#so i booked a new appointment at a different hairdresser (a new one has just opened near me)

[theflyingfeeling]

...💇‍♀️

[engbergsinfinland]

Happy Saturday, everyone!

I'm writing this standing outside the Hakametsä jaahall, where the kids have their ice skating today, and it is another beautiful day here in Tampere. It is in the mid-60s and the sky has some fluffy, white clouds in it. This week, there was some rain, but once again, the weather was darn glorious! Next week looks pretty good, too. I know things will turn shary before too long, so we're really trying to enjoy the end of the Finnish summertime.

This week's big news was that I found a super rad hairdresser, by walking by his salon (Salon Jarmo Hentilä), seeing that he had an Egon Schiele print hanging in the window, and thinking, after peeking in, that I liked the place's aesthetic. I went in, talked to the stylist/owner (Jarmo, I think!), showing him my color formula from my amazing hairdresser at home (Megan), and we were off to the races, as they say! I saw him Thursday morning and ooo lala!! So nice to have smooth hair and a sleek look again. I was a frizzy mess before 😆

Also, this Friday Eric and I had our account-opening appointments at Nordea bank. What a debacle! I mean, we are really paralyzed here without a bank account. I can't add funds to my SIM card so as to retain the Finnish phone number I started with; we can't yet pay for any of the kids' activities through those programs' online portals; and I can't buy the required competitive sports insurance or renter's insurance. Our credit cards do not work for those things and the direct- from-your-bank transfer is the ubiquitous process here. I'll include an image here of what you see when you get to a payment page, say, for your kids dance studio. Also, given that I have a non traditional bank in the US, by direct deposit of my Fulbright stipend hasn't gone through the last two payments, so I really, really, really need the Nordea bank account set up! We chose them because they are an international bank, across the Nordics at least, but, DANG, the thickness of the bureaucracy is staggering.

Of course, perhaps I cannot compare; I have not opened a US bank account in nearly twenty years so I do not recall what is required and of course I was a US citizen when I did so. I did open a bank account in London at Barclays when I lived there and that was a royal (haha) pain in the neck, but I do recall getting it done in a single day.

What Nordea needed was not only our Finnish residency permit card and our US passports and for us to fill out lots of paperwork (as expected) but they also needed the printouts of the PDFs we received from the Finnish immigration office and I did not know this and I only had them in PDF on my phone and of course could not just email them to them. So we had to go home, print them, and go back 🤦🏻 Now, we wait about three business days and we should hear something. Then, we need to set up the online banking and may have to book a fifteen minutes appointments at the branch to get help with that. And, THEN, perhaps we can pay all of our delinquent enrollment fees and other things.

In other news, Cece was invited to a hobbyhorse race party next Sunday by her classmate Herta! We are so excited about this, having seen these videos. If you click no other links this week, click that one, and have your mind blown!

Here are a few other interesting things that happened with us this week.

One day this week, when I knew Cece had to be at school at 8:15, I thought Rowan had to be at school at 9:00. So, he left on the tram later than she did. Later that day, after school, I learned that I sent him to school an hour late. I'm really struggling to get the hang of their different schedules each day! Rowan took pity on me and hand-drew a weekly overview schedule that, in one visualization, includes both Cece's schedule and his. Let's see if I can follow that or whether they just push me to the wayside and manage their own schedules entirely 😆

This weekend has been quite a happenin' one so far in Tampere. There was a big festival called Blockfest at the Nokia arena. I think it was largely a rap festival, featuring some US artists but some from throughout Europe. Eric and I took a walk on Friday night and walked down to an area that is adjacent to the arena and we saw lots of fashion... There were lots of different styles and there was a lot of ... skin. Me even saying that reveals that I have an Irish Catholic mother 😆

Finally, Cece and I went to a fabric store I had spied from the tram we take to one of the ice skating facilities. We tried to go last weekend and it was closed so we went this Friday and had an amazing experience, though the proprietors did not really speak English, though one of the employees did and that was helpful! The owner was very enthusiastic and with a lot of hand gestures we were able to communicate all right. This fabric store was super densely packed and had a lot of upholstery fabric but also had a lot of stretch knits, which I love to sew with. I am definitely going back to that place. Cece chose some blue stretch knit with white stars and some ribbed blue knit for the collar and cuffs of a shirt I will make her. It was a store of my dreams!

On Monday morning we head to Helsinki for the Fulbright orientation and the kids will get to stay there too, 'til midday Wednesday. I've already told their teachers that they'll miss a few days. I'm excited to meet the other Fulbrighters!!

[cosmofan47]

I once had a dream...

...that I was the most powerful witch living in a fairytale kingdom.

The king had come to see me. He was a small man, about a head shorter than me. He was an anxious man, never quite sure of himself. 

And he was a man in love.

The king had fallen for a visiting princess, a beautiful woman who wore the most exquisite gowns. The king was too nervous to tell the princess how he felt, afraid of rejection and that he was wrong about his feelings.

The king wanted me to cast a spell on the princess. Not a spell that would force her to fall in love with him, the king insisted, but a spell that would make her kiss him. He knew that if he could just kiss the princess, they would know for sure that they were each other’s true love.

I agreed to help him.

The king took me to a beauty salon that the princess passed while on daily walks around the kingdom. He said he had been booking daily makeover appointments so that he could spot her as she walked by. He booked me one too.

I was now less eager to help him because beauty salons make me nervous. But a witch cannot break their promise without something terrible happening. That’s why most witches are wicked- it’s easier to not keep promises if you only use your magic selfishly. 

We sat in the salon, the king’s hairdresser commenting on how often his majesty has been visiting lately. The king responded that he wanted to try a blue bouffant today. 

My hairdresser was scrubbing my greasy hair with vigor, talking about giving me a perm. I was focusing on not telling the hairdresser that I didn’t want my hair done, hoping she would sense it from my silence and body language. She didn’t seem to notice.

I had just gotten some shampoo in my eyes when the king yelled That’s her! That’s the princess!

I sat up and wiped the sudsy liquid out of my eyes. I could barely see, but out the front window I managed to make out the blurry shape of a tall woman in a voluptuous pink gown. In the pink? I asked. 

Yes! Yes! The king exclaimed. And she’s wearing my favorite gown! Hurry!

I pulled out a wand and zapped her with the spell. The princess stopped, turned and ran through the salon door and toward the king, kissing him square on the lips.

My work done, I stood up and walked out of the salon, my hair full of suds.

The next day, I was summoned by the new queen.

I expected to see the princess, but instead I saw a different woman in a gown similar to the one the princess had on the day before. This queen was about a head shorter than me. This queen had her hair in a blue bouffant. 

It was the king, clean shaven and looking more confident than I could even remember.

Did the spell not work, your Majesty? I asked.

Oh, it worked, he replied. But as I kissed the visiting princess, I realized that it wasn’t her I was in love with. 

I was in love with her dress.

[itstheoneshot]

Handsome

Request

Summary: Being trans is hard, but every day is bearable, with Jongin by your side.

Word Count: 3.2k

Pairing: Kai x Nonbinary Reader

Warnings: 18+, NSFW, Gender Dysphoria, Body Worship.

It was the scariest day of your life, when you finally came out to your partner. You had been putting it off for months, terrified of his reaction. You went to both your doctor and your psychiatrist appointments alone, never telling Jongin what was happening. It was only days before starting testosterone treatment, when you finally broke down and told him.

“Nini, I’m transgender,” You had stuttered, “I’m nonbinary, I’d like you to use they/them pronouns for me now, and I’m changing my name.”

Nothing could have prepared you for how well this would be received. The smile on his face was enough to light up the world, and to ease every ounce of anxiety you had felt for the last few months, or even longer really, since you had been internally fighting the reality of your gender for so long.

“I love you,” He had replied with tears in his eyes, matching your own, “I’m so proud of you, and I’ll always love you.”

From that day on, Jongin accompanied you to your doctor’s appointments, and he held your hand when you had your first testosterone shot, the needle terrifying him more than it did you, though this was the best distraction from the pain, as you teased him about it while the doctor injected you.

It was cute, the questions that Jongin asked, ones you didn’t always know the answers to. Technical, scientific questions, like when will your voice drop? or when will your body change? and so many more, all of which you answered to the best of your ability, even if you had to google search for some of them.

He was your biggest supporter, every day telling you how handsome you were, helping you buy new clothes to feel better about yourself, even going as far as to offer to pay for your top surgery scheduled a few months down the track. You were so grateful to him, as the most important person in your life, his caring and kind nature kept you going every day.

———

It had been about a month of being out, when in a fit of dysphoria, Jongin finds you crying over your reflection in the bathroom mirror.

“Jagi,” He hushes you, “What’s wrong?”

You look up at yourself, your eyes are red and puffy, tear stains all down your cheeks, and then you glance at your partner’s reflection, his eyes are wide with concern for you.

“I hate how I look,” You sigh, tugging at your hair tied back in a bun, it is too feminine, “I can’t do this.”

Jongin pouts at you as he moves to untie your hair, running his fingers through it before twisting it up again, in some attempt to style it, and as upset as you are, it makes you laugh.

“Should we go to the hairdressers?” He asks, “I did some research the other day, there’s a trans-friendly salon not too far from here.”

Your heart skips a beat at the idea, it is so simple, but you are sure that it will make the biggest difference to how you see yourself, and how others do too, at least in the meantime until testosterone really changes how you look.

“Please, Nini,” You nod, “That would be amazing.”

You haven’t even finished agreeing before Jongin has his phone in his hand, dialling the number of the salon to book you in. You stare at yourself in the meantime, trying to imagine a style that will suit you best, but it’s hard, you are not feeling good at all today, especially not after all the crying.

“Can you be ready for an appointment in an hour?” He asks, “Or would tomorrow be better?”

As you stare into the mirror, you know that this can’t wait, that you would probably take clippers and shave your head if you are forced to look at yourself any longer.

“I can be ready,” You reply, “I just need to wash up.”

Jongin turns you around, forcing you to look away from the mirror and to him instead. He kisses you gently, one hand on your waist while the other holds your cheek, keeping you close to him for a moment, his way of making sure you are okay.

“I love you,” He murmurs as he slowly pulls away, “We need to leave in 30 minutes.”

You rinse your face at the sink, washing away your tears, and you dry your face with your towel, applying a little moisturiser before you exit the bathroom. Jongin is waiting for you, he has your bag in his hand, while his own is slung over his right shoulder.

“Come on, baby,” He urges you, “Let’s go.”

You take his hand, following him out to his car. You are nervous, to say the least. You know that this will be a good thing for you, it is going to make a huge difference to your self esteem and to the way that you see yourself, but you are still terrified.

Jongin can tell too, holding your hand in his while he drives, he tries to distract you with endless stories about the latest things he has been working on, group projects, another solo release, and the new collaboration he is a part of with yet another designer label. He is always so busy, and you are grateful for it, to be able to stand beside him while he gains his success, and you are able to expand on your own too, it is perfect.

“I love you,” You tell him as he parks his car on the side of the road, “Thank you for always taking care of me.”

Jongin leans over the centre console to kiss you before you both get out of the car, holding hands to cross the street to the salon. You are greeted at the door by the receptionist, and she names and genders you correctly which makes you smile wider than you have today. Jongin relinquishes his grip on your hand, moving to take a seat in the waiting area while you follow the hairdresser to her station.

“Your partner told me you’re ready for a real change,” The hairdresser says, “Were you thinking full masculine? I think you would suit an undercut, with a messy fringe, what do you think?”

You realise that you had not even got that far, but you find yourself nodding, throwing all nerves out the window as you trust the hairdresser’s opinion. You are sure that with her years of training, she would have a keen eye for the right styles to suit your face. She smiles at you reassuringly, as if she can sense your apprehension, and you try to ground yourself as she drapes the hairdressers cape around your neck.

Before she starts, you glance over at Jongin to see him staring at you, and he smiles as he catches your eye before you turn back to the mirror again. This is it, the change is happening now, you take one final deep breath before relaxing, and you watch the hairdresser as she gets to work.

You try not to focus too hard as the hairdresser does her thing, though you notice how much lighter you feel already, even without seeing the style. It takes about an hour or so, until you are sitting back in the chair after having your hair washed, and the hairdresser is doing the final touch ups after drying your hair off.

“It’s done,” She tells you, turning around to grab a mirror from her trolley so that you can see the back, “What do you think?”

It is like a different person is staring back at you, when you look up at the mirror. In a good way though, as if this is who you were meant to be all along. Sure, you still feel feminine, your features are softer than you want them to be, but the hair… It is so good.

“I love it,” You reply, unable to contain your smile, “Thank you, thank you so much.”

Jongin sees you stand, and he gets up immediately to join you. If you thought that he had looked at you lovingly before, you have no words to describe the way that he stares now.

“You look so handsome,” He says breathlessly, “Baby… wow.”

It is not often that you stun Jongin like this, and his reaction has you blushing. You take his hand, and he walks you up to the front desk where he pays for the haircut, accepting only a kiss from you when you try to convince him to let you cover the cost.

“Thank you,” You say as you lean your head on his shoulder, “Are we going home now?”

Jongin takes you a hand to your waist, leading you out of the salon and back to his car as he shakes his head.

“I was thinking we could go for lunch first,” He replies, “Unless you’d rather not?”

You take a second to think it over, and you know that though the person you were this morning would say no, you left them behind with the hair on the salon floor. You are better now, stronger, more confident, and you want to prove to both yourself and the world that you can do this.

“I’d love to,” You reply easily, “Anywhere with you is perfect.”

———

Your meal is incredible, and the way that Jongin stares at you the whole time is even more so. You are flustered under his gaze, self-conscious although you know that he means well. It is hard to accept yourself, though Jongin accepts and loves you more than ever.

“Are you right?” You ask him as you lift your hands to shield your red cheeks once you finish your meal, “You haven’t stopped looking at me the whole time.”

“I’m fine,” Jongin replies without hesitation, “I just… can we go home now?”

You are surprised but relieved at his request, more than ready to no longer be out in public, grateful that your partner is just as much of a homebody as you are. You nod your agreement as you stand up, and the two of you walk to the counter for Jongin to pay once again, before you leave the cafe together.

“You really do look incredible,” Jongin says as he turns the keys in the ignition of his car, “I hope you feel better now too, you do, right?”

“I do,” You nod at him, taking his hand again once he is on the road, “Thank you always, for everything.”

Jongin laughs, squeezing your hand in his, “Stop thanking me, loving you is the bare minimum, you deserve the world.”

It’s corny, but you don’t mind, it makes you so happy that he loves you so much, and you feel exactly the same way about him. You spend the short drive home leaning on the headrest and staring at Jongin’s side profile, forever amazed that someone as incredible as him loves you.

You are home soon, following Jongin inside, both sighing contentedly as you take your shoes off at the door. You are exhausted, lifting a hand to your head to comb your fingers through your hair and reminding yourself that it is short now, all gone, so masculine.

“One minute,” You mumble as you head off down the hallway to the bathroom, though you hear Jongin’s footsteps behind you anyway.

As you stand in front of the mirror that you were crying at only a few hours ago, Jongin resumes his stance behind you, with his arm over your shoulder to gently caress your cheek. You feel tears threatening to fall again, and you take a deep shaky breath to try and stop them.

“You are perfect,” Jongin says, “I feel like a broken record, but fuck, you are perfect.”

This time you shake your head, your insecurities surfacing once more. You are not perfect, Jongin is lying to placate you, there is nothing even close to perfect about you.

“I’m a fake,” You sigh, “I’m never going to look the way that I want to… I should just accept it.”

Jongin doesn’t hide his shock, concerned as you begin to cry once more. All of the emotions that you have been trying to hold in for so long are now coming up, and all you want to do is disappear.

“Baby, don’t say that,” Jongin replies, “Why do you think that?”

You reflect for a moment, uncertain of your answer. It is hard being this way, in a world full of people who don’t understand or accept you, how are you supposed to love yourself?

“I’m tired, Nini,” You say, “The world will never see me for who I am, I’m always going to be an outlier… I can’t do this, I hate who I am.”

Jongin doesn’t hesitate this time, turning you around to face him, so that you can no longer look at yourself. The way that he looks at you is enough to leave you breathless, the love in his eyes is enough to fill your whole world, but it is hard to get out of your head, it is so fucking hard to find a way out of the negative spiral you are in.

“I love you,” Jongin proclaims, “All of you, my handsome, beautiful partner. You deserve to see yourself the way that I see you, and not care about the rest of the world.”

It is sudden, when he kisses you, and you cling to him as if he is your life force. Fists balled in his shirt as you kiss him back, your tears fall in a steady stream down your cheeks, but you are trying not to be sad anymore.

“The people who matter will accept you,” He continues between kisses, “And if they don’t accept you, they don’t matter.”

He’s right, you know that he is, but you still care, it is ingrained in you to base your worth off the perception of others. It’s getting harder though, to think, as Jongin continues to kiss you, as you feel the back of your thighs hit the bathroom counter. Jongin’s hands are in your hair, his fingers lazily examining the now shaved back and sides, and it tickles, euphoric.

“Baby, you’re incredible,” He murmurs, nipping gently at your bottom lip, “You look so fucking hot like this.”

You gasp into the kiss, giggling as he lifts you up off the ground and guides you to sit on the counter. You instinctively wrap your legs around his waist to bring him closer to you, moving your hands to his broad shoulders as the kisses grow deeper.

“Tell me again,” You stutter, “Make me believe you, please.”

Jongin had been waiting for you to ask, this is evident, as with each kiss he grinds into you, and you can feel how hard he has grown. His hands are less gentle now, working to pull your t-shirt off, and eagerly tugging at the button and fly of your jeans.

“You’re perfect,” He repeats, as you lift your hips up, giving him access to tear your jeans down your legs, “You deserve the world, you are everything to me.”

His compliments flow so easily, and you allow yourself to take them, as if they are natural to you, as if you believe them, in this moment not caring whether you really do or not. All you care for is him, how badly you want him, and how badly you want to see yourself how he does.

“I love you,” He continues, his hands on your thighs to spread them apart once you are both completely naked, your back against the mirror, “I’ll always love you, all of you.”

You move your hands to his waist as he comes closer to you, each second growing needier than the last, each word he says echoes the way that you feel about him. You think he is perfect, and you will always love him too.

“I need you,” You whine, “Please, Nini… don’t want to wait.”

As his hands travel further up your legs, you whimper into his mouth in anticipation, and your hands instinctively reach for his cock, certain that you are ready, not caring if it is going to hurt at all.

“Jagi,” He replies, his fingers tracing tantalisingly slow over your core, “Fuck, you are so wet already.”

You grab his forearm, forcing his hand as you try to pull him closer to you, with your other hand in his hair to keep him kissing you, and you lock your ankles behind his knees to close the remaining distance between you.

“Just fuck me already,” You demand, “Come on, you know you want it too.”

Jongin chuckles, though you watch his pupils dilate, he loves it when you get bossy with him, and he happily obliges your order. His hand moves to on top of yours wrapped around his cock, and he guides you to line him up with where his fingers were teasing only a few moments ago.

“Oh,” You gasp, attempting to meter your breathing as he enters you, “Oh shit.”

He is slow at first, as expected, gentle as he thrusts forward until you take him in all the way, letting you adjust to his size while he too adjusts to the tightness, though you know it will get easier soon as you remind yourself to relax.

“I’ve got you,” Jongin soothes, as he pulls back to then thrust in again, “Fuck, baby, oh god you feel so good every time.”

You are rendered almost speechless as Jongin speeds his movements up, the pattern and rhythm is perfect, as always. Jongin moves his hand to the back of your head, protecting you from knocking it into the mirror as he fucks you harder, each thrust has you crying out for him louder than the last.

“Fuck,” You gasp breathlessly, “Shit, Nini, you hit so fucking deep like this.”

All you can focus on is him, as he continues to praise you, telling you every detail about you that he loves, leaving nothing unsaid. He fills your heart with his words as perfectly as he fills your cunt with his cock and you feel yourself so close to the edge, though you are sure that Jongin will not slow down.

“Please, my love,” Jongin moans, pressing his forehead to yours, and you can feel the sweat beaded on his brow as it touches yours, “I need you to cum for me, don’t hold back, okay?”

It isn’t hard to obey him, you needed this just as much, and his words are the key to your release as much as the way that he fucks you is. You feel yourself begin to convulse before your high comes to peak, moaning Jongin’s name against his lips as he fucks you perfectly through it, his own release following mere moments later.

“I love you,” You manage to speak, “I love you so much.”

Jongin’s chest heaves as he attempts to catch his breath upon slowing down, though he does not make an attempt to pull out of you just yet.

“I love you too,” He replies, “My beautiful, handsome life partner. I love you, every single part of you.”

You are blessed, and you know it. Despite the hardships that you face due to being transgender, Jongin is there for you through it all. You know that this life is not always easy, but you are even more sure of the fact that your beautiful partner will be there for you at the end of every day. To pick you up, to make you smile, and to remind you that you are loved and supported, no matter what.

[insfiringyou]

BTS - A Chance Meeting (V & Ara)

Contains: Slight angst

*Alert for potential spoilers for fics not yet written in Jimin x Ara’s storyline*

Ara notices Taehyung sat alone in a quiet cafe and decides to stop by. 

You can find out more about our headcanon universe and ongoing storyline here and more about our headcanon girlfriends here.

To read each member & their girlfriend’s headcanon universe fics in order, follow the links here: RM   /   Jin /   Suga /   J-Hope   /   Jimin   /   V   /   Jungkook & our full masterlist of fanart and fanfictions can be found here

If you wish to follow all member’s storylines in chronological order from the beginning, you can find them listed here.

Content below the cut

Ara hesitated, before tapping lightly on the single-pane glass with her fingernails. She didn’t want to draw too much attention but was unable to stop herself from knocking. It was a surprise to see him after so long and she had double-taken in the street. His hair was a little longer, but that was expected. The last time he had just returned from the military and his short, closely-cropped cut made him seem more somber; years older than he was. Now it was back to a length she found more familiar but the dark, wispy suggestion of facial hair on his upper lip was new. He seemed lost in thought, sat in the back of the cafe with a small cup clutched between his fingers, staring into space. Despite her being gentle, the sound seemed to startle him and he looked up. Ara gave a tentative wave, hoping he recognised her. 

She tucked her fringe behind her ear, watching him pause before he raised his hand slightly in acknowledgement. Her bleached strands felt unfamiliar as she brushed the neck of her hair; the short, pixie cut still freshly blow-dried from the hairdressers that morning. She had asked Da-eun to do it for her but the young woman had refused, thinking she might get into some kind of trouble for it. Ara understood, after all, she had not yet spoken to her manager about a change in style.

Taking the plunge, she tucked her black purse beneath her armpit and walked around the corner to the entrance; the soft tinkle of a bell above the door signalling her arrival. She could not read Taehyung’s expression as she approached his table at the back of the small space but hoped she was not intruding. He was sat snugly behind a column which, luckily, seemed private. The cafe only had a small handful of customers but she looked around cautiously before joining in. 

“Hi…” She beamed, keeping her voice low. “I haven’t seen you in ages. How are you?”

He nodded, meeting her gaze. “I’m good.” His tone gave nothing away, but after a moment he gestured to the spare chair opposite. “Do you want to sit down?”

She slid onto the seat automatically. “I can’t stay for long. I’ve got an appointment.”

He blinked a few times. “You’ve cut your hair.”

Her replying smile was bashful as her fingers moved in response to her fringe which had once more come untucked. “It was too warm in the heat. It’s much easier to maintain now.”

“It suits you.” He said coolly. 

There was a long pause between them, though it wasn’t awkward. She had grown used to these drawn-out silences, from the time he temporarily took lodge in her and Jimin’s apartment and when her boyfriend had left for the military. It would have been a lie to say she had gotten a lot from his company. He always seemed absorbed in his books as well as his thoughts, but there always seemed to be something he was holding back; an aura of mystery she couldn’t quite place and at odds with Jimin’s usual openness. But Taehyung was tidy enough and greeted her when she came home, so she hadn’t minded having him around. 

She found herself wondering what she could say to him. It seemed polite to stop and talk, but this chance meeting now reminded her how little she knew about his life now. Eventually, she spoke. “How’s the baby?”

The corner of his lips twitched in a vague smile. “Toddling.”

Ara was silent for a moment, only just realising it had been longer since she had seen him than she initially thought. “How old is he now?” She asked, voice open and inquisitive. 

He took a sip of tea; it’s aroma fragrant in the small space. She tried to read the label on the tag but couldn’t make it out. “Almost two.”

Her eyebrows raised in disbelief. “I can’t believe it’s been so long. I keep meaning to go and see Cassandra, but I wasn’t sure where she was now. Is she still in Seoul?” 

Taehyung nodded, putting down his cup. It made a soft, strangely comforting sound against the china saucer. “She’s in Gangnam. Do you have her number?”

She thought for a moment, before nodding with a frown. “If she hasn’t changed it. She was kind of hard to get hold of for a while.”

“Gabriel had colic.” He replied with a shrug, as though that explained the years of absence. Ara thought the explanation a little odd, but did not comment. 

“Did you choose the name?” She asked. 

“It just seemed right.” He quickly murmured, not entirely answering the question. Ara thought the reply seemed rehearsed, as though he had answered it many times. She wondered if his family had commented on it and whether he felt the need to defend the decision. Jimin had not spoken much about Taehyung’s family, and she herself had never heard them mentioned in conversation. All of a sudden she found herself hoping they had been supportive; not just for his sake but for Cassandra, whom she had known for so long. 

Ara forced the thought away. “I bet it sounds lovely when she says it. Cassandra always had the most wonderful voice.”

Taehyung looked up from his tea cup. “She still does.”

Her mouth opened, forming an ‘oh’, thinking she might have gotten it all wrong. Or maybe things had changed in the past two years. She approached the topic tentatively. “Are you two…?”

“No.” He confirmed. “But we make it work.” He quickly added.

Ara settled back in her chair; understanding. She gave a soft smile which she hoped didn’t come across as patronising. “I can tell you care about her a lot.”

“She’s the mother of my child, Ara.” He said quietly.

She sensed the sadness in his voice; a longing he couldn’t quite put into words and she nodded. “Of course.” She changed the subject lightly, seeing there was nothing else she could say on the matter of her old friend. “You should get in touch with Jimin. I know he wants to see you.”

He appeared to wince a little but recovered well. She almost hadn’t noticed. “You can tell him he’s welcome any time he wants. He knows where I live.” He murmured. 

Ara fell silent, realising he didn’t yet know. “You really haven’t seen him in a while have you?” She asked, before pressing on. “We broke up.”

He met her eyes across the table and she saw the shock in his expression. “When?”

“A few months ago.”

Taehyung was quiet, pensive, before he asked. “Was it mutual?”

She smiled sadly. “I think he needed it too. We still speak sometimes.”

The man opposite nodded in confirmation. “That’s good.”

Ara watched as he leaned forward to pick up the cup, looking downwards as he took the last few sips. She realised how lonely he looked; how the times she had come home to find him seemingly preoccupied masked the fact he didn’t seem to have anyone. His fans, she remembered, always thought him something of an enigma. She wondered now if that was truly it. 

“Have you thought about dating again?” She suggested, making sure to keep her voice down low, should anyone else hear. 

He didn’t look up from his cup. “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know…” She trailed off, figuring out how best to word it. “Being in a relationship seemed to suit you.” She shrugged. It seemed silly now she said it out loud. “As far as I could tell anyway.”

“Cass has moved on.” He murmured, frankly.

Ara hesitated. “I meant with someone else.”

Taehyung’s eyes snapped up, meeting hers purposefully and she let out an unexpected giggle. 

“I didn’t mean me.” She confirmed, shaking her head. It felt strange without the usual brush of hair against her shoulders. She settled down, her laughter subsiding, and gave a long, dramatic groan, anticipating how pathetic she must sound. “I’m still trying to find myself.”

He looked back at the table, picking up a napkin and twisting it absently between his long fingers. “I don’t think I could have that again.” 

“You never know.” She easily dismissed.

His brows knitted together, creating deep, frustrated grooves in his forehead as he mumbled, glumly. “Maybe some people are only meant to be with one person.” 

Ara raised a questioning eyebrow. “You never dated anyone before Cassandra?”

Taehyung looked up once more, answering quickly. “That was different.” He sharply declared. “I was young.”

“You’re still young.” She said, deliberately gently, seeing he was hurt.

He grew quiet and shuffled uncomfortably in his chair. Ara feared she might have crossed the line and she tightened her grip on her purse, getting ready to leave before he suddenly spoke. “I wouldn’t even know where to meet someone.”

Her hands stilled and she relaxed. “Well…” She held out the palms of her hands. “What do you like?”

He met her gaze. “In a girl?” 

She shrugged. “Or a guy.”

Half-expecting him to question this, he surprised her by remaining silent, meditative; thinking deeply. She wondered if he knew about her. Perhaps Jimin had told him. 

“Someone sweet.” He eventually said. “Someone kind.”

Her lips curled, simpering. “Is that all?”

“I’m not that picky.” He stated. 

She couldn’t help but scoff. “You dated the most European girl in Seoul.”

“She’s only half European.” He contended, entirely missing the point. 

“You know what I mean...” Ara shook her head with a grin and sitting back, she reflected for a moment. “What about looks?”

“Personality is more important.” 

“You must have a preference?” She challenged, suddenly curious. 

Once again he fell silent and Ara found herself a little impressed at how seriously he was taking this. “Dark eyes...soft and sweet.”

“The kind of girl you’d bring home?” She questioned with a smirk. 

“Someone I could marry.” He stated, a little dreamily.

Ara nodded, amused. He sounded strangely serious. “I know just the girl.” She teased, an idea already forming in her mind. 

He looked at her; eyelashes heavy, giving him a sleepy look “How about you?”

She stretched in her seat, realising she hadn’t thought about it much before and was surprised he asked. Smiling to herself, she blushed. “Smooth skin. Nice lips.” She giggled in embarrassment, adding: “No stubble.”

“So Jimin?” He challenged. 

The corners of her lips turned up and she looked away, unable to help the way her heart still skipped a little at his name. “I don’t know…” She admitted, drifting off and watching from the corner of her eye as he reached into his pocket, searching for his wallet. She took the opportunity to flick through her phone, typing a name and bringing up a familiar social media account. She swiped through the pictures with her manicured thumb before finding one which showed the girl in question at a good angle. It was taken at a company event, and the dress she wore was uncharacteristically short. The other girls on the make up team had talked her into wearing it but Ara saw the way she had tugged on it incessantly all night, trying to cover her pale knees with the frilled hem. 

“What about her?” Ara held out the screen, showing him. 

Taehyung squinted at the picture. “Do you know her?”  

“She’s my stylist.” She confirmed before tucking the phone back in her purse and closing the magnetic clasp. “You’d like her, she’s sweet...and single.” She added.

“What’s her name?” He asked casually. 

“Da-eun.”

She thought he was going to ask more, but instead changed the topic. “Are you going back on tour soon?”

“Once the new album’s out, we still have a lot of work to do. I’m meeting the producers this afternoon.” 

“That sounds good.” He murmured, sounding a little tired. She sensed the conversation was drawing to a close. 

“Are you working on anything?” She asked politely. 

“I was thinking about it.” The other man shrugged indifferently. 

“I’m sure your fans would really enjoy it.”

“I’d be doing it for me.” 

The steely tone of his reply took her aback a little and she found herself recalling the news headlines in the days following the birth. “Even so…” She drifted off weakly and checked her watch before drawing her chair away from the table. “I’d better be going.” She murmured apologetically, getting to her feet. “It was really nice bumping into you.”

His eyes followed her as she gathered her belongings and extended the strap on the purse across her shoulder. “You too. Take care.”

“I will.” She smiled, tucking the chair neatly beneath the table and turning to leave. 

“Ara?” He called softly and she spun back. He was silent for a few seconds but she waited patiently. “Your friend Da-eun…” He seemed a little embarrassed. “You can give her my number.” Another pause. “If you like.”

It took her by surprise but she nodded in agreement. “I will.” She confirmed, giving a gentle wave. “Goodbye Tae.”

***

Thank you for reading. To read each member & their girlfriend’s headcanon universe fics in order, follow the links here: RM   /   Jin /   Suga  /   J-Hope   /   Jimin   /   V   /   Jungkook

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& Our masterlist of preferences/most likely to/quizzes and fun stuff is here

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[littleaprilcherryblossom]

As always this has been submitted by my lovely friend @holy-hyuck ✨

Spanish and French are my top two languages to learn! i just feel like with French i would need a better pronunciation? the r's are pronounced differently than in most languages but it's a really cool language. if i could have a superpower i would probably want to know all the languages. dualingo's great because you can do 5 minutes a day but even that sometimes seems like a challenge i love that hair length! i wanna cut my hair too but also keep it long, can never decide haha. what colour did you decide on? i saw pictures i think a couple days ago? or did i imagine that? right now it's also ombre but this ginger/caramel colour. i booked an appointment now! it's a month away because i want to do it right before uni but i'm hella excited! i feel like i never take risks with my hair but i really want to i think after my first year of uni being online for the most part, resulting in me going back home and not doing anything, i just feel like i wanna have stuff to do? nothing major, just little things. but since i only 4 weeks left i just want to chill now before the stress kicks in haha. i love physical work sometimes, especially if it's outside, like working on the garden or the shed i get that, my friend said she wants to visit Wales, especially the town i'm studying in because it's a 30-minute walk to the beach, but for me (even though i've only been there like half a year in total) it's nothing that special. i also don't like beaches much so maybe that's why 😅 like Strasbourg looks beautiful, especially the architecture, so i'd probably be in awe if i visited but you're saying you're used to it i think every country has incredible things to offer, so much culture and everything so i get it

🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃

I swear I never get notified when I get submissions 😭 I try to look in my inbox every day but I've been busy lately so I hope this hasn't been sitting for too long 😭

I would love to help you learn French if you decide to start ! I could be your texting buddy, help you improve little things or even do calls on Discord or smth if you want ! And yeah same I would love to learn more languages, might start again on Duolingo or Rosetta Stone (gotta wait until I have money tho bc it's a bit expensive but once you have it it's for live so it's a good investment 😊)

I ended up cutting a little above the shoulders because my hair was so damaged 😭 I asked the hairdresser if it was possible to make my hair color a lighter brown because I had a big fail a few months ago and chose the wrong color and ended up with very dark brown/almost black hair and I kinda hated it 😭nowmy hair looks like this (pic below) and I'm so happy 🥰 also please show me your hair once you have your appointement !

It's understandable, the past year I've been doing nothing most of the time znd been on my laptop and phone way too long every day (my screentime record is 16h in one day and that on my phone only 🥴) and I just saw how tired I have become and lazy, definetly need to work on that. But I have been doing lots of things lately as I told you previously so that's a good start I think :)

Ah I also got good news a few days ago: I officially have graduated uni ! I'm so happy I don't need to go back and take classes because I didn't like what I was studying anymore 😅 and I also have been accepted at this voluntary work I applied to in an associative café in my city, I'm just so happy I have a plan for this school year 🥰

I get your friend, come on you have a beach in your city that is so cool 😭 I am also a beach anthusiast, I haven't been near a see or an ocean in so long already, the last time was in 2017 when we went on a vacation in Nice 🥺 yes every country has it's own landcapes and beautiful places... just thinking about it makes me want to travel 😭

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #285

"do you have the time to listen to me whine about nothing and everything all at once?”

What does your car smell like? You assume I have a car. Would you ever let anybody else drive your car? ^ Have you ever met someone in person who you first met on the internet? Do you have plans to do that anytime soon? Yes, Sara. I want to visit her again, but right now I have no clue when that will happen. I have another friend that wants me to shoot her wedding that was planned for this year, but it was delayed to an unknown date, so. What was the last thing you used a blender for? A margarita. Have you ever got into an argument with a stranger on social media? Do you remember what it was about? Yep. There's been a couple. Has COVID had any impact on your Christmas plans this year? What’s going to change or be different to normal? Yes. Mom and I aren't coming while Ashley's inlaws are there at her house, and then I think we're going to my other sister's since she wants to cook? I've only really overheard Mom over the phone, I'm not 100%. I'm just. Going with it. What’s your favourite flavor of cake? Are you any good at making that kind of cake? Probably red velvet, or just double chocolate. I dunno. I love cake. I don't cook, though. Are you currently under any COVID-related restrictions where you live? Are people generally following the rules? Well, you're SUPPOSED to wear a fucking mask, but "it's a hoax" and "you can't make me" fuckheads don't listen, and it's poorly-enforced. You see people without them all the time. Do you still watch cartoons? I'm not opposed, I just don't watch television. Is anyone else in the same room as you right now? What is that person up to? No. Do you use Pinterest? Ha, I get most of my (unedited) avatars from there. It also gives me some pose ideas for photography. Are you wearing earrings? Ugh, no. I absolutely hate how the first holes stretched from heavy earrings. I need to get a proper tapering set if I want to actually use gauges (mind you, very small) so they look even semi-good again. I don't wear any in the second/upper holes because I think it just looks weird with nothing in the first. Do you know any sign language? Not anymore. In elementary school, we did do a play however where in one of the songs, we signed the lyrics. I remember zero. Have you ever gone on a service trip to an underprivileged country? No. Which breed of dog do you find most scary? None. Ever been to a pottery class? Not particularly, no. I've made pottery in normal art classes multiple times, though. When you were young, did you ever pretend to “marry” somebody? I have no idea. I don't have a specific memory. Don’t you just find it annoying when people get too much plastic surgery? Oh, fuck off. Is it your body? Is it there to boost YOUR confidence? Then your opinion doesn't fuckin matter. Are you the type who usually plays it safe? Yep. Who do you think about most? It's certainly not willingly, but Jason. PTSD kinda engraved his presence in my brain. How’s your grandmother? Both are dead. What’s your favourite type of cloud? Big, tall, and poofy cumulonimbus ones. Do you have a birthmark? Where? Does it look like anything? Yeah, a slightly darker brown blotch on the side of my right forearm, near the elbow. If you were blind for the rest of your life… what would you miss seeing the most? Probably people smiling. My nieces' and nephew's came to mind first. What is your most disappointing moment in life? I've been living it for years now. I'm not who I wanted or thought I would be at all. What is the best reward anyone can give you? Validation lmao. What is your favorite animal? List three adjectives to explain your choice. Meerkats, always. God, I can barely boil it down to three words. Loyal, complex, and brave will have to do. What is your favorite color? List three adjectives to explain your choice. Pink. Soft, pretty, gentle. What do you consider to be the most valuable thing you own: when you were a child/teenager/now? As a child, my big plastic crocodile named Marlin (yes, after the Finding Nemo character) that was the "main character" in my games of make-believe. As a teen, probably Rebel, the stuffed meerkat Jason gave me. Now, it's absolutely the pebble I got upon "graduation" from my partial hospitalization program. What’s the kindest act you have ever seen done? I'm not sure; I've seen a good deal. Thinking of only the ones I've seen in-person, uhhhh... wait. A couple days before my overdose, in desperation, I called Jason's house in the middle of the night wanting to talk to him. His mom answered, and she talked to me for hours with such patience and kindness to try and calm me down. I miss her a lot. Is Frozen one of your favorite Disney movies? No, I never really liked it. If you were an explorer, would you rather explore the Arctic Circle, Antarctica, or Alaska? Ohhh, Alaska. It's gorgeous and at least not absolutely frigid everywhere. How many blankets do you sleep with in the winter? I usually just have my usual thick comforter, but if I'm seriously cold, I'll grab another smaller one to wrap myself in underneath the big one. Do you know of anyone who was in labor or gave birth to a baby during a major snowstorm? HAHA my mama w/ me. Do you enjoy eggnog during the winter - with or without alcohol? EW. Do you dress any of your pets in seasonal/holiday apparel? No; I really dislike the concept of dressing your animals unless it's truly for their own benefit/warmth. Who was the last person to give you a gift? What was the reason for it? Uhhhhh. I have no idea. Are you a good cook? If so, who taught you? What’s your favourite thing to cook? NOOOOOOO. When was the last time something in your house broke? Did you manage to fix it or did you need to buy a replacement? Ugh, my laptop is fucked up. It's either the charger port, charger itself, or Mom thinks perhaps the battery. Her friend's husband is gonna look at it after Christmas. Is any part of your body hurting right now? What caused that pain? For once my legs aren't hurting. They almost always do from either muscle atrophy or them having been still for too long. The last time you made a sandwich, what did you put in there? It was just a normal 'ole peanut butter sandwich. What’s your favorite time of day? What’s your favorite thing to do at that time? First thing in the morning, because it feels like a new start. I like watching the sky change from pinkish to blue while I'm just sitting in bed checking everything. Where did you go the last time you left your house? I rode with Mom to her doctor's appointment. I didn't go in w/ her for obvious reasons, I just wanted to go on a ride and listen to music. If you eat steak, how do you like it cooked? What sauces or sides do you like to go with it? It has to be medium well. Idk what sauces are cooked into it that I like, because I don't make it. I like fries with steak, and probably Sara's mom's mashed potatoes would go well, haha. Do you prefer sweet or savory pancakes? What toppings do you have on them? I can't imagine me liking savory pancakes... I just like the usual: butter (not mandatory tho) and syrup. Are you someone who cracks their joints a lot? Which one(s) do you tend to crack and click the most? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NO NO NO, I HATE THE NOISE SO MUCH. My lower spine pops a lot, though. Some fingers occasionally, too. Have you ever taken medication or tablets to help you sleep? Is this something you do on a regular basis? Yeah, I was taking Melatonin to fight insomnia for quite a while. I only stopped it because my mom was theorizing that it may have been making my nightmares worse, because her dad had AWFUL nightmares on it. I don't know if it did or didn't foor me, honestly. For you, what’s the worst thing about getting up in the morning? What about the worst thing about going to bed tonight? Knowing in the back of my mind that despite my hope, today's going to be the same as yesterday. I dread most nights the process of lying down and actually falling asleep, because it can take hours. Do you prefer regular or diet soft drinks? Not only do I think diet sodas taste bad, but the artificial sweetener gives me awful headaches, anyway. What do you tend to wear if you’re just hanging about the house for the day? I'm only always in my pjs. When was the last time you dyed your hair? Did you do it yourself or get it done at a hairdresser? Ugh... it's been a very, very long time. It was done by a hairdresser, but per usual, the color didn't stick well. I am DYING to bleach my hair so I can dye it pastel pink, light silver, or like a creamsicle orange. I edited some pictures of myself to "try" these colors on, and omg I loved them all. Does having to wear a mask stop you doing things? Is this because you struggle wearing one or you just don’t like it? Not really, no. I barely go anywhere at all though, so I have Have you ever witnessed a car accident? Or have you perhaps been involved in one yourself? Were you at fault? Yes; yes; no. How many books do you read in a year? Do you enjoy reading or do you have to really force yourself to sit down and read? VERY few. I've only just gotten back into semi-regularly reading since Sara got me into Wings of Fire. I have one friend though that is an INCREDIBLE bookworm; she keeps track of how many books she's read in a year, and she's already beyond one a day. It's incredible. If you have pets, where did they come from? A breeder, a rescue or maybe a friend who bred their pet? Roman came from Ashley's inlaws'. They have like an infestation of cats needing to be spayed, so they didn't at all mind letting me have one because I'd been wanting a cat for a long time. I love my baby boy so much. Venus came from The Gourmet Rodent, a snake breeding (and F/T rat provider, as the name suggests) business from Florida. I highly recommend them. Their customer service was fantastic when I was worried about Venus not eating. They even checked up with me a few months following my emails to ensure she was doing well. Have you ever seen an episode of My 600lb Life? No. I absolutely NEVER could. As an obese person who's been fighting her fucking ass off to lose weight for years, I don't want to be further depressed. Do you feel bad when someone asks you to hang out and you say no? Oh yes I do. Ngl, if I don't want to hang for whatever reason, I'm the kind that makes up an excuse to not seem *as* "rude" (quotations bc it's technically not rude at all, anxiety just tells me it is). When was the last time you turned down plans with someone? What did you decide to do instead? Ummmm I'm not sure. Have you ever had any “unusual” or exotic pets? If you could own any animal, what would it be and why? Do you consider iguanas or Chinese water dragons as "exotic/unusual?" Nothing stranger than that, really. I would never, ever own a truly exotic animal that wouldn't do well in captivity. I do however pretty desperately want to rescue an opposum one day, though. I positively adore them; they're my second-favorite animal. How often do you wash your hair? I don't even have a regular schedule for that anymore, honestly... I have to every time I shower because my hair gets oily FAST, but I try to put off showers as long as I can handle now because of how bad my selfcare has been for multiple reasons... What have you found the hardest about the current pandemic? Not seeing an end in sight because people are fucking dumb. Shit's not going to get better unless things drastically change. And what about the easiest? Has anything improved in your life because of what’s happened? Certainly nothing has improved. Not much has changed for me, considering I barely ever left the house to begin with. If you have multiple pets, do they get along with each other? Are they related or even the same species? They ignore each other, really. Surprisingly, even. Roman will sit on my bed and watch Venus slither about occasionally if she's out, even meerkat pose haha, and playful as he is, it's unexpected that he *does* mostly ignore her. What was the last meal you ate? Did you have anything good? Breakfast; I had Special K cereal. I've finally started to get back on track with eating okay. Do you live somewhere where strangers say hi to you in the street? Would you like to live somewhere like that? Where we live now, if you pass someone outside in the car, it's normal and really expected to give a little wave. That's very normal here in the South though, really; you don't just have to be in your own neighborhood. Have you ever tried any of those meal replacement shakes? The chocolate Equate ones are normal in my diet, actually. They're really not bad at all and played a big role in me losing ~60lbs before. Funnily enough, I haven't found a popular name brand I like, though. Cheap stuff isn't always bad. Do you make up silly nicknames for your pets or family members? "Silly" ones, not really, besides Roman. I call him "weirdo" and "crazy" a lot, but nothing truly unique. What’s your favorite thing to take photographs of? Are you actually any good at photography? Nature or boudoir (only shot it once, but I love it and the confidence it gives people). Being as modest as possible, I honestly do think I'm pretty good at it. Do you have anything interesting planned for the rest of the day? How about for tomorrow or the weekend? I haven't had anything interesting planned in eons, it seems like. Are you going to take the vaccine for COVID once it becomes available? Once it proves to be reliable and safe, hell yes. I'm doing my goddamn part in ending this shit. How much housework have you done lately? Is this more or less than usual? A bit more than usual since I haven't finished decorating my room since moving... I've been doing it very slowly and gradually. I need to just finish it already, I'm just so unmotivated. What gifts are you hoping to get for your next birthday (or Christmas, whichever one is coming up next)? I'm fucking dying to get my tat redone/improved. Been waiting since LAST Christmas when I didn't get to use my own gifted money. Do you suffer from any form of motion sickness? No. Do you contribute regularly to any Facebook groups at all? "I’m a member of plenty, but hardly ever post." <<<< Same. I react to posts a lot, though. Just don't really make my own. When was the last time you weighed yourself? Were you happy with the numbers you saw? Ugh... when I went to the doctor I think last week. I knew it'd be bad, but the verification fucking sucked. Since moving, I've gained ~30lbs. Have you got any chronic health issues? What do you do to try and manage them as best you can? YIKES I am a CATASTROPHE. I've got a dictionary of mental health issues that I'm not gonna go through individually, but I deal with them via prescription medications and therapy and sheer will. Who taught you how to drive? My driver's ed teacher. It was mandatory in HS. What was your high school mascot? A firebird. Did you go to your senior prom? Yes. What did you do after graduation? I very briefly went to a community college. What was your first job? GameStop sales associate. If my social anxiety wasn't fucking shit, I probably would have liked it. What did you want to be when you grew up? Somewhat in order: paleontologist, vet, movie director, game designer, animal biologist, video editor (VERY brief), and photographer. Writer, poet, and artist were always something I wanted to do in my free time OR full time if I was lucky. Do you remember the first time you drank a beer? I've never tried beer and don't want to. It smells fucking awful, and because my dad is a recovered alcoholic who was addicted to that in specific, I just want nothing to do with it. Did you ever try cigarettes? No. I have absolutely never understood the appeal, but with a very addictive personality and wild anxiety, I never wanted to risk it, anyway. How did you spend your summers growing up? LOADS of swimming in the pool, jumping on the trampoline, and just playing outside in general. If you could change anything from your teenage years, would you? I'd absolutely change how I found happiness only in Jason. Do you remember your first time? No, because at that time, I didn't really realize it was sex. I know that sounds weird, like "how would you not know?", but just trust me. I don't feel like retrospecting on it. I do remember our first *kiss*-kiss, though. How much did you make per hour at your first job? I don't recall. Favorite home-cooked meal growing up? I looooved spaghetti. Favorite place to eat out growing up? McDonald's, duh, lol. Did your parents live in a different country before you were born? No. They were from different states, though. Do you have a preferred coffee brand? Don't like coffee. Have you ever dated someone who was terrible with money? No. How often do you paint your nails? Never. Do you know anyone who's related to a current or former world leader? Not that I know of. Do you do your own taxes, or do you hire a professional? I don't pay taxes because I'm unemployed. What is something you don't have any natural talent for? Speaking. At all. What is something you frequently forget? "Numbers." <<<< BIG fat same. How do you feel about your body? How much I hate it is on my mind literally every waking moment of my life to some degree. Who is someone you would like to get to know better? So I have this Facebook friend Courtlynn who seems very similar to me, and I'd love to get to know her better. We interact via posts here and there, but have never seriously talked. What's your opinion on assisted suicide? I am very much for it when a person is in serious pain and recovery is not possible. Like one of my greatest nightmares is being paralyzed from the neck down, and I stg I would spite whichever fucker had jurisdiction over me living. That would be absolute torture for me. At what point do you consider a relationship to be "long-term?" A year, so long as you were consistently together. Stable. What jobs did your parents have when you were growing up? My dad's been a mailman my entire life, and he had a second job at Lowe's for a while as a carpenter. He hated it. Mom worked with computer data at the hospital when I was very young, and then she was an assitant and special needs teacher for a long time. Do they still have these jobs? Or different jobs? Or have they retired? ^ about Dad. It's his only job now. Mom is currently on disability. Do you have a cell contract plan, or are you on a pre-paid plan? Would you believe me if I said I'm unsure? Haha. I use a Tracfone, and my mom takes care of whatever plan comes with that, so idk. Would your parents be okay with you dating someone of another race? Mom, absolutely. I'm unsure about Dad. I mean he wouldn't *seriously* care so long as they were good to me, but I think he might still be kinda racist. Or he just jokes about it a lot (which should not be joked about, btw). Do you like when friends stop by unexpectedly? "No way lol. I’m very much of a loner and want to be “prepared” to spend time with people." <<<< Absolutely this. How strong are your feelings for the last person you kissed? I love her very, very much. What was the last thing someone else bought for you? Food, I'm sure. Are you attracted to the last person you exchanged numbers with? I haven't seen a picture of her in years, so I have no idea. I remember she was beautiful, though. Is music a daily part of your life? Not daily, no. Some days I only watch YT videos instead of listen to music. What do you think of country music? Not a fan at all. It's ironic considering it was my favorite genre as a little kid. There's the occasional country song I like (mostly ones from my childhood, though), but those are few and far between. Tim McGraw, now, I love. Did you go to your high school’s graduation? Yeah, even though I didn't want to. I didn't care enough about the actual ceremony. Who was the last person to message you on Facebook? What would you do if that person told you they have feelings for you? That would be the woman I took family pictures for. She's married and we barely know each other, so I can assure you she doesn't. When you apply your make-up, do you do it in a specific order? On the very rare occasion I wore makeup, yes. Eyeliner, usually eyeshadow, mascara, and most rarely, black lipstick. Does it matter to you if your significant other smokes? Yes. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? Mom, I think. Do you like where you are in life right now? HA. Is your mom overbearing? No.

[ft-dads-au]

Attitude Adjustment

Femslash Fairies 2020 Prompt: Accidental Meeting Pairing: Sorano x Minerva A Collaboration by @mdelpin​ and @oryu404​

AO3 | FF.Net

June 4, 2022

Sorano glanced at her watch impatiently, her perfectly manicured fingernails tapping on the counter as she waited. After another ten minutes of barely contained complaints, it was finally her turn.

“Can I help you, Miss?” the young man behind the counter asked cheerfully. “What would you like today?”

Sorano bit back a sarcastic retort before it could escape, reasoning that the delay wasn’t this person’s fault.

“I’d like to pick up my order from City Eats, it should be under Agria,” she even gave the perfectly mousy employee one of her winning smiles.

“City what?” He gaped at her, obviously confused, and that was not endearing him to her in the slightest.

“You do know what an order is, correct?” Sorano raised an eyebrow in mock inquiry.

“Yeah.”

“Excellent, then go get mine,” Sorano gave the employee a deadpan look and waved him off.

“But you haven’t ordered anything,” the employee insisted, getting flustered.

There was growing unrest as the people in line behind her began to voice their disapproval at how long she was taking. She noticed an attractive woman with black hair that was neatly secured with a hair clip watching the exchange with interest.

“Yes, I did, on the app doohickey. It’s the only reason I came to this dump, I have an afternoon’s worth of clients and no time to waste in here. So get me my order, and I’ll be on my way.”

“Listen, lady, I don’t know what you’re talking about, there is no order under that name anywhere on here.”

“Allow me, Dobengal,” the black-haired woman approached them, signaling the employee to continue serving the next customer, “Why don’t you come over here with me, Miss?”

Sorano was fuming by now. She had taken a chance on this little restaurant in a spirit of solidarity. And yes, the proximity to her salon, but that was beside the point. If she didn’t hurry up and get her food, she was either going to have to skip lunch altogether or run late, which would inconvenience her clients. It could also put her business, which she was only starting to get off the ground, in danger of getting a bad reputation.

“I don’t have time for this!” Sorano snapped, “I want to speak to your manager.”

“You’re looking at her. Owner, manager, cook, you name it, I’m it. Now, what seems to be the trouble?”

“The trouble is your service is terrible. I ordered my meal over an hour ago from the City Eats app, is it too much to ask to expect it to be ready when I arrive for pickup?!”

“I highly doubt that, are you sure you read the message properly?”

“Of course I read it properly, what do you take me for?!”

The woman smirked but gave no other answer.

“Look, I’ll show you!” Sorano searched through her bag, looking for her phone so she could show the horrid, yet attractive woman the email she had received confirming her order. Except now that she looked at it, that’s not what it said at all.

We regret to inform you that this restaurant has not yet been configured in our system. Keep an eye out for an announcement coming soon!

Well, shit! Now she looked like a total moron. The woman looked at her expectantly, arms crossed in front of her chest, her smirk only increasing by the second.

“That’s not what it said earlier!” Sorano argued, not willing to admit that she was at fault.

“I’ll tell you what, why don’t you tell me what you wanted, and I’ll go make it for you quickly, but don’t get used to it,” the woman warned.

Sorano recited her order and fumed the whole time the woman was gone. She quickly returned, handing her a bag.

“I added a treat, maybe it will help with your attitude. On the house.”

The woman gave her a small mocking wave before returning to the kitchen, and Sorano had half a mind to throw the bag on the floor and stomp on it with her heels. Still, the one thing she could say about this restaurant was that the food smelled heavenly, and her curiosity got the best of her. So instead, she stormed off to her salon to wolf down her lunch before her next client arrived, getting only more worked up when the food ended up being delicious.

0-0

Minerva finally locked the doors of the restaurant behind her, signaling the end of another busy day. Her business had grown quickly, even though she’d only had it for a few months now. With the soon to be added online service, she was probably going to need extra employees. Maybe if things continued to go well, she could switch to the more lucrative dinner crowd and drop breakfast. It would be nice to not have to get up so early every day. But that was a worry for another day.

Right now, she had something else on her mind. In just a few hours, she would be attending a very special event. Sting Eucliffe and Rogue’s family had planned a surprise second wedding ceremony for him. For the last few months, she, along with several other of their friends, had been meeting in secret at her restaurant, creating menus, designing cakes, picking flowers, and doing everything they could to make this an occasion to remember for their friend. She couldn’t wait to see Rogue’s reaction to their efforts, knowing that his family’s absence had been the only thing to put a damper on his wedding day years ago, which had been an otherwise perfect day.

She still had a lot of things to do in preparation and not that much time left, so she sped up her pace, making a to-do list in her head while still keeping an eye out for the sign of the beauty salon she was heading to. Although it was reasonably new, it had come highly recommended.

She’d booked an appointment especially for the occasion. To get her eyebrows done and her hair pinned up in a more elegant way than the messy buns she was used to wearing. And all that cooking and cleaning and wearing latex gloves had taken its toll on her hands, so they could definitely use some special care as well. Unfortunately, she couldn’t have long nails anymore, but a manicure and a layer of cute nail polish would make a world of difference.

It didn’t take long before she found the salon, only a couple of blocks away from her restaurant. She entered and was greeted by a somewhat jaded looking employee with black and white hair, and admittedly flawless looking makeup.

“Good afternoon, how can I help you?”

“Good afternoon. I have an appointment at three, under the name Orland.” Minerva waited for the employee to check their planner, wondering if she could pull off that dark shade of purple lipgloss they were wearing. It matched the color of the dress she had bought for tonight perfectly.

“Please take a seat, Sorano will be with you shortly.”

She sat down in the elegantly designed waiting area, taking a quick look at the clock. She’d gotten there a little early, so she went through the stack of beauty and health magazines, looking for something to keep her busy while she waited. Eventually, she found a women’s hairstyles catalog and began flipping through its pages. Perhaps she could find an example of what she wanted to show the hairdresser.

A yawn escaped her, unsurprisingly, since she had gotten up earlier than usual. On top of all the prep she usually did at her restaurant, Minerva had been responsible for the catering for tonight’s reception. It had been a busy morning, but thank God she didn’t have to worry about serving tonight. The venue had staff for that, so she could relax and enjoy the party, and take off those ridiculous heels whenever she wanted.

Her eyelids were getting heavy, so she put away the book. Leaning her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes, just for a minute. Couldn’t hurt, right?

0-0

Sorano walked out of the waxing room with her client and hurried to the planner. She was running late, and this was her last appointment for the day as she had Sting’s wedding to attend that evening. She traveled the page with her index finger until she arrived at the name. Orland. It didn’t sound familiar.

“Hey Midnight,” she called out, “Did my last appointment get here yet?”

“She was in the waiting room last time I checked, “ Midnight responded without lifting their head from the magazine they were reading.

“Do you think you could check Gladys out for me? I’m running late,” she gave him her best puppy eyes, but they only snorted as they got up, earning a smile from her. “You’re an angel, thanks!”

She walked into the waiting room, her heels clicking on the floor when to her astonishment, she found the woman from the restaurant fast asleep in one of her chairs. She looked so peaceful that Sorano spent a whole minute admiring her with a smile.

She really was a breathtaking woman. Sorano tried shaking her gently, “Hey, wake up.”

When that didn’t work, she shook a bit harder, although she felt a little guilty. If the poor woman was sleeping that deeply she must be exhausted. Sorano could commiserate, running your own business could be draining. Any other day she might have let her sleep a bit longer, but she didn’t have any time to waste.

The woman blinked her eyes slowly looking slightly disoriented as she woke. Sorano couldn’t help but tease, “You really have no regard for my time, do you?”

“You?!”

“Me,” Sorano agreed, smirking at her reaction. We didn’t get off to a good start this morning, and that was entirely my fault, I get hangry if I don’t eat by a certain time.”

“It’s true, she does,” Midnight was kind enough to back her up, although they really didn’t need to look so amused.

“Anyhow, my name is Sorano, it’s nice to meet you.” She extended her hand in greeting. “Welcome to my salon, Nirvana.”

“Minerva,” the woman answered politely as she shook her hand.

“What can I do for you today, Minerva?”

“I’d like an updo, and my eyebrows probably need to get done, and my nails too,” Minerva requested, “Truth be told, I haven’t really gone out in ages, been too busy working on the restaurant, I probably need the works.”

Sorano laughed, “Hardly, about the only thing I would say is you look a little tired. Tell you what, why don’t you pick a nail color from the wall while I get my stuff ready, then Midnight can do your nails while I work on your hair. Did you know what you wanted?”

Minerva described the dress she would be wearing and showed her a few pictures from one of the magazines. Once they agreed on a style, she left to look at the nail polish while Sorano went around looking for hairpins.

On a whim, she went into the breakroom and got a couple of tea bags out, wanting to make up for her bitchiness earlier in the day. She poured some warm water from the sink into a cup and dropped the teabags in. A few minutes later, she put the teabags in the fridge. By the time she was done with her preparations, Midnight had already begun working on Minerva’s nails.

“Alright, close your eyes,” Sorano chirped, placing the teabags over Minerva’s eyes.

“Is that — tea?” Minerva frowned.

“Yep, the caffeine will help with those puffy eyes, I do it all the time,” Sorano removed Minerva’s hair clip and placed it on the nail table next to her. She began to brush out the long hair removing any tangles and getting ready to start putting it up.

All in all, it took about an hour of twisting, pinning, teasing, and curling, but it was well worth it. Minerva looked gorgeous, and Sorano debated asking her if she could take a picture of her hair for the salon. She had removed the tea bags earlier, and it had definitely helped with the puffiness.

They had chatted while she worked, and she had really enjoyed talking with her. Minerva was witty and smart, a combination Sorano had always enjoyed. Now with only the eyebrows left, she found herself trying to find excuses to keep her longer, although a peek at her watch told her it was wishful thinking. She needed to hurry home and get ready.

Oh well, she could always go be a pain at the restaurant again. She handed Minerva one of the oversized mirrors so she could scrutinize her hairdo and eyebrows. Sorano remembered she’d noticed Minerva looking at Midnight’s lips various times, so she grabbed one of the lip glosses from her makeup area and put it in a small bag with a grin.

She couldn’t afford to give her the full service on the house, but she could gift her a small token.

“You’re a genius, everything looks amazing, thank you!” Minerva gushed.

Sorano preened at the compliment, although in truth, it had more to do with Minerva’s beauty than anything else. She checked her out, handing her change along with the bag with the lip gloss. “Here you go, I added a treat on the house. Perhaps it will help with your attitude”, she teased with a wink and a friendly grin.

“Oh, God, I said that didn’t I?” Minerva’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, “I’m so sorry.”

Sorano laughed heartily, “I totally deserved it! Have fun at your event and come back sometime!”

“I just might have to.”

0-0

As soon as the ceremony was over, Minerva went straight to the nearest Ladies room. She knew beforehand that the event was likely to get emotional, but she hadn’t expected to be moved to tears. Looking in the mirror, her suspicions that the eye-makeup she had applied earlier had suffered were confirmed, and although it wasn’t running down her cheeks, there were definitely blotches under her eyes. But that lip gloss was still looking as good as it did when she’d just applied it.

She took a napkin from her purse and leaned over the counter to move closer to the mirror. With light pats, she tried to fix her makeup, getting frustrated when all she did was create a mess of smudges.

The door opened, and more women came in, chattering happily. Some of them disappeared into one of the stalls, while others stood next to her, examining their features in the mirror. Among them, there was a familiar face. The gorgeous looking girl she had seen twice today already.

“You again?” she smirked at Sorano, shaking her head in mock disapproval, “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” She almost confessed that she didn’t mind in the slightest, but stopped herself at the last moment. “So are you one of Sting’s friends then?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Sorano answered while she fixed the dark blue ribbon decorating her hair, “he’s been my sister’s best friend since kindergarten, so I’ve known him since forever. He’s like the little brother I never asked for,” she joked.

“Yeah, he’s like that,” Minerva laughed along, “I’m thrilled Rogue met him, he’s exactly what was needed to bring him out of his shell.”

She thought about the role she had played in their family and couldn’t help but smile a little. Her sons, their sons, couldn’t have asked for a better set of parents, and she was glad that she had been able to do that for them. She could feel tears filling her eyes once again as she remembered the expressions on Sting and Rogue’s faces at the birth of their sons.

Minerva sighed and gave up on trying to fix her makeup. It looked slightly better than before, but not nearly as good as it did when she went out the door.

“Hold on,” Sorano called out. She plopped her purse on the counter and started searching through it, “Allow me.”

She took a variety of makeup products out of the purse and laid them out on the marble surface. They were from the same brand as the lipgloss she had gifted Minerva at the salon, looking professional and a lot more expensive than the drugstore makeup Minerva had lying around at home.

“Okay, hold still.”

Sorano started to wipe away the remaining smudges and carefully applied new makeup, where the previous layer had been removed. She was squinting in her focus, the tip of her tongue peeping out between her lips, and Minerva couldn’t help but think she looked adorable like that.

“There, all done!” Sorano declared with a beaming smile, “Let’s get back to the party, shall we?”

They walked out of the bathroom, following the sounds of music and applause to the reception hall. Right as they entered, the first dance began, so they joined the rest of the guests and watched.

Sting led Rogue to the center of the dance floor, smiling at him the way he always did. Like the sun shines out his ass. Rogue, still overwhelmed by the surprise ceremony that his family and Sting had sprung on him, hid his face on Sting’s shoulder. Minerva snorted, thinking it was everything she’d expected.

“Ugh, these two are so mushy, it’s disgusting,” she said to Sorano, who spoke at the same time, rolling her eyes.

“Gross. Get a room or something.”

They looked at each other and burst into laughter, and despite their crass comments, they continued to watch the dance with fond smiles. There were cheers and clapping as the song ended. Sting took that moment to bow gracefully at the assembled guests earning a round of laughter. He whispered something in Rogue’s ear, and then both men walked off towards their parents’ table, returning to the dance floor with their mothers.

The DJ opened up the dance floor, and it soon began to fill up with all sorts of couples. Both women continued to watch, and although dancing was not something she often did, Minerva decided to take a chance.

She turned towards Sorano, “I don’t suppose you’d like to dance?”

Sorano raised a perfectly styled eyebrow at the request, but her lips soon curled into a smirk, “In these heels? Hell, no.” Minerva tried to hide her disappointment when to her surprise Sorano removed her shoes and put them underneath one of the tables. “Now I do.”

Minerva followed her example, leaving her shoes next to Sorano’s before grabbing her hand and guiding her to the dance floor.

She thought back to that morning, when they’d first met, and how they’d immediately butted heads. It seemed so long ago, especially after they had gotten to know each other a little better at the salon. And now, here they were, dancing with their arms around each other as they swayed to the music.

Sorano gave her a provocative smile and Minerva couldn’t help the way her heart skipped a beat in response. She twirled Sorano, in time to the music, already thinking of ways to make sure there were plenty more evenings like this in their future.

[emma-what-son]

JANET STREET-PORTER: Thanks to Harry Potter Emma Watson has a magical life most young women would kill for, so why is she so deeply irritating?

Daily Mail nov 2019: I hardly remember turning 30, it was no big deal. I was on my second marriage, my TV career was starting to go well - but I’d worked my arse off for the preceding 12 years to get on. There wasn’t time to worry about another birthday.For multi-millionaire actress Emma Watson, though, facing up to the big three-o next April is fraught with ‘stress’ and an ‘incredible amount of anxiety’.

FOR GOD’S SAKE, what’s stressful about already having enough money for the rest of your life, being blessed with a first rate brain, perfect features, a cut glass accent (great for getting a good job and roles) and benefiting from unswerving support from middle class parents? Where’s the stress in forging a non-stop career from the age of nine, one which has brought you worldwide fame and given you access to world leaders, pop stars and anyone famous who’s a Harry Potter fan?

Somehow, in spite of all her good points and natural assets, Emma Watson manages to be one of the most annoying people around. She uses every public forum to give us a little manifesto, telling other women how to think, what we should be doing to save the planet, how to stop injustices and bring about equality for all. Even nice Lorraine Kelly has admitted she finds Emma ‘just a wee bit irritating’ - which says it all.

In her latest interview (in British Vogue) Emma has (once again) come up with terminology so pretentious it could have come from the mouth of Gwyneth Paltrow, that other self-appointed spokesperson for global womankind.

Emma describes herself as ‘self-partnered’, ie single. Using the word single is just too crass and low rent for a quasi-intellectual like this one, who studied at Brown University in the US and Oxford.

Emma is stressed (it seems) because of ‘subliminal messaging…if you do not have a husband, if you do not have a baby, and you are turning 30, and you’re not in some incredibly secure, stable place in your career, or you’re just figuring things out…there’s this incredible amount of anxiety’.

In spite of being photographed with a steady stream of very eligible men she says: ‘I’m very happy (being single). I call it self-partnered’. For some shallow people (like me) self-partnering sounds like an exotic form of masturbation, but nothing that low rent would cross this paragon’s mind.

With unerring regularity, Emma turns every chat into a baffling discourse on her brand of modern feminism. Talking about her role in the new Hollywood movie of Little Women alongside Laura Dern and Meryl Streep, she says ‘we met in activist spaces, so we had this allyship and solidarity as activists that had been part of a certain movement before we ever worked together’.

Pass the sickbag, they probably swapped a tweet. Dern and Streep were strong empowered and inspirational women long before Emma became Hermione Granger. Unfortunately, after years playing the character, Emma has morphed into Hermione; brainy and well-meaning, but a little bit odd. She probably finds it strange that other women from different backgrounds and cultures might find her a bit patronising and inauthentic. Every role isn’t just a job but a chance for Emma to spread her self-regarding gospel. Apparently her Little Women character (Meg March) is really ‘a feminist’, because she has made the choice to be a wife and homemaker.

When she played Belle in Disney’s remake of Beauty and the Beast in 2017, Emma claimed she wasn’t just portraying a beautiful pliant woman in a big frock, trapped by a rich weirdo who has decided to turn his back on the world, but an ‘inventor’.

The role might have been ground-breaking if Belle had not been white. Emma posted pictures of her promotional tour for the film on social media in a series of incredibly glamorous eco-friendly dresses which must have cost a fortune. She posed for the cover of Vanity Fair wearing a semi-transparent top revealing a fair bit of her breasts. Nothing wrong in that - except that a couple of years earlier Emma admitted she was ‘conflicted’ about Beyonce’s use of blatantly sexual imagery. The fact that Beyonce had posed in front of a sign saying FEMINIST at the Grammys in 2014 seemed to have passed Hermione/Emma by.

In 2017, Emma - considered by critics to be a ‘competent’ actress - accepted the first gender-neutral MTV Music and Film award for best actor for playing Belle, and announced she was proud ‘to be part of a film which celebrates diversity, literacy, inclusion and joy’. And I expect you thought it was just a fairy story!

Another small faux pas occurred at the 2018 Academy Awards, when ‘wannabe edgy’ Emma sported a temporary tattoo reading TIMES UP, showing solidarity with the MeToo activists, but sadly her makeup artist forgot the apostrophe (as in Time’s Up) and she was forced to make a joke on social media. BTW isn’t having a temporary tattoo (when it’s not Hallowe’en) just a little bit pathetic and middle class?

Emma has founded an online book club, featuring inspirational books (including the Vagina Monologues) by female authors. She is a passionate reader who ‘hides’ books around London for commuters to discover. With all her cash, why doesn’t Emma pay to reopen the dozens of former libraries in London, so children can enjoy the delights of reading for nothing?

Dolly Parton, whose parents couldn’t read, is just as passionate as Emma about inequality - in her case, the damage caused by illiteracy. She founded the Imagination Library in Tennessee in 1995, offering free books to children under the age of 5- her charity has spread across the US, to Canada, Australia, Ireland and now the UK.

Is Emma Watson in touch with today’s young women? Am I being unfair when she means so well? In this situation, I always ask my hairdresser (female, 39 and also ‘self-partnered’) what she thinks.

Her reaction to Miss Perfect’s brand of feminism would be two words - get lost.

[rebelwheels-blog]

You Are The Universe Experiencing Itself

January 30, 2018

Do not become / A “new you”. / This year, / Become / A better You.

Hello there, loyal readers. This update is going to have quite a quantity of information shared with you all, so be prepared not to be able to read all of this in one sitting. I’ll have headings as I usually do so that if there is something anyone wants to skip over, it’s easier to do so.

Hair and Color

More than two months ago, I decided that I needed a change. I’d had my red hair for so long, then ended up growing it out for various reasons, and I feel like having dyed hair makes it easier for strangers to come up to me and start a conversation. So, I booked an appointment with my hairdresser. Well, not my usual hairdresser, as he moved to another salon, but this one was friends with my trusted hairdresser. Plus, she did my dad’s hair, so I figured why not?

I wrote this a while back to post as another entry, but ended up not publishing it because, well, we’ll get to that later.

November 12, 2018

Got my hair cut and colored today. I have been deliberating on getting my hair cut lately as my hairdresser moved salons, and It’s about a half hour away… My hair has been kind of a touchy subject lately. But my dad convinced me that I was beginning to look a little too shaggy, or as he so eloquently put It, “homeless”. So, I booked an appointment with Annie, who cuts his hair and my grandmother’s, but today was our first time doing my hair. She’s a really cool individual plus she’s friends with my hairdresser so I figured I’d give her a try.

I’m really glad I did! She did an absolutely amazing job! My head fell only about three times and getting it colored was painless. Between her being careful but confident, and my Spinraza strengthened muscles, and Dad when he was needed, the three of us made a good team.

Originally, I was just going to do blue highlights. I’ve missed having my hair as a talking point for strangers, and I didn’t want to do red again, so I figured why not do something totally seemingly out of character?! I’ve thought about doing crazy colors before, but I have the confidence of a… Okay, everything has more confidence than I do when it comes to my appearance or personality. Anyway, I’ve been slowly trying to get back to my old cheerful self that did what she wanted to do because It made her happy, not because she wanted to Impress someone other than herself.

So that’s what I did.

When Annie showed me the shade of blue that I was thinking of doing, it was on a ring of other colors as well. In noticing this, an Idea was forming in my head, with the conversation that I had with my grandmother playing in the background.

“May I see the purple?” I asked with curiosity.

Who said I only had to have one color highlighted into my hair?

That’s how I ended up with glorious highlights of blue and purple.

It wasn’t until about two months later that I got to refresh my glorious cosmic hair, as my hairdresser had gotten sick the day I was originally going to redo it, and then I got sick on the day I rebooked with her. Which leads me into my next heading.

A Spin On Colds

Yes, that’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I got sick recently. Directly after Christmas, in fact. It was rather an interesting holiday this year as my grandfather came down with something right before my aunt flew in from New Jersey. So instead of spending Christmas with my grandparents like we have every year prior, my aunt and I slept over at my dad’s, so I wasn’t near germs. I have, I’m sorry, I had managed to stay healthy and not get sick for almost two years this coming February. However, after three late nights, and exhibiting much more energy than I have for quite a few years, my body ended up giving in to the sick life. This time, though, something was different. This time, I didn’t go downhill like I always do. This time, I got a regular old head cold.

Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either. That first morning when my sore throat began to break, I coughed, and I sounded like I was drowning. Just like every sickness I’ve had to endure since I first started this seemingly endless battle with my own body back in 2015. My dad sounded more irritated than I can describe when he heard this cough first thing that morning, but nonetheless turned me on my side like I do every morning to get my glug out and set up my nebulizer to give me a treatment. Granted, I believe it may have been an hour that it took to get this stuff out, but the thing is, I got it out. And it stayed out. It would come back a bit every so often and if I didn’t keep up with my decongestants along with my nebulizer treatments, I’d end up getting really stuffy and would feel an allergy tickle in my sore throat, but it never went beyond this. One of the days, though, my throat hurt so much that I had to use my phone to communicate by having it read off the words I was typing. Luckily, that only lasted for one day. The day after that, it still didn’t feel great and I had to periodically have my phone talk for me, but this was all normal. No drowning in my own lungs, no wishing it would all just end, no epic depression after realizing I was sick again. Just felt… Sick.

Now, this is something absolutely huge in my life because I now know that if I do get sick, this is all that will happen. I now don’t have to live in constant paranoia that if I get sick, I might die. Why have I come to this conclusion? How could I possibly know that this wasn’t just a fluke and that this wasn’t just a coincidence? Well, first off, I don’t believe in coincidences. Secondly, I would have to have absolutely no knowledge of my own body to think that this situation will not replicate itself. Every single time I got sick before, it didn’t matter if it was from pain, stress, fatigue, whatever, I would end up going downhill and not being able to breathe without extreme fear of drowning without my Bipap. This time, I spent one full day with my breathing helper and I was actually able to eat. Which was absolutely amazing since my appetite has been rather small since my fifth Spinraza injection, resulting in me eating less and less which most likely did not help my body fight off this cold in the first place. Since I got over my sickness about a week and a half after coming down with it, my appetite has luckily increased. Dinner isn’t fun trying to get down still, but the rest of the day I am actually eating.

I cannot vocalize enough how grateful I am for being able to say that Spinraza has absolutely turned my life on its axis. If it weren’t for this incredible medication, I do not believe that my cold would have simply stayed as a cold the way it is supposed to.

A week ago, I did finally end up getting my hair redone and I am absolutely in love with it again as I actually went back to my pixie cut.

Cue cheesy smile

Written in the Stars

Even though Christmas was not at all what we had anticipated, there were a few good things that came out of it. I managed to send my friend in New Jersey a home made present created by yours truly, which in turn showed me that I can actually sew with a needle and thread now. I got photos with Santa and his wife who travel around my grandparent’s neighborhood with the fire department and a fireman came up to me with a hat saying I could come work for them any time I wished. I was buzzing by the end of that night even when I knew we couldn’t have our normal Christmas Eve dinner together. My family discovered that our long-time friends and neighbors were our secret Santa that did the 12 Days of Christmas with a gift waiting outside our front door every day from the fourteenth of December to the twenty-fifth. But what really made an impact on me this Christmas was what was in my stocking. A book. But not just any book, no, this book was a book of poetry. Light Filters In written by Caroline Kaufman was in my stocking and when I read the poem written on page eleven, I felt as though I was reading my own thoughts. For the first time, what I had been trying to explain to others, but mostly myself, was written down in this two-hundred poem book created by a female the same age as I am.

Poetry has been a fairly large interest of mine since I had to write my poem for class which I added to my video for the SMA Video Contest. Especially once my dad introduced me to The Doors when he made me watch the movie with Val Kilmer starring as Jim Morrison. That man made me want to write more poetry, then I read Ms. Kaufman’s poetry and I decide that I will follow in her footsteps, but with my own spin of my tires. So far, I have twenty-three poems written and I am not stopping there. Especially when all of this made me realize that I have been writing poetry for most of my life without even being conscious of it. I’ve always loved trying to write songs, but I could never figure out a chorus. I thought poetry had to rhyme, but I realized that this is a fallacy. Which has opened a portal that I never knew existed.

Which kind of brings me to my next topic, which is going to be under this heading because this is all pretty connected.

As I mentioned earlier, I entered a contest that was to explain what it is like living with SMA for me. I placed fourth, but I had and have absolutely no idea how to promote my creations. However, the first, second, and third place winners did. The reason why I am bringing this up is due to an email I received a few weeks back. Writing this down is not easy, even though I never knew him personally, he was and is a part of the SMA family and participated in the same contest I decided to partake in. Ryan Cotter, the third-place winner, passed away at the beginning of December due to complications caused by the disease we both endure. He was 17 years old and excited to attend college after he graduated this year and was accepted to Arizona State University’s Digital Culture degree program as he was fascinated by the creation of videos and luckily, he had the utilities to allow him to experiment and fulfill his want to create with technology.

Now, I have had this information in my possession for a few weeks now and I honestly have no idea where to pocket it. Hence this update being much later than I had intended. I am about to confess something that may or may not end up bringing hate mail in my comments or inbox, but I feel like this information needs to be out there. Ryan ended up impacting me in a way that I never imagined I could be impacted.

I never liked being around, associated with, or promoting the fact that I am apart of a disabled community. I never wanted to do the video contest as it ended up making me relive my darkest moments. I never made it all the way through each video that was also entered into the contest because I could not bare to see others like me. I never like the fact that I am disabled and never want anyone to acknowledge that I am unless it involves my limitations as I’ll end up beating myself up over something I cannot do if it is brought to my attention.

All of these things kept me from watching Ryan Cottor’s video before he passed. All of these things kept me from discovering that he and I had a lot in common and that we could have developed a friendship. All because I was selfish and did what I get angry at everyone else for doing. Judging someone before I get to know them. Due to this, I have been a big ball of guilty energy. I know that I cannot change the past, I know it’s a bit too late to ask for forgiveness, but I would give every injection I have had of Spinraza to him if it meant he could have lived the life he should have lived. However, this is only something that can happen in my imagination, so what I will do to try and set things right is to allow myself to become a better version of myself. Isn’t that what everyone else does this time of year? Make new years resolutions? Well this is mine.

I promise to become a better version of myself that has theories to suit facts instead of facts to suit theories. To know absolutely everything I can about a situation before believing I already do. To be an advocate for the disabled community that will not sugarcoat the truth to make it easier to swallow.

I may appear cynical at times, but the reality behind having such a debilitating disease is not a kind one. However, there are those like Ryan who would never allow that to be his reality, which allowed him to live life the way he wanted to. Not all of us are that fearless, but we can strive to be. The way I will strive to be fearless is to put together a book of poetry written by yours truly. Becoming an even better writer is what I will work on this year. I have taken my six months off, now it’s time to work. I don’t know if I will go to college, I don’t know if I will suddenly be able to walk with Spinraza leading the way like Venom does for Eddie when he heals him after his motorcycle accident, I don’t know if a celestial anomaly will hit the earth while I sleep and wipe out humanity’s only home, I don’t know if I will ever pluck up the courage to tell someone I love them, I don’t know if the next time I get sick that I will be able to get well again. None of us have any guarantees in this world, so we have to live it without fear and with an understanding that our lives are our own, to not let anyone else take anything away from it and only add to it.

I will be trying to add to this blog at least every week from now on. That way it will be easier to keep track of new advances in my strength and so forth.

I warned you this would be a long one. Thank you for reading until the end. If anyone has any questions, or just wants to chat, I will have all my contact information in my bio of my blog.

As this entry began with a poem, it will also end with one.

[galbinuscarnation]

The Last of Real Ones

Chapter 1

Haircuts were a chore for James Herondale. Ever since he was a child, his hair has grown massively and uncontrollably curly. Unfortunately for his parents, he abhorred having his locks chopped off like the the other boys his age. His mum compromised with hair ties, barrettes, headbands the like when he was a toddler but when it was time for him to enter primary school, he quickly realized that there was an expectation for boys to have shorter hair than girls. His tantrums soon became pouts and small sniffles into his mum’s embrace after his dad had put away the scissors. James couldn’t fault his parents for trying to help him, and held no bitterness against them for not respecting his wishes as a five year old. He was able to look back and chuckle a bit, especially at the memory of his dad sitting down for his mum and attempting to model what a haircut should have been like and getting immediately itchy and chasing James whilst flicking his itchy hairs at his son.

That was a period of time before his father had become the renowned author, Will Herondale. In later years he was constantly locked in his office drafting new works, while his mother tended to his little sister Lucie, and James. He still respected his father, and his mother, Tessa, never complained, and it was not like there weren’t other male figures in his life. His Uncle Jem, for example, would visit their household and was equally, if not differently, an influence in his life like his parents.

Maybe, James thought, he was projecting his disdain for haircuts on remembering his father because his hair was basically a more shaggy version of Will’s seemingly flawless, unruly and handsome hair. Also, because he was currently heading towards a salon, with the money his sister forced upon his wallet, and business card of an apparently excellent hairdresser. He also couldn’t get out of it, because Lucie threaten to call the establishment to make sure he went and even went as far to book an appointment for him. Not, James smirked slightly, that Lucie would have time to call till closing because of her busy schedule as a publishing intern for TIME Inc.

Blinking as he arrived to his destination, a salon in Soho on Great Marlborough Street, he immediately was caught off guard by the pastel green floral decor lining the window and the door, which was also green. He briefly wondered if this was an Irish theme of some sort and meandered around the people still walking while he had paused, and opened the door. An overbearing wave of heat overcame him, he assumed from the sound of a handheld dryer, and the rows of hair dryers while a few women waited reading magazines and the like as ambient classical music played.

James instantly regretted stepping inside what he should have known was a space for the opposite gender, since he received some confused and some appraising looks from the various patrons. Before he could turn tail and leave, coming up with an excuse like “I agreed I would go not actually get a cut” for his sister, a voice rang over the noise and music and James turned to see a man with rosy blonde hair brandishing a comb in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other.

“Hullo sir, I’ll be right with you!” He smiled radiantly, and James squinted at him suspiciously, recalling the name on the card, Matthew.

“Very well,” James settled with saying as Matthew turned his attention to his current client seated in front of him. This entire establishment was beyond James comfort zone, but he was here, Matthew had seen him, and now he sat on a couch which seemed ancient and Edwardian, but well preserved despite that. To avoid the continuing stares of some women that had nothing better to do with their time while their hair dried, James produced his book from his messenger bag. He could hear Matthew the hairdresser talking animatedly with some woman on the chair. James mind drifted away from the environment and into the book, becoming lost in the fantasy and ignoring the reality of his discomfort and impending appointment.

“James Herondale, correct?” James jumped in his seat and adjusted his glasses to look up at Matthew who appeared before him with a winning smile. James had the urge to scowl at him, but held his tongue and nodded, clearing his throat as he put away his book.

“Yes.”

“Didn’t mean to startle you!” Matthew apologized and bit his lip before it formed back into that irritatingly fitty smile. “Lucie did mention you like books too.”

Great, James drawled within his thoughts as he stood. This man would have expectations of him due to Lucie’s inability to respect his privacy. “Yes, hard to avoid books in my family.”

Matthew nodded in agreement. “Of course, how’s your father?”

“Um,” James faltered, it was natural for people to assume his dad was the reason his children loved to read, despite the fact that his mum was also an avid reader, and pushed his dad to pursuing his dream of being an author. There would be no Will Herondale without Tessa, and it didn’t help that over the years his uncle Jem Carstairs rose to fame as a violinist and known friend of the famous author, adding fuel to the fame flames. “He is well, writing, signing books, the like.”

“Sounds glamourous.” Matthew gestured to the now empty seat in front of a massive mirror. “Care to have a seat?”

James could not tell if Matthew was being sarcastic or earnest, but if Lucie felt this man was the right one to tackle the task of his outrageous hair, who was he to argue? Maybe later, if this ordeal turned out with his hair being buzzed off entirely. He made his way to the seat, relaxing a bit as aria from one of his favorite pieces began. He concentrated on that, even when he could see Matthew stanitizing the scissors and switching out the recently used combs and brushes for new ones.

“What were you thinking of doing today?” Matthew spoke easily during his task.

“I’m told that I need a haircut,” James told him bluntly, and flushed at how brash he must’ve sounded. Of course he needed a haircut, his curls were covering his eyes, only his glasses were keeping it slightly out of his line of vision.

Matthew laughed, his eyes twinkling. “Do you now? You have magnificent hair, and with a little styling and some accessories you could definitely pull it off.”

“Really?” James asked, skeptical and blushing. Was this man encouraging him to not get a haircut with flattery?

“Really,” Matthew repeated with a chuckle, placing his instruments down. “But I swore a solemn oath to your sister that I would cut your hair today.”

Of course, James thought bitterly, recovering from Matthew’s earlier comment, damn Lucie.

“We’ll start with removing your glasses...” Matthew reached out for them, but on instinct James grabbed the man’s wrist. It went slack at the grab, and with a gasp James released the startled hairdresser’s hand.

“Sorry…” James eyes darted to his lap and he put his shaky fingers to his rims.

“No it’s alright!” Matthew waved his hands in front of him. “They would be in the way but I shouldn’t have grabbed them without asking or explaining myself.”

James nodded and took his glasses, handing them to Matthew’s outstretched hand, now lowered and not so near his eyes. Matthew placed them gingerly on the vanity and produced a black smock to wrap around James neck.

“Would you like a shampoo and condition?” Matthew inquired, James could see Matthew staring at his curls thoughtfully.

“Sure.” James said reluctantly, knowing it was part of the process. Matthew raised his eyebrows but helped him up and guided him to the tubs with chairs in front of them. James lowered himself against the chilly edge of the tub, and Matthew ran the water just above his forehead.

“Let me know if it’s too hot or too cold,” Matthew informed James, as the water trickled within his thick hair. James took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Matthew’s fingers were careful, and they kneaded against his scalp as the chill of the shampoo was mixed in. James could feel himself drift away as the sensation of a stranger washing his hair lulled him to a foreign sense of security, something that was sort of lacking in his life lately. Before James’ mind could wander off to a memory he repressed, he heard Matthew’s voice in his ears. “Time to get back to my chair.”

James opened his eyes and stared up at Matthew, who was looking at him expectantly. He was holding a towel and seemed to be about to do something with it, but hesitated. James raised his eyebrows as sat up from the low chair. “That’s for me correct?”

“Oh, yes.” Matthew nodded distractedly and covered James’ soaked hair, ruffling the towel a little to dry it up.

James put his hand on the towel, brushing against Matthew’s for a moment, and held the ends so it wouldn’t slip off as he crossed the salon back to the chair he had first seen Matthew at. Matthew followed him hurriedly, apologizing about the towel, or the hands, or something. James honestly wasn’t paying attention, still lost in the blissful haze he experienced during the wash.

“Do your best and I’m sure it won’t be so bad.” James decided to say, as he sat down and pulled the towel off. Matthew stopped in front of James, his face flushed like he’d been running a mile at full sprint only to stop halfway through.

“You… mean the haircut? That you're definitely sure you still want? I was sort of joking when I mentioned a promise to your sister.” Matthew waved his hands dismissively at the mention of Lucie, and James rolled his eyes.

“Well I’m hardly going to walk out of here with my hair dripping over the sidewalk.” He chuckled and noticed how Matthew’s lips crinkled upwards from his dry tone, and whatever sudden nervous energy that he had seemingly disappeared.

“Your a piece of work Mr. Herondale,” Matthew put a hand on his hip, the other gliding over several pairs of scissors.

“Already? Wait till you have to keep sweeping my hair bunches long after I’m gone.” James retorted. “Besides, Lucie probably had some choice words about me, isn’t gossiping apart of your job?”

Matthew gasped in mock offense and put a hand to chest. “Et tu, Brute?”

“What?” James laughed, knowing the phrase but clueless to why Matthew had said it.

“Lucie accused me of the same thing at her first appointment, reducing my profession to nothing but being a collector of gossip.” Matthew explained, placing a dramatic hand to his forehead. “I finally see the family resemblance.”

“Seeing as you’ve done nothing but chatter instead of cutting I’ll say that’s a pretty accurate description.” James teased.

“So eager now?” Matthew flashed a grin and James let out a resigned sigh.

“Just get it out of my eyes.” James told him.

“Will do,” Matthew finally picked up a pair of scissors and a comb and went to work.

James wasn’t used to so many questions during the process; he was asked if he still wanted bangs, whether it was alright to cut over the ears, how far down his neck he still wanted it, where did his part normally fall? It wasn’t as though he didn’t know what he wanted in the past, it was simply he never felt more relaxed, instead of sitting terse and silent he was engaged with Matthew.

“So why a salon and not a barbershop?” James wondered.

“I love working with different styles, and long hair is easier for me to work with.” Matthew explained as he clipped another piece of hair to trim the one underneath. “I would ask you the same, but Lucie probably had much more to do with your decision than yourself, right?” He chuckled lightly as he worked.

“Hm, yeah. Lucie likes to meddle where she’s not needed. Though… if it wasn't for her I probably wouldn’t leave the house...” James realized he was exposing his life story to this stranger and went silent.

“Family can be tough, but we look out for each other.” Matthew nodded and continued snipping. “Growing up I looked after my father, he’s a genius but extremely clumsy and prone to have accidents.”

“Accidents?” James inquired.

“Well,” Matthew paused, concentrating on cutting the hair while holding it together with a comb. “He uses a wheelchair, from an accident he had before I was born, but he still does what he loves most, inventing. He’s always moving around his laboratory to do something, with science and engineering though sometimes things don’t go as planned. I once had put out a fire that was blazing on top of his head.”

“Wow,” James hadn’t expected Matthew to say so much, and the details made him feel a bit guilty, he never remembered ever helping his own father with his craft. He wondered if it was normal to go through such lengths for one’s parent.

“It’s finished.” Matthew announced after some silence, and James opened his eyes to face the mirror before him. He blinked a little and Matthew handed back his glasses. James hadn’t mentioned to Matthew that he was farsighted, and could see himself relatively clearly. He couldn’t help the slight smile curving his lips, his hair was still messy, but somehow Matthew managed to make it look stylish. James brought his glasses to his face and glanced up at Matthew, who was wiping his hands with a towel.

“It’s good.” James nodded. “Though, I’ve never used anything in my hair before.”

“Never?” Matthew echoed with awe and removed the smock. “I should have asked!”

“It’s alright,” James nodded standing up. “I never cared either way. It looks good.”

“Do you want to care?” Matthew folded the smock and placed it on the vanity.

“I wouldn’t know how,” he admitted with a shrug and reached up tugging on one of his locks. “The most important task is done though, I can finally tell Lucie I survived a haircut.”

“Survive you did.” Matthew chuckled and clapped his hands. “Congratulations Mr. Herondale.”

“James,” He amended to Matthew’s surprise. “Call me James.”

Lucie was delighted to hear from Matthew after her brother paid and left his establishment. Matthew was busying himself by scrawling over his appointment pad while Lucie gushed over the line about this milestone. Matthew initially agreed to this appointment as a joke, thinking Lucie was exaggerating her brother’s plight against getting a haircut. It was almost jarring to be reminded that some men strolled through London without even touching their hair, but when James had entered the door Matthew mistook him for a walk-in. His hair, what James had referred to as a mess, was windswept and lustrous, covering half his face with glasses peeking on his free side. If James hadn’t immediately sat on his couch and pulled out a book Matthew wouldn’t have suspected he was Lucie’s brother.

“He wasn’t terribly rude was he?” Lucie asked after she was finished squealing and cheering.

“Not at all,” Matthew laughed. “We bantered but nothing I haven’t already experienced with you.”

“Now you know where I get it from,” Lucie giggled. “Although Jamie tends to be more passive aggressive when he dislikes someone, so clearly you passed!”

“Was this a test?” Matthew drawled, “I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“Is it drastic? Or- I swear if you only cut a piece and let him leave I’ll…!”

“No no, I trimmed it quite a bit, and got it out of his eyes as requested and even touched it up with mousse.” Matthew explained, leaning against the counter stationed towards the door.

“MOUSSE?!” Lucie cackled and was muffled, Matthew suspected she was still at the office and covering her mouth with her hand.

“Yes, is that a problem?” Matthew inquired with a chuckle.

“I cannot believe he let you put product!” Lucie took a breath to calm her laughter. Matthew put his pen down and glanced back to check on his colleagues. Only one familiar person was left for her appointment, she gave Matthew a knowing look as her hair was being styled. Matthew rolled his eyes at her, she winked back at him, and then he turned his attention back to his pad to look occupied.

“Well you’re the one that recommended a salon, we have dozens of products at our disposal.” Matthew informed her.

“Oh I’m aware, and if I had referred a barbershop they would have chopped it all off and he wouldn’t speak to me for years!” Lucie countered.

“Are men truly that barbaric?” Matthew gasped.

“Indeed they are, lord knows why you are attracted to them.” Lucie teased.

“Men nor women cannot resist my charms, or my hair, not sure which is more effective.” Matthew shot back and they both laughed.

“Matthew if you don’t mind I need the counter space so Anna can pay me.” A clipped voice interrupted, and Matthew cast a coy smile at his oldest assistant, Barbara Lightwood.

“You really going to make your cousin pay?” Matthew quirked an eyebrow Barbara and then at the woman who smirked at him, Anna Lightwood. She was what those in the modern world considered androgynous, wearing a fine suit fitted for a man but still fashion forward. Her hair was slicked back on the sides, with a quaf of longer hair on top. Anna stood regally, basking in the attention as if it were her god given right, yet still humble enough to meet his eyes and smile.

“I am willing to help Barbara provide for her family.” Anna explained.

“Of course,” Matthew nodded, and winced when the voice of Lucie interrupted.

“Is that Anna? Matthew why didn’t you say something?”

Barbara casually brushed against Matthew to access the touchpad to process the payment. Matthew busied himself with telling Lucie that he would definitely let her know when Anna was free next time. He could feel Anna’s eyes on him, and his neck heated up a bit when Lucie went back to the topic at hand.

“Thank you Matthew, you don’t know how much it means to me that you helped Jamie.” she admitted.

“Helped? All I did was a trim,” Matthew rubbed his neck, his eyes going to his feet bashfully.

“I know.” Lucie sighed. “But every little thing helps you know?”

“Lucie…” Matthew could sense there was more to this than what she had told him but Lucie clicked her tongue.

“And my dinners up! Back to work!” She hung up before Matthew could reprimand her for calling him during her meal breaks.

“That woman, I have half a mind to order her food for tonight.” Matthew lamented for a moment, placing their old fashioned phone back with a clack!

“You should buy some for reclusive James as well.” Anna chimed in. Matthew’s eyes darted up to Anna, his face flushed even more, and Barbara laughed at the statement.

“So it’s not just me who noticed your obvious crush.” she teased as Matthew shook his head vehemently. “Don’t deny it!”

“He is… attractive.” Matthew admitted with a sigh. “But my finding a male attractive doesn’t mean I have a crush!”

“Was he hideous after the cut?” Anna inquired as she swiped her card.

“Excuse me?!” Matthew was scandalized that Anna would even suggest such a thing of his work. “He was beautiful!”

Anna and Barbara exchanged a look. Matthew realized belatedly what they were trying to do; the saying goes if you find someone unattractive after a haircut it was merely an aesthetic that appealed to you, but if you continued find them flawless after a do... it was more.

“Conspiracy!” Matthew accused. “I was the one to cut it, of course I’d make sure it would appeal to me!”

“What happened to the Matthew that is always critical of his work and strives to be better?” Barbara demanded to know.

“I never admit my flaws in front of customers,” Matthew pointed out.

“Ha! I am hardly a mere customer,” Anna, who was as close to him as family, reminded him. Matthew pouted and turned away from the patronizing women. He stared at the spot James had sat in waiting for his appointment and could feel the nervous flutters of his heart beating at the memory. He placed a hand over his eyes and let out a long, drawn out breath before turning back to face the two women still staring at him.

“Fine.” Matthew relented. “Still, it’s not like he’ll ever come back, and is probably straight. End of discussion!”

“But he’s-” Barbara began to say something that Matthew should have heard but was embarrassed enough as it is.

“Fin.” Matthew held his fingers together and zipped it across his face for emphasis before heading to the back room to take care of closing business.

Later that evening Matthew was locking up for the night, his eyes wandering up to stare at his decorative green carnations. He reached out and touched one, letting out a deep sigh before turning away and striding into street towards his home. He twirled his jangling keys in his hand as he weaved through the bustle of the end of the work day. His residence was a couple of rail stops away, so he stared wistfully out the window, with one thing on his mind, James Herondale.

It had been ages since he’d felt compelled to go out of his way to please a client, but seeing James and realizing he was the one Lucie had spoken to him about, he couldn’t help it. He wanted the man to have a positive experience with a haircut, but Matthew could also understand completely why James would be self conscious. A personality like that, one that seemed to shrink at being the center of attention and couldn't fathom being pampered, would probably be completely unaware of how gorgeous he really was. If his hair, with waves like black wool wasn’t enough, his eyes were a striking orchiroid, which were hidden by his wide dark glasses. When Matthew had trimmed his hair he made sure James’ face was framed just enough to continue being a shield, but with the option to be styled back in case James considered opening his face to the world. Though Matthew suspected the glasses also had a role in this, but he wasn't an optometrist.

Shaking his head, Matthew followed the crowd off of the rail and made his way up the stairs back to the streets. His stomach grumbled as he passed by the pub wafting the aroma of food from its windows on the way to his flat. He swiftly turned the corner and arrived at the entrance, and could hear the barks of an excited dog upstairs. He grinned and bounded up, hearing the scratches on his door as he worked to unlock that one too. The door swung open and a small, pudgy French Bulldog greeted Matthew with slobbery kisses. Matthew laughed and scooped up his darling, kissing her on the head as he entered the flat. “Evening Adele,” He greeted and was rewarded with more licks. “You wouldn't believe the day I’ve had.” Adele blinked slowly at him, not minding being cradled in his arms as he made his way to the kitchen. “I met Lucie’s brother, James…. And he is something…” After feeding and walking Adele, Matthew finally sat down to relax, sipping tea with his dog on his lap and rereading one of his favorite novels. He drowned out the noises of the streets as he became engrossed within the world on the pages...

The apartment was still and dark, the only illumination was peeking through the shades from the street lights. Low rumbling snores between Adele and Matthew echoed through the place, until an instistant buzzing coming from the coffee table woke Matthew out of his slumber. He rubbed his eyes, carefully sliding his precious pet off his lap, her limp body sank into the couch cushion comfortably. Matthew picked up his phone, scrolling through his various notifications.

“Thomas and Chris are back…” He mumbled to himself upon seeing a text and rubbed his eyes as he thumbed through his apps. His voicemail declared the number one, with a message waiting for him to listen to. He pressed it, and was surprised to see a awfully familiar number. “Bloody hell what does he want?”

“Matthew? It’s your brother, Charles. Look, I know its out of blue for me to call but it’s an emergency. You see… Father… He tried to do something ridiculous and wound up in the hospital again. Except this time… well it’s his head you see… Mum told me to call, she a bit distraught at the moment. You know how much she cherishes family... I’ve just called the girls as well-“

The phone slipped from Matthew’s grip as he put his head in his hands. He had to make arrangements right away he knew, but all Matthew wanted to do was scream. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he took deep labored breaths to attempt to calm himself. Father is in good hands it’s just another …. incident ... nothing major … His nails dug into his scalp, the pain alerting him to the voice of his brother still droning on, but with the details of which hospital he was located at. Matthew wiped his eyes with his sleeves, as his shaky hand grasped his phone to listen again. He tuned out the beginning and with a pen and pad wrote down every important detail, and made note that at the moment his father was unconscious as the doctors tried to determine if he was concussed.

Matthew stood up, shoving his papers into his pocket, and running a hand through his hair, deflated as it was. He didn’t care and strode to his room to gather a overnight bag, toiletries, and his jacket. He immediately texted Thomas, Barbara Lightwood’s younger brother and good friend who just returned from a semester abroad with his other cousin, Christopher. The Lightwoods were in no way related to Matthew, but their parents had been close friends, and raised their families together like relatives would. He would understand Matthew’s situation the best out of anyone in the world, but he also needed a willing dog sitter.

“Adele!” Matthew called, whistling. Adele awoke and jumped, trotting over to Matthew and wiggling her butt since she did not have a tail. Matthew smiled shakily at her, scooping her up. “I have to go my darling… I’m sorry I can’t take you with me…” Adele licked the salt of his tears away, her round eyes boring into his with a knowing expression unfit for a canine. Matthew nodded and kissed the top of her head, before placing her down. His phone buzzed yet again, and Matthew sighed as he glanced at the response to his S.O.S.

I heard, but figured you were asleep. I’ll stay for Adele np. Call when you’re ready.

I’m heading out now, I’ll ttyl. Matthew texted back.

He slung his duffle bag over his shoulder, and after a thought, snatched a snapbill cap to cover his mess. Adele followed him dutifully, and when he reached the door he ruffled her head. “So long Adele.” She yipped and licked his hand reassuringly, and after one last look at his flat, Matthew turned away and shut the door behind him.

[grayson-dolans-dangly-earring]

Favorite Client

Hello babes! It’s been a while since I did a fic but here it is! I hope you all like it and a big thank you to @rockstardolan for pushing me to rewrite this after i accidentally deleted the whole thing like an idiot! sorry its so long and sorry for any spelling errors! also I tagged a bunch of people who liked my post about doing a hairdresser fic! love you all! <3

****

I smiled when I saw the name of my favorite client scrawled in my 7:00pm slot in the front desk appointment book. I never did appointments that late for anyone but for him, I’d stay here until midnight if he needed me to.

A year ago I started my dream job at Bloom Salon. I was fresh out of cosmetology school and ready to start my career. Lisa Dolan, the owner of the salon, was an absolute angel. She was always there to answer questions, give advice, and offer help if it was needed.

A week after I started, the most gorgeous set of twins strolled through the door. When I saw them my jaw dropped. They stood near the front desk and I couldn’t stop staring. Lisa came up to me with a knowing smirk on her face. “Hey babe, you okay?” she asked. “No! I’m definitely not! Look at those two! They’re the most beautiful boys I have EVER seen!” I hissed. “Yeah. They’re in here all the time. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get rid of them.” Lisa said with a chuckle. “Boys! Come here!” She shouted. “No! Lisa! Don’t do that! I’m so nervous!” I pleaded. The twins turned our way and at the same time they shouted, “Mom!”

“Oh dear god. Those are Lisa’s kids. Holy shit. I am so damn embarrassing.” I thought, mentally kicking myself. After the boys tackled their mother with a big group hug, Lisa called me over. “Y/n, these are my sons Grayson and Ethan. Grayson and Ethan, this is Y/n the new hairdresser I was telling you about.” Lisa introduced us and Ethan grunted before speaking. “Mom, you told us there was a new girl but you conveniently left out that she was hot.” he said rather matter-of-factly. I tried not to laugh but I couldn’t help myself. “What my idiot brother was trying to say was, it’s very nice to meet you, beautiful.” Grayson said stepping closer to me. I looked up into his eyes and it was like all the air was sucked out of my lungs. He was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at him. His eyes swirled with different shades of browns, greens, and gold. His shoulders were broad and his arms looked like they were bigger than my legs. His smile was dazzling but on top of that he had the most beautiful hair. It looked so soft and it was flopped over his forehead like he couldn’t have been bothered to do anything with it that morning. Out of instinct, I reached out and ran my hand through it. Ethan cleared his throat and that was when I realized how close we had gotten to each other. Then I remembered we were in a room full of people. I snatched my hand back like I had burned myself on a stove.

“Sorry about that. Hairdresser habit. I always touch people’s hair.” I whispered. Grayson reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and I sucked in a breath as his fingers trailed down my neck. “You touched my hair, I get to touch yours. It’s only fair.” He said, grinning at me. “Oh come on! Gray that’s not fair! You didn’t even give me a chance to woo her!” Ethan whined, stomping his foot. Everyone bursted out in laughter, customers included.

“Alright enough is enough you two. Get outta here.” Lisa said with a warm smile. The twins made their way out of the salon, Grayson glancing back and sending a wave my way. I smiled and waved goodbye. I knew then, that my life would never be the same.

****

As 6:45pm rolled around I started to sweep the floors. Everyone had already gone home and Lisa told meto lock up when I was done. The bell on the door chimed letting me know Grayson had arrived. Without turning I greeted him. “Good evening Mr.Dolan. How can I-” I was cut off when I turned to look at him. His floppy brown hair I loved so much was gone and it was now so blonde it was almost white. He had a silver hoop through one of his nostrils and two slits cut into his eyebrow. I crossed my arms and looked him over. “Ethan did this didn’t he?” I asked, already knowing that was the case. “Yeah. I lost a bet. Can you fix me?” Grayson pleaded. “Come on big guy. I’ll fix you up.”

45 minutes later I had him in the shampoo chair, scrubbing the dye out of his hair. “Y’know why Ethan always has you wash his hair?” Grayson asked. “I don’t know. He must like my shampoo or something.” I said, not really sure of my answer. “Nope. He said it’s the only way he can look at your boobs without you slapping him in the back of his head.” He said laughing so loud he shook the chair he was in. “Jesus Christ. I don’t know why I put up with him.” I giggled, still scrubbing his head. I raked my nails over his scalp and he let out a soft moan. “Feel good?” I asked. “Yeah. So good.” he replied, voice noticeably deeper. Hmm I’d have to remember that.

I grabbed a towel and ruffled his hair to dry it and then told him to sit in my chair in front of the mirror so I could blow dry it. Once it was dry, he ran his hands through it and smiled. “I’m me again!” he shouted. I laughed and made my way to the front desk.

“How much do I owe you sweetheart?” Grayson asked, leaning against the counter. “Nothin’. My favorite customer doesn’t have to pay.” I said with a wink. He smiled and leaned forward to plant a kiss on my cheek. I could feel my face heating up as he turned and made his way out the door.

After a few minutes I could still feel his lips on my cheek.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear Grayson come back inside. I looked up and he was standing there, chest heaving like he just ran a marathon. “Gray did you forget something?” I asked making my way around to the front of the desk. “Yeah. Actually I did.” He said.

Grayson rushed forward, pinning me to the desk and crashed his lips on mine. I was shocked but when I realized what was happening I began to kiss him back. After a few minutes of kissing Grayson’s hands drifted to my thighs and he lifted me up so I was sitting on the desk. He pushed my thighs apart and pushed himself closer to me. His started nipping and sucking at the skin on my neck and I moaned at the feeling. “God I’ve wanted you for so long. I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to kiss you. Do you feel what you do to me? Can you feel it?” he groaned into my neck, grinding his clothed length against my core. I could feel the heat and the hardness of his cock through his jeans and I wanted it inside me so bad. His hands traveled to my ass and he squeezed the flesh like he couldn’t get enough. “Please Grayson. God, please do something. Anything! I’m dying!” I whined as he continued his assault on my neck, surely leaving behind a trail of purple marks.

Grayson pulled me off of the desk and adjusted himself before telling me to grab my keys. “Lets get the fuck out of here.” he said, slapping my ass as I raced to the door. I jammed my key in the lock and tugged the handle to make sure it was closed and by that time Grayson was tugging me to follow him to his porsche. He unlocked the door and we both hurried into the backseat. I swung my leg over his lap so I was straddling him and I ground my hips down onto him. His head fell back but he quickly recovered and grabbed my face to kiss me harshly. “Teasing me isn’t the best idea Y/n.” he warned, his eyes dark with lust. This only made me want to tease him more, so I did. I slid my shirt over my head and unclipped my bra, flinging them both into the front seat. I unzipped the zipper that went all the way down the side of my skirt and threw that to join the rest of my clothes in the front of the car.

I sank my hands into his hair and scratched my nails against Grayson’s scalp which caused him to groan deeply. I kissed him while grinding against him and he slapped my ass, making me gasped. He slipped his tongue into my mouth and just as I was really getting into it he pulled away. I stuck my lip out and pouted at him. “Naughty girls don’t get to make the rules baby.” He said slipping his finger into my mouth. I held his large hand with both of my small ones and sucked on his finger, imitating what I wanted to do to his cock. I swirled my tongue around his fingertip and sank my mouth down all the way down. I hollowed my cheeks as I brought my mouth back up and pulled his finger out with a pop. Without any warning, he quickly moved his hand between my legs and thrusted two fingers into my dripping core. He started thrusting and curling them at a rapid pace. I was so caught off guard I just started shaking and screaming. “FUCK. Grayson oh my god. So good. Yes yes y-yes. There! Right there! Fuck!” I shouted. His fingers stilled right over my g-spot right before I could cum and I just wanted a little friction so I tried to circle my hips but he stopped me. “Now what did I tell you, pretty girl? I told you not to tease me and thats all you’ve done. I don’t think I’m going to fuck you because you’ve been so bad.” Grayson said, removing his fingers from my pussy and licking them clean. I was so full of pent up sexual frustration that I wanted to scream. “Grayson if you don’t fuck me right now, I will call Ethan and I’m sure he will have no problem finishing what you started.” I hissed, crossing my arms. This lit a fire inside of him I had never seen before.

“Hands and knees. Now.” he bellowed. I scrambled to get where he wanted me and when I finally was in the position, he delivered a hard slap to my ass. “That is for teasing me.” Another stinging smack was delivered. “That is for threatening me. You think I’d let you walk away from me and fuck my brother? Wrong. I’m going to fuck you so good you won’t even remember your name.” His words were getting to me and I could feel my juices start to leak down my thighs. Dominant Grayson was the hottest thing I’d ever witnessed. I was whimpering beneath him as I listened to the shuffling of him removing his clothes. The next thing I knew he was rubbing his thick cock over my folds, coming close to where I wanted him but not close enough. My pussy was clenching around nothing and the need inside me was growing by the second.

Grayson leaned over me and I could feel his breath on the shell of my ear. “I wanna hear you beg for it pretty girl. Tell me what you need.” He whispered. “You! I need you! Please Grayson please just fuck me. I want to feel you inside me. I want you to fill me up. Please Daddy please!” I cried into the leather seat. “Say it again.” He demanded. “Please Daddy! Please! I need you!” I pleaded. “Okay baby.” was all he said before thrusting his cock into me. It was fast and harsh but I just didn’t care. It felt too good and I couldn’t believe we had waited this long to finally do this. Grayson kept fucking into me at a brutal pace and I was writhing beneath him. “Fuck you feel so good squeezing my cock like this. I’ve wanted this for so fucking long. I hope you’re ready because I’m nowhere near done with you.” he groaned, grabbing my hips as he continued to slam into me. It was like I forgot how to speak and all I could do was scream. I had never in my life ever been fucked this good. He was hitting places inside of me I never knew existed. Any man I had ever been with only cared about getting themselves off but Grayson was a whole new breed of man. I could tell he wanted to make me cum just as much as he wanted to. He slammed directly into my g-spot and I exploded around him.

“When we get back to your apartment, I’m going to fuck you on every surface I can find. The couch, the floor, against the wall, the kitchen counter, the bathroom sink, the shower, and then your bed. I’m going to make you cum so hard you’ll never want to fuck anyone but me ever again.” He growled. He kept fucking into me through the aftershocks of my orgasm. His hand snaked down between my thighs and started rubbing quick tight circles over my clit. “Grayson I-I I c-cant. I d-dont think I c-can come ag-again!” I screamed. “Yes you can baby. Yes you can. Come on. Just a little more. You can do it sweetheart.” He said, planting kisses on the back of my neck. He kept rubbing my clit and thrusting at the perfect rhythm and I came again, liquid spraying out over his cock. I collapsed onto the seat gasping for breath. “Fuck. That was so hot. You just squirted all over me! Oh my god I’m gonna- are you sure? Can I cum inside you baby?” he asked, still wanting to respect my choices. “Yes Daddy you can cum inside me! I want it so bad! I wanna feel it! Cum for me Daddy!” I whined. “Fuck fuck fuck!” He chanted as he spilled his seed inside of me. Grayson fell on top of me, his body still twitching.

“Gray, baby, you’re crushing me.” I laughed. “Oh sorry sweetheart.” He slurred as he sat up. He slipped out of me and sat upright and pulled me up with him. He leaned forward and kissed me so gently. “Sorry about all that. I didn’t mean to be so rough with you. But you bring something out in me.” He said, smiling. “Don’t be sorry. That was amazing! Wanna go home and do it again?” I smirked. “Oh fuck yeah! Zip that skirt up baby, lets go!” He hollered while grabbing my clothes. This was going to be a long night.

@bb-dolan @glitterycupeycakes @moonlightdolans27 @dimply-dolan @lambyluvsmusic @lanelessdolan @dolantreehisser @dolans-outlet @dungeondolan @gbdolanworld @joeyskinnyleg @amandaxdolan @sugarfootdolan @notanotherdolantwinsblog @usdolans

[realcleverscience]

a.i. smart assistants

The boundaries between different levels of machinery or intelligence are often blurry. When is something a tool vs a machine? A machine vs a robot? A robot vs AI? etc.

But I think with the new a.i. smart assistants that are coming out the thing I’m most excited about will be its ability to synthesize and generate data.

Right now, if you got a question, you ask google, and google checks to see if someone has written about that. But if it doesn’t find anything, it’s not going to figure out the answer for you. New A.I.’s that are able to understand human commands and figure out what to do to execute those commands is a whole new level. Google is a digital tool; an AI assistant would be something new entirely.

And just imagine how many varied kinds of data it could research and how it would speed up research. Imagine asking it to, say, construct a map showing locations of blockbusters over the time period of 1991-2006. If the information is public, it could easily synthesize it into the research map one wants; if the information isn’t readily available, it could help to find it (e.g. by examining historical phone books).

so yeah, everyone is excited about an a.i. that can reserve a hairdresser appointment or intelligently find a good deal on a flight, I think this really undersells its main feature: data. data synthesis and creation. lots of glorious data. and all that data is just gonna make the a.i.’s even better.

[healthbetold]

SA vaccination call as lockdown hits another state

South Australian health officials urge more people to get COVID-19 vaccinations after a record week of vaccinations at state clinics as parts of Queensland are subject to a snapdown lockdown.

Photo: Tony Lewis / InDaily

Prime Minister Steven Marshall told reporters this morning that South Australia has a “good rate, an increasing rate” of vaccinations, but some people are having trouble booking appointments.

He said SA Health has set up pop-up supermarket stations in areas with lower vaccination rates where people can get help making appointments.

“We want to avoid a lockdown in South Australia,” he said.

“We put in some constraints that we think will help provide extra layers of protection, but the best people can do is take a test when they get sick or develop systems to make sure they use QR codes wherever they go so that they check in and thirdly – if they are authorized – go in and get vaccinated. “

Australia has the lowest vaccination rate of any advanced economy in the OECD, with only about five percent of the population fully vaccinated.

Shadow SA Health Secretary Chris Picton this morning accused Marshall of being dishonest in his comments on the introduction of the vaccine.

“Across the country we’ve had premieres talking about the really bad efforts we’ve seen on the vaccine program that puts us at the bottom of the OECD and, in the 120s, countries around the world for fully vaccinated people.” said.

“Still, here in South Australia, our Prime Minister Steven Marshall went out yesterday and said the introduction of the vaccine had been excellent.

“Of course it’s a race and other countries around the world are doing a lot better than us.”

Commonwealth government data released yesterday shows South Australia has so far administered 217,379 doses of vaccine in state clinics.

The data places South Australia behind NSW, Victoria, Queensland and WA.

“We currently have about 67,000 doses in the state government’s supplies, according to data released by the Commonwealth government yesterday,” said Picton.

“A vaccine left in a state government refrigerator does not protect the community.”

But the chief public health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, said last week SA Health vaccinated more than 33,000 people – the largest intake since the pandemic began.

She said the sites would increase their range of Pfizer vaccines and bookings.

“If we look at adults (in South Australia) – that’s 1.1 million – and our vaccination goal is 80 percent, well over a third of those people got their first dose,” she said.

“On average, around 25 percent of the population is eligible for vaccination.”

Spurrier said new evidence showed that the vaccines not only reduce disease severity and hospitalization rates, but also prevent people from becoming infected.

“When you become infected, it (the vaccine) stops transmission between you and another person,” she said.

“That is why we are so keen that everyone is vaccinated.”

It comes after the National Cabinet agreed yesterday to put in place a flawless compensation system that will allow GPs to administer AstraZeneca to all adults regardless of age.

Anyone willing to speak to their doctor about it can now get AstraZeneca vaccination, while Pfizer remains the vaccine of choice for those under 60.

Spurrier said she supported the decision.

“We need to make sure that the vaccine is available and accessible to everyone,” she said.

“Ultimately, with any drug, it is the patient’s choice and as long as they have had a solid discussion and understood the risks and once they have done this with their GP, it is really up to the individual to make that decision.

“I have no particular problem with this announcement.”

Two new coronavirus cases have been discovered in South Australia in the past 24 hours – a woman in their forties and a man in their fifties who have entered from overseas and are currently quarantined at a Medi-Hotel.

The couple are not related to each other.

There are currently eight active cases in South Australia.

“This means that while we are in a good position in South Australia, there is always a risk of transmission in a hotel. For this reason I will support the prime minister who says that vaccination is the best form of protection, ”said Spurrier.

It comes when the Queensland government announced this morning that the state’s southeastern, Townsville, and two islands would initiate a three-day lockdown after two new COVID-19 cases in the community.

The lockdown begins on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and will be lifted on Friday at 6 p.m. unless the situation worsens.

It includes residents of Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan City, Moreton Bay, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley, the Scenic Rim, Gold Coast, Townsville, Magnetic Island, and Palm Island.

Spurrier said she doesn’t want South Australia to be forced into the same situation.

“It’s so damaging, it’s damaging to our economy, it’s awful for us citizens of our state to have these lockdown orders,” she said.

SA enforces local restrictions

State Emergency Coordinator and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens signed a series of new local restrictions last night, which are expected to last for a week.

Masks:

Mask requirement in “high-risk situations” such as in hospitals and care homes for the elderly and the disabled

Mask requirement for people who offer personal care services such as hairdressers

Mask requirement in indoor areas with seating such as cinemas and theaters if their capacity is over 50%

Strongly recommended wearing a mask on public transport, including Ubers and taxis, or any other place where it is not possible to keep the required distance of one person per two square meters

Sealing caps:

A distance requirement of one person per two square meters in all locations

Licensed venues with 50 percent capacity (up from the previous 75 percent cap)

A cap for 150 people at private gatherings, including weddings and funerals

Maximum capacity of 75% in venues with seats

In inpatient elderly care facilities, where less than 70 percent of residents have received an initial dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a resident is limited to two visitors per day

Food and alcohol consumption:

Food and alcohol consumed indoors must be consumed in licensed locations

Common areas with food and drinks (e.g. buffets) are not permitted

It is not allowed to prepare food in a bar

Activities:

Dancing is not permitted in licensed venues

Singing is not permitted indoors unless the singers are playing or rehearsing or singing in an educational establishment

Shisha / Shisha is not allowed

A COVID Safe Plan is required for fitness, recreational and sports activities

Spurrier said the visitor limit on elderly care facilities was imposed in response to the introduction of the vaccine.

She said 89 percent of the state’s elderly care facilities were unaffected by the restriction as 70 percent of their residents were vaccinated.

“This is just one example of where we are moving nationally and also in South Australia,” she said.

“When we know we have high vaccination rates, we can easily make different decisions about such restrictions.”

Stevens told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning that limiting pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes to 50 percent of capacity would have the “greatest effect”.

“In the last few months we have worked with three employees per four square meters, which corresponds to about 75 percent of the capacity. So this is a reasonable step backwards for these companies and that will obviously have an impact, ”he said.

“The harsh reality is that we have a worrying situation in New South Wales, Queensland is of particular concern to Professor Spurrier and we are also seeing that the Northern Territory and Western Australia are also taking steps to control a possible outbreak there .

“I think it would be naive to expect that we avoided it completely.”

Stevens said authorities could not give an “absolute guarantee” that the restrictions would only last for seven days, but they were “hopeful” that the week-long deadline would give them enough time to see how other states are doing with theirs Circumvented COVID outbreaks.

“It’s a seven-day goal at this point and hopefully after that seven-day period we can go back to where we were 24 hours ago,” he said.

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Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne told InDaily that he “estimated” the impact of the restrictions on the state’s economy would be on the order of $ 30 million.

He said the estimate is based on data from the Center of Economic Studies collected after the three-day lockdown last November.

“The cancellations were the same – we got calls from five-star hotels to caravan parks saying the bookings are just falling off,” he said.

“The immediate impact is on workers whose shifts are being cut or reduced, and this time they have no JobKeeper to fall back on.”

Meanwhile, Colin Shearing, CEO of South Australian Independent Retailers, said some supermarkets are already facing the depletion of toilet paper supplies caused by the return of panic buying.

He told InDaily that supermarkets currently have no shopping restrictions, but “that could change in a moment.”

“It’s just moronic behavior,” he said.

“At the moment there is no problem with the supply, but the problem is that the other states are blocked and we are only a small part of the market, of course South Australia will feel the effects as well.

“It’s not as bad as it was last year when we had a full lockdown, but it’s definitely noticeable.”

SA Pathology tested nearly 7,000 people yesterday.

– with AAP

Local news affairs

Media diversity is threatened in Australia – nowhere more than in South Australia. The state needs more than one vote to move it forward, and you can help with a donation of any size to InDaily. Your contribution will directly benefit our journalists in uncovering the facts. Please click below to help InDaily uncover the facts further.

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The post SA vaccination call as lockdown hits another state first appeared on Health be Told.

source https://healthbetold.com/sa-vaccination-call-as-lockdown-hits-another-state/

[hungarian-explained]

Some Hungarian verbs that can take many coverbs

Hey Essi @languagesandshootingstars, your substitute Secret Santa here!

I thought about making you a vocab list, but I couldn’t come up with a good enough topic for it, so instead I made you this...kind of a vocab list?  I really hope you like it & I wish you a very happy new year (in advance)! 

(Of course, this list is by no means complete, it only includes the most common forms of four (kind of randomly selected) verbs. In case people find this useful, I’d be happy to make more posts like this.)

mondani - megmondani, elmondani, kimondani, bemondani, lemondani, felmondani

megmondani, elmondani (valakinek valamit)

these both mean “to tell somebody something”, but there is a slight difference in meaning.

“Megmondani” implies that you just informed somebody of something; it’s more straightforward. For example, “I told you so.” is “Én megmondtam.”

“Elmondani”, on the other hand, is kind of synonymous with “elmesélni”; it refers to telling a story, for example. In some sentences, both can be used, but with different connotations.

“Megmondtam/elmondtam neki, hogy mit érzek.” → “~I flat-out told him how I felt.” vs “~I opened up and told him about how I felt.”

kimondani (valamit)

to say something out loud (~to admit), to state (in a legal sense)

Examples:

Már egy órája beszélgettünk, amikor végre kimondta, hogy utálja az iskolát.

We had been talking for an hour when he finally said (it out loud) that he hated school.

Az alkotmány kimondja, hogy minden embernek joga van a saját vallását gyakorolni.

The constitution states that every person has the right to practice their own religion.

bemondani (valamit)

to announce something, on the radio or the TV

Example:

Most mondták be a rádióban, hogy havazni fog.

They just announced it on the radio that it’s going to snow.

lemondani (valamiről OR valamit)

to abdicate/resign OR to give up on something OR to cancel (an appointment)

Examples:

A japán császár nemrégiben lemondott (a trónról).

The Japanese emperor recently abdicated.

Lemondtam arról, hogy híres énekes legyek.

I’ve given up on (the idea of) becoming a famous singer.

Le kellett mondanom az időpontomat a fodrásznál, mert megbetegedtem.

I had to cancel my appointment at the hairdresser, because I got sick.

felmondani (valahol OR valamit)

to hand in your notice OR to recite something (rare)

Examples:

Utáltam a főnököm, úgyhogy felmondtam (a munkahelyemen).

I hated my boss, so I handed in my notice (at my workplace).

Mindenkinek fel kellett mondania a verset irodalomórán.

Everybody had to recite the poem in literature class.

beszélni - megbeszélni, kibeszélni, bebeszélni, lebeszélni, rábeszélni, elbeszélni, átbeszélni

megbeszélni

to discuss something (~to agree on something)

Example:

Megbeszéltük, hogy másnap találkozunk.

We agreed to meet the next day.

kibeszélni (valakit, valamit)

to gossip about someone OR to blab

Examples:

Szegény Kriszta, nem is tudja, hogy az osztálytársai a háta mögött kibeszélik.

Poor Kriszta, she doesn’t even know that her classmates gossip about her behind her back.

Ne mondj neki semmit, tuti kibeszéli.

Don’t tell him anything, he’ll blab.

bebeszélni (valakinek valamit)

to convince somebody (including yourself) of something, especially of stg. that is not true

Example:

Bebeszélte magának, hogy kövér, ezért most minden nap úszni jár.

She’s convinced herself that she’s fat, so now she goes swimming every day.

lebeszélni (valakit valamiről)

to convince somebody not to do something

Example:

Lebeszélte arról, hogy egyedül induljon el az Antarktiszra.

She has convinced him not to go to Antarctica alone.

rábeszélni (valakit valamire)

to convince somebody to do something (the opposite of the previous one)

Example:

Sikerült rábeszélnie a barátnőjét, hogy jöjjön el a buliba.

She’s managed to convince her friend to come to the party.

elbeszélni

This one is peculiar. It used to be a common verb, meaning “to tell (a story)”, but it has dropped out of use (although it is conserved in words like “elbeszélés”, which we use for any sort of narrative writing).

We have also invented a new use for it, which is “elbeszélni (or elbeszélgetni) az időt”- literally “to talk time away”, which is what happens when, for example, you meet up with your classmates to do some homework, but you never get around to doing that, because you just talk instead.

átbeszélni (valamit)

to go over something

Example:

Vizsga előtt még egyszer átbeszéltük a legfontosabbakat.

Before the exam, we went over the most important (things) one more time.

olvasni - elolvasni, kiolvasni, beolvasni, leolvasni, felolvasni

elolvasni, kiolvasni

these both can mean “to finish reading something”, the difference is that you can only use “kiolvasni” when referring to a book, while “elolvasni” applies to everything, even just a word or a sentence.

Examples:

Végre kiolvastam ezt a könyvet!

I’ve finally finished reading this book.

Előbb olvasd el, hogy mit írt, aztán beszélj vele!

First read what he wrote, then talk to him!

beolvasni (valakinek)

to tell somebody off, to tell your negative opinion of them to someone’s face

Example:

Bárcsak jól beolvashatnék ennek a tanárnak, annyira idegesítő!

I wish I could tell this teacher off, he’s so annoying!

leolvasni (valamit)

to read something off somewhere (e.g. a screen)

Example:

Nem tudtam leolvasni az időt az órámról, annyira sötét volt.

I couldn’t see the time on my watch, it was so dark.

felolvasni (valamit)

to read something out loud

Example:

Mindenki felolvasta a verset, amit írt.

Everyone read out the poem that they had written.

lenni - meglenni, kilenni, ellenni

meglenni

This one has two meanings.

1. It can mean something like “to be doing okay”. If you slip and fall, you can say “Megvagyok!” to signal that you didn’t hurt yourself too bad. If someone asks you after a break-up how you’re doing, you can say “Megvagyok.” to let them know that you’re doing well for the situation you’re in.

2. It can also mean “to have (enough of) something”. For example, “Megvan mindene, ami a sikerhez kell.” means “He/she has everything that he/she needs to succeed.” Or “Már megvan ez a könyv.” means “I already have a copy of this book.”

kilenni

(slang) to be physically and/or mentally exhausted (or even shocked)

Example:

Totál(isan) kivagyok, azt se tudom, mit csinálok.

I’m totally exhausted, I don’t even know what I’m doing.

ellenni

(slang) to spend time not really doing anything (and feeling neutral about it)

Example:

Mit csináltál tegnap?

Semmi különöset, elvoltam.

What did you do yesterday?

Nothing special, I just chilled.

[writingwife-83]

Strands- ch 1

Finally finally finally I’m getting started on my hairdresser AU. This is specially for @fangirlhani who I definitely owed a gift fic to with all her beautiful promo stuff she’s been making. And thanks to @artbylexie who helped me finalize this first chapter, and kudos to her for coming up with the brilliant salon name hehe. Planning to keep these chapters relatively short and post them on here as well as AO3. Hope you guys enjoy! 😉 

For those who put a high premium on their personal hair style, Strands on the Strand could be the only possible destination in all of London. It was here that those who were able to could come not only to solve issues with their coiffure, but often with nearly almost anything else that might be troubling them. The owner, Martha Hudson, knew full well that despite the excellent services offered by professionals such as Mary Morstan and managed nearly to the perfection of a machine by John Watson, the real draw of Strands rested on the shoulders of the consulting stylist himself: Sherlock Holmes.

Renown throughout the city as highly in demand, the salon was often a bustling place, clients in a constant and steady stream, despite the acerbic commentary often coming from the last chair. The bustle had yet to begin on this particular morning though, as the salon was still an hour or so from opening. However, the last chair was in use by the consulting stylist and a soon-to-be bride who happened to be his second favorite client, as well as a skilled coworker.

He dipped the brush back in the bowl and applied the color to another section of Mary’s regrowth, determined that everything should be perfect for her and John’s big day in less than a week. Including, of course, her hair.

“Gosh, I’ve been so worked up about the planning lately that I’ve actually been making myself sick!” Mary commented with a heavy sigh.

“Mm,” Sherlock hummed in thought as he gently felt another section of her hair between his fingers. Something crossed his mind for a split second, but he didn’t quite have a chance to voice it aloud.

John walked over to where Sherlock and Mary were working. “Sherlock, Molly Hooper called again. She’s still wondering if you’ve had a cancellation that she could take this week.”

“Nothing,” Sherlock shot back instantly. “I’m booked solid, no open appointments.”

John frowned at him. “You’re not booked solid though, I’ve just checked the schedule and-”

“She doesn’t need to come in, John,” Sherlock bit back, his jaw setting in a hard line as he all but glared at his work.

He tried to ignore the pointed glance the John and Mary shared.

“Sherlock, you know that Molly’s one our best clients,” John went on. “She was one of your first clients, actually, there’s no reason to be such a git to her now.”

Sherlock rolled his eyes. “She was here four weeks ago. She’s far from needing a trim and the glaze I did shouldn’t need to be redone for at least another couple of weeks. She’s clearly just thinking about the wedding and wanting to try something new and exciting, probably something which she found online on some inane website, all of which is completely unnecessary. And besides, how is anyone supposed to notice her actual hair when she always insists on adding some sort of oversized ornament to it?!”

John let out a short laugh. “Ever heard the expression, ‘the customer is always right?’” As manager, that was naturally how his mind worked. “If Molly wants to go for something different, it’s her right to do so.”

“Well, she can go and do it with someone else, then!” Sherlock snapped.

Mary’s eyebrows shot up as she glanced between her friend and her fiance. “Is this still about hair, Sherlock?”

Sherlock cleared his throat and schooled his features into a cool mask.

Mary’s eyes narrowed slightly as she studied her friend. Perhaps best not to push too much at the moment. “Well anyway, I agree with you,” she added. “I think Molly is naturally gorgeous. She hardly needs to do anything to make people see that! You should really tell her that.”

Sherlock grimaced. “Why would I tell her that?”

“Because that’s what you think.���

“I said no such thing!”

Mary shrugged. “I can read between the lines...and I can also tell when you’re fibbing.”

“The future Mrs. Watson, ladies and gentlemen,” John stated as he leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek before walking back over to the desk.

“Sherlock, how long have you known Molly, really?” Mary asked after John had walked away.

“Long before you were hired. About six years ago was the first time she came in, I believe.”

Mary whistled. “That’s a loyal client!”

“Convenient location for her,” Sherlock explained matter-of-factly. “Bart’s Hospital is only five minutes from here.”

“For a lot of people I don’t think location would be enough to put up with all that goes along with being your client.”

“Meaning?” he questioned with narrowed eyes.

“Oh come on, Sherlock!” Mary laughed. “You’ve nearly made her cry more than once! She’s awfully forgiving, if you ask me.”

Now that, Sherlock couldn’t really argue with. While he was the best hairstylist in London and hadn’t built that reputation based on being nice, he knew that he’d been particularly unfeeling to that sweet woman on a number of occasions. And Mary was right. She was incredibly forgiving. Even though he’d made a bit of a pact to be far more gentle with her after a particularly disastrous Christmas, he often wondered what made her continue putting up with him so faithfully.

“Though I suppose everyone has to have a bit of thick skin to deal with sitting in this chair,” Mary added with a wink. “You can’t have Sherlock Holmes do your hair unless you’re willing to hear all about why you need it done because of what’s going on with the rest of your life.”

“I solve problems that go beyond hair,” Sherlock said, putting his own spin on things. “Nobody should complain seeing as I may as well be offering them a free additional service. Everyone says that seeing your hairdresser is like therapy...I just happen to be far better at it than anyone else. And I’d say my tips speak for themself!”

“And you’re humble,” Mary said with a little wag of her head. “Talk to her, Sherlock. Because obviously, there’s more-”

“There, all done,” Sherlock announced, interrupting Mary’s speech, setting the brush back in the bowl, and snapping his gloves off. He checked his watch to plan when she should be washed.

He almost strolled away, but then stopped mid step to swivel back around.

“Oh and incidentally, Mary, based on your recently being sick, supposedly from stress, and the obvious changes to the texture of your hair...I’d highly recommend doing a pregnancy test.”

A mug of tea clattered to the floor over by the reception desk.