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yourethehero · 2 years

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Rhysand Vs. The PTA

@the-lonelybarricade rewired my brain with talk of Grim!Reaper Rhysand and I couldn't let this go. And it broke me out of a writer's block

Read on Ao3 Here

Summary:

The Archerons were a menace. Catherine just wished she had proof.

The Archeron family was an affront, an insult to everything Catherine was trying to make her neighborhood into, now that she had finally secured the position of HOA board member and PTA director.

First it was their home - they had purchased one of the gorgeous historic homes that were central to the lower Velaris neighborhood, with a view over the river, the Rainbow, and more balconies than could ever be needed. “Like a House Hunters episode,” she had scoffed at Jannah during their afternoon tea. Her fellow HOA member nodded, outraged as well. “A painter. That Feyre woman paints. And no one knows what he does for work!”

Jannah had done her research. “Malia asked him, you know? What he did for work. And d’you know what he said? He said he ‘picks up work now and then.’” at Catherine’s outraged look, Jannah continued. “Who says that?”

There were other facts, of course. The Archerons - Feyre, Rhysand, Nyx, they are all stunning. Magazine-level gorgeous. Feyre Archeron’s sleek blonde-brown hair and high cheekbones, Rhysand’s deep blue eyes, which Jannah’s wife swears are actually violet. And of course, Nyx. Sweet little Nyx, only four years old, with his mother’s blue eyes and his father’s incredibly dark hair.

But Catherine had not a single envious bone in her body, and she merely disdained the wasted potential. Because that Feyre woman rarely dressed to beget her apparent station, and though Rhysand seemed more self-aware of his appearance, it often seemed to oversha-

No. Catherine was not an envious person.

The first time Rhysand Archeron joined a PTA meeting, Catherine had been midway through presenting the budget for the school’s Fall Fest. His appearance had shaken up the meeting, cutting her off mid-thought, his absurdly handsome face complementing the casual ease with which he sauntered into the hall and pulled up a chair. The rest of the assembly stared, or whispered amongst each other, but he seemed to not mind in the least, as he waved his hand to Catherine - as if he was the one who had been interrupted, and wanted her to continue regardless.

Huffing, Catherine went back to her presentation. “And we are looking for the parents to provide additional support during craft time for the children. Ten and under will be making thanksgiving cards, and -”

Rhysand Archeron’s hand shot up in the air, cutting off Catherine’s speech immediately. she shot him a glare, but he seemed to not notice the way the hall murmured. Instead, he simply spoke, his honeyed voice direct and to the point. “Will the cards be like the ones on the screen, Cath?”

Catherine heard Jannah giggle, the absolute turncoat. She hated when people called her that. “They are merely inspiration, Mr. Archeron. But we are providing all the materials. cardstock, glitter-”

“Ah. I must protest, there, Cath, dear.” Catherine could feel her blood boiling slowly. Directly in her line of sight, she saw as Vera straightened in surprise. Who did this man think he was? “See, we are very anti-glitter in our household. It is terrible for the environment, you know?”

“Well - uh. Mr. Archeron.” She cursed herself for stuttering. “Would you. Ah. Do you have a suggestion?”

It was Vivianne who spoke - the woman was Catherine’s nightmare too, with her positive parenting and measured responses in light of her nightmare brood of kids. “Well, they do make biodegradable confetti! Mishka has used it in projects at home.”

There was a rumble of agreement in the hall, and Catherine knew she was losing the battle. She liked glitter, though, and her daughters loved the shine it gave all of their crafts. “We can certainly consider that, Mr. Archeron. But materials like that are expensi-”

“Don’t worry about the cost, Cath.” Rhysand seemed to want to say more, but he nodded at her to continue. Insulted at being cut off again, Catherine simply returned her eyes to her presentation, and did not make eye contact with the literal male model in front of her again.

Catherine slammed the door to her car in irritation as she got out, looking at the poor raccoon that had crossed her path. It twitched uselessly as it drew its last breaths, and she was disgusted by it. But the sound of footsteps on the pavement made her turn around, only to see Rhysand fucking Archeron - hero donor of over $2,000 to the Fall Festival fund, casually strolling towards her and her car, hands in his pockets, a soft look in his eyes.

He ignored her completely, passing right beside her to crouch onto the ground next to the animal, and pass his hand over its body. almost gagging, Catherine spoke. “It’s dead, Archeron.”

Rhysand merely snorted, and once again her face began to heat, until something strange happened. A soft, almost imperceptible shimmer of light passed over the raccoon, and suddenly, it was standing.

No. The raccoon was still dead on the ground. But a version of it, a small little creature, rippling as though a reflection in a puddle was, and Catherine thought she might have been going insane, because Archeron merely smiled softly at the apparition before straightening up, nodding at it, and vanishing alongside the small ghost.

The Archerons were a menace.

#acotar #acotar fanfic #feysand #in the loosest definition #just Catherine who is every PTA mom my mom complains about #feyre archeron #nyx being incredibly cute even to haters #rhysand acotar

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tunedtostatic · 3 years

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Iris 2 crew at Pride on a planet

• It’s Pride month and (Krejjh voice) I am feeling FESTIVE, so, Iris 2 crew at Pride: the highs, the lows, the fundraiser coffee

• Violet hasn’t had a chance to go to a Pride parade/festival often. She loves spending the day getting to feel like she can truly relax and be herself, surrounded by other queer people and their loved ones, having spent so many years dealing with nebulous biphobia at school and work.

• She buys little bi flag earrings from a craft booth and wears them all afternoon.

• Krejjh is overjoyed for all the humans here who are having the chance to support each other and take pride in identities outside the gender binary. They secretly feel a little weird since they themself grew up without a gender binary, and so not fitting in one isn’t a part of their identity that felt significant or caused problems for them until they came to live among humans and suddenly it did. But it makes them feel safe and happy to be among so many humans who aren’t within the gender binary either.

• They’re also enjoying the preponderance of glitter.

• Brian has to intervene when Violet buys a little pack of biodegradable glitter and Arkady dares them to eat some of it.

• Sana wears streaks of temporary hair dye, a sparkly shirt, and a giant shoulder bag full of water bottles, bandaids, snacks even though there are plenty of places to buy food, sun visors, and sunscreen. She and Violet make sure everyone reapplies sunscreen every few hours.

• Arkady and RJ are both a little on edge, not fully turning off their protective instincts toward the rest of the crew. Even here, surrounded by a multitude of other queer people, Arkady can feel her heart racing just a little when she takes Violet’s hand in public. It isn’t like she can’t take care of herself if someone starts shit with them one-on-one, but she’s holding Violet’s hand and what if that means she’s putting Violet at risk and...

• As the day goes on, Arkady relaxes a little and starts to enjoy herself more. Near the end of the day, when everyone is happy and sticky with sweat and sunscreen, she has a semi-accidental heartfelt conversation with RJ when they get stuck in line together waiting for the toilets about how hard it is to let their guards down and truly believe that it’s statistically likely this event will stay safe and no one will attack the participants.

• Arkady might not be completely relaxed herself, but she loves watching Violet relaxing and enjoying herself.

• Violet buys a purple flower from a stall and threads it into Arkady’s hair for a lesbian history/ace pride purple/horrible Violet’s-name pun triple reference, causing Arkady to lose the ability to form sentences (and to be distracted from her fears) for a good thirty seconds. She wears it for the rest of the day and when they get back to the ship she secretly finds a book to press it in.

• Violet doesn’t try to stop Arkady from being worried or protective. Instead, she focuses on enjoying herself and having all the moments with Arkady that she wants to have, from buying her the flower to getting ice cream for both of them. She knows from her own anxiety disorder that telling someone to “calm down” or trying to make them relax isn’t helpful, especially when there’s a piece of truth in their fears (Sana may also have tracked her down the day before to talk about what is and isn’t helpful when Arkady is afraid something bad will happen).

• Park buys so many cups of coffee from the coffee booth that he might be single-handedly funding the queer youth programs they’re raising money for.

• No one has any idea if he’s queer or just here as part of the crew. He’s clearly enjoying sipping coffee and lurking comfortingly next to McCabe.

• Just as Arkady is starting to relax, a cute transport starship pilot also wearing a sparkly outfit starts flirting with Sana, and Arkady slips into security officer mode, lurking around trying to determine whether they’re secretly a threat of the good old-fashioned smuggling underworld variety, until Violet drags her away to look at the art vendors and leave Sana to flirt in peace.

• The planet they’re on has done a solid job of holding an accessible event, and there are enough rest areas and seating on the parade route and between the spot where the crew watches the parade and the park/food area that Brian doesn’t have to walk prohibitively far.

• He runs into another linguist he went to undergrad with who is there with eir partner; the partner and the Iris crew are stuck chatting with each other while Brian and his friend have an animated conversation about...no one is exactly sure what, but it definitely has something to do with “poststructuralism in queer exolinguistics.”

• The crew loses track of Krejjh briefly after they peel off to buy donuts for a suspiciously long time and then don’t answer their comm (it turns out they were mid-transaction buying a surprise for Brian). Sana decides that the best course of action is for herself and Arkady to hoist Violet up between them so that she can see over the crowd, an endeavor that unsurprisingly doesn’t actually locate Krejjh but does give Violet a great panorama view of the festivities. Park stands by sipping coffee, Brian makes suggestions for things he thinks Violet ought to yell to get Krejjh’s attention in the style of the classic lost in a crowd meme (“SH’TH HREMREH IS TERRIBLE!”), and RJ tries desperately to pretend they don’t know any of them.

#the strange case of starship iris #vikady #food #biphobia #homophobia #assault #mention only but idk if the built in filtering system works for [word] mention #ptsd #my writing #tscosi

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honeypirate · 4 years

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My Idiot

Y/n, Kirishima, and Bakugou friends fic

Pairing - Bakugou x yn

.cw. Swearing

— in the dorms I can’t remember but is there like two different elevators for the boys and girls side? I just made it one Bc I I couldn’t remember. ??—

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‘Did he really pull me into his room to pull me into his bed to show me his glow in the dark dinosaur toys?’ You think to yourself as you hold one in your hand under the covers. He pulled you all the way up to his room, going on about how he had to show you something special, when you get his room he takes you inside and has you sit next to him on the bed before pulling his extra large blanket over both of your heads before showing you his cool surprise. A small plastic triceratops that glows in the dark. He says you can keep since he knows they’re your favorite. “Kirishima” you say quietly and then pull the covers from off your heads. “This is really cool and I’m definitely going to make this into a keychain but..” you look at the little toy in your hands “is this all you wanted to show me?” He hesitates for a second “yes, did you think this was about something else?” He asks genuinely confused. “No no. I just was making sure that this was uhh.. it” you calmly get up and grab your backpack and go to his door “I just have a lot to get done. Thank you for this. I love it” you quickly leave his room and run to yours before closing and locking the door, sliding down it sitting on the ground once your inside. “Shit” you say out loud before laying your head on your knees and trying not to cry. It was stupid. You knew he didn’t like you like that and it was dumb to get your hopes up that would be something different than his usual antics. You’re just friends and that’s all you’ll be. He didn’t want to get you alone to make a move, he just wanted to give you a glow in the dark dino toy. You wipe the few stray tears away and get up, grabbing superglue and your craft supplies to quickly throw together a keychain so you could carry that with you everywhere, as disappointed as you were you still thought it was a really cool dinosaur. After finishing your homework you watch an episode of your favorite show before heading to bed. You check your phone and turn off your usual Saturday alarm opting to sleep in as long as you want just this once. Before you put your phone down you get a text from Bakugou, you were pretty close to him since becoming best friends with Kirishima and you actually enjoyed his outbursts. You thought he was amusing and saw right through him. His message said “what’d stupid hair do this time? He won’t stop texting me about you.” “Promise you won’t talk to him about it?” “Nope” he shoots back. “Okay well fuck it, it’s stupid. He said he had something “super special” for me and then it turned out to be glow in the dark dinosaurs” he laugh reacts your message “I knew he was an idiot but I didn’t know he was that big of an idiot.” You sigh and think before responding, you already talked to Bakugou once before about your feelings for Kirishima and he promised you then he wouldn’t tell him and he has t to this day so you have no reason to fear “Don’t worry Suki. It’s no big deal. We’re only friends, right? I’m headed to bed. See you later” he only texts back “I never said I was worried...” before following it up with a sleeping dog gif. You put your phone on the side table and plug it in before quickly falling asleep.

Three months later you wake up with only barely enough time to get ready. You curse under your breath, you were going to lunch with Bakugou and Kirishima and you wanted to look your absolute best. you put on your favorite pair of jeans, the ones that made your ass look amazing, and a v neck black flattering tee shirt that showed the right amount of cleavage. You put on your favorite gold necklace with your initials on the end and slipped on a pair of checkered vans, grabbing a Levi jacket before leaving the dorm. You show up at the restaurant, it was your guys’ favorite place to eat because it was an all you can eat buffet, you always had a good time with them but the moment you saw Bakugou sitting at your usual table by himself as he waited for you and Kirishima you felt nervous for some reason. He was looking at his phone when you walked up “hey Bakugou, just you?” You said and took your jacket off placing it on the back of the chair next to Bakugou. You always sat in the same chairs, at a table with four you sat on one side and the boys sat on the other, but today Bakugou had moved, sitting in the chair next to yours this time. You didn’t mind, the tables were big so you had enough space between chairs, you sat sideways in your chair so you could look at him as you sat down and you noticed a little pink on his cheeks, he clears his throat “yeah it’s just me. In the group chat Kiri said he’d be late and we could start without him. You look great today y/n.” You couldn’t help but grin at him “Thank you! You don’t usually give compliments, I feel sorta special. And okay, I didn’t check my phone on the way here. I am starving” you get up to go make a plate and barely catch Bakugou whisper “you are special” you didn’t think anything of it now, too focused on the rumbling in your stomach.

After a plate and half you’re stuffed, thankful to your hard training for allowing you to eat whatever you wanted, you relax back into your seat and adjust it so you’re at an angle to see Bakugou better as you continue talking to him. He’s gone through four plates already and it always amused you how much he could eat. It was then that Kirishima showed up “hey guys sorry I’m so extremely late” you smile at him and you realize that you don’t feel anything for him anymore “no problem! Bakugou’s still eating and I’ll get some dessert soon” he set his jacket down on a chair and gets some food before sitting across from you. You really adored how well you three could hang out and chat for hours comfortable. Like you were all cut from the same cloth. You finished the rest of your lunch with many laughs and only one complaint about how loud Bakugou was which was a new record. You three walk back to the dorms together, you in the middle of both of them, “since it’s our day off I think we should go finish the training I know we all are going to do,” you laugh softly “and then get pizza and watch a movie in the lounge, we could even invite other friends and have a..!” You jump up and down once and throw both arms in the air with fist fulls of glitter raining down over you and yell “movie night!” this isn’t the first time you’ve done this and you know they hate it when you do it but it’s just so fun. You’ve learned to not do it close to them tho because as cute as an angry Kiri was you missed him when he would ignore you for a while for getting glitter in his hair. “Goddammit y/n.” “Not again” they say at the same time and you just laugh and say “at least it’s biodegradable” as they walk on ahead of you “come on! I love it! My happiness should at least make you a little happy and...” you run up and catch up to them hooking your arms in theirs “don’t I look so cute when I’m happy and glitter is raining down” you laugh and look up at Bakugou “that’s besides the point” he grumbles out quietly and you laugh in shock but before you can say anything Kirishima yells out “ugh you got it in my hair again! Damn! I hate glitter!” He shakes your arm off and runs off “it’ll wash out! movie night at seven! I’ll get the pizza!” You call after him laughing and keep walking with Bakugou, not noticing your arm still in his. “He’s ridiculous” you laugh “so what movie do you want to watch tonight? I’m thinking something scary” “something scary” he says at the same time as you and you smile “yea! Okay. So there’s this new one that looks really good on Netflix and we will watch that. I’ll order pizza when we get back and just schedule it so I can forget about it. What are you going to train today?” You ask him and he pulls you into him a little by your elbow as he shoves his hands into his pockets. You realized you were still holding on to him then, but you waited to see what he’s do, you were sure he would do something rude, shake you off and call you some name, but he didn’t. He just cleared his throat and answered the question “it’s leg day for me” you felt shy all of a sudden, Bakugou who was a man known to be aggressive and who never touched anyone outside of fighting and sparing, was out in the open walking back to the dorms with you on his arm. You quickly squashed the butterflies in your stomach and convinced yourself it was just something with the food you are giving you an upset stomach. There’s no way Bakugou was into you. Kiri told you that you weren’t his type, (maybe he’s just being uncommonly nice)you decided it was just a fluke and thought nothing of it. “It’s arms and shoulders for me!” you pull your arm from his, he almost looks like that made him sad, and you flex dramatically, earning a smirk and an eye roll from him. “Cmon Bakugou you know you love it. You think I’m funny and cool and that’s why you’re friends with me” you bounce into the elevetor pushing both your floors, you were coincidentally the room directly below his. “No comment” he says, his hands still deep in his pockets.

You get off on your floor and turn to him “you’re coming to movie night, right?” You say quietly, suddenly nervous he wouldn’t be there “of course ” he says in his usual gruff voice and you smile at him your same radiant smile that he secretly adored. The doors to the elevator close and you make your way to your room feeling extra excited to watch a movie tonight. You get ready for the gym and order pizza ahead of time, then text the rest of your dorm about move night before heading to the gym. Training goes by quickly, your arms turned to jello by the end, and when you got home you had enough time to shower and look nice, putting on comfy clothes before heading down stairs to make popcorn and set up the movie. You were the first one there at six thirty, and you played some music in the kitchen as you watched the bag in the microwave. “This is my playlist” you jumped a little, startled by Bakugou suddenly being right there and you laugh at yourself “yes it is! You sent it to the group chat a while ago and I love it. I listen to it all the time” he didn’t show it but you just gave him so many butterflies. Just then the pizza man comes through the door and you rush over to him, signing the receipt and taking the stack of pizzas. “Yesssss!!” Kirishima says as he runs in, taking the stack from you and placing them on the table. After him everyone else trickles in and you snatch a piece of pizza and a drink before sneaking over and taking one of the good couch seats before anyone else could. “Smart move” Bakugou said as he sat down next to you, you noticed he had a blanket with him and smiled when he sat down, not really next to you in the middle of the couch but not all the way over either. Like he was trying to discourage anyone from sitting next to you guys. You already queued up the movie and just needed to press play. “I’m gonna press play can someone get the lights?” You ask and Iida immediately gets up and shuts the light off, telling everyone to quiet down now. “Move over Bakugou so I can sit on the couch too” kirishima said coming up behind you guys and Bakugou gives the most dramatic sigh before scooting over so he was right next to you, Giving Kiri a seat on his opposite side. You press play on the movie and everyone quiets down engrossed in it. You start to get a little cold and wish you brought a blanket, you fold your arms hugging yourself for a little warmth, you didn’t want to miss anything. At the first jump scare in the movie you gasp, grabbing bakugous arm and hiding your face in his shoulder. You pulled away quickly with a whispered “sorry”. “It’s okay.” He says and then offers you half his blanket “your fingers are freezing” you accept with a smile and cuddle into the blanket pulling your knees up move sideways, tucking your toes under Bakugou’s thigh. He was grateful for the darkness so no one could see him blush. At the next scary part you hide your face in your knees with a gasp and a shudder, when you look back up, Bakugou wraps his arm around your knees and pulls you as close as you could be to him. You look at him but he just watches the movie. The next time you’re scared you bury your face in his arm now, your right hand reaching up and placing your hand over his, the one that’s around your knees, and squeezing softly. He sits up taller now, adjusting his body so he wasn’t slouching anymore, and you took the time to readjust too thinking you went too far, but when you settle back down he takes your hand in his, lacing your fingers together under the blanket. You were suddenly not interested in the movie anymore, your heart beating wildly from what’s going on. You couldn’t really understand what was happening. He didn’t like you. He couldn’t. But he does? You were screaming internally. You turned your body into him, quietly so no one around you would notice, no one was paying attention to you guys anyway, and you lean into him and look up to find him looking down at you with red eyes like fire. His other hand comes up and cups your cheek and he smiles at you like you’re the only two in the room.

“Can I?” He whispers so quietly you barely hear it before leaning up slowly closing the distance between you, softly and quietly brushing your lips against his before pulling back and looking at him to see if it was okay. “Meet me in the laundry room” he whispers into your ear before getting up. No one questioned him, no one ever does. You wait five agonizing minutes pretending to watch the movie before you get up yourself and quietly make your way back into the laundry room, leaving his blanket on the couch. When you open the door you smile at him, he looked nervous, you’ve never seen him look nervous before. “Hi” you say softly and close the door behind you. “Y/n” he says and you walk over to him, you wish there was like a dryer on or something so there was some noise to cover your voices but oh well. “You wanted to see me..” you start to play around and he can’t wait any longer, he grabs you by your waist and pulls you to him, his other hand goes to your cheek and jaw as he presses his lips to yours he’s been thinking about how much he’d love to kiss you for months. Since you thought Kirishima liked you he got jealous, he gave you a couple months between then and now, to make sure his feelings were genuine and not ego based. But every day since he noticed he fell harder and harder for you, wondering how he never noticed how amazing you were since the beginning. He was worried tho because a small part of him thought you might still be into Kiri, but tonight has gotten rid of all his fears. You sighed with a smile and wrapped your arms around his neck, you had gotten closer to Bakugou and unintentionally developed a crush on him. Which scared you and annoyed you, it was Bakugou for hell’s sake he’d never focus on anything other than becoming number one. You never suspected this, but you weren’t complaining. Your heart soared and your skin tingled. His lips were so soft against yours even though he was rough, his hand squeezing your hip sent shivers down your spine and you bit his bottom lip and pulled it before letting go and looking into his eyes.

“Wow Katsuki,” you were breathless as you spoke, his smirk on his face adorable “that was better than I imagined it would be” your hands started to play with the hair at the nape of his neck “you imagined kissing me?” He asks and quirks his brow and you chuckle bringing a hand down and caressing his cheek before running your thumb across his bottom lip “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while now. But I thought you’d never think of me as anything but your weird friend” he laughs a little too loud and you cover his mouth with your fingers and shush him softly “oops.” His voice was quiet now “you are my weird friend, and I love that. I thought you still ... kinda liked .. shitty hair” he sounded jealous and shy which was completely unlike him, it was your turn to laugh but you at least did it quiet “I realized that I was reading too much into his friendship and that I didn’t really like him more than a friend. Then I thought I was doing the same thing with you and I was kicking myself before tonight. But I guess you really do like me and I’m not a huge idiot” you laugh again and he smirks “well I wouldn’t go that far. Yes I have strong feelings for you but you’re still a huge idiot” you slap his shoulder “hey!” You kind of yell and he laughs and covers your mouth with his fingers “you’re a huge adorable beautiful idiot but you’re my idiot and that’s all that matters” you quirk you’re eyebrows “yours huh? Does that make you my idiot in return?” He rolls his eyes and you smirk before leaning in and starting to kiss slowly up his neck, sucking below his jaw and biting just a little, causing him to moan quietly. You bite his ear lobe “Katsuki. Are you myyyyy idiot?” You whisper playfully before kissing the other side of his neck, biting and leaving a hickey down on his collar bone causing him to get goosebumps before he whispers “yesss, I’m yours” you pull back with a laugh and a quick kiss, bouncing on your toes. “Good! Now, let’s go finish the movie” you take his hand and pull him along, he sighs pretending he was annoyed when in fact he was beyond happy and grateful that he was wearing baggy inconspicuous sweats.

#mha #mha fanfiction #bnha fanfiction #bnha bakugo katsuki #mha bakugou #mha katsuki #bakugou fanfiction #bakugou katsuki fanfiction #bakugou fluff #bakugou x y/n #bakugou x reader #bakugou x you

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breezeinmonochromenight · 3 years

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can ya recommend the best kinds of sunscreen?

I have so many I like, from all over the place. Different ones are good for different things, but in general I don’t think you can go wrong with Hawaiian Tropic/Neutrogena/Coppertone.

This is my personal favorite sunscreen. But admittedly it’s not for everyone — it’s glittery/shimmery lol. But it comes in different spfs and a gel version if you don’t like lotion, and imo it makes your skin look really soft and dewy while it’s on without looking like you’ve applied glitter to go clubbing:

Sunshine&Glitter makes nice sunscreen and after sun products too, and the glitter in their stuff is biodegradable, but it’s kind of a lot. Like. A lot of glitter. Even for me. Lol.

I also use Neutrogena’s Beach Defense and CoolDry Sport a lot when I want heavy duty sunscreen over spf 50. But I also live in a place that only has about a 1-2 months of truly cold weather, so you might not need full on spf 70 depending on where you live lol. I think they come in lower spfs, tho, and CoolDry Sport feels SO nice when it’s really hot lol.

Hawaiian Tropic also has a matte face sunscreen that works well under makeup (the times I’ve tried it, at least) and doesn’t seem to cause that white cast on light medium to very dark skin. Neutrogena also has a face sunscreen that’s spf 110 that’s specifically for preventing sun damage that’s great, as well as plenty of sensitive skin options.

Also... if I wear makeup w/ decent spf already in it I don’t really worry about sunscreen on my face/neck tho. Like volition beauty has a luminizer that has spf 50 in it, so like there’s no need for sunscreen too if I already am wearing something like that. I’d rather pay more for high end makeup that I like w/ spf already in it versus just buying expensive sunscreen bc I personally have never been able to tell a lot of difference between high end and drug store sunscreen.

#anonymous #if that even is your real name #misc.

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frogtanii · 3 years

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It’s wind anon!!! Who is back from the dead!

Last week was a mess of work and poor sleep. Wind anon woke up in the middle of the night for 4 of the 7 days, and had nightmares some of the others. So overall, unpleasant. But now wind anon is all good!

Getting back to reactions now :D!!

Okay, so I might as well react to the Kenma portion of “xxv. Insecurities :(“ because I haven’t gotten to it yet.

Aaaaaa anxious and insecure :0!!!! “I know I’m not the most fun” says Kenma. Wind anon, ready to throw biodegradable glitter all over Meiko’s stuff. Lord knows she doesn’t know how to do laundry—but yes. Kenma, I give many a soft pat.

“She never cared about me or what I liked...she hated the way I looked, which I don’t blame her” okay, these 3 texts (that I very conveniently put into one quotation). Wind anon finding peace with herself by imagining Meiko messing up her eyeliner and being unable to stop. Firstly, I am of the opinion that if she doesn’t care for you, you should not care for her. The idea is that you should not value her criticism and opinion especially when it’s something as superficial as looks and appearance. She was in the wrong, that’s the end of it.

“I don’t have anything to offer you” my heart is kinda heavy with this. I felt this a lot actually. Wind anon has a decent amount of self-deprecation and worries and stuff. She’s been getting better but like... there’s still times that wind anon is...struggling with her inability to do anything and such. I’m the pessimistic type. Constantly thinking of how the way I talk and type is childish, how I’m easily distracted, I talk too much, stuff like that. So this line kinda hurts in the “I understand” type of way.

“I was really mean to you too”. There was one instance where I was...irrationally angered. And I blew up on so so many people. I am ashamed of that incident, and yet...yet... they just...brushed it off? I said lots and lots of mean and terrible things to each of them but they just... I had went and gave apologies to every one of them directly in DMs the day of but they... they all said there was no harm done, that they were okay, that it’s fine for me to get angry too, and I just...couldn’t believe it. Because they all “forgave” me, or stated that there was nothing to forgive. It was baffling, it was...heartbreaking... I did end up crying because I really felt like I didn’t deserve them. Maybe part of the reason I didn’t react to Kenma until now was because some parts really hit close to home. The idea of forgiveness for example. Kenma and I really are the types to beat ourselves up after any sort of mistake. But Kenma is trying to get better, and he should respect himself for that.

“It just makes you different. And you being different isn’t bad.” YN...please, making me cry and be soft. I love YN very very very much. Oh, to cuddle in YN’s arms,,,,

“We all wanna help you and be there for you—never forget you’re worthy of love and affection just like everyone else.” Please, I cannot, I love YN so so much I just (cue wind anon sobbing from feels like the cat image with many many hearts around them). Every day we think of YN Supremacy.

Okay, gonna end this reaction here and move on to the next one! Might’ve overshared a bit;;

We <3 u fr0ggy! Take care okay?

ahh welcome back!! m rlly sorry that last week was horrible for you —i know u said ur all good but pls get some rest!!! <333 && u didn’t overshare at all!! i absolutely get being self deprecating, it’s part of the reason why i wrote this chapter the way i did!! anyways much love to u wind nonnie, i hope all is well!!

#j’s asks #anons babey #℗ poker face #wind anon

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spiderversetweets · 4 years

Note

Does anyone wanna tell me why I hear angry yelling on the ground outside my apartment? Update: And why someone else yelled back before glitter rained down from the heavens? Update again: Okay I think someone is throwing glitter at gayphobes and transphobes so good on them, but did you have to do it out my window? I'm never gonna get the glitter out of my plants.

RoyalSlingerOfficial: Don't worry, it's biodegradable glitter!(also sorry about the plants)

#spiderverse #spiderverse tweets #sanders sides au #spiderverse au #thomas sanders #svt talk #sanders sides #iz answers #royal slinger

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lifewithjessi101 · 4 years

Text

Summer 2020 Makeup Trends

It’s Summer 2020! Let’s dive into what is going to be so hot in summer 2020 with makeup!

Hot Pink Lips

Time to ditch that red lip look. Pink is coming in hot this summer! Summer 2020 is all about the watermelon pink lips. Earn extra bonus points by bringing other pink elements into your look.

Graphic Eyeliner

If the pink lips are too bold for you to hang on to your seats for this summer trend! This look is giving me all the Egyptian vibes. This trend is all about thin and graphic lines. It pairs so well with a lightweight foundation and lip gloss. You might just not wear it on a hot sweaty day.

Outer Corner Eyeliner

If graphic eyeliner is out of your comfort zone, this summer 2020 makeup trend is for you. To achieve this look all you will need is a black pencil eyeliner, something thick and smudgy, that you'll draw along your outer corners for a cool and modern cat-eye perfect to flaunt all summer long.

Feathered Brows

I’m sorry but this is one makeup look I will never hop of the bandwagon of. This summer 2020 makeup trend doesn't require any brow pencils or powders. Instead, brush up your brows with a tinted brow gel to achieve this look.

Pink Blush

Good news for my fellow sweaters! Pink blush is big for summer 2020. Throw a couple of swipes of powder blush on top of your foundation for a soft and pretty look that's super easy to build on. This is one of the easiest looks to recreate this summer!

White Eyeliner

Take the earlier said graphic eyeliner trend one step further! Opt for a white pencil. This is another makeup trend that I will definitely be trying this summer. This look would be perfect for that summer concert you have planned.

Dewy Skin

There is nothing unique about this look but there's no better time than the warmer weather season to try out makeup looks that work with your sweat, right? Here’s a tip for my oily skin ladies, try a powder highlighter instead of liquid. It'll keep your dew from settling into your foundation. This is the perfect summer look to flaunt by the pool all day long.

Yellow Eyeshadow

Who has a yellow in their collection of pallets that are never used? Don’t you worry you’re gonna get a lot of use out of it this summer! Yellow eyeshadow is a simple way to brighten up your eyes, and it looks great against a bare face or minimal makeup.

Peachy Lids

This is another one of my favorite summer 2020 trends! This look of inspiration is so gorgeous. If yellow isn't your thing, try a peach eyeshadow look instead. It's a bit lighter and more summery than your classic brown eyeshadow looks. It's also super fun to coordinate with your lip and highlight. Another look I will definitely be trying this summer.

Holographic Smokey Eye

Soft makeup looks are not the only looks on-trend this summer. This look is perfect for those nights when you wanna take things to the next level. Recreate this look by smudging a holographic cream eyeshadow or highlighter all over your lids for a cute smokey eye. This is definitely one of those more advanced looks but summer is for fun and trying new things. Go for it!

Stained Glossy Lips

All trends are hit in this photo inspiration. From the braided sleek pony, blue eyeshadow, and the stained glossy lips! This is such an easy summer lip look to try. It’s perfect to add a touch of color to a bare face or simple enough to match a bold eye look.

Blues from the Eyes to the Lips

Summer 2020 is going bold with BLUE! Why stop at the eyelids too? Models at the Chromat show walked the runway with blue lipstick. That’s such an unexpected way to add an edge to your summer look.

Watercolor Eyelids

Out of all these trends, I think this one is my favorite! No more neutral shades this summer! Get those cotton candy vibes by using contrasting colors in the pastel range. Go soft or go bold and graphic. There are endless possibilities. I will definitely be trying this makeup trend this summer.

Neon Eyes

Summer is all about fun, what's more fun than a bright eyeshadow look. Neon is the color of summer. This makeup trend can be worn on a summer date or at a pool party. Let the creativity flow with this summer 2020 makeup trend.

Glitter Everything

Summer 2020 is going to take glitter to new heights. Of course, use biodegradable, non-plastic glitter whenever possible! Your face is the canvas. Glitter can be put on the eyelids, used as blush, lipstick, pretty much anywhere on the face. Go BOLD!

Which look are you wanting to recreate this summer? As always be sure to follow along on all my social media platforms to see into my everyday life. From daily insta story vlogs, OOTDs, thrifting trips, travel adventures, and of course baby Pumkin. I can’t wait to get to know you all more through this fun blogging adventure. Laters babes!

#lifestyleblog #lifewithjessi101 #blogbabe #summer2020 #makeuptrends #makeup #summer #2020

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gold-from-straw · 4 years

Text

Midnight Feasts and Mutant Charades

Raven tries to work out what traditions she can possibly bring from her own childhood to give some of her past to her children and beloved wife Irene. Family fluff!

Written for InsertSthMeaningful for the @thexmenbrotherhood Gift Exchange! Read on Ao3 if you prefer

“Away in a manger. No crib for a bed. The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.”

Raven frowned and got up from the sofa, following the serious little voice.

“The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay. The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.”

“Kurt?” she said.

“The cattle are – yes, Mama?”

He was in the dining room. Raven popped her head through the door and saw her little boy standing at the head of the table, his Christmas carol book in hand and his teddies lined up to face him. “What’re you doing, kiddo?” she asked.

“I’m being a vicar,” he said, his brilliant smile lighting up his face. “Would you like to come to my service?”

“Uhhh, OK. Where did you learn about this?”

“We had a vicar read us a story about Jesus in school yesterday. Jesus didn’t have a bed! His mummy put him in the hay, wouldn’t that be scratchy?”

“I imagine it would,” she said, smiling fondly at him and lifting one of the teddies up to hold it on her lap when she sat down. Playing preachers… this was a new one, even for Kurt. This is what happens when your local school is Church of England, it seems.

Kurt turned the page in his carol book and held it out in front of him, clearing his throat. “Once in Royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed.”

Raven pressed her lips together and tried not to laugh hysterically.

***

“He was so

serious,

Irene, you should have seen him! I was having flashbacks to that damn Catholic school my parents sent me to!”

Irene had to hold herself up on the kitchen counter she was laughing so hard. “It’s totally not funny,” Raven grinned. “How have we raised such a devout little Christian? Us!”

“Aww, sweetie,” Irene said, pulling herself together at last. “How will your atheist heart cope?”

“Wine, probably,” she said. Irene snorted and giggled again. Raven took her hand and placed a wet plate into it for her to dry, then turned back to the sink. “Seriously, though, I’m not… properly atheist. I do like Christmas. I think.”

“Ooh, high praise, Mrs Xavier,” Irene grinned, and reached up for the crockery cabinet. “It doesn’t matter what you think about Christmas, as long as you accept the children are going to be mad for it.”

“Is that so?” Raven teased.

“It is very so,” Irene said, raising her eyebrows. “Literally. Every single possible future. Both kids. Covered in glitter.”

“Ugh,” Raven shuddered and flickered her scales. “Why does it have to be glitter?”

“Mm, well, you can always appeal to their eco-warrior side by telling them how harmful it is to the environment. Though I can guarantee Anne-Marie’s already learned about biodegradable glitter. Might as well just embrace it.”

“Embrace it, huh?” Raven said, and Irene shrieked as Raven wrapped her arms around her waist, kissing her neck and squeezing her close with her hands still covered in dishwashing suds.

“Ugh, you’re such a git!” Irene squeaked, giggling as Raven nibbled her shoulder. “Oh, no you don’t… Anne-Marie’s coming into the kitchen in less than two minutes, I do not want a damp handprint on my breasts for our teenage daughter to see!”

“You’re no fun,” Raven pouted, but kept her hands around Irene’s waist, snuggling in closer. Irene smirked and squeezed Raven’s arms, leaning back into her.

“I do like Christmas,” she said quietly. “Really. I just… I don’t like the whole… religious aspect.”

Irene laughed. “Hate to break it to you, but that’s kind of the point of it.”

Raven sighed. Irene stroked the backs of her hands, going quiet for a moment, then “Ah,” she said softly.

“What?”

Irene smiled. “You’re going to tell me why you like Christmas. Or what you like about it. It’s very sweet, darling.”

Raven grinned and kissed her cheek. “I am pretty sweet,” she said.

She heard footsteps and turned her head to watch Anne-Marie come in and smile at them in a tentatively long-suffering way. “You guys are a little bit gross, you know?” she said. Her eyes flickered away and back to them, as if she was worried that even now, after almost a whole year of living with them, that they’d reject her for some banter.

Raven wasn’t having that. She crossed the room lightning fast and grabbed Anne-Marie around the waist, blowing raspberries on her cheek until she felt light-headed and Anne-Marie’s skin was flickering blue while she shrieked and giggled and pushed her away. “You love it,” Raven grinned.

Anne-Marie shook her head, still laughing, and shape-shifted into Raven. Raven slumped onto a chair and fanned herself like she’d just run a marathon. “You shouldn’t do that, it makes you so tired,” Anne-Marie said.

“Worth it to make you giggle like that,” Raven said, and squeezed Anne-Marie’s gloved hand. Anne-Marie squeezed back and smiled at her, turning back into herself slowly as Raven’s power transfer ended.

“What are you doing?” Kurt asked, appearing in a puff of blue smoke and porting straight into Irene’s outstretched arms. “Are we playing a game? I heard Anne-Marie laughing. Can I play?”

“We’re playing tickle Kurt!” Irene said, and dug her fingers into his ribs, making him squeal and squirm, his tail whipping around wildly and his eyes scrunched tight.

Raven watched her family and felt her heart burn like a furnace, flooding warmth through every inch of her.

***

“You said I’m going to tell you what I like about Christmas, right?” Raven said almost in a whisper.

Irene sighed and rolled over in bed to nudge her nose against Raven’s temple. “You can’t sleep, huh?”

“Is it now? When I tell you?” she asked, swallowing.

“Yeah,” Irene said gently, linking their hands together.

Raven stared out of the window and thought back to a cold childhood with only one bright spot. “I like Christmas how they do it here,” she said to the stars. “I like the… the haphazardness of it. How everyone squeezes around the table and uses mismatched chairs. How the grandpa always falls asleep after a massive dinner and the kids see how many cracker crowns they can stack on his head. Everyone trudging off to visit relatives, and having one Christmas dinner with the parents and another with the in-laws, how everyone eats so much and looks forward to the turkey sandwiches the day after even more than the roast itself. I like… the humour and the warmth and the ‘it’s all going to be a bit naff but we’ll have fun anyway’ of it.”

Irene put her head on Raven’s shoulder and her arm over her waist, pressing a kiss to Raven’s collarbone. “Why do you like those bits?” she asked. She had that tone Raven recognised, that ‘I know the answer, but you need to know it as well’ patience.

“Where I grew up it was all about perfection. It was cold and boring and Charles and I had to be the perfect children, god forbid we show how unhappy we were. But… when we were able to sneak away from the formal dinners Sharon insisted on hosting even when she was pissed off her face, Charles and I… we’d steal some baubles and tinsel and dress each other up as Christmas trees. We’d play mutant charades in his bedroom until midnight – I’d mimic actors, Charles would project quotes to me telepathically. Then we’d sneak down to the kitchen and eat cold leftovers sitting on the kitchen counter, just kicking our heels in the moonlight. I just… that’s what I think of when I think of Christmas. That’s what Christmas means. To me, anyway.”

Irene reached up and brushed her fingertips along her cheekbones, picking up teardrops Raven hadn’t even noticed she’d shed. “So to you, Christmas means family.”

“God no,” Raven snorted. “Most of my family was awful, I wanted to forget they existed.”

“No, I mean your real family. Just Charles.”

Raven’s lower lip wobbled embarrassingly. “Yeah,” she said, pushing the sound out around the lump in her throat.

“And now, us?”

Raven nodded vigorously. “Definitely. You guys, you’re the most important thing in the world to me. And I don’t…” she sniffed, her eyes prickling so hard suddenly. “I don’t know how to make that work. That secretive, sneaking around, those precious stolen Christmases. I don’t know how to give anything of that to you guys, to… to show you what you mean to me.”

Irene leaned up and over Raven, wrapping both arms tight around her and holding her as she cried silently into her hair. “Shhh, shhh, my darling. We know. We know.”

The doorbell rang on Christmas Eve as Raven was up to her elbows in grease from the glitchy water heater. “Anne-Marie!” she yelled. “Can you get that?”

“I’ve got it! I’ve got it! No, let me open it! Anne-Marie, let me!”

“Raven told me to do it – no! Kurt! Come back here right now!”

Raven sighed and tightened the nut again, leaving her tools on the floor to come back to. “Kids!” she yelled. “Quit it!”

There was the distinctive crack of teleportation, and Azazel stood in front of her on the stairs, holding a wriggling Kurt under one arm. “I think you have lost something,” he said, one eyebrow raised.

Raven smirked and put her hands on her hips. “Looks like it, huh? Why did you two even ring the doorbell?”

“Janos insists on manners,” Azazel said with a shrug. “But then this little one appears in front of us, and there is much commotion from inside, so I decide to bring us in.”

Raven pursed her lips at Kurt. “What have we said about staying inside the house?”

“That I should?” he said, looking up at her with big eyes and pouty lips.

“Hmm, so why did you bamf outside just now, then?”

“I just really wanted to see them! And I knew it was them and they’re taking me to mass and I’m so excited!”

“You need to listen to Mama, Kroshka, this is to keep you safe,” Azazel said, lifting Kurt up to look at him seriously.

Kurt pouted and reached for Azazel. “OK,” he said, drawing out the last syllable reluctantly.

Raven smiled as Kurt flung his arms around Azazel, then bamfed away, leaving Azazel with empty arms. “Annoying, isn’t it?” She smirked.

Azazel just grinned and hugged her. “Merry Christmas, Raven,” he said, and teleported himself out of her arms. Raven sighed and rolled her eyes, and walked down the regular way.

Irene and Anne-Marie were wrestling Kurt into a thick puffa jacket. Irene stood up halfway through trying to convince Kurt to wear his boots, put one hand out, and caught Kurt as he teleported away. “Nice try, buddy,” she said calmly, tucking him under her arm. “Anne-Marie, dear, could you get his shoes on now please?”

Raven shook her head at her family and shifted into Warren, Kurt’s little friend from school, so she could squeeze past the scrimmage into the kitchen to wash her hands. “What time are you guys getting back?” she called.

“We should be home by eight this evening,” Azazel called.

Raven leaned over to catch Janos’ eye and signed, “Kurt was pretending to be a vicar the other day. I blame you.”

Janos frowned. “You can’t blame me, I’m Catholic. Vicars are C of E. Why was he being a vicar?” He turned to Kurt. “Why were you being a vicar?”

Raven snickered to herself and repeated Janos’ words aloud for Irene. Irene laughed. “Don’t take it too hard, Janos, he’ll be a Priest after Mass tonight, I’m sure.”

Raven translated Irene’s words into sign for Janos, just in case he misread her lips. Janos’ eyes crinkled up in amusement. “My work here is done,” he signed smugly.

“Are you coming today, Anne-Marie?” Azazel asked.

She looked up, her eyes wide in surprise. “Oh, I thought…” She turned to Raven and Irene.

“You’re welcome to go if you like, love,” Raven said.

“It is not invitation for Kurt because he is my son,” Azazel said. “You are family too.”

“Oh,” said Anne-Marie softly. “Oh… then yes please. If… am I OK wearing this?”

“That’s just fine,” Janos smiled. “Get your coat, and we’ll go to the church.”

“Have fun,” said Irene. Raven put her arm over her shoulder and leaned her chin on her, watching the boys and Anne-Marie wrangle Kurt out of the door. Irene sighed and leaned against Raven. “Right,” she said. “Kids are gone. Get naked.”

Raven laughed and kissed her cheek. “Have we finished wrapping the presents for the kids for tomorrow? Has the turkey defrosted? Is there enough butter? Are we going to peel the potatoes now ready for tomorrow?”

Irene groaned. “You’re no fun.”

Raven stuck her tongue out and checked in the fridge. “What do we need to do with your mom’s marinade? And the cake?”

“Has the cake had more brandy today?”

“Don’t think so.”

“Give it another feed, then.” Irene said, glancing towards the door and checking her watch with her fingers as she sat down. “If it’s not making a room drunk off the fumes, it’s not a real Adler Christmas cake.”

Raven grinned back at her and reached for the bottle of brandy. “So I was thinking about our chat the other night,” she said. “I don’t want to let Kurt stay up late enough for a midnight feast but… do you think we could make a late dinner a bit of a family tradition? You know, maybe on Boxing Day, with the leftovers and everything. All wearing our dressing gowns and eating in the kitchen rather than sitting nicely at the table.”

Irene smiled and sat forward, leaning her chin on her hand. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea,” she said.

The doorbell rang, and Irene didn’t move. She looked awfully smug about something and Raven narrowed her eyes at her. “You gonna get that?”

“No,” Irene said. “You are.”

Raven rolled her eyes. “Don’t think I believe in your precog thing all the time,” she said, but she put the lid back on the bottle and went to the door. She couldn’t help a little thrill of excitement - Irene clearly had something in mind, maybe a last minute Christmas present.

Although it could also just be a group of elderly carol singers and she was just smug about the fact that she didn’t have to stand with a fake smile on her face and scramble about for some change for the charity bucket.

She opened the door and stared at Charles.

“Hello, Raven,” he said.

“Oh my god,” she said, her hand over her mouth. “Oh my god. Charles! But you said you couldn’t… and you were in… and…” She trailed off and fell into his arms, hugging him tight. Charles chuckled and squeezed her back, and she gave up trying to lean over and just crawled into his lap right there on the doorstep.

“Oof,” he grunted. “Shift into someone smaller, would you?”

She smacked him up the back of the head and squeezed him tight again. “What are you doing here?” She pulled back and looked at him in sudden horror. “Is everyone alright? Is Edie—“

“Everyone’s fine. Erik’s staying in Düsseldorf with Edie, but only because they’ve got plans to visit her brother in a couple of days, and he hasn’t seen Erik in years. They’re both fantastic.”

Raven slumped back against him. “Then how come—“

“Well, you came over for my first Rosh Hashanah as a proper Jew, it’s only right that I should come over for Anne-Marie’s first Christmas as an Xavier!”

“Irene told you, huh?”

“Uhhh…”

“It’s OK,” Irene laughed from behind Raven. “Yes, I told him you missed him. The betrayal! Now, are you going to let your brother in or are you camping out there for the rest of Christmas? I just want to know whether or not to close the door on you, you’re letting all the warm air out.”

Raven wriggled off Charles’ lap and kissed Irene’s cheek, putting her cold hands up Irene’s shirt to get her revenge. Irene shrieked and pushed her away. “Ugh! You have no circulation at all! Coffee, Charles?”

“Tea, please, if you don’t mind? I haven’t had proper English tea in too long.”

Irene flashed a grin back at him and led the way into the kitchen, her skirt swishing and her fingertips brushing along the wall. Charles looked up at Raven as she took his coat and scarf. “It really is so good to see you, Raven,” he said.

She smiled. “Yeah, it’s good to see you too. But you really didn’t have to come all this way. Whatever Irene said, she was exaggerating!”

He cocked his head on one side and his eyes softened. “She said if I didn’t come it wouldn’t cause anything bad. But… I’d miss watching some of the only good things of our past being given to my niece and nephew.”

Raven’s eyes prickled and she looked down at the soft cashmere in her hands. Charles rolled closer and squeezed her wrist. When she met his eyes, he was looking at her with the same weight of history.

***

“Are you ready?” Charles whispered to Kurt. The little boy looked up at him with bright, excited eyes and nodded. “Come on, then.” He patted his knees and Kurt teleported straight onto them, making Charles laugh.

Raven grinned and squeezed Anne-Marie and Irene’s hands. “Don’t wake the reindeer, now,” she whispered. Anne-Marie snorted, and put her hand over her mouth when Kurt shushed her crossly. Irene sniggered and turned it into a soft cough.

Charles led the way, wheeling through the dark house out of the spare room and into the kitchen. “Now, what shall we have for our midnight feast?” He asked.

“Turkey sandwiches,” suggested Irene.

Raven snorted. “Sandwiches! We don’t make sandwiches on a midnight feast. Turkey leftovers and chunks of bread are the best you’re going to get.”

“Fine, then, but you’ll have to steal the butter.”

“Is there any cheese left?” Anne-Marie asked.

“Stuffing balls!” Kurt squeaked from over by the fridge. The others hushed him, giggling. “Sorry,” he whispered.

“Don’t forget,” said Charles. “Santa and the reindeer are all very tired, you don’t want to wake them up, do you?”

Raven found a box of Quality Street and dumped them on Charles’ lap, followed by a box of turkey trimmings and the leftover cheese board. Irene found the crackers, Anne-Marie got a bowl of roast potatoes, and Kurt managed to reach his beloved stuffing balls. “OK, everyone ready?” Raven said.

“If you expect me to carry all this stuff you’re going to have to push me,” Charles whispered, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, well in that case,” she shrugged, and balanced the cake tin on top of the Quality Streets. Charles rolled his eyes and caught the cheeseboard before it slipped off his knee.

Kurt led the way this time, turning back to beckon them through the dark corridors until they got to Charles’ bedroom. He jumped onto the bed and bounced up and down. “Can we talk now? Can we?” he asked in a strained whisper.

Raven laughed and turned the light on, jumping up next to him. “Yes, you can talk! Excellent raid, everyone, let’s see what we got!”

Charles handed the food up to her and transferred himself onto the bed, arranging his legs into a loose cross next to Anne-Marie. “Pass the turkey and crackers, would you?”

“We haven’t got any knives,” said Anne-Marie with a little frown.

“Can’t let that stop you on a Boxing Day raid,” said Charles with a wink to Raven. He picked out a piece of turkey breast and a cracker, and bit a mouthful off each in turn.

Kurt’s eyes widened and he shrieked in delight, grabbing a chunk of cheddar cheese and a stuffing ball and shoving both into his mouth at once.

“Oh God, Kurt, don’t make yourself sick,” Raven laughed at his bulging cheeks.

Irene sat back and broke a piece of Christmas cake off, popping it into her mouth and scattering crumbs down her front. “I’m sorted for dinner with this and the Quality Streets,” she said.

“Save the orange cremes for me, please,” Anne-Marie said around a mouthful of turkey and Stilton.

“Ugh, you’re welcome to those,” Irene laughed.

Raven looked around at her family, passing Tupperwares and cutting boards around, mixing weird combinations of leftover food together and laughing at each other. They’d played mutant charades on Christmas Day, with Kurt teleporting around the room to imitate different characters, and Irene just pointing to the person most likely to guess correctly. Anne-Marie couldn’t find a way to use her mutation to help, but turned out to be a brilliant actress anyway.

Charles glanced up and caught her eye, smiling at her. She knew, though he wouldn’t read her mind, that he had the same train of thought. Two neglected children, creeping through a dark house to steal leftover Christmas dinner, giggling and hushing each other, but through all their humour, knowing that if they actually did wake anyone up, they wouldn’t be dealing with an imaginary philanthropist and his reindeer, but a pair of ogres.

But look what they’d become. Raven slipped her hand into Irene’s and leaned her head on her wife’s shoulder. Now there were two children sneaking around dark corridors and giggling, but with no threat hanging over their heads. All the fun and mild rebellion of eating food in bed with your fingers, but none of the horrible consequences.

They’d made it out of that cold life, both her and Charles. He’d escaped to a little house in Germany, a mutant school and a man who adored him. A ready-made family that actually behaved how family was meant to, with unconditional love and support. A whole new faith, too. He’d brought a menorah with him to England for the couple of days he was staying, saying the prayers softly and with all the dedication Charles poured into every aspect of his life, letting the children take turns to light the candles. She knew he’d be glad to get back home tomorrow, spend the last few days of Hanukkah with his family.

She looked around at her family, and the escape and salvation. At Irene turning her head for the kiss she knew was coming, Kurt earnestly explaining to Charles why it was very important that he have packed lunch on Tuesdays only, and Anne-Marie nibbling on a chocolate and watching everyone with careful, patient eyes.

For the first time since she was a child, Christmas felt real again.

#Lyn's Writing #Raven/Irene #christmas fluff #family fluff #light angst #emotional hurt/comfort #references to past child abuse/neglect #but mostly fun and silly and cute!#Azazel/Janos #Cherik #Charles would convert to Judaism in a heartbeat #fight me

14 notes · View notes

vegetacide · 5 years

Text

Cloak and Dagger

Chapter 2: Nothing Ventured

Vegetable Notes: I spewed out another chapter. Thanks for @gumnut-logic for letting me chew on her ear some- she rocks!

Soundtrack for this chapter - Thornley, Tea Party, Jeff Martin and Never Ending White Lights.

Previous chapter can be found here

Enjoy!

8-8-8

Pulling the door closed, Kayo turned and ran smack into a familiar blue, twill weave. Scott grunted at the sudden impact, his hands coming to brace her at the near miss with the floor “Kay, whoa!”

Righting herself, Kayo took a step back. “Sorry, about that. I…”

“No, it was my fault.”

“Let’s agree to disagree then.”

Putting some distance between them Kayo watched as Scott forced himself into a casual posture, hands into his pant pockets, shoulders down and seemingly relaxed. To anyone else the pose would look just what it was expected to look like. To her, it screamed the opposite. The fine lines of tension around his eyes and the muscles working along his strong jaw as he clenched and unclenched his jaw told her another story completely.

Rocking back on his heels, his eyes strayed from her to the door and back again as if he was expecting someone else to come through the thing.

“He’s already up and about.” She took mercy on him, knowing he was struggling with his need to mother-hen. Pulling her loose hair up and off her neck she quickly twirled it into a bun and fasten it into place with the a black hair band that was every present at her wrist.

Scott watched her well practiced movements a moment and she registered exactly when her words sunk in. Virgil was by no means a morning person. It was barely past 7 am and the man was renowned for his love of sleep.

“Oh…” Kayo blinked, not the reaction she had expected. Scott was off his game this morning but by the looks of him, he hadn’t faired much better than Virgil had last night. She’d seen the same look on Virgil’s face this morning as he had stumbled about in the pre-dawn light - as graceless as ever before his coffee fix.

She could read the brothers like a book and Scott was no different. For all his military training and commanding attitude the worry for his sibling was obvious. “He mumbled something about running diagnostics, post flight checks and cataloguing inventory losses but you know what he is like before caffeine.”

“Damn…” An expletive from Scott this early in the day didn’t bode well. “The call out was a bad one and the mission debrief didn’t go so well.”

“I assumed it hadn’t,” She’d observed quite a bit since she’d returned, “Considering everyone has either run for the mainland, ghosted the island like it might explode, turned into uber professionals or has just up and disappeared.

“Disappeared…?”

“When did you see Brain’s last?” She countered, not expecting a reply and carried on as if she hadn’t been interrupted. Brow raised, her green stare scanning with little remorse over Scott. “Oh, and you and Virgil look like shit.”

“Gee, thanks” Kayo shrugged with nonchalance.

“I call it like I see it”

“Love you too” There, an uptick close to a smile flashing into existence. It was the reaction she was looking for from the straight backed, slightly too contained shell he was putting on. She could work with this now.

Stepping away from the entry to Virgil’s sanctum sanctorum, Kayo put a hand on Scott’s shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze in support. “Go talk to him. I’ll be in the coms room when your ready.”

8-8-8

Scott stepped out of the elevator onto the catwalk overlooking Two and sighed at the music that greeted his ears. Rock blasted with the heavy beat of drums through the massive space. Ricocheting down off the ceiling and reverberating in the grating beneath his feet.

Dropping his head, he rubbed at his stiff neck. Audible proof that things were in the shitter with Virgil via Thornley, circa 2002. His brother’s music choice was usually a good barometer to his mood and Scott was about to walk in on it.

“Have fun with that.” Scott, looked over at Gordon as he limped up the stairs..

“Thanks.”

“He’s in a real mood today if he’s broken out the oldies. You may be taking your life in your own hands if you go in there. “

“Noted, “ Scott looked down to the open blast door some 200 ft down that separated the main hanger from the module storage bay and subsequently where Virgil could be found in his workshop.

“I’m off,” Gordon turned, looking with appreciation and longing at his craft floating in its aquatic launch. “I promised Alan I would call him and distract him from the boredom of shopping with Grandma.”

“No physio this morning?” Scott asked with a look of concern as his brother rolled and re-rolled his left shoulder

“Nah, taking a break today.” Gordon looked abashed at this and failed to meet Scott’s eyes. “I may or may not have over done it yesterday...a bit…”

Scott look skyward and prayed for strength, this family was going to make him fully grey in no time. “And you’re worried about me going down there?” He pointed down below and snorted. “If Virgil or for that matter, Lady P finds out you know what will happen, right?”

The shudder that went through Gordon said he was well aware of it. “Please don’t. The images I have in my head about what Kayo is going to do to me is disturbing enough. Don’t add to it.”

“Kayo knows?”

“Busted me last night.”

“Sucks to be you.” Scott winced in sympathy

“No shit”

Shaking his head, Scott ruffled the fish’s hair as he passed by. The scowl that was returned for his efforts ignored as he set off down the stairs.

“If you don’t make it back, I’ll make sure to ask John to erase your browser history. Can’t have Grandma finding out about your disturbing extracurriculars and your hamster fetish…” Scott stopped in his tracks at that but Gordon was already safely stowed away in the lift on his way back up to the main house.

“Brat..”

Hands tucked in his pockets, Scott strolled across the hanger and made his way around the massive supports of Two. The great, hulking beast was up on her struts. One of her nesting modules parked below on the heavy tracks built specifically for trundling the huge cargo crates across the expanse of chemical resistant substrate topped flooring.

Stepping across the embedded components of the pod conveyor system and through the reinforced bay door into the orderly storage area beyond, Scott marveled at the deceptiveness of the place their home was built around. To say the hanger was big was one thing but add in the hidden 1300 foot length of the storage area and the place was massive.

The area, though only the width of about 500 ft at its widest, housed all of the modules, pods, grappling lines, fire suppression gear and spare parts needed for the large, green ‘bird. All of it stored away in specific, tidy, very well maintained numbered bays and lockers.

It was a running gag between the Brothers that if you moved anything a millimeter in any one direction that Virgil would know instantly and without thought; like some OCD zombie, move said item back into its rightful space. Gordon had even tried it a few times for shits and giggles with varying degrees of success.

The aquanaut had learned quickly not to do this though when he found himself locked in his owner bathroom, covered in biodegradable glitter and spray cheese… how and when Virgil had rigged the shower, was anyone’s guess.. Gordon though hadn’t tried to ‘adjusted’ the placement of anything down in storage since. Never mess with an engineer.

To this day, Scott knew that Gordon was still finding flecks of glitter stuck to his person or in random other places. Scott was pretty sure though that Virgil was the culprit there with those instances, placing little, glimmering pieces here and there around the island where he knew his younger sibling would find it. A little subconscious reminder for good measure.

Mentally slapping himself with a silent curse Scott closed his eyes. He was procrastinating. Letting his mind wonder about as his body did so he didn’t have to confront the disagreement from the night before. This was the epitome of going against the grain of his character.

Sucking it up, he peered around module 2. The door to the crate was down, the light from within casting shadows on the alcove that clever mechanic had claimed as his space.

Virgil was sitting at one of the work stations. The chair was tipped back on its hind legs, his steel toed clad feet up on the utility bench, teetering the wooden chair back and forth. In his lap, Scott could make out the pale blue glow of a computer interface his brother was flicking through. Adjusting levels and tweaking air intake ratios with the expertise of a conducted with an orchestra. The music, though not something Scott considered enjoyable, played through the large concussion fire suppression system and from this distance the interference caused by the echo of the hanger was negligible. The module padding and design itself helping to insulate the reverb caused by the massive speakers.

Max was wheeling about in the limited confines of the module, seeming to dance along with the music. Mechanized arms pin wheeling around as if he was directing the course of the notes.

“Max, switch tracks please.” Polite as ever, even to an automaton. The song quickly flipped over to another tune and the melody shifted to something with a bit more pep. “Ugh.. next”

“I think this would be classified as a misappropriation of resources.” His brother barely glanced up at that, dark brows dropping down as some readings flashed across the interface that he didn’t like.

“The sound system I originally installed in here is distorting the lower octaves at higher volume. The sub woofer needs to be upgraded.” An off hand remark, “So I improvised.. Dual purpose, I can check the frequency output at the same time."

Scott plucked the display from his brother’s lap, looking over the present data on thrust to air intake ratios. “Multitasking I see”

“Passes the time. ”

They sat in relative silence for a while, neither one willing to break the stalemate they seemed to have found themselves in. As one song ended and another started up, Scott bit the bullet.

“How are the ribs?”

“Sore”

Scott looked his brother over, he’d pulled his overall down and looped the arms around his waist, the thin muscle shirt underneath dampened with sweat in a few places but relatively clean. “Adhesive bindings?” Scott questioned as he noticed the medical tape under the thin material up his left side.

Virgil shrugged, “The discomfort is more manageable this way.” At Scott’s sigh he quickly added, “Not tight enough to restrict respiration. I know what I’m doing, so leave it alone, Scott”

“OK, OK,” Scott put his hands up in surrender. His brother did not want to be coddled. Scott resisted the urge to say more on it. Last thing they needed with Gordon being out of action still was Virgil being bed ridden with a chest infection.

Virgil dropped his feet to the floor, the heavy soles thunking on the raised metal sheeting that covered this section of the work space. Grimacing he got up and straightened his spine by sheer will power alone against the obvious physical ache. Once accomplished he stalked over to a tool chest “What do you want, Scott?”

“Nothing, just checking in.”

A roughly opened drawer was equally thrust closed again. Small blister pack of pills in hand, Vigil broke the seal on two of the tablets and dry swallowed the lot. “Bullshit.”

Anger simmering, Scott resisted raising to the bait and took a calming breath. Maybe coming down here wasn’t such a wise idea.

‘Fine, I came to apologize for yesterday. I was out of line and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you or the useless forestry service supervisors.”

“Apology accepted, now if you will excuse me..”

“Come on, V. You were almost killed yesterday. I was and still am worried about you.”

“I’m fine, Scott.” Virgil tossed the blister pack on the bench and grabbed a socket wrench. “Ribs will heal, this is nothing. I have had worse.”

“I’m not talking about your ribs and you know it.” Facing off with his brother when he was in this sort of head space was never a good plan.

Virgil was known as the calm and collected one in the house and due to such was usually the sounding board the others went to when needed. But under the calm surface and rock steady nature was a man that felt deeply, more so than any of them could ascertain. And Scott as close as he was to his stalwart sibling, could see that the impact of yesterday was sending ripples out ever widening circles of self doubt and blame.

Scott counted on his brother and he wanted to provide that same support back. Their almost preternatural bond forged by a tragic, shared history had solidified them into what they were today and Scott would do whatever he could to protect it.

“I said ‘I’m fine.’ ” The slight hitch said otherside as the wrench was slammed down on the work surface.” Head down between tight shoulder, arms braced. “Just leave it, Scott.”

The pleading in Virgil’s voice had Scott backing off. “It wasn’t your fault, Virgil.”

“Scott, please..”

Coming up behind the second eldest Scott placed a hand on the back of his neck, “OK, I hear you 5 by 5, little brother.” And gave the tight muscles a reassuring squeeze, instincts screaming at him. He knew though that pushing would get him nowhere.

“When your ready to talk, come find me.”

8-8-8

Kayo hit the volume controls on the holo-vid and crossed her arms as the Kat Cavanaugh's sat up primly with the introduction to her segment.

"Thank you, Albany." Kat nodded in gratitude, her voice confident. Cavanaugh had upped her game since her rescue out by the Gran Roca Ranch. Her show having gained much popularity with her first hand account. The world at large was crazed for any information on the clandestine organization and she had quickly shot up in the reporting ranks.

So much so that the international community at large was now listening. With an added co-anchor, Albany Crenshaw the sphere of her world had changed from basic rag gossip to world wide events. Set changes, advertising, content and even personal appearance had been buffed to a high sheen. Success in every angle.

Her once, rather laid back appearance giving way to a well groomed, professionalism. A slick bob set off the features of her face adding a maturity that the barrettes of the past had lacked. Dressed up in a wool jacket and a fine print, split-neck blouse she radiated respectability all topped off with a dusting of make-up in neutral tones. Nothing out of place, everything poised and polished. A far cry from her previous casualness.

Angling herself just right in the studio lighting, her lips turned up in a competent smile. “Good evening, I'm Kat Cavanaugh. Tensions in Kazakhstan are on the rise tonight amidst continued civil unrest as protests and riots break out across the country."

Since October’s Military back coup by Socialist party leader, Mikhalev Lukyan Grigorievich there has been an outcry to the world nations for his removal.

Grigorievich, who took control from interim leaders after the sudden death of President Alexandra Danilovna, seized power in an overnight raid in the country’s capital of Nur-Sultan.”

In recent years the country has fallen on civil and economic hardships with the depletion of its hydrocarbon production and the forced closure of the counties mineral mines due to civil rights violations. International amnesty groups have reported that this along with the abysmal work conditions and the country’s strict policies against assembly are major contributors to the continued upheaval.

Additionally, unsubstantiated reports of clashes between the Kazakh Renewal and Reformation Coalition and military personnel has lead to a media blackout in Almaty. Rumours supplied by asylum seekers at the Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan borders speak of an increased Military presence within the city limits and a steep escalation of violence.

The GDF and the World Union has been surprisingly quiet on the topic. Issuing only that the area has been declared a ‘No Fly’ zone and that all non-Kazakhstan citizens should avoid the area or head to the nearest embassy for evacuation.”

Several notes of interest followed relating to food shortages and power interruptions but the gist of the news coverage was that the region was in complete chaos and it was not likely to end amicably any time soon. The big question, Kayo pondered as she adjusted the volume to a near whisper with Scotts arrival, was the GDF going to do anything about the situation? Could they even do anything about it without crossing into territory that could divide the world at large. And if so, did they even have a right to? She found the lack of an easy and clean cut response disturbing.

International incidents were avoided these days with great effort but something told her in this case something was going to have to give to bring this conflict to a head. It was either that or watch a country with a population of some 23 million people either starve to death or completely self destruct. The stability in that part of the world would be shattered in the power vacuum.

Nodding her head towards the moving 3D holographic image above the table, Kayo uncrossed her arms and walked over to the desk where Scott had just parked with a grunt. “This is going to get messy before it gets any better.”

He made a vocal note of assent and took a sip of the coffee he’d brought in. Smelt like Virgil’s Sumatran blend she noticed offhandedly. “Looks like it, been playing on repeat all morning. With the GDF evacuation in effect more and more information is leaking out across the borders. I am expecting the GDF will make a formal request of us eventually but as of yet, they have been quiet on that front”

“Formal request?” Kayo cocked a brow, “You think they are going to bar us access to the area if there is a call?”

Scott shrugged, setting his cup down on the report ridden desk. “I have no idea, Aunt Val hasn’t said anything yet but she’s been a bit tied up.” He waved his hand towards the holo cast, encompassing everything going on in that area of the world.

“For the time being we will just have to play it by ear.” Rubbing at his eyes, he changed his focus and glanced at the time. “Lady P is supposed to be calling in shortly, if you don’t mind the wait.”

Kayo shook her head and leaned against the end of the desk. The morning sun was starting to heat things up again outside, and it was threatening to be a record setting high.

“How is he?” Came the inevitable question.

Kayo glanced back over her shoulder, assessing. It was unsettling for the brothers to be at odds. “You went and saw him, what do you think?”

“Fuck.”

“That sounds accurate.” Last night had been rough and Kayo wasn’t known for sugar coating. One of the reasons her and Scott worked well together for the most part. He appreciated her blunt and direct nature. Softening as she saw the matched set to the bags under Virgil’s eyes on Scotts face she tact on, “Give him time. He need to process things on his own. You know as well as I do that forcing things with him before he is ready isn’t a viable options. He’ll be fine given enough space and when he is ready he will come to you.”

“Ya, I guess you’re right. I’m just …” His words were cut off as a signal from their London agent come through. Mouthing an apology to Kayo, Scott opened the channel. “Lady Penelope, right on time.”

“Scott, darling. You look dreadful.”

Lips drawing into his trademark Scott Tracy one-sided smirk, he tilted his head to the side. “Good to see you too.”

8-8-8

Head still down, Virgil stayed silent at his brother’s parting words. The gently supportive squeeze a physical reminder that no matter what there was someone there for him if and when he wanted it.

After a moment he gave his head a shake. Enough of this crap. Time to get back to work. He had system analyses running on Two that needed to be monitored and an intake manifold for the rear, right VTOL had to be tweaked as the mixture ratio was off somehow - he suspected carbon deposits from back washing exhaust through a main intake to be the cause but he couldn’t be sure without removing the cowling and several other components. Hours of work ahead.

This could of course all be done automatically but Virgil like to be hands on with maintenance, tweaking and adjusting where needed to get the most of of his craft. He knew his ‘bird intimately,having crawling over and under every part of it. He enjoyed losing himself in the work, seeing what he accomplished at the end of the day like rebuilding an engine, overhauling a control panel or relay. It was good, honest work that left him feeling satisfied.

Yes, there were some days that things didn’t work out as planned. Some frustration caused by an answer eluding him, the challenge presented keeping him up sometime well into the early hours. But when the solution finally presented itself, the sense of achievement was phenomenal.

And finally, there was the pod drive sprockets.

He needed to know how he’d missed the damage. Their procedures dictated that visual scans be conducted after every mission so that any broken or damaged parts could either be repaired or outright replaced. In addition to that, during the decontamination and cleansing process, scanners in the washer bays would look for possible stress points. Virgil had looked over all of those scans personally as he did every time and he hadn’t seen anything.

He’d looked over the scans again this morning and still there was nothing there. So what had he missed? He’d thought that maybe complacency had come to the fore. Having done the process so many times, human errors could easily account for it but one thing Virgil prided himself on was his attention to detail. It’s what made him a good engineer.

Looking at the interface, he let his brain zone out with the hopes that the answer would jump out at him. If the procedure wasn’t the issue, maybe there was another angle he wasn’t seeing.

They could micro-scan the metallurgy, test for stress points and density but they had too much equipment for that. It would take weeks of fine tooth comb’ing it to go over all of it, There had to be another option available to them.

Turning, he took in all that was parked, stored and at the ready for whenever they got a call out again. Clean, orderly and poised for use at the drop of a hat. Geared up to be shunted into modules with a couple flicks of a finger and off into the air in a matter of minutes but what the hell was he missing..

A thought came to mind that had Virgil toggling his coms. “Hey, Brains?”

“Virgil, w-what can I do for you?” The genus’s 3D holographic image suspended above the receiver built into work desk flared to life. Brains was the other side of the hanger by One but it was just easier to call then haul his ass all the way over there and back.

“The wash-bay scanners been calibrated lately?”

Framed glasses slipped down a narrow nose as the relevant information was pulled up. “Uh, three w-weeks ago. Why? Is th-there something wrong with them?”

“Just a hunch. Can you run it again and do a system analysis?”

“That will t-take some time. I have the bulk of the island servers dedicated t-to the zero-x build.”

Virgil dragged a hand down his face. He didn’t have any other options right now. “Do what you have to and let me know if anything comes up.”

Brains’ image nodded. “R.A.D”

Virgil only rolled his eyes a little as he closed down the connection.

TBC

NEXT CHAPTER

#thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds 2015 #thunderbirds are go #Virgil Tracy #kayo kyrano #virgil/kayo #scott tracy #Gordon Tracy #international rescue

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bloodstone--circle · 5 years

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Potion of Glibness

Purpose: A potion to assist in increasing the user’s comfort in interacting with others and to have what they say come off as they intend.

Personally, I am starting a new job as a casino dealer soon, and thought this would be a great addition to my arsenal. I wanted it to be in powder form for convenience. However! I understand most don't think “powder mix” when they see “potion,” so I’ve included recommendations on how to make this bad boy in liquid form!

(Please note that I do NOT recommend ingesting this. Certain varieties of orchids can upset the stomach, and whatever you use as a hagraven claw stand-in doesnt sound tasty and can be equally not good! I won’t be ingesting this. The liquid Potion recommendations are for topical use! Even then, please be careful and test first if you have sensitive skin, and avoid the face pls).

Timing: Middas (Wednesday), Waxing or Full moons (all optional)

Items:

Herb grinder or mortar and pestle

Jar/Container

Cheesecloth (liquid only, highly recommended)

Dried Dragon’s Tongue (Orchids flowers!)

Powdered Hagraven Claw (I have cats, and was lucky to occasionally find some of their old claw sheaths! Its also possible to use your own fingernail. This IS the claw of a powerful magic user, and that’s exactly what you are!)

Butterfly Wing. Either a representation of a monarch butterfly (like a small photo or token) or do what I do and use (edible) orange glitter! (Please do not go and de-wing butterflies)

Steps:

Set up how you usually would. Gather your ingredients, cast a Circle (if applicable), call your spirit friends and deities, whatever you usually do to help your potionmaking and spellwork.

Take your dried Dragon Tongue stand-in, the dried orchid flowers, and grind them into a powder as fine as you like. I decided to use orchids in this situation not only due to the similar appearance, but because I associate orchids with an increase in confidence, vitality, and willpower, which are all beneficial to this potion.

Take your Hagraven Claw stand-in, the nails (of cat or human, whichever) and add to the mix. Grind if you can! If you can’t, dont worry. Its in there and it looks great. Sense the energy of the potion changing and starting to grow as you work. I personally sense the energy as a beautiful and growing blue and pale gold, like sunshine.

If using glitter (biodegradable recommended) for your powdered Butterfly Wing, add it to the mix, sensing the potion’s growing energy like in the previous step.

Put the herb mix into the container. Then, if not using glitter and instead using a token, place the photo or small token in or on the container, adding the butterfly wing’s energy in this way.

Now you have a few options. You can either say done and put it to use, or set it someplace to charge and gather more energy. In the sun/moonlight, on a pentacle, or even on a shrine to a spirit or deity that can help are all ways to do this (an Aedra that comes to mind is Dibella)!

I plan on adding a little powder to my shoes or keeping it in a pouch in my pocket. For any liquid version, wearing it (after making sure there’s no skin sensitivity) near the throat would be a cool idea.

Liquid Potion Suggestions:

For step 3, you would then add the orchid/nail mix to the container, sans glitter. Use a cheesecloth to strain the liquid.

For step 4, use edible glitter!! :D Its only a topical potion, but still, I think it looks really pretty in the bottle.

#Skyrim #pc magic #pop culture magic #spell #potion #Dibella

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ocd-ocpd-and-me · 5 years

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Morals are a funny thing. We all want to have good morals and be our best selves and do the best we can and take care of each other and our world, but, we can’t all do everything at once. Life gets in the way. Other things take up space in our minds and when we finally get some time to contemplate how we are living our lives it can be quite a shock to realise that some of our normalities are not others. Why aren't I vegan? Why aren't I buying animal cruelty free make -up? Why aren't I buying Australian made products? Why am I buying products that contain microbeads? Why aren't I buying biodegradable products? Do I even know where my clothes are made? Are those workers getting fair pay? How much money do I need to donate to charities? When I am worrying about school, then work, and University, and having relationship problems, and mental health issues, and problems with my weight, friendship issues, family issues, when am I supposed to sit down and contemplate all my other decisions? I am proud of all my vegan friends who buy cruelty free make-up and refuse to wear glitter at festivals because it goes into the ocean eventually, but, at the moment my priorities are elsewhere, and I don’t need the added pressure of their persecution weighing down on me. I am trying to get my mental health and relationship in check, whilst keeping up with Uni and work. I have the added pressure of family issues involving disability and dementia. So whilst my morals at the moment consists of “be kind to everyone, remember everyone’s doing their best and everyone has their own issues” it seems to me that some peoples morals, though they seem good, are being forced down others throats at inappropriate times, which in my opinion, is not a good moral. I would like to believe that everyone changes for the better, in their own time.

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natureishealth · 5 years

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Lets talk about water

One thing thats always talked about when going eco friendly is your water usage. You’ll be told the standards like “fix leaky plumbing” and “take shorter showers” but there are other easy ways you can reduce your water usage. Here are a few: 1)Save the water you cook with - If you boiled water for cooking pasta or vegetables, this can be used to water your garden! Just let it cool down first. Don’t do this with water if you had meat in it, as that can attract animals to your yard that you don’t want there. 2) Collect your bath water (and faucet water) - this water could also be used to water your garden! Only do this if you know the soaps that you use are biodegradable, and do not contain glitter. If you’re taking a shower, collect the water that runs while you wait for the water to heat up. Theres no reason for this water to have to go down the drain. This also works for your faucet when you wash your face and are waiting for the faucet to give you warm water. 3) Use your dishwasher - Hand washing dishes uses up more water then a dishwasher does. Just make sure that you run full loads only. If you’re also concerned about the amount of power a dishwasher might use, check to see if your dishwasher has an eco setting, as some newer ones do. Also, to save on some power, turn off the heat dry option. 4) Get a low water usage flush toilet - If getting a new toilet is in your budget for this year, make sure you get one that is water efficient. If you are like me and don’t have the funds to get a new toilet, don't worry, there are ways to save water still. You can practice “if its yellow let it mellow” although that can be a bit gross. You can also cut down on water usage by placing a small container filled with rocks or sand into your toilet tank. The container takes up space that otherwise would have filled with water, which cuts back on how much water your toilet uses. If you want to go even further, look into installing a composting toilet! They don’t use any water and at the end give you some really good compost for use in your garden. 5) Don’t wash your car at home - Washing your car uses a lot of water that just ends up washing down the street, taking all of the soap that you used with it. Instead, head to a car wash and have them wash it for you! I know its a bit more costly to do this, but if you pick a car wash that recycles its water, you could save a lot of water. 6) Don’t waste your drinking water - If you’re like me, you like to have a cup of water by your bed at night in case you wake up super thirsty. In the morning, you might not want to drink it because its “old” water at that point. Instead of tossing it down the sink, use it to water your garden! I have a gallon container that I use to collect it in, and when the container is full I take it outside and water my plants. Last year I saved around 20 gallons of water doing this, which I know isn’t a lot of water, but if everyone did this it would add up over time. 7) Speaking of gardens: Plant native plants! - Do some research as to what plants are native to your area, and plant those. Not sure where to begin? Look for a native plant nursery in your area! They have a lot of useful tips and can help you figure out what will work in your garden. Native plants are often less water intensive, and don’t require as much maintenance as the kind of plants you would find at Home Depot. This also has an added bonus for being good for the local pollinators in your area. Often times, they prefer the native plants to the non natives. So you can save water, help the pollinators and have a great garden! Another weird tip to help save water in the garden is to use a good healthy covering of mulch. This helps protect against water being evaporated from the ground. 8) Use less plastic - Single use products tend to use a lot of water to produce, and end up in the landfill. Buy yourself a reusable water bottle, use less paper napkins and paper plates, use less plastic bags. 9) Eat less meat - I’m not saying go full vegetarian or vegan, but simply choose one meal a day to not include meat in it and instead eat more fruits and vegetables. Meat takes a lot of water to produce, package and ship. If one meal a day is too difficult, start with one meal a week and go from there. Also, try to buy produce thats locally grown and in season, as produce that is imported from other areas is also water wasteful, and usually comes in more packaging. 10) Collect rain water - Get a large trashcan or barrel and set it up to collect rain water. Make sure its covered with a fine mesh lid, to prevent leaves and other debris, as well as insects from getting in to the water. This one is a little more difficult to do, as many states have laws against doing this, so make sure you check your local laws before you set up your water collection system. These are just a few ways you can save water at home. I’m constantly looking for new ways to save water, so I’m sure I’ll add to this post.

#eco friendly #water #conservation #environment

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