#you could even make these with some fake ivy you get from a craft store and sell them on etsy

[nyaa]

AC Adapter MIDORI from 2009

[devendrasbeard]

Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time

Prompt: Gwent / Games Relationships: Eskel/Yennefer of Vengerberg Rating: E Content Warnings: Switch Eskel, Casual Sex, Pegging, Explicit Sexual Content Summary:  Just two workmates playing Gwent after closing the bar for the night. Things get heated and escalate quickly once it turns out Yennefer is a way better player than Eskel, who loves this game more than anything. Also on ao3!

Another day at The Red Dragon came to an end. Yennefer closed up the last two customers and locked the bar's door after they've left. She poured herself a shot of tequila - a little reward to wait for her till she's done with counting the money and washing the countertops.

The rustling of boxes and clanking of metal barrels from the back room made her sigh and roll her eyes. Eskel appeared in the door, carrying one keg propped on his massive shoulder and rolling another one on the floor. Being over six feet four and with a physique of a bodybuilder, he was definitely a sight to behold, but the whole "look at how much stuff I can carry at once" gig was too much of a show off by Yennefer's standards.

"You're really gonna replace the kegs at 2am now? Leave that for tomorrow and help me with the tables."

"Triss says rolling the kegs kills her back, and I'm not working this weekend, so..." Eskel shrugged and duck under the counter to replace the barrel.

"Oh," Yen raised one eyebrow. "What are you up to that's more interesting than sitting in a pub full of drunk people on a Saturday night?"

"I'm only gonna tell you if you promise me not to laugh." He peeked at her from under the counter. "And don't tell Geralt."

That sparked some interest in Yen. It could be either something extremely dumb or something illegal. Or both. She stood above him with her arms crossed and gave him a questioning look. "I can promise not to tell the Wolf, but as for the other part... well..."

Eskel huffed, having replaced both kegs, and wiped his hands on the towel lying at the counter. "Fair enough. I'm taking part in a Gwent tournament."

"What is it with you guys and Gwent?" Yennefer groaned and moved to clean the tables.

"It's fun, plus you can win some good money there - it's part of this bigger fantasy con..."

"You're really taking part in that circle jerk for nerds?" Yen interrupted him and made a scrawny face. "Nothing more boring than sitting around, throwing some cards on the table and letting other nerds cream themselves over them. But whatever drives your fancy, I guess."

"You only say that cause you haven't played with me yet." Eskel smiled at her, that big scar across his cheek stretching a little.

Yennefer rolled her eyes again. "I am sure I would still hate it."

"I could show you some tricks, or explain some of the best strategies to you..." Eskel started, a spark of excitement already in his eye.

"Alright, alright, I'll play with you one day." Yen raised her hands. "Now just shut up and help me with the cleaning."

"We could play after we're done with work," Eskel wiggled his brows.

"Please tell me you do not carry your cards around with you," Yennefer made a wry face.

Eskel grabbed his backpack and dangled it on one finger in front of Yen's eyes. "I actually do."

Yennefer groaned and moved to place the chair's on the tables, making space for Eskel to start mopping the floors. "Fine," she let out a resigned huff. "I'll play with you after we're done, just... Stop talking for now."

*****

The bar was clean and ready for Triss and Yen to open the next day, so they moved to the office in the back room. It was a pretty spacious place, with two desks, where Geralt, Eskel's brother and their boss at the same time, kept all their paperwork, invoices and such. At the far wall they have made a little social space for the employees - they brought in a comfortable couch to sit at, a round wooden table with three chairs and a small cabinet with a mini fridge and a microwave.

Eskel pushed a stray strand of dark hair from his forehead and rummaged around his backpack. He pulled out three different decks of Gwent cards, making Yennefer snort at the sight of it.

"Never thought you'd be such a nerd." She stuck her tongue out in a mocking gesture, but Eskel let it slide, his head already focused on the game.

"Okay, so you can pick your faction from these cards - I have Nilfgaard, monsters..."

"Just gimme any and let's be done with this!" Yennefer snatched the deck out of his hand and sat at the table.

Eskel sat across from her. He went through his cards with a very serious look on his face and then looked up at Yennefer. He raised his eyebrows with a playful smile. "Hey, do you want to spice it up? Like, play Strip Gwent?"

He was ready to hear a mocking comment or being straight up laughed at, but no, Yennefer leaned back in her chair and took in the sight of him. There was a spark in her eyes that made Eskel feel very naked and very small. She propped her hands on her knees, sitting up wide and grinned.

"So, here are the rules." She moved straight to business, like always, and Eskel was so ready to play. "Whoever loses a round, takes a piece of clothing off. Jewelry, piercings don't count. Pair of shoes, pair of socks - it all counts as one item. Deal?"

"Let's play." Eskel grinned and took an eyeful of her. His eyes moved down from her face to that tight T-Shirt with the bar's logo, now covered with a light leather jacket, and down to the ripped jeans. This was going to be an easy win and he was up for a delicious prize.

*****

Forty-five minutes later they were still sitting at the table, Eskel sporting only his boxer shorts and shoes, while Yennefer took just her leather jacket off. She was grinning like a mad witch and purposely fixing her eyes on Eskel's pecs.

"I don't understand." He huffed. "You said you didn't know how to play."

"Society would've been so advanced already, if only men listened carefully to women." Yennefer sighed, not without a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "I never said I didn't know how to play, I said I hated the game. And now I really hope you'll put up a show for me, taking those boxers off." She smiled playfully, placing her last card on the table.

"Fuck, lost by two points!" Eskel hid his face in his hands, only to look up at her a moment later, a menacing grin on his face. "But, well played, here's your prize then."

He circled the table, his pace calm but steady. With a swift move of his strong arms, he turned Yennefer's chair away from the table and stood between her wide spread legs, hooking his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers. She looked at him, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth, not even trying to fake disinterest anymore. Her lilac eyes were on fire and taking in every little detail of Eskel's physique being proudly presented in front of her.

She licked her lips as her gaze wandered from his face and down across his broad heavy chest, adorned with thick dark hair. He had two swallows tattooed right under his collarbones and also sported a nipple ring, that Yennefer was immediately drawn to. His abs were a marvel, like chiseled in stone, his hip bones sporting another tattoo - this time of a poison ivy. A patch of thick black hair was poking out of his boxers, and she could already see the outline of his dick perfectly. Yennefer was more than ready to start another game.

"You've still got your shoes on... So if you want to back out of it, here's your last chance." Yennefer said firmly, at the same time looking Eskel deep in the eyes and dragging a finger along the seam of his boxers.

Eskel swallowed audibly, feeling a shiver down his spine and the familiar heat coiling in his groin. He let out a heavy breath and launched himself at Yen, slotting their lips in a heated kiss. He felt her hands on his ass, slowly sneaking beneath the fabric to take a handful of his flesh. In a swift move she slid his boxers off and broke the kiss off for a moment to gaze down at his already hardened cock. "I'm starting to think you've had all of this planned out," she smiled, licking her lips. "But since you have this in store for me, I don't really mind."

Yennefer wasn't small, but Eskel still had to bend over to kiss her, so he lifted her up and made her wrap her legs around his waist. Her sweet breath in his mouth was already driving him crazy and he moved a few steps forward, laying her down on the table where they played just a few moments before.

She broke the kiss off almost immediately, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him away playfully. "If anyone's gonna be splayed on that table, it's gonna be you, big boy."

That sent a jolt of arousal straight down to Eskel's cock. He hasn't slept with a woman in quite a long time, being mostly interested in dudes, so the perspective of being bossed around by Yen made him shiver with anticipation. He locked a finger under her chin, pulling her up for another deep kiss, and then he bend over on the little table. "Go on, take me then."

*****

Eskel was on the couch on all fours, his head hanging low between his shoulders, heated gasps of pleasure escaping his pressed lips. Beads of sweat were forming along his spine, running up his back and wetting his already damp dark hair. Yennefer was sat comfortably behind him, still in her clothes, two fingers hooked inside his hole, her long fingernails grazing against his prostate. Every move of her lanky digits made Eskel moan and whine and throw his head up. His cock was painfully hard and leaking, but every time he reached for it, Yen swatted his hand away.

"Do you want me to take you apart, baby?" She cooed right into his ear, one hand massaging the small of his back, the other still hooked inside him. Eskel only nodded fervently and let out a long moan. Yennefer clicked her tongue. "Needy."

She reached for her bag and took out a simple but beautifully crafted metal dildo and weighed it in her hand long enough for Eskel to notice it. It was mirror polished, slightly curved like a bow, with perfectly round balls on both ends. Eskel swallowed hard, his voice coarse, "You carry that stuff around in your purse?"

"You never know when unexpected pleasure strikes," Yennefer laughed a pearly laugh. "And it gives my purse a mean swing when I need to knock a bastard down."

"You are an incredible woman," Eskel looked at her from behind his shoulder. "Now would you please stick it in me?"

The weight and pressure of the dildo was just perfect, hitting all the right spots inside Eskel. He tried rocking back and forth a little, along with Yennefer's movements, and it send waves of pleasure down his spine and right to his cock whenever the heavy round ball grazed against his prostate. His cock was already leaking a constant thin streak of precome and he was aching for a sweet release.

"Yen, I really need to come," he breathed, his flushed face pressed into the fabric of the sofa.

"Not till I got my pleasure," Yennefer mused and stood up, taking the dildo out. "C'mon, sit up."

She got rid of her T-shirt and jeans quickly, revealing a matching set of underwear, that was, surprisingly for Eskel, in a baby pink shade. Both the bra and panties had an intricate pattern of criss crossed satin straps, making the pieces look more like armor than underwear. Eskel swallowed thickly and ran a hand along Yen's features, caressing her side, hooking one playful finger at the seam of her panties. He looked up at her, his brown eyes meeting her lilac gaze, both equally dark with lust, and she shook her head, tipping his head up by the chin.

"I'm not stripping today," she said flatly and climbed over him, standing above his face, tangling her fingers in his hair. "You can get a taste, though."

Eskel gave her a little lick over the thin lace and satin fabric and could already taste her wetness. A little whimper left her lips and she propped her arm on the wall, her other hand grabbing Eskel's hair more firmly. He pressed kisses to her inner thighs and then again to her wet cunt, holding her by her firm buttocks, so she wouldn't fall over.

Eskel was good with his mouth. All his previous lovers could confirm that and Yennefer was no different. It took him only a few minutes to have her writhing above his head, her thighs shaking, her hand tangled painfully in his hair, as his tongue darted in and out of her sweet heat. She tasted like gooseberries and candy and Eskel found himself a bit addicted to the taste. But he couldn't wait to feel that welcoming heat around his dick, so he dared to make a move, grabbing Yennefer firmly by the hips and lowering her down, so she was sat in his lap.

She kissed him, a hard feverish kiss, her eyes on fire and her cheeks flushed a gorgeous deep pink. And then she just moved her panties to the side and slid down on his cock. The sensation of her tight slick cunt taking him in fully send Eskel very close to the edge. He threw his head back with a groan, only to jolt forward in the next moment and bury his face between Yen's breasts.

She moved up and down at a steady pace, her gaze focused on Eskel, both hands tangled in his hair. Eskel put his arms around her and started fumbling with the clasps of her bra, only to be swatted away.

"What, you won't even show me your tits?" He asked, with only a bit of disappointment in his voice.

"Nope." Yennefer's tone was firm, although her voice was already strained, interrupted with breathy huffs. "I won the game, so now we play by my rules."

In response, Eskel bucked his hips up to draw an especially long and needy moan out of her. Yen propped her forehead on his chest, breathing heavily.

"I'm tired, you move now."

He didn't need anymore prompting - Eskel just stood up, holding her thighs in a firm grip, driving into her with all the energy he had. Yennefer grabbed onto his shoulders, her long fingernails digging painfully into his flesh, and she pressed their faces together to steal one more heated kiss from him.

Eskel moved faster, each thrust of his hips hitting a sweet spot inside Yennefer's cunt, making her moan and wail like a little cat. He looked at her face - the cold and indifferent facade was long gone, replaced by watery, pleading eyes, flushed cheeks and wet lips parted in a very obscene way - and it send him over the edge.

His orgasm hit him like a wave, making him grasp at Yen's thighs even harder, drawing a hiss out of her mouth and making her bite his lip. Her quivering thighs and her pussy clenching so hard on his dick were signs Yen was very close too, so despite his tiredness and fuzzy feeling in his bones, he drove into her a few more times, causing her to make the most beautiful crying sound Eskel has ever heard.

After they dropped back onto the couch, Yennefer patted his thigh lightly, brushed her tangled hair off her face, sighed. "I still hate Gwent."

Eskel laughed. "And I still need you to not tell Geralt about any of this."

----

@witcher-rarepair-summer-bingo

[cecilspeaks]

169 - The Whittler

Let us go then, you and I When the evening is spread out Against the sky And pick up some Dell Taco for dinner. Welcome to Night Vale.

Beyond our town, past the Sand Wastes, in the Scrublands, sits the old general store. An oaken cabin style A-frame with boxed windows and a covered patio. On the porch there sits a swinging bench and upon that bench sits an elderly man, his face crumpled like a discarded letter, his eyes like tire tracks hidden beneath the shady brim of a straw cowboy hat. The old man holds a block of Elmwood the size of a potato in his right hand, and in his left, a carving jack. He whittles away at the knot of food, shaving off small corners, making detailed lines and indentations. The wood is all his world. And this world is quiet in his lap, on his bench, on his patio, before his general store amid the Scrublands past the Sand Wastes, which curl about Night Vale like the gentle but calloused hands of a father holding a newborn. As the old man whittles, he whistles sad songs with no words. But all those who hear the notes know they are bout loss. That they are about loneliness. But no one hears those notes. Not yet. No one sees the old whittler, nor his general store far out in an uninhabited stretch of desert. Not yet. If they did, they would wonder how an old general store, which was not there yesterday, was suddenly here today, a shop that by all accounts had weathered decades of abusive heat, wind, and isolation. They would hear his sad song, and the universal language of wistful sorrow would hide from them their understanding of time.

Let’s have a look now at sports. This Saturday night, the Night Vale High School Scorpions basketball team begins the district tournament. The Scorpions, having finished the season 18-2, earned the number 1 seat this year, but face some tough competition in their bracket. In the first round, they must battle another basketball team. This is logical, because most basketball tournaments feature other basketball teams. But the other basketball team is considered weaker than the Night Vale Scorpions, because a series of accumulated numbers indicates this is so. Should the Scorpions make it out of the first round and into the semi-finals, they would likely battle the number 4 seed, Nature. A tougher matchup to be sure, as Nature is unpredictable and ubiquitous. Nature’s style of play is best described as capricious and random, sometimes showcasing an array of flashy skills like sunny days, crystalline lakes, and otters. But Nature is a lockdown defensive force with effective momentum stoppers like lightning, quicksand, and poison ivy.

And in the finals, the favorites to compete for the title are Night Vale High School versus themselves, perhaps the toughest battle of them all, as each player must confront their harmful secrets, painful pasts, and darkest nightmares. Themselves are able to match the pace and power of Night Vale’s offensive and defensive sets, and we expect an excellent game. Good luck, Scorpions!  

Most days the Scrublands are absent of humans, unapproachable and hostile. Today is not most days, as a line of Night Vale citizens has formed outside of the general store to see the old whittler and his wood menagerie. Parents ask for photos of their children with his work, and he only whistles and nods nearly imperceptibly. It could almost be interpreted as a slight twitch of the neck, rather than an affirming nod, but interpretations grow liberal when want is high.

Fathers and mothers snap pictures on their phones of children accepting gifts of wood figurines from the old man. The kids stare into the thin black ellipses that pass for his eyes, searching for the charming smile of elderly approval. But instead, seeing every single constellation of the night sky inside slits as thin as thistles and as black as tar. The historic expansion of the universe cannot be fully understood in words or even human thought, but it can be comprehended in the eyes of the tanned, wrinkled stranger.

The old whittler does not charge a penny for any of his work. He does not smile nor accept the many thank-yous coaxed out of the young ones by their manner-minded handlers. Nor does he accept requests. Children have many mascots, heroes, and cartoons that they love to possess via keepsake totems, and they repeatedly ask the old man for whittled representations of their favorite things, like Pokemon characters or one of Pixar’s anthropomorphic cars, or even Ted Allen, host of Food Network’s long running cooking competition “Chopped”. But the old whittler only carves what he carves. And he carves tiny horses, little cowboys, old-timey wagons, armadillos, tigers, tractors, almost anything you can think of. He finishes his sculpture of a koala bear and hands it to Amber Akinyi, who looks at her husband Wilson Levy, who is holding their sobbing, screaming 16-month-old baby Flora. The couple smiles together, never knowing that this balsa koala is everything they could have ever wanted beyond a loving family. Wilson begins to cry at the simple beauty of this craft. Amber begins to cry at the feeling of being understood, and young Flora stops crying as she fawns over the 6-inch tall antipodean marsupial, cartoonishly gnawing on a eucalyptus leaf.

The whittler also carves people. Small human figures, yes, like firefighters and ballerinas and clowns, but also actual people. Harrison Kip told the old man he wished to be happier in his own skin, and the old whittler grabbed Harrison’s cheeks and brought Harrison’s round, soft face before his own crinkled countenance, and Harrison screamed. He screamed in fear of what the old man was about to do. He also screamed in joyous anticipation, and the two screams were discordant like adjacent keys pressed simultaneously on a church organ. The old whittler pressed his knife against Harrison’s chin and began to pull the blade back, using the force of his thumb and the trunk of his forefinger. He repeated throughout Harrison’s assenting and defiant shouts, and after a few moments, Harrison stopped yelling and stood. His jaw squarer, his nose thinner and longer, his shoulders broader. And Harrison smiled.

Soon, the whittler began carving houses, roads, and city buildings. They were larger than the koala, much larger, for they were full-sized renditions of these things. He sliced and sawed away at block after block of red oak, hackberry and peachwood, forming new arteries of city travel, whole blocks of residences, and even cultural landmarks and venues. And the town of Night Vale, in a single late morning, began to expand into the distant and uninhabitable Scrublands of our desert.

Let’s have a look now at horoscopes. Gemini. Bury yourself in your work today, Gemini. Pile that garbage high and rest your weary head beneath its odorous, but comforting weight. Cancer. No more Mr. Nice Guy, Cancer. Today you are Mrs. Disinterested Lady. Get out there and be uninvolved in everything. Leo. You’re the talk of the town, Leo. Word after word is about you, and it is juicy! Like a rare steak, like a blood orange. Juicy like 2008 coutoure. Whew! You should hear what they’re saying. Virgo. You are not what you seem to be, Virgo. You seem to be a blackberry shrub, overreaching and prickly. But really you are a human, squishy and small. Continue to be the thorny fruit-bearing bush, though. Libra. You seek balance, Libra, but you are as lopsided as wealth disparity graph in an economist’s classroom. Share your worth, distribute your value fairly and compassionately, Libra, for the villagers are sharpening their tools. Scorpio. Hey Steve, love you pal! 

Sagittarius. Your (-) [0:10:42] in relationships is going to be your downfall, Sagittarius. You’re an obsidian monolith, towering over everyone, absorbing all light, except the faint reflection of those who want to know what glows inside your stony façade. You don’t have to be a diamond, Sagittarius, or even quartz. Just try for salt lick, OK? I think you can achieve that. 

Capricorn. Oh the games you play, Capricorn, you wicked little sea goat! You naughty caprine ocean dweller with your horns and scales, vexing us with your riddles and labyrinthian logic! The stars offer no advice for you, Capricorn, only envious praise. Aquarius. Put your money where your mouth is, but wash that money first, Aquarius. It’s been in so many other people’s mouths, ever since we added Jolly Ranchers as legal currency. Pisces. You’re swimming upstream, Pisces. Figuratively speaking, of course. I mean you are a human who does not need to actually swim upstream for food or a mate. Get out of the metaphorical stream and avoid the damage you’re going to do to your body and soul. Except for you, Tim. You’re a woodchuck, who is literally swimming upstream. I don’t like you, Tim, because you are eating my tulips. You can drown. Aries. Fake it til you pretend to make it, Aries. Taurus. Don’t hide your feelings, Taurus! Frame them! Display them ostentatiously on the wall. Mount them on plinths behind velvet robed (-) [0:12:33]. Curate an exhibit of your feelings, Taurus. Charge admission.

And now the news. The Night Vale City Council deliberated today on whether the old whittler in front of the old general store in the Scrublands was friend or foe to our town. Those voices arguing in favor of the old man celebrated the huge municipal expansion he was creating so quickly onto undeveloped land. 

“This new infrastructure would have taken us dozens of years and millions of dollars to deploy, and he has accomplished it all in half day!” these voices said in unison. “Plus,” they added, “he whittled a little army man for my kid, a bracelet for my wife, and a sweater for our cat. It’s everything we ever wanted!”

The dissenting voices, and they were few, could only argue that he failed to acquire proper permits for any of this construction, let alone an outdoor vendor’s license which is mandatory even for giveaways. Excepting restaurant samples, marketing promotions, and military dispersion of chemtrails. The many-voiced, uni-bodied creature that is the City Council, huffed in nearly unanimous support for this old man. His sad whistling, his prolific whittling, and his beneficence to our city. “Did you see?” said there of the voices, “that inside the general store there’s everything you could ever need. Cans, boxes, shelves, counters! Walls. It’s amazing. Everything is craved from a single block of wood, and it’s all connected! No glue or bolts or rivets anywhere.” “He’s a deft hand,” concurred four other voices. “How does he even find single blocks of wood that huge?” wondered a solo voice aloud. “Whatever!” the entire City Council roared in unison. “That old man is a superb whittler!”

And now financial news. [hysterical laughter Ha ha hahahaha hahaha every-everything’s fine! It’s just dandy! Uh, thank you for asking.

And now back to our top story. Out in the Scrublands, an entire wooden suburb has grown from the withered hands and sharp knife of the old whittler, who has for the first time today, moved from the porch of his general store. He stands now upon a stage, a round platform on the center of a great amphitheater, which he personally carved deep into the cracked, red rock of the desert floor. The people of Night Vale gather and sit on wood plank rows, which curve in a semi-circle around the old man on the stage. Each person in attendance holds in their hands a whittled object given to them as they entered the audience space. The items are all different, esoteric, and unique, each item and unexpected gift of the whittler. Each item the very thing they have always wanted, even if it was never what they thought they wanted. They hold gently their presents, protecting them with their very lives. The whittler, with his straw hat still shading his keyhole eyes and riverbend mouth, stands before the people of Night Vale who sit in an arena of his own making, each cradling a beloved statuette of his own making. The old man reaches out and takes the hand of his bride. She, of course, is of his own making as well. She is craved of weeping cedar. Her veil, though entirely wood, is somehow translucent, and her sorrowful eyes are faintly visible behind the intricate work of the whittler’s blade. The old man whistles once again, and the crowd whistles along with him. They know the song now. It lives in them like longing, like blood. Like a soul. They know every word of the wordless (-) [0:16:51], and the notes of loneliness spread across the Scrublands to the mountains’ edge and echo back in the key of hope, with a lilt of contentment and satisfaction. They will only be happy when he is happy and he is, indeed, happy. As the whittler clutches the hand of his newly carved betrothed, the clouds part, revealing the happiest thing of all: The weather.

[“Embroidery Stars” by Carrie Elkin http://carrieelkin.com/]

Into the Scrublands I went, myself already as happy as I could ever be for I was with my own true love, my husband. I journeyed to see the whittler for myself, as an effort of journalism, a chronicler of interesting events. I wanted for nothing. My happiness cannot be improved. Or so I believed.

When I arrived, the whittler more than 100 feet a way, and through a mass of thousands, greeted me with a nod so unobtrusive, I believed it to be a trick of the eye. But from the distance, I could see the whole of the universe in those dark eyes under dark shadow, behind the final violet of sunset. I knew he meant me.

Carlos and I stepped to the podium, and the old man opened his palm to reveal an original carving just for me. I had hoped it was a Nintendo Switch, but it was a [sea plane] [0:23:05]. Carlos, like a child on Santa’s lap, cooed and asked the old man for a superconductive supercollider. And the old whittler, his burlap cheeks heavy with gravity and history, reached into the breast pocket of his (-) shirt and handed Carlos a tiny wooden rose. Carlos hugged his rose to his chest, and I my (sea plane). The whittler took the hand again off his bride and gazed upon her, her veiled eyes met by his boundless stare. They stood like that for more than an hour, not speaking. The only sounds were the cicadas chirping and the crowd whistling.

But the tune faded, and soon only the cicadas cut through the silence of a still desert twilight. And one of us, Larry Leroy, stood and walked on to the stage. He touched the old man’s shoulder. The old man did not turn. He did not speak. He collapsed into black ash. Then his bride, then the seats beneath us, it all gave way to crumbling nothing. Then the buildings and roads and even the general store turned into ash. Finally, every one of our object dissipated, like Eurydice almost free from Hades. A gentle cool breeze arrived to sweep our hope away.

We returned home, wordless, with occasional whistles of the whittler’s tune, once again in a sad and lonesome key. Our cherished gifts, we told ourselves, were nothing more than baubles, ephemera, however blessed or magical. They were mere things, not love, not family, not true love, they were objects, toys. Props. Distractions. They were everything we have ever wanted, because we could hold them, see them, touch them. We can no longer do that, but we can remember what it was like. The rough of the wood against the soft of our hand.

Stay tuned next for our new game show: “Name all the nouns!”

And as always, good night, Night Vale, Good night.

Today’s proverb: Give a man and a fish and he’ll wonder what your deal is. Teach a man to fish and he’ll ask you once again to please leave him alone.

[hiddenhearthwitch]

📓College Witch Tips📓

I’ve gotten a lot of asks for college witch tips and small living space witchy advice. I wasn’t practicing while I lived in the dorms but I did start practicing(in secret) while I was rooming in a studio apartment my sophmore year of uni so I figure it’s sort of similar. Anyways, I hope this helps someone out there ~ 🧡

🕯️So, no candles, I totally get that and it’s a fucking bummer. You can always get fake candles though! There’s such a wide variety of picking between pillar sizes, tea lights, or you could even get ones where you pick the color so you can use it for any spell. 

On another note, have you tried string lights? It doesn’t matter if they’re fairy lights, Christmas lights, or bulb strands. I had a specific set of white strands that went around my part of the room and whenever I want to do a spell/feel magical/etc. I would turn them on ~ bonus you can get fake ivy and flower garlands at the Dollar Store to braid with them and it’s suuuper cute.

💧Water magic is a pretty sneaky go to! No one is ever going to be suspicious of water. You could leave a water bottle out near your window “on accident” for Full Moon water! There’s two big areas I think of so let’s break it down!

Bath magic! Everyone has to shower at some point. Without anything else, pure hot water is wonderful for a pure cleanse of your energy, mind, and body. @beau-witchery has a wonderful post on shower magic you can find here. You can also bring some of your crystals or something you want to charge into the bathroom with you(assuming you have private shower stalls) and let the steam from your shower charge them! You can even sprinkle some salt on the shower floor to help you release negativity and feel charged.

Water bottle magic! This is super universal tbh and I use it for so many things. You can put crystals in your water bottle to charge your water with whatever you need. Red jasper for strength and vitality, quartz for charging and cleanings, amethyst for magic and protection, rose quartz for beauty and love, etc. There are a lot of water soluble crystals so please do proper research first. I would inherently recommend not using anything under a hardness of seven, so do your research!! You can also put in fresh herbs or slices to fruit to enchant it with corresponding properties or to boost your energy.

📚Speaking of research, it’s a fundamental part of magic and college! Use your university library! They’ll definitely have books on the alchemy of plants, gemstones, and I’ve been able to find a few on magic at each uni I’ve visited so give it a look. You can also check out your local library and check to see if your library has an online database for e-check outs. The Akron Public Library has a huge database for online books, PDFs, and articles to “check out” and read online. See if your library or one in your county does as well - it’s typically the main library.

♌Sigil/stave magic, I know this is probably the most recommended thing for college witches but they’re honestly so helpful. You can design your own sigils/staves or use one that other witches have created.  Here’s a link to a tumblr tag for college/student based sigils. 

Now what to do with the sigils? Well, this is up to you. You could stitch or draw a “sigil to stay safe” on the inside of your backpack, draw a motivation/focus sigil inside your notebooks/binders, draw a good grade/”I’ll do well on tests” sigil on your pencil pouch or draw it on the side of your pencil! There’s so manyyy things you can do, just be creative and don’t feel obligated to do it one way just because someone else is.

🌱Plants may not seem like your first choice since you live in a  dorm but there’s a lot of small, low maintenance plants out there. You just need to know where to look. Keeping a plant in your room can help keep you grounded, feeling closer to your craft if your nature/plant based, and generally help keep the energy and air pure. You can also keep plants around for their metaphysical properties ~

Here is an online database to find local plant nurseries. I always suggest going through a nursery vs. a home or grocery store because the workers actually know how to upkeep the soil, when to water them, feed them, repot them, etc. plus I find they tend to have less root mold or disease when coming from a nursery. Some suggestions for small and low maintenance witchy plants would be: lucky bamboo, air plants(specifically Tillandsia maxima, Tillandsia bulbosa, Tillandsia ionantha, and Tillandsia chiapensis), small breed cacti and snake plants.

🔮Crystals don’t always have to be a giant slab of quartz on an altar. We’ve already talked about how you can use them in your water but you can also, carry small tumbled ones in your pencil pouch, wear them as jewelry, put them in your planters if you have plants, and so much more! You’re not limited to the “traditional” use of crystals. Think outside of the box! If you want to labradorite to keep you safe on campus make a key chain to hang on your bookbag or something like that! Some of my favorite crystals in uni were amethyst(memory), clear quartz(knowledge, cleansing), rose quartz(self love), labradorite(magic/protection), and sunstone(joy, knowledge).

☕Drink magic kind of ties in with water bottle magic but it’s more varied! Drink coffee or black/green tea in the morning to start your day off with grounding. When making your coffee or tea draw a sigil on top with your spoon before stirring. If you’re using honey draw it on the bottom of the mug first. Stir counterclockwise to bring in positivity. Use the properties of your tea, coffee, or creamer in your morning magic.

✨Enchanting would work with just about anything. You could enchant your backpack to keep your grounded, your pencils to keep you motivated, your doorway to ward off negativity, etc. If it’s an actual item you’re enchanting I used to do in secret by using water. For example, I enchanted my favorite sweater to help me feel motivated confident by using the machine cycle as a way to cleanse it + instill positive energy and the dry cycle as a way to infusion act and warmth. I mumbled some words about motivation and stuff when loading the clothing in. You could also use warm water to “clean” a water bottle, gemstone bracelet, set of earrings, etc. as a way to enchant something. 

🎮You don’t need an altar to be a witch! I don’t know where this misconception came from but honestly fuck it. If you would like an altar anyways and can’t have one out in the open you can set one up inside one of your drawers, a shoe box, or even a jewelry box. You can make small portable one’s with Altoid tins or other small boxes like match boxes! If you’re tech friendly and want too, you can say fuck it to all of the above and just make an online altar via a tumblr blog, pinterest board, etc. 

Bonus: do you like vidya gamez? You can do a lot with altars to both deities and for witchcraft in video games. You can build an altar in Minecraft or the Sims. You can build homes dedicated to your craft and gods in Skyrim, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, etc. be creative! 

💖The rest of these suggestions are small things anyone can do to feel more connected to their craft or “witchy”. It can be really hard to feel connected to your craft or like a witch at all when you don’t have time or energy because of school, work, depression, etc. So these are just some of my favorite low effort suggestions.

Meditate in bed for five to ten minutes before getting up!

Put cute witchy stickers or washi tape in your agenda, notebooks, etc. use colors and symbols to correspond with your intention

Go for a walk! It can be around campus, your local graveyard, tbh you could just use your walk to class as a chance to feel connected to nature and refresh your energy.

Witchy!! Playlists!! Seriously, get jammin’.

Star a grimoire or bos! It can be a word doc, tumblr blog, or an actual notebook. Whatever works best for you. ✨

Meditate! In the shower, on the way to class, when you wake up, when you’re making breakfast, whenever. Find a few minutes a day when you’re by yourself and focus on calming your thoughts.

Use ambient videos on youtube to help ground you and feel more connected to your craft. Basic ambiance w/moving video links: Forest w/waterfall, Woodland, Night, Ocean, Rain & fireplace, Nighttime train ride, Sunrise, Wheat field, River, Campfire, Swamp, Snow

Wear colors that correspond with your magical needs.

Hide your pendulum as your necklace or just use your favorite necklace as a pendulum!

Look on amazon, clearance racks, and thrift stores for tapestries and blankets to hang up that make you feel witchy! 

Wear scented oils ~ different intentions for different days

Pls love yourself and remember I’m sending you so much love

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[folklorecostumes]

REPUTATION LYRIC INSPIRED TOUR OUTFITS AND POSTERS PART 1

A lot of these posters are pictured in either giant bubble letters, rep font or in calligraphy. Can’t do any of these? Download the rep font or font you wish to use, type up what you want in a big enough font size, print, cut, and trace, or glue them down up to you! Of course, write these however you wish!

Hello all! Thanks for waiting so patiently for this list! Because of how long it is and how very excited you all have been waiting for this we have decided to post it into 2 parts to keep the excitement going. Part 2 will be coming in just a few short days and will be linked here, maybe even sooner than you think! Please enjoy all the ideas we listed below so far, send us others you may have and want to share with the swiftie world. We apologize if the formatting on this looks bad on mobile, we are trying to actively make it easily accessible and readable across all platforms!

And lastly, enjoy and tag us in these recreations! We want to see them! We want to help them get seen by Taylor!

Find the Reputation Part 2 list here.

Find the 1989 idea list here and here.

Find the Red idea list here.

Find more costume and poster ideas and tips here.

lovelovelove,

 - Reputation Costumes.

…READY FOR IT?:

1. “Knew he was a killer” – you and a friend or significant other dress up as a killer and their victim (not to scary or realistic though! Just have fun with it)

2. “Left haunted” – could make a fun sign saying “Taylor left me haunted” or something silly with the word haunted! Could even use Haunted (Speak Now) lyrics!

3. “But if he’s a ghost, then I can be a phantom” – Few ideas:

         → Two people could dress up as ghosts. 

         → Could also dress up as Danny Phantom because of the wordplay, or even the Phantom of the Opera if you wanted to be clever.  

         → Could also dress up as ghost hunters/ghost busters.

4. “Holdin’ him for ransom” – dress as bank robbers! Could even copy the outfits from the vault scene in LWYMMD.

5. “I keep him forever, like a vendetta-ta” – Poster that replaces him for Taylor, so it says I keep Taylor forever, like a vendetta-ta.

6. “Island breeze and lights down low” – maybe dress tropical—think family vacation ha. 

         → Could even improvise a poster that instead of saying island it could say (city name) breeze and stadium lights down low. Ex: “Boston breeze and stadium lights down low” (yes, I know its FOXBORO, but we all know Taylor just calls it Boston lol).

7. “In the middle of the night” – Dress as if you’re the night sky, glow in the dark ceiling stars or tape on a black/navy blue outfit with glitter. A matching poster in the shape of a star or a moon would be the perfect pairing.

8. “Are you ready for it?” – Poster with these lyrics on it. Remember posters can be as simple or as creative as you’d like. If you have a large enough group, you could make giant cutouts and hold two letters or so each.

9. “Stealing hearts and running off..” – A poster in the shape of a heart (not anatomical) with the lyrics on it.

10. “He can be my jailer” – Cop and Robber costume, could do the orange jumpsuit from the LWYMMD video and copy the “guards” around the birdcages outfits.

11. “Burton to this Taylor” – dress as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor

12. “Let the games begin” – Multiple options for this one.

          →   Could dress as a referee/sport player/some sort of sport reference

          →   Have a game board attached to your outfit, make your own Taylor inspired game, maybe by gluing homemade items over a monopoly and have little trivia questions about her.

          →   Game board inspired poster—an Uno card but with these lyrics rather than traditional uno face.

13. Recreate one of the outfits from the music video

END GAME:

1. “I wanna be your endgame” – Poster designed as your favorite/or classic “end game” credit logo.

2. “I wanna be your first string” – Sometimes related to sports or your favorite ship from a TV show/Film/Book so do what you may with this.

3. “I wanna be your A-Team” – Could dress up as the A Team. Poster with friends that spell out A-Team.

4.  “Big Reputation” – Poster with these lyrics or wear the End Game merch sold on Taylor’s site. Can’t afford it? Make your own with stencils and fabric paint!

5.  “I bury hatchets, but I keep maps of where I put ‘em” – Make/buy a shirt with a map on it—think buried treasure map with x’s to mark where stuff is hidden!

6. “Your body is gold” – Gold morph suit, gold body paint, gold glitter, gold anything! Dawn yourself in all gold for this look.

7.  “So here’s the truth from my red lips” – Make an outfit with red lips open with a speech bubble above it and have end game lyrics in each one! Or make a poster with the same idea.

8.  Recreate one of the many music video outfits!

I DID SOMETHING BAD:

1. “I play ‘em like a violin” – Make a poster cut out into the same of a violin and wear music notes.

2. ‘Now all he thinks about is me” – Poster saying “Now all I think about is Taylor”

3. “I can feel the flames on my skin” – Body paint flames in your arms/legs or wear flame pattern shirt.

4. “Crimson red paint on my lips” – Could be similar to the one above from End Game with red lips all over your outfit or a poster.

5. “If a man talk shit, then I owe him nothing” – Great lyric for a poster! Don’t want to put the swear on the poster? Get creative and maybe use the emoji covering its mouth or symbols!

6.  “I never trust a playboy, but they love me” – Going with a guy friend? Could have him dress like Hugh Hefner but of course remember the necessary clothing needed to get into a venue if you do this! Could also dress as a bunny (playboy related or just average you decide)

7. “So I fly ‘em all around the world” – Going to multiple shows? Make a poster of a globe with airplanes landing on each tour stop you’re going to!

8. “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one” – Dress as a witch, could be inspired from the Salem witch trials, could be a cartoon-y Halloween one, or one from your favorite show or movie that involves witches!

9. “Pitchforks and proof, their receipts and reasons” – Poster in the shape of a pitchfork or one that looks like a store receipt or screenshotted iMessage but using Taylor lyrics as the messages or purchases!

10. “Light me up” – Most shows apparently will not allow lights but doesn’t mean you can’t light up with glow sticks, glow in the dark body paint/outfits or glitter!

11. “Most fun I ever had” – Poster saying “Taylor Concerts are the most fun I ever had!”

DON’T BLAME ME:

1. “Don’t blame me, love made me crazy” – Poster that says, “Don’t blame me, Taylor made me crazy.”

2. “Darkest little paradise” – Black lace vibe from this lyric, especially picturing those pumps that have fur on the front near the toes. Could also make a sign that’s a midnight black sky with glow in the dark stars writing out the lyric.

3. “They say, ‘She’s gone too far this time’” – Poster with this lyric and a map tracking all your shows if you’re going to multiple. Could have all the miles listed under each show!

4. “Halo, hiding my obsession” – Angel outfit? Make the halo out of glow sticks so it shines after the lights go down. Poster that says hiding my obsession, maybe make it look like a TSL post.

5. “I once was poison ivy, but now I’m your daisy” – Few ideas for this:

           →   An outfit that starts as poison ivy on the bottom but slowly progress to daisies. Could have buds of daisies starting at the bottom with the ivy and start to have them bloom as it increases until it’s just all daisies.

          →   Poster that spells out poison ivy in plastic (or real or drawn completely up to you) poison ivy.

          →   Poster that spells out Daisy with Daisies from a craft store!

          →   Daisy Buchanan from Gatsby.

          →   Poison Ivy comic.

6. “Fall from grace” – Michael and Lucifer, so aka could go as a fallen angel or the devil. If you watch Supernatural then you can pull from that for inspiration!

7. Taylor related this song to church, love and drug use because those 3 are powerful enough to change a person. Dressing up as if you’re in a choir could fit this song! Even something church related, however trying to remain neutral with that can be difficult.

8. Some people get a Fifty Shades of Grey vibe from this song, do what you may with that.

DELICATE:

1. Poster spelling out delicate with an assortment of colorful fake flowers.

2. “You can make me a drink” – Poster cut out in the shape of a wine glass with the lyrics being written in a bold, thick font and place to look as if from far away its wine drawn in the glass.

3. “Dive bar on the East Side, where you at?” – “Taylor Swift concert in (your state), where you at?” sign. Could also make this look like an iMessage chat.

4. Fringe outfit similar to the video.

5. Dive bar outfit.

6. “Dark jeans and your Nikes” – Could easily where this exact outfit paired with a Taylor shirt if you aren’t into dressing up for shows!

7. “Never seen that color blue” – Poster with sketched blue eyes and these lyrics underneath it. Could also wear an entire blue outfit.

8. “Is it chill that you’re in my head?” – poster ideas:

          →  Is it chill that Taylor’s in my head?

          →  Is it chill that you’re in my head, Taylor?

9. “Handsome, you’re a mansion with a view.” - Dress up with a costume similar in the idea of the a skyscraper costume but as a fancy house!

10. “Echoes of your footsteps on the stairs” - Poster with an echoing effect (think Microsoft early 2000s word art) on the lyrics. Could even place the lyrics on top of one another to look like it’s building a staircase. 

LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO:

1. “I don’t like your little games” – See similar ideas for game inspired outfits above, OR

          →  Make an outfit featuring miniature games attached to you, like Tamagotchi’s or make your own mini monopoly/life/etc. boards and glue them onto your outfit or poster. Possibly break the little boards in half and have broken pieces to represent not liking them.

2. “Of the fool” – Could dress up as a fool/clown. Silly, whimsical costume.

3. “Said the gun was mine” – Could do a poster of a smoking gun with the lyrics looking like they came out of the gun/the toy guns where flags pop out.

4. “Rose up from the dead” – Zombie! Tombstone poster!

5. “I’ve got a list of names and yours is in red, underlined” – List of names—Taylor related, maybe her cats or not—but have them all crossed out besides for Taylors at the bottom.

6. “I check it once, then I check it twice” – Some say this reminds them of Santa so by all means feel free to dress up Christmas-y.

7. “Look what you made me do” – Use the lyric video to create cool posters.

8. “I don’t like your kingdom keys” – few ideas:

        → Outfit with keys drawn on, make them look vintage and old, wear crowns with this look! Could also have keys dangling off the ends of the outfit.

       →  Giant gold key posters, make them look novelty like the ones cities give to honor people.

9. Drama and Karma matching glitter posters.

10. Snake skin, snake rings, snake anything!

11. Choose one of the many outfits Taylor is seen wearing throughout the LWYMMD video, we’ll hopefully have some great, cheap knockoffs for these soon!

12. Dress up as “old Taylor” so this basically opens up endless possibilities from each era, check out our 1989 and Red costume lists for more ideas! Hopefully we can work on Speak Now, Fearless and Debut inspired lists soon too!

13. Merch! Merch! Merch! She has tons of Look merch on her site, wear that if you want to be casual.

14. Similar Blind for Love sweater is available on eBay! The similar patches are also sold at craft stores or online (eBay).

15. Use the patches sold through Taylor Swift’s store to make you’re own one of a kind outfit--whether it be a denim jacket, dress, you name it! You can even design you’re own patches using crafts.

16. “The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now” - Poster using a picture of the “old Taylor” and a poster in the shape of a phone! Could incorporate the Our Song video, WANEGBT video, or the Look video when she’s on a phone.

SO IT GOES…

1.  “See you in the dark” – Poster where the word Dark is written in glow in the dark paint/marker to show up after the lights go down!

2. “All eyes on you” – Outfit with googly eyes glued all over it. Or create a poster with the same idea and the lyrics changed to “All eyes on Taylor”

        →  Add “my magician” if you wish to the end of the poster lyric or combine the googly eyes theme with a magician costume.

3. “My magician” –  Multiple options:

       → Dress up in a magician’s costume, this can be traditional, or you can be as creative as you want with it.

       →  Poster cut out to look like you’re holding a fan of cards (think trick magician’s deck) with any lyrics from the song written on it.

       →  Could dress up as a magician’s assistant.

       →  Dress up as a rabbit/bunny (stereotypically used in acts)

       →  Poster in the shape of a bunny peeking out of a magician’s hat, or just the ears sticking out of the hat, with so it goes lyrics on it.

       →  Poster of a crystal ball with “all eyes on you, my magician” written in it.

4. “You make everyone disappear” – “Taylor makes everyone disappear” written on a poster. Possibly write it in glow in the dark ink so it only shows when the lights are down and not before!

5. “Cut me into pieces” – Puzzle piece posters! You and a group of friends can each hold a piece that fits into the other and each can have one word of a line from any reputation song or simply use the “cut me into pieces”

6. “Gold cage, hostage to my feelings” – 2 options:

       →  Make a cut out poster in the shape of a cage, individual cut out in between each bar so it’s open, do two sides like this and attach strings to wear the sign so it looks like the cage is around you. Could even wear this with the orange jumpsuit outfit from the Look video!

      →  Poster in the shape of a gold bird cage with “hostage to my feelings” written inside of it.

7. “All our pieces fall right into place” – Poster with confetti, puzzle pieces, hearts either drawn on or glued. Either place or draw the pieces to spell out the lyrics as they fall down to a pile at the bottom of the poster paper or just have the pieces you decide to use “raining” down halfway through the poster and have the lyrics on the bottom half.

8. “So it goes…” Poster with these lyrics.

9. “Met you in a bar” – 2 options:

          →  Poster drawn and cut out like a whiskey bottle with these lyrics, Taylor and reputation written on the label.

          →  Using half of a poster board, draw what looks like a bar top (typically mahogany) with bottles either laying or standing across it and a few shot glasses, each bottle could be named after a song on the album!

10. “All eyes on us/All eyes on you/All eyes on me” -  Staring eye emoji drawn on a poster with a thought bubble above it with one of these 3 lyrics in the bubble.

11. “I make all your grey days clear” –

          →  One person dresses up as a cloudy/rainy day so all grey clothes and have reflective blue tape cut into rain drops and white reflective tape to represent clouds (typically clouds are grey/black when it’s raining but those two colors won’t be reflective, could use glow in the dark paint/tape as well). Could also wear a cloud poster with raindrops hanging from it on string around them or hold as a regular poster with these lyrics in the cloud.

          →  Second person dresses up as sunny day, in preferably light blue to represent a clear sky, yellow reflective tape cut out as suns on the outfit—could even have some breaking through clouds using white reflective tape. Person could also wear a sun poster around them like suggested above for the grey day look.

12.  “Wear you like a necklace” – Think flavor flav! Make a giant fake watch (or not a watch and just a necklace) out of string and cardboard. Have the reputation album cover or cd artwork be hanging from it/as the face of the watch.

13.  “Dressed in black now” – Wear all black! Draw attention to yourself with some glow in the dark paint or stickers, glow sticks and glitter.

14. “Scratches down your back” – Might not be appropriate with what its referencing for younger crowds and you may get looks from parents but create a shirt with bloody scratches down the backside and let the front side have “so it goes…” written on it.

15.  “You did a number on me” – Few options:

           →  Poster cut out into a 13/22/1989 with the lyric written throughout the 13/22/1989.

            →  Poster with an array of numbers related to Taylor filling it (13, 22, 1989, 10(Grammys), etc.). Write the lyrics in rep font first and draw the numbers around it, filling the background. Write in glow in the dark paint/tape, glue flowers over the lyrics, whatever you desire! Can even just use the word rep instead of doing the lyrics.

           →  Idea above for the poster could also work on a shirt.

           →  Poster with the number of shows you’re attending.

16.  “Who’s counting?” – See the ideas for the lyric above, they work well with this one as well.