#the tags are always a free space to go off on whatever tangents you want

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

maybe i did have rizz all along... and that's why all my guy friends ended up hitting on me in high school and college (or it could have been the big boobs. probably was the big boobs)

[aemiron-main]

i think what's so funny about the bi Mike narrative is that you flat out have to ignore canon scenes. "boys only"? doesn't mean anything, only Will's "a day free of girls" means something. Mike and El's severe family coding going back all the way to s1 where they explicitly discuss being cousins and siblings? doesn't mean anything either, that's just there for fun, their romance should be taken completely serious and not be uncomfortable at all. Mike seemingly realizing he doesn't want to be with El/wants to be with Will when she kisses him in s3? coincidence, it's not because he realizes he doesn't like El, it just happens to happen while a girl is kissing him. Mike resorting to a disprovable lie about love at first sight during his monologue instead of stating the real moment he realized he liked her? completely random🤭

if your interpretation of canon is that solid then why are you avoiding certain scenes? and the few people i've seen tackle them always need to go on their tangent of how "it's not like that" or you're "reading too much into it". so obviously El saying she could be Mike's sister doesn't mean anything and is just random filler dialogue, it's not supposed to make you feel any particular way. Mike having a similar girls excluding line to Will is only gaycoding for Will, Mike is just being silly and goofy duh, it's not that serious, and so on

it's fine to have whatever hc or interpretation but it's weird to me when ppl straight up say it's just as valid as the interpretation that's actually applicable to all of the show. the narrative that there is a good argument for bi Mike to be made and that ppl just don't post it anymore because the gay Mike truthers (who only hang out on their blogs) are so mean is hilarious when i know i've seen every bi Mike take last year and wasn't convinced by any of them. if there is such a good argument for bi Mike then why don't i see more posts? bc despite the current victim complex, gay Mike was the original pariah in the fandom until people had the guts to start posting analysis. the fact that half the people on here now subscribe to gay Mike despite that interpretation only not getting you screamed at since a few months ago does say a lot about how convincing both interpretations are. because just maybe, the fact that there's more gay Mike believers than bi Mike believers (don't even know if that's accurate i don't know the tag anymore, but it's what the bi interpretators are saying) is because people see it as more plausible, and not bc they haven't had the pleasure to see a bi Mike post yet

seriously, just your gay Mike takes alone go way back and were pretty unusual at the time. and it speaks volumes to me that most serious anaylzers and theorizers subscribe to gay Mike exclusively, while the blogs that post more for fun and provide regular character and ship content and interact more with the tag and "community" on here like bi Mike. it's almost like... bi Mike is more fun as a hc but narratively inferior to gay Mike, which is why all the serious show analyzers are so adamant and passionate about it

ANON YOU WENT OFF WITH THIS!!!!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 ABSOLUTE FACTS 10000000% REAL LIKE I HAVE NO NOTES IM JUST CLAPPING AND CHEERING AND NODDING MY HEAD WHILE I TYPE THIS!!!!!!!! That’s SO true about how the more serious analysis blogs tend to be gay mike truthers whereas the more for fun/posting solely hc stuff blogs tend to veer towards bi mike. And with that said, I think there’s also an element of that dynamic that’s tied to how that solely fic/hc section of byler tumblr tends to get fairly weird about The Actual Show sometimes (such as a bunch of them being appalled that people would bother to try and analyze henry) & try to stay in this weird “all headcanons are textually valid” space (even though thats not possible) because that whole group is so eager to jump at the throats of anyone who makes a minor misstep. Like this does NOT go for *everyone* who is just having fun/posting ship stuff, many of those folks r wonderful, im talking abt a particular group of popular/vocal folks in that circle, and there’s definitely a dynamic at play of “smh someone CRITICIZED another TAKE from SOMEONE ELSE, they are SOOOO rude smhhhhh everything is canon and valid” which makes people not want to step out of line/not want to have actual firm opinions on things.

But god uh my little tangent aside, this is so real and well-put, anon. Like you said, if there’s so much evidence for bi mike, then why arent people posting it instead of posting posts whining about how somebody said that there’s no evidence for bi mike? Like. Post your evidence then. Do it. I still laugh about one big prominent bi mike blog that posted awhile back about how they COULD disprove all the gay mike analysis but they WONT. and it’s like. girl. we know that you won’t because you CAN’T. If you could, you WOULD. And oh my god people acting like the familial parallels are just random filler dialogue makes me INSANE and what makes me more insane is when people (specifically the fucking idiots on twitter) act like pointing out the obvious mileven familial parallels is weird on MY part. As if IM THE ONE THAT PUT THEM THERE?? AS IF IM CONDONING INCEST?? LIKE GO TALK TO THE DUFFERS THEY PUT THEN IN THERE NOT ME!!!

And god yeah you just. You said it ALL, anon, like this is perfect, like people can have hcs or whatever i dont care but dont act like theyre equally textually supported. Because theyre not. And pointing out what is/isnt canon in the show isn’t biphobia, as much as God’s Whiniest Soldiers would like to believe it is. Gay mike ws absolutely the pariah before, and it’s SO funny to see bi mike truthers acting like anyone who disagrees with them is a Big Bad Mean Person who is Exploding Bi Mike Truthers With A Biphobia Laser. I have asked 163748596969696 times for someone to give me bi mike evidence that doesn’t heavily rely on outright ignoring the existence of other scenes in the show. And nobody’s been able to do it. Because mike is gay & the show is written with gay mike in mind. And god yeah the whole me getting screamed at over it thing is so funny in retrospect because people were literally mad at me for “disturbing the peace” as if this is fucking hobbiton and i’m gandalf after dragging bilbo baggins off to the lonely mountain & being labelled a disturber of the peace for it. like oh nooo ive got my gay little hands all over your peace. So what. Block me. Kill me if you can. Just do SOMETHING other that whining in my inbox like youre a 50 year old home owners association leader who got a noise complaint because i sneezed too loudly. (and when i say you, i dont mean You, anon, i mean the collective whining bi mike group who haunts my inbox).

It makes me insane. Every day. To see people willfully ignoring evidence that disagrees with them & trying to shoehorn evidence into working just for them to bring out the flimsiest analysis youve ever seen in your life & have a fucking fit when people point out that it’s flimsy. Again, anon, you said it ALL.

[miekasa]

sorry if you've already answered this, but what do you think the aot character's love languages would be? we know levi's is acts of service, but anybody else?

No worries! I don’t think I’ve answered for everyone before, so I’ll take a shot at it now bc I love thinking about people's love languages 😌

LEVI Gives: acts of service

This is one is talked about a lot, but Levi shows his love most often through doing things for you, even if you haven’t asked anything of him.

He’ll go out of his way to make your life easier and/or more comfortable in any way that he sees fit, and he doesn’t expect the same in return; it truly just makes him happy to know that he could have done something for you.

It includes bigger things like assembling furniture for you, building you something completely from scratch, or cleaning your car for; and also small things like making you a cup of coffee or tea, or even just holding your bag for you after a long day.

Needs: physical touch

Classic touch-starved man who doesn’t outwardly ask for physical touch, but doesn’t back away from it when you initiate it.

After some time, he’d begin to initiate himself, he just needs to get comfortable with the idea of it first; but after he is, it’s really cute to see. Catch him on a lazy morning, and he’s especially touchy; or find him after a long day of work, and he’ll cuddle himself right into your shoulder.

It makes him happy to know that you seek him out for physical comfort, and that he can begin to do the same. Also, he loves the feeling of you playing with his hair, it’s a surefire way to get him to fall asleep.

HANGE Gives: quality time, physical touch

Hange likes spending time with you, and loves roping you into their favorite hobbies, activities, and antics. Even something as simple as a 3 minute FaceTime call to ask them a quick question is enough to put a smile on their face.

They really just like to share their interests with you, and would love it if you did the same! Hange is willing to give everything a try at least twice for you.

Also loves physical touch, maybe not even necessarily in traditionally “romantic” ways either—having their hand around your shoulder to show you something on their phone, knocking into your body while they’re laughing, clapping your hands together out of boredom—all simple touches that make Hange happy.

Needs: gifts

Hange looooves presents, and you can’t prove me wrong. To them, it’s really touching to know that you would take the time to pick out or make something that you think they would like.

They cherish any and every gift you get them, even if it’s something as tiny and routine as bringing them a coffee during a busy a day at work, Hange never takes it for granted.

(And they also go on and brag about it to anyone who will listen, “Ah did you see my baby brought me coffee for lunch? Just how I like it too, they know me so well!”)

EREN Gives: quality time, words of affirmation

Quality time for Eren can also be mistaken as him spending all of his free time annoying the hell out of you, but it’s really just him being Loving.

When he’s not annoying you, he really does just like to be in the same space as you, even if you’re doing your own things. He likes having you around because you comfort him even if you’re not directly speaking to or interacting with him.

Words of affirmation come out of him in a very matter-of-fact tone. It’s almost as if he’s not consciously trying to affirm you or flatter you.

To him, he’s just saying what he believes is an objective truth: of course he thinks you’re smart and talented and pretty and fun to be around. If those things make you feel good, then it’s a bonus, but really, he just means it like it’s a fact of the universe.

Needs: gifts, physical touch

He’s not the best at giving gifts, but he does love to receive them, and honestly, he’s very humbled and flattered whenever you give him something that you clearly put a lot of time and/or effort into.

He almost feels undeserving of it, but he loves it all the same, and he really does cherish it. Even if it’s something as generic as a pair of shoes he was talking about, it still means a lot to him that you would remember and buy them for him.

Once he gets a taste of physical touch, he doesn’t know how to let go. All sense of personal space is out of the window, and this goes hand in hand with quality time once he discovers it.

Loves it when you touch him: play with his hair, play with or hold his hands, hug him out of the blue. Also loves to touch you, though he seems to not understand the size of his body when he’s draping himself over your shoulders, or has his leg over your thigh while you’re sitting on the bus.

ARMIN Gives: gifts

To him, it’s the simplest way to express himself without embarrassing himself by potentially tripping over his words. Also, gifts can be given remotely, so he doesn’t have to sit around worrying if you’ll love it or hate it while you open it.

Though, he certainly gains a lot of confidence over time, he still likes to leave you little presents to find when he’s not around. Something as small as buying your favorite candy and putting it in your coat pocket, or leaving flowers at your place.

He’s also very thoughtful, and when he does get you a bigger gift, or something to celebrate an occasion, he always makes sure it’s perfect.

He does it to make you happy, and when you’re happy, it makes him happy.

Needs: words of affirmation

He won’t ask for it, but it’s really reassuring to hear, and it makes him feel really good, and relieved to know that the person he loves thinks highly of him.

If you told him you’re proud of him, he might… he really might malfunction a bit, but your words would stick with him. The next time he was going through something hard or even just doubting himself, he’d remember what you said to him and it would give him a little push to get through it (and maybe be nicer to himself as a consequence).

Not necessarily an affirmation, but it also flatters him to hear that you think he’s attractive. Though, be careful when and how you say this, because he’s very… easy to excite.

MIKASA Gives: words of affirmation, acts of service

Mikasa lets you know how much you mean to her, and how much you mean to everyone in your life all the time. She doesn’t want you to ever feel like you’re less than you are.

She loves hearing about your progress or achievements in work/school and is quick to tell you that she’s happy for you and proud of you.

She’ll also do anything she can to help you out, so acts of service a big thing for her. She doesn’t want you to have to go out of your way to do something she could handle for you.

That isn’t to say that she thinks you’re incapable of fending for yourself; rather, that she would like to ease your pain whenever and wherever she can.

Needs: quality time

She doesn’t realize how much she likes/needs this until you guys start spending more time together; and it’s in your absence that she finds herself missing you more than she’d anticipated.

She doesn’t even mind sitting idly by while you’re busy or doing work, so long as she gets to be by your side. It also brings her a sense of comfort to be able to take care of you during this time; having snack breaks with you, occasional tangent conversations, and reminding you to rest when necessary.

She finds that one of the simplest means of quality time is sleeping next to each other; whether it be for a nap, or going to bed, it’s a kind of intimacy she never thought she’d crave, but comes to really, really enjoy.

JEAN Gives: quality time, gifts

Just. Just let Jean tag along to whatever you’re doing like a little golden retriever and he’ll be so damn happy. It doesn’t matter what—buying makeup, going on a walk, heading to the grocery store—he just likes spending time with you.

Though he—and anyone who expresses themselves in quality time—completely understands there are moments where you need to be by yourself. But if you don’t mind him being there, then he’ll take the opportunity to be with you.

He looooves to give presents, and even though he can get kind of embarrassed by it and try to play it off as nonchalant, he’s quite thoughtful and romantic with his gifts.

Needs: quality time, physical touch

He loves doing what you’re doing, but he would also love to have you around when he’s chilling or running errands or doing whatever, too. He doesn’t care, Jean just likes talking to you, and will take any opportunity to hear you speak to him and be around him.

He shows a normal amount of physical touch and/or PDA throughout your relationship, but really casual and gentle touches by you mean the world to him. When he feels you stroking his face when you think he’s asleep, wrapping your arms around one of his habitually when you’re sleepy after a night out, putting your hands on his face when you kiss him—all those things mean the world to him.

I don’t know if this would fall into words of affirmation, but he also likes it when you tell him that you find him attractive. Call him handsome once and he’ll be thinking about it for the rest of the month. Tell him he’s pretty and you might even get him to blush.

CONNIE Gives: quality time

Similar to Eren, his quality time is most commonly expressed through a little game he likes to call “how many times can I annoy my girlfriend in the span of twenty minutes.”

You could be chilling like normal, having a casual night in and Connie will just come bursting in your room like the loudest mf on the planet, with Monopoly in his left hand, and a six pack of beers in his right.

He lives for doing stupid (borderline illegal) shit with you, and to his credit, you’ve never gotten caught. He really just likes to hang with you and make you laugh and make memories the both of you won’t ever forget.

Needs: acts of service

Help this man. No, really, literally, help him, even if he says he doesn’t need help, he’ll appreciate it in the end.

From stuff like tutoring him for a class, to packing him lunches (beyond Lunchables, but inclusive of a strawberry-kiwi CapriSun, nonetheless); it’s a love language Connie didn’t even think he would like.

He fucking loves it though and never shuts up about anything you might do for him; always thanks you a million times and puts you in a loving chokehold and pinches your cheeks in appreciation.

SASHA Gives: words of affirmation

She’s really good at comforting you, or even just making you feel good about yourself. Sasha might not even realize how much her positive outlook on you might mean, but she sure does love to tell you how much you mean to her.

Adores singing your praises and rewarding you with compliments all the time. She’s so sweet and she doesn’t even realize what she’s doing. Best girl.

Needs: gifts

Sasha loves presents in all shapes in forms: birthday presents, anniversary presents, planned presents, surprise presents. Doesn’t matter, she’s happy to receive any and all of them.

She looks at the gifts you get her with sparkles in her eyes and the widest grin on her face. It means the world to her that you would get her something she loves and she appreciates it so much.

Takes extra special care of your gifts too. If you got her one of something she collects, the ones you give her have their own little special place in her collection and she loves to show them off whenever people ask about them.

PIECK Gives: acts of service, physical touch

Pieck will do just about anything for you, and if she can’t, she’ll commission someone else to get it done for the both of you. (Someone being Porco and Reiner if this act involves lifting or carrying anything heavy).

She adores the smile on your face after she tells you she’s taken care of something you were putting off or having trouble doing; it makes her whole day to see you happy and relieved to have one less task on your to-do list.

She definitely does things because it makes her happy to see you happy, but there’s a small part of her that’s not above admitting she likes to be rewarded for it, too. Even something as small as a hug will do 😌

That’s also where the physical touch comes in: Pieck is kind of handsy, an almost unexpectedly protective kind of way. It’s equal parts of her liking to show you off and have her hands on you, and making sure nobody else thinks about doing the same.

Needs: quality time

Once she discovers the joy of having someone else to laze around with, take naps with, and do… questionable antics with, Pieck feels like she’s discovered the true meaning of life.

Adores when you ask to come along with her to run errands, or when you show interest in any of her many hobbies. She comes to find that she loves sharing them with you.

Napping together is a must, and if you think she’ll let you out of her hold just because your leg cramped or you have to use the bathroom, then think again. There’s a minimum of three one-hour naps per week with her.

PORCO Gives: acts of service, gifts

Gifts might come as a surprise for him, but he’s got a good memory, so when he sees something you’ve been talking about, he’ll just pick it up/buy it for you.

Could be anything from a new pair of house slippers, to a pair of earrings you showed him once. If he sees it and remembers you wanted it, there’s a 9/10 chance he’ll just get it. You can’t say he never did anything for you.

He approaches acts of service the same way, and usually does things he knows he can handle doing for you, like cleaning your car, cooking you dinner, or giving you a massage.

He can get kinda smug about it tho, going off about how you’re his little baby and that you need him to take care of you, as if he didn’t go out of his way to do these things, unprompted 🙄

Needs: physical touch

He’s not going out of his way to do extreme PDA, but he’s not hiding it either; if he feels like touching you, he will. But the first time you initiate it, or the first time you touch him in a gentle way, he’s such a goner.

He doesn’t even know how to process it at a first, and when he does he feels stupid and embarrassed for even liking it, but he certainly likes it that for damn sure.

He gets kinda cranky if you don’t cuddle up to him or hold his hand or poke his cheek (even though he claims it’s oh so annoying, you know he likesssss it).

[anothers-trash-my-treasure]

Take It Out On Me

Happy Smutty Saturday! I seem to like writing things revolving around the pandemic lmaoo I'm sorry, I don't want to make that a habit. This is escapism, after all. Anyways, request from god knows how long ago about angry fucking with our fav gremlin boi

Pairing: Merriell Shelton / Reader (Female)

Warnings: 18+. There's some angst, some words exchanged in anger but nothing too crazy. Unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it pls don't be dumb) Rough sex, dirty talking, hints of BDSM if you squint, praise kink if you squint.

Word Count: 3K

Tag List: @edteche2 @xmxisxforxmaybe @diasimar @txmel @gloriousdarkangelsworld @paradoxicaltornado @404-not-found-xix

Enjoy!

When the pandemic started, things weren’t so bad. Your job allowed you to simply work from your laptop, you had turned the second bedroom/storage room into a makeshift office and it worked just fine. Merriell, on the other hand, was not so lucky. He had been laid off, and, at first, was incredibly stressed about it. Thankfully though, you made enough money to cover the rent and the government came through with some financial aid that helped Mer pay for the bills. You’d be okay.

In fact, once the financial stresses were taken care of, it was actually kind of nice. You two hadn’t lived together long, but long enough that you had noticed your schedule differences and long enough to know you had missed each other. Gone were the late nights at the shop that left you lonely and missing his touch. Quite the contrary, during the first few months, you had fucked like rabbits. He had taken you in every room of the house like you were christening the damn thing all over again. The kitchen, the living room, the bathroom, hell, he even had you in your ‘office’ at one point. It was fun, being together all the time.

Until it wasn’t.

Eventually, being cooped up in the same goddamn space all the damn time got to both of you. And you loved him dearly but god he was so fucking annoying sometimes. Usually, you could avoid creating tension either by slinking away to your office for a bit or politely asking him to take a walk. But the office door had been a lost cause ever since he fucked you up against it so hard it came right off its hinges and it was raining outside, so he couldn’t leave. You were stuck.

Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad, but the little things that usually didn’t matter had gone unchecked and undiscussed and were beginning to bite at your skin in a way you couldn’t ignore. For you, it had started when you went to the bathroom in the morning, only to discover he had left the toilet seat up and you fell right through. For him it had started when you unconsciously kicked him awake at 6 in the morning on a Saturday. And from there it spiraled. By the time you were ready for coffee, he had drunk the whole pot.

“Thanks for leaving me some.” you had grumbled, and maybe you meant it in good fun, but your sleepy attitude struck a chord, and you knew that because it was met with silence.

So maybe that’s why you didn’t ask him if he wanted some of the eggs you were making for breakfast. And maybe that’s why he decided the be extra loud when he finally made his own breakfast. Pots and pans clanging as he threw them in the sinks, cupboard doors slamming shut and using his fork just a little too violently in a way that set your whole being on edge.

By the end of the day, you had snapped at each other a few times and the tension was so thick that you could barely stand just being next to him. You hated that you were feeling this way, that these stupid lockdowns were driving you away from each other when all you wanted was the opposite. But you couldn’t let go of your anger and annoyance, and it bled through your veins, poisoning any conflict resolution that threatened to act as an antidote to your frustrations.

The last straw came at dinner. He had asked you what you wanted to eat and just the question had you gritting your teeth. So you had replied, telling him that he could make whatever he wanted. That, apparently, was the wrong answer.

“Jesus fucking christ,” he snarled, slamming his hand down onto the kitchen island, “Can you please jus' tell me what the fuck you want?!”

You had done nothing more than glance his way and roll your eyes, not getting a chance to respond before he was launching into a tangent.

“Seriously, what the fuck do ya think I am? Some kinda mind reader?” He asks, one hand gesturing wildly while the other keeps the counter in a white-knuckled grip, “Ya been in this fuckin’ mood all goddamn day and Darlin, I gotta say, ‘m fuckin’ sick of it.”

You bark out a sharp, bitter laugh, “Oh, you’re sick of it?” You stand up from the couch, walking behind it so you can get closer to him, “Like you haven’t been intentionally pissing me off all fucking day.”

His jaw pushes out in annoyance, both hands now gripping the countertop, “I promise you,” and you gotta give the guy credit for trying to regain some composure, “whateva’ I did to make you this goddamn bitchy was not intentional.”

“Oh, so I’m a bitch now?” You counter, folding your arms over your chest.

His eyes close and his chin tucks into his chest, recognizing his mistake but unwilling to apologize for it, “That’s not what I meant.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Tell me.” you insist, stepping closer to him, “Tell me what a bitch I’ve been. Blame all your problems on me. Because that’s just easier, isn’t it?”

It’s not true. You know. He knows it. But right now, all you can focus on is the anger that’s been boiling in the pit of your stomach.

“Y’know what? Maybe this-” he cuts himself off, but his quick gesture between the two of you finishes the rest of his sentence for him. Silence fills the kitchen and now there’s salt added to the wound. Hurt swirls with your anger and you can’t stop yourself from talking even if you tried.

“No, say it.” you encourage bitterly, crossing the line into the kitchen, “Tell me how moving in together was a mistake. Tell me how you can’t fucking stand living with me. Tell me how I’m so bitchy and how sick you are of my shit. Tell me-”

Before you can finish antagonizing him, he’s got you pushed up against the wall, his hands braced on either side of your head. He’s so close to you, you can feel his breath, angry and panting on your skin. You look into his eyes, seeing them hard and cold with his anger but something else lying behind them.

“Shut the fuck up,” he growls, and before you can even begin to be angry about it his lips are on yours and you can’t breathe.

His anger is very apparent, even as he kisses you. It’s rough, bruising, but it’s an outlet for all the negative feelings you’ve been experiencing so you kiss him back just as hard. You reach for him, unsure if you’re working to pull him closer and push him away. It doesn’t really matter though because he doesn’t let you touch him for long. Within seconds both your wrists are taken in one hand and pinned above your head. You fight against his hold, despite knowing it’s futile. In retaliation you bite down hard on his lip, feeling only a little satisfied when he pulls away in shock, his free hand coming up to check for blood. There's not.

You meet his eyes with a defiant smirk. He wants to play dirty? Fine. You can play that way too.

He steps away and for a second you think he’s actually going to walk away. But then-

“Get your ass to the bedroom.”

You almost laugh. If he thinks you’re, in any way, going to be compliant tonight, he’s sadly mistaken. Instead, you cross your arms, falling back to lean against the wall, your eyes never leaving his. He chuckles, an angry smirk crossing his features. He looks away, shaking his head, tongue poking against the side of his cheek in complete disbelief. Before you can think of your next move he’s got you thrown over his shoulder, marching the both of you down the hallway to your shared bedroom. You squirm, trying to push yourself to an angle that would let you fight his grip but it’s no use. By the time you work his hold free, he’s already dropping you on the bed. Although dropping may not be the right word, he all but slams you down, leaving you momentarily breathless.

Even then, he moves quickly. His hands move to his belt, quickly working the clasp back and off so he can slide his jeans off. Despite your anger, you feel heat pool between your legs when the fabric drops to reveal bare skin. It’s nothing new for Merriell, but it never fails to do something to you. He knows it too, a cocky smile gracing his face as he sheds his shirt too. He only lets you look for a second before he’s quickly flipping you onto your stomach. He forces you up onto your knees, hand finding the back of your neck to keep you where he wants you as he climbs onto the mattress behind you.

You put up a bit of a fight, although you’re becoming less and less focused on your anger and frustration and more focused on the feeling on his cock pressing against the back of your jean-clad thigh.

“Always seem to forget how fucking stubborn you are.” He growls into your ear, pressing himself against the line of you body while his free hand starts to unbutton and work off your pants, “Hard headed and difficult.” he continues, biting roughly on your earlobe just to here your intake of breathe and to feel you struggle against his hold, “A fucking brat.” He punctuates the last words by tugging both your jeans and panties down around your thighs roughly. You hiss at the forcefulness of the action, feeling the burn of the fabric against your skin contrasting with cool air against your bare pussy.

You’re completely at his mercy.

His presence is dominating, even though you can’t see him, his hands, one pressing on your neck to keep you still and the other caressing the swell of your ass, let you know exactly who's in charge. You don’t struggle, both of you knowing how much you want him, but you still hold an air of defiance. Your face is turned so you can breathe, but you won’t give him the satisfaction of looking at him. He tries to draw you out, teasing you by dragging his cock against your wetness. He alternates between taking the tip and rubbing it between your folds and fucking the space between your thighs. He knows what it does to you, can see the way you fight the urge to beg by pressing your lips together.

But you don’t fold.

“C’mon baby,” he taunts, venom laced in his words, “I know you want it.” As he talks the hand on your neck slides up into your hair, “Know you want that attitude fucked outta ya,” He tugs your hair roughly, pulling a gasp from your lips and forcing you to look back at him, “All ya gotta do is ask.”

You breathe heavily for a second, eyes locked with his, “Go fuck yourself.”

He growls, shoving your head back down into the mattress and thrusting into you roughly. Your back arches, eyes rolling back in your head as he begins to fuck you, not allowing you even a second to catch your breath. The second he sees bliss cross your features, he’s insufferable.

He laughs against a moan, “Feisty,” he comments, “but the second my dick’s in ya, you’re putty in my hands.”

You’re desperate to prove him wrong. You force your eyes open, locking them with his and pushing back against his thrusts, the headboard already banging against the wall with the force of both your movements.

“Feel’s good doesn’t it?” He asks, free hand coming down on your ass with a sharp smack.

“I’ve had better.” Your voice bounces with each thrust, but you’re determined to keep your composure, despite the pleasure that makes your toes curl.

Another growl rumbles through his chest and he lays another harsh smack to your rear, just to see your body react, “Liar,” he hisses, fingers digging into your skin.

His angle changes ever so slightly so that his cock now drags against your sweet spot with every movement and you can’t force your moan back. His eyes light up, laughing delightedly at the sound, “Had betta’ my ass.” he comments, leaning down to bite roughly on your shoulder, effectively leaving marks all across them, “Ya jus’ can’t help ya’self. You love it. Love the feeling of my cock in you.”

“Who says I’m thinking of you?” You shoot back.

You know it’s not true. Merriell was unlike any lover you had before, you were hopelessly and utterly ruined for anyone else. But that didn’t matter. The comment, however untruthful, hits his possessive streak just like you knew it would. He pulls out of you, flipping you onto your back and nearly ripping the remaining fabric off your body before resuming his brutal pace, this time using your wrists on either side of your head to hold you down. In this position he can ensure that you’re looking at him, leaving no doubt in either of your minds that it’s him that makes you feel like this. Only him.

“Such a fucking brat,” he growls, leaving bite marks all along your skin. By the time you’re done, there won’t be a part of your body that’s not marked by him.

He stops talking for a second, focusing instead on giving you the fucking of your life. He’d never fucked you like this. He’d been possessive, sweet, caring, loving, jealous. But never angry. Not like this. Every ounce of frustration and anger he’d felt was redirected to his hips, the air tense with the hurtful words you’d both said earlier.

“C’mon,” you taunt when he slows for a second, lips turned up in a sneer even as you pant, breathless, “That all you got?”

“Shut the fuck up,” he snarls, hoisting your legs up onto his shoulders, releasing your hands so he can move one to your throat, pressing you into the bed that way instead. It’s hard for you to breathe that way, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t love it. And if you thought he was fucking you hard before, it’s nothing compared to the way he’s fucking you now.

The new angle allows him to trust deeper into you and your stubborn resolve begins to fade a little. Your hands scramble to latch onto his forearm that holds you down, not trying to push him away but just searching for purchase, for support somewhere you’ve always found it. He’s not faring much better, head rolling back onto his shoulders with a groan as he fucks you. You’re both quickly abandoning your anger in favor of the pleasure that you provide each other.

“Merriell,” you mewl, a peace offering without even realizing it.

His head snaps back to look down at you, eyes sparkling at the sound of your name on his lips for the first time tonight, “There she is,” he pants, leaning down to kiss you, open-mouthed and filthy. It’s still harsh, but the anger behind his motions is nearly gone, “My good girl, huh?”

You don’t even need to nod, to voice your confirmation. It’s not even really a question. You both know you’d come to an unspoken agreement.

“Fuck, baby girl.” he moans against your mouth, slowing his trusts just enough so he can really make you feel the drag of his cock inside you, “Oh, you feel so good.”

You love it when he gets like this. When all he can do is fuck into you and voice his pleasure. It’s a sure sign of surrender.

“Yes,” you gasp, back arching up against his as you feel your pleasure begin to reach its peak, “Merriell, I’m close.”

“Yeah,” he breathes, nodding in agreement, “C’mon, baby I gotcha. Let go for me.”

Your eyes lock with his the second you feel yourself slip over the edge. You see the way his eyes watch you, full of love that he had hidden behind his anger earlier. Your nails dig into his arm and your eyes roll back, unable to help yourself as pleasure courses through your whole body. You think that maybe you're shaking, but you’re completely detached from your conscious, knowing only the bliss he’s brought you.

Your senses come back to you just in time to feel him finish inside of you. His head buries into your neck, muffling his moans against your skin. The hand that had previously held you down now cups the back of your neck, the other gripping the back of your thigh with a grip so tight, you’re sure you’ll wear his fingerprints for a week.

He collapses against you, staying buried in your heat but pulling back enough so he can kiss you passionately. You kiss him back, hands tangling in his hair as your emotions begin to rise. When he pulls back your eyes are wet with unshed tears.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, rubbing your noses together.

He nods, rubbing your noses together affectionately, “Me too,” he says, just as quiet, “Don’t leave.”

It’s a rare moment of sheer vulnerability, much needed after the heightened tensions throughout the past few days. You both knew, on some levels that the words shared earlier were spoken only out of frustration. But there was always that glimmer of doubt that you both felt. For him, it was always that you could find someone better. And for you, it was always the possibility of him growing sick of you.

You shake your head, kissing his softly, lovingly, “Never.”

After a few more moments of holding each other, he pulls out of you but doesn't move much further. He pulls you tight against his chest, kissing the top of your forehead. You bask in the silence for a handful of moments, just listening to each other breathe, finally feeling the tension between the two of you dissipate.

“Next time, can you just please put the seat down?” You murmur against his chest, a teasing tone to your voice.

He barks out a laugh and you grin against his skin at the sound.

Everything was going to be okay.

[let-it-show]

And Their Hearts Began to Glow

WHEW HERE WE ARE. It’s like, 2 am, but I have a little fic for Anna’s birthday. I wish I could write this lovely little spitfire something incredible, but alas I’ll have to settle for something loaded with fluff and sap. Anna asks Elsa a question, prompted by this line from the graphic novel.

"How did you KNOW?"

Anna rolled on her side and looked at Elsa, eyes full of questions. She was happy, comfy on the thick blanket laid over the grass, and drunk off of delicious wine. The sky above them was clear and full of stars. All that could be heard around them was the crackling sound of the little campfire. Anna was cozily wrapped in a thin pair of black pants and a little light green nightgown. Elsa had decorated it with little icy hearts all along the bottom and a light blue ribbon tied around her waist.

Elsa stared back at her, clad in a simple light blue gown with white, snowy flowers on the chest and in her hair. She smiled as Anna reached for her hand. "What do you mean?"

"Every year you've told me when you first saw me, you loved me. How did you know though!?" Anna repeated, studying her. Elsa was three, how on earth did she know that? When Anna was three, aside from loving her sister she also loved flowers, chocolate, funny hats and sheep. While the love she had for Elsa was different than the other things, she never knew the depth of it. Apparently Elsa sensed differently.

"Oh Anna." Elsa laughed and squeezed her hand, propping herself up on one elbow. "I can't explain I just...knew. I walked into that room with some idea I was meeting someone special. Mother showed you to me and I looked at your face with you sleepy eyes, your cute little nose, I looked at your hands grabbing the blanket and your tiny, tiny feet...." She nudged Anna's foot with her own, bare against feet in little pink slippers.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Everyone loves BABIES. How did you know, how did you know how MUCH you loved me? I wanna hear it from your lips," she said, knocking her own feet against Elsa's.

"Where else would you hear it from?"

"I don't know..." Anna thought hard about that question. She started to say Elsa's tongue or her hips, but she knew where that would go but she was too drunk and giggly to focus on where she might want to kiss or be kissed. "Ummm...your...uh..."

"It-it wasn't that serious a question," Elsa answered with a laugh. She released Anna's hand to poke her nose. "You really want details, huh? Can't you just be content knowing you've always been loved?" she teased. A little breeze cruised through and Anna shivered only slightly in the otherwise warm air. "No! I want to know-I want to know stuff!" she demanded, smacking the blanket for emphasis. "Everything! How'd you still know when we couldn't see each other? When you said hi to me at your coronation party, was it because you knew? Story story story!"

"...." Elsa shook her head and then pulled herself up to a sitting position. She pointed her finger over her own shoulder and made herself a sturdy little ice column to prop her back up against.

"Woah," Anna gasped, lifitng her head from the blanket. "Sometimes I forget you can do that."

Elsa stopped suddenly and gave her an incredulous look. "How!?"

"I dunno. Sometimes I just think about how pretty you are and forget," Anna blurted. That was not at all how she meant to explain herself but she had immediately forgotten what she initially would have said. That have been some strong wine...

Elsa's braided hair did glisten under the moonlight, her features highlighted and her beauty more striking than ever. Anna not only couldn't believe she was in love with someone so beautiful, but that she even KNEW someone so beautiful. Her curves, from her lips to her legs, made Anna melt. A minute ago she had felt silly and then she wanted to run her palms over all that skin.

"-what I'll do with you. Besides, I'll tell you again and again how gorgeous you are," Elsa had been saying.

"Wait, what?" Anna snapped to attention. She's been lost in her thoughts.

"You weren't paying attention at all." Elsa shrugged and laughed, patting her thighs. "Come here."

With a big smile Anna crawled over and flopped down on her back with her head on Elsa's legs. She looked right up at Elsa's flawless face, blue eyes connecting with her own. Anna couldn't think of what to say for a minute and simply hummed when Elsa took her hand and held it on her stomach. Her other hand played in Anna's loose hair. It felt amazing.

"How did I know...how did I know," Elsa mused, watching her for a minute before taking a breath and looking to the stars. "I entered that room and laid eyes on you. Something seemed to take a hold of my heart, but not in a bad way. I remember feeling such warmth inside of me. I remember my fingers tingling, little sprinkles of snow falling from them. I was incredibly happy. That was the main part. I felt like...like some space in me I didn't know existed had been filled with exactly what it needed. This feeling surrounded me and welcomed me, and I welcomed it. All I knew was love."

Anna had been gazing at the sky above them as well when she noticed little fuzzy white flakes forming in the sky below the stars. They sparkled blue, pink and green as they formed little Elsa and baby Anna. "Wow!" Anna whispered. In little Elsa's chest an icy blue diamond began to shine, beating like a heart. So did a light purple one in Anna. Pink sparkly snow sprouted from the light purple diamond and flowed across the small space between the girls before touching Elsa and bursting into a glimmering cloud that surrounded her. Elsa hurried toward baby Anna and when they met...

Elsa pulled her hand from Anna's hair and raised it, palm up. She suddenly made a fist. The sky exploded with multicolored snow above them, falling down around them on their blanket. Behind the snow stars continued to glow brightly against the deep blue sky. Anna wore a big grin as the cool flakes kissed her face. "That feeling has always been there," Elsa continued softly. "Every day spent with you, and even those long years behind the door. I would know you were there even when you were quiet as a mouse," she said.

"Mouses-mice...aren't quiet. They squeak an-ooh. Sorry," Anna sheepishly smiled when Elsa stared at her and lowered her hand back down to her hair.

"Don't be. I love hearing you talk. Those days in my room, it brought me such joy to hear you ramble through the door. Sometimes you got tongue-tied in what you were saying or went off on tangents, or forgot what your point was entirely. I didn't dare laugh but I'd be covering my mouth and trying to control little spirals of ice flowing around the room and glowing pink and purple. I'm sure if my heart could literally glow I'd have blinded by the light you gave it." Elsa continued to look down at her with adoration. "I may not have actually realized what it all meant, but I did know I loved you deeply then."

Anna blinked up at her. "You...I wish I had broken down the door! I would have loved the ice and I would have hugged you so so tight!" Elsa constantly blew her mind with the wonderful things she said and Anna could hardly take it. After speaking she turned her head and tried to hide it in Elsa's stomach. Her face was burning red from a blush and the wine and her head swam with hearts of all the soft icy colors she could think of.

And to think some years ago she had dared think she would always feel lonely, think she was some spare that even her sister wasn't particularly interested in. She was just a princess who existed within the confines of a castle, her only escape the books that filled the library. Even knowing there would be a day when she could meet people, Anna had wondered if anyone would want her company. She had felt so isolated...

"Oh Anna." Elsa's stomach vibrated wonderfully as she giggled down at her and Anna tried to press her face closer to it. She loved hearing her laugh. "When I saw you at my coronation I didn't just want to hug you, I wanted to take you across the dance floor. I wanted to tell you thank you for never giving up on me, wanted to tell you I only loved you more each day. I wanted to tell you everything, but I was so scared."

"Powerful ice spirit, scared of what I might think," Anna murmured against her. It still surprised her.

"Scared too, of hurting you again." Elsa squeezed her hand. "But none of that now. I've answered what you asked me, and I don't want to revisit the fear and pain of being ripped away from you. Just let me spoil you, let me give you this moon and this sky and soon, the sun."

Anna slowly turned her head to look up at Elsa again. "You know you don't have to give me anything. Maybe more wine? But nothing else. Ummm...your presence I mean. So you and wine, but nothing else!" she rambled out, and then stopped and laughed at herself. What the heck was she even saying?

"I give you more wine and I'll soon be carrying you to the tent," Elsa pointed out. "If that's what you'd like however? Anything you ask Anna, anything you ask and I'll give it to you."

That, Anna knew, was the truth. It was the complete truth. Anna could ask for treasure from a far away land and Elsa would prepare herself to track it down for her. Anna could ask for the ocean, and Elsa would summon Nokk to help her wrangle it.

Anna didn't want any of that, though. It all sounded like too much effort and time away from Elsa. She was content playing tag with her through the castle hallways and tickling her when she did catch her. "Anything I ask..." Anna found herself repeating.

"Anything."

"Is there any ice cream cake left?" Anna asked eagerly.

Elsa laughed gently as she brought Anna's hand to her lips for a gentle kiss. "Of course there is. Ice cream cake, wine, and cuddles?" she asked hopefully. "Or you know, whatever you want."

Anna smirked and wiggled her hand free from Elsa's so she could pinch her cheek. "You are so, so cute, I love your cute everything," she told her. It wasn't terribly eloquent. She didn't care. "I'm so lucky that you are so cute." Who would have ever known that the icy queen of Arendelle was such a cuddlemonster? Anna was grateful for it every day.

She was rewarded by a blush from Elsa. "I'm...Anna you..." she faltered and just sighed. "I love your everything too," she finally managed.

Anna giggled then and pet the cheek she had pinched before. Another thought occurred to her. "Before anymore wine, will you make us in the sky again? Can we burst into color again? I want to see it over and over," she said shyly.

She saw Elsa's eyes light up at the request and immediately the snow began to form again. Above them there were two women with diamonds for hearts, and Elsa began to raise her hand once again. "As you wish, my love."

[hoedameron]

but before i go looking in the tags, let’s talk about my latest gifsets!

what a worker bee i was both yesterday and today with prodigal son AND loki <3 never have i created so many gifs in a short amount of time it’s a damn miracle that my photoshop didn’t straight up cough up blood and keel over. alas, us bitches are stronger than that! if this post gets flagged because of the scenes i included....that would just mean that i made the right decision to exclude those scenes ajsdksajkldsa

malcolm stabbing martin

when the episode finally downloaded, i took a peek at the ending before it aired to see how it all ends (just in case it doesn’t get renewed </3). GOSH, was i just in a TIZZY when i saw this happen and i couldn’t tell my dad what i saw because we were straight up watching the show as it aired. anyways, keeping my secret knowledge, i got to work on making this gifset. i missed a huge chunk of the episode bc it took me over TWO hours to make the six gif set. i was really torn on the “artistic” approach aka which scene to gif and which to leave out. because i saw the ending before anything else, i couldn’t play it out loud and i didn’t have my headphones to listen so i was like FREE FORMING THE SUBTITLES. plus the captions weren’t synced up so it was really hard to decipher what was being said :( 

i really thought i would be able to create the set before 9 but i was running into unforeseen issues such as the subtitle problem, which on top of that, like i said earlier, my photoshop is c/racked and janky so....you catch my drift. i was actually going to gif the bisexual moment in the cafe which i think would’ve been MUCH easier but i jumped the gun and wanted to make the gifs of the shocking ending. funny part about that is the shocking part wasn’t even included in my set (malcolm driving the knife into martin) because i felt like the scene was too short...anyways, let’s talk about the positives:

i really do like the coloring of this one. i used a psd that i’ve used before and luckily it’s meant for outdoor scenes with greenery so the gif really popped. sharpening, buddy ole pal, love you sm. the caption was kinda last minute but i hoped to save it with the gradient. cropping was a bitch because for some reason, it takes forever when you’ve made multiple gifs beforehand (cache innit) pero we pulled through! i actually started not saving the psd files to try and save time which is very unusual for me pero i was getting frustrated with photoshop so i was like y’know what....so i just gave up entirely and stopped saving. i do save when i’m taking my time but jeez, it’s a bad habit. i like saving the psd file because i never know if there is a mistake i missed in post and when i go to publish it, it’s blatant and it needs to be fixed. please, save your psd files idc if it takes up space u can just delete them later. IT HELPS !! TRUST ME!!

first & “last” appearance

i actually premade gifs for this gifset! unfortunately, i didn’t realize that three of the five gifs were the wrong size (pictured above) because i flipped the ratio. instead of 268 x 250, i made them 250 x 268. i don’t know HOW i managed to fuck that up but luckily i saved the psd files (wink, wink) so the coloring was still intact. i think i had to restart photoshop or it was getting too late so i picked it back up in the morning. sucks that i had to remake the entire gif from scratch but we will take some wins xx

coloring is the same with the previous gifset (listen....it’s a good coloring) and i actually did have an alternative coloring that was very warm pero i didn’t end up using it. almost melted the two with the “last” appearance of gil but ultimately didn’t go through with it. also i was thinking of using baby malcolm as the first appearance because technically, that IS his first appearance in the show but i was like...just use adult malcolm lol. also i know that scene of dani isn’t the “first” but the first scene she has goes really quick and she is planked by gil so there isn’t much of a solo (even though this scene isn’t much of a solo either pero it’s better than the former). the lighting is weird in this episode and my coloring tried their best :/ i know gifmakers make each gif a diff coloring pero i’m lazy okay and looking to be time effiencent. another slight tangent is that i actually queued the post for the morning but since i woke up to a storm, i was like, i’m here so i’ll publish it myself.

other than that...i didn’t run into any other problem. i was actually hesitant to make the caption that because i wasn’t sure how to really describe the team. i have poor memory so if there was ever an official name, i do not remember it. i did a quick google search pero it turned up nothing. i stuck with “dream team” because, well, that’s what they are. plus i didn’t want to tarnish the gifset with any mentions of p/olice (i was thinking about putting sumn along the lines of ‘the nypd team’) so DREAM TEAM IT IS because it’s true! you cannot have the show without these five! also, i should’ve used quotations on “last” because there is a bunch of talk about a renewal pero...just in case... sorry y’all :/

odinson brothers parallels

this was made in the spur of the moment. i saw that the teaser trailer with shirtless loki dropped in hd, i came A-RUNNING! it was posted like 47 minutes after the fact and i was like...somebody probably already made a gifset of the scene so i was like...gosh, to make the gifset or not all the while i was trying to download the video. trying because again, this was in the middle of a storm so my wifi was acting up and wasn’t at its strongest (whatever that may be). so i was getting frustrated because neither cc nor 4kdownloader was downloading this small one minute clip. that’s when i knew i was gonna be too late to make the loki gifset so i was like whatever ig...

then i had an idea.

i love parallels so luckily it hit me that this paralleled with thor and how his hair got chopped off. so, i knew i had ragnarok downloaded and got to work <3 wasn’t sure what dimensions to use so i went with 268 x 268 to make perfect squares. because the loki scene was short, i could only make three so i was like..okay, i can work with this. three for loki, three for thor, they’re brothers and they share! i wasn’t planning to add subtitles but i had written them down for the plain gifset so i was like alright, we’re going all in. i didn’t take that long to make since again, they’re small gifs and i did have a coloring in mind that i always use for ragnarok (it’s my fave for non-marvel edits as well). there was a slight adjustment to the final loki gif because i realized the gif had that dark fade into the scene which i didn’t know if it was an artistic choice for the show itself or was added for the trailer only (it happens when companies cut a bunch of scenes together and it’s not at all how it actually plays out). i didn’t want to take any chances so i cut those parts out. i know the gifs are short on the loki side pero...that’s just how it is in show business.

thank you so much for listening and hearing me out! i like discussing my work and i try to have pride in them even if the numbers don’t reflect what i hope they would. either way, still learning, still growing, still thinking about buying p.s. like deadass this shit is RIDICULOUS -_- imagine opening up ps and like...it opens up in less than two minutes...shivers

[rulesofthebeneath]

how bout a dance: part 10

<AN> Hey friends! Just a quick ??warning?? for this chapter, it gets like lowkey suggestive at the end. nothing explicit, probably still even pg-13, just letting you guys know. thanks. credit: @euphonyinestetica. tag: @pixelburied, @witchiegirl, @lilmissperfectlyimperfect, @itsbrindleybinch, @aidenzhous, @catlady0911, @ravenclawpokegirl25, @ylevolenahs, @awkwardalbatros, @hufflepvnk

</AN>

Tech week. Hell week. The week that made even the most experienced directors, actors and technicians tremble in fear. Ajay hadn’t gotten much sleep (any sleep, if he was being completely honest with himself) the previous night, so on Monday morning he was already running on fumes. He had a tumbler (that really more closely resembled a bucket) full of coffee, and it wasn’t even his first of the day when he got to the theatre at eight am.

His only saving grace was Emily, the stage manager who was criminally peppy for a Monday morning. She didn’t have to start calling cues from the booth yet, so she was at the table in the house with him to discuss lighting and sound options. He stifled a giant yawn behind his hand as he waited for everyone to arrive.

“Ajay,” Emily said suddenly, nearly making him jump.

“Yeah?”

“I have a crazy story for you.”

This had become kind of a thing, with him and Emily exchanging bizarre stories while they waited for the actors and techs to set up. There was little else for them to do, and Emily’s latest story about her dog chasing her cat around with a laser pointer had had him in stitches during the previous rehearsal, so he wasn’t complaining.

She was just about to start talking when one of the junior lighting techs walked up, a slightly guilty look on his face. Emily saw him out of the corner of her eye, and before he could even say anything she sighed.

“Sorry, Ajay, I’ll tell you in a second.” Then she followed the tech up to the booth.

Left alone again, Ajay took out his phone and looked through last night’s text conversation with Grace. He smiled to himself as he scrolled through the memes she sent and his increasingly exasperated replies, the link she’d sent him to a song she claimed reminded her of him (and maybe he’d listened to it all night, but nobody had to know), and a litany of cheesy pickup lines that he’d insisted were the worst things he’d ever heard. His favorite conversation, though, was one that they had at three a.m. He hadn’t ever gone to sleep that night but she’d evidently woken up in the middle of the night and texted him.

Grace: hey, so for when we’re together in like five weeks you should probably know that i’m allergic to daisies

Ajay: I’ll keep that in mind. So what are your favorite flowers, now that daisies have lost their position at the top?

Grace: hmmm… why do you wanna know?

Ajay: No reason.

Ajay: Not like I’m planning something or anything.

Ajay: Not at all.

Ajay: Just want to know. Random trivia.

Grace: you’re a terrible liar

Ajay: But you knew that already. So, favorite flowers?

Grace: lilacs

Ajay: Classy. I’m more of a blue hyacinth guy.

Grace: i don’t even know what that is

Grace: oh also. there’s a new restaurant near my apt that we should go to sometime

Ajay: Five weeks!

Grace: five weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ajay: Get some sleep. You need to be functional in the morning.

Grace: i could say the same to you

Ajay: Goodnight, Grace.

Grace: ugh goodnight

Something about that little exchange never failed to make him smile. Maybe it was the fact that she’d been thinking of him when she woke up in the middle of the night, or maybe it was just that she felt comfortable enough with him to text him in the early morning, when they both should’ve been asleep. Maybe it was because her telling him about her favorite flowers made this whole thing much more concrete.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by Emily sitting down next to him again.

“So, you had a story?”

“Oh, I have the best story.”

For the next five minutes while actors and techs slowly made their way into the theatre, she regaled him with the story of her girlfriend's nearly disastrous attempt at a proposal, which involved the aforementioned pet dog nearly eating the engagement ring, the fire alarm going off after a failed attempt at a romantic dinner, and an ugly encounter with a bitter neighbor who had been trying to take a nap at the time of the fire alarm.

Ajay didn't think he'd ever laughed so hard in his life.

"But did you say yes, though?"

"Duh, of course! How could I not marry a woman who went through all that just for me?”

“That’s adorable,” he said a little too loudly, still laughing. He calmed himself down significantly before saying, “I wish you the best. That’s really exciting.” He gave her a sincere smile.

“Thanks, Ajay!”

He turned slightly to give her a quick congratulatory hug, then sat back in his seat to survey the nearly completed scenery.

It was really admirable, all the work the techs had done to get the set ready. The scrim was especially good, and it looked even better in the stage lights. The props had all been set out and looked lovely. He was starting to sketch out a few transitions off the top of his head when a group of actors walked past him. Among them, Grace.

She looked ethereal as always, but the thing about her that most distracted him as she walked past was the stony expression on her face and her refusal to look at him. He was bewildered, and convinced himself that he must’ve just been seeing things. He shook his head and returned to his work. By the time 8:45 am came around, the cast and crew were all gathered onstage.

“Okay! Good morning everyone!” Ajay called, standing up. He noted that Grace still wasn’t looking at him, but let it go. There were more important things to worry about right then. He cordoned off a section of his mind to worry about her in the background and turned his thoughts back to the day ahead.

He quickly delegated, working up the schedule of run-throughs on the fly and making sure Emily told him when to move on from different scenes to keep them on schedule. For some reason, he felt Grace’s eyes on him whenever he turned to talk to Emily. As soon as he looked around at the group of actors again, though, Grace’s gaze moved away from him. It was unsettling, and Ajay didn’t like it at all. He resolved that he’d try to get to the bottom of this during the lunch break.

“Anyways,” he said, pulling himself off whatever tangent about transitions that he had been on, “Let’s set up for the prologue.”

At his words, the cast and crew dispersed. Several cast members retreated to the house to watch and work on lines, and the rest save for Grace, Kevin, Kaylie and Jackson retreated backstage to prepare for their entrances. Grace smiled at Kevin—Ajay’s stomach twisted—as they settled down in the car. She leaned a head on his chest and they clasped hands. Just like Ajay had directed.

“Great. Jackson, Kaylie, you ready?”

Two confirmations sounded from backstage. Ajay signaled for everyone to start, and after a small delay the lights went down on the stage and the prerecorded track started. They didn’t have the luxury of an orchestra in such a small space, but they had a really good recording. Ajay was a bit nervous about that, but convinced himself that it would be fine. After thirty seconds of the prologue music, a strong riff signaled Kaylie’s intro and the start of “Picture Show.”

They made it through the first few bars before the scrim started to roll down too soon, covering Grace and Kevin in the car. It was the first of what felt like a million holds that Ajay had to call before they were done with the complex scene almost three hours later. Everyone was exhausted, Ajay included, but he pressed on into Scene One. Grace was the only lead still onstage.

She was behind the bar, leaning on it slightly from the side at the top of the scene. The short and simple scene ran fairly smoothly, but he had to call one hold for lighting and two more for a telephone ring sound effect. The music at the end of the scene started on time, surprising both him and Grace, who forgot to come in at the right time. Even when he stopped the scene and told her to restart from a certain line, she wouldn’t look at him.

At a snail’s pace, the rest of the morning passed. By 12:30, everyone was starving and restless. As soon as Ajay dismissed them for lunch, he noticed Grace fleeing to her dressing room. He wanted to follow her, but Emily pulled him aside for a litany of questions surrounding the next few scenes and certain cues. Once ten minutes had passed, he gently reminded her that the ten-hour work day maximum applied to the techs too, and that they all needed to have their well-deserved break.

Finally free to slip off, Ajay successfully made his way to Grace’s dressing room undisturbed. The door was cracked slightly open, so he knocked and waited. When he heard no response, he gently pushed the door open a couple of inches.

“Grace?”

He heard a noncommittal grunt from inside the room, and took that as permission to go in. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

She was sitting at her vanity in a rolling chair, head in her hands, but her blank expression didn’t betray any of her feelings. He sat down in an old velvet armchair in the opposite corner of the small room to give her a little space.

“Grace, what’s wrong? You wouldn’t look at me all rehearsal. Did I do something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong.”

“Grace.”

He waited a few seconds.

“Grace, if you won’t tell me what’s wrong then I can’t fix it. Communication, remember?”

She groaned into her hands, then turned to face him. “I don’t know how to say this without sounding controlling or manipulative or paranoid.”

He relaxed into the chair. At least that was a start.

“Just tell me what’s going on, and I promise I’ll understand that you don’t mean to be any of those things.”

She sighed, but nodded. “It’s just that, before rehearsal started, Kevin came up to me and asked me if I thought you and Emily were a couple. I said I didn’t, but then he pointed out how you were laughing at something she was saying, and then you hugged her and called her adorable, and I don’t know. I just overthought. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry. I can see what you were thinking. And I’ll explain what was going on, but only once I tell you one thing that’s really important.”

“Okay?”

He stretched out a foot and pulled her rolling chair towards where he was seated in the armchair. He took both of her hands, and despite himself he noticed the color flooding her cheeks.

“Grace, if this is going to work, you need to trust me.”

She tried to interrupt him, but he squeezed one of her hands and she fell silent again. He looked directly into her eyes.

“I know that it’s a sore spot, and I know that there’s a little more insecurity because we aren’t really together yet, and I know you’re afraid of being cheated on again. I am too. But if we want this to work, both of us need to trust each other, okay? That means that you don’t get scared when I talk to Emily, and I won’t get jealous when you kiss Kevin onstage. Deal?”

She broke eye contact with him and readjusted her hands within his grip.

“I didn’t even think about that,” she admitted.

“Well, don’t. Because I trust you, and anyways this show needs a believable romance between the leads.”

She let out a self-deprecating laugh, then looked back up at him. “Okay. Yeah. I trust you.”

“Good,” he smiled. “Because I really wanted to tell you the story Emily told me.”

They passed the rest of the lunch hour in Grace’s dressing room, Ajay making her laugh with Emily’s proposal story and Grace telling him a few stories of her own, including an awkward run-in between Mayleen and the landlord when their shower had broken. Ajay sensed that she was getting more and more relaxed in his presence, that they were slowly but surely making their way back to how it had been. And that gave him hope that their relationship would really work out this time, more than anything that either of them had said or promised.

Tech week crawled by like he expected it to: painstakingly and stressfully. There were more than a few places where tension, exhaustion and frustration made things excessively difficult, and Ajay had had to yell at people more often than he’d have liked, but he lived for the lunches in the calmness of Grace’s dressing room. He lived for her bright laugh and all the sunshine in her eyes, and he lived for her light touches and the shy glances they’d share for moments before looking away.

Breaking into dress week, the days got shorter but also more tiring. Grace, looking gorgeous in a burgundy dress and red wig, took every opportunity she could to flick a corner of her skirt in his direction or sway her hips a little more when she knew he was watching her. As much as he hated to admit it, she was very successful in distracting him. More than a couple times, he had to forcibly tear his eyes away from her to refocus on the scene at large.

Once, when she was wearing this tiny white slip for a more romantic scene between her and Kevin (he wanted to both kill and profusely thank the costume designer), she noticed his eyes on her and shot him a wink. Ajay, completely caught off guard, had an extremely hard time keeping his thoughts in order. He pulled her behind the set, the only semi-private place he could think of, once rehearsal was over.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” she said, breathless from the singing and dancing, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

“Why the hell would you do that to me?”

“Do what?” Her voice was downright coy, he hated it and couldn’t get enough all at the same time.

“The thing with the… slip… and the wink…” he tried to say, flustered.

“Oh.” She laughed, and it was a glorious sound. “I was messing with you. Looks like it worked.”

“Yeah, it worked,” he whispered, voice suddenly husky. He leaned forward, his lips only half an inch from hers, putting his hands on her waist.

“So what are you gonna do about it?” she teased, one eyebrow raised.

He couldn’t handle it anymore and closed the short distance between them. He swept his tongue lightly along her bottom lip, ignoring the waxy taste of her lipstick. She moaned softly against his mouth, her back arching to draw him in closer. After a few seconds of the pure bliss of having her so close, he finally pulled away from her with a gentle nip.

“And that’s just a preview,” he said breathlessly, watching with delight as her cheeks turned pink and her eyes went dark. He got his revenge with a wink of his own and then turned to walk away, wiping the red lipstick off his mouth with his sleeve.

This, he thought as he left the theatre and stepped out into the brisk night air, is going to be torture.

[coldpressedmemories]

The Discovery Quest has begun.

The mission: To discover a new evolution of self in relation to you, to discover a new evolution of the moment, to discover a more powerful evolution as an artist, as I am fueled by an unstoppable force that I feel wants to unite us.

THE MARKINGS OF A FINANCIALLY WELL-OFF ANIMAL

Fragments. Of memories. “Start anywhere. Start from where you are.” There’s so much trapped inside me, so many stories. Happening so fast. I will attempt to include them all, in time. This quest is about the movement and release, release through movement, of these stories that I’ve been keeping inside for quite some time. Please bear with me while I release some pressure.

There’s a beat in my ears. I’m wearing a pair of wireless rechargeable Bluetooth earbuds that make me look like I’m a cyborg and/or a capitalist. Or something like that. I found them lying on a stone wall at Washington University, as I was walking back to my friend Russ’s car after joining in a drum circle on the insulated quad where we acted like we were students, when none of us were.

“Nice ground score!” Shivananda said (If some of the names have been changed, they have only changed in real life, before I knew these characters, these entities, these avatars).

Not many are able to tell by looking at me when I have these markings of a financially well-off animal, that I am an aspiring freegan who is infusing my brainosphere with psychedelic instrumentation for free from the Interweb, tuned to healing frequencies known to the ancients for their powers of attunement.

There are typically no dates on what I write, because I am playing catch-up to the current events of my life.

The quest has begun. Each event is a beginning. I thought the quest was all about being on the road, and that is still the intention; though, I’m finding again and again, the quest has already begun. Hopefully this will become clearer as time rolls on and I unveil more stories, some of which are in now’s past and some of which are in now’s future (again, I have little concern for dates, although in the future, the goal is to publish as close to real-time as possible, accounting for times where there will be no phone service in forests and the like--I’ll be documenting off-line in journals with pens and pencils, a typewriter, paint, audio and video, and perhaps other forms of media I have yet to discover).

I’ll be documenting as much as I possibly can, in every possible way. For anyone who cares to peer into this little life of mine. It’s thrilling (albeit exhausting) to be me, regardless, and if nothing else, I enjoy having this space to know that my stories, art and other documentation are organized and available to me wherever I go, no matter how “crazy” this process becomes.

Pondering and side-winding on tangents, I spiral serpentine reflections of this cosmos my billions of years of wavicles have formed to inhabit at this point in time-space.

THE GOLD IN LIFE

“It’s not what’s wrong with you,” Mountain used to say to me, “it’s what’s right with you.” Mountain was an elder who fled the superficiality of his billionaire upbringing in order to espouse his East Coast shaman grandfather’s principles. “I am 14 billion years of particles in the making,” is how he would introduce himself to people he would meet on the streets and in grocery stores, and he made a point to lock people into whatever he would tell them with his icy blue eyes. He would talk to you like he was sent to tell you a message that you could never forget. Like it was his last day on this planet.

He used to love it when I read to him, from my own works and from others. He would hang onto every word. I would bring a book or two and my personal journal with a point to read to him while he drove the truck on the way to the gym or to go out for food. “You are the gold in life,” he would say to me, so that I would not forget. “I just love who you are,” he would say.

I have had the truest companions one can hope for, and then our times together come to a close, without tears or worry. I do not miss them, for my trust in the flow allows our return to be a welcomed surprise, not an expectation. Mountain is one whom I will remember always, and it is okay if we never see each other again (though I have a feeling that somehow, some day, we will). I was called back to live in St. Louis, to be a means of emotional support for my mom, my younger sister, and her daughter (my niece) who was just about to turn three.                                           

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

GONZ

I met Gonz (a.k.a. Quest) through a poet-shaman named Ashara who was the answer to a Craigslist ride-share I needed on my journey from Olympia back to my home in Portland on the West Coast. Gonz introduced me to his namesake, Gonzo journalism and Hunter S. He ran a podcast for his Crowded Couch Collective out of his home-town in Michigan. We began a correspondence over the Interweb for around 3 years while I was in St. Louis. We shared the sounds of our voices and music, our deepest thoughts and feelings, poetry we made for each other, spontaneously, all of our truest art and experiences.

As soon as we realized our relativity, we began to set our hearts on questing together.

THE QUEST FOR HOME

I had planned on getting a van which would be a spaceship home, that would assist us in transcending the limits that have been imposed on us by those who control property and make rules that bind us against our understanding of natural law and the level of empathy needed now. Our art seeks to heal ourselves and each other as part of a same whole, to share unconditional love that unites us while exposing the misconceptions and hurt that have damaged and continue to damage our world.

I had been setting my intention on making a van my home almost immediately after arriving in St. Louis. I liked the idea of living “close to the bone,” as Thoreau vouched for; I resonated with the Bohemians, the Beats, the Minimalists. I resonated with turtles and snails. I would see and find them all the time. As you know, they are always home, and so they take their time. Never any hurry to get anywhere. I was always the slowest person I knew, growing up, and while others saw this as a flaw that didn’t fit with the American work ethic, I knew it was a great gift, because it made me step back and see the beauty in the minutia that others wanted to dismiss; this gift made me appreciate a different path that makes me happy and happily different. It frees me from being conventional and arrogant in my approach to life. It has convinced me to not place importance on the things that stress people out. It gives me a useful perspective to bring to the table.

To honor this gift that allows me also to calmly stay centered and focused on what’s before me, I got a snail shell tattooed on my inner left wrist. It’s also the Fibonacci sequence, which seems to be the pattern of creation in nature (the snail reflects this pattern). I consciously began manifesting my simple home on wheels with vision boards, meditations, and the like. I even joined a 90-day transformation course where I set this as a goal and had accountability of my peers and a life coach.

KEEP TO THE CENTER

I attracted three vans. Each with a successively declined price-tag. The first was a white one from a lovely bohemian artist named A.S., a friendship that began with a poem that I made for her on our first encounter. She e-mailed me back and we quickly became beloved to each other through e-letter correspondence. “Keep to the center, and it’ll keep you. Promise,” she told me. Since then we’ve had gorgeous moments sipping tea from ancient porcelain tea cups, feeding our hearts and souls under the trees in the orange light of the setting sun. When A.S. knew I had set my sights on living in a van, she showed me a picture of what she was traveling in. Nothing typically excites me, yet this did. It looked just like I had imagined mine would be! All wood interior, a bookcase, a meditative oasis! Originally we had plans to travel together. That was before I met Gonz.

Then, at the Cherokee Arts Neighborhood Community Thanksgiving Day Feast at the Bomb Door, A.S. told me she wanted me to have her bohemian travel home for $800. I had also set the expectation for myself and promise to my dear fellow mystic artist that I would have made a book from our corresponding e-letters as part of our exchange and before my departure from this city we both decided to inhabit for awhile.That set me to working and saving money, and with that came a lot of procrastination and impulsive spending, as well. A.S. was like a fairy that I could only find when my heart was centered, when I was not trying to track her down. She was a busy little bird flying from one city to another, and at the time when I had the money to give her for the van, she was not around. And I believe that’s because I had not followed through on making the book. I did not want to throw it together. I was committed to hand-producing it. The idea was to transform something archived digitally into a work of hand-made art. I still intend on making this; it’s just that, as you may relate, things don’t really happen when or in the precise way we think they ought.

GLORIA

As the time was approaching (I thought) for me to quest, I was offered a different van for $500, out of left field. I had really hoped that I would be getting the van from A.S., though I knew it was right when I was told, “We call her Gloria.” Glorious had been my word, and it contained my name, Or, which means “light” in Hebrew, and also denotes gold and a teacher (things I’ve found out after receiving the name, a story I’ll tell at a later time).

Gloria was a nice test-run. She was an opportunity for me to get a feel for what it’s like to own a van and a taste of having a space that’s entirely my own. She was an opportunity to summon the force from within myself to become more dexterous. She was an opportunity for meditation on what it means to “put on the brakes”. She was an opportunity for me to bond with a father figure through learning together how to change the drum brakes (Thanks, Russ).

I made a cozy little room in Gloria. My art studio. My desk I’ve had since I was five fits perfectly where I took a seat out. I have a work of art on a chest of drawers that was the first and only piece of furniture I ever paid money for, from my spry artist friend Jenni Starshine.

The same day Russ and I changed the brakes happened to be First Friday in Jacksonville, IL, home of Nicole Riley and the Soap Company. So we decided we’d test-drive the 100 miles. Well, 50 miles out, the entire van clunked to the passenger side where Russ was riding. I kept my cool and remembered to keep to the center as usual. I actually live for these adrenaline-rush kind of moments that could be tragic, though I use my power to stay focused and centered so that the outcome is the best it can possibly be.

And so it was. What we felt was the thrilling impact of change. Gloria lost the wheel down to the axle. The brakes went out (not the ones we had changed; the brake line was torn, and it’s a closed system). The bare hot metal was caked with a clod of grassy earth that Gloria had dug up with her, letting it pass through her fingers to save us. There was a fresh white line that Gloria had scrawled into the gray asphalt that disappeared around the quarter-mile bend. The wheel and all its parts were nowhere to be seen. Six hours we spent on the side of the road. A man named Lou, who said he was a minister at his church, came out and was delighted to help us. He said we were not the first to break down outside his house. He gave me the l.e.d. torch to hold and shine, which felt aptly empowering. Phone service was barely existent. Lou was happy to give us a ride into town so that we could make some calls. With the help of Russ, Lou and Miss Riley, Gloria now rests on Church Road in J-ville, recovering in a cozy and safe place as she awaits reconstructive surgery, now post-poned until after my travels.

A MAN WITH A PLAN (AND NO VAN)

I was offered a third van, a blue one, for $300. This was the last one before realizing that I’m going to be back-packing on this quest, and that my real freedom and home is my own body and self. I really felt this would be the one. It lives in a town called Jackson, MO, which I took as a sign since Gloria lives in Jacksonville, IL, and they are both 100 miles away in opposite directions. Well, after several e-mails, and hanging without any further response, I will not have my own van home for this quest.

The date is approaching. Three days from now I am on my way to Michigan to share my art and experiences with resonating humans at Feral Fest, and to meet Gonz for the first time in person. I am to be in Oregon for the once-in-a-lifetime Eclipse Festival, in three weeks from now. The quest continues from there to some remote mountains and caves. And lots of places, people and moments that none of us will predict.

I’m learning already in this quest, before I’ve even departed, that “the how” doesn’t really matter. As long as it happens.

I will be improving, building upon what I have been creating, what’s being created THROUGH me, as I am further humbled and as I further open up to Life’s ecstatic mystery. I will be sharing as much as I possibly can.

The Quest has begun.

On July 26, 2017, I am meeting Gonz in person, and we’re questing for 3 hours into a forest with an artist collective to demonstrate the power of our unbridled imaginations.

If you’ve made it this far, don’t forget to hit the Follow/Subscribe button. I promise, this is about to get really interesting.

“Random reflections on an accident”, a poem in 4 parts I typed on napkins in the loft of the Soap Co. Coffee House, just hours after Gloria lost her wheel and was towed with Russ and I into Jacksonville, Illinois.

[money-hustle]

56 Brilliant Woodworking Tips for Beginners

Woodworking is a blast, but it can be intimidating for beginners. Luckily, our readers and editors love passing along their go-to tips.

Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links.

Half Pencil Marks Exact Copies

While trying to trace an exact copy of the throat plate for my table saw, I came up with this nifty technique using an ordinary pencil. I just shaved my pencil into a half-pencil by carefully grinding it on my belt sander. The flat edge enables my modified pencil to ride straight up along the edge of the template. It also works great for marking and then shaping inlays for my woodworking projects. — Tim Reese.

Perfect Bar Clamp Cover

Iron pipe clamps can easily mar softer woods or react with the glue to stain the wood. My solution is to cut a section of plastic PVC pipe to size and place it around the pipe. If you have several short lengths, you can space them strategically to accommodate different widths of stock wood. — Tim Johnson.

BONUS

>> Complete Guide To Build Woodworking Business Which Make $150,000/Year <<

Quick Blade-Height Gauge

This gauge block is the quickest way to set the height of a table saw blade. This one is made from a 3-in. length of 4×4 cut to the settings used most frequently. If you need more settings, just create another block.

Then when it’s time to reset the table saw blade, these blocks will help you get the job done quickly

Hachi888/Shutterstock

What’s the Reason for Nominal Dimensions?

For many of us, the moment we learned that a 2×4 board is actually 1.5 inches x 3.5 inches was simply mind-blowing. The reason for this apparent contradiction is that the board has been planed down to eliminate irregularities. At one point, many years ago, 2x4s actually were 2 inches x 4 inches, but their rough surfaces made them difficult to stock and handle. The old terms, such as 2×4 or 4×4, are still used, and are known as the “nominal” size of the board. These nominal sizes are used because they are easier to say and they stick to tradition.

Flexible Sanding Block from the Office

Sanding curves is tricky. Sometimes you need a sanding pad that’s both firm and flexible. A small notepad works great. Just wrap sandpaper around the pad and bend the pad to whatever arc you need. Slip the one end of the sandpaper between the pages to help hold it in place on the pad. Give this a try the next time you’re working on a project that has curves and tough to reach spots.

Simple Circle Layout Tool

This simple jig makes laying out circles a breeze. Drill a 1/8-in. hole through every inch mark on a ruler or yard-stick. To draw a circle, place a pin through the number “1” into the center of your board. Add 1 in. to the radius of the circle you wish to draw, and insert a pencil into this number. Using the pin as a pivot, rotate the pencil to mark the circle. — Edwin Constantino.

Make a Quick Mixing Surface

Instead of using a container to mix a small amount of epoxy, just make a mixing surface on your workbench using painters tape. Simply lay down strips, overlapping the edges so the epoxy doesn’t get on your bench. When you’re done, peel off the tape and throw it away. This mixing surface will work for more than just epoxy, you can use it for wood glue or any other material you need easy access to while working on a project.

Cheap Stain Sprayer

Here’s an easier way to stain or seal chairs, lattice or anything with numerous tight recesses. Pour the stain into a clean, empty spray bottle. Spray the stain onto the project and wipe up the excess with a brush or rag. The sprayer will squirt stain into all those tight, hard-to-reach cracks and joints. — Valrie Schuster.

Never-Fail Miter Joint Clamp

Clamping up four mitered corners is tricky. You can buy specialty clamps for this, but I make my own. Here’s how to do it: Start with a long 1×4, as it’s easier (and safer) to clamp for making the angled cuts than a short piece. Mark out the blocks, and then drill a 1-in. diameter hole in the center of each one. The hole prevents the blocks from getting glued to your project. Cut 45-degree angles tangent to the hole, and then cut the blocks free from the long board.

Family Handyman

Slick Table Saw Tip

I find the best way to protect my cast-iron table saw top is to occasionally rub on a coat of paste wax. This gives me a nice, slick top for easier material feeding, and if I drip glue on the surface, it won’t stick. It also helps prevent surface rust when the air is humid. — Jack Linden.

12 / 57

Easy Odd-Width Measuring

How do you divide 11-3/8-in. (or any other mathematically difficult number) into equal parts without dividing fractions? Simple. Angle your measuring tape across the workpiece until it reads an easily-divisible dimension and make your marks with the tape angled. For example, say you want to divide an 11-3/8-in. board into three equal parts. Angle the tape until it reads 12-in., and then make marks at “4” and “8”.

Safety When Cutting Small Parts

Recently I needed to cut some small furniture legs on my miter saw. With their irregular shape, they were impossible to hold safely, so I attached each leg to a scrap 2×2 with a dowel screw. These assemblies stayed straight and kept my hands far from the blade. — David Alexander.

Improvised T-Bevel

Not long ago, I needed to make some angled wood parts to build a new soffit on my garage. I didn’t have the customary tool for the job, but I had some steel joining plates. I screwed through one of the holes in the plate, set my angle, then added another screw to lock the angle. I could then use it as a template to mark all the pieces at the same angle and cut them with my circular saw.

Bi-Fold Workbench

Old doors laid across sawhorses make great temporary workbenches, but they take up a lot of space when you’re not using them. Instead of full-size doors, I use bifold doors with hinges so I can fold them up when I’m done working. They’re also easier to haul around in the pickup for on-the-road jobs. — Harry Steele.

What is Quarter-Sawn Lumber?

A board is considered “quarter-sawn” when the growth rings run, more or less, perpendicular to the face of the board. Quarter-sawn boards generally have straight grain and are less prone to shrinkage, compared to other boards. These factors don’t come into play with the 2x4s you use to frame a closet—but it does with the shelves and cabinetry you put into that closet; you want those boards to remain straight, flat and stable.

Some quarter-sawn boards, especially those of white oak, exhibit gorgeous rays or flecks; a hallmark of much Craftsman-style furniture. Because of their stability and beauty, quarter-sawn boards are often actively sought out by woodworkers—meaning they may also come with a heftier price tag.

Illustration by Melanie Powell, from “Woodworking FAQ” by Spike Carlsen (Story Publishing, 2012)

On-Hand Sandpaper Cutter

Cutting sandpaper is a quick way to dull your scissors or utility knife blade. Instead, I fastened a hacksaw blade to the edge of my workbench. I slipped a washer behind the blade at each of the mounting holes so a sheet of sandpaper to easily slides in behind the blade. I fold the paper where I want to cut, just as a reference. — Kim Boley.

Family Handyman

Make Your Own Table Saw Fence

This self-clamping table saw fence takes only seconds to put on and lets you crank the blade into the fence to create both angled cuts along board edges and extremely thin rip or rabbet cuts. With a hand- or jigsaw, cut pieces from a 1×4, making the inside width of the “L” a hair under the thickness of your saw’s fence. Drill 5/16-in. holes in the L-blocks and plywood fence and join them with two 1/4-in. x 3-in. countersunk machine screws, washers and Wing-Nuts. As always, use extra caution when you’re sawing without a blade guard. Our thanks for this new sawing angle to professional furniture maker George Vondriska.

That Glue is Still Good!

I recently wrote to the Borden company, asking what to do when their Elmer’s wood glue gets too thick to use. They wrote me back and suggested mixing in a drop or two of vinegar. It sounded like an old wives’ tale, but I tried it and found it really works.

Brilliant Miter Saw Stop

I use binder clips for a lot of things around the shop, and here’s one that I thought I’d share. When I need to make multiple cuts all the same length, I just clamp my jumbo binder clip to my fence and use a 1/4-in.-thick wood scrap pinched in the clip as a stop. Works like a charm! When it’s not in use, I clamp it to the cord so it’s always nearby.

Align Angles with Tape

Clamping mitered edges can be a real hassle because they never seems to line up correctly. The easiest way that I’ve found to get around this process is to use painter’s tape as clamps. First set the pieces so that the outer edges are facing up and tape them edge-to-edge. The flip the pieces over so the beveled edges are facing up and glue them together. Complete the process by taping the last two edges together and let sit until completed. The tape removes easily and the glue won’t attach to the tape, making sanding and finishing very simple.

Shelf Bracket to the Rescue

Brace skinny material on edge with this slick system. Clamp a shelf bracket to a workbench, stand the material on edge and then clamp it to the bracket. The clamp will hold the material, keeping your hands free for other operations. — Azha Jensen.

Transportation Flag Clamp

If you have to pick up long lengths of wood from the lumberyard, throw a spring clamp in the back of your vehicle. Use the clamp to attach the warning flag to the end of the protruding lumber. The clamp’s easy to slip on and off, and you won’t have to fuss around with staples, nails or string. — Steve Parker.

Hole Saw Drum Sander

Sanding the inside of a hole or curved surface can be difficult. To simplify that task, insert a 1/4 x 3-in. bolt into the pilot hole of a hole-saw cutout. Secure the bolt with a washer and nut. Using a hacksaw, cut a 1/4-in. deep slot in line with the bolt. Cut a piece of adhesive-backed sandpaper so that you can slide one end into the slot, wrap it around the cutout, and slide the other end back into the slot. Chuck the bolt into a drill, and you now have a homemade drum sander.

Hand Plane Hack

Here’s a way to joint or shape work pieces that are too small to hold in a vise. Flip a hand plane upside down and clamp it in your bench vise. Now you can pass the wood over the plane to joint the edge. — Matt Boley.

Shop-Made Finishing Standoffs

Tired of waiting for finish to dry on one side before finishing the other side? You can purchase standoffs, but it’s also really easy to make them yourself. Simply drive 2-in. drywall screws through 2-in. x 2-in. squares of 3/4-in. thick stock. The screw points will leave a divot in the finish that can be touched up later, but I always let the back side of my project rest on the screws while the finish dries. — Matt Boley.

Visual Aid for Sanding Even Surfaces

With an orbital sander and good sandpaper you can smooth wood evenly and easily with first-class results. When flush-sanding solid edge-banding, draw a squiggly line across the joint before sanding. The edge-banding will be slightly proud of the plywood veneer, so the pencil marks provide a visual aid to make sure that you’re sanding flat, and that you don’t sand through the plywood’s veneer. As you go, you can also test for a smooth, level transition by gently scraping your fingernails against the transition. If it’s smooth, your fingers will not catch on the seam between the two pieces

Family Handyman

Catch Wood Chips with PVC Pipe

My planer blasts shavings all over the shop floor. I decided to make my own dust chute from 4-in. PVC sewer pipe (which has thinner walls than regular Schedule 40 pipe) and a couple caps. I cut a slit in the pipe and used a heat gun to soften the plastic. That allowed me to open the slit. (Heating PVC releases fumes; ventilation is critical.) I then drilled holes in the flap and screwed it to the planer housing. Finally, I cut a 2-1/2- in. hole in one of the end caps to accept my shop vacuum hose. Works great! — Luis Arce.

Make Your Own Super-Strong Sandpaper

“I do a lot of finish-sanding freehand, without a sandpaper block, so I can smooth edges and get into nooks and crannies. But the finer grits are usually bonded to thinner paper and, at least for me, the paper is too thin and ends up tearing long before the grit wears out. So I apply duct tape to the back of the sandpaper. The sandpaper is still flexible enough to sand a tight radius and it’s far more durable. You can use this super-strong sandpaper like a shoeshine rag.” — Chuck Merchant

Family Handyman

Socket Sander

Sanding concave molding doesn’t have to be difficult. Find a deep socket that fits the contour of your molding. Wrap a piece of sand- paper around the socket and hold it in place with your fingers. Your sanding will be uniform and the delicate edges of the molding won’t round over. — Eric and Cheryl Weltlich.

Family Handyman

No Slipping, No Splinters

To prevent friction burns and splinters while sanding a curved tabletop, I put on a leather glove and wrapped painter’s tape around it, sticky side out. The tape kept the sandpaper from slipping, and the glove protected my hand. — Eliot Sennett.

Make a Stain Index

Hard to determine which stain you need in that bespattered collection of cans? An easy-to-make “stain index,” courtesy of reader Bob Jacek, solves the problem. Section off boards of your favorite woods into squares with masking tape, and apply the different stains across the width of each wood type (pine, oak, birch, etc.). When the stains are dry, brush on lengthwise your regular finishes—polyurethane, water-based polyurethane, oil, orange shellac, etc. You’ll be able to tell how each stain looks with each finish. Label each one. Use both sides of each board, and you’ll have a wooden encyclopedia of stain and finish combinations.

Family Handyman

Stretchy Clamps

Old bicycle inner tubes work great for clamping odd-shaped projects. I used them recently to hold the rungs secure in a set of chairs I glued up. Just knot the tube to the right size and then stretch it over. Set the chair on a flat surface as the glue dries. The tubes can handle jobs that conventional clamps just can’t. — Allen J. Muldoon

Family Handyman

Make a Mixing Block

I mix a lot of epoxy in small batches, but I’ve seldom had the right size container on hand. I solved this problem by drilling 1-1/2-in. holes in 2×4 scraps with a Forstner bit. The resulting shallow “cups” allow easy mixing without the risk of spilling. When the holes are used up, I just make a new mixing board. — Bill Wells.

Family Handyman

How to Clean Your Mini Drum Sander

When your rotary tool’s sanding drum gets clogged, refresh the surface with a rubber pencil eraser. Run the tool at low speed and press the eraser into the clogged drum to rub out the chips and gunk. Check out this pencil hack for perfectly flat boards.

Family Handyman

Super-Small Parts Sander

I’m 91 years old, but I still enjoy spending time in the woodshop. I like to make wooden toys and give them to my great-grandkids and charity groups. One trick I’ve learned over the years is to use emery boards—the kind for filing fingernails— to sand small parts. Emery boards come in different sizes, and some are more abrasive than others, so I keep an assortment on hand. — Joe Aboussleman

Family Handyman

Hole Saw Saver

Stuff your hole saw with a moist rag. It will not only keep your saw cooler and the teeth sharper but also extend the life of the saw. Remember to leave room for the depth of the piece of wood you’re cutting. When you’re finished, dry off the saw to prevent rust. — Scott Nugent.

Family Handyman

Use Concrete Forms for Scraps Storage

Short scraps of hardwood are too good to throw away but hard to store neatly. So I bought a 4-ft. tube form made for concrete footings, cut it in half (the cardboard-like material cuts easily) and set the tubes on end. I tack the tubes to a wall or a bench leg so they don’t fall over. With the wood scraps stored upright, it’s easy to find a piece just the right length. Tube forms are available in various diameters for $5 and up at home centers. — Bill Wells

Family Handyman

Need an Awl? Make One

Can awl of us find our awl when we need it? Grab an old, battered Phillips screwdriver and grind the tip into a sharp cone shape on a bench grinder. (Wear eye protection.) Now you have a heavy-duty awl for starting screws and finish nails right on the mark, and chipping dried glue from project corners.

Family Handyman

Mustard Bottle is Perfect for Glue

I no longer put up with the messy “over-designed” carpenter’s glue dispensers. Instead, I use old mustard bottles; they don’t clog and they easily reseal between uses. — Richard Painter.

Family Handyman

Pocket-Size Glue Spreaders

When face-gluing boards, use a credit card snipped along its wide edge with a pinking shears. The serrated “pinked” edge spreads the glue like a serrated trowel spreads mastic on floors. Thanks to reader Don Cox for this smooth tip.

Family Handyman

DIY Simple and Secure Sanding Block

Not happy with the selection of sanding blocks at the hardware store, I made a few of my own from hardwood scraps left over from a woodworking project. I cut each one to 3/4 in. x 1-1/2 in. x 4-1/2 in.—which is just the right size to wrap a quarter sheet of sandpaper around. And the “kerf” cut helps hold the sandpaper in place until I’m ready to change it. —Tim Olaerts.

Family Handyman

Sand Your Hands

Some types of wood filler can be hard to get off your hands after they dry, especially if you use your fingers to push it into small cracks and holes. When that happens, I reach for fine grit sandpaper and sand it off my fingers. It’s great for removing dried-on polyurethane glue and canned foam from your hands, too. — Chris James.

Trim Edge Banding with a Chisel

Iron-on edge-banding is a quick way to cover up an edge on plywood. Trimming the excess, however, is tricky. I’ve tried edge-banding trimmers, but I find the results are unpredictable. With the trimmers I’ve tried, it wasn’t easy to change the direction of the cut to suit the grain direction of the edge-banding. If you’re cutting against the grain, you’re likely to tear out a chunk of your new edge-banding. Instead, I use a wide, sharp chisel. This way, I can read the grain direction and trim accordingly. Angle the chisel slightly and go slow, raising the back corner of the chisel just enough so that it doesn’t dig into the plywood veneer. Smooth the corner with a sanding block after trimming.

Quick Miter Fix

Cutting a miter joint that closes up perfectly and maintains a 90 degree angle is really satisfying. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen. Here’s a quick fix for a slightly open miter joint; rub the shank of a screwdriver along the miter at a steep angle, from both sides of the joint. Chances are, you’ll be the only one that knows it wasn’t perfect to begin with.

Family Handyman

An Extra Hand for Cutting Sheet Goods

Here’s a safe and sound way to make long cuts with a circular saw on plywood clamped to a worktable. Cut about 12 in. into the plywood, then twist a piece of duct tape into a bow tie, with up-and-down adhesive faces. Slide it in the saw kerf and press the tape down above and under the plywood. Now as you finish the cut, the trailing end can’t curl down dangerously as you saw. Hats off to Mike Connelly for simplifying this job.

Sanding Station for Small Parts

Sanding small items is tricky, as they’re hard to clamp in a vise to work on them. So instead of bringing the sandpaper to the workpiece, I bring the workpiece to the sandpaper. I glue sheets of sandpaper to a piece of plywood; 60 and 100-grit on one side and 150 and 220-grit on the other. Spray adhesive works well for this. Since there’s sandpaper on both sides, my sanding board doesn’t slide around on the bench

Mcky Stocker/Shutterstock

What is particleboard?

Particleboard is a manufactured wood product composed of sawdust, wood chips or wood shavings mixed with a resin. This concoction is layered, compressed, subjected to heat and cut to shape, resulting in a sheet material that can be used for a variety of things. It’s often used as shelving or as an underlayment for carpet. Plastic laminate may be applied to both sides to create a product that can be used to create everything from furniture to cabinets to wall paneling. Head into IKEA and you’ll find acres of particleboard.

There are a few things particleboard is NOT. It’s not medium density fiberboard (MDF)—a material with greater density and weight composed of more uniform particles. It’s NOT oriented strand board (OSB), a material composed of large wood chips and strands that’s structurally equivalent to plywood. It does NOT have great nail or screw holding ability, nor is it all that water resistant; water can quickly cause the material to swell and lose structural integrity. But if you need something flat and cheap for use in a dry place, particleboard will do you proud.

Poor Man’s Jointer

Lacking a jointer? Use reader Court Kites’ awesome tip to create perfectly matched glue joints on wavy or bowed board edges. Lay the boards on a flat surface, then clamp them across the middle with a bar clamp. Lay two 8-in. long by 1-3/4 in. wide scrap boards across each end and screw them in with four 1-1/4 in. long screws, two per board. Keep the screws well away from your future cutting line!

Set the table saw fence so the blade is centered on the seam, then push the whole thing through the saw. If the board edges are quite bowed or curvy, you may need a second pass. If so, unscrew the cleats, reclamp the boards across the middle center, then screw on the cleats again. The screws ding up the ends of the boards a little, so cut the boards you’re jointing a bit long, then trim 1/2 in. from each end to remove the screw holes.

Quick Fix for Dents

Dents in wood surfaces can be annoying. But fret not, they can be fixed. Simply soak a washcloth in water and ring it out a bit so it’s not sopping wet. Put the damp washcloth on the affected area. The water will wick through the wood, and that’s fine. Now, with your iron on its highest setting, place it on the damp washcloth over the affected area, and make small movements back and forth and in circles. Press down firmly and continue until your wash cloth is dry. It won’t take long to evaporate. At this point, the wood fibers are absorbing the water and should expand back to where they were originally. Continue this process and repeat by adding more water until the dents rise up to be flush with the rest of the material.

Family Handyman

What is Pocket Screw Joinery?

Pocket screw joinery is a system—employing special drill and driver bits—used to join boards or pieces of plywood to one another. Installing pocket screws involves using a jig to drill a sharply angled, 15-degree hole through the back of one board, then driving a special screw through that hole into the second board to draw them tightly together. It’s often used in cabinetmaking and furniture building. The term “pocket” comes from the design of the hole which contains an upper “pocket” for the head of the screw to push against; this pocket also hides the head of the screw.

Pocket screws create a solid, simple-to-make joint. Because of the size and visibility of the hole, it’s usually located in areas that are concealed or rarely seen (though special plugs can be used to fill the holes.) Craig Sommerfeld, founder of The Kreg Tool Company, is credited with popularizing pocket screw joinery in the 1980s. The company today is the leader in creating the jigs, clamps and screws used to create pocket screw joints.

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Sanding Pad Replacement

The rubber cushion on my old palm sander was wearing thin around the edges. Because of its age, I couldn’t find a replacement pad. As I was drinking my beverage with a foam can cover around it, I realized I could cut the foam to fit the sander and glue it on. I peeled off the old pad, cleaned the metal base and attached the foam with contact cement. Works for clamp-on as well as stick-on sanding squares! You can find can covers at discount and convenience stores. — Allen J. Muldoon

Family Handyman

Make a Portable Bench Vise

Instead of permanently mounting my 6-in. vise to a workbench, I attached it to scrap plywood so I can clamp it wherever I need it. Stack two pieces of 3/4-in. plywood and screw them together with 1-1/4 in. drywall screws. Mark the vise-mounting holes on the plywood and drill 3/4-in. guide holes through both pieces. Recess the nut by drilling through the bottom sheet with a 1-in. spade bit using the 3/4-in. hole as a guide. Fasten the vise to the plywood with bolts sized to match the vise-mounting holes. If the bolt shafts are too long, cut them off with a hacksaw.

Family Handyman

No-Slip Sandpaper

Whenever I use sandpaper sheets that are folded in half, the sandpaper slides on itself as I sand. To solve the problem, I just spray a light coat of contact adhesive on the back of the sheet. Once it has air-dried for a couple minutes, I fold the sheet in half for a permanent bond. Works like a charm. — Brian Flynn.

Family Handyman

How to Renew Old Epoxy

A while back, I reached for my two containers of epoxy and noticed that the resin in one container had crystallized exactly like honey that’s been in the cupboard too long. The solution is exactly the same too: Set the container in a bowl of hot tap water. After about 15 minutes, I emptied the container and refilled it with hot water. After about a half hour, the epoxy regained its normal consistency. Good as new. — Ken Holte

Simple Plywood Cutting Station

When cutting full sheets with my circular saw, I use plastic shelving units as sawhorses. The height is just right and by using three of them, I can make cuts in any direction and the plywood is fully supported. And because the shelving units are made of plastic, I can cut right into them without worrying that they’ll damage my saw blade. — John Tinger.

Spare Glue Bottles from the Recycling Bin

Here’s a nifty tip—with a nifty tip—from faithful reader Don Ayers: Fill snap-capped sports water bottles with glue and stick them upside down in a hunk of 2×6. Now you don’t have to wait for the glue to run into the neck of the bottle, and the cap will control glue flow (and never get lost). To holster the glue dispensers, cut holes in the base with a spade bit that’s a smidgen larger than the cap’s diameter.

P.S. Be sure to snap the lid closed before returning the bottle to the base. Otherwise the whole bottleful of glue will run out! The snap-cap makes an airtight seal and controls bead size when you squeeze.

BONUS

>> Complete Guide To Build Woodworking Business Which Make $150,000/Year <<

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Things to think about Before your podcast

CHECK LIST

Web Presence

Social Media

Podcast Summary

Episode Summary

Sub Categories

Logo

Intro theme

Intro Video

Photos

Bios

Format + Time

Posting schedule

Recording

Editing

Summarize/Think About:

How to conduct your show

Best Interview Practices

Good Podcasts to listen to and why

Why you're doing it

Who you're doing it for WWWWW. Who what when where why.

Apps/Uploading/Costs

Hosting the Podcast - Libsyn

Web build/hosting - Squarespace

Mics - Blue Yeti

Phone Recording Options - Ringr, Possible Field Recordings.

Editing Software - Audacity

Recording Software - GarageBand / Mixlr

Web Presence

A simple square space site with info about the show, a place for the archives, and a domain that is hopefully the same or similar to your podcast. Think of it as a virtual biz card.

Social Media

Many of your interviews will want to share on social media, you can be proactive and share it for them by tagging them. This means you’ll want to have a Facebook and twitter minimum. If you go crazy you can also have youtube, Instagram and whatever else but don’t turn it into a full time job just create a presence.

Podcast Summary

A short summary about your show that appears in iTunes, the podcast app, your site. This is a good sample one for length:

Comedian Marc Maron is tackling the most complex philosophical question of our day - WTF? He'll get to the bottom of it with help from comedian friends, celebrity guests and the voices in his own head.

Episode Summary

Something to think about when you post a finished episode. Ex:

A lot of former child stars have been in the garage, but Derek Trucks wasn't so much a child star as he was a prodigy. At the age of nine, Derek was a guitar wizard. He talks with Marc about avoiding the pitfall of becoming a novelty act and evolving into a versatile practitioner and appreciator of music, with help from several notable mentors along the way.

Sub Categories

Ex: Comedy, Art, Business, Religion, Fashion

Logo

Image must be 1400 x 1400 pixels at minimum

Image must be in .jpg or .png format (.jpg preferred)

Image should look good—and readable—at 300 x 300 pixels

A good rule of thumb is to optimize your image for 150 x 150 pixels.

Intro theme

This is easy enough to do by downloading license free music. It can get more elaborate than that but it should always be short. Think about the mood you want to set when you think about this. Also we’re talking less than 10 seconds here.

Intro Video

A good idea to introduce people to your show is to make a quick intro video. I’ve attached some examples, some are longer, some are shorter - some are animated. It’s not a must but It can be a fun way to wrap your head around the project and get people into it.

This guy is CHEESY as hell but you get the idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4HFOoe21ko

Serial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbGBFpc0yA4

Two Dope Queens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-4Ky4Xa-As

Photos

Take or pick a photo of yourselves to put on the site.

Bios

Write a brief bio for the site, here’s an example:

I’m Ann Friedman. I'm a freelance journalist who writes about gender, media, technology, and culture.

You can find my weekly column at NYmag.com. I also contribute regularly to The Los Angeles Times, The Gentlewoman, The New Republic, The New York Times Book Review, ELLE, The Guardian, and Los Angelesmagazine. I co-host a podcast, Call Your Girlfriend, with my good friend Aminatou Sow. Every Friday I send out an email newsletter full of digital treats. I also make hand-drawn pie charts. I live in Los Angeles.

Format + Time:

At first you should decide how long the podcast will be, you can deviate from it later. There are no rules with this it’s more about what works for you.

You want to record with editing in mind so that you don’t have to spend to much time putting the show together. Also always keep the audience in mind, what may seem like the most brilliant two hour recorded show ever can usually be reduced to 30-45 min.. If you’re super attached to the material/raw recordings you can always keep it saved or upload The Whole convo on youtube.

Posting schedule

No matter how long you end up doing the podcast, the minute you tell anyone about it you need to have a set time that you “air” aka upload the thing. This is good for the audience and for you as it keeps it on track. It’s also better not to make people wait too too long to hear their interview if you have a guest on, they will be less inclined to share it with others. The same goes for your own conversations, it becomes harder to follow up when you don’t have a posting schedule.

Recording

A recording schedule is similar to a posting schedule. When do I record this?! How often and where. Obviously the beauty of a podcast is you can record anything anytime anywhere but for your own sanity and in order to get it done, Make a set time for this.

Editing

Make a set time for editing but keep the conversation in mind while you record so that you don’t have to edit as much. Having a loose script or a set of questions/topics written out beforehand will help a lot. You’ll be more focused and you can always ditch it if you find a better tangent to go off of.

When you export the edit you'll be ask to enter in Meta Data about the recording - do this it helps you become more searchable in iTunes.

Attached is also a summary of:

How to conduct your show

This is a personal choice but listen to some other podcasts and decide the tone. Think about it when you write a loose script / plan for the episode.

Best Interview Practices

When you have a guest on think about your favorite interviews. Most of the time the interviewer has done enough research that they can pull a magical, insightful, useful funny response from the interviewee and build on it. It’s a craft but you can do it.

Think of when someone is interviewing their fav band and they know some weird fact that even the singer forgot about and the conversation carries on from there - well the same could be applied to anyone in any industry.

Good Podcasts to listen to and why

Marc Maron - killer interviewer

TrumpCast by Slate- does the research, finds insiders and asks them the right questions

Call Your Girlfriend.- has amazing chemistry and insight, jokes between the two hosts. You feel like their friend afterwards.

Always ask yourself and be totally honest with yourself and co host - why are we doing this? Who’s it for? Would I listen to it?

Apps/Uploading/Costs - This is all stuff I’m better at showing you in person but duly noted.

Hosting the Podcast - Libsyn

Web build/hosting - Squarespace / Hover for domain

Mics - Blue Yeti

Phone Recording Options - Ringr, Loopback, Mixer, Possible Studio Use

Editing Software - Audacity

Recording Software - GarageBand / Mixlr