Moving! Moving in two months! Working on moving when I was literally doing this shit exactly a year ago! *SCREAM*

Perfect Timing

Rating: General CW: References to Sex Tags: Established Relationship, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Steve Harrington Loves Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson Loves Steve Harrington, Marriage Proposals, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Future Fic, Dialogue Heavy

For the @steddielovemonth prompt: "Love is having hope for the future together."

💕—————💕

Steve was sitting at the dining table, hands spread out on the surface, staring down at a piece of mail when he heard Eddie clamber through the front door. Based on the string of things being dropped and Eddie not reacting negatively, just sighing a little bit and picking things up, must mean he was having a good day.

It’s funny, Steve thinks, that he knows the way in which Eddie’s emotions express when he comes through the front door of their shared space. They began renting an apartment in Chicago just a year or so after getting together. Tail end of 1986 meant sharing a bed and house by August of 1987. And it’s theirs. Filled with miscellaneous clutter—a bookshelf brimmed with books, coffee table layered with Sports Illustrated and Heavy Metal magazines, dice and keys and Topps baseball cards, and picture frames they dust and drawings from Eddie’s sketchbooks and ‘failed’ art projects of Steve’s that Eddie thought were masterpieces. Point is, they’ve made it their home. And they started their lives with a breath of fresh air.

And now it’s 1995, depending on one another’s reactions, this all may just crumble at their feet.

See, Eddie was out playing a demo tape for a small record company based here in Chicago. A little indie place that’s been looking to expand their music catalogue from contemporary to a broader lick of alternative genres. Which, it turns out, includes thrash and heavy metal. Which, Steve adores, Eddie is amazing at performing.

But, Steve? He’s been anxiously waiting all day for the mail to arrive. Biting down on his fingernails, chewing them up so much they bleed and he has to run his fingertips under lukewarm water. Pacing the carpet of the living room. Pushing down and peering through the eggshell blinds. Biting his fingernails, again. And then it came and now he’s at their dining table and now he’s waiting for Eddie to careen around the corner and kiss his hair and ask in his greeting Steve voice, “What’s this, baby?”

“What’s this, baby?” Steve hears from above him. He jumps a little bit. Maybe he should have put on music or something, try to get himself to stay grounded in the present. “Stevie?” Eddie calls.

“Oh, uh,” Steve stutters. “It’s a letter I got in the mail, but I—I wanna hear about your demo tape.” Eddie gives him a sidelong glance. A little furrow to his eyebrows, a frown. “The letter isn’t anything bad, I read it already. But I don’t know how you’ll feel about it.”

Eddie hums, nodding in slow understanding. He slides into the dining seat across from Steve. Mirroring his position. Then, he realizes, based on whatever face Steve makes, that it’s only anxiety inducing. He sets his chin in his right palm, stretching the other onto the table for Steve to take. Waiting patiently. And says, when Steve actually grabs back, “It went really well, sweetheart. They offered me a contract.”

“That’s great news, Eds! What did—Did you sign it? Please tell me you signed it.”

Then, Eddie sighs. And Steve shrinks a little. “I did,” he tells slowly, as if testing the words for the first time. “I signed it. They’re keeping me based here. I’ll start recording next Saturday.” He squeezes at Steve’s hand.

“What’s the long face for, then?”

“I’m not making a face,” Eddie feebly argues.

“You are!” And Steve mocks him. Frowning, eyes distant to the surface of the table, bunching his eyebrows impossibly farther down his face. His shoulders slump. “That’s what you did! What happened? Were they pieces of shit to you or something? Did they like—Are they underselling your music prowess or something? Do I need to kick their—“

Eddie chuckles. His laughter like honey. “Babe, breathe for me,” he whispers. “My only issue is that—“ But he cuts himself off there. He leans in across the table. Eyes down at the letter in front of Steve. “That’s a letter from the community college, isn’t it?”

Steve pulls his hands back, laying them palm down on the paper. He swallows thickly. “It is. Why?”

“Did you get in?”

“I’m not telling you until you tell me what’s wrong.”

“You telling me determines whether or not I have a genuine problem. So…Did you get into the college that you’ve been looking at forlorn every time we drive by it? Or did you not and I need to go kick some old people ass?” His eyes are large in earnest. Grinning like the Cheshire Cat. His hair curtaining his face, making his facial features impossibly darker, shadowed by something tricky.

Steve chews on his lip. “I got in,” he mutters. “I got into their English literature program. And once I’m done with that, I transfer. And once I transfer, I start classes at a four year. I’ll be studying English literature and secondary education,” he rambles. His fingers tap over the letter. “Is that…Does that ruin your whole music dream? I don’t want to be the reason that you chase something else.”

For a moment, the room goes scary still and silent. Eddie’s facial features soften. And Steve’s heart rabbits against his ribcage. Hard enough that he slides a palm over his t-shirt, massaging at the rapid beating, hoping that he doesn’t have a heart attack on the third floor of their complex. That would suck, he thinks bitterly. And my future would be done for.

He sits back in his chair. Anxiety thrumming under his skin when Eddie still doesn’t say anything. Just keeps looking at him like he’s…Like he’s planning an entire five lifetimes with Steve. Like he’s about to sweep Steve off his feet, chuck him over the side of their mattress, give him hickeys until he’s a mottled lovesick mess, and then get down on one knee and surrender his heart to Steve’s hands. Like he’s gonna propose something wonderful like marriage. And, maybe, Steve lets himself believe something crazy like that.

“Remember when I told you that I consider marriage as a possibility?” Eddie asks abruptly.

And, goddamnit, if Eddie does something crazy and stupid like propose right now, Steve may just throw up out of excitement. How embarrassing, he thinks. And he chuckles despite that.

“I do,” he finds himself whispering. “What does this—“

“And I considered it with you. And I held you close and you cried against my lips and we made love like we were the only people in the universe? Remember all the times that you’d lay on top of me out of contentment? All the times I’d hold you close to my chest? All the times you kissed over my heart, like it was the only thing keeping us tethered to the moment?”

Nervously, Steve laughs. “Yes, Eddie. Yes, I remember all that. What is your point with—“

“Fucking margarita nights. You’re a sweet drunk, d’you know that? Like almost unbearably sweet.” Eddie scoots his chair around the table. Setting it next to Steve, on his left. And his hands come into Steve’s field of view. Gathering Steve’s palms in his, squeezing and caressing the skin. “All the times in which we thought that this apartment was all that we had.” He shakes his head, smirking, snickering like this intense reaction he’s having is something funny to Steve.

Fact of the matter, Steve is scared shitless right now. What if this is his way of breaking up, he can’t help himself from wondering. Cruel. He swallows against the lump in his throat. Words escaping him.

“I want to marry you so bad,” Eddie swears. “Wanna do the whole ceremony. And the paper signing. And the honeymoon, but in some little cabin on a mountain. Where we load the fireplace with wood and we huddle in for warmth and we sip at rich cups of Uncle Wayne’s hot chocolate. And then, in a few years time, when we’ve financially recovered from the wedding, we’ll buy a house.

“We’ll buy a house and paint it yellow,” he promises. Steve begins to cry, something silent, but can’t pinch his nose to stop himself. “It’ll be yellow because that’s your favorite color. With white shutters. And a big backyard for a dog or two. Wrap around porch so that we can sit and watch the sunrises and sunsets.” He takes a deep breath that sounds a little nasally. “I’ll make you breakfast every morning,” he continues, “serve you a fresh bowl of strawberries, ones that you grow under the big front window of our house. I’ll kiss you all over the face, like I do now, and you’ll grumble that it’s too early and then you’ll smell the bacon and you’ll give me your stupid sleepy smile that makes my heart do funny little flips and you’ll kiss me on the mouth and it’ll be disgusting because you haven’t brushed your teeth.

“And I’ll be a very happy man.” Eddie’s breath trembles in his chest. He swallows hard. Steve wonders if he can hear his own shaky breath. Or if he’s too involved in whatever this is. “I’ll be so happy,” he whispers, “And I’ll find myself thinking, how did I ever get so lucky? But it isn’t luck. And it isn’t fate. It was trauma that forced us together and I’ll laugh about it. But then I’ll sigh because who the fuck cares how we started all of this?

“You’ll be a funky middle school English teacher. With your nicely done hair and a sweater vest and some khakis. I’ll be a musician, hopefully. But, every day you’ll have a small lunch; an orange that I made you peel but I removed the pulp from, a tuna salad sandwich because you’re my fish loving dork, and a bottle of water. I’ll leave you a note everyday telling you how proud I am because I’ve never stopped being proud of you.

“I’m proud of you, Steve, d’you know that? So much.” He laughs wetly. His eyes staring down at their interlocked hands. “All this to say that I’m proud of you. That I’m happy. We’ve got a future, sweetheart. And I want to be your husband. Will you—“ He swallows once more, thick and heavy and almost painful looking. Can love hurt when it’s this sweet?

Eddie finally looks up. His eyes glistening and his cheeks wet and his skin tinted pink. His eyelashes stuck together. Nose dripping only slightly. He’s a messy crier, but Steve doesn’t fare any better. “Will you marry me, Steve? Stay by my side and we’ll accomplish our dreams together?” His voice is soft. Enamored.

Unbelievable, Steve swallows back. Because how did he get somebody like Eddie in his life? How did he manage to find love and have it promised back at him?

“Yes, Eddie,” he gasps out. “God, holy shit.” He drops his hands from Eddie’s hold, instead wrapping them around his torso. Muffled into Eddie’s shoulder, “All this just because I’m finally figuring my shit out? God.”

Eddie cackles, burying his own face in Steve’s hair. They sway a little. “I just—“ Eddie begins whispering. “I don’t know. I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while. Every time seemed right, but this one? Baby, this one was perfect.”

Steve sighs into the embrace. Content to not say anything else. Except, “I’m proud of you, too, honey. I love you so much and I’m so proud of you.”

“I love you too, love bug. God, Steve, I love you, too.”

For the first time since 1983, Steve allows himself to truly settle in for a future. A future, he knows, he’ll be especially proud of.

💕—————💕 Fun fact, I accidentally deleted this whole ficlet when I was copying and pasting. Hit the spacebar and watched it disappear in front of my eyes. But I figured out how to get it back, not before almost throwing up on myself out of anger. Love y'all <3

Secure in your Lap

ft Nanami Kento

a/n: I can't believe I finally wrote thisI So this was inspired by this ask from @sitarawrites. It was supposed to be a cute fluffy fic, but somehow devolved into this angsty piece, so idk. Although I wrote this fic with a desi/asian reader in mind, I think anyone with a difficult relationship with their parents can relate to this, and I hope it comes across that way.

Rating: 13+, nothing explicit or sexual

Warnings: difficult family dynamics, mentions of familial trauma, guilt, manipulation

Pairing: Nanami Kento x female reader

Summary: A phone call from reader's mother results in her remembering all the reasons she's grateful for her now fiance.

Word Count: 2343

Nanami masterlist

It’s never a good day when your mother calls. Sometimes you wonder why you put up with it and allow her to test your boundaries, despite setting a schedule that you would not be calling her except for Tuesday and Friday nights.

Even the hour spent on those nights are tedious at best. They never make you feel better; it's all for her. It makes her feel better. And despite the fact that you have graciously made this time for her, she never seems to appreciate it. In fact, most of these conversations are one-sided. You’ll have your headphones in, while she chatters away, as you try to focus on other tasks, like folding laundry, or tidying up the general clutter that always accumulates in the living room, throwing in the occasional ‘uhm hm’ every few minutes so that she knows you’re still on the line.

You’ve learned to tune out most of the conversation because very little of it is ever relevant to you. Unless you hear a few key words such as ‘dad’ or ‘finances’ or ‘house’ you don’t really pay attention to the conversation at all. Because you know how most of these conversations go. They start with her talking about her day, complaining about her job. Then she complains about your dad, despite knowing you’ve heard it all before. Then it devolves into blaming other people for circumstances she’s in right now based on events that happened long ago. 

When all of these topics are exhausted, she gets to her juiciest arsenal; you. Oh, the things she has to say about you, about how you were such a wonderful child, sweet and obedient and how you suddenly became this rough woman who she doesn’t know how to talk to anymore. Or how you’ve stopped visiting of late, that you’re never home for the holidays, and that she blames your boyfriend for this. Then it’s criticism of your life choices, starting with how you moved in with your boyfriend while unmarried, the fact that he’s not from the same ethnic background as you, or the fact that she blames your ‘attitude’ on him because he defends you from her each time. 

Today it was about how you could do so much better than him, and you finally snap. 

“He’s not my boyfriend anymore.”

There’s a moment of silence, then with uncontained glee, she says, “Oh, I’m sorry. Well relationships sometimes don’t work out, it’s ok-”

“Because he asked me to marry him.” You finish bluntly, cutting her off. “He’s not my boyfriend anymore because he’s my fiance.” You wait for the bomb to drop.

“Oh.” Your mother’s voice sounds tight, like it’s been stretched taut between pins on a tacking board. “And when did this happen?”

“He proposed last Sunday.”

“And I’m finding out just now. You really must hate me…”

“Don’t do that,” You warn, keeping your voice deadly calm. You knew if you raised it or gave any signs that her words had affected you, it would give her a rush of satisfaction. “Either you’re happy for us or you’re not. Now which is it?”

“Well, it hardly matters now does it? Although I supposed I should be grateful you’re marrying him after all this time. There’s nasty gossip back in our community…so at least you’ve spared me from the embarrassing idea that you wouldn’t marry a man you’ve been living with like an unprincipled woman.”

“How lovely,” you said through gritted teeth. “Be sure to tell the community I have zero fucks to give them as well.”

“Language…I raised such a proper girl, when did you start saying filth like this?”

“I have to go mom. Your behavior will determine if you’re invited to the wedding or not.”

“You are the type to exclude your mother from your own wedding.I’ve known that for years. So it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Anyway, talk to you later…Friday night now?”

She disconnects the call and you sit there in disbelief, heart racing. Every time you stand up for yourself, you know it should feel like a victory but somehow, she manages to even steal that from you. You sigh and rest your head against the back of the car seat.

You had just driven home after a long day’s work and decided that it would be easier to talk to your mom in the car and finish it off since you didn’t want to detract from the peace you feel at home. You feel tears prick the back of your eyes and your throat feels like it’s closing in on itself. 

Why did you let her in on your life? There’s a strange sense of loyalty to her despite her abuse of you. Because despite everything, there are certain things she did which she wouldn’t have done if she hadn’t loved you. Putting you through your degrees, both bachelor’s and master’s. Letting you live at your parent’s house for free when you were in between jobs. Letting you borrow their car to get to job interviews. There’s signs of love there but why did it have to come attached with this emotionally manipulative price tag?

You let yourself cry for a short while, then hold up your left hand to admire the engagement ring your now fiance had picked out. A watery smile breaks out over your face as you look at it. You feel vain when you allow yourself to do this, but you can’t help it. You weren’t really looking at it for it’s monetary value, but more so for what it symbolized; the peace and balance he brought to your life, the maturity your own parents lacked while raising you, and the security that it didn’t matter if you made a bad choice, he’d never make you feel worse about it.

Wiping away your tears, you turn off the car and quickly look at yourself in the mirror. Thankfully your makeup hadn’t smudged much and you could chalk up the tiredness in your eyes as lack of sleep. You take a deep breath before getting out and entering your home. Your fiance was unloading takeout containers from a bag as you entered. He looks up and smiles warmly at you.

“Thought I heard you in the driveway,” he says as he comes over to embrace you, his arms enveloping you with affection. Nanami presses a kiss to your forehead then pulls you in closer, tucking your head under his chin.

You let yourself rest against the warmth of his broad chest, the comfortingly familiar feel of his body relief to the turmoil inside your chest. Resting your cheek on his chest, you close your eyes and breathe in deeply. 

“Y/n? Are you all right?”

Nanami always notices. There’s never a single moment when he’s out of touch with your feelings. He’s learned all the lines in your face, the way your different facial muscles contract or relax depending on how you're feeling. He notices the tension in your shoulders, the slight drop in energy in your step as you walk through the door. Nanami always notices. 

You slowly shake your head no. The flurry of feelings inside you, the hurt, the disappointment, the inability to cut off your mom for good, the overwhelming feeling of being inadequate, a disappointment, churn inside you to the point that you feel like you may never come out of this cyclone feeling like a winner. It’s so complex that you’re not even sure where to begin or how to put it into words. Your thoughts and feelings tangle like a ball of string, knotting into a mess of strands that are impossible to separate. 

“Kento.”

“Yes my love?” His hands run soothingly over your back. 

“I need your lap.”

That was all you could say at the moment. The complexity of everything was too much to bear. Over the years his lap has become a safe space for you. A quiet, designated spot where you could feel everything you wanted to, without any judgment. 

Nanami nodded wordlessly, gently taking your hand and leading you to the couch, sitting down and pulling you on top of his lap. Your feet wrap around his lower back, wedged between the sofa cushions and his body while your head rests on his chest, listening to his breathing and you try to match yours to his, a calming technique you’ve learned over the years.

His large hands play with your hair, stroking it, cupping the back of your head and gently pressing kisses to your forehead. He’s learned over the years that lap sessions meant you were in a state of distress and that it wasn’t his place to force you to talk. You would talk when you’re ready, if at all. 

“Mom?” he asks softly, his voice fluttering through the top of your hair. You merely nod, the thought of explaining it too difficult to even form words. A deep hum of understanding echoes from his chest and you close your eyes at the comforting sound.

Everything about him screamed security. You remember one time breaking a cup while making your morning coffee, the distinct crack of shattering porcelain filling the kitchen. You had flinched, waiting for the tirade of blame and accusations of clumsiness to come at you, only to see Nanami rushing over to you, concern etched all over his face.

“Are you all right? You didn’t get cut?” His words had brought you to tears, that his primary thought had been you and your safety, instead of a very replaceable coffee cup. No one yelling at you for making a mess in the kitchen, or muttering under their breath that you had wasted a usable mug. Nanami had, in a befuddled state, watched as you came to his side, wrapping your arms around him. It wasn’t until 2 weeks after the incident had happened that you had told him what that moment meant to you. 

And now here you were, again, allowing your mom to rob you of the happiness you had worked so hard to build. You're amazed at the patience Nanami has with you, at the way he always reassures you, never letting you forget your worth. That you're more than just your parents’ child. That you are a whole human being on your own, that has the right to live your life without their interference. 

“I don't think I want my parents at our wedding.” The words fall out of your mouth. There's lingering guilt but deep down, you knew it was for the best. 

Nanami adjusts himself on the couch and leans back against the cushions. Most of the time, he leaves handling your parents up to you, despite how much it bothers him that they ruin your mood every time. But there's understanding in his eyes. 

“Not even your dad? I thought you wanted him to give you away.”

“My dad’s an enabler. He'll never come if I don't invite my mom. Besides,” you inhale deeply and continue, “The only person worthy of giving me away is myself.” You gaze into his warm brown eyes, feeling proud that you had come this far. This would be your achievement today. That you were able to say these words and believe them. 

“That’s so very true sweetheart.” He gives you a reassuring squeeze. “Look at you, remembering your affirmations.”

Although it’s not much, you still feel yourself glowing at his praise. Growth on your end. “Besides, if they got involved, they’d hijack all the planning, blow it up into a grand ceremony even though that’s not what we want. It’s just easier without them.”

“Anything you want.” He brushes his lips against your hair.

“No, not anything I want. It’s your wedding too. I’d be ok if you wanted a ceremony. I imagine there’s lots of people you’d want to invite. I just won’t be inviting anyone from my side. Except for my best friend.”

He grasps your chin between his fingers and with sincerity asks you, “How did you imagine it?”

You consider this for a second. Previously, you had imagined the typical traditional wedding that people of your background were expected to have. But the image has been fading lately, and now, unburdened from your parents’ expectations, your mind immediately creates a picture.

“I want to do it at the beach. Just…no expectations, no one grumbling about how we skimped on decorations or other unnecessary things like flowers. I want…to walk down towards you on the sand, barefoot. Feel the ocean breeze on my face. There’s a small group of guests. Very minimalistic.”

He looks like he’s considering it for a moment but his expression doesn’t show signs of objection. “We could do that. Small wedding, intimate ceremony.”

“Really?” You look at him with love in your eyes.

“Really. I think all the people I want to invite would easily fit into this setting.”

You lean forward and wrap your arms around him tightly. There were simply no words to express how grateful you are for him, for his presence in your life. That you could actually be a family, just the two of you.  You lean back to take in all of him, just sitting serenely on the couch, in this shared space the both of you called home now. 

“Thank you, Kento.” You say quietly. You know it’s unnecessary, that his love is so very unconditional, no emotional price tags attached. “I know I’m not the easiest to love sometimes.”

��That’s where you’re wrong.” He draws you tightly to his chest. “It’s so easy to love you. Because every small thing you do is filled with love and consideration. Thoughtfulness. Emotion. And that’s enough. You don’t have to be more than that.”

Your heart swells as you hear his words, the only person to ever really understand just how much you needed to know those things. 

“I’m enough.” You whisper softly, still on his lap, resting comfortably in his embrace. You rest your head on his shoulder, eyes closing.

I’m enough…

all banners and dividers by @cafekitsune

aesthetic ideas + tips for your phone

step 1: update your phone

make sure your phone is up to date and charged at least 80% before you begin! oh yeah and i should mention that this tutorial is for apple phones :)

settings >> general >> software updates >> install

step 2: declutter

clutter literally scares me, so i always try and keep everything (including my phone) clutter free!

remove ever single app that you can, not delete, remove. you can do this by:

hold down any random app button >> click edit home screen >> click the little minus sign at the top left of the app button you want to remove >> click move to app library >> you can now only view it in your app library if you scroll all the way to the right from your home screen

step 3: find inspiration

pinterest and yt are great places to look! i got these off of pinterest

you could also go on google and just type in the theme/color/whatever you're looking for.

step 4: home screen formatting

this part is a lil overwhelming but that's why i'm here! this is about customizing and decorating your home screen.

first off, look for design formats. you want it to be functional AND aesthetic. take out a sheet of paper or a digital whiteboard or whatever and sketch out what you want your home screen to look like. i find it really helpful to just go "okay, i want a small widget there there and there, my most used apps there, my social media here," etc. remember, it can't just be pretty, it also has to be functional.

step 5: add widgets

now you might be thinking, "how the heck do i do that?" don't worry i'll tell you right now :)

app store >> download widgetsmith >> choose from small, medium, or large widget >> click add widget >> tap it to see all the optiona and pick the one that best fits you (in this case i'm doing photo) >> select the picture you want >> go back to main screen, leave the app >> hold home screen >> press + >> scroll all the way down to widgetsmith >> hold down small >> place it >> hit done >> edit widget >> select the new small widget you created >> untap

don't worry, it's a lot easier once you start doing it!

step 6: customize your app icons

open shortcut app >> click create shortcut >> click add action >> type in open app (multi-colored little squares) >> click choose, look up the app you want and click the 3 dots at the top right >> title the new shortcut >> click add to home screen, rename again >> change image/picture >> click add

I am almost sad that the Luna Festival version of the Maji Market is done.

Almost. It was fun, but no lie, with nothing calling out to be bought, I was kinda bored with it. Though hotpot is fun, and I hope that game comes back in the future.

Hodari came by the other morning and told me he'd finished the tunnel between my plot and Bahari, and he wanted me to see it. I have to say, this will definitely make getting there so much faster!

Tish, Jel, Reth, and even Zeki all got shipments of new stuff, though Zeki insisted I keep his quiet. I might be cautiously warming upt to Subira, but he's sure not. Can't blame him, a fine is a fine, and it's not minimal to someone like Zeki.

Anyways, so Reth said I needed more kitchen clutter. Which.. yeah, okay, he's not entirely wrong.

But I wasn't exactly expecting to have to make my own pots and pans and things. They came out really nicely though, I'm impressed.

Je; got some new outfits, and some were delightful, others were just... odd. But not terribly surprising. I'd like something simple every now and again, but I'm happy to see some cute stuff too.

I really like these glasses too. I feel like I see better with them on for sure.

There's some generalized weirdness going on in Bahari again, but none of it's felt like bad-weird. Just... weird weird. I tripped over the ghost of a rock! Honestly didn't expect the kamera to pick it up, but there it is!

And I think the flow groves are putting off more... magic? Not sure how to reference it. It just seems like there's more sparklies. It was nice, if strange.

That metal sign turned up down in the tunnels near the beach, glowing like it belonged to one of the temples. I still think that area farther down has something to do with it all. Maybe it'll turn out to be a flow gate again, who knows...

Tish got the best wallpaper in existence. My room is pink and floral, and I have zero regrets~

I tried to make those garnets into a heart shape, but I need to move them about a little more, I think. Close!

I found another weird schematic from Florentine again. Najuma said it looked like a prototype glider but.... bad. Like, couldn't even fly bad. She built it for me anyways, I just had to promise to hang it up instead of using it, so now it's hanging up in the workshop!

I really want to know where Auni found these bugs. It's so pretty, not to mention soothing. But I haven't seen shimmerflies in Kilima or Bahari! Maybe it's a different name for those weird glowbugs?

Progress is being made on the caretaker home at my temple. After this I just need two more small rooms! (I already bought the hallway) And then I'll fill it with furniture.

Also, after much thought, I decided the wish trees looked better in front of the temple. It just seems like the right place to put them.

Okay, I need to go hunting clay because someone decided I needed to learn how to make my own dishes after my bratty palcats broke what I had. I mean, I get that it's hard to ship stuff here, but c'mon!

Oh well. Dish making, here I come, I suppose.

cold hands, warm laughs

. . ♡ ･ﾟphantombur x reader

⎯ wc. 1.2k

notes: secret santa exchange time for grey’s event! for @weewooihavefoundyou! hope this is okay, i’m a bit outta practice and it’s my first shot at phantombur! i used the general prompt of making them blush.

“i enjoy the weather this time of year,” wilbur said. “i don’t get as tired as i normally do.”

“right, well, while you have a merry time out here, i’m freezing to death,” you shivered. “can we please go, bur? time’s gotta be up by now.”

wilbur tsk’d, correcting you. “five minutes.”

if you had the energy, you would have kept annoying him about the time, but considering you were sure there was snow piling up in your boots, you couldn’t be bothered. you watched as wilbur walked aimlessly around, kicking at small hills of snow. despite his few layers (he wore the same thing as always, just pants, shoes and that dumb yellow sweater and purple half-cape of his), he didn’t even shiver. come to think of it, when he breathed out, you couldn’t even see it in the air. the only reaction he had to it was the occasional twitch of his wings.

before you could feed your curiosity, he kicked a small pile of snow, revealing a small, damaged flower. a rare one at that, and the exact one that was the center of your bet with the deceased menace.

the sight of it made you groan, any earlier feelings and thoughts gone, knowing it meant you’d owe him days of work. wilbur, on the other hand, smiled.

“this is a scam, obviously you knew where to find them.” you watched him pick it up, twirling it gently between his index and thumb, careful not to completely destroy it.

he shrugged. “should’ve thought of all the possibilities before you agreed.”

before you could argue with him, he faded out, mumbling a ‘come along then’, leaving footprints in the snow as he retreated to his home. begrudgingly, you followed, lagging behind a little, though he didn’t seem to mind. if anything, he seemed to enjoy the quiet, soon reappearing and humming a tune.

it took a while to get back, greeting a few of the other residents walking around before reaching his place. he went inside first, shutting the door in your face, yelling: “you have to knock, the sign says so!”

menace.

after you very politely knocked on his door, he opened up with a grin and let you in, shuffling to his mini-brewing station to order things as he let you get settled. truth be told, being inside wasn’t much different than being outside.

“have you considered investing in windows that don’t have giant holes in them?” you asked, rubbing your hands up and down your arm, a futile attempt to warm up.

“i don’t mind,” he answered.

“i do.”

wilbur hummed in thought, placing the rarity you’d found in a special casing to preserve it. once he hid it away in that cluttered drawer of his, he turned back to you. “you’ll be working in the basement, anyways,” as if the basement wasn’t just as cold, it was built on top of caves for fuck’s sake. “but if you ever do get a little too cold, feel free to buy a potion from me!” he gestured to his small shelf of potions, (only a small portion of what he actually had stored away, you were sure). “or there’s blankets somewhere in that closet.”

“you’re the most annoying person i’ve ever met.” despite your urge to ignore him, you followed his words and pulled out a few blankets to wrap around yourself and sat down. the floor was even colder.

he snorted, turning away from you, going back to sorting through his junk. “and you’re the most whiny person i’ve ever met.”

“says the guy who can’t even feel cold.”

“i— what?” he looked down at you and started laughing, wings perking up and hands covering his face. “how is that at all related to me calling you whiny?”

his reaction stunned you, leaving you scrambling for an answer. “i don’t know!” your response only made him laugh harder. seeing him laugh for the first time, and so hard, was jarring. “you can’t though, right? that’s not funny at all!”

after a few minutes of going back-and-forth, (mostly you yelling at wilbur to stop laughing so much, which only made him laugh harder), he calmed down, joining you on the floor in front of you, legs crossed. he looked at you, making you awkwardly look anywhere but his eyes.

“hm,” he reached out, touching your cheeks. “you’re warm now— is it because you’re embarrassed?”

screw being awkward. “no!” you met his eyes. “you’re actually crazy, i can’t believe i made a bet with you.” you grabbed his hands, pulling them away from your cheeks, holding them between your faces. “shit, i’m crazy.”

he smiled; he was quite enjoying seeing you so flustered. “you’re so stupid.”

“fuck you.” it came out instinctually, a natural response to his words, though his tone was gentle as he spoke, lovingly, dare you say.

wilbur paid no mind to your words, shrugging it off. “you sort of are, but that’s okay, i… like.. it,” he put his hands down, pulling yours along with his. “where’d you even get the idea i can’t feel from?”

“cold specifically!” you corrected him, earning an ‘ah’ from him. “and you never seem cold or anything! you’re a cold-hearted dick sometimes—” he laughed. “—but you don’t… shiver or shake or anything, so i very smartly and logically came to the conclusion that you can’t get cold.” you finished, looking at him for any sort of response, hoping it made sense. his face was blank, quietly humming as he took your words in.

after a moment, he giggled. “i was right, you’re so, incredibly, stupid.”

this time, you didn’t curse him, instead you pulled your hands from his (which were still partly grabbing yours) and quickly placed one on each cheek, moving your hands all around and smushing his face.

(if he were still alive, you’d probably end up killing him with the way you were blocking his nose.)

at first he jumped back a little, the sudden movement scaring him, but once he understood what you were doing, he started laughing, almost as hard as earlier. it was your way of telling him he sucked, and he knew that, and he couldn’t be more delighted at your antics.

“huh,” you said, with disbelief in your voice. “you are cold. can you feel that? do you feel cold?”

he shrugged, still evading giving you a proper answer. “you’re so silly,” his words came out muffled, eliciting a laugh from you. “told you so.”

you let his face go, resting your hands back in your lap, smiling. “you know, you were a little warm though— i do that?” you teased. “did silly little me making the wilbur embarrassed?”

wilbur brought a hand to his cheek, tapping it with his index finger as though he was deep in thought. after a comically long amount of time sitting there, he stopped, giving you a cheeky smile.

“nah, just got warmed up from the house, i guess.”

“you actually suck,” you argued. “i can totally tell you’re blushing!”

“you’re so silly, i’m not.”

“you are! definitely!”

“silly weirdo.”

I think there are two things I wanna say about Everything Everywhere All at Once besides like... retreading obvious grounds about the optimistic nihilism. Like, I doubt my insights are totally unsaid, but idk!!! I would like to talk about these things more

1. It is so, so very refreshing to have a film about adults, older adults at that, and still have it be a movie about growth. I feel like “coming of age” stories really kind of stall out with teens and mAYBE people in their early 20s and it ignores the fact that... you are always coming of AN age. And growing older stories don’t just have to be about becoming adults or maybe fearing death or whatever. You can realize who you are and who you want to be later in life. You can find new appreciation. And idk... I feel like a lesser creative might have made this film Joy’s story. Same themes but Evelyn, Waymond, and Gong Gong become more peripheral. When I think there’s osmething to be said about growing older, being the middle link deciding to break the generational chains.

It’s just... nice.

and

2. I love, love, LOVE the set design of this film and how much it fits the broader philosophy of no experience, skill, or... item is wasted. This is a film filled with clutter and random items that almost all become plot relevant or really, really help establish the characters through existing. Whether it be because they get decorated with the “google eyes” or become random weapons or defensive tools, they create a real fleshed out world. Like, the same way the film challenges the idea that a life flipping signs is wasted or having hot dog fingers means you can’t live a full life, it also says “this clutter is a sign of a life lived and it all has its purpose.” Everything matters because nothing matters.

With so much empty set building in recent years, it was nice to see home and work and random locations filled with people and crap and just... life. The attention to detail was amazing and I think had hte film been similarly empty to its peers, it would have hit less hard.

And it just feels like... we make our world what we want it to be by filling it with memories and stuff and loved ones.

That’s some good shit.

Interview with 2070, el cid 6/19/23

As long as the opening band isn’t anything I can’t find on a UC radio station’s cluttered CD shelf, I usually like to stay and watch for a while. The crowds may be dull as they attempt to decipher whether the music is worth their attention, but the few listening are decently impressed. Most of the time, they won’t get anywhere far. This is one of the disappointing aspects of the LA music scene. However, with all genres considered, it makes some interesting discoveries.

I understand the annoyance of writing about two separate bands from the same night, but 2070’s performance opening for Bar Italia was something I would have kicked myself for if I had missed it. After one song, I pulled out my notebook and began to write anything that came to my head– I knew I would have to interview them despite knowing nothing but what had laid before me. Until the actual interview, I hadn’t even known the band’s name. After “excuse me”-ing my way to the front, knocking over someone’s propped recent purchase of Tracey Denim in the process, I was able to grab the bassist’s attention.

2070 originated in their home state of Michigan without any stable bandmates. Frontman Trevor Coleman began the band alongside bassist Khari Cousins’ brother before Khari took his place. The band’s current lineup consists of drummer Rogers DeCoud, guitarist Danny Rincon, Coleman, and Cousins.

Cultivating a fanbase out home, the band had some general success in surrounding cities. After moving out to LA with other 2070 bandmates, the pair began assimilating into a new landscape.

Much of the band came to be in spur-of-the-moment decisions, as each band member have their own additional side projects to focus on. Two of the three are indie-lofi artists, with the drummer DeCloud being a DJ. Despite this, their work doesn’t clash.

COU: “I feel like our own solo stuff is all very different, but we have very similar interests in music.”

COL:“We realized we play really well with each other.”

For me, this statement was not shocking.

Their sound fills the room, and I had explicitly asked them if it was the venue or how they genuinely play, realizing after that the question sounded slightly backhanded.

COU: “We still record softer but I feel like we still play it somewhat louder to like, give it that like ambiance– that like fills up the room.”

Once again, no surprise here. It is one of the beauties of seeing the band live, your experience is nowhere near the same as remote listening. I had mentioned to them that their imperfect playing added an element of reality that many current artists desperately try to erase. Artists have begun to sound formulated for live music, with their production tuned to what is believed to be imperfect perfection– a simulation of raw performance. While I am nowhere near calling 2070 the finest performers in LA, they have true character. Their fear of mistakes is not at the forefront of performance; they don’t become hindered by an overly loud chord.

COU: “ I don’t know if it is intentional it just always happens that way. I think we are just comfortable with it being that way. [...] We just kinda play through it, but it’s always something.”

Unfortunately, due to the owners of the venue yelling for us to leave and my inability to write legibly, the other questions were left unanswered. After the initial viewing, I can confirm they will be on my radar, and should be on yours too.

2070 is signed (but not consummated) under the label Already Dead; their discography has been consistently growing, with singles released relatively regularly.

Southern Fried

The job of the marketer has always been to shout a little louder than the next guy. As evidence of this, we need only look to the 1940s through 1960s, when one of the primary means of communication was the sign out front. At a time when neon, chaser bulbs, and huge arrows were the visual equivalent of SHOUTING, marketers had one choice: Make them bigger and bolder, or go home.

And if you Google Main Street images from that era, you will see exactly what I mean. Amarillo Boulevard, while not exactly center city, was Route 66, and that’s where all the interstate traffic was. It looked like Las Vegas lit up at night. “Stay here!” “Eat over here!” “No…over here!”

Television then augmented and forever changed the way we communicate, and it was during the 60s that TVs became common household appliances, sometimes with more than one in a house. Sneaky advertisers and broadcasters collaborated to make sure the audio was just a little bit louder on the adverts.

Skip forward to the early internet era, banner ads and other display communications relied on movement to get our attention. A static image is not going to snag eyeballs as well as dancing or flashing letters or video. It all became so much visual clutter, just like some municipalities decreed about all those neon signs.

And now, in the fully digital era, marketers have a slew of options available, but just like many decades ago, it all boils down to the attention economy. You must find a way to stand out among the crowd, whether you do it through your app, or sophisticated geo-fencing. But apps are a dime a dozen, and our phones are filling up. Contrary to what some may think, there is an upper limit to how many apps you can save, and the one you downloaded years ago for Taco Bell may be lost amid dozens of others. Geo-fencing brings its own hazards, such as distracting people while driving.

But then there is text messaging, something that is now considered soooo-20th century (the first SMS text message was sent in 1992). Since texting is a primary means of communication between us and family, friends, and colleagues, it remains open as an important channel. It catches our attention with a ding and a screen notification.

KFC franchisee KBP brands is relying on the ability of text messages to rise above the clutter, and just launched a new customer engagement tool to all of its 847 KFC franchises. It will allow for narrowcasting to the demographics of a particular restaurant’s area, and carry promos, regionalized menu preferences, and even recognize nearby competition.

Now, I fully understand that text messages are an imperfect medium, as are all the rest. We are already inundated with text messages from a variety of contacts, including restaurants with whom we previously opted-in. I still receive periodic texts from Chipotle, something I signed up for years ago, but as I noted recently, have not been back in years.

Then there are the spam and phishing texts we receive, hoping that we will fall for the urgency of the message. KBP Brands will have to work hard to overcome these weaknesses, although their test market at 162 of their shops (kudos to them for doing this the right way) showed a 30% growth rate in subscribers. Of courses, when you start at zero, monthly growth rates can look pretty impressive. The bottom line is whether those messages generate sales, repeat visits, and brand loyalty.

Another feature of the messages is that they can include coupons as well as ties to a user’s digital wallet. Now you’re talking! Coupons can easily be redeemed regardless of how an order is placed, and tying it to my Apple Pay, for example, is just smart.

The beauty of text message programs is that they are cheap to implement. Someone has to write the message copy and load it, but sending them out is effectively free. Increased customer engagement is an intangible that has value, but added sales is something that goes straight to the bottom line.

To be fair, the long-term success of this program depends in large part on how many people opt-in, their response to the calls-to-action, and then—ultimately—staying above the din. If competitors see the program being successful, it will breed copycats.

For now, though, this seems like a wise move for KBP, the largest KFC franchisee in the US. As for KFC, it is one of the largest fast-food chains, and although owned by Yum! Brands these days, loves to harken back to the old days when Col. Harlan Sanders was frying chicken in his home state. It’s quite a story and tradition, and if you ever find yourself in Corbin Kentucky, I highly recommend stopping by for an extended visit to the Harlan Sanders Cafe & Museum.

I would have sent y’all a text with words and pics last summer when I visited, but I didn’t know most of you then, and didn’t have your number.

Dr “But You Can Still Enjoy My Photo Now“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

For the ask meme! Camellia, ivy, nutmeg, papyrus

Aw thanks for the ask! It got long so here a read more for ya!

Camellia - what were you like when you were younger? Do you think you’ve changed a lot?

As a kid I was incredibly social! I wasn’t the popular kid in school by any means but I loved talking to people and making friends. I was eager to share my interests and play. I was definitely a dork and a was deep into anime around middle school. I also just liked people and wanted to be around them.

Honestly I think in recent years I’ve been trying to recapture some of the unbridled joy I got out of my interests as a kid. While I’m older and wiser now (though certainly no less fallible) and able to consume things with a more critical eye, watching things I love that might be “childish” or “not that good” or “cringe” and openly loving them has been really refreshing! For me right now that means revisiting some old anime faves, sewing tiny clothes for dolls, learning Japanese, and leaning into my 90s anime art roots.

Also I like to think I’m more mature and professional and level headed but every time I give myself that credit I look back two years later and all I can think is how wrong I was haha. Guess it goes to show that we never stop growing and maturing haha!

Ivy - what are your tells for your emotions and moods? How can someone tell you are happy, annoyed, upset, or tired?

I’m think I’m fairly obvious in my emotional tells in how I express myself? (My friends can correct me if I’m wrong haha!) But I also try to declare my emotions outright. When I’m happy, I wanna say so, when I’m tired, i wanna say so. I like people knowing that they’ve improved my day, or that talking with them made me happy. I think people sometimes cant tell if you enjoy their company even if you feel like it’s obvious. So even if it might sound stilted or awkward I think it’s good to tell them you appreciate them!

I think where I falter is that when I’m feeling stressed/depressed/anxious/overwhelmed I tend to use “I’m tired” as a catch-all for everything ; ; so I could definitely stand to express myself a little more clearly when it comes to less positive emotions haha

Nutmeg - how is your room/home decorated? Do you have a specific theme or style going on?

I have a very tiny room so it’s not very decorated! A lot of room is taken up by the bed and storage. But I generally love cluttered cozy wizard vibes and warm colors. Truthfully I just wanna live in a hobbit hole. Heres a pic of one corner of my room currently!

Papyrus - if you put your on-repeat playlist on shuffle what is the first song that comes up? What do you like about it/ associate with it?

Recently I have been (predictably) listening to the Outer Wilds OST on repeat. But for variety, since I have a few on-repeat playlists, I’ll shuffle em all for ya. (Only vibes for one cuz this ask is so long at this point im so sorry)

Outer Wilds OST - The Search by Andrew Prahlow

Vibes- space mystery/searching/discovery/under pressure/urgency/my spaceship is made of wood/melancholy

Songs to Get Shit Done To Playlist - Madamamagoto English Cover by JubyPhonic (original by GigaP/Reol feat Soraru)

The One That Changes Playlist - Fear by Yuki Kajiura from the .Hack//SIGN OST

Songs to Chill TF Out To Playlist - Furthest Star by Dirt Poor Robins

                                             MINICA FAUST 

                                             pinterest | playlist

B A S I C S

FULL NAME: minica rose faust. NICKNAME(S): minnie BIRTHDAY: april 1st. AGE: twenty - seven  GENDER: cis woman . PLACE OF BIRTH: ashwick SEXUAL ORIENTATION : bisexual. ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: biromantic.  SPECIES: Nox Coven Witch. LANGUAGE(S): english. POSITIVE TRAITS : winsome, faithful, whimsical,  NEGATIVE TRAITS: capricious, impatient, anarchic

P H Y S I O L O G Y

HEIGHT IN FEET: Five feet eight inches. ETHNICITY: White. EYE COLOR: Blue. HAIR COLOR: Brunette. GLASSES OR CONTACTS: None. RIGHT OF LEFT HANDED: Left-handed. STYLE IN FASHION: It’s all over the place. HANDWRITING: You can barely read it. SEXUAL HISTORY: Experienced. GENERAL HEALTH: Healthy. MEDICAL HISTORY: Several ER trips for broken bones & stitches. ALLERGIES: None. CHRONIC ILLNESSES: None. MENTAL ILLNESS: Type 1 Bipolar Disorder. HANDICAPS: None.

F A M I L Y / R E L I G I O N

FATHER: Francis Faust. MOTHER: Dahlia Hannigan (deceased). SIBLINGS(S): One older brother. BIRTH ORDER: Last. MARITAL STATUS: Single. SIGNIFICANT OTHER: No one. CHILDREN: None. OTHER RELATIVES: All estranged. FRIENDS: r.i.p ENEMIES: Looking for one. PET(S): A kitten named Cthulhu. LANGUAGE(S): English. CURRENT RESIDENCE: Ashwick PLACES LIVED IN BETWEEN: New York mainly but all over Middle America. DICTATION, ACCENT, ETC: Velma Dinkley, if that counts. RELIGION: Wicca. BELIEFS: The devil will get his due!!!! SUPERSTITIONS: It’s bad luck to cheer with water.

W O R K / H O M E

EDUCATION: GED. Some College. OCCUPATION: Bartender. PLACE OF WORK: The Red Diamond. COWORKERS: ??? STATUS & MONEY: Lower middle class. WORKSPACE: Cluttered. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: Bartending and several other odd jobs. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Alone in a one bed. ROOMMATES: None. NEIGHBORS: They exist. MAIN MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: An old beat up VW bug.

P E R S O N A L  S E L E C T I O N

FOOD: Picky with texture.  LITERATURE: Dark romanticism/cosmicism. MUSIC: A bit of everything but mainly classic/punk rock. CINEMA/TELEVISION: Horror and comedies. Black comedies. HOBBIES & RECREATION: Running, roller-skating, swimming, tarot cards. HOW THEY RELAX: Dancing and listening to music. TALENTS: Dancing, piano, skating.

P S Y C H O L O G Y

FEARS: The Unknown. Dying alone. Never being loved. SECRETS:  Set her family home on fire. Past childhood abuse. IQ: Average. SLEEPING HABITS: Incredibly sporadic. EATING HABITS: Snacking. No large meals. GROUPS OR ALONE: Alone. LEADER/FOLLOWER:  Leader. PLANNED/SPONTANEOUS: Spontaneous. JOURNAL ENTRIES: Judgmental theories on other people’s lives. OBSESSIONS: None. ADDICTIONS: She is an adrenaline junkie. AS SEEN BY OTHERS: Crazy. AS SEEN BY SELF:  Crazy but fun.

P E R S O N A L I T Y   T Y P E : E S T P

Extraverted | Sensing | Thinking | Prospecting

Entrepreneurs always have an impact on their immediate surroundings – the best way to spot them at a party is to look for the whirling eddy of people flitting about them as they move from group to group. Laughing and entertaining with a blunt and earthy humor, entrepreneur personalities love to be the center of attention. If an audience member is asked to come on stage, entrepreneurs volunteer – or volunteer a shy friend. Entrepreneurs are the likeliest personality type to make a lifestyle of risky behavior. They live in the moment and dive into the action – they are the eye of the storm. People with the entrepreneur personality type enjoy drama, passion, and pleasure, not for emotional thrills, but because it’s so stimulating to their logical minds. They are forced to make critical decisions based on factual, immediate reality in a process of rapid-fire rational stimulus response.

A S T R O L O G Y

♈︎ SUN : ARIES

The ruler of Aries is the planet Mars, which symbolizes energy, health, fighting spirit and leadership skills. People born under this sign are courageous and decisive in most situations in life. They do any work with enthusiasm and confidence in their abilities, but they often lack deliberation and patience. They have great enthusiasm and desire to always try new things, and they are creative and intelligent enough to handle even the most difficult tasks. They use their extra energy to play sport and they especially like risky and physically demanding types of sport activities. They are physically very talented and courageous and that is the reason why such a high percentage of top athletes were born under this zodiac sign. If they fail, they can get irritated and angry, but their emotions do not last long, because in their essence they are not bad people and it will waste their time. Their occasional impatience is their stumbling block. They should therefore choose friends who they know well and who they trust, so that they will accept their advice and who will slow down and rectify their hastiness. Despite these shortcomings they are people with integrity who like to keep their promises.

♏︎ MOON : SCORPIO

Scorpio Moon in Scorpio creates the need to delve into your feelings as deep as possible and this brings great vulnerability. You never forget anything that was done to you. It’s hard to force you to do anything. Rarely, it is possible to influence you with kindness. You need a deep emotional relationship, even if it is not easy and you are forced to change many things. Shallow relationships do not satisfy you, because they are not purifying enough. You have an unmistakable ability to detect the emotional state of others, even if they try to hide it. This gives you the ability to very effectively hurt or heal others. Your emotions can be extreme, from sympathy to contempt, from passion to coldness. It is necessary to get rid of the fear of betrayal, abandonment, and that you lose what you love. If you do not get rid of your fear, you will lose exactly the things you are afraid of losing.

♊︎ ASCENDANT : GEMINI

Gemini Ascendant is associated with curiosity and interest in how things work. Versatility and adaptability are your advantages, but these traits can lead to fragmentation of interests. These people can do everything, but they do not excel in anything. They do not like to choose only one thing if they have more options. Their mission is to disseminate information. If the horoscope has a water or earth character, then this person needs to develop analytical and objective thinking. If it is of airy and fiery nature, then the mind is very restless, you understand everything very quickly, but only by the head, body and emotions remain untouched.

Sun and Moon Summary

Excitement and thrill are always a part of your life. You move ahead in the world because of great concentration and ambition. You love competition as a result. You are defiant and independent and at times this can be your undoing. Aggression is hard for you to restrain and you do not accept compromise well. Those who stand in your way get no sympathy and you have a drive for life that includes the entire spectrum of the spiritual, emotional and sensual. Mars rules both of these signs and according to mythology Mars also rules passion and war. The result is an aggressive person. Regardless of what you do, fun generally involves a fight. This includes business, love and life itself. Doing something partway is not part of your character because you are an extremist in spirit and thought. The result when you fail is a complete tragedy and when you succeed a total victory. Advice should be listened to at times though, so the next time there is a disagreement, do not be so resistant and prepare for battle, but rather listen carefully. You might learn something. Others might have something helpful to say so compromise sometimes. You are very creative and have an enormous amount of willpower, but you cannot really succeed until you learn to work in cooperation with other people. Constructive and positive outlets need to be found for your aggression so they can be channeled for success. Your concentration is good and you have an excellent intellect. You want to dig deep with your pursuits and are not happy just to get superficial impressions. There are Aries-Scorpio social activists, scientists and scholars. You have the power of self-rejuvenation as do all Moon in Scorpio people. You may get in trouble at times or even fail, but you always have the ability to bounce back. You are a courageous and freedom loving person. Sports like swimming, jogging or tennis as well as creative endeavors like art can release anger better than getting upset with your spouse, co-worker or children. There is a pioneer inside you and great accomplishments are possible with your ambition and enthusiasm. Exploration of the world and seeking adventure when you are young are very likely. You can be very hard to control early in life though, so some professional training is a good idea. Great success later in life is attainable if you are guided properly.

Zodiac Compatibility

Best: Gemini, Sagittarius, Aquarius, Leo Worst: Cancer, Capricorn, Taurus, Pisces

M O R A L   A L I G N M E N T : C H A O T I C  N E U T R A L

A chaotic neutral character follows their whims. They are an individualist first and last. They value their own liberty but doesn’t strive to protect others’ freedom. They avoid authority, resents restrictions, and challenges traditions. A chaotic neutral character does not intentionally disrupt organizations as part of a campaign or anarchy. To do so, they would have to be motivated by either good (and a desire to liberate other) or evil (and a desire to make those different from themselves suffer). A chaotic neutral character may be unpredictable, but their behavior is not totally random. They are not as likely to jump off a bridge as to cross it. Chaotic neutral is the best alignment you can be because it represents true freedom from both society’s restrictions and a do-gooder’s zeal. Chaotic neutral can also be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all authority, harmony, and order in society.

A B O U T (tw abuse) 

Minica is the second born child of Francis Faust and Dahlia Hannigan. Coming from a long lineage of hunted witches, Dahlia had kept the truth hidden about her daughter’s nature and attempted to stifle her magic as long as she possibly could. Why you ask? Dahlia would say it was to protect her young child from the dangers of the occult world. The real reason? It was a hidden fear and jealousy that her daughter had magic running through her veins and she did not. 

This made growing up difficult. Especially in her teen years, where her father’s drinking and abuse would worsen. All the while her mother’s neglect couldn’t offer any solace in a toxic household. At the ripe age of thirteen, Minica began noticing she had a unique set of abilities she could tap into. Sudden bursts of magic, stoked by anger and fear, would start to become unmanageable in an unwitting child. Though she tried her best to hide this from her parents.

Near the end of high school, Minnie would find kinship in a small teenage coven, where she started to unravel the truth about herself, her abilities, and the history of her own family. . . Confronting her parents only proved to be a step in the wrong direction, as the use of magic brought upon an irrational anger and fear. They attempted to bind her magic, in some sort of botched ritual gone wrong. Bound and tormented in the basement for days, Minnie would tap into a darkness that helped set her free. The flickering of a fire that was used to threaten her own life would magically engulf her family and their home.

It was when the Faust residence burned down, that Minica had left the town running. She would begin a solo journey searching for herself and trying to find more answers. However, everything kept drawing her back to Ashwick, and for as long as she tried to stay away, the recent passing of her mother finally drew her back in. 

Q U I C K  F A C T S

She grew up in Ashwick but has been gone for over 10 years. She’s been back in town for only a few months. 

Her mother recently passed away from a mysterious illness that she is investigating. 

Her father has been permanently hospitalized from the burns he suffered on the night the home was set ablaze. She has not seen him since.

She is a recent addition to the Nox Coven and has become fairly advanced in her abilities. 

Razzles are her favorite candy. 

W A N T E D  C O N N E C T I O N S

FAMILIAL: She has one younger brother, as well as cousins and aunts/nephews that could live in the area! They would be estranged, so rekindling a relationship would be a priority! 

FRIENDLY: Friends from work (she works at the bar), coven friends, or even girls from the makeshift high school coven she was in would be wanted! 

ENEMIES: She gets along with most people, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that she is an absolute menace. She gets into trouble a lot, and that could be a source for conflict. Can be something big or little. Just give me drama! 

EXES/FLINGS: Self-explanatory. Could be an old high school sweetheart, something that fizzled out awkwardly, or maybe in a big catastrophe. The more conflict the merrier. 

hellooo everyone, u can call me june / el if we’ve met before (they/them), and i’m here to present kang euncheol, local scatterbrained and coffee-stained tour guide at the lotte world folk museum who probably cares more abt the displays he’s introducing than the crowd lol. i’m still workin on his plots, so i’ll probably be slow replying to plotting msgs until i hopefully finish them by wednesday, but for now here’s his BIO, his PROFILE, MOODBOARD, & PLOTS! a sparknotes edition is under the cut :>

background:

24y/o, he/him, lives in #3015!

the younger of two siblings. his brother eunyeol moved to the united states a few years ago, so his mother’s his only family left in south korea

i’d appreciate it if you could avoid using gendered terms to refer to him in replies unless we’ve talked about it first !! 

( tw: themes of death, specifically funeral homes; the tldr is that his family operated one as an extension of their home and he briefly worked there as a teen ) - - - his family operates a funeral home that’s been in business for 30+ years now. it might have been okay, except it was technically just an extension of their house, and the proximity to something so morbid made it difficult to make friends in school (no one rly wanted to hang out anywhere near someplace like that lol) ( end of tw )

all things considered, he came out pretty okay-adjusted ?? his mother was really patient about it all and shielded him and his brother from that line of work until they each decided they were ready to learn about things. it’s given him a tendency to get wrapped up in thoughts abt spirituality and existentialism, but he really wants and is trying to be more grounded

he did develop a fear of needles because of it, but it’s a lot better now, he just can’t look

he was previously a tour guide at the museum but got bumped up to be the museum director’s assistant a couple of months ago....upwards mobility babey!! it’s still mostly paperwork, and now when he’s not sorting out new exhibits, he’s helping make the handmade miniature figurines that they sell at the gift shop (the museum’s full of historical miniature displays!!), but he’s gonna get to curate his own exhibit one day, he swears 😭

exterior/personality:

history nerd. very into historical reenactments, borderline larping

just moved into the apartments a month or so ago!! he’s floated around with different roommates before and had terrible times with all of them, so he’s rly crossing his fingers for this one to work out sdkjdjhd

generally a Nice Person, but he had to adapt to being called names behind his back somehow.....introducing the Polite Resting Bitch Face (🙂)!

I’m so sorry, the large red sign may have been easy to miss!  🙂 It says no touching the exhibits.

Please stop throwing weeds over the side of the roof. You don’t know whose windowsill they might be landing on (mine) 🙂.

blind as hell. huge ass glasses

doesn’t know how to manage unconstrained free time tbh. needs and appreciates having a set schedule to stick to at work, otherwise he might really just wander around until something catches his attention and sucks him into it for hours

will probably talk to you if he thinks you look approachable! he’s not afraid of starting conversations, it’s more about whether the other person actually wants to be in that conversation lmao

ironically his memory is horrible . his workspaces at the apartment and at the museum are neat but also cluttered with many reminders (and some of them are outdated, which usually doesn’t help his confusion :I)

really hates getting caught up in existentialism but he’s prone to it considering how he grew up and all?? also plagued by intrusive thoughts. currently trying to find more hobbies to keep them away

but he’s really a pretty bright person all things considered. usually smiling and usually means it, he’s just trying to get thru life and maybe finally make some more friends, because he doesn’t want to get too fixated on the past or the future

alternate life dreams include wanting one of those weighted heated blankets, like Really wanting one, but he can’t find one that’s both weighted and heated

wanted plots:

his plots page is done yay

roommate!! pls. he’s such a [loud microwave noise] to live with but at least your muse will never have a dull day ...?....... they would gain privileges to his supply of blankets (failed attempts to find that fabled Weighted Heated Blanket) and they could maybe watch...cool...NOT nerdy shows together. unless

someone who is very passionate about [their hobby], and euncheol saw that and decided he wanted to try it out too, so muse has been getting him into it, maybe with some questionable results

muse who he treats like his little sibling (regardless of whether they’re really younger/older). he was always The Youngest around his house but he likes getting to be The Older Sibling too :s

would require more plotting depending on the direction it goes, but a muse he met through his family’s business and ended up befriending outside of the job. i’d love it if they were pretty close now and have that quiet “i’ve Seen you, and i Know you” kind of trust

someone new to the area or visiting the museum for the first time who he can channel all of his enthusiasm into a tour for

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What can you smell right now?

I kinda smell the clementine I ate awhile ago. I might boil some to make the house smell nice in conjunction with vanilla incense.

What was the last thing you bought online?

Skinnyfit and Ka'Chava products.

If you drink coffee, when was the last time you went a day without having one?

I go months without any, my cold brew machine didn't get me hooked.

Do you have any appointments coming up?

Several got cancelled, but I have a GP with fasting labs coming up in July. I need to lose weight to drop my cholesterol levels.

Do you put appointments in your phone’s calendar app to remember them?

Not in the calender app, I use a different list app.

Will you be visiting anyone’s house in the next week or so?

Probably Dk and Tammy.

Have you ever been to a petting zoo? What animals did you pet?

Many. I also used to volunteer at the aquarium and they have a touch tank at one of the stations I monitored.

What was the last movie you saw in theatres?

Avatar 2: Way of Water.

Do you know anyone who has done a PhD?

Samuel-Gilbert.

How many unread emails are in your inbox right now?

None I clear it out everyday.

What four apps do you keep on the home bar on your iPhone? (Sorry, I’m not sure if Android has an equivalent!)

Phone, texts, Mozilla and Email.

Have you ever used Tumblr? Do you still use it today?

I had one years ago but I just Rebooted this one that I created over 3 years ago right around the time I got hired at Sonic on my 30th birthday!

Are you tired right now?

No, I drank too much caffeine.

What’s your favourite day of the week and why?

Sunday nights because Mondays imply that I'll usually be busy.

How far away is the nearest major city?

Raleigh is two hours away, Charlotte is four.

Do you own an electric kettle?

No, but my mom did and her water dispenser had a hot water heater built in.

Are your eyebrows wispy or bushy?

Tweezed but not too thin.

Have you ever lost your wallet or purse? Did you have to replace a bunch of things?

No, thankfully.

Do you use the same username everywhere, or switch it up a bit?

I switch it up. I like to be semi-anonymous.

Where are you right now? Describe the room or place to me.

I’m in my living room. It's clean but slightly cluttered bc Blonde Linda needs to pick up her box and I need to use up all these old art supplies and hygenic supplies. I still have items I need to trash and oh shit I forgot it was Friday. It's about to smell like vanilla incense in here.

Do you prefer big dogs or small dogs?

Big dog breeds that have been miniaturized such as miniature Shar-pei's, or just small dogs in general, because the bigger the dog the bigger the shit.

Are you good at understanding heavy accents? Which accents would you say you’re the best at understanding?

New Yorker and Mandarin-English and a tad of Spanglish.

Have you ever played on a real life pinball machine, or just on the computer?

Both! It's been awhile though.

Do you have a lot of word documents or notes on your computer?

Not really. I had a lot of racy photos that got deleted off of my old purple Macbook though.

What’s your favourite Ben & Jerry’s flavour?

I used to like Phish Food and Half-Baked, but I'm honestly a Milk n' Cookies girl now.

Have you ever been to a school reunion? How was it?

Nope. I regret not going to the OLQM one in 2010.

How many nights a week do you generally cook at home?

As of recent almost every night, since Dk owes me money I had to get food from a food bank so I made good use of that.

What colour are the street signs in your neighbourhood? Are they the same all over town or do they vary?

Green with white lettering, and mostly the same all over town. In some areas they are blue and white.

Do you have good grammar and punctuation skills?

I think so.

Have you ever tried vegan chicken? Did you like it?

I have and it wasn't that bad.

Day 1

Taking stock

We all have those days when you just need to slow the f@ck down and try to process stuff. Leaving day on your 7 week holiday to Europe is one of them. Expect the usual panic attacks around passport expiry dates, flights and accommodation confirmations, not to mention upcoming bills to pay and general business matters. Then it’s the little things like remembering to pack phone chargers, international power adapters, pod cast downloads and trying to get your head around, “just log in to my VPN account dad, you’re gonna need that to access all your streaming services. How many times have I showed you!” Says Massimo

Mad last minute work requests for project status updates. Expense claims entered, accounts approved and the all time head fuck, putting your out of office on. Actually it wasn’t that hard after all. The greatest Microsoft invention of all time. Just 2 clicks and type in a delegated name and mobile number and you’re home free. Well, of course always add the token, “you can contact me in an emergency” gesture.

Eleonora is surprisingly upbeat and energetic but throughout the day as I look up from my “work from home” desk, the pile of dirty/clean/to be ironed/ to be packed clothes,seems to be getting bigger in a way like when you mow the lawn and rake it into small piles all over the yard. Then wonder what to do to collect them all. Early signs weren’t looking good, this departure was going down to the wire.

Visitors came and went throughout the day to say goodbye and lend a hand and Reza the cleaner was a comforting site when Snoop greeted her at the top of the stairs with his cursory hallway slide and bark combination with the helicopter tail wag. Under control one would think until, a lovely smell wafts out from the kitchen. Reza and Allegra decide it’s a great time to bake. “Do you have a recipe”asks Allegra. “I have Bosnian favourite, no recipe” says Reza.

Bags are packed, unpacked, repacked and a few presents for the Sicilian relatives thrown in for good measure.

Me

“Take those bottles of wine out of the suitcase, it already weighs 36kg”

“Do you really need 4 overcoats”

“How many shoes do you think you’re going to wear”

“Have you heard of E Books? You’ll never read those five you have packed in your carry on luggage”

Ele

“Anything you say darling”

Meanwhile, Allegra is looking at her tormented dad and is realising travelling with the self proclaimed queen of drama is going to be a crazy and wild ride.

Brigitte (the original Brisbane Hoarding champ) pops in and threatens to take the boxes of Eleonora’s old clothes to the Salvo’s as soon as we leave. “Clutter around the house will make you depressed” she’s says

Ele wasn’t having a bar of it. “I’ll do it when we get back in January”!

“Don’t give her a key” Ele whispers to Massimo.

The expected long queues at the terminal did not happen but that didn’t stop me freaking out trying to get to the airport 3 hours early. I think it’s a disease I have. I once forced the family to check out of a Malaysian hotel at 4:00am to make sure we didn’t miss our flight. Got to the airport and there was a sign on the entrance door “open in 1/2 hour”

“Time to go” I yell

Suit cases and carry on’s fill the car to the brim and we set off to the airport with the sky full of rain and the roads chocked full of traffic. We travel 1 km in 10 minutes.

Stress levels increasing and Ele says, “anyone seen my phone”

Then she finds it under one of her 3 Carry on bags on her lap but wait……

“ can’t find my bag, has anyone seen it?

Mass looked across at me behind the wheel waiting for the explosion.

“What bag, you have another one?

“Yeah the one with the travelling cash in it,I must have left it somewhere at home”

At this point I was channeling Graham Arnold and the way he coped with the last 5 minutes of the Denmark World Cup Game the night before.

What would Arnie do, I thought.

2 calls later and Gianluca came to the rescue and meets us at the servo to hand over the recovered mandatory, Italian travellers must have, 1k cash in 4 currencies,

Check in was a bit nervy but got through thanks to a really helpful emerittes employee

“You live in Dubai” I ask him

“Used to” he said “Been living here 7 years. Even have my own business” he said with a sparkle in his eye.

Immigration was a breeze and before too long we were in the departure lounge ready for our adventure.

Guess who’s at the check in counter, my mate Abdul.

See you round buddy and hey, what’s your business?

“Car yard, mate”

“Can I trust for a good deal”

“Of course, look me up, it’s called Sal’s Auto, Strathpine”

We wave goodbye to Abdul and head down the tunnel to get on the A380 that looks more like thunderbird 4.

Next stop Dubai.

What to do if you find an orphan baby bird or animal in your yard

New Post has been published on https://petnews2day.com/?p=49810

What to do if you find an orphan baby bird or animal in your yard

Surprise!

You find a baby robin beneath the tree in your front yard.

Uh-oh, orphan.

You get a box, some soft rags or a towel, change jeans and carefully deliver the poor baby to the Wildlife Rehab Center in Roseville.

After a routine health check, a rehab staff member tells you the robin is just fine. Now, you are told, take it home and put it right back where you found it. Chances are that Mom Robin is looking for her youngster.

This applies as well to baby bunnies looking lost and alone in the leaf clutter of your garden.

Young birds, nestbound, get antsy, eager to act grown up. They climb out of the nest, standing on adjacent branches to stretch and look around. They bump into each other. They fall to the ground.

The adult birds know this; the youngster is cheeping to make sure of that. The baby will be fed until it can forage for itself. The fall most often does not injure the bird. The drive to wildlife repair is not always necessary.

Tami Vogel, communications director at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota in Roseville, explains:

“A few years ago I started working with the vets here at the rehab center to develop what we call our health check program.

“Every single ‘orphan’ that comes in, if it’s not showing signs of physical injury gets an immediate exam by the vets.

“There are other things we check immediately, evidence of cat attack, the circumstances of where it was found, and so on,” said Vogel.

“We will not admit a healthy animal that should grow up in the wild with its family,” said Vogel. “If the patient is hydrated, has good body condition and is healthy, we send it back to where it was found.”

“It’s taken a lot of education on our part to reassure clients that the animal should return to their yard, but we’ve made huge strides,” she said.

“People who rescue baby birds should take standard precautions,” Vogel advises.

“Wear gloves, wash your hands afterward. People can get salmonella and other things from birds, too, so being aware of personal hygiene anytime someone handles wildlife is good practice.”

Orphaned nestlings can be brought to the center from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. any day of the week, she said.

Alert, hopping fledglings should be left alone and observed. If you’re not sure whether or not the species should be on the ground, you can send a photo to the rehab center for identification (e-mail: [email protected]) or call (651-486-9453 or 651-486-9410) to seek advice. The staff will help you.

Any obviously injured fledglings can come straight in — no need to call first, Vogel said. The address is 2530 N. Dale St., Roseville.

Vogel described the look of “dawning disbelief as people realize that no, we’re not admitting those baby birds. They’re going right back to your yard.”

The birds will be cared for by their mother, who knows what she is doing.

“Last year I think we did nearly 900 reunites. For as busy as we are that’s a huge number of healthy patients kept out of the hospital, and returned to their family,” Vogel said.

The rehab center is a busy place with animals in real need of special care. In the past 10 years the center has treated 138,384 patients — birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, Vogel told me.

The center has a full-time professional veterinary staff, but relies on volunteers in many ways. It is funded with donations.

General information can be found at [email protected].

Lifelong birder Jim Williams can be reached at [email protected].

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