#BUT. that is the price we pay for clearance fabric
Text
I have my pattern pieces all cut out, but now I have to wait for my fABRIC TO GET HERE, SINCE IT’S VACATIONING IN PENNSYLVANIA
#it’s actually gotten here really really fast#theoretically it’s going to be delivered today#but I want to sew all day today since there’s no one in the house and I can make sewing machine noises#and now I have to wait until probably late tonight for box#BUT. that is the price we pay for clearance fabric#I am attempting to sew clothes which has proven difficult#as I am a Halfling trying to equip Human armor#so the proportions are wrong#I gotta adjust for FAT but SHORT#but I think I almost got it. the first one I made turned out good#it’s just too tall in the shoulders.#but now that I know to compensate for that I can make the next one better#it’s a corset top btw#I learned how to buttonhole stitch#….. you know. I could make one with fabric scraps and sew patches onto it………#lazy witchblogging
21 notes
·
View notes
Text
Gym Workout Size Clothing for Women and Men
Every woman would like to feel good about her outward appearance, especially during her teenage years. Despite variations in height, width and size, young Women & Men would like to be able to wear beautiful fashionable clothes that are both fit and flattering. Involvement in fashion and clothing shopping is a social staple for friendly relationships and peer acceptance among teenage girls. Sometimes it is more challenging to find suitable, attractive Gym Workout size clothing for Women & Men. Since most off-the-rack styles are geared for little ones. Gym Workout size Women & Men had fewer options in the past Women & Men who were above average were limited in finding outfits that looked as stylish and feminine as their peers.
Fortunately, the fashion world has realized that Women & Men of all sizes including Gym Workout size Women & Men love to wear stylish outfits. Because they are willing and able to pay for it. The Gym Workout size clothing market has proven itself to be huge and lucrative. Shopping is a much more satisfying experience for the modern Gym Workout size woman. Who has a wide variety of fashionable options available in the sizes required by him. Gym Workout size clothes are now easily available in all styles and fabrics. There is even a wide variety of Gym Workout size dresses to choose from. There is a growing number of merchants. Both in retail stores and online, who specialize in Gym Workout size clothing for Women & Men. Including special occasion clothing. However, if possible you will want to try these on before you buy, as many of these gowns are non-refundable. Men Gym Clothing Online and Men Gym T Shirt Online with quick delivery.
Gym Workout size teenage girls can now totally join the excitement of prom dress shopping with their friends. Now there are many beautiful Gym Workout size prom dresses that girls can choose from. Undergarments should also be chosen to achieve a smooth silhouette. A stylish, well-fitting wardrobe exudes confidence and confidence from others. With clothes that fit and flatter, Gym Workout size young Women & Men can carry themselves with pride and confidence. In matters of personal and career, the world rewards those who can look good and feel good about themselves. With great outfits, young Women & Men can attend their prom and face the rest of their lives with more optimism.
Considering the way many stores and online retailers are constantly offering sales, you probably wonder when is the right time to buy any Gym Workout size clothing for Women & Men! Anyway, here are some tips that will help you in shopping for Gym Workout size Women & Men's clothing. Patience Will Pay Off, People who want to save some money. They will need to be a little more patient than the usual crowd of people there. Who always want to have their hands on the latest fashion. For example when you see the latest technological gadgets or smart phones being launched. They are offered at a premium price. Inspect now. Just wait a few months. And you will start to see prices drop as more new models are announced throughout the year. Same goes for clothes. When any latest trend or fashion is announced. So its highest price will be at a premium. So if you can wait a few months, eventually the price will come down.
Take Advantage of Stock Clearance, If you want to stretch your money a little more, look for stock clearance season. Where many retailers drop the prices of their Gym Workout size clothing for Women & Men to clear out their inventory. These usually happen when the weather is about to change. For example, we are quite used to summer sales when everything is offered at great prices. Did you know you can get even better deals when you shop at the end of summer? However, if you really need the dress or clothing and the item is already depreciated in value, so you can get it. It beats paying full price for this as there is already some form of savings.
When You Have Your Plans Worked Out, So you can get it. It beats paying full price for this as there is already some form of savings. So save yourself the hassle and time by getting it online. Even better if the online retailer is offering free shipping as this will save you going to the store and back. Unless you have time to wait for the clothes to arrive, they won't show up right away. Most people will buy a few sets of clothing together if that makes them eligible for free shipping.
Shopping for special occasion dresses has often proven to be a problem - there are very few options available to older Women & Men and girls. Looking for clothes that have sleeves that are a bit more 'flowy' to cover flabby arms is a way to make the arms and upper body of a woman look slimmer. It is especially important to get the correct body measurements when buying party dresses. Same thing goes for Gym Workout size special occasion clothes. Anyway, pay attention to the change of season as only then will you be able to get better deals on online store. Have a good time shopping. Women & Men don't have to dream of having a wide figure just to look attractive, elegant and presentable. Gym Workout Size Clothing for Women & Men offers the perfect solution to bring out the best in every woman, regardless of size.
1 note
·
View note
Text
A Guide to Choosing Different Varieties of Women’s Shirts Online
In today's digital era, the convenience of shopping online has revolutionized the way we purchase clothing. With a vast array of options available at our fingertips, selecting the perfect women's shirt can be both exciting and overwhelming. To make your online shopping experience more seamless, here are some valuable tips to consider when choosing different varieties of women’s shirts online.
The Original Collection:
When browsing through online stores like Boone's Bay, explore "The Original" collection. This range often features classic designs and timeless styles that never go out of fashion. Whether you're looking for a casual t-shirt or a crisp button-down shirt, "The Original" collection offers versatile options suitable for various occasions.
Deep Sea Collection:
Dive into the depths of style with the Deep Sea collection. These shirts often feature vibrant hues and patterns inspired by the ocean. Perfect for adding a pop of color to your wardrobe, shirts from the Deep Sea collection exude a refreshing and adventurous vibe, making them ideal for beach outings or casual gatherings.
Prickly Pear Collection:
Embrace your unique style with shirts from the Prickly Pear collection. Characterized by bold prints and statement-making designs, this collection is perfect for those who want to stand out from the crowd. Whether it's quirky graphics or eye-catching patterns, the Prickly Pear collection offers a fun and playful twist to traditional shirt designs.
Full Sleeve Shirts:
For added coverage and warmth, opt for full sleeve shirts like those found in the Prickly Pear collection. Ideal for cooler weather or formal occasions, these shirts provide both style and functionality. Pair them with your favorite jeans or trousers for a chic and polished look that transitions seamlessly from day to night.
Moisture Wicking Women Shirts:
Stay cool and comfortable all day long with moisture-wicking shirts from the Cotton Blossom collection. Crafted from breathable fabrics, these shirts are designed to wick away sweat and moisture, keeping you feeling fresh and dry even in the hottest conditions. Whether you're hitting the gym or running errands, moisture-wicking shirts are a must-have addition to your activewear wardrobe.
Clearance Section:
Don't forget to check out the clearance section for great deals and discounts on women's shirts. You might find hidden gems from past collections at unbeatable prices. From basic essentials to statement pieces, the clearance section offers budget-friendly options for savvy shoppers.When shopping for women’s shirts online from Boone’s Bay, remember to pay attention to sizing charts, fabric compositions, and customer reviews to ensure a perfect fit and quality purchase. With these tips in mind, you're ready to navigate the world of online shopping and find the perfect shirts to complement your style and personality. Happy shopping!
0 notes
Text
Custom Covers Custom Equipment Covers
There are various types of worldwide shipping agreements, including value, insurance, and freight (CIF), free on board (FOB), and cost and freight (CFR). As a end result, it is essential that consumers and sellers understand all of the legal phrases inside these agreements earlier than participating in international trade. Cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) is a global delivery agreement used when freight is shipped through sea or waterway. Under CIF, the vendor is liable for overlaying the prices, insurance, and freight of the buyer's shipment whereas in transit. The buyer is answerable for any costs once the freight has reached the customer's destination port.
This process started lots of of years earlier, during the durations of European colonialism. Fast fashion clothes has also become a world phenomenon. These clothes are inexpensive, mass-produced Western clothing. Also, donated used clothes from Western nations is delivered to individuals in poor countries by charity organizations. Scientists have never agreed on when people began wearing clothes and estimates instructed by numerous experts have ranged tremendously, from forty,000 to as many as 3 million years in the past. Goods for which you wouldn't have to pay customs duties (e.g. with complete value decrease than €150) are also topic to customs clearance.
Industrial sewing operations promote these as waste; home sewers could flip them into quilts. The customs declaration offers data to the customs authorities concerning the items that you're importing. This declaration have to be submitted by an individual established in the EU or their representative who is ready to present the goods to customs. This person is often the client (i.e. the importer) that ordered the products..
In either occasion, simple or advanced you can use our online type. Company logos assist construct your model and in addition let users know who owns the duvet ought to or not equipment cover it's taken off and left someplace apart from its meant location. While custom printing and firm logos do improve the cost of the covers they're typically times very helpful.
A good stitching desk offers a steady surface in your stitching machine and supplies. Look for a desk that is the proper peak for you and has ample storage for your supplies. Important for any getaway, these bags can be sewn utilizing waterproof materials. Create a wide range of pillow covers in several colours and materials. Make tote baggage out of sturdy fabrics and add your own custom touches corresponding to pockets, zippers, or patterns. The vendor should pay for the costs of transferring and shipping the freight as properly as insuring the cargo till the products have been delivered to the buyer's port.
Manufacturer of defend protecting covers made from nylon fabric material. Secondary providers such as design, engineering, packaging, transport, and testing are available. Serves petrochemicals, construction, healthcare, transportation, military custom equipment covers, oil, gas, medical, meals, and beverage industries. Dust, dust and oil can usually trigger production issues and even doubtlessly harmful accidents in vegetation.
We create custom equipment covers that may suit your industrial, marine and industrial equipment and equipment. With high-quality supplies and top of the line sealing equipment, we can create the best equipment cover based on your needs or your individual design. Manufacturer of standard and custom equipment and machine covers. Products embody five sided, cylinder, canvas, polyethylene, vinyl and circular tarp covers. Used to guard equipment and machinery from sun, mud, dirt, grime, grease and oil.
We imagine in providing our shoppers with high-quality objects at affordable costs, in addition to immediate delivery providers. Steel Guard’s industrial equipment covers and tarps are custom designed to suit around 5-sided designs and even odd shapes. Standard 5-sided machine dust covers with 18 oz coated FR vinyl can be ordered on-line or name considered one of our inside sales reps to design a custom cover on your equipment covers application. Last, with tough materials that may stand up to most forms of injury. Columbus Canvas Products provides a broad variety of industrial merchandise, including equipment covers to protect industrial machines from environmental hazards. Columbus Canvas Products designs protecting industrial covers to fit just about any utility.
We make our covers out of 18 oz vinyl, which is slightly thinner in order that it is more flexible and never so stiff. Now we extend these services and knowledge to the web. Making it as easy as attainable to search out the information and equipment that you simply need and need. CIF is completely different from price and freight (CFR), which is when the vendor is responsible for the transport and freight prices, however underneath CFR, the seller isn't responsible for obtaining marine insurance coverage.
• Protect your costly equipment by purchasing simple to use, custom fit covers from Custom Cover Upholstery. We make industrial covers for valuable equipment, tools and equipment. From oil rigs to HVAC systems to truck exhaust methods – we cover it. Armbrusters was contracted to create this practice cover that was used to protect the Orion Space capsules from particles and mud throughout manufacturing.
0 notes
Photo
JBL CLIP 4 ORIGINAL BLUETOOTH SPEAKER Wanna buy this product!👇👇👇 DM or WhatsApp us on +94775903335 with the PID on the photo. Prices starting from LKR 27990 (prices, colour, stocks and warranty may vary) ____________________________________________________ JBL Pro Sound delivers surprisingly rich audio and punchy bass from Clip 4’s compact size. JBL Clip 4’s ultra-portable design goes great with the latest styles, and its colorful fabrics and expressive details make it look as great as it sounds. With the JBL Clip 4’s redesigned carabiner that’s integrated into the speaker itself for extra protection, you can clip it on and go explore the world. Wirelessly stream music from your phone, tablet, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device. The JBL Clip 4 is IP67 waterproof and dustproof, so you can bring your speaker anywhere. Power source type: Battery Powered ____________________________________________________ 💰Mode of payments: Cash on delivery/ Card on delivery/ Direct bank deposits/ EZ cash/ Crypto currency (request id)/ Pay with Koko app/ PayPal We come wherever you are:🤘 🚛 🌏Worldwide shipping (inquire on custom clearance, fee, excluded countries and taxes) ____________________________________________________ #srilanka #ecommerce #darazonlineshopping #mushshasstore #colombo #islandwidedelivery #lowestprice #cheap #computer #accessories #phone #speakers #multimedia #laptop #music #kisonli #remax #apple #baseus #original #copy #1more #paykokoapp #ebay #paypal #microwear #electronicstore #boyabym1 #jbl (at Mushsha's Store) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf_3Q-kBm5K/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
#srilanka#ecommerce#darazonlineshopping#mushshasstore#colombo#islandwidedelivery#lowestprice#cheap#computer#accessories#phone#speakers#multimedia#laptop#music#kisonli#remax#apple#baseus#original#copy#1more#paykokoapp#ebay#paypal#microwear#electronicstore#boyabym1#jbl
0 notes
Note
Hello! We use the same pronouns! Also, I absolutely love your work darling (is it alright if I call you that?) I was hoping I could request some established relationship Will fluff? Just domestic stuff, like going grocery shopping or cooking dinner. All the love! <3
ayoooo that's so cool! thank you for the compliments, it makes my heart go brrrr. and literally call me whatever you want im good with anything! thank you so much for the request! I never got a chance to do it for the event so its been on my mind forever!
{Ikea} Wilbur Soot x Reader
pronouns: not mentioned
word count: 795
regular masterlist
wilbur masterlist
taglist
"Oooh! What about this!" You pulled Wilbur by the hand to a sitting room display. "I really like the wicker chairs! They look so comfortable!"
Wilbur shook his head, "Those chairs are half our budget. No."
You pouted, "Please, Wil! Just run seven ads next time! That's what Sapnap does!"
"I'm not running ads so that you can have some wicker chairs that don't even match the living room. We are here to get a new sofa, that is it," He reminded you.
Unluckily for Wilbur, the sofas were in the very back of the store, right before the clearance section. It took awhile to actually get back there.
At first, Wilbur thought your curiosity was cute and adorable. You would get so excited over the ridiculously priced furniture that you had to put together, remind you. It wasn't your fault though, it was Ikea's. They had so many interesting things to build, it was adult Legos!
Eventually, Wilbur got fed up with you running off, "Just hold my hand okay?"
You smiled at him, "Okay Mr. Simpbur..."
He huffed, "I am not being a simp right now, I am simply keeping you near me so that way you don't find something and make my pockets hurt."
"Fine..." You gave up your hand to him in defeat and let him lead the way.
You tried a few times to run off and look at some tables, they did have really neat designs, but Wilbur kept a firm grip and made sure you stayed by his side.
He was hesitant to let go when you arrived at the sofas; however, he still had a little trust in you and let go. Besides, you were finally looking at things that you could buy.
"What shape are you thinking?" Wilbur asked you.
"Why are you asking me?" You tilted your head towards him. "It's your house and you're paying. I'm just here to spend time with you."
"Do you really think that?" He asked.
You nodded, "Well yeah. I did move in with you after all, and kinda quit my job because I had to move so far..."
"Don't think like that," He begged. "This is our home. We share everything now. I wanted you here because you're gonna be at the house more than I am. I wanted to make sure you had something you liked to lounge on."
You blushed, "O-Oh. Well um, I think if we want to have friends over we should get a bigger size. Maybe an L sofa?"
"Yeah sure!" Wilbur agreed, "That's a good start!"
You jumped on a nice white one, "This one looks elegant!"
Wilbur ran his hand across the arm, "I don't think white is a good choice. I drink too much to have something white. Let's go find a darker colored one."
Wilbur sat down on a dark brown leather sofa, he patted the spot next to him, "Whatcha think?"
You sat down and immediately sunk far down, "This is way too soft, and the stitches feel weird to me. I think we need a softer fabric."
To speed up the process, you and Wilbur started at different ends of the rows. There was tons to go through and eliminating them was easy. After every evaluation, you two looked at each other and shook your head.
You eventually met Wilbur in the middle, how ironic. Wilbur was the first to sit down, "Oh I like this one, come have a sit."
You sat down next to him, "Oh yeah this is nice!"
Wilbur put his arm around you and pulled him closer to him, "Imagine this, love. I just got done streaming, and you've been waiting all day for me to come back. I open the door and dive onto this couch and get all snuggled up to you like I am now." Wilbur pretended to grab something next to him, "I take the remote and turn on your favorite Disney movie, and eventually we fall asleep."
You smiled, "All because of this sofa?"
"All because of this sofa," He confirmed. "You wanna get it?"
You nodded, "I do."
Wilbur pulled you off of the sofa and grabbed its identity card, "Let's go check this out then."
You hung onto his elbow as he led you up front to the checkout. You looked around and slowed down. Wilbur turned his head to see what caught your attention.
"You see the hanging chair don't you?" He sighed.
You nodded excitedly, "It looks really pretty. I can hang out in it in the background of your streams..."
Wilbur looked down at you. You gave him your best puppy dog eyes that you could, "Go grab it."
"Yay!" You cheered and pecked his cheek with your lips before running over.
taglist: @neptunebabes
#wilbur#Wilbur soot#mcyt#wilbur x reader#wilbur soot x reader#x reader#mcyt x reader#wilbur oneshot#wilbur soot oneshot#mcyt oneshot#oenshot#Wilbur fluff#wilbur soot fluff#mcyt fluff#fluff#Wilbur fanfic#wilbur soot fanfic#mcyt fanfic
844 notes
·
View notes
Note
“ sleep with me. “ “ sleep, or sleep? “ “ both, preferably. “ for petermj
"I hate Valentine's Day."
Michelle smirks, looking up from her book as she sees Peter steps in from the window– hair askew as he rips his mask off.
"I thought you liked it for all the clearance chocolate," she says as Peter closes the window behind him, running a hand through his hair.
"That's the day after Valentine's. The actual day is a living nightmare," he grouses, Michelle laughing as he walks over to her.
"Don't–okay," she says with a soft laugh as Peter lays himself on top of her, his hair smelling of sweat and matted down from being under the mask for the past few hours as he burrows his face into her stomach. Michelle sets her book down on the floor, Peter settling himself on top of her.
"That bad, huh?" she asks as she runs a hand through his hair, Peter sighing–arms settling across her sides.
"Brutal," he whispers into the fabric of her shirt, the soft weight of him grounding her as he continues. "Everyone wants a piece of Spider-Man today. It's exhausting."
"Oh no, what will you do?" Michelle deadpans, hearing Peter snort against her ribcage as he lifts his head up– a dopey smile on his face. "Too many people love you, what a tragedy."
"They don't love me, they love the suit," Peter says, tilting his head to the side. "Kinda regretting the whole red and blue thing now."
"I liked the red and black," Michelle says, Peter adjusting himself until he's hovered on top of her–leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her lips.
"You know what I like?" He whispers, Michelle grinning as he presses a kiss to the side of her mouth, her cheek, down to her neck–making room for him as she sighs.
"Cherry cordials?" She asks as Peter snaps his head up, eyes gleaming as he smiles.
"You didn't. MJ..."
"I didn't," she says, bringing a hand up to his face. "No one in the world likes those as much as you do. If you thought I was going to pay full price for those then you've been knocked in the head too much."
"Oh I've definitely done that," he says with a grin, leaning forward again to kiss her once more–deeper this time as she breathes into it.
"You smell," she says in-between kisses, hearing his soft laughter in the back of his throat.
"Just what every guy wants to hear," he says before kissing her one final time, leaning off of her as she grins up at him. "
"Take a shower and then maybe we can take a nap," she says teasingly, Peter raising an eyebrow.
"You want to sleep with me?" He asks suggestively, Michelle grinning as she sits up.
"Sleep or sleep?"
"Both, preferably," Peter says, Michelle moving to stand as Peter helps her up.
"Think I'll need a shower too first," she says against his lips, smiling as Peter wraps his arms around her.
"I can help with that," he replies, kissing her once more before lifting her up–Michelle laughing as she wraps her legs around his waist and he leads her back to their bedroom.
#spideychelle#petermj#this has been in my inbox for months#been saving this for love day#petermjane#peter x michelle#peter x mj#mj x peter#michelle x peter#peter parker#michelle jones#michelle jones watson
95 notes
·
View notes
Text
Confessions of a Joann Employee
UPDATE: If you want to send more confessions and/or report what’s happening at your Joann anonymously, there’s EmployeeJoann on Twitter that is responding to messages. They are constantly sharing and updating more as it becomes available to them!
A confession from a Joann employee that is in one of the Covid-19 effected areas and has so much to say about it:
-We are staying open until told by the state otherwise. Even though they declared a State of Emergency and all non-essential businesses must be shut down by 5pm on Saturday 3/21, our company is refusing to. Because Joann themselves is trying to deem Joann as an "essential" store. They even put it all over their website that we are here for the people making masks and small businesses who need fabric to continue. They quote that we are here for the customers and that we as United States Americans have a responsibility to fill this need. They aren’t looking at curbside only as an option, they aren’t looking at offering more benefits for shopping online, they want us open and people in stores. They are sending us emails with pieces of paper (unofficial, not state made) to print out and put in our cars to say we are on the way to work at an "essential retailer." Anything to make it so we can remain open.
-This sucks for employees and here’s why: The way Joann is set up is if we get sick, if we have to leave to take care of someone who is sick, if we want to self-quarantine (because of our health or the health of our loved ones), we either quit or ask to be put on Leave of Absence and cannot return without medical clearance. If we come into contact with someone who has Covid-19 (even if they came into the store), they request we stay home while the rest of us have to work even if we were standing right next to them. As long as we don’t display symptoms, we are expected to show up or we can request LoA. LoA does not pay us. The only way we as employees will be taken care of is if the store closes AND if we have two weeks of schedules set up. I was hoping the company was on the path to this when they had us cancel all the classes until May and then limited hours but all that went out the window today. Right now Joann is doing everything to prevent us from closing and in turn take care of their employees. Every single time I bring up our well-being, I get reminded that we need to think about the customer first.
-Our store is step up to have daily conference calls to talk about the current status and to express any concerns we have. I brought up the status about my county (our major has declared everyone be shut down as of 5pm tomorrow or the police will be involved) and that I am deeply concerned for us and they told me that we have a responsibility as a leader to keep everyone calm and to keep working through this. ***When I asked what if everyone in my store requests a Leave of Absence because we are all very much concerned about our health, they said, "We will replace you with team members from other stores. There are service industry people and travel workers looking for jobs and we will fill your positions with people who will work it."*** They straight up told me that we are replaceable/expendable because they value their "customers/money." It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been with the company. It all means nothing to them.
-They are sending out emails about what Joann is doing as a whole for Covid-19. Saying we are cleaning every hour and whatnot. What they fail to mention is we are a fabric store with no means of washing fabric. I see people on a daily basis cough into, wipe their snot on, kids place in their mouth, and all sorts of other nasty things into these bolts of fabric (seriously, wash the fabric you buy from Joann before doing anything). We have the basic cleaning supplies to wash floors and wipe counters with but that’s pretty much it. They are telling us as employees to bring in our own supplies if we can. An employee brought in gloves long ago just so we can use them to clean the bathrooms. Today I provided face masks for my fellow coworkers. Our store may look clean but we know its dirty little secrets.
-We are supposed to follow the whole 10 people rule but they do nothing to stop or limit people at the door and won’t do anything to enforce it. All while wanting us to cut hours to which is barely 2 people running the whole store for smaller Joann locations. It’s not safe for us to be on a bare-bones crew especially if they want us to remain an essential store.
-Joann before this was a great place to work. At least for my store. I love my store, I love the people I work with. Other stores I have heard horror stories from but mine was one of the good ones. I see them being bombarded on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to close. Not just by employees and families of employees but by concerned customers. And this pleases me because they need to take this seriously. What they do in the next 3 days will speak volumes on how much they listen to and care about us. This is a serious issue and we as employees are suffering.
As they report more, I will continue to add to this.
UPDATE 3/21: They emailed and made copies of this for employees to carry with them in their cars:
Now the CEO of Joann is also a piece of work. All you have to do is google his name and you’ll see the Walgreen’s lawsuit, his DUIs (yes, plural), and his impact on Joann since joining - which includes increasing prices because of the tariffs. One employee confirms that when tariff thing went into effect, the entire store was repriced. Some markups were a few cents but some were a few dollars. Since then the prices continue to fluctuate.
There is also a petition going on Change.org asking for Joann to Close Their Stores And Pay Employees
If you get a chance, read some of the comments people are putting in support of this:
I no longer feel safe in my workplace. The greed is sickening.
My employees deserve to be treated like people and make a livable wage and have benefits! Our health over their profit!
Staff at my local store have been asked to bring in their own gloves for cleaning. Hand sanitizer expired in 2012. Employees are reporting little to know cleaning supplies in a store that targets the elderly as a primary demographic. The material used in the masks is not medical grade. This company is shamelessly profiteering from the pandemic.
As a former employee and manager I know the company does not follow any real cleaning guidelines. They understaff their stores, overwork their employees and frown upon time off. Fabrics and crafts are not essential items at this time and since the majority of the clientele there are elderly i think they are creating more risk. Finally do something good for your employees and send gem home with pay
As a previous manager, I'm sad to say that this company does not value its workers. To see that they are putting their workers, and others who visit, at a continued risk is unbelievable and is extremely selfish. Now is the time to act and stop the spread of COVID-19 and to keep Joann's open does not help stop the spread in anyway shape or form.
Over the last two days, my local store decided to carry on with inventory. They brought in an inventory team from the area of our state with the vast majority of cases. It's one thing to not close and continue to expose the public to the risk, but decisions like these show that Jo-Anns has a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of its employees and customers. Even more telling is the fact that we know that you are seeing our pleas to do the right thing, but continue to ignore us on social media. There is only one reason that you are pushing to categorize Jo-Anns as an essential business, and that is greed. In fact, I had to spend my own money on gas to drive all over the city looking for more cleaning supplies after my manager ordered me to. Your employees do so much for you, and we are compensated very little. I have been at Jo-Anns long enough to know that you would never compensate us for our time off, but at least join the other non-essential business and shut down for the time being.
joann’s customer base is primarily elderly or otherwise at risk people, and many employees are also older or immunocompromised. employees are overwhelmed as we can’t keep up with the cleaning guidelines while also taking care of customers, not to mention we’re severely lacking in cleaning supplies in the first place. joann is encouraging people to come in for supplies to make face masks, yet these masks aren’t sterile since people touch and breathe on the fabric all day, and it’s then laid on the counter to be measured and cut. employees themselves aren’t even allowed to wear masks or gloves. joann cares more about profit than the safety of both their team members and customers.
There are so many comments I want to share. These are just a few. This is Joann. They care more about their image and their financial gains than the backbone of their stores. The people who put up with their ridiculous requests day in and day out are now at risk and putting others at risk. Places like Hot Topic closed down and took care of their employees, places like Joanns should too!
But also lets not forget, Hobby Lobby is also not taking Covid-19 seriously.
UPDATE 3/22: “We have signs saying we're cleaning more but found out Friday that we're out of supplies in the distribution center. They claim they will send them out once they receive any but I found out today from a truck driver the company that supplies everything for Joann (from inventory to store use items) is closed for 2 weeks... because of this they're telling us to use the bathroom cleaner as a substitute.”
From Joann Employee Confessions on Twitter:
Confession 17 - Our Joann was closed! We received a C&D from the Chief of Police! We were so ecstatic as employees when they came in and told us to cease all business operations! Not even curbside! BUT then we had to tell our District Manager... and everything changed.
Our DM told us to come back to work tomorrow because he was going to have Joann's lawyers work on it. My heart sank. Them being open was more important. So I went into work and it was so nice not being open to the public. We finally caught up on recovery and cleaning! All things we have neglected the past week because it's been too busy for us to keep up! All of us were in great spirits and it was the best day ever. Until our DM called... and he told us to section off all the "non-essential" parts of the store.
Fabric and sewing notions were deemed essential and we would be open to the public the next day. No curbside only. Nope. People were to come right back in and nothing about limitations. Nothing about cleaning our disgusting fabric. Just to section off half the store so the public could come in and buy all the fabric and sewing supplies they could want. And to add to that... they are doing a remnant promotion where all the spare pieces are free to the customer now! Another thing for our already spare crew to do when we don't have time!
I am honestly so shattered over how the Chief of Police who seemed so interested in our well-being backed out of this. We are exposed once again. 3 of us tonight took Leave of Absence papers tonight because we don't feel safe. This was the final nail in the coffin.
UPDATE - My coworker messaged me, “Got up at 10:00 to get ready for work. A text came in saying the store is closed and I don't have to come to work. Seems there was a conference call. It appears the state is involved and overrode the mayor!” But Joann is still fighting it. This is a day by day thing. They are telling us if we want hours we have to go to another store. If not, we have to put in our leave of absence.
More articles coming through right now:
These Retailers Refused To Close During The Pandemic, So An Illinois City Shut Them Down
Joann Fabrics' mask-making promotion raises questions
Gregory said the masks were being donated to Rush Oak Park Hospital in Oak Park and to Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva – but spokespeople for both those hospitals said it was not true.“Due to infection control measures, Northwestern Medicine cannot accept donations of handmade masks, gowns and other medical supplies,” according to an email from Kimberly Waterman, spokeswoman for Northwestern Medicine Delnor. “Only factory-made, hospital-quality supplies, including N95 masks, face shields, gloves, gowns, sanitizers and swabs can be donated.”
“There is no barrier,” White said. “Once [handmade cloth masks] get wet, I don’t think they’re that effective.” (I can confirm. A RN confirmed with me that cloth masks collect moisture which acts as a magnet for infections.)
#covid2019#covidー19#covid19#joann#joannfabrics#employeescomefirst#confessions#confessionsofanemployee#capitalism should die#what is wrong with America#fabric store problems#burn down the corporations#rise up for what you believe in#stand strong#i will not shut up#hobbylobby#make the change#whistleblower
4K notes
·
View notes
Text
hiraeth part four - magnanimity
Koa almost didn’t make it to her senior prom.
Not the day of though. No, Kahua was waiting patiently by the door ready for her to come around the corner from her small bedroom in her dress, right on time.
That dress - that was the reason she almost didn’t go.
It wasn’t anything that special, really. It was a light green that complimented her rich skin tone, hugged her in all the right places and made her feel confident from the moment she tried it on in the store with her friends.
The price tag had her putting it right back onto the rack, trying to convince herself it wasn’t as pretty as it really was. So she spent the rest of her shopping trip in the clearance section, trying to look at the various colored fabric through her rose colored glasses that she used to get through most of her days.
When she got home, her father was waiting for her with the widest smile on his face. In his hands, was the tip jar from the boat. Nahele had decorated it when he was younger, and the paint was faded on the outside, the shaka barely even visible. But Koa wasn’t looking at the glass. She was looking through it, at all the small crumpled bills that filled it up to the brim.
“I’ve been saving them. I wanted you to be able to get a nice dress for your dance.”
She’d never seen the look of pride in his eyes shine so bright.
She took the jar with tears in her eyes, and that was the day she swore she’d never accept a gift so big again.
But Grayson Dolan didn’t know about that. In fact, he didn’t really know anything about her, other than the fact that she was late.
Quietly on his phone, without a mention to anyone else, he checked the bus routes. 10 minutes behind schedule.
Sure enough, at 11:10 Koa was at the gate, waiting for him to let her in. Her hair was frizzy again, and she seemed even more nervous and frazzled than the last time she was there. She had a notebook tucked in her arm, with three different colored pens shoved in the spirals.
He opened the door for her, and she stepped into the air conditioning with a deep breath of relief.
“Sorry I’m late. Before you start telling me how much you hate me, can I use your bathroom?”
Grayson knew why she needed it; he knew why she took her bag with her too. He almost said something but he bit his tongue, rolled his eyes a bit at her dig and pointed her to the guest bathroom in the hall.
He wasn’t supposed to know. In all honesty, the fact that he did know was creepy, even though he hadn’t meant to notice the box in her hands at the bus stop. So instead, he leaned up against the island and waited for her to come back, running over what he wanted to say in his head.
She came back out quickly - she’d pulled her hair up into a bun, with a few stray curls falling down around her temples. He couldn’t tell if it was black or dark brown in the lighting of the kitchen, but it complemented her tan skin well as she settled into one of the chairs.
“Alright, lay it on me, what’s up.” Koa opened up her notebook and picked out a black pen, clicking it open before she looked up.
Grayson had forgotten his question.
“Do you want - uh, are you thirsty? We’ve got uh -” He walked over to the fridge to stall, opening it up to realize that they definitely needed to go to the grocery. “Uh, we have water. That’s it though.”
Koa raised an eyebrow, but bit her tongue. “Yeah, water would be good. Thanks.”
He poured her a glass, sliding it across the counter.
“We’ve got straws too, if you want. Reusable though. Save the turtles.”
“Spoken like a true marine conservationist.” In that moment, Koa thought of home, and her father, probably out prepping his boat for a morning tour.
The silence was thick, and she sighed as she put the straw down into her glass.
“Grayson.”
“Hmm?”
“You wanted to have a meeting. So... you gonna tell me why I’m here?”
He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment, and then he relaxed his shoulders.
“I was a bit of a dick to you the other day. And I wanted to apologize for that. That’s not who I am, and you didn’t deserve that. So, sorry.”
The knot in Koa’s gut loosened just a fraction.
“Accepted. I get that it’s a big ask, having someone write a book about you.”
“Yeah, I’m still not thrilled on the idea. But I should have at least given you the chance to pitch your idea for it before I shut you down. I’ve had that done to me, and it’s shitty. So I guess I’m wanted you to come over so I could hear your pitch.”
Koa froze.
She hadn’t really thought that far.
“I... well I didn’t really make a pitch. It’s not really supposed to be a me thing. It’s an us thing. I’m just here to put what you want into a book... into book form. If that makes sense.”
“Yeah no, I get that. Guess we’ll have to see if Ethan’s got any ideas cause I haven’t really thought that far.”
Silence fell again, and their eyes met. She looked just as nervous as she had sitting at the bus stop, and it made Grayson frown.
“It sounds like you care about the environment, you know, with all this.” Koa picked her straw up and let it clink back down.
“That’s an understatement,” Grayson chuckled, scratching at the back of his neck. But he soon realized his joke didn’t land, his eyes going a bit wide. Had she not seen any of their podcast videos on veganism? Conservation? What about all the posts on their instagrams?
“You really don’t know anything about me do you?”
It came out stronger than he meant it to, and he wished he could take it back.
“Well you haven’t really given me the chance to get to know you. But that’s something else we could write about. Boundaries.”
Sledge rounded the corner with his tail wagging and a squeaky toy in his mouth, bringing it up to Koa and dropping it by her feet. She smiled down at him and picked it up, wiggling it around and faking him out a few times before she tossed it down the hallway.
“I guess this wasn’t the most productive of meetings. If you wanna write a book about twins, you kinda need both parts huh.” She laughed to herself, patting her legs until Sledge came back to her. She ruffled his fur, watching his ears flop around in the most adorable way.
It made Grayson smile - it was the first time he’d heard her laugh. It was deeper than he expected; a peaceful sound.
“Yeah, I should have thought about that. I appreciate you coming though, I know it’s not easy for you to get out here. I was actually gonna ask you about that.”
She stopped petting the dog for a moment, brushing her hair behind her ear so she could see him.
“What do you mean? Ask me about what?”
“I was gonna talk to Ethan about it first, but I’m sure he wouldn’t care. If you wanna borrow a car while you’re working with us, that’s fine. I mean, you’d have to pay for gas and stuff but it would make it easier for you to get from your place to here.”
She sat up slowly.
In the back of her mind, she heard her brother. He was one of the only people who ever really got to see her so angry. If he were there, if he could see her face, she knew how he’d describe her. Pele. The Hawaiian goddess of lava, fire.
You knew better than to anger her.
Koa felt it bubbling up inside of her, a mixture of hot anger and burning embarrassment that tinged her brown skin pink all the way to her ears.
“I don’t need charity from anyone, especially not you.”
Grayson balked, and then he was backpedaling.
“Koa, I didn’t mean it like that. That’s not what I meant, I just wanted to help. I... I saw you at CVS the other night, at the bus stop.”
“Oh so you’re stalking me now? Great. Awesome. Not creepy at all.”
“No, it was just - I was at Monty’s, I just wanted to make sure you got on the bus okay. They aren’t always the safest, and-”
“I handled myself just fine before you, I sure as fuck don’t need a man looking out for me. I can take care of myself.”
“Koa, please-”
She was already packing her things, shoving her pen behind her ear and snatching up her notebook as she headed for the door.
Ethan appeared around the corner of the house, his smile radiating towards her through the front door.
When she swung it open, he was beaming.
“Hey you! I didn’t know you were gonna be here today, what’s up?”
“I was just leaving.”
His smile disappeared quickly, and his eyes flickered to Grayson automatically.
“Oh? Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine. Next time you schedule a meeting, give me a 15 minute arrival window. My ride isn’t the most reliable.”
“Uh... what?”
She felt her tears prickling behind her eyes against her will, nose burning hot deep in her nostrils as she fought them.
“Just ask your brother. He can tell you all about it.”
30 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hey. So.. would you write something about Ace and Kali? (One shot or HC - whatever comes to your mind) Something rather serious.. I just woke up to the idea that Kali is able to look behind this Golden Boy facade and knows that Ace has his insecurities like everybody else. 🤔
Hi, thank you so much for this ask 💗 I’ve been carrying this thought around for a while and only just now finished writing a small snippet on it! I’m not sure whether it captures the heart of your idea but I think it at the very least toys with it :) In my head, Kali and Ace are well aware of each other’s flaws, which lets them bond yet fuels an underlying suspicion that could boil over if stoked... In any case, I hope you like this! (Rating G/T, ???, ~1.2k words)
.
The men are glancing at each other uncertainly, probably trying to gauge whether it’s more beneficial for them to snitch or keep mum, neither of them wanting to be the one who speaks up first regardless. Kindergarten behaviour, and it does nothing to quell Kali’s rage. She’s kneading the collar of the jacket she’s carrying, grateful she didn’t sling it over her shoulder so she’s got some outlet at least – it’s been a while since she last threw something breakable at someone, but the urge is still there.
“Who”, she hisses once more, not ready to accept this silence. She’s been back at the base for all of ten minutes and already she wants to step on someone.
“Don’t get mad at us”, says one of them and though he likely meant it as a request, it comes across as a plea.
Kali is not unreasonable. The fault lies not with them and they all know it, so she forces herself to take a deep breath. Though she keeps rubbing the fabric between her fingers. “I won’t.”
“It wasn’t our idea.”
Yet they’re hesitant to tell her whose it was. “I know.”
“We’re bored out of our minds here.”
The complaint is heard. To play nice with Harry, Kali has put many of Nighthaven’s operations on hold, aborted some of them entirely and gave orders to not lift a finger unless cleared with her. Some of it is explicitly stated in her contract with Rainbow, some of it heavily implied, some of it merely… encouraged. She remembers the way Harry paled at some of the names she dropped and she’s done more thorough research since then. There’s no chance anyone believes in an actual change of heart, she’s too opportunistic for that, but compliance surely is the next best thing. She asks how high to jump. She enjoys how her agreeableness is slowly turning Harry into a nervous wreck.
Still, the downside is downtime. Significant downtime. She’s just returned from a Rainbow mission during which comms broke down, meaning no clearance possible – so everything came to a standstill.
Was supposed to, at least.
“Is it really worth it?”
Kali raises a brow. “Answer me: have I ever let you down?” They shake their heads. They know better than not to. “I’m not going to. Remember the face of our Minister of Home Affairs when he realised he needed us? Hm? The way we tracked mud into all those official buildings, the way they were forced to treat us like esteemed guests?”
They haven’t forgotten. A grim satisfaction lines their features, a satisfaction Kali herself has felt many times. She’s worked hard to make herself invaluable to her home country’s government, and reaping the benefits made it a thousand times worth it.
“Imagine that rush of power, but now it’s officials from Russia you’re facing. European representatives. Americans. Rainbow has ties to everyone. Get it?”
They get it. They might not like it, but they understand. These are men refusing to lick boots – like her – and bowing to Harry’s authority doesn’t come easy. Reminding them of their goal, however, helps.
“It was Ace”, one of them mutters.
She turns around and leaves, no words necessary. Tracking him down is surprisingly difficult, he likes to hang around Aruni and drift aimlessly in her absence, so she has to ask a few people until she barges in on him trying to flirt with one of the newcomers, phone out, smile wide, eyes dead. “Out”, says Kali sharply.
The asshole leans back like he’s not even expecting to be scolded, while the other man scrambles to gather his personal items and hurries out of the lounge as fast as he can.
“Glad to have you back, Queen”, Ace greets her and she wants to punch him in his stupid face.
“You went on a brief excursion, I hear.”
The smile fades. If he hadn’t realised before how deep he’s in the shit, now he can definitely smell it. “Nothing out of the ordinary”, he replies, defensive.
“What was my one rule?”
“It was just a bodyguard job, nothing big. Nothing even happened.”
“My one rule?”, she repeats, unfazed.
“The whole thing was over in a few hours, and the guys needed it, you should’ve seen them afterwards, they -”
“No! Operations!”, Kali barks.
If Ace actually rolls his eyes at her right now, she’s going to skin him. He seems to resist the urge, if barely. “Is it really that serious?”
Is it ever. Once more, she pulls herself together with Herculean effort and tries hard to be reasonable. “We want to get on Pandey’s good side, understood? He is the one we need to butter up. None of his lackeys go and do some bodyguarding of their own accord, they know better than that. If you don’t receive any kind of official mission, you are to stay put and keep your fucking mouth shut like a good little boy.”
“Harry actually commended me after the fact.”
The casual remark gives her pause. He’s too clever to go against her without anything to gain – and while annoying her is indeed his goal sometimes, this is too significant to be ascribed to mere pettiness. Meaning he was fully aware of Harry’s future approval. Meaning he’s trying to get on his good side by himself.
A good rat makes sure there’s always another ship near in case this one capsizes.
She could crush him in a minute. Throwing him out of Nighthaven is the easiest thing in the world, and setting an ultimatum the second easiest: there’s no doubt Harry would choose her, Wamai, Aruni and all the resources her organisation has at its disposal. It’s not even a choice. And then there’s the photos. The kind from which an artificial personality like him would never recover because the internet never forgets. Five minutes, and his life could be ruined.
In a way, she finds his aspirations amusing. She’d never do it, unless he actually betrayed her, and he’s not dumb enough to do so. He’s crafting himself a parachute knowing full well its effectiveness relies on Kali not cutting it.
He correctly interprets her silence, revealing that he’s fully aware of how transparent he is. “Don’t worry, I’m on your side and I’ll stay on it. You know that. I saved your life, now I get to be a part of it.”
“Rumour has it that you decided to save me after you found out who I was.”
She’s met with a dazzling smile. “I did save you though, didn’t I?”
All she wants is to tell him to be very, very careful. One day, he’ll try to impress the wrong person. And either he’ll pay the ultimate price for it… or he’ll do something he won’t be able to reconcile with his conscience. It’ll be his downfall, and though she wants to witness it, she doesn’t want it to happen. Not really.
Still, she simply walks away without warning. This is something he’ll have to find out for himself.
#rainbow six siege#ace#kali#fanfic#oneshot#golden boy#honestly though thank you for this ask I relish being able to explore anything Nighthaven#♥♥♥#they're each other's significant bothers#this might be too Kali centric oops
15 notes
·
View notes
Photo
So... yeah. It’s been a fun ride since January. $3k on a new transmission, ONE MONTH before the fuel line of my old car has a major issue... so I had to buy an entirely new car. Can you just return a $3k transmission? No. No you cannot. So I had to drop $4-5k we didn’t have on a new car (I lied to raise credit limits).
THEN we had to move months ahead of schedule because our apartment was fucking illegal, which we knew but we couldn’t afford to leave. SO CUE $2K ALONE in moving deposits and the truck and all that, almost $4k in all because I had to pay professional cleaning services for the old apartment OR my landlord could get me for TWO MONTHS RENT for breaking an illegal lease in Florida... I mean, I could try to fight it in court, but this is a Republican pro-landlord place, so that could take years even IF I win, so just pay the money and go yeah? Fuck Florida.
Then Seraph died last week. Hundreds of dollars later for those vet bills. Seraph was our tortie-Siamese, and we knew it would happen sooner or later. We treated her for thyroid problems for a year, but she developed kidney failure anyways, like old cats do. She was 16.
I took Alex to the vet on Thursday, since now that we aren’t paying for Seraphs’ meds, maybe we could see what’s wrong with his leg. Abnormal x-ray in late 2019, but the 501c3 vet couldn’t do the kind of followup he needed, so I had to pay a specialist vet $700 (also on credit...)
Bone cancer. Fucking bone cancer. He’s from a series of neglectful, abusive homes. Oh, and also he has a series of old spine fractures. Someone hurt this cat. He’s always waddled like an armadillo since we got him, but we figured arthritis since he was already considered ‘senior’. Nope, injuries and then bone cancer. So how in the fuck. I don’t even know. Palliative care is looking like the best option. The other ones involve invasive, dangerous biopsies and amputation, and with spinal damage already, and he’s around 10-ish now, he won’t adapt to losing a leg. I cannot even.
All in all, I’m still considering us very lucky. We were able to find a place to move to at all. It was way more expensive than we can really afford, but it’s a roof over our heads, and it’s about the same price our landlord was raising our rent to at the end of the lease anyways. We could be stuck there paying, or be here paying. Seraph got to spend her last days in great comfort here, where she was miserable there. We’ve been able to help friends and strangers, despite everything. But fuck. Realistically, financially, this year has Absolutely Positively Sucked. And I can’t even get ‘regular’ work because of being disabled and I *still* don’t have SSI... because the office fucked up my paperwork and then just... ???? didn’t...??? reopen the case???? until my lawyer and I called for six months about it???? and now I have to re-file a bunch of stuff that takes me days to do?????? fml forreal.
In the meantime, I’m trying to stay positive. I’m listing what I can to the online shop. That means kimono, fabric, yarn, beads, scrapbooking supplies, my handwriting services, vintage jewellery, crystals, and so much more. I’m trying to keep a schedule of at least 10 new items a week!
Clearance has dropped to 40% off. You can get a discount on the rest of the shop with code FCKCANCER which is 20% off except Clearance/sale items, herbs, and mystery lots, which are almost sold out at this point. I try to update inventory every other day, based on what’s in the mystery lots vs. “regular inventory”. FCKCANCER because my friend’s constant pain?? hahahah yeah it’s cancer. She needs at least three surgeries. Will health insurance cover them? Suuureeee.... except for like, $5k deductible ON JUST ONE SURGERY. Not including meds and aftercare and lost wages during recovery. hahahaha yeah, banner year for our little group. But we’re gonna make that cash. Before her insurance runs out with her job. Or something worse happens with the diagnosis.
PerthroSupplies.etsy.com <—– Follow me! Keep checking back for different sales!
23 notes
·
View notes
Text
My New Ventilated Social-Distancing Movie Theatre
(or, how I bought a 2020-proof social life for less than $100)
So the USA is (still) a hot mess in terms of pandemic response. Because both my father and I are at increased risk for complications from COVID-19, and my sister and I have to work together in person to run our workshops, my entire family has been in a state of self-quarantine for six months straight (with no end in sight). But it’s hard being in constant isolation, so the four households that comprise my local family have been doing weekly outdoor gatherings -- with plenty of hand sanitizer and safely-spaced tables -- so we can see each other and socialize at a distance. However, that’s only feasible when the weather cooperates.
I’ve also really missed watching movies with friends, which prior to the pandemic had been a regular activity. I have a 70-year-old tripod screen I inherited from my grandfather and a projector I use for running panels at conventions, so we’ve watched occasional DVDs outdoors, but we could only do that on evenings without wind (which could tear the brittle screen) or rain (which would damage the projector), and we have to be careful not to have the sound too loud because it might disturb the neighbors.
A couple weeks ago, when our city delayed reopening again due to rising COVID-19 case numbers, I decided to convert half of my garage into an outdoor movie theatre. It turned out pretty well, and it only cost about what I would spend on movie tickets in an average year (and since I’m not going to any movies in 2020, it’s pretty much a wash). I’m sharing the details in case it gives anyone else ideas for making a health-conscious social hangout!
Obviously YMMV, and in areas with higher case numbers (hi, FL & AZ), this still might be too much contact. Be safe and follow official recommendations to prevent viral spread, folks!
The Space
Before I settled on the garage, I considered building a movie space under a tent canopy (nixed because they’re almost impossible to anchor through Midwest storm winds) or carport kit (too expensive and high-maintenance for me), so there are definitely other options depending on where you live, your typical weather, and what space you have available!
My garage has an unusual layout that allows for better-than-average ventilation. When it was first built, it was a 2 1/2-car garage with the doors facing the street and windows on the side. About 40 years later, the owners decided to move the driveway to the other side of the house, so they built a second garage attached to the drive-door side and knocked out an end wall to put in a new overhead door. This means that by square footage, the garage could hold four cars, but the way the drive doors are situated, it’s a divided two-car garage with a bunch of extra space at the far end. The two sides are connected by one of the original overhead doors, which means that three of the four walls have openings that allow for air movement. (More on that below.)
Normally there’s a car in each side of the garage, but I decided I was willing to park outside all summer for the sake of having a social life. Over the course of a week, I emptied and thoroughly cleaned the half of the garage that has the windows.
Air Flow
Constant fresh air flow is critical to flushing aerosolized particles that can spread the virus, so in order to make a safe indoor space, I had to simulate outdoor air movement. I opened all three overhead doors and both windows, then placed several fans to draw air through the building: One in each window, one along the side wall, and a box fan in the connecting door between the two sides of the garage to pull more air in from the outside. To make sure air was actually moving through the building and not just circulating within it, I turned on all the fans while I was sweeping the (very dusty) floor and walls, and adjusted the fan angles until the dust blew straight out the overhead door, rather hanging in the air or gathering in the corners. (Experts recommend that to prevent virus transmission, indoor spaces should have 100% air turnover every 10 minutes; obviously I have no way of testing that in a garage, but there is a constant light breeze through the building and stuff seems to be blowing out, so I feel pretty good about it.)
Projection Setup
I already had the projector and DVD player (I took the one out of my living room, since I usually just watch DVDs on my game console anyway), but I wanted a larger wall-mounted screen, since my grandfather’s 1950s screen was designed for showing vacation slides in a living room, not wide-screen films. Hanging fabric screens are very cheap, but I opted for a 120″ retractable screen so it would stay clean in the dusty garage. I also have an old set of monitor speakers that provide nice stereo sound.
Seating
The beauty of setting up in a garage is that it’s basically outdoors, so you can use lawn furniture or bean bags or old chairs you pulled out of someone’s trash (I do this regularly; it’s how I got my entire patio set). Measuring out at least 6 feet between each table and staggering their positions so nobody was directly downwind of another table, I set up all the card tables and folding tables I owned, and put a pair of chairs by each one so that couples from the same household could share a table but not be in close contact with any other groups. I put my largest folding table (which was also salvaged from the trash -- seriously, it’s the best way to get stuff!) against the wall right by the open door to serve as a snack table, so it’s on the opposite wall from the seating and nobody would be breathing on the food. I covered all the tables with decorative heavy-duty vinyl tablecloths (mostly for sanitation purposes, because those tables have been sitting out in my garage and I know I’ve had raccoons and opossums out there -- not to mention the colony of bats that lives in the loft off the back of the garage).
This setup can seat up to eight people, and even provides a place for serving food. (I put pump bottles of hand sanitizer on each table and on the food table, and people wear face masks when they’re loading up their plates, so there’s minimal contamination risk there.)
Total Cost
My out-of-pocket cost for this whole project was only about $83, though that’s because I already had a lot of stuff lying around. Here’s a more complete breakdown:
Fans: I already owned the box fan ($25 new) and a couple other fans that I’d picked up super cheap at garage sales ($5 or so), because my house is old and the HVAC is not very efficient. The only new fan I bought for this project was a refurbished air circulator from Amazon ($14), because I needed a small but high-velocity fan to fit in a window.
Projection setup: The only new thing I bought was the screen, which was $65 including shipping (though non-retractable fabric screens start around $10-15, so if you’re on a budget you can get one very cheap). I bought the projector used on eBay about eight years ago. I think I paid around $40 for it then, but prices have come down since; I’ve seen discount projectors for as low as $20. The DVD player is a cheapo region free model, which I got a decade ago for maybe $30. The speakers were secondhand; I’ve also used an old set of external PC speakers ($10 from Goodwill) when running video off my laptop, and they worked well enough in the indoor space.
Seating: Almost all the outdoor furniture I own came from other people’s trash, so I didn’t pay anything for it! Any kind of seating or tables will work, though. I did invest about $4 for new tablecloths, which I got on seasonal clearance.
Bonus Perks
I’ve discovered that the garage walls block a LOT of light and sound unless you’re standing directly outside the drive doors, so we can watch movies for half the night or stay up late chatting and we aren’t disturbing the neighbors! We couldn’t run movies out on the patio late at night because the sound would carry to neighboring houses.
Also, when we’re watching a film in the evening, we get to watch my bats fly through the garage on their way to and from dinner! (Which might be an annoyance to the bats if we were out there all the time, but we try to keep our volume low and we’re only out there about once a week, so I don’t think we’re disturbing them too much.) Bats are protected in my state, as some of the native species are critically endangered, and we try to encourage nesting as they’re essential to pest insect control. I love watching them fly around!
The setup also works well for video games. A local friend and I had been playing online, late at night because it was the only time we could get enough bandwidth to maintain connection (the ISP in my area is not super reliable), but now we can sit on opposite sides of the garage and play local co-op with no lag:
So, in summary, my “movie theatre” is by no means a luxurious setup, but it was cheap :) and it’s a great way for my small pandemic social bubble to get together and chat, have a movie night, or play games without risking being in a closed room together.
13 notes
·
View notes
Note
The set for Salem’s party was amazing!!! How do you build sets like that?
Thank you! 💚✨
The short answer is: with scraps, upcycling, and a lot of energy. You can, of course, build elaborate sets at home with ease if you’re willing to spend for it, but we’re cheap cosplayers and like the challenge of building from leftover materials (plus it’s green!).
The first step is research. Know the aesthetic you’re looking for, and start seeing what others have done. I use Pinterest for brainstorming, but keep in mind a lot of things there aren’t as easy to make as they can seem, and it’s not fair to compare your work to something like a wedding, which comes with considerable planning and expense. I like to look for DIYs, or find things that I can make into a DIY using what I know I have on hand.
For example:
Witchy moon decorations? Cardboard and leftover silk plants (you can buy faux plants at dollar stores too? If you don’t have some on hand, or use coupons at craft stores and/or shop seasonal clearances - never pay full price for them!). The gems are craft rhinestones and yarn.
Giant mushroom? An empty protein powder container, plastic shopping bags, duct tape, and inexpensive fleece.
We hung leftover fabrics like lace over drapes with basic white and pink lights. We put silk plants everywhere to give the illusion of fullness. Realistically we spent under $30 for decor and made do with what we already had. All other cost went into food and drink, which we would much rather spend on than decorations.
Mushroom-shaped meringues and matcha powder make for a “natural” sort of dessert, and the rest of our food was cheese, bread, and raw fruit and vegetables to give a wild-like spread. Of course, a party based around something more civilized would be a lot more of a challenge, but I think most people at parties prefer to graze than sit down to a full meal. (Also keep in mind the season - cold food on a hot day is much nicer than running the oven or stovetop.)
Music is also a great way to set an atmosphere, and we usually have a small Bluetooth speaker or laptop in a corner to help set the mood.
Give yourself at least a full week to prepare, longer depending on how much DIY is involved. Everything takes longer than you think! (I think Potterween took several weeks to complete given how much labor was involved.) Try not to do so much that you aren’t enjoying the process - sometimes it’s better to have less and not run yourself down. And lastly, do as much prep the day before so that on the day of the party you can get into costume/makeup/what have you without stressing over sweat and malfunctions (which are inevitable to some degree).
Thanks for the ask! I hope this helps ~ ✨
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
Desperandum Victum Chapter 1
Jimin x Female Reader
Genre: Demon AU, Angst, Fluff, Smut (future chapters), Mature, Slow Burn
Warnings: The story will get really fucking dark, including themes of incest, cannibalism, rape, murder, slavery, gore, yandere, religion, and way more oof. This chapter doesn’t have anything but a subtle mention of violence lol
Word Count: 10,025
Summary: You’ve had a traumatizing hard life and you move to a new town for new beginnings. But what if this town was hiding secrets of it’s own?
A/N: Ahahahaha, I hate that it’s unedited. Let me know my mistakes fam so I can fix them. At the moment I’m setting in the story. I hope you guys read the warning! Enjoy.
It is hopelessness, even more than pain that crushes the soul-William Styron
You breathe in the brisk air. A cloud of steam encompassing your vision. From the rusted hardwood patio, you spot the large Latin cross above the ball and lantern of the church. The church stands a few blocks away from your standpoint yet is clearly visible to anyone in town glancing towards the heavens, as a sort of metonymy supposedly. Religious town folks, you gather, taking note of the polished finish of the pole compared to deteriorated timber linings of the dwellings scattered amiss. Shades of caliginous sky-blue paints your vicinity and you lead out another gust of blight. Frosty weather penetrates your sweats, making your thighs shake bitterly and your teeth chatter.
Sighing, you take one last look at the azure atmosphere and head inside; letting warmth engulf your bones. Entering the dining room, you hear the voice you’ve been avoiding all day
“Hey, you’re supposed to be helping me unpack!”
Scrunching your nose, you grab an apple off the countertop, “when’s dinner?”
“After we unpack”
Your mouth drops in horror as you eye the many boxes littered around the compact space with packing tape still intact.
“Are you serious? So next week then?”
“It’s my fault? I’ve been unpacking hours ago-most of this is your stuff anyway! And you aren’t doing anything-where were you even at?”
“Alright, alright relax,” plopping onto the floor you pull a box towards you, “stop nagging and hand me a razor”
He focuses his gaze on you, taking a moment before looking around. Observing the little beads of sweat on his forehead, courtesy the reflection of your ceiling light, a small pout presents itself on your face out of guilt. You shouldn’t have ran away to enjoy the house and helped out instead before he overworked himself again. You ignore the part of your conscious that whispers about how they weren’t there before.
A small pair of shears slide next to you and you pick it up to puncture your first box.
It’s around midnight when you complete the task of unpacking and modeling. You once over your small room and smile. Feeling at ease at the cozy looking space you jump, back first-onto your twin bed. Tepid knocks sing at your door, before the hinges creak open.
“Do you still want dinner?” He looks meek and apologetic, and you know how he worries for you. “No way,” you giggle, “I’m about to faint and I know you are too. Just go to sleep, you big goof.”
“But-“
“Oh my god Jun, it’s Sunday tomorrow, just give me a big breakfast, I’ll be fine!”
He smiles, “Alright, get to dreaming, punk”
The door shuts close and you correctly position yourself onto your pillow, pulling the warm comforter around your body and melting into the soft cushions of your bed. Cramped muscles and sore thighs from heavy items, awkward poses and tension relax and meander down from a hectic night. A window positioned right above your headboard let’s in soft moonlight through the eggshell white curtains. Your body dulls and your eyes dormant, slowly drifting your conscious elsewhere.
-
Vociferous chirping birds and a delicious aroma wafting through the entirety of your household right through your nostrils jolt you awake. Sitting up, you feel your dry mouth moisten itself. Last night’s hunger has nested itself in your guts making your craving for food more prominent. Putting a hand over your growling stomach, you throw the comforter off your legs and quickly exit your room, trudging towards the kitchen like a zombie.
Jun’s moving a spatula over a crackling non-stick pan, an unobstructed sniff lets you know the appetizing scent was bacon. “You’re up,” he smiles as you scrap a chair out near the modest pinewood dining table. 9:42 is what you sleepily eye on the clock above.
Stepping up behind you, Jun sets down a plate in front of you filled with your favorite type of eggs, toast, and crispy bacon, half wrapping you in his large frame while doing so. The fragrance from the food has you licking your lips, and Jun laughs while mussing up your bed hair. He smells really nice too.
You quickly pick up your fork digging into the entrée in front of you, as Jun pours some orange juice out in a glass.
“Whoa, slow down missy”
“am hungry”
“Ugh, and don’t talk with your mouth open” he hands you the glass that you snatch and happily gulp down in seconds
Jun grins
“Is it good?”
“It’s breakfast Jun,” you set down the container and narrow your eyes at him, “you don’t have to be Martin Yan to make it right”
“But still, saying thanks or complimenting me wouldn’t hurt,” a silly frown forms on his face as he sulks
You shoot him a cheesy smile, which dies down solemnly, “Thank you,” you mumble, “It’s been a long time since we’ve had a proper breakfast, so thank you, Jun.” Staring at him all-embracing, intently, you let your face reflect your gratitude
His gaze softens and he pulls out the chair in front of you ready to consume his side of the meal
The rest of the morning is spent in silent thoughts and steady heartbeats.
-
“Would you slow down for one second?”
You’ve been running through the streets like a little girl with Jun chasing after you. After breakfast the first thing you requested to do was go shopping. The town is too minor for several big malls, but they did have one in the town square area, which for you is like a candy store.
“Hurry up then old man!” you shout at him across the street, before running through the glass door of the large building.
To a city girl, this structure would be an average sized shopping precinct, but it was bigger than most of the town. Walking into the set of the second glass door, you take in the atmosphere of the brightly lit outlet. It’s bustling with people and families, you can already whiff Christmas although the holiday’s far off. There’s some happy tune settling in your ear, and a fresh mawkish aura from what you conclude to be a bakery on your left. Just like in the movies you surmise.
As your eyes twinkle at the new thrills, Jun catches up with you
“Goodness,” he huffs next to you with his hands on his knees, “Kids these days-“
He’s about to scold you but your eyes look so shiny, facing away from him towards the mall. He smiles.
“Alright, we have to hurry up. You have school tomorrow and I want you getting all your items and books ready. I also have to buy new pots and pans for the kitchen.”
You finally snap out of it and look at him, “Do we have to hurry? I mean can we please look around? And what about your work, don’t you have to buy some wrenches for the cars? Finding the right wrench takes a lot of time and effort,” you state as a matter of factly, “Also there’s a restaurant right by that bakery! We could have lunch here and continue shopping! No need to rush!”
Jun gazes at you rambling before he sighs, “I understand you wanna stay, but we can’t,” he gives you a pointed look, “we’re short on time and we need to get home to finish the rest of the unpacking and get you ready for your first day.”
Dejectedly you look at the ground like you’ve just been kicked. “But-” Jun begins
“We can come back here this Saturday and then you can look around as much as you want. Besides I’m making chicken Milano at home, I thought you loved that”
You perk up instantly and Jun almost laughs out loud at your easy to please nature, “Really, oh wow let’s hurry”
“Where do you want to go first”
“How about you go shop for the kitchen while I go buy some school items and clothes”
He looks uneasy at leaving you alone in an unknown place “uh..I don’t know, that doesn’t seem like a goo-“
“You said we are short on time! I’ll be fine, I’m 17 for god’s sake!”
After a bit more convincing and a credit card in hand, you cheerily skip your way through the shopping center. You find a small stationary store on the second floor of the mall. There are a few kids here, around your age and they’re probably here for tomorrow’s first day of school too. Picking up the items you deem essential, and avoiding eye contact to look like a dork, you pay and head out the store as quickly as you can. If Jun finishes his shopping beforehand, and finds you taking your time then he’s going to admonish you right in front of those kids! Entering a nearby aesthetically pleasing shop for clothes, you make it inside to search around for items you like.
You didn’t want them to be expensive. It’s all Jun’s money anyway. And some of the prices before almost gave you a heart attack. Maybe you should get a part time job, you ponder, then Jun wouldn’t have to worry about your expenses and you can take care of them yourself. Mentally high-fiving yourself at the genius idea, you head towards a rack that says clearance in the back of the store.
Your hands glide across the fabrics, attempting to seize something that catches your eye. When you do find something you like, you take it off the rack and give it a once over. It’s a cute red blouse that’s not bad for $8. Humming to yourself, you place it over your forearm and continue looking through the section.
Concluding your purchase with a top and bottom, you leave the shop in a satisfied manner. This’ll do for tomorrow’s big day. Next Saturday is when you will continue your genuine consumerism. You make your way downstairs to wait for Jun, that way you can tease him for being late. Making certain to take note of all the slight areas that catch your eye, to come back to on Saturday.
-
It’s been 10 minutes. You never considered yourself as an impatient person, but the excitement from having new items to entertain yourself with was challenging you to run home this instant. That and you were hungry.
Being so lost in thought you didn’t even realize there’s someone gradually wandering up by you.
“Hello”
“Whaa?!” You flinch gawking at the woman who crept up on you
She was smiling at you. Amused at your conduct, she chuckles
“My name is Joan Miller. Are you new here by chance? I have personally never seen you around our town?”
You give her a proper look. The lady was a bit taller than you and had small, bobbed blonde hair framing her jaw. There were smile lines around her mouth and in the corner of her eyes, but she didn’t look older than 40. She was wearing a black pant suit that was thoroughly ironed, not a wrinkle in sight, with an off white, button up blouse and thin blue stripes and velvet charcoal pumps. Holding a small black book inside her arms across her chest, she beamed at you with her eyes as crescents. There was something off about her smile, but you budged that assumption aside, not wanting to criticize a person you didn’t know.
“Um…Hi…Yeah, we just moved in yesterday in the old homes a few blocks from the church” You were nervous and not used to talking to strangers, even nice ladies like her, but you give her your name hesitantly
“I see, what a lovely name, and how enjoyable to see a fresh face in FallHaven,” Joan answers warmly, “Are you here with your parents, sweetheart?”
“She’s here with me,” Jun replies, and you flinch yet again
How come people are so good at sneaking up on you? You should work on that.
Joan smiles at Jun and reaches her hand out, for the typical adult greeting. Jun responds as he takes her hand and stretches her a pleasant smile as they give each other their names. He had shopping bags on the sides of his leg, cumbersome components he had to set down to accept hands with the blonde lady.
“If you do not mind me inquiring, where have you settled in from? Am I correct to assume you two are related in some way?” Joan asks
“That’s quite a few questions you’re asking” Jun states bluntly as you stare half shocked at him
Joan doesn’t skip a beat “It is a description in my job, young man.” She laughs a bit before stating “I represent Fallhaven Baptist church as one of their board members, and I am attempting to recruit young people such as you both.”
She turns and points to the stall behind her. It’s a modest table, with white cloth draped over it. There’re two poles at the edges of the table that connect a correspondingly snowy banner that read ‘FallHaven Baptist Church’ in blue. Two men await by the stand, with Joan like smiles on their faces, waving at you in a friendly manner. Joan waves back at them.
You and Jun meet eyes for a mutual look.
Turning to Jun again she completes her answer, “So you see, I want to know you individuals better, lest you join our humble commodity”
“Well um…,” Jun awkwardly coughs, “We’re pretty short on time at the moment-”
He pauses for Joan to interrupt the phrase like most do, but she patiently waits for him to finish his sentence
“…which is why we can’t talk much about it right now.”
She nods, “I understand, you both are quite busy with the recent events surrounding your move. Then I will not take up your time any longer, but may I hand you our brochure, if you might to revise your decision?” taking out a pamphlet behind her black book, she extends it towards Jun
You prepare for him to decline, as he stares blankly at the leaflet, but instead he gazes up at you for a moment before he shifts back at the woman to accept the brochure and thank her, catching you off guard
“Thank you for your kind welcome…we’ll definitely look into it”
You stare at him with your mouth agape as you hear Joan exchange some more polite words and an affable farewell
She turns to do the same to you, and you hastily adjust your gape to a ducky smile in the nick of time.
-
“Wow, they offer confessionals, perfect for you to profess about the time you stole my portion of the Chinese leftovers in the middle of the night”
“Can you ple-ase shut up?!” you complain for about the fifth time
He’s been scanning the brochure and making snarky comments the whole time you’ve been heading home.
“Hey, I’m just saying it’s a great way for you to erase your sin” he grins
“Why’d you even take the pamphlet, Jun? I get it, you don’t believe in god. Was it just to make sassy comments?”
When he doesn’t respond, you turn your face to him and he’s wordlessly focusing ahead, seeming adrift in thought.
You always marvel of what goes on in his mind.
“You do though, right? Believe in god that is” He starts
You nod mutely.
His orbs fix on you, and you blush at the amount of intensity you can spot in his spheres.
“You told me you believe in him, after I told you I don’t. Saying he gave you hope…I-We never had the luxury to examine someone like him completely since there was not a day that our lives were composed. But now they are. We’re calmly advancing towards our house, and not that horrid place we once dreaded coming home to. So why shouldn’t we take our time to learn about him now, see what all the fuss is about. It’s a fresh beginning and so we should keep our minds,” he winks, “and hearts open, no?”
Taking it all in, you close your eyes, feeling overwhelmed but not willing to show him so. For so long, all you’ve wanted is for Jun to have a peaceful conscious and it looks like here, it’s finally possible. God would help you two together.
But then you frown as you recall something, “Is it really that? Or is it that Joan lady?”
Jun becomes greatly confused, taking a moment to process what you said
“…what?”
You furrow your eyebrows at him, “Did you think I didn’t see? You shook her hand for way too long! And what was up with you ogling her?
“What the hell are you talking about? She’s a way older woman and she’s not my type, I like mine sexier not that she wasn’t sexy bu-”
“That’s disgusting!” You gasp, before crossing your arms and storming off ahead of him
“Wait come back I was joking! Where did this even come from?!” He desperately shouts, running after you with all the bags from the mall tangled around his limbs
-
After dinner you had offered to wash the dishes. Jun had seen right through you wanting to abscond the rest of the minor unpacking by doing the dishes, but he let it slide. Scrubbing and rinsing through the pots and pans, you hummed your favorite lullaby as a kid. The one Jun always serenaded you to sleep with. He was in the hindquarters rummaging around in his room with his door closed. Your room was just before his, on the other side of the narrow hallway.
When the last dish was in the rack, you threw down your rubber gloves onto the marble countertop next to the sink and booked it to your room. Baggage was pleasantly placed on the edge of your bed, untouched. You got giddy, feeling like they were presents. It was 9:30 pm, and Jun said he wanted you in bed by 10. Tsk, he still treats you like a child. Searching through your stationary, you start setting your backpack for tomorrow. FallHaven high school was the second largest building, after the church, in the town and you were agitated. I mean it’s a small place, and everyone probably knows one another since grade school. How is a newbie like you gonna fit in?
You get to your wardrobe and find the school uniform you had picked up before you even stepped into your new house, hanged and neatly ironed. Curiously, you pick it up and inspect it closely. It was the typical school uniform, with a navy-blue blazer, a bright bleached white button-up shirt, and a green plaid skirt. What was different though, was the attachable thin black ribbon around the collar, and as you picked it up with your fingers, you could see ‘FallHaven’ inscribed on the end of one side in yellow thread.
From the bottom of your closet, you pick up the only two pairs of shoes you own. A worn-out duo of sneakers, and the feminine flats Jun had gotten you for your birthday last year. Shit, you should’ve bought a pair of shoes rather than anything else. Choosing the flats and crew socks you quickly disrobe to put on your get-up. Tying the ribbon was impossible, so you just let it fall to each side of your collar. Walking up to the body mirror in the right corner of your room, you do a few twirls in place to check yourself out.
“Would you look at that”
You shriek as you hear someone behind you. There Jun stands with a smirk on his face, leaning into your entranceway with his hands in his sweat’s pockets. His tank top was drenched in sweat and his wet black hair fell over his brows. The exposing sleeves made you see how much his arms had grown, musclebound limbs taking up most of the capacity of your irises.
“Y-you scared me!”
“You scared me!” He responds with that stupid grin, “Look how cute you look, like a total princess”
“Oh, my g-god, you’re so embarrassing! Leave immediately!” You yell out with a red face, not bearing to consider his proactive display
“Not until I take a picture of you first! Where’s my camera?”
“NOOO!!” you run and push your door into the entryway to kick him out of view, but he pushes back
“Heyyy, don’t be shy, you look so great maybe I should keep you all to myself tomorrow,” He laughs
You feel your face burning up as you struggle to push the door
“Stupid! You’re so stupid! Go away”
“Alright, Alright,” he surrenders, letting go of the door and having it smacked in his face
Locking your door, you jump cranium first onto the bed-who’s springs squeak and grate
“So, I can’t even give you a compliment?” You could hear the teasing in his voice
“Shut up you big goof! Are you playing ‘Let’s see how annoying I can be’ suddenly?”
“I love you too, your majesty! Goodnight!” Jun brings his mocking to an end and you auscultate him walking away in the direction of the kitchen.
And even after getting changed into your pajamas, stealthily avoiding Jun by rushing into the shared bathroom and brushing your teeth, and placidly getting into your bed and pulling up the covers; you could still sense embers of feverous happiness crawling upon your neck,
“I love you goof, goodnight”
-
“Get up or you’ll be late!” Jun shouts
“Mmm five more minutes” You rotate to the side and pull your blanket around tighter
“Are you crazy? School starts in 45 minutes! Get up now!” he hauls the comforter off you and you fall of the bed on your derrière.
“Ooowww” you whine in your drowsy condition, while rubbing your butt
“Perfect, now hurry up and get dressed so we can have breakfast together, and remember the walk to school is 15 minutes”
He leaves the room, with his pink frilly apron on and spatula in hand while you crawl out after him towards the bathroom
After urinating, flossing, washing your face, fixing your hair and all that good stuff you put on your uniform in your room. You take a moment to sit on by your practically empty dresser, and once over your face. You’ve never been a makeup person, not because you didn’t want to be, but because life didn’t allow you to. There used to be this pink lip gloss you had as a child, that you really cherished however.
Even though you don’t desire it, fragments of an ancient memory arises in your vision,
The broken handheld was the only image of yourself you had. It was shattered and missing from the bottom, with a huge crack displayed in the center of the whole mirror. The broken side had begun to rust, and it was slowly raising its way towards the rest of the glass. Your tiny hand didn’t care though, holding it up to your face as you carefully applied the gloss on your lips, just like she does.
You hear another crash from outside the dark room, this one louder than the previous ones and it makes you quickly hide under your blanket on the floor while you breathe heavily. Closing your eyes, you try and think happy thoughts.
After some yelling and another crash, the door opens, before shutting again. You’re petrified by now and shaking in your spot, making the whole blanket vibrate.
“Hey,” someone puts their hand on your head over the blanket, “It’s alright”
It’s Jun
You take off the cover and grab onto him, “I-I tried thinking happy thoughts, b-b-but it didn’t work, I’m sorry” you snuggle onto his torso, your miniature body fitting completely in his larger frame
“No need to apologize princess, you didn’t do anything wrong” Jun pats your head to comfort you, with his other hand draped around you
He was stick skinny, and you could feel his ribs as you rubbed against his chest,
“Let me see your face” He asks you gently
You move off him to provide a view of your face. The room was shadowy, but there was a small window on the right wall lighting up the area moderately.
“Whoa, you look like royalty, why’re you so pretty?” He exaggerates his expression of surprise making you giggle
You clutched onto the gloss container inside your fist, afraid he’ll take it away if he found it
Jun solemnly places a digit on the purple under your eye, and you flinch slightly
“Does it still hurt?” He whispers
You give him a big smile, not insecure to show him your missing baby teeth “No! I like it”
“It looks like that paint those girls put on in the tv!” you beam
Jun gives you an unrecognizable look, putting his head on top of yours. You feel him start to shake and notice the gash on his shoulder, flaky skin ripped around the limb, as if someone stabbed him with something sharp and twisted the object in his flesh before ripping it off
“You’re too pure for this place-”
You jolt out of it as Jun shouts your name
“Coming!” You shout back, getting up and nabbing your backpack to swing around your shoulder
“What were you doing for 25 minutes?” Jun interrogates from the kitchen as soon as your steps become apparent on the wooden fabric of the dining room, with his back in view. He’s messing with something, but you pay no mind to it
“Where’s the food” You ignore his question
“Is it not on the table, cause I’m sure I put it on the table, the one with the food on it, that table right in front of you, with the food, you know th-”
“Okay, Okay, oh my god,” you say with a mouth full of toast, having already sat down to consume the jellied bread while he made his sarcastic remarks
“When are you going to work” you ask him
“At 9, I’ll be home by 4 alright?”
“Mmm” you respond with a mouthful of OJ
He appears out of the kitchen and plants a lunch box in front of you and smiles, putting his hand on each side of his hips
“…There’s no way I’m taking that” His smile fades
“Why not?!”
“Jun, they told you they offer lunch! All the other kids probably eat at the cafeteria, I’m not gonna bring this and look like a mommy’s girl or something!”
Jun seems offended and puts his hand over his chest, just to show you how offended he was, “I can’t believe you care about what other people think, rather than me, who lovingly made this lunch for you! I even made bunny apples!”
You scream out of terror “ARE YOU CRAZY?! Do you want me to look like I’m 5?
“Maybe I do! At least you were nicer than and didn’t insult my food THAT I LOVINGLY MADE FOR YOU!”
“You are so childish! Eat the lunch yourself!”
“I already made one for myself thank you very much, maybe you should learn to make food for YOURSELF!”
“MAYBE I WILL!”
“FINE THEN!”
“FINE THEN!”
You grab your bag and storm out the front door, slamming it shut.
-
You finally notice the evidence of rain as you stepped in your 6th puddle and zone out of your subconscious. It must’ve been pouring last night. Argh, I should really be careful with these shoes till Saturday, you internally scold yourself, moving to the barren side of the road.
Your guilt however justifies that you sort of deserve it, for being so mean to Jun. Sighing, you reflect on how he got up extra early to make you lunch and feel even worse. You hated fighting with him, and it wasn’t a usual occurrence, so happening on the first day of school gives you a bad premonition. Why couldn’t you just take it and hide it in your bag to spare his feelings? And you love bunny apples, so what’s the big deal? But you also wish he’d stop treating you like a child.
It’s not about the lunch box, but rather every time he says he misses when you were younger. As if you’ve changed so much, he doesn’t recognize, doesn’t see…doesn’t like you anymore.
You hate it.
Before you know it, your ears detect the sound of other kids in the near distance. Perking your head off the ground, you see students in similar uniforms heading toward the large open front gate of the school.
Ok, just act normal, act normal, act normal. No one must know you’re a freshie, you’ll be fine.
Their necks snag your attention suddenly. All of them had perfect ribbon tied bows on their collars, while you just droopily looped your ribbon together once.
“Great,” you mumble, so much for not looking out of place
Making it to the front gate, you turn to see the building you saw Saturday. You’re in admiration again, and those same butterflies appear in your gut. It’s a large red-bricked school, with white decorative foundation linings, and a beautiful white roof cresting. A large mansard gable sits at the head of the building, adorned with fish scale shingles. There was a small religious cross finial at the edge of the top, and hooded windows on each side of the front of the structure, and one in the face of the roof. The school was well thought out and stunning.
You take a deep breath, before walking to the open double doors. There’s a man that stands right in front of the entrance of the school’s hallway. Towering over you as you pass him, you give him a little good morning and he nods at you. He’s eminently pale and has deep dark circles under his lifeless eyes. His hair is matted against his large square head, and he garbs like he’s going to a funeral. Not a good start, you contemplate.
“Okay, first period calculus, room 306,” you whisper to yourself as your feet guide you along the stairs to the third floor and the polished tile hallway
302, 304, oh there it is! You stop right in front of the chocolate door of the math class. This is it, you raise your sweaty palms toward the knob, here you go. A chance at a normal life, a new outset, a bett-
“Are you not gonna go in?”
Startled you bounce back with a yelp, hand motionless in mid-air. When you manage to locate the cause of your sudden scare, your jaw almost drops to the floor.
The first thing you see is red hair. Silky, beautiful red tresses, enclosing the fair face of a young boy about your age. Handsome was an understatement. He possessed deep, penetrating monolids, with the illuminated hallway polishing beneath his somber orbs. His plump doll-like lips seemingly out of place to his otherwise masculine features; the fuchsia hue expensing his labium’s canvas making him look softer, younger. The portrayed youth extended by his chiseled jaw line, and his skin’s flawless artistry with not a blemish in sight. Someone like this must be hand carved by the devil himself.
His vibe is inimitable, unlike anyone’s you’ve perceived before. Hands in his pockets, callous attitude, unshakeable posture, all of it reminds you of those bad boys in the 70’s flicks. He demands attention so effortlessly, and when he slightly shifts his otherwise immobile head to the side, is when you realize the fact that you’ve been gawking at him shamelessly.
“H-huh?”
“I asked if you were gonna go in or not”
“Oh, umm yes o-of course,” you hastily grab the knob and bare the entry way open for him, so awkwardly that you’re trapped behind the door while he walks in, not giving you another glance
You cringe internally at your stupidity while walking into the classroom. You were nervous that everyone was gonna glower at you, but you notice that the few kids filling up the classroom had their eyes on the guy who entered before you. He was walking en route to the back of the room by the window. Not wanting to draw any awareness at your person, you took that time to quietly go sit in the desk in the middle of the room.
The classroom was brightly lit, yet not to the point of straining and suffocating the students. Looking at your feet, you see the floor sustained by mini dim white tiles, and the clean desks were a soft tan, each one separated a few inches from the other. Forward was a huge clean white board, with an enlarged welcome back written in black ink. It was so different from your old school, where the desks contained carved slurs, so you could barely write on them and the walls grew dark yellowed mold. Teachers wouldn’t even show up days at a time. You were in awe at the smallest things.
Sitting there absentmindedly, you watched the room start to fill in. After about 10 minutes, the capacity of the seats was complete, and students had begun conversing with one another. Fidgeting the slightest in your seat, you wished to one day be a part of one of the kids chatting since you never had many friends before. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a girl to your right staring at you with her hand held up by her jaw. She’s probably just curious about if she’s seen you around before or not. You hoped she’d come strike up a conversation after class.
That’s when the bell rang making you sit up straight.
A minute later, in strolled a chubby instructor in a tan suit holding a large binder in his dextral arm
“Good morning,” he enounces, gathering his material by his table in the front
“Good morning Mr. Doug” the class replies in a faulty unison
The instructor makes small talk, and a joke that cracks up a few students in the first row. It seems like he already knows most of the schoolchildren, at least everyone in this class. There were around 200 kids in the whole school, so you wouldn’t put it past him. You were so grateful that this was everyone’s first day back from summer, and you didn’t randomly come here in the middle of the semester.
“Alright, as you all know this is your final schoolyear, I’ll explain what you can learn from this class and calculus in general” Mr. Doug unfolded his binder
As he’s about to talk again, the door expands open. It was a long-legged, extremely attractive man. He stepped into the room and bowed at your teacher. His elongated black coat making him look graceful and expensive. Then he turned towards the class, looking over you at someone behindhand,
“Master Jimin,” He spoke in a deep, respectful voice, striding past you making everyone’s head follow him, “I’m glad I found you, my apologies for not keeping up with your speed” he bows intensely with his hands folded on his thighs, at the good-looking boy you had met outside. “Jimin” doesn’t say anything, he glances at him, then back at Mr. Doug
“Start the lesson” the red head voices, in the same apathetic tone he used with you
“Oh! Yes, right away,” Mr. Doug scrambles to get back to his practice after the abrupt interruption
The remainder of the class goes smoothly, with you having some informative handouts by the time the dismissal bell resonates. Suddenly the room goes silent, and you become confused as to why they’re so still, when you hear the chair of someone behind you screech and two pairs of footsteps come your way. As soon as Jimin is in your line of sight, everything starts going in slow motion.
Fleeting past you, he turns his head back to look at you. Out of nowhere you feel a spur of sparks underneath your skin, and the ambience converts into fire. You let out a loud gasp and gripe the material cloth around your chest. Perspiration appears on your brow and your breathing is heavy, you turn to look back at Jimin, bewildered and frightened at the pain you just caressed; to see him no longer looking at you…but not moving either. The black coat man is standing right behind him, just his coat in your perception. Jimin stands there with the back of his red head in your orbs. You’re unable to see his expression, but you don’t need to as he starts walking again, up and out of the classroom with that cold mask on his face and black coat man trailing.
Though you’re certain you peeked a frown on his ethereal features.
When you look around the room again, everyone had their eyes on you. Some look just as surprised as you, others were disordered. Even Mr. Doug gave you a strange face. You feel strangely exposed…and a sense of danger looms in the corner of your gut. Bit by bit, people get back to their business, gather their belongings and empty the classroom one by one, and sadly the girl who stared at you at the start doesn’t come up to you as you watch her walk out the door. Hiding your disappointment, you grab your things to head to your 2nd period class.
What happened in that room doesn’t vacate your mind for a second.
-
By the end of third period, it’s lunch time. The one thing you were dreading the most. You’ve watched movies, you know that the new student sits by themselves and watches all the other kids interact all noisily. Then suddenly the bully comes up and makes fun of the new kid and the whole lunch room laughs! Oh no. Biting your lip, you rigidly walk down the hallway until you enter the vast cafeteria.
You were right, it was noisy.
Kids took up the whole room, laughing and playing loudly. Boys making dumb jokes and girls leaning in whispering to each other, lost in their own world. Faded blue circular lunch tables accompanied the bright chalky chamber. Toward the end of the room, you spot a glass door that led to the outside, with more circular islands inhabiting the softly cemented pavement. That’s where you wanted to be. As quick as you can, you step up to the line for the lunch, left of the entrance. Grabbing a tray, you trace the person in front of you filling up your tray with items that you found pleasing
Contrary to the movies, the food looked delicious. Fancy school privilege maybe. There wasn’t even a “lunch” at your old school. You watch the person in front of you pay for his share of the meal and walk off and that’s when it hits you.
You don’t have money.
The fight with Jun had made you storm out in a rush, forgetting to ask him for change. He probably wasn’t gonna give you any anyway. You stand there, motionless; staring at nothing, while you feel the eyes of the cashier and the rest of the people in line, on you. Why do these things happen to you? What’re you going to do? You want to put your food back, but this doesn’t seem like the type of place you could do that without repercussions, especially social ones. Your worst nightmare is all at once coming true
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, n-
All of a sudden, someone puts a $5 bill on the section of your empty tray. You whip your head at them, wide-eyed, recognizing the familiar face.
It’s the girl from class…the one that caught your attention infirst period.
She smiles, “I got you, don’t worry”
You didn’t want to take her money, so you open your mouth to decline, but she slightly encouraged you up to the registrar with her palm, with a slight laugh. Paying with a heavy heart, you marginally move off the line to give the girl your thanks after she pays for her meal.
“Hey,” she greets you when she turns to see you obviously waiting for her
“Hi, umm-I’m so sorry you had to pay I’ll pay you back-it’s just I forgot my money because I was in a rush seriously I’m such an idiot”
“Okay, whoa slow down,” she giggles, “Come on let’s go sit first” She takes your arm in hers and you stiffen from shock at skin ship. Like stated, you never had many friends. And by many, you mean you only had one. No, it wasn’t Jun.
She leads you past the lunch tables, through the glass doors to reveal an abundant atrium with cherry blossom trees, a checkered polished bluestone pavement, and open canvas windows in the surrounding building. The top sections of the building were surrounded by a terrace like roof, unlike the front of the school. They were closed off by a pointy white fence. It was beautiful.
“Holy fuck” you whispered, bending your neck to take every single detail in
“Right?” the girl snickers “I had the same reaction.” She sits you down in one of the empty lunch tables.
The girl had mid length caramel brown coils softly springing with her every movement. Her sepia soaked skin gleamed in the sunlight. Thin rimmed glasses sat on her nose, at the edge of which a small, unnoticeable mole resided. Irises were soaked in amber, alluring anyone who welcomed them with their own.
“Thank you once again,” you make out
She just angles her head to the side and gives you a wink, while you blush. Are all the students of this school magically hot?
Trying to focus elsewhere, you notice there weren’t a lot of people around, which had you bewildered. Why did they eat indoors rather than this fascinating space? Something was wrong.
“Umm, are we allowed out here?” you ask the stranger who’s already digging into her tray
“Well, technically you aren’t,” she says with a mouth full of sausage, “but I am” reaching into her shirt, she pulls out an id badge, “I’m with the honors society, and I can bring up to two people with me if I need.”
Underneath her name, which you now knew as Candace Angevin, in bold yellow ink stated ‘FallHaven Honor’s Society Pass Level B’
“Pass level b?”
“It means I’m permitted in some areas of the building most students aren’t. There’s pass level’s A, the most restrictive and pass level S, with that you can go literally anywhere. This school is a maze with tons of secret rooms, probably because it’s connected to the monastery”
“MONASTERY?!” You gasp
“You didn’t know? This town’s popularity is for that sole reason! See this side of building?” she points at the side away from the entrance “that part attaches to a far-flung horizontal structure, which leads to the back of the church”
Your mouth hangs open
She laughs out loud “It only leads to it, it’s not connected! But yeah, it’s built like that on purpose”
“Why?”
“There’s a tower in the middle”
At that exact moment, a quick breeze arises through the atmosphere, making you equally shiver slightly
“…A tower?”
“It’s called the angel’s tower and it’s a sacred place of prayer, for some of the higher-ups…some say around 120 years ago, an angel landed in that abandoned watch tower, with a grave warning to the village’s inhabitants. Apparently, babies were stillborn, disease plagued the town and crimes were at their peak. The famine was so great that some people had resorted to…cannibalism of their own kids”
You gulp and look at your tray of food, not very hungry anymore.
“But after that angel showed up, he gave the village folk a vision. With a major cautioning. It completely cured all their problems, and now FallHaven is the small yet profitable town it is today. That’s the reason everyone and their mothers here are so religious. Did you notice the absence of women in this town? Most of them live in the Monastery, to serve god and that angel”
“Wow…I can’t believe it”
“That’s cause it’s not true” she replies mischievously
“WHAT”
She laughs again “I mean I don’t know if it is. There are 9 different versions of this rumor, this is just the most popular one”
“Tsk” you pout picking up your fork
“Hey, I can’t help it if you’re too easy to fool hehe, what’s your name by the way hun”
You tell her your name while slurping on your noodles, “It’s nice to meet you Candace, I really am gonna pay you back”
“Shit don’t worry about it. I helped you out because I wanted to. Once upon a time I was in your position”
“You forgot your lunch money?”
“No, silly” she gets up from her side of the table and sits right by you, “I was a new student two years ago” She takes your ribbon in her hand, looping and tying the thin stable fabric around your neck appropriately. “There” she goes
You stroke your ribbon and smile. It feels exactly how hers is displayed.
“Thank you”
-
“Yes!” you shout reaching into your room and jumping on the warm cotton heaven that was your bed. “Mmm, I never wanna leave you again,” you muffle into the sheets
Hasteningly, you remove your shoes and socks, tingling your feet around. With the same energy you remove the heavy blazer and loosen your ribbon. Rotating in the bed so your eyes face the ceiling, you take in a breath and gleam. What a wonderful day!
Today went so, so much better than your brain made it seem like it would. You actually got to study, the teachers seemed all nice. Your history teacher told you a story about her cats, your sixth period teacher had donuts for the students, and there’s even a volleyball team you want to join in. And most importantly, you made a friend! Your very first official friend! Oh how exciting!
You told her about Joan and joining the church, which it turns out she’s already a member of! This way you can see her throughout the week a bit more. Being so happy makes your whole body flounder on the mattress, which eventually leads you to hitting the soles of your feet on the side rail, hard.
“Ow!” you scream, sitting up and applying pressure on the pain.
That’s when you recollect your first class, the pain you felt on that desk…the raging fire ripping your skin apart from your muscles…What was that? It happened when that Jimin guy looked at you.
Jimin…
Candance had told you about him. His name was Park Jimin and he was some kind of royalty and lived in the mansion in Votum Valley, which is located east of the school. It’s a hill-side area connected to FallHaven, where some rich people live.
“If you think this school is pretty, you should see Votum valley”
“What was up with that black coat guy” you ask her, gathering your things to leave lunch
“That’s his assigned special guard, all the three royalties have one. The school lets them do whatever, since they’re the main donors. You know how that stuff works. They could get teachers fired and fried, if they wished”
“There’s three of them?”
“Basically, they aren’t hard to spot, but one of them skips school relentlessly and the other is gone for the week on a special trip. They are a huge deal on campus, like have you seen their faces? It’s funny because all three of them hate each other and avoid the other at all cost”
Walking along the corridor to your next classes she becomes solemn “Hun…what happened in the morning with Jimin?”
“I don’t know! That was so strange, I was so confused. He looked at me and everything became painful,” you reply, shaking at recalling the incident
You both stop at an intersection where you had to part, she gives you a concerted look
“Just be careful alright? They’re all dangerous and it’s not a good idea to get involved with them”
“Dangerous, huh?”
You stare at your foot, lost in thought, when the front door opens. That’s most likely Jun.
Tipping to the edge of your entryway, you peak at the entrance and watch him take off his shoes. His hair’s a mess and he had black marks on his gray jumpsuit and hands. Your heart feels a pang. When he has his back towards you, putting his shoes on the shoe shelf, you quietly step up behind him and engulf his broad shoulders in a hug
“…Hi”
“Hey…rough day?
“Not really,” he sighs, “It’s the same work it was in that place. But better too.”
Peaking at the petty incisions on his fingers, you let out a heavy exhale.
“I’m sorry” You mush your face into his back
“Me too,” he turns and gives you a gentle smile, before mussing up your hair, “I shouldn’t have been so childish”
“No, I was the one!” you stop him, “it’s just that…Jun this is my first time at a normal high school. There’re actual people there! I’ve never…even once…” you shut your eyes, “…I just don’t want to mess this up, and my brain is telling me all these crazy things an-”
“Hey, Hey, hey,” he cups your teary face, “it’s okay, I understand…better than anyone…and since your lunch is still in the kitchen, now I won’t have to make dinner”
You smile in his palms “You’re such a goof”
He laughs and moves towards his room “I spoke with Joan today” he shouts back at you
You didn’t like hearing her name so casually from his mouth “Joan?”
“Yeah, that church lady,” he turns to you, “I’m serious about joining that church you know. Almost everyone in town is a member, and this is a good thing to build some friendships in the community. She’s asked us to come talk to the head board member this Saturday.”
“This Saturday? What about the shopping?”
“We can do both princess, don’t worry,” he winks, “now get dressed, we’re gonna go buy some fresh produce from the farmer’s market before they officially close for the season. Uncle Alp recommended it. I’m gonna go take a shower”
He walks into his room and you sigh. Moving to a novel town is such hard work
“Well, if uncle Alp recommended it”
-
A secular section in the center of the town had a detachable farmers market installed for the season. Summer was officially over next week, so this was the last day the farmers would contribute crops for the year. You and Jun wandered around through many colorful umbrellas and stalls. The fruits and vegetables were way larger than you’ve seen in grocery stores and uplifting. There were a few stands selling homemade items, such as jam or achar bottles. People crowded the center on the last day of the market, and every alleyway was jammed with products. The nearby shops were also getting attention, and everyone was loud and boisterous.
“How much is a carrot,” Jun asked, holding up the orange stick. He had already bought a bunch of other veggies and fruits and had a cloth bag full of them. Before leaving the house, he kept bragging about how he always came prepared because of said bag.
“$1 per pound,” shouted the heavy-set older man, in a gruntled tone while helping other customers in the rush
“A whole dollar!? Did you lose it? Have you seen your carrots? One of them could easily be 3 pounds”
“Then that’s like 3 carrots! Where’s the problem?”
You rolled your eyes and backed away from them arguing. You were about to step away altogether when-
“Look out!”
Suddenly a small white ball of fluff started roaring towards you and you screamed and hid behind Jun. The small ball started yapping right in front of Jun, while he laughed, and you held him in front of you as a shield.
“Hey little guy”
“Oh no I am so sorry!” you peek behind Jun to see a 30 year-old man in a white panama hat push through the crowd and face Jun. He bends down to pick up the monster and it turns out to be a little dog
“I am so sorry,” the man says again in a thick accent, “my mojo is very hyper, but he’s harmless!”
“It’s not a big deal,” Jun smirks, “I have someone like that myself,” he grabs you from behind with his arm and drapes you to his side
“You are very pretty miss! I’m sorry my dog scared you,” Says the man in white
“Thank you and it’s alright” you blush
“My name is Hector from Spain, and I am here with my crew!” Just then, a few other men holding camera, lights and other gadgets appear from the crowd, “we are here shooting the beauty of FallHaven!”
“Hello, Hector from Spain my name is Jun, and this is ____,” Jun reaches out his hand for a shake and Hector gladly obliges, “Why’d you choose FallHaven so far from home?
“Oh, my father came here when I was once a boy! He was in a scout of missionary men invited by the head of the church, he loved it here so much and always talk of it. After an illness, he had to move back to Spain and now that he’s in the last stages of his life I want to document the life and style he saw here and show it to everyone home!
“That’s amazing, your father would be so happy”
“I’d think so too, would you both like to be in my documentary?”
“Oh, we’d love to,” Jun scratches the back of his head, “but we aren’t really FallHaviens yet. We just relocated here three days ago.”
“Marvelous! How do you like it here so far?”
Hector introduces his crew and talks to Jun for a while. You stare at the messy little Pomeranian in the man’s arms and how it kept getting reckless. His petite legs kept flopping everywhere, trying to get loose. You hoped it wouldn’t run off again.
But looks like the world never listens to you and it jumps off Hector, barking and running into the crowd.
“Oh no not again” Hector shouts, and you all sprint after it. You end up getting separated from Jun in the immense crowd, but you are too focused on looking for the little dog on the ground. All you see are people’s limbs, so you huff and look around the atmosphere. In the spur of the moment, you spot a small ball type figure moving in one of the alleyways, making you rush towards it.
“Mojo?” you call once you’re in the alley, “here doggy”
Silence
You call it a few more times wondering around the passage with your hands cupped around your mouth. Bending to investigate small nooks and crannies, you expected to see shaky white fur, but there was nothing in sight expect a few bugs, which creeped you out.
Frustrated, you turn to step out the way you originated when you jump and let out a yelp.
There was an old lady standing at the spot you came in at the edge of the alleyway, just staring at you.
At a lost for words, you gaze at her, a bit too aware of how alone you were in the empty lane. The day’s become a bit dimmer, yet you can still make out her emergence.
She’s so old the skin of her cheeks is drooping down her face. Wrinkles swallow her skin, and her lips have protruded into her mouth long ago. Her stature’s short and stubby and her head is covered by a silk bandana tied to her chin. The hair peeping out of her bandana is slicked back, aged white, and looks fizzed.
Yet what really scares you is how full of life she looks. Her lips are hauled into a straight line, and her eyes are opened so wide, it looks like they’ll pop out of her skull. They have an immense hold on you and you’re terrified by her glare. She doesn’t even blink.
“I-is…Is everything okay ma’am,” you say quietly, shaking in your spot. She doesn’t respond.
Did I do something wrong you wonder
“Um-are you lost?” You take a minute to look around the alleyway, maybe her family’s nearby and she wandered off
But no one’s around, not even a kid. You were sure there were people here when you came in. The path had become darker, and it looked like here were dark clouds lining the sky, when you remember the sunny nature of the market just a while ago. It was eerie and strange. Your heart was beating in your ears.
Sighting silence, you turn back to face the woman and scream. She’s closer. So close, that the tip of your shoes is almost touching her bare toes. Looking at you through huge eyes, she stands as still as a statue in your space.
“Um-uh…ma’a-” You start stuttering before she grabs your wrist. You shriek at her sudden action and try to pull your hand away. Her fingernails are long and grimy, yellow and chipped, stabbing into your wrist with outstretched force. She tightens her grip as you struggle, and you feel tears clouding your eyes.
“Ha-saw-tawn ‘ohebh `azab zo'th e-rets” She speaks in a foreign tongue, with a menacingly measured voice which displays her rotten black tines
“Please stop,” you cry, trying to pry off her grasp with your other hand. But she’s too strong, and your wrist feels like it’ll crack in two. You’re full out balling right now, scared to death as she keeps repeating her sentence
“Ha-saw-tawn ‘ohebh `azab zo'th e-rets”
“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?” Jun barges into your vision and pulls the old lady off you. Quickly discarding her to the side he steps up worriedly to your horrified face. He eyes you holding your wrist and gently places his hand on yours to silently ask you to let him see, he could feel you quivering as soon as he touches you.
You take your hand off to reveal a hard-red bruise forming around your wrist. “Fuck” Jun mutters. He places a finger on it and you wince, making him livid. You see his enraged face turn in the direction of the old woman still standing there with the same manifestation. Balling his fist, he makes a step towards her, when you clutch onto the back of his shirt.
“P-please let’s g-go,” you say through tears. Jun looks back at you with tenderness, but doesn’t move his stance, so you say it again
“Please”
He physically deflates and closes his eyes to gather his thoughts. Taking you under his left arm, he guides you away from the place, trying not to make eye contact with the old woman because that’ll make him furious. Leaning into him, you shut your eyes to shut out her face mentally.
As you guys start walking she says something which makes you jump again, but Jun ignores her and keeps moving
“A-vad”
She keeps repeating the same word and turns her face as you both brush past her in the narrow passage way. Jun says nothing, and you can see his jaw clenched. He stops a few feet from her to pick up his bags of produce he had dropped, and you take this time to look at her. The old woman had turned her whole body to face you, while she reiterates her word,
“a-vad…a-vad…a-va-“
“Let’s go”
You gasp, as you turn to face Jun. He takes you in his arm again when you nod and leads you out of the alleyway, and eventually the center. She never stopped repeating the word until she was out of your sight, and you wonder if she stopped at all.
274 notes
·
View notes
Note
#18 for malex!
Michael was skeptical that sneaking into the heavily guarded military facility was going to be as easy as Alex was making it seem, but that was only because he had thought they’d be sneaking in.
“How exactly are we getting in again?” Michael asks as Alex grabs a bag from the trunk of his military issued SUV.
Alex throws the bag at Michael without answering. He’s wearing his uniform which really doesn’t tell Michael all that much until Michael opens the bag and makes out the camouflage fabric.
“No way,” Michael says immediately.
Alex sighs and leans one hand on the SUV while reaching out with his crutch to tap Michael on the shin.
“It’s the easiest and fastest way to do this.”
Michael is doubtful.
“Trust me, okay?”
Michael is still doubtful, but he does trust Alex.
Michael dons his uniform and does a little spin when he sees Alex watching him eyes intent.
Alex just rolls his eyes.
“Get in the car,” he says walking towards the driver’s seat.
The first part of the plan goes without a hitch.
Probably because no one really pays them too much attention. Everyone is busy doing something else. And that something else makes Michael want to tear apart the entire facility until he finds exactly where they’re keeping his brother and sister.
He feels a hand on top of his clenched fist and looks over at Alex.
Alex had parked the car and was giving him a worried, but stern look. “Get it together, Guerin. This was the easy part.”
Michael nods his head once and gets out of the car.
They manage to make it through the facility without anyone interrupting them.
There were a few who actually stopped in their tracks to watch Alex in awe was he walked down the hall with purpose.
It made Michael feel an odd sense of pride.
But of course, it was all going too smoothly. When they’re starting to go through the doors that will hopefully lead them to Max and Izzy, someone yells, “Hey!”
Michael freezes when the voice calls out, and Alex only stops because Michael stops.
“That’s a restricted area. High level military personnel only.”
Michael turned first slowly, to see that the guy was sneering at Alex’s crutch.
He so very dearly wanted to know if he’d deal as gracefully as Alex does without a leg.
He cracks his knuckles and the guy’s gaze goes to him, the sneer getting more prominent.
“Please leave the premisses before I have security escort you out of the area.”
“Do call security,” Alex says, and Michael turns his head to look at him because Alex is using a voice that Michael doesn’t really recognize.
It was cold and sharp and authoritative.
He was standing there, regulation perfect, the badges on his chest prominent as long with his rank, which if Michael wasn’t mistaken meant that Alex outranked this guy, and probably had high level enough clearance.
Michael looks over to the guy to see his pale and sweaty face and can’t help himself from smirking.
“And then you can explain to General Walker why you held up the expert sent to deal with the problem in Sector 34.”
Alex raised his eyebrows, and Michael had to bite down on a laugh because Alex was totally bullshitting this guy.
“S-sorry, sir,” the guy stutters, but Alex talks over him.
“I was told it was of the utmost importance that we got here as soon as possible, but I definitely wouldn’t mind going home. My leg kind of starts bothering me after a while, price of having to wear a prosthetic I guess.”
Michael leaned back against the wall, and just continued to watch the interaction.
“I d-didn’t know…”
“Nobody was supposed to know we were even here,” Alex looks at Michael then and raises an eyebrow before turning to look at the guy once again. “I wonder what that’ll mean for you.”
“I won’t say anything,” the guy says. “You weren’t even here.”
Alex smiles then, and Michael sees the way the guy relaxes all at once.
“Thank you,” Alex says. “You’re dismissed.”
The guy salutes Alex and then turns and practically runs away.
Alex turns his smile to Michael.
“What?” he asks when Michael just stares at him.
Michael licks his lips and then suanters forward, reaching out to catch Alex by the collar of his jacket.
“That was kind of hot.” Michael admits.
Alex scoffs and knocks his hand away.
“Come on,” he says walking towards the door. It opens automatically. “Let’s save your family first, and then we can discuss your questionable kinks.”
Michael follows him, making wordless sounds of indignation.
Alex just laughs. The door cuts off the sound.
141 notes
·
View notes
Link
“Journeying westward and about a half mile from Dunning, we see over the policy wall on a rising ground among the trees, a monument of a kind not to be met with at every town.”Perthshire Advertiser for 20th September 1855
The monument in question is a fascinating sight indeed, and the source of much debate through the years. Constructed of stone and reaching twenty feet high, the structure is topped with a cross, whilst across the front for all to see is inscribed the intriguing declaration:
“Maggie Wall burnt here 1657 as a witch.”
Popular legend has several explanations for the identity of Maggie. Some say she was a parlourmaid, accused of witchcraft due to an ill-advised tryst with the son of a local laird. There is also speculation that Maggie had an affair with the lord himself, Lord Rollo, and that the monument was erected either by himself or his wife in pity and remorse after her execution. Others believe her to have been a local healer, persecuted for her work, or one of several women who protested against the treatment of a local minister and punished for her outspokenness. The Saracen's Head pub in Glasgow proudly displays what is purported to be the witch's skull, though how it came to rest there is a matter for speculation in itself.
The skull of Maggie Wall
Enduring as local ideas may be, looking closer at the stories surrounding Maggie Wall reveals that matters are not as they seem. Often cited as the last witch to be burnt in Scotland, (a dubious honour that actually belongs to Janet Horne in 1722) there is actually no surviving record of a Maggie Wall, or Walls as she is sometimes known, in any of the documents relating to witchcraft accusations or trials in the period.
What then is this monument supposedly erected in her name, and did Maggie in fact ever exist at all?
The monument was clearly in evidence from at least 1855 as described in the Perthshire Advertiser, and is visible on the ordnance survey map for 1866. The wooded area that used to surround the monument had the name Maggie's Walls in 1829, but there is no mention or evidence of the monument before the middle of the 19th century.
Perthsire historian Kenny Laing has put forward the theory that Lord Rollo ordered the monument to be erected after the witch was burnt on his land. He points out that as the local landowner he would have signed the papers sentencing her to death; one legend states that he had the monument erected when his wife was absent in order to repent of the shame he felt for sending Maggie to her fiery fate.
The Dundee Courier for 8th March 1878 references a local minister, Dr. Wilson, who was certain that the whole story of Maggie Wall and her tragic end was a complete fabrication, though for what end is not stated. The reporter however is quick to point out that he at least would argue in favour of Maggie's name simply having been left out of the records, rather than countenance that an entire village had deluded themselves into believing the story to the point of erecting a monument to a person who never existed.
Geoff Holder believes the monument is actually an 18th century folly, and also that the name is an invention. He points to the existence of a nearby field known as Maggie's or Muggie's Walls, suggesting this is the origin of the name painted on the monument. He also maintains that the monument could not have been built earlier than the 18th century.
Holder reveals that a local schoolmaster, David Balmain, was a tenant of Maggie's Walls – Holder speculates that he may have built the monument in memory of two family members that were accused of witchcraft but escaped being charged in 1662, or that the idea of "Maggie" may have been used as a figurehead to stand for the many accused of witchcraft during the 17th century in Scotland.
Dr. Louise Yeoman also believes that the story was nothing but myth. She points out that not only does the memorial not fit with any others from the 17th century, but that there were also no other memorials to witches, executed or otherwise. She and archaeologist David Connolly believe that the structure actually originated as a clearance cairn – i.e. a pile of stones that have been removed from a field to enable greater ease when ploughing or using other tools in pasture or arable land – and was then topped with a cross from a later date. They likewise date the monument to no earlier than the late 18th century.
A Clearance Cairn
The question must also be asked why a monument was erected to Maggie and not one of the other women and men executed for witchcraft during the 17th century. In 1662, six Dunning witches were arrested and tried by the local gentry, that including Lord Rollo and his brother. Three of these were executed, strangled and the burned in nearby Kincladie wood. Yeoman suggests that by the 19th Century, the Rollo family, feeling somewhat shamed by the part their family played in the witch trials, may have been attempting to re-write history by putting up the monument.
The 1650s were a time on general unrest in Dunning. Riots broke out in the defence of the Reverend Muschet, and the officials arriving to hold a synod with the intention of disciplining the minister were driven off by a mob of angry women. Some have speculated that Maggie Wall may have been involved in this dramatic event and made to pay the price for her part in the disturbance.
Archie McKerracher in Perthshire in History and Legend wonders if the events that led to her execution were so shameful that local officials and clergy determined to forget it, hence the lack of mention in records. This is unlikely however due to the plentiful records elsewhere. He also posts that perhaps Maggie fell victim to “unofficial” justice by her neighbours, a more plausible explanation for the absence of Maggie's name in the documents.
Writing in 1988 he remarks that the words are given a fresh coat of paint every year and that a wreath appears on the monument, with the words “In Memory of Maggie Wall, Burnt by the Church in the Name of Christianity.”
Perhaps Maggie existed and indeed met the fate legend has ascribed to her, the Perthshire monument the only evidence left with official records long since lost. It may also be that the legend grew up instead from the name of the local field and woodland, stories created and shared until they became established fact. It would not have taken much for someone to paint the words on one day, confirming what had already passed into local legend and serving to keep the story alive into the following generations.
Whatever the case, one thing is for certain - Maggie Wall is a prominent and enduring part of Perthshire history, inviting speculation, no doubt, for many years to come.
1 note
·
View note
Last Seen Blogs
askchicpea
Ask-Chic-Pea
appdevelopmentusa
Mobile App Development USA - India App Developer
kinkyguy69123
Untitled
kokoism
Untitled
write-morning
Untitled