, or simply seeking tranquillity in nature, Norway has something special for everyone. Let’s embark on this journey to discover the wonders of Norway!

Norway’s Outdoor Adventure

Why Norway Is Perfect for Adventure Travelers

Norway is often referred to as a dream destination for adventure travellers. The varied landscapes provide a rich diversity of outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking, and rock climbing. There’s no shortage of thrilling experiences to be had in Norway's great outdoors!

When I think of my future travels, I can already envision myself immersed in nature, taking in all that Norway has to offer:

Mountain Climbing

With over 600 mountains, Norway is a paradise for climbers. Galdhøpiggen, the highest peak at 8,100 feet, promises breathtaking views for those ready to take on the challenge.

Rafting

For adrenaline seekers, white-water rafting on Norway’s majestic rivers is a must. From beginner-friendly experiences to thrilling rapids, there’s an adventure for everyone.

Dog Sledding

In the winter, dog sledding is an unforgettable experience. Imagine gliding through snow-covered landscapes in Tromsø, led by a team of e nergetic huskies!

Reference Top Destinations/Activities

Activities and Nature Attractions

Norway is filled with stunning natural beauty and activities for every season. Here are some highlights I dream of experiencing:

Must-See Nature Attractions

Fjords: Exploring the iconic fjords like Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is at the top of my list.

Northern Lights: Witnessing the magical Aurora Borealis in places like Tromsø during winter is a dream come true.

Midnight Sun: I can already imagine the surreal experience of the sun never setting during summer in northern Norway.

Waterfalls: Visiting breath-taking waterfalls like Vettisfossen, the tallest in Norway, would be a highlight of my trip.

Family-Friendly Activities

Norway also offers many activities suitable for families, from outdoor adventures to cultural experiences, making it a wonderful place to visit for everyone.

Reference

Cultural Insights

Family Dynamics

Norwegian families tend to be small, valuing independence and equality. Gender roles are balanced, with shared responsibilities in both work and home life, creating a sense of community.

Official Language and Communication

Norwegian is the official language, but most Norwegians speak English, making it easy for travellers like me to communicate and connect with locals. I appreciate the straightforward and warm-hearted nature of Norwegian interactions.

The Norwegian Diet

Traditional Norwegian cuisine includes fish, meat, and hearty bread. While I look forward to trying local delicacies, I know international influences have shaped the modern dining scene, making it diverse and exciting.

Reference Travel Tips

17 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Norway

Norway is a Scandinavian Country: It consists of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Polar Bears Do Not Walk in the Streets: They’re found in Svalbard, not mainland Norway.

Currency: The Norwegian Krone (NOK) is the currency; most transactions can be done with cards.

Safety: Norway is one of the safest countries to visit, with low crime rates.

Seasons: Norway experiences distinct seasons; plan your visit accordingly.

Wild Camping: Enjoy the freedom of wild camping in nature.

National Parks: Access to national parks is generally free.

Best Salmon: Don’t miss trying Norway’s renowned salmon dishes.

Eating Out: Dining can be expensive; consider grocery shopping for budget-friendly meals.

Northern Lights: Best viewed in northern Norway between October and April.

Travel Distances: Norway is large, so plan your travel time accordingly.

Wildlife: Generally safe; no dangerous animals on mainland Norway.

Norwegian Taco Culture: Tacos are a beloved Friday night tradition!

Diversity of Regions: Each region offers unique landscapes and experiences.

Midnight Sun: Experience 24 hours of daylight in summer.

Community Engagement: Young people often engage in sports and volunteer work.

Language: Understanding basic Norwegian phrases can enhance your experience.

Reference Norway, with its breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and welcoming atmosphere, is truly my dream vacation destination. From stunning fjords to vibrant cities, I know there’s something for every traveler. I eagerly look forward to exploring this incredible country someday.

I encourage you to consider visiting this amazing destination and share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below. Have you traveled to Norway? What was your favorite part?

If you enjoyed this guide and want to explore more about travel, culture, and adventures, don’t forget to follow us on social media for the latest updates, tips, and insights, and check out our other posts for more inspiration. Here’s to dreaming of Norway until we can experience it firsthand!

[mountrainiernps]

The shift from fall to winter conditions happens quickly on Mount Rainier. Paradise and other subalpine areas have already seen some snow, and more is likely this weekend. When visiting, plan ahead and remember you are responsible for your safety.

Before leaving home, check the current trail conditions and heed local weather forecasts, realizing weather can change for the worse in a very short period of time. Before starting your hike, stop by the Longmire Museum or Jackson Visitor Center in the southwest part of the park, or the Carbon River Ranger Station in the northwest, for the latest trail conditions. Note: While SR410/123 on the east side of the park are still open, all eastside visitor facilities have closed for the season.

Always carry survival gear with you in case you have to spend the night out, including the 10 Essentials: food, water, warm clothing, emergency shelter, stove/fuel, flashlight, avalanche transceiver/probe/shovel, map/compass/GPS, first aide kit, & repair kit for any equipment.

Wear footwear with good tread to minimize risks from slipping. Consider using traction devices like shoe chains or hiking poles for extra stability.

You may need a reliable map and compass skills to traverse snow-covered trails, which can be difficult to follow, particularly in backcountry areas.

Know your limits. Know your experience and ability to survive in an alpine environment and don’t exceed them. A trail that is easy in summer can be challenging in winter.

Find more safety tips at https://go.nps.gov/MORAWinterSafety

NPS Photo of snow on the Tatoosh Range, 10/23/24.

[mylovelylittleobsessions]

Stealth Attack

A Rings of Power One-shot

Featuring Adar and his kids. Pure fluff.

Enjoy!

Wrûg bared his teeth as he crept forward, soot-coated stick in hand. This was it; today was the day he’d finally be taken seriously as a hunter by the rest of the clans. They’d have to accept him, and let him go on the big game hunts after this! No other Uruk could do what he was planning; they were too scared.

Not that he hadn’t tried to convince them before. He’d made it clear that he would bring the best game, the tastiest meat anybody’d ever had, if only they’d let him come along. But every time it was the same: they’d agree condescendingly, or coo at him, or pinch his cheek, then send him off with a pat on the head and a piece of sweet root.

He didn’t deserve to be treated like this. He’d seen seven winters already; he was practically a grown-up! (Though, of course, he didn’t turn his nose up at the sweet root; he wasn’t stupid.)

Tonight, however, would change everything. His bared teeth became a grin as he snuck closer to his goal: Adar’s tent. He’d teach them all a lesson by leaving a mark on the ancient Uruk, and they’d all see how clever and crafty he was! Even Adar would be impressed, right after he scrubbed Wrûg’s mark off.

Wrûg slipped into the tent and almost huffed with disappointment. This was going to be too easy; Adar was asleep! There he was, the eldest of them, snoring away in his nest of blankets without a care in the world! He tiptoed over to the nest and peeked in, stick in hand.

Adar had his face tucked under his arm like a sleeping warg (and snoring like one too), so putting a mark on his face was going to be tricky. He’d wanted to draw face hair on him like the dwarves had, but now he’d have to think of something else. Maybe he’d put a frowny face, or a skull, or a —

Wrûg’s feet flew off the ground as he was suddenly scooped up in a grip like iron. He rolled head over feet into the nest, and found himself nose to nose with Adar himself, eyes glittering with mischief.

Ooh, Adar tricked him! He wasn’t sleeping at all! His snores were made of lies!

“Well, well,” he graveled, in that soft, deep voice that every Uruk associated with the safety of their eldest, “what’s this I’ve caught?”

Wrûg squirmed, but couldn’t wriggle out of the hold Adar had him in, perched on his lap.

Adar looked him over appraisingly, smirk growing. “Looks like a tasty little Uruk-child for my dinner! Let’s see if he’s any good…”

Hang on a minute! He knew where this was going!

“Adar, no!” He squealed. “No tickle!”

But it was too late. Adar had descended, pretending to gobble him up as he made fake-eating noises and gummed at Wrûg’s tummy. Wrûg shrieked with laughter, unable to escape.

Adar hummed. “Not quite. Perhaps some seasoning.” He mimed sprinkling something on Wrûg before gumming his exposed arm. “Much better.” He grinned and resumed his tickling onslaught.

“Adaaaaar!”

After a few minutes, Adar stopped, letting Wrûg catch his breath. “Now,” he rasped, voice filled with mirth, “what brings you creeping in here to me, little one?”

Wrûg stiffened a little, having snuggled up to Adar in the meantime. “Umm…”

Adar raised an eyebrow, then looked around and picked up Wrûg’s soot stick. “This, perhaps?”

Uh-oh, now he was in trouble. “I w-was…”

Adar tipped Wrûg’s chin up so they were looking eye to eye. “Were you going to play a prank on your Father, child?”

Wrûg nodded.

“Why?”

His lip wobbled. Nononono, he was not going to cry like a little baby in front of Adar! “I ju-just wanna be a hunt-ter…”

Adar’s gaze softened. “Oh, sweetling,” he cooed, rocking him a little, “you need not worry about such things yet. You have your whole life to be a hunter or a warrior or whatever you wish. For now, you would please me best by living your childhood without fear in our new home. Can you do that for an old Uruk?”

He nodded, then flung himself around Adar in a tight embrace. “Love you, Adar…”

“I love you too, little one.” Adar got to his feet, balancing Wrûg on his hip. “Now, no more sneaking in my tent!” He teased, booping Wrûg’s nose with the stick and leaving a soot spot on the tip. He carried Wrûg out and into the camp, where his mother was looking around for him.

“You could have been squished by a warg in there.” He sniffed the air and gave him a look. “Although you smell like you might have already. What did you do, child, roll around in a bog?”

Wrûg looked away shiftily. “No…”

“Are you lying to me?”

“No…” he lied.

Adar rolled his eyes with a huff and passed Wrûg over to his mother. “I believe this smelly creature belongs to you, daughter.” He teased, before looking him in the eye. “Be a good boy for your mother, Wrûg.”

“Yes, Adar!” He nodded with a bright smile. Adar called him by name! He was a grown-up!

Adar gave a small smile and murmured something in his mother’s ear about new soap. Wrûg contentedly rested his head on his mother’s shoulder as he was carried away to the other side of the camp. His mother patted his back while she chattered about the stew she was gonna fix for dinner—

Wait a minute.

What did Adar say?

Soap?

But that meant—

“NO!” He howled. “NO BATH!”

[kristannafever]

Big Sky Ranch

Kristanna Modern AU Rated: M WC: 1829

In the foothills off of the Rocky Mountains, resides a generational Ranch known to all in the area. Kristoff, a humble hand on that ranch, works hard and enjoys his simple existence. It isn't until a new woman starts at the diner that be begins to acknowledge his loneliness and plans to ask her on a date. When his plans are foiled by a rival group of men, it sets events into motion that plunge Anna and Kristoff into getting to know each other through some very unexpected situations and their relationship blossoms as their lives begin to change.

--------------------

A/N: This had been my passion project for over a year, and is the most self-indulgent thing I have ever written. It is inspired by the ranch setting of Yellowstone and the rural area in which I live.

---------------------

Anna had only been working as a waitress at the diner for a week, and she was quickly learning what the biggest perk of the job was. 

It was the cowboys.

She’d moved to the small town only a month prior, desperate to get as far away from the city where her sleazy ex-fiancé was.  It was the fresh start she needed after wallowing about that cheating asshole for months.  Truly dark times they had been.

After finding a basement suite to rent since she wasn’t sure how long she would be there before she moved on again, she got the job at the diner, and was truly starting to enjoy life again.  And that was in large part due to the clientele. 

The town was surrounded by ranchlands.  Large farms spread out in all directions, and the roads were ruled by pick-up trucks and farm equipment.  Many times, Anna had gone for a drive to clear her head and she’d come upon some large tractor-thing, and she’d have to squeeze around the slow-moving vehicle in the wrong lane, or wait until it pulled into a pasture.  Even so, she never minded too much, because she enjoyed the drives and admiring the lovely scenery against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains.

And every day, rain or shine, groups of men came in for breakfast or lunch.  Most of them in the full cowboy outfit; cowboy boots, jeans, roper or plaid shirts, and cowboy hats.  And no matter the size or shape of them, they were all ruggedly handsome in their own ways.

And decent!  Anna had never met so many decent men.  They were all extremely polite and respectful.  They held doors and said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and ‘ma’am’, and they always tipped generously even if they only had a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. 

Anna truly did love her job, even if was a lot harder work than sitting behind a desk all day like she’d been doing when she worked at that insurance company with her ex. 

That asshole could rot in hell.

Now Anna had her eyes open for a cowboy.  A lot of them didn’t wear any wedding rings, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t married.  She’d asked one of the other waitresses and was told they don’t wear them for safety, not wanting them to get caught in ropes or machinery.  And the ones that did wear them, wore those new rubber ones that could break if they got caught in something.   It made perfect sense to Anna.  Although it certainly made it harder to tell who was and wasn’t attached. 

Which was why for the time being she just had her eyes open.  She never outwardly hit on any of them for fear of hitting on a taken man.  She just hoped that one day, one of them might just ask her out.  And until then, she would more than happily take in all the eye candy.

*****

Kristoff yawned as he got out of his truck and stretched out his tired back.  Him and Sven got up extra early and treated themselves to breakfast whenever they could, and right now they had a short break before calving season when their days were a little less long.

The air was still chilly with the last of winter’s tenuous hold, and their breath came out in white vapors as they walked through the parking lot.  At least the snow was mostly all gone, and while that meant that him and Sven’s work load was going to ramp up, it was hard to argue with the sun shining bright after six brutally long months of snow-covered ground.

As soon as they stepped into the diner, Sven gave him a nudge with his elbow.

“New girl,” he said under his breath, and flicked his head in her direction as they walked to a booth along the front windows. 

Kristoff glanced her direction then turned to Sven and gave him a hard stare.  Ever since he got engaged, Sven had been trying mercilessly to set Kristoff up with someone and it was starting to get on his nerves.  The girl was really cute, sure, he just wasn’t interested.  He was too damn set in his ways to be interested.

They sat in their favourite booth, took off their cowboy hats, and set them on the seat beside themselves.  Kristoff ran a hand through his hair a few times, shaking out the hat line, and the new waitress came over straight away and set menus on the table. 

“Morning, gentlemen.”  She smiled brightly.  “What can I start you out with today?”

“Coffee, black, and a water,” Kristoff said.

“Same here,” Sven said, “please.”

“Coming right up.”  She gave them another bright smile and walked away. 

“City girl,” Sven mused.

“Yup.”  He’d heard her accent too.

“She don’t have a ring.”

“Sven-”

“Come on, man.  You livin’ like that ain’t healthy.  All alone in that cabin.  You should move back to one of the main houses.”

“You know I don’t like being around people too much.”

“You like being around me.”

“Yeah, well, you’re the one exception and you know that too.”

“You could make another exception,” Sven flicked his head to the counter where she was pouring them coffee, “for her.”

“If you don’t cut this out, I’m gonna strap you to that nasty old bull out in the east pastures.”

“Ole’ Bruce?”  Sven laughed.  “That bull don’t got any fight left in him.”

“I beg to differ,” Kristoff stated.  It was only a month ago that mean old brute had him scrambling for the fences when he charged Kristoff.  And of course, no one had been around to see it and they all told him he was making shit up.  That bull had it out for him, Kristoff knew it.

The waitress came back with the drinks and they ordered their usual; the cowboy breakfast.  It came with two eggs, three strips of bacon, a pair of sausages, hash browns, beans and two slices of toast.  Both him and Sven would eat it all and be starving by noon. 

They ate quickly and Kristoff pulled his wallet out of his back pocket since it was his turn to pay.  The waitress came back with the bill and a card machine which Kristoff waived off because he always paid with cash.  He gave her a pretty nice tip since she’d kept their water and coffee cups full.  He hated it when he was halfway through his meal and he had nothing to drink because the cups weren’t topped off. 

On the way out, when Sven wasn’t looking, Kristoff glanced in the waitress’s direction.  She had her copper hair in braids, and actually, was very attractive.  He always had been a sucker for freckles.  If he was interested in a relationship, he might ask her out, but he was more than content not having to deal with what came in having that sort of thing.

*****

Anna watched the pair of cowboy’s head back to their big dually in the parking lot.  They’d been the best-looking ones yet.  Especially that blond with the big nose and the pretty brown eyes.  He was very handsome.  And built!  The guy’s biceps were giving that roper shirt a serious quality control test.  She felt a little flustered to suddenly think about what being with a man like that would be like.  Her ex had been on the skinnier side and nowhere near as tall.  Not to mention never really left her satisfied.  She had a feeling that the handsome blond cowboy sure wouldn’t disappoint. 

He didn’t really say much, he left her a very nice tip, and he did say thank you when she dropped off their breakfast, even if he didn’t say please when he ordered it.  Anna hoped she’d see him again soon and found herself hoping that he was single and looking.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Sven suggested breakfast again the next morning and Kristoff damn well knew why.  Still, it was hard to argue against a big brekky that he didn’t have to make himself.   They drove to the diner and sure enough, the attractive waitress was working.

They sat in the same booth and she came over a moment later with coffees and waters.  It impressed him a little that they didn’t have to order, even if was presumptuous of her. 

“Same as yesterday, gentlemen?” she asked, after she’d set their drinks on the table.

“You bet,” Sven answered.

“And are we sticking with sunny-side up eggs and rye toast?”  Both men nodded.  “Perfect.  I’ll have that right out to you.”

Kristoff found himself watching her walk away.  She sure had a nice smile.  Very friendly.  Good for getting better tips for sure.   And those eyes were something else.

“You should ask her out,” Sven persisted in a hushed voice.

He turned to Sven and scowled.  “No.”

“Why not?”

Kristoff shrugged and couldn’t really come up with a good answer. 

Sven heaved a big sigh.  “You know what, I give up.  You’re hopeless.”

Kristoff sneered.  “Like you pointed out, she’s a city girl.  Only one way a relationship with her is gonna end up, and that’s me being dumped after a week.”

“Maybe if you would just try-”

“That’s enough,” he said, very serious.  “I’m not in the mood.”

Sven scoffed.  “Fine, whatever.”

Kristoff looked down at his hands and started to dig some dirt out from under his thumbnail.  Sven had no idea what he was talking about.  Kristoff had always tried.  He did his best, even though he was pretty damn clueless about romance.  Which seemed to be why none of the ladies he’d gone out with stuck around long.  He did try, and it was never enough.  It had left him jaded about dating. 

Their meals came out quickly and they ate even quicker to get a head start on their day.  It was going to be another long one, meaning come Friday night, both of them would be more than eager to blow off some steam at the saloon. 

*****

Anna gathered up the tip the other cowboy had left on the table.  It was still very decent even if he wasn’t as generous as the blond.  Neither of the men seemed like they were looking for a date, so Anna gave up on thinking that either of them were single.  Like most of them, they were probably taken, leaving Anna wondered what she had to do to bag herself a cowboy.

Another waitress had been talking about going to a saloon by the highway at the edge of town on Friday evening for some dancing and asked Anna if she wanted to tag along too.  She accepted, giddy at the chance that perhaps she might have her opportunity there to get herself a date, even if she was warned that the crowd could get pretty rowdy. 

--

Next Chapter

[dovahbee]

NORMANDY SR2 INFO BOARD HOLIDAY EDITION

[NEW MESSAGES AS OF 12:09]

12:09- XO. LAWSON: Good afternoon. As all of you know, it’s the winter holiday season on earth. I would like to invite @all to the starboard deck for a cultural exchange at 14:00 for anyone interested in learning about human winter traditions.

-

REMINDERS:

- Candy canes are NOT weapons. ALSO they are a privilege, not a right.

- Mistletoe (the greenery hanging from the roof) is NOT edible.

- Mess Sergeant Gardner is dressing up as Santa Clause; if you see a man with a white beard and red clothing DO NOT OPEN FIRE.

- Menorahs are NOT edible.

- Hot chocolate is HOT. Human skin is sensitive. For the love of god, just be responsible.

-

Happy Holidays. See you there.

12:10- FLT. MOREAU: seriously

12:10- LT. TAYLOR: how stupid do you think we are?

12:10- CHF. ZORAH: yayyy happy holidays! merry christmas, happy hanukkah, joyous kwanzaa, feliz navidad, gung hay fat choy!!! am i saying those right??

12:10- GO. VAKARIAN: someone did research last night

12:10- LC. SHEPARD: goddamn it, did grunt eat another menorah?

12:11- SPEC. JACK: im pretty sure mistletoe is edible. i mean it’s a plant, right?

12:11– SPEC. MASSANI: good goddamn point

12:11- SPEC. GRUNT: will there be food other than the roof salad

12:11- LC. SHEPARD: i would like to point out— candy canes absolutely are weapons. i dropped a guy with one once.

12:11- XO. LAWSON: Not helping, Shepard.

12:11- SPEC. GRUNT: noodles please

12:11- SPEC. KRIOS: Impressive, Commander.

12:11– SPEC. GRUNT: please teach me battlemaster

12:12– LC. SHEPARD: gladly. just suck on the tip until it’s pointy then ram it in the jugular. should work for humans, turians, drell, quarians, batarians, hanar (probably?) and vorcha. it’s messy as hell but satisfying.

12:12- XO. LAWSON: That’s it. You’ve all lost your candy cane privileges.

12:12– DR. SOLUS: Wise decision. Shepard and Grunt safety hazards.

12:12- CHF. ZORAH: seriously??? You can’t punish all of us for shepard’s bloodlust

12:12- SPEC. GOTO: so let me get this straight, miri. you trust us with your life in a firefight, but not with candy canes during a Christmas party?

12:13- XO. LAWSON: a HOLIDAY party. and yes, that is correct.

12:13- LC. SHEPARD: i mean… it sorta seems fair. i trust vakarian on my six with an SR… but with a taser? absolutely not.

12:13- GO. VAKARIAN: i think LCs been shot in the head one too many times

12:13- LC. SHEPARD: not the point, numb nuts

12:13- SPEC. SAMARA: If Commander Shepard can safely operate a live firearm, she should be able to responsibly handle a sharp sucrose stick.

12:13- SPEC. GOTO: you’d think

12:13- LC. SHEPARD: i don’t know if i can. i just get this overwhelming urge to stab.

12:13- DR. CHAKWAS: Pushing your psych eval forward, LC.

12:13- GO. VAKARIAN: called it!

12:14- SPEC. MASSANI: so this party… do we get turkey dinner if we show?

12:14- SPEC. JACK: what the fuck is a turkey

12:14- XO. LAWSON: Dinner will be at 18:00, given Gardner has finished up. No turkey, just rations.

12:14- GO. VAKARIAN: Why the hell does Gardner look like that? [image.attachment_sergeant_santa_clause]

12:14- LC. SHEPARD: huh. looks like he was born for the role.

12:14- CHF. ZORAH: this seems… offensive. why did he stuff his pants and belly?

12:15- FLT. MOREAU: compensation, zorah

12:15- CHF. ZORAH: ohhhh

12:15– FLT. MOREAU: it’s not a real holiday party without booze @XO

12:15- XO. LAWSON: the LAST thing this crew needs is alcohol

12:15- LC. SHEPARD: [image.attachment_secret_candy_canes] jokes on you @XO i bought myself some on the citadel. knew you’d pull this crap.

12:15- XO. LAWSON: fine

12:15- LC. SHEPARD: this too [image.attachment_4.5L_bottle_vodka]

12:15- XO. LAWSON: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

[artemis-potnia-theron]

I've been thinking about how sacred it feels to have shared the same feeling with other Artemis worshipers when it comes to her presence and winter...

Aside from a relatively minor frost association (mostly in regard to crops) I'm not aware of much 'traditional' or historical connections between her and winter. She is the wilds and nature and life itself, in any season.

But yes. Of course she feels like winter. That's her energy. She's that post that was like "nothing will ever love you or hunger for you like winter."

She is solemn and quiet in an ethereal way - the same way snow muffles sound. She is survival. She is a mother bear and her cubs in their den. She is the white breath of birds as they sing. She is deer herds grazing in barren forests.

She is the feeling of warmth in the middle of freezing to death and she is the safety of a fire in the middle of a storm. The tip of her arrow never feels far away while she hunts.

But she is also at the hearth with Hestia. She sits with us through the cold, long nights. She hibernates at our altars, and she feels so warm and close. The connection is raw in a very specific way.

Idk I just love that there was this collective moment between some of us that 'yeah...she's here' the moment winter came. I love that we got to have that feeling.

It makes the ache in my chest for her get especially tight when I think about it. And it makes me miss the seasons of my childhood. Those winters were so holy.

[etheribot]

hii, can you tell me more about the enchantment you put on your watch and how it works, pretty please? ʕ⁠·⁠ᴥ⁠·⁠ʔ

also, please excuse my main blog, it's a safe space but if it makes you uncomfy feel free to tell me >< /gen

hi! (｡´∀｀)ﾉ i don't mind your personal blog at all! i'd be happy to expand on enchanting! d(･∀･○)

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ preface ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

all of my spell work is rooted in my own personal beliefs and practices. i'll gladly share my own process, but i won't be sharing my full spell. this is because i truly believe spells are most powerful when you make them your self! you can definitely use what i share as a sort of guide or template, but don't be afraid to customize my work to make it more suitable for you! 人´∀｀)

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚about the enchantment˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

for this enchantment, we want to work with intentions of focus, memory, and motivation. the enchantment itself is honestly really simple. we want to boost focus to prevent procrastination, boost memory to help keep track of time, and boost motivation motivated for the tasks ahead.

if you're new to spell crafting, a website called "pinecone.pub" is a pretty useful resource for finding herbs and crystals to match intent! don't be afraid to get a bit creative. maybe you might decide to utilize the element of water to symbolize the smooth flow of time. or you could use sunstone to symbolize the desire for productive days! spend some time thinking about what you want to add, and follow your intuition!!

one thing i really recommend is waiting to cast this spell when you feel the most energized. personally, i'm more of a night owl and i tend to get most of my best work done in the evening. so, i cast this enchantment at around evening time! listen to your body's circadian rhythm. do you tend to feel more energized during the morning? maybe the afternoon? whatever time you notice your energy naturally peak is when i would recommend casting this enchantment.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚the process˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

now that you've gathered your materials and chosen your time, this is how i cast the enchantment! feel free to customize these steps to fit your craft better!

: ̗̀➛ cleanse your work space and your materials. be extra sure to cleanse the watch you're enchanting!

: ̗̀➛ in a bowl, place an unlit tapered candle in the center. this candle will sort of act almost like a timer. the fire acts as a catalyst for enchantment. i like to use a small votive candle holder for this, so the candle holder goes in the center of the bowl with the candle in side.

: ̗̀➛ place the watch you're enchanting around the candle holder. if you aren't using a candle holder, you don't want to wrap the watch too close around the candle for safety reasons

: ̗̀➛ now, while focusing on the intention for each ingredient, surround the watch in the bowl with your chosen ingredients. if you're using herbs, know that you don't have to fill the entire bowl with herbs. just use enough to create a circle around the watch.

: ̗̀➛ after adding all your ingredients, light the candle. keep watch as the candle burns - we don't want to start any house fires!

: ̗̀➛ once the candle completely burns out, the spell is complete!

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ what comes next ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

an enchanted watch can be very useful if utilized correctly! here are a few tips i use to get the most out of this enchantment.

refresh the enchantment every quarter. every january, april, july, and october i redo this enchantment to keep it fresh. one thing i really like to do is include an element of each season in the spell to help resemble the passage of time! for example, in january i add a pinch of sugar (i always associate winter with sweet treats lol), in april i add the bloom of a wisteria tree, in july i use watermelon seeds, and in october i'll use an acorn.

make an effort to create a schedule to follow! this spell works best when you have an actual schedule to follow. the enchanted watch helps keep you on schedule... but how are you going to stay on schedule if you don't have a schedule? there are loads of ways to make schedules! i personally recommend time blocking. asana has a great article about it called "7 tips to start time blocking your schedule today"!

ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ!

that's essentially it!! i hope i was able to explain it properly... i feel like i'm not the best at explaining my spells (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) if you still have question, let me know!

[blushydiorrb]

blushydior

getting ready for dream girl summer 🌸🫧

a post on getting through the summer flawlessly as a dream girl <3

getting through summer looks like… basking & glowing in the beautiful sun, traveling, going out with ease, having fun, being messy and more. so let’s begin.

♡ categories: 

what does your ideal summer for this year look like? ideas, moodboards

physical: summer essentials, what to wear, makeup looks, luxuries, summer reads and bucket lists. 

mental: mindset, wellness, reads and bucket list ideas

  ♡ what’s your ideal summer? ♡

you create the definition of dream girl and it can always change. so decide what your mind and body needs. is this a time for healing? or is this a time to be adventurous?

do you see yourself in nature, enjoying the silence after a chaotic winter and spring? or going to parties, hanging out with friends, meeting new people and trying so many new things?

or why not both? 💋

some bucket list ideas:

spend more time outside than on your phone

have a morning routine. don’t lose structure in the day. switch it up for summer and make it fun.

make a list of nice restaurants in the city to try out

plan out picnic dates

buy disposable cameras and have them developed at the end of summer!

go skydiving

go to a fancy hotel bar and leave the place with someone’s number (or many)

go on late night drives!

explore a random city

try out new foods

most important of all: follow your gut. keep your safety your #1 priority.

                         physical

♡ summer essentials

sunscreen duhh, is a must no matter the season, especially for summer.

⤷ apply sunscreen before you go out and reapply ever 2 hours. look for products that are: lightweight & nonsticky, don’t leave a white cast, spf 50++

anything from sol de janeiro ugh <3

waterproof jewelry

sunglasses

sea salt spray

shimmer body oil

after sun care

your signature scent for summer (scent recommendations below)

pack light and smart with makeup if you’re one to touch up: lipstick (can be used for your eyes and cheeks also), eyeliner, etc.

hair clips/ties

qtips for makeup smudges

mini fan to cool down

small wallet

have fun and unplug but if it’s a must, carry a portable charger if you didn’t charge it in the car or before you left the house.

tissues (for sweat, blotches)

♡ outfit essentials

sundresses

mini !! skirts !!

mules

bikini tops as regular tops

gold hoop earrings

silk scarves

flowy bottoms, skirts, dresses

a cute cover up

patterns

mini bag

backless tops

                         beauty

♡ warmer weather calls for natural, glowy looks

the sun is out so it’s only natural for me to want to glow when the sun is hitting my face and body ♡ i love to really highlight my highest points.

applying subtle gold shimmer on your eyelids

lipgloss!

preferably one that is hydrating, slightly pigmented to bring out the colors in your lips & glowy. not sticky. my recommendation is the dior lip glow stick.

highlighter

my favorite is mac’s strobe highlighter in peachlite. it honestly gives my skin such a beautiful and subtle pink glow to my face!! i love applying it before my makeup.

⤷ don’t forget your collarbones and shoulders.

there is nothing else that makes me feel like a radiating goddess walking down the street when i put highlighter on my body.

⤷ also, layering powder products on top of wet/creamy products make them more pigmented! this is why you see some people wet their eyeshadow brushes before dipping them into the product ♡

blushed & flushed or nothing!

who doesn’t love a good blushed face during the summer? just because your blush is visible doesnt mean you’re wearing too much!!!! own it!!

have fun with subtle pops of color 💋

it doesn’t have to be too crazy. keep it simple.

ideas can be:

- two toned eyeshadows

- colorful winged eyeliners

- a bold lip

nails ♡

- fun & bright colors like orange & blue

- if you want to keep it simple: french tips, nudes!

♡ summer scent recommendations

marc jacobs perfect

delina - de marly

le labo thé noir 29

chanel chance

replica beachwalk & bubble bath

tom ford soleil blanc, lost cherry, neroli portofino, bitter peach

good chemistry coco blush

victoria secret bombshell beach

ariana grande - sweet like candy

solinotes cherry blossom

              for the mind & soul

♡ summer reads

nothing better than a good summer read. here are some recommendations!

my year of rest and relaxation - ottessa moshfegh

it happened one summer - tessa bailey

hook, line, and sinker - tessa bailey

beach read by emily henry

people we meet on vacation by emily henry

book lovers by emily henry

one hot italian summer - karina halle

malibu rising - taylor jenkins reid

every summer after by carley fortune

the wedding crasher by mia sosa

twisted series - ana huang (twisted love, twisted games, twisted hate, twisted lies)

birthday girl - penelope douglas

love & gelato - jenna evans welch

one italian summer - rebecca serle

hands down - mariana zapata

better than the movies - lynn painter

- have fun. kisses from blushydior ♡