#stclaires.

[lcrissas]

＊   𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗  𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥          ››         @stclaires ＊   𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚          ››         lari  &  laurie  ＊   𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡          ››          coney  island  ,  brooklyn ＊   𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧          ››          valentine's  day  carnival

          “  laurie  ,  didn’t  your  shift  just  start  ?  it  can’t  be  that  bad  .  at  least  you  got  to  pick  which  booth  to  volunteer  for  ?  besides  ,  it’s  for  a  good  cause  .  don’t  even  try  ditching  .  i  wouldn’t  put  it  past  your  dad  to  hire  someone  to  make  sure  you  stay  .  ”

[teagvns]

＊   𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗  𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥          ››         @stclaires ＊   𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚          ››         teagan  &  laurie ＊   𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡          ››          ski  lodge  @  gore  mountain ＊   𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧          ››          winter  ski  trip

          “  i’m  gonna  be  honest  with  you  ,  you  strike  me  as  a  raspberry  absolut  kinda  guy  ,  ”  teagan  comments  .  “  no  reason  ,  it  just  suits  your  vibe  .  ”

[haydcns]

＊   𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗  𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥          ››         @stclaires ＊   𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚          ››         hayden  &  laurie ＊   𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡          ››          ski  lodge  @  gore  mountain ＊   𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧          ››          winter  ski  trip

          hayden  takes  a  quick  glance  at  her  phone  as  she  quickly  makes  her  way  down  to  the  lobby  .  in  her  haste  ,  she  nearly  barrels  into  another  figure  .  “  oh  ,  i’m  so  —  ”  pauses  when  her  head  snaps  up  to  see  laurie  .  “  i  didn’t  think  you’d  be  here  .  ”

[junipcrs]

＊   𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗  𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥          ››         @stclaires ＊   𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚          ››         juno  &  laurie ＊   𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡          ››          coney  island  ,  brooklyn ＊   𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧          ››          valentine's  day  carnival

          “  i’m  proposing  a  temporary  truce  .  ”  she  firmly  believes  they’re  not  at  war  but  she’s  positive  that  laurie  thinks  otherwise  .  after  all  ,  they  were  friends  and  then  drifted  apart  .  emphasis  on  were  .  and  then  there’s  the  whole  ,  not  on  good  terms  with  jia  thing  .  “  you  can’t  exactly  ignore  me  the  entire  time  we’re  on  shift  .  ”

[harlcwes]

          harlowe  shrugs  at  the  question  as  laughter  expels  past  their  lips  .  “  listen  ,  that’s  why  we  pay  our  pr  teams  the  big  bucks  .  the  image  sells  though  .  child  actor  turned  rockstar  dating  …  some  guy  ,  ”  they  playfully  jest  .  how  they  sold  their  relationship  ?  they’ll  never  know  .  the  two  were  so  fundamentally  different  .  at  least  some  fun  came  from  it  !  “  okay  but  you  can’t  stay  at  the  resort  the  entire  time  .  anyone  would  go  stir  crazy  .  surely  you’ll  get  tired  of  the  spa  and  the  hot  tub  ?  ”

laurie paused, staring back at his friend in awe of their plans . . . he could barely fathom beginner trails, the boy often preferring to spend his ski-trip days at the resort's spa or heated pool. “ how did anyone ever believe we were dating ? ” he joked, shaking his head at the reminiscent thought. they were so much more . . . athletic than laurie, to say the least. “ i prefer the snow from inside. i think my friends'll have to beg if they want to see me venture outdoors, let alone to the slopes. ”

[saint--claire]

When I was a little child, there was a particular library book I checked out week after week, endlessly renewing it as much as I was able. The book, How to Raise and Keep a Dragon by John Topsell was a quasi-nonfiction guide to, as you guessed, rearing different species of dragons. I loved it. Tiny-me had plans.

As an adult, I tried to buy it a few times. No dice. The book was so old that no mainstream bookseller stocked it. Even when I tried niche websites recommended by various booksellers and librarians, I still couldn't find it. It was sadly lost to time, apparently not popular enough to make it into the archives.

But.

My best friend had a copy of that book. We're going to call her G, for several reasons not relevant at the moment. I was discussing my search with G one day, for some reason I can't remember now. She got a funny look on her face, asked me a few questions about the cover, listened to me do a very poor job of explaining with my hands how the hardcover copy had included a real gemstone in the dragon's forehead, and then went off to fish it out of her bookcase.

I was Gobsmacked.

I should not have been, given that the history of shared childhood books between us both would have made a circle with ragged edges, more so than a venn diagram, but I digress. The book came home to live in my house for a few months, and I was delighted by the chance to read it again.

Do people remember those type of books? Dragonology, Egyptology, The Stone Age - a way of introducing children to non fiction. They very earnestly spoke about the responsibilities needed to raise dragons, the practicalities involved. There was a record of registration you could fill out, if you had carefully considered the information to your self and felt you were responsible enough to to go through with adopting a dragon.

I vaguely remember filling out some of the riddle and puzzle questions in the Dragonology books. I would never have written in John Topsell's book, it was a library book.

But.

When I re-read G's copy at home, smiling over the familiar artwork, I was surprised to turn the page and find the painstaking, somewhat-wonky handwriting staring back at at me. Baby G, with her name spelled out in freshly-joined but still-not-quite-got-the-hang-of-this-yet cursive lettering. Baby G had filled the registration out in her best handwriting, in glittery green gel pen to denote the importance of the document. This was compared to the earlier, less important checklists done in plain black ink.

I read the registration certificate. Smiled. Smiled some more at the names listed for G's dragon, her dam, and her sire - Eragon was also a great book. Go off, Christopher Paolini.

Breed; standard Western Dragon. The box 'miniture' was ticked, to show that G's dragon was of the minature specic variety, rather than a full size dragon. This was, as she would later explain to me, chosen on the basis that baby-G felt it was the more financially responsible choice. Also so she could keep her dragon in her house with her, but we're not there yet.

I looked at that certificate. Looked at it again. Looked at the calendar, and then looked at the sewing machine I had just been given for Christmas.

G celebrates her birthday in January.

The template came first. I studied the different images of the standard western dragon through the book, picked my favourite, and re-drew it to a significantly larger scale.

Inking the design to the fabric, four times over probably took the longest.

I very subtly asked G the next time she was over (after hurling all dragon-related materials in a panic into the depths of my wardrobe) what type of colour dragon she would have, should it come up. As G later said, that type of question from me truly did not register as anything other than a question asked from theoretical interest. I transitioned the topic as discreetly as I could after she answered, and delightfully, my sneakiness went in one ear, out the other, and she forgot I had ever asked until several weeks later.

I enjoyed painting them.

Don't ask me how many mistakes I made through this process. So many. I do already know how to sew, but it's been a long time. I'd been meaning to get back into it for a while.

Given that various aunts and grandmothers and my mother had a knack for calling when I was up to my elbows in either paint or pins, it became a family affair. Each of them peered at the project through face time and offered their advice.

Some of the advice I took, some I didn't. No regrets about sewing it in pink thread. Considerable regrets about accidentally slicing one of the feet in half and having to fix that.

In the end though, she was finished.

I carefully pinned on her name tag, with the name baby-G had chosen with a little blue ribbon. A collar was unacceptable, this is a dragon, people, come on. Dragon's don't wear collars.

I put the book in the box, open to the registration certificate, and put the dragon on top. Wrapped the whole thing up with a bow and then refused to touch it before I sent myself mad trying to fix details that didn't really need to be fixed.

A bit late for her birthday, sure, but there we are. We'd gone for a trip off to nowhere for a weekend, to go try wine made out of blueberries and hike up a waterfall. (And climb on it. And swim in it. It was a very good waterfall).

I gave her the box, informed her she wasn't allowed to keep the box, just the contents (it was the only thing I had that was big enough for me to keep all of my A3 portfolios in, it had only been temporarily-repurposed as dragon housing), and then left the next bit up to the gods.

A surprise, sitting un-awaited for some 15 years in amber, to catch up to baby G and adult G together.

Happy Birthday, baby and adult G.

[prettyymafia]

I am another solid mystery, when it comes to you.

[bcatrixs]

          “  i  won’t  deny  that  you’re  being  a  hater  .  those  are  your  words  !  you’re  also  forgetting  that  cars  isolate  you  from  the  sound  ,  vibrations  and  whatever  else  so  going  eighty  to  a  hundred  doesn’t  feel  that  fast  .  the  cyclone  is  a  wooden  coaster  with  a  cart  that  does  absolutely  none  of  that  so  you’re  bound  to  feel  everything  .  but  hey  ,  maybe  it  is  slowing  down  with  age  .  ”

" sixty miles per hour is kinda lame when you think about it, " laurie pointed out. " i mean most people drive, like, at least eighty on the highway everyday — if not one-hundred. dunno. maybe i'm just a hater. "

[lcrissas]

＊   𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗  𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥          ››         @stclaires ＊   𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚          ››         lari  &  laurie ＊   𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡          ››          club  1919  ,  manhattan ＊   𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧          ››          casino  night

[     PROMPT     ]      “  does  the  label  '  long-term  long-distance  low-commitment  casual  girlfriend  '  mean  nothing  to  her  ?  ”

          they  hold  back  a  laugh  because  it  is  after  all  supposed  to  be  a  serious  dilemma  .  “  and  how  many  long-term  long-distance  low-commitment  casual  girlfriends  have  you  had  ?  ”  brings  their  glass  up  to  their  lips  to  take  a  leisurely  sip  .  “  isn’t  that  the  name  of  the  game  ?  low  commitment  and  definitely  very  casual  ?  are  you  telling  me  ––  ”  dramatically  gasps  .  “  you  want  low  commitment  and  NOT  casual  ?  ”

[mrofontaine]

FOR: @delphine--stclair WHEN: September 24'. WHERE: Delphine's residence.

It'd been on his mind for a while. Transitioning out of being on Delphine's detail -- he needed more, he didn't just want it. The ups and downs of the last three and a half years was monumental. And in that, he'd finally managed to find some kind of purposes. Protecting her life, although he'd never outwardly say it, had been one of the biggest achievements in his life. Something he'd never thought would've been possible before Évelyné had put him forward for the position.

Olivier, though, dreamed of rising in the ranks. And becoming more than a personal body shield for someone else. There was an art form in what he did, there was no doubt. And yet, when he was around Yves...he admired the man. His and Delphine's relationship had always been contentious, with a fine, fine line between friendship and hatred. To which, they'd teetered on the edge so any times.

Bored, was what he was. Standing guard by the window, he'd spent the better part of the last hour silently checking people wandering past, and rotating in the room for anything that was thought to be untoward. Clearing his throat, he realised he'd hardly spoken today, an uncommon trait for the giant that was towering in her home.

"Is there anything more you need to do?"

[livlisim]

1. Because after all this pain and loss and despair how do I dare to hope again?

[shysimblr]

My Very Own Barbie

[cronicasdelholoceno]

Saint Damian’s Monastery: Saint Claire’s garden. Assissi (Italy).

July 2024.

[saint--claire]

I have successfully reached the part of gay adulthood where I own and have operated a drill.

[prettyymafia]

also it's eden's birthday everyone wish her a good one ☹️

[livlisim]

2. And at once I knew that daring to hope and dream and believe had been worth it after all.