Burst of creativity
Jul. 28th, 2023 08:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessI took mom to Macy's to look for wedding attire. Didn't find anything but they have greatly expanded the plus size to a full half of the clothing. Lots of nice stuff just not what either of us wanted/needed.
I did however go to Michael's to spend a gift voucher and it was nice because they had the fall stuff 40% off. I got a garland of fall leaves/pine cones/acorns to make a hat for my cardinal (have him) and blue jay (still need) and I picked up a few other things for a doctor's hat so now I have the makings of two more steampunk hats, one for my doctor persona and the other an aether woodland witch. I have hopes for both of them. Sadly the LeMax Halloween village stuff was not yet on sale. Keeping a close eye.
Went grocery shopping and saw the Halloween candy out already. Yikes.
I wasn't going to write for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
summer_of_giles but I did and here it is.
Title: An Amble Through the Zoo With You (on ao3 here)
Summary: Giles takes Jenny to the zoo on his day off. All he wants is a nice romantic day out but will Sunnydale allow for that?
Notes: Written for spikesgirl58’s 6 word challenge. The six words were Fireman, Cloistered, Giraffe, Spurious, Flowery & Psychedelic. Also written for Summer of Giles 2023
After everything with the hyenas, Giles had mixed feelings about going into the zoo but he wanted to spend time with Jenny. A zoo seemed safe, not too romantic – he was not up for endless teasing from Buffy and her friends – but not so casual as to be dull. Most people liked animals and Jenny certainly did. He offered up a few dollars so she could feed the giraffe. He took her camera so he could get a few pictures of Jenny handing them lettuce leaves. Hopefully the photo with the giraffe’s long blue tongue wrapping her hand as it stripped away the lettuce would come out.
Giraffes fed, Jenny walked down off the platform and took Giles’s hand. She pulled him against her hip, her flowery long flowing dress bunching up between them. “I’m so glad you had the day off. I thought you never left your library,” she teased. “No tutoring for Buffy and Xander this weekend?”
“Willow has it in hand. She plans to keep them cloistered at Buffy’s home until they have a passing acquaintance with California history.” Giles shrugged. “They seemed quite chuffed about it though with Xander I fear his interest might be a bit spurious.”
“Give the boy the benefit of the doubt. He needs to find what he’s good at, as we all did.” Jenny gave his hand a squeeze.
Giles fought a sigh. He hadn’t had a choice in what he was good at. Yes he had buckled under the weight of familial expectations eventually but not until after the whole Ripper nightmare was born. He’d had fun. He’d paid for it. Jenny wasn’t wrong. Xander needed to find his own way. “You have a point. So, what exhibit would you like to see next?”
“The birds.” Jenny gave him a gentle tug.
Giles let her lead them to the small aviary. Jenny bee lined to the rainbow lorikeets. The noise coming out of the psychedelic-hued birds was shocking. The pretty little things fluttered and hopped everywhere. Jenny’s eyes lit up when she spotted the docent who had cups of food.
“You’re feeding the birds, aren’t you?” Giles grinned.
“Oh, we’re feeding them.” She tapped his nose, and then turned over the money to the docent for the feed.
“I’ll take your camera and take some photos for you,” the docent said.
Giles wasn’t sure he wanted to go into the exhibit with the birds but if he could face down vampires and hyena possessed teenagers, surely small brightly colored lorikeets couldn’t possibly be frightening, right? But with your luck one of them will splatter your glasses. Screwing up his resolve, he followed Jenny into the enclosure.
It took less than a heart beat for the lorikeets to zero in on the food they carried. Jenny had three perched on her arm to her delight. She laughed, holding her arm still so they could walk up it for the food. What a beautiful laugh she had. Giles wanted to plant a kiss on her throat as she threw her head back, laughing harder. He took a step closer, that in mind when a lorikeet landed on his head. Its tiny, clawed feet dug into his scalp, not painful but definitely strange. Another landed next to it and two more clung to his forearm.
Jenny’s laugh went from one of delight to pure amusement. She angled him toward the front glass. The camera clicks weren’t audible over the cacophony of birdsong but the flashes told him there were several pictures taken.
“Do not show these to Buffy,” he begged.
Jenny kissed his cheek. “You look adorable with a bird on your head.”
Giles sighed but rounded up a smile for her as he mustered a little Ripper confidence. “Don’t I generally look adorable?”
Jenny skimmed her hand over his hair, encouraging the lorikeets onto her fingers. “You do.” She gave him another brief kiss. “My food is out.”
“Mine too.”
He left the enclosure as reluctantly as he’d gone in. The birds had been fun. Jenny took her camera from the docent and they continued their stroll through the aviary. When they popped out into the too-hot sun – he so missed England at this time of year – Jenny pointed to a snow cone stand.
“My treat,” she said.
“Sounds good to me.” Dumping it down his shirt sounded even better but that was something he probably should save until they were both home. An image of Jenny chasing after the sticky flavored syrup with her tongue flashed in his head. Maybe he should dump the snow cone down his pants.
They queued up behind a buff young man whose t-shirt read I’m a Fireman and I leave them wet. Jenny waggled her eyebrows at Giles which did nothing to help him maintain a straight face.
She leaned against him and whispered, “I almost bought you one that said Librarian because book wizard isn’t an official title, but could not, for the life of me, imagine you in a t-shirt.”
Giles snorted. “I have been known to wear one.”
“Photos or it never happened.”
“I have them back at my place.”
“Thank you for the invite. I’m sure you have a nice scotch waiting for us there.”
Giles widened his eyes. “Th-that w-was.” He clamped his jaw shut. What was he protesting about? “Yes, in fact I do.”
“Thought so.” She hip bumped him.
Once they had snow cones in hand – Tiger’s blood for her and blue raspberry for him – they ambled on toward the Asian display so they could see the actual tigers. This had been a wonderful day – even if he was going to end up with a blue-dyed tongue from his sweet treat – and the night promised to be better. No demons, no ‘quick we need to research this before the world ends,’ no rain, just a perfectly sunny day with a beautiful woman. What more could a bloke want?
Fandom round up
Bargain Buy FAKE
date night pizza Nancy Drew
Dark Secret Barbie (art, as a serial killer)
Embrace of Destiny Kingdom Hearts (Video Games) WIP
Winged Torchwood
Burning Again The Owl House WIP
Days of Future Past. Buffy the Vampire Slayer WIP
Blood Brother The Owl House
Masha Meets Their Girlfriend's Brother The Owl House
Hunter Got Grounded The Owl House
Your Eyes in the Bathroom MirrorThe Owl House
One Love Worth Living For. The Owl House
Creation (both haunted and holy) The Owl House WIP
tired mechanical heart Yuri on ice
[Podfic] thoughts of a bird. The Owl House (Seriously best podfic I've heard in ages)
Worn Out Torchwood
Driver Picks the Music Stargate Atlantis
Not Quite 50/50 Stargate Atlantis
Summer of Horror ficathon
The Evanescence of Truth Stargate Atlantis
Did I Shave My Legs For This? Stargate Atlantis (written for me)
Whisperings on a Winter Night original
I did however go to Michael's to spend a gift voucher and it was nice because they had the fall stuff 40% off. I got a garland of fall leaves/pine cones/acorns to make a hat for my cardinal (have him) and blue jay (still need) and I picked up a few other things for a doctor's hat so now I have the makings of two more steampunk hats, one for my doctor persona and the other an aether woodland witch. I have hopes for both of them. Sadly the LeMax Halloween village stuff was not yet on sale. Keeping a close eye.
Went grocery shopping and saw the Halloween candy out already. Yikes.
I wasn't going to write for
summer_of_giles but I did and here it is.Title: An Amble Through the Zoo With You (on ao3 here)
Summary: Giles takes Jenny to the zoo on his day off. All he wants is a nice romantic day out but will Sunnydale allow for that?
Notes: Written for spikesgirl58’s 6 word challenge. The six words were Fireman, Cloistered, Giraffe, Spurious, Flowery & Psychedelic. Also written for Summer of Giles 2023
After everything with the hyenas, Giles had mixed feelings about going into the zoo but he wanted to spend time with Jenny. A zoo seemed safe, not too romantic – he was not up for endless teasing from Buffy and her friends – but not so casual as to be dull. Most people liked animals and Jenny certainly did. He offered up a few dollars so she could feed the giraffe. He took her camera so he could get a few pictures of Jenny handing them lettuce leaves. Hopefully the photo with the giraffe’s long blue tongue wrapping her hand as it stripped away the lettuce would come out.
Giraffes fed, Jenny walked down off the platform and took Giles’s hand. She pulled him against her hip, her flowery long flowing dress bunching up between them. “I’m so glad you had the day off. I thought you never left your library,” she teased. “No tutoring for Buffy and Xander this weekend?”
“Willow has it in hand. She plans to keep them cloistered at Buffy’s home until they have a passing acquaintance with California history.” Giles shrugged. “They seemed quite chuffed about it though with Xander I fear his interest might be a bit spurious.”
“Give the boy the benefit of the doubt. He needs to find what he’s good at, as we all did.” Jenny gave his hand a squeeze.
Giles fought a sigh. He hadn’t had a choice in what he was good at. Yes he had buckled under the weight of familial expectations eventually but not until after the whole Ripper nightmare was born. He’d had fun. He’d paid for it. Jenny wasn’t wrong. Xander needed to find his own way. “You have a point. So, what exhibit would you like to see next?”
“The birds.” Jenny gave him a gentle tug.
Giles let her lead them to the small aviary. Jenny bee lined to the rainbow lorikeets. The noise coming out of the psychedelic-hued birds was shocking. The pretty little things fluttered and hopped everywhere. Jenny’s eyes lit up when she spotted the docent who had cups of food.
“You’re feeding the birds, aren’t you?” Giles grinned.
“Oh, we’re feeding them.” She tapped his nose, and then turned over the money to the docent for the feed.
“I’ll take your camera and take some photos for you,” the docent said.
Giles wasn’t sure he wanted to go into the exhibit with the birds but if he could face down vampires and hyena possessed teenagers, surely small brightly colored lorikeets couldn’t possibly be frightening, right? But with your luck one of them will splatter your glasses. Screwing up his resolve, he followed Jenny into the enclosure.
It took less than a heart beat for the lorikeets to zero in on the food they carried. Jenny had three perched on her arm to her delight. She laughed, holding her arm still so they could walk up it for the food. What a beautiful laugh she had. Giles wanted to plant a kiss on her throat as she threw her head back, laughing harder. He took a step closer, that in mind when a lorikeet landed on his head. Its tiny, clawed feet dug into his scalp, not painful but definitely strange. Another landed next to it and two more clung to his forearm.
Jenny’s laugh went from one of delight to pure amusement. She angled him toward the front glass. The camera clicks weren’t audible over the cacophony of birdsong but the flashes told him there were several pictures taken.
“Do not show these to Buffy,” he begged.
Jenny kissed his cheek. “You look adorable with a bird on your head.”
Giles sighed but rounded up a smile for her as he mustered a little Ripper confidence. “Don’t I generally look adorable?”
Jenny skimmed her hand over his hair, encouraging the lorikeets onto her fingers. “You do.” She gave him another brief kiss. “My food is out.”
“Mine too.”
He left the enclosure as reluctantly as he’d gone in. The birds had been fun. Jenny took her camera from the docent and they continued their stroll through the aviary. When they popped out into the too-hot sun – he so missed England at this time of year – Jenny pointed to a snow cone stand.
“My treat,” she said.
“Sounds good to me.” Dumping it down his shirt sounded even better but that was something he probably should save until they were both home. An image of Jenny chasing after the sticky flavored syrup with her tongue flashed in his head. Maybe he should dump the snow cone down his pants.
They queued up behind a buff young man whose t-shirt read I’m a Fireman and I leave them wet. Jenny waggled her eyebrows at Giles which did nothing to help him maintain a straight face.
She leaned against him and whispered, “I almost bought you one that said Librarian because book wizard isn’t an official title, but could not, for the life of me, imagine you in a t-shirt.”
Giles snorted. “I have been known to wear one.”
“Photos or it never happened.”
“I have them back at my place.”
“Thank you for the invite. I’m sure you have a nice scotch waiting for us there.”
Giles widened his eyes. “Th-that w-was.” He clamped his jaw shut. What was he protesting about? “Yes, in fact I do.”
“Thought so.” She hip bumped him.
Once they had snow cones in hand – Tiger’s blood for her and blue raspberry for him – they ambled on toward the Asian display so they could see the actual tigers. This had been a wonderful day – even if he was going to end up with a blue-dyed tongue from his sweet treat – and the night promised to be better. No demons, no ‘quick we need to research this before the world ends,’ no rain, just a perfectly sunny day with a beautiful woman. What more could a bloke want?
Fandom round up
Bargain Buy FAKE
date night pizza Nancy Drew
Dark Secret Barbie (art, as a serial killer)
Embrace of Destiny Kingdom Hearts (Video Games) WIP
Winged Torchwood
Burning Again The Owl House WIP
Days of Future Past. Buffy the Vampire Slayer WIP
Blood Brother The Owl House
Masha Meets Their Girlfriend's Brother The Owl House
Hunter Got Grounded The Owl House
Your Eyes in the Bathroom MirrorThe Owl House
One Love Worth Living For. The Owl House
Creation (both haunted and holy) The Owl House WIP
tired mechanical heart Yuri on ice
[Podfic] thoughts of a bird. The Owl House (Seriously best podfic I've heard in ages)
Worn Out Torchwood
Driver Picks the Music Stargate Atlantis
Not Quite 50/50 Stargate Atlantis
Summer of Horror ficathon
The Evanescence of Truth Stargate Atlantis
Did I Shave My Legs For This? Stargate Atlantis (written for me)
Whisperings on a Winter Night original
no subject
Date: 2023-07-29 11:52 am (UTC)I saw Halloween candy at Walmart this week, too. o_O
no subject
Date: 2023-07-29 03:53 pm (UTC)