#and i have so many thoughts and stories and arts
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soul bounds disentwined
Wanda Maximoff x Fem Reader
Word count: 5,546
Warnings: A little angsty, I guess? And ofc Reader having a crush on Billy's mom not knowing if it's reciprocated.
A/N: This is inspired in Halsey's music video "Colors", if you have watched it, you can see where this is gonna go...
A/N: For plot purposes, let’s suppose Infinity War and subsequent events never happened, and instead, after the Civil War, Wanda decided to quit her life as a superhero. Part II coming soon!
Wanda Maximoff hired you -a photographer who urgently needed a fresh start- to capture the dishes that would be featured in her second cookbook. Her son, Billy Maximoff, interfered with what you two could have developed. He had feelings for you, and well, you had feelings for his mother.
According to Forbes (2023), Wanda Maximoff secured the third position among the wealthiest chefs worldwide. She is a living proof that we are all capable of rewriting our own story, even after a lifetime shaped by external influences.
Simone Carlisle (Culinary Arts Teacher): Ah, Wanda Maximoff… (pauses) let me tell you, no one prepares you for that feeling, where you find out that you contributed your seed to the plants of successes that one of your students planted in the garden of her life.
Wanda Maximoff (Chef, restaurant chain owner, and television presenter): For as long as I can remember, my decisions were a cycle of revenge and redemption... don't get me wrong, I don't regret beating the shit out of some idiots (laughs), but, with the busy life I led, the only moment I could pause my life was while I was hiding in Scotland with my ex-boyfriend Vision. I had no one expecting anything from me, no one telling me what to do, where to go, it was like a puppy without an owner.
Vision (Avenger, Wanda Maximoff’s ex-partner): Dear, was it a journey. First, I remember that she watched YouTube videos to learn guitar. As soon as she woke up, she grabbed the instrument, and she wasn't satisfied until her fingers got numb. In a very short time, she caught the hang of it, and played for the first time in a small bar. No one knew who she was, and if they did, they probably didn't care. She was just a talented player keeping them entertained. Afterwards, band members fought over who would give her their contact first to join them. I thought that would be the beginning of a very successful music career, because from what I've read, international artists started that way.
Wanda Maximoff: I said, “Vision, I’m never doing this again”.
Vision: She kept practicing, playing in the solitude of her room, of course. It was a hobby-kind-of-passion, not the type of passion she would like to dedicate most of her life to. She went through many of those to realize that her main passion was under her nose all along.
Wanda Maximoff: The courage to join in culinary classes arose from desperation (chuckles), I used to prepare recipes at home, and I needed someone else's approval… it couldn't come from someone who didn't even eat in the first place! And so the beginning of my trayectory was paved by this amazing teacher, Simone Carlisle.
Simone Carlisle: The shy girl who during the intensive course kept her head down, sitting on the back corner, nervously playing with her rings while ignoring whispers and glances from other students, is now in a big framed picture, placed in the most visible spot so that everyone who enters my academy knows that I taught this legend. She made my small business a huge deal now (laughs).
Wanda Maximoff: I never imagined that I would have my own cookbook, television program, or chain of restaurants, let alone all three at the same time! At first, I was content with cooking in a restaurant and earning a decent living, but later, I thought about the possibility of creating a YouTube channel, which subsequently permitted me to finance the publication of my book. Building on the success of my book, the opportunity of my show emerged, which in turn allowed me to open my first restaurant, and ultimately expand it into a chain of restaurants. What I want to convey is that you must trust that the love for what you do is a powerful tool. Success is subjective, so pursue your own concept of it.
Amy Lee (Evanescence’s lead singer and songwriter): It was a hard day of work. I didn’t feel like cooking but I was looking for the homiest, most comforting food possible, and Wanda Maximoff made it a reality with her restaurant located just a few blocks near me. I told my bandmate, Emma, about this amazing food restaurant, she replied, "Oh, the owner has a YouTube channel and a show, you should watch it so that you don't overcook the spaghetti" (laughs). It has been a great help to me ever since, for those are creative but accessible recipes. Plus, it’s a nice touch that she uses her magic to manipulate ingredients and utensils, while making you laugh with her witty jokes. The best way to put it is; she makes you feel like it's a close and sweet friend who is teaching you. Her human and warm approach felt and still feels like a pat on the back.
Wanda Maximoff: My favorite singer since adolescence, Amy Lee, has said something about me that fills me with happiness every time I remember it. She helped me cope, I helped her cook. We're even now.
Vision: You see, Wanda's powers went from being a source of fear in the world to being the main reason why said fear stopped as well. An impressive understanding in her abilities, still doesn't make her an expert, as she can't prevent unexpected situations.
Wanda Maximoff: I was six months pregnant. In the blink of an eye… literally.
The latest legacy of the Maximoff family, twins Billy and Tommy, were effortlessly admitted to Princeton University. The dean was left speechless, for their admission exam grades exceeded expectations.
Tony Stark (Avenger, Stark Industries): With Wanda, our initial connection was through business, the Avengers, you know? It wasn't until she asked me if I could offer her kids an internship at Stark Industries that we developed a closer bond, and man, were those kids geniuses!
Wanda Maximoff: Those kids... one day, they'll outgrow me (laughs). They were so eager to rush through life stages, and I thought, "You don't realize I would give everything to relive those joyful years," but I know better than to project my own frustrations on my sons.
Virginia "Pepper" Potts (Stark Industries): One day, I said goodbye to two fourteen-year-old boys. The next day, Happy informed me that some tall adults with raspy voices, claiming to be Billy and Tommy, wanted to come in. I immediately phoned Wanda, and she casually responded, "Oh, yeah, they can do that," as if maturing into college students overnight was a typical Tuesday occurrence for any teenager.
Thomas Maximoff, (Student at Princeton, son of Wanda Maximoff): What can I say? (chuckles) school didn't present any intellectual challenges for us, and, yes, they do admit child prodigies for... PhDs even! But, we wanted to blend in, to share the same age as our classmates.
Wanda Maximoff: I always considered it a priority to spend time with my boys, so I put a lot of my work on hold, including my second cookbook project. Now that they're focusing on college and their internship, I've had too much time, and by that I mean too much time to finish that unfinished work.
Wanda Maximoff had completed her second cookbook, in response to numerous requests from her loyal fans. Another book that promised to aid all those who seeked a different, quick, and above all, delicious meal at any time of the day. There was no doubt that it would become a global bestseller, just like her previous one.
All that was left were the illustrative photographs for the book, and the studio where you worked at was in charge of this task.
You meticulously made the first dish she cooked appear as exquisite as in real life. You employed several tools like lighting, background elements, and cutlery placement, but you never altered the food in any way, it didn't even cross your mind to do so. This didn't sit well with your boss, but it certainly pleased the redhead.
(Y/N) (Y/L/N) (Photographer): I remember my boss suggested that I add components to the food to make it look more appealing. I responded that that was the equivalent of encouraging unattainable stereotypes of beauty... in food (chuckles).
Wanda Maximoff: By offering unrealistic references, people would be discouraged to notice that their result was not the same as mine, not knowing that those references have hours of strategy to make it look 'aesthetic'. I prefer to show it as it is (pauses) I think that's why I liked this girl, I didn't have to say a word and she understood everything.
Your boss was the typical man who didn't let newcomers like you progress. Although you had been working in the studio for about six months, he never allowed you to touch a camera, which was contradictory because that was the job you applied for.
You did the work he didn't want to do, like transporting, positioning and removing the equipment, and setting up the scenery. That idiot just did the angles and clicked the top right button, and then took all the credit and praise. It annoyed you, yes, but unlike him, you didn't need praise from anyone to fill your ego, you just wanted to be acknowledged for your own efforts and not to be another person’s side kick.
In the meantime, it was enough satisfaction to know that none of the praise he gets would be possible without you, and he knew it…
… and Wanda knew it.
"What do you think, Miss Maximoff?" Your boss showed Wanda the array of photographs he took of the latest dish. He proudly displayed them, awaiting for a compliment from the redhead.
"Wow, (Y/N), placing the sautéed potatoes in a separate bowl instead of alongside the food within the same dish... you were right, it gives them their own protagonism and importance as a side dish," was the first thing she said, eliciting a small blush from you. "Great work!"
"Thank you, Miss Maximoff," after hearing her words, you experimented a feeling that was somewhat unfamiliar to you. It made you feel visible, truly seen and acknowledged in a workplace that often overlooked such things. And the fact that it came from her, made it all even more so profound.
"It's just Wanda," she corrected you, as if her previous actions weren't enough, she gave you the green light to address her in a more intimate manner. Along with that, your boss was already frustrated enough at not being the center of attention for two and a half hours. It was all a dream!
"(Y/N), we're done here, remove the equipment and take it to my car. I'll be waiting for you for just five minutes," your boss ordered you. Not even a ‘please’, nothing. In his gaze was evident that desperate attempt to look intimidating, which only made him look like a tantruming child. However, when his gaze turned to the older woman, he held an incredible admiration and appreciation, almost as if they were two different people in the same body. "Miss Maximoff, it was a pleasure working with you, truly an honor. We could continue next week...”
"Do you have equipment of your own, (Y/N)?" She interrupted him in mid-sentence, and you hesitated briefly.
"Uh... yes, of course, Miss... I mean, Wanda," you replied.
You worked as a freelance photographer in your spare time, capturing people or events here and there. It was something relatively stable, but it could not be your main income, so you felt the need to work on a studio.
"Perfect... I'll be contacting only you so we can work on the rest of the illustrations for the book," she stated.
(Y/N) (Y/L/N): I couldn't believe what I heard! The first thing I did was begging to whatever force there is that this wasn't a dream. It was overwhelming, the feeling of fear and ecstasy… Wanda wanted ME to work with her.
She recognized something in you within three and a half hours that others failed to see in six months. This was it. This was the big break you had been waiting for, the opportunity to show your skills and make your mark.
That being said, you never saw your boss, or stepped foot in that studio after that.
In the days that followed, you poured your heart and soul into preparing for the upcoming shoots.
You studied Wanda's previous cookbooks, familiarizing yourself with her style, her preferences. You even watched her program and her interviews, initially with the excuse of seeing those mesmerizing eyes and delighting yourself with her beauty, but you actually learned a lot of cooking techniques that you were excited to cook when it was such an annoying task for you to do.
When the day of the shoot finally arrived, you were ready. You set up your equipment with a confidence you had never felt before. You positioned the reflectors so that the natural light would bounce where you needed it, and set the scene to make the food appealing and motivating. Wanda watched you work, her eyes filled with admiration and respect.
You smiled at her as you turned on your camera, “So, what do you do with all this food after I photograph it?” You questioned curiously.
"I pack it, multiply it with my powers, and give it to the homeless," she explained. "It's something I often do, in fact, but I prefer to keep good deeds a secret, and not brag about it," she added. “I would appreciate it if you don’t say anything.”
"I figured that about you," you smiled sympathetically.
"You figured?"
“You have always used your skills to help," you elaborated, and noticed she slightly scrunched her nose, as a way of disagreeing. "Yes, even when you were working for Hydra, Tony Stark was destroying territories left and right, and you were seeking justice, doing what you felt was right," you added, noticing how her face showed an expression of realization. "And now, you focus on helping people who struggle with thinking of a simple but good meal in the midst of a hectic routine, and not so much on showing off how good you are at cooking exotic dishes. So yes, I assumed you would also help those who can't even afford a meal, too.”
Wanda's gaze was lost in the white marble of her kitchen floor, and you knew you gave her a new perspective on the wrongs she had done in her past. She meant well all along, and ultimately, that's what mattered. She was a great person in the present, and that's what mattered.
"So, you're the photographer in question," a tall, curly-haired guy stepped into the kitchen doorway, interrupting the train of thought of the woman in front of you.
You laughed at the expression on her face as reality hit her again.
"Oh, yes. Sweetheart, this is (Y/N)," she introduced you to who you already knew was her son. "And (Y/N), this is my son Billy."
"Nice to meet you, Billy," you replied, approaching him to offer your hand to shake.
"The pleasure is all mine," he emphasized the last words, as he accepted your hand. "My mom didn't mention that you were so beautiful."
Wanda cleared her throat, and proceeded to look at him with surprise in her eyes. In a I-can’t-believe-you-said-that way.
You couldn't help but laugh again at how expressive she was without noticing it.
But in their perspective, from how you looked the other direction and chuckled softly, you seemed to snicker at Billy's flattery, which couldn't be further from the truth. He was corny and predictable, but most importantly, he was not Wanda Maximoff.
"Oh, forgive him, he still doesn't know how to control those sky-high hormones," Wanda said, grabbing Billy's shoulders from behind to guide him out of the kitchen.
You noticed that she was already shorter than her son by a few centimetres. This was nostalgic for any mother, but how must Wanda have felt watching it happen overnight? You were curious.
"No problem," you replied, and headed for the counter to begin photographing.
Billy entered the kitchen again, standing next to you, but not close enough to invade your space, which you thanked internally.
"Do you mind if I watch you work, (Y/N)?" Billy requested, and you smiled politely.
"Billy! Don't you have an internship to go to?" Wanda interfered before you could answer.
"Pepper and Tony organized a party at the tower," he replied victoriously.
"College homework?"
"Piece of cake. I finished it an hour ago."
“How about you enjoy your free time and go bowling with your brother?”
“He’s busy playing Fortnite online,” he shrugged.
Wanda rolled her eyes, "Behave yourself. That's the only condition."
"It's okay, Wanda," you reassured her. Each stage in a child's life is gradual, and parents usually have many years to learn about what each stage entails. It was understandable that Wanda didn't know what to do now that her children were suddenly old enough to drink and get into adult trouble.
"So, (Y/N), how long ago did you start this whole photography gig?" The taller guy spoke up, once you took your first picture.
"I've been doing it since I was thirteen," you replied, still capturing the image in before you at different angles. "Dedicating myself to this? As soon as I turned eighteen. I had a decent portfolio."
"I don't doubt it," he agreed.
You gave him a slight thankful smile, and walked over to Wanda, who was setting up the second dish to be photographed.
"What do you think?"You asked her, and it wasn't until she turned to look at the camera that you noticed that this is the closest you've ever been to her. You could smell her fragrance and hear her breathing. Your mind was screaming at you to move away, for you had no right to display such trust yet, on the contrary, your body needed to be as close as possible... to feel her.
You had never touched her, not even when she greeted you this afternoon. She simply opened her door and let you enter.
"Excellent. The blueberries next to the gluten-free blueberry pancakes are wet,” she commented. “Did you do it to provide a sense of freshness?" She inquired, looking into your eyes this time, and... the charm of her green eyes was incomparable.
Throughout life, you've seen different shades of green, but hers were unique. They seemed to have a whole story to tell, as if she gave them that power. Her eyes glowed with an emerald hue that mesmerized anyone who met her gaze, and you were no exception.
“Exactly, that’s what I did,” you confirmed, and you felt your cheeks burning, which you immediately hid by looking down and walking back to the counter.
The only interactions you had with Wanda were to get her to approve your photographs, since her son didn’t allow you both a second to talk. He didn’t cease to ask you all sorts of questions, and to keep the conversation going, you responded with brief 'and you?'s so that he still felt heard and had the space to reveal details about himself.
It was all natural for you. Your work was also based on creating a liveliness in the environment where you performed, plus you got more genuine reactions from people if you made them laugh and feel comfortable. However, you always ended up talking with whoever was willing to, even if you were not there to capture them.
In fact, you were enjoying the conversation with such a charismatic guy. At first, it felt overwhelming, but just by letting the topics flow, you ended up laughing and feeling more at ease with him. In any case, you would be meeting him more than once in the eight weeks that remained before the project was completed.
Once you had finished photographing the ten dishes for the week, you turned off your camera and put it back in its case.
You were too happy with the results. This was all done by you alone, and you would be recognized for it. Never again would your boss's name appear under the pictures that were all your doing. The moment Wanda sends your photographs to the publisher, your name would appear in the book credits, and so a new story would begin.
And Wanda... oh, Wanda made it so clear that she loved your work, and paid so much attention to detail. Not only did she praise you, but she made it a point to let you know that she had indeed noticed the details that to the average eye would go unnoticed. You didn't know if you were really developing a crush, or if it was just the fact that she was an older woman that satisfied that need for attention that you rarely got... or it could be both.
When you were working on your own, you didn't feel exhausted and drained despite the long working hours, unlike when you were in the studio. You were very grateful that Wanda had given you another opportunity like that, and you were confident that it could become a regular thing.
"Wow, seeing all these dishes without having eaten lunch has really made me hungry," you laughed, proceeding to remove the reflectors from the kitchen’s window. The sky was still clear. You started at a perfect timing to take advantage of natural light.
"You haven't eaten? Look at the time! I thought you had eaten before you came!" She exclaimed. The redhead actually looked concerned. "Do you have any idea of the damage you're doing to your body? You need energy for this kind of work."
"Hey, I wanted to make a joke and you ruined it with your lecture," you protested.
Wanda sighed, and shook her head disapprovingly, which made your heart crumble a little.
“I… I’ll get some food on the way home,” you corrected yourself.
"How about you stay for dinner? I was going to make it, Tommy won't be long before he comes back to the real world and notices he's hungry," she offered kindly.
"Oh! Or I can take you out for dinner somewhere nice!" Billy proposed, smiling at you with anticipation.
To be brutally honest, you wanted to throw yourself at him and choke him so no other words would come out of his mouth. You knew Billy was just a guy with a silly crush, excited to show you how interested he was in you. He wasn't trying to do any harm. But, hell, wasn't it enough for him to be the center of your attention all afternoon?
"I'm really looking forward to trying something made by your mom," you declined in the politest way possible. "Many people would kill for that honor!"
Wanda let out a laugh, and her expression also seemed to change as she heard your decision to stay.
But, oh, Billy, Billy, Billy... as persevering as his mother.
"Awww! Next week she'll cook you something, right mom?" he insisted, and even though the redhead tried hard to keep her smile, her eyes changed.
"Sure, I'll cook whatever you want," Wanda sighed. "Go with Billy, and continue your conversation... alone," the way she said that last word was as if she had felt like the third wheel all afternoon, as if she was a hindrance to whatever was starting between you and Billy.
"You owe me," you said to Wanda, letting her know implicitly that you were looking forward to your meeting next week, not this dinner with Billy.
Billy led you to the garage of his house, and opened the passenger door of a black car. You thanked him politely and got in, allowing him to close the door for you. The car was completely spotless, and had a new car smell, but not because it was new, maybe because that was the fragrance he asked for at the car wash. For yours, you always opted for lavender… which made you wonder, what fragance did Wanda like for her car?
"Any preferences?" Billy asked once he hoped in the driver’s seat, pointing towards the car radio. It was noticeable he was doing his best to make this comfortable for you.
"A little bit of everything, how about rock like... Evanescence?" you proposed.
"Ah, my mom loves them," he commented, and your eyes lit up at that statement.
"You're kidding..."
"Yeah, since her teenage years," he confirmed. "Evanescence, In This Moment, Epica, Lacuna Coil..." he listed, trying to remember them all.
You made a mental note to put on that music on your next meeting with Wanda. It wouldn't be hard, as you loved all the bands he mentioned, which was wonderful.
You couldn't wait to show her the latest bands, ask her her favorite songs, and have a topic of conversation that would allow you to bound...
"So, ready?" he spoke, noticing that you were lost in thought.
"Yeah, sure," you nodded, putting on your seatbelt.
The dinner was... better than you expected. In fact, it was amazing.
You didn't really have anything in common with Billy, but the way you both listened to each other, and always found a middle ground despite going your separate ways, made the experience with him extremely pleasant.
The only difference was that, as you each went home, he thought about seeing you again, and you thought about seeing his mother again.
And so, after a week, you found yourself in front of the door of Wanda's house, with your camera hanging from your neck, your equipment already waiting on the pavement next to your parked car, and as a bonus, a speaker you brought along to play music while you worked.
Alone, at last...
When the door opened, you found the redhead wearing a casual outfit consisting of dark blue jeans and a black half-tucked in blouse. Oh, and her face, how you missed that face.
"Hey..." You greeted her, with palpable enthusiasm.
"Hi," she replied, and noticed the speaker in your hand, arching her eyebrow. "I found out last week that you and I have a lot of bands in common."
Wanda let out a gasp of surprise, "Oh, please do come in!"
You laughed briefly, and as you were about to enter your equipment to take it towards the kitchen, Wanda snapped her fingers, and it disappeared.
"Wanda, what the hell?" You exclaimed, looking at her with your widened eyes, had she just disappeared all your belongings?
"Relax, they're in the kitchen."
"That skill of yours would’ve come in handy last week too," you commented, walking into her house.
"It was fun watching you run in and out," she shrugged. "But today you earned it, because of the music."
"I see, I have to earn it?!" You exclaimed, feigning indignation. Really, she could have pulverized your expensive equipment in front of you, and you'd still thank her.
Once both of you entered the kitchen, your reflectors were already in the same position as always. And on the other side, the ten dishes were already hot and ready to be photographed.
"And what would I possibly have to do next week to earn that help from you?" you asked, resuming the topic you had discussed earlier.
"Mmmm..." she muttered, in a way that almost made you weak in the knees. She watched you from head to toe making you feel exposed to her as if she had ripped your clothes to shreds and left you standing there, naked and at her mercy. But you were still completely covered. "... I think you've earned it,” your reaction alone was enough reward to her.
“Thanks, I guess,” you cleared your throat.
You picked up the speaker, and turned it on, placing it in a place in the kitchen where it would not interfere. Your hands were shaking, and you could have sworn that Wanda was watching you with amusement, while you avoided her gaze at all costs.
You grabbed your phone, and played the playlist you had prepared for this moment. "A Star-Crossed Wasteland" by In This Moment was the first to come on.
"Oh, I love that song like you have no idea," Wanda exclaimed, closing her eyes and frowning as she passionately listened to that intro. "That album, in general..."
"It's in my top three," you commented.
"Hell yeah! Now we're talking!" She exclaimed, raising her hand offering you a high-five.
"I'm not that old school," you shook your head, chuckling.
Wanda rolled her eyes, and took your wrist, giving herself a high five with your hand.
"Good girl," she praised you, and you swallowed dryly. At the words, and at the fact that this was the first time you'd ever touched her. "What's your top three?" she asked, acting so nonchalantly after flustering the hell out of you.
“Tell me yours first,” you proposed. You couldn’t even think of your favorite three albums of one of your favorite bands.
"Black Widow, GODMODE, and A Star-Crossed Wasteland, she answered, almost without thinking. It amused you to imagine she'd spent her whole life for someone to ask her that question. "And yours?"
"Black Widow is my favorite, too," you agreed. "Blood, and A Star-Crossed Wasteland."
"Oh, two in common and in the same position," she pointed out, smiling. "If the new album hadn't been so good, it would agree with Blood, too…”
For the rest of the evening, the focus was on your favorite bands, as they played in the background.
You finished faster than last week, as Wanda was willing to use her powers for you to just arrange the background and take the pictures, instead of searching in every corner of the kitchen - you only had to ask, and it appeared.
“Alright, we're done...” she concluded, excited. “Now, let me pack this food and put it in the fridge,” and with a snap of her fingers, it was already packed and subsequently perfectly placed inside the fridge.
“Impressive,” you exclaimed, not ceasing to show your admiration, just like every time she used her powers. If you didn't look so cute, Wanda would have grown irritated at you a long time ago.
“Now, I owe you a dinner,” she said. She never told you, but she was so eager to finish quickly because that way, when her sons returned from the internship, you and her would have spent a significant time together.
The food Wanda made for you was... you didn’t even believe that the accurate word to describe it even existed.
The sensations you experimented had you mindlessly closing your eyes, trying to memorize this magnificent meal, absorbing it all in. You had tried a lot of different restaurants and foods, but none like this, oh they wished they were even close to what you tasted.
This was more than just eating. It was a demonstration of peak exquisite cuisine. This was about more than just sating hunger. It was about the delight of tasting food prepared with passion.
And... just as Wanda was leading you out of the door, you noticed that it opened, and you met who you knew was Tommy.
"Oh, finally I have the pleasure to meet the famous (Y/N)," was the first thing he said. So Wanda... "Billy hasn't shut up about you."
You forced a smile, "That's... nice," you hesitated. "I have a feeling he's going to be a great friend, and I hope you are too."
Tommy noted the intent of your response but decided to reply, "Of course," with a small chuckle. "In fact, you should come play tennis with us next Saturday."
"Oh, I don't know how to..."
"I'll teach you," Wanda quickly interjected, and that hope in her eyes made your decision easier in an instant.
"Well... will you send me the address?" I asked.
"Rest assured."
When you said goodbye to Wanda and Tommy, Billy was climbing the steps to the doorway, and he smiled broadly at you.
"Hi, (Y/N)!" He exclaimed happily. "Have you eaten yet? If not, we can go eat something and catch up."
Oh, how kind he was...
"Thank you, your mom and I already had dinner."
It was Saturday, and you were walking around the room in your apartment. Your best friend, Kate, was already starting to get dizzy.
"Kate! It's a country club!" You exclaimed, for probably the twentieth time. "People there probably eat pizza with silverware, and know the use of all ten thousand kinds of forks. I won't fit in..."
"It's just a tennis game! I'd understand if it was golf, but tennis?! You'll be fine!" She groaned.
"I look ridiculous..." you shook your head, looking at yourself in the mirror. "I mean, what is this cap? And why all white? Am I getting baptized or something?"
"Hey! Do you want to fit in? This is the outfit," she countered. "You look hot, surely Wanda will drool over you when she sees those legs," she cheered you up
"Surely it will be Billy," you sighed, disappointed.
"Wanda too, from what you've told me..."
"No, this is one of the situations where I'm misinterpreting a hint of validation from an older, beautiful woman," you quickly denied. "And as always, my best friend is encouraging my delusions."
"Really? Name one situation."
"That Italian woman who I photographed with her family for several Christmas sessions?"
"Ha! She looked at you funny."
"Yeah, that's why she turned down my invitation to dinner when I finally found the courage, saying I knew she had a husband and kids."
"Uhm... she refused just because she had a husband and kids, not because she didn't like you!" She quickly justified, and you couldn't help but laugh, forgetting for a moment the nerves that were eating at you.
#wanda maximoff#wanda maximoff x reader#wanda maximoff x you#wanda maximoff x y/n#wandavision#marvel
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HALF OF YOU
PAIRINGS: tashi duncan x f!reader, art donaldson x f!reader, patrick zweig x f!reader
SUMMARY: No matter how bright Tashi Duncan shined, her best friend, Milan Mikaelson, wasn’t far behind. Though seeming to be second best, Milan would never let that define her career. Holding as much fame as Tashi, Milan encountered Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson. Would this encounter change the trajectory of her life, and would her relationship with Tashi Duncan be completely altered from it?
WARNINGS: challengers spoilers, reader is milan mikaelson, sexual situations, potential smut, language, angst, plot alterations.
WC: 482
NOTES: hey! this is my first story, so pls be gentle LOL. still learning my way around posting on tumblr, so would love to learn tips and tricks! i decided to write this out of boredom and a severe hyper fixation. wanted to test the waters and just post the intro to toe the line! i hope you all enjoy! 💋
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INTRODUCTION: NOTHING CAN BE KEPT FROM ME
CHALLENGERS TOURNAMENT, NEW ROCHELLE - 2019, 1:00 PM
The sun beating down brutally on my skin must have had a death wish for me. Sitting on these uncomfortable bleachers, my designer dress stuck to my thighs, and my feet burned in my red-bottomed heels.
The top of my head burned from both the sun’s rays and all the crowd members shooting feeble glances at me and the person sitting to my left.
Pulling down my expensive sunglasses, my eyes moved back and forth quickly at the match in front of me.
Patrick Zweig versus Art Donaldson. Never thought I’d see this again in all my existence.
Sighing, I brushed my hair out of my face and leaned to my left to whisper to the person sitting next to me.
“Tash, Patrick’s gotten pretty good…” I observed as I turned to her and stared through my tilted sunglasses.
She only responded by crossing her arms and curtly nodding, too engrossed in the game to give a damn about my observation.
Reaching my hand up to my mouth, I bit one of my perfectly manicured nails and turned my attention back to the match at hand.
Studying both boys' motions, my eyes stayed trained on the net separating them. I truly don’t know who I wanted to win. Too many factors were clouding my mind and inflicting my sense of judgment.
Sucking on my teeth I trailed my eyes over to Art Donaldson. My best friend's husband. Complicated situation there and I couldn’t be bothered to give two fucks.
Yeah, right…
Shifting my gaze, my eyes landed on Patrick Zweig. A forgotten piece in my and Tashi’s puzzle.
An untrue assumption.
“Fuck…” Tashi cursed under her breath and snapped me out of my thoughts. When I looked up, I saw Patrick had just scored a point on Art.
Nodding in acceptance, I kept my eyes trained on Patrick, who ended up sharing the same gaze, a small smile on his face.
Giving him a curt nod I looked back over to Art, who had resorted to pacing to calm his nerves. Typical Art.
“It’s fine,” I mumbled, patting Tashi’s thigh as my eyes focused back on the net.
“It’s not,” She snapped and reached down to grip my hand. “He has to win…” She trailed off before pushing her sunglasses fully up on her face.
The only thing I could do was hum at this. I would never open my mouth to defy Tashi when it came to tennis… or Art.
Especially Art.
Looking back at Art, I noticed he was already looking toward Tashi and me but was staring at the wrong person. He was looking right at me, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t observe.
I nodded at him, lips pursed, as my mind clouded with two things.
I know every single terrible thing Tashi Duncan has done to betray Art Donaldson, and Art Donaldson knows, too.
#challengers#challengers fanfic#art donaldson#art donaldson x reader#patrick zweig#patrick zweig x reader#tashi duncan#tashi duncan x reader#zendaya#mike faist#josh o'connor#fanfic#best friend relationship#romance#challengers movie#challengers 2024#challengers x reader
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Hello! i'd made sure to read through your pinned posts before asking this, so i hope it's not come up already, but how do you feel about characters (esp in anime) who have dark/tan skin and white (usually straight) hair? I've seen a pattern of it with a few characters, in particular the character of Noe in The Case Study of Vanitas and Miriko in My Hero, and was wondering if you'd have any thoughts on these sort of designs!
Thank you for your time, and if you've answered something like this before/don't feel comfortable with the question, please lmk!
Well, you said you read through my stuff first, so I'm sure you can guess a little on what I'm gonna say. I actually have a redesign of Miriko AND Noe, my pretty boy. Gave them both afro textures and rounder noses. Personally, I'd feel less annoyed by it if they gave the characters textured hair and made them unambiguously Black 🤣
Jokes aside. The issue is that for the many artists that give their characters this design, they're doing it because they think it "looks prettier" than what regular Black people look like. They're not actually doing it with the intent that "this is my Black character", it's "this is my character with brown paint bucket". Hell, every time I see Miriko in fan art, she gets lighter and lighter.
And while yeah, I enjoy unnatural colors on Black characters, if you never draw Black characters unless they... Don't have Black features... 😐😐 We have a problem! We may need to check our biases to determine if we feel lesser about Black features! Why did you do it? Is there an in story reason for your character to have these particular features that we're less likely to have? (For example, my OC Philia's eyes are green because they're supposed to reflect her (white) father's. He's supposed to be looking into the mirror of his own soul, his own life, when he looks at her. It's for storytelling and symbolism. I didn't just do it because I thought she'd look "better" with them.)
Your Black characters shouldn't have to have light eyes or straight blonde or white hair to be deemed "cool enough to include". Black features are not a monolith, there's an infinite number of ways we can look. If none of those are somehow pretty or good enough for you... Again, we may need to check our racist and colorist biases.
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In recent weeks, @puzzled-zebra got me into the anime (and manga) Ancient Magus' Bride.
Before I say any more, I want to say I've only seen the first season's worth so far! So please no spoilers beyond that!
I am far from being an anime enthusiast. I've tried a few different ones in the past, but very few stuck with me, and I've only seen one or two all the way through.
But AMB has gripped me hard... and I think a large part of that is just how many parallels there are to Jamie's story. I don't know if that makes me self-centered, but it's a story that feels familiar yet very different, and just makes me happy in its own right. Come for the parallels, stay for the beautiful art, charming characters, and intriguing story! ^w^
Anyway, I've made a couple artworks centered around AMB, but I'm gonna put them under a read-more for different reasons.
Some warnings for the below:
1; Painting of a semi-realistic canine skull. I feel like it could creep people out, so I wanted to be cautious about it. ^^
2; SPOILERS for AMB; Season 1, Episode 8 and beyond of the Anime and the equivalent portion of the manga.
But before that, here's a completely safe page of Woolybug doodles~
AKA a Normal/Bug type Pokemon lol
I wanted to do a painting, and brain said it would be fun to try Elias' skull head.
It was very fun, but also... a pain... as you can imagine...
It's a painting of a panel redraw. :>
Context for this next thing (this is the spoiler part);
The person on the right, who is a black fae dog who's seen here in human form, is becoming the Familiar of Chise, the person on the left. Because it's a Magic Bond™, there was a whole big cinematic to-do around it.
It gave me a silly thought.
I feel like that bit can only be fully appreciated by AMB fans, but I wanted to include it anyway. X3
I've got half a mind to list out all the parallels Zebra and I have noticed, but that'll be a later project. ^^
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it makes me very sad that we never seem to get till's perspective on the story... his rs with mizi is so underexplored when it literally constitutes a core aspect of his character (and this in turn lead to some uncharitable interpretations by those who want ivans love to be requited and well, the fandom in general), we barely even know abt his dynamics with other characters besides Ivan (and even that isnt told through his eyes), his past is just visible through glimpses etc. there's just so. Little about him. And yet he's such an interesting and complex little guy, i really really hope now that king yaoi the third's arc has concluded, we finally get some till crumbs bc im starving. or maybe the authors just downright hate him lmao
I've thought about this for quite a while!
I agree! Unlike the rest of the cast, Till doesn't have his own content where he states his thoughts and emotions (like Mizi's monologue, the Hyuna and Luka comic, Ivan's confession comic, the Mizisua interview + all other interviews). In many pieces of official art, Till is either a supporting character or comic relief, rarely in the focus. Although we saw a bit of him in the contents leading up to (and the few arts after) ROUND 6, ultimately they were centered on Ivan.
We've yet to hear from Till himself, to understand his thoughts from his own words and not from the perspective of other characters. On the rare occasion the focus is on him, it's devoted to his adoration for Mizi.
His relationship with Mizi underexplored... I mean, it is, but I feel that was intentional. Despite all his attachment to Mizi, he never actually managed to get close to her (although he spent a majority of his childhood trying). The goodbye letters reveal Till's regret at this fact, and from other pieces of content we can see that he was always too shy and afraid to approach her. His love for Mizi seems shallow and underdeveloped because, well, that's kind of just how it is. He's in love with the image of her he admired from afar. It's puppy love to the highest degree, but you know how humans in ALNST are. They'd completely break themselves down for love.
Funnily, this all seems in character for Till. We don't get to hear his thoughts because he's too rebellious for an interview. His most significant presence in the comics are when they are Ivan-centered, we lack his perspective because the moment always matters more to Ivan than it does to Till. His relationship with Mizi is underdeveloped because he himself has an underdeveloped understanding of her.
Okay, I know I keep going on about "oh we never get to hear Till's side!", but I acknowledge the fact that with Till, they seem to be going with a more "show, not tell" angle. We can't gauge how his thought process works through monologue, but the little things he does can say a lot about him (Crying over his lost recorder, a gift from Mizi. Picking fights when flowers are treated cruelly. Encouraging a wilting flower to keep surviving). He's not one for long monologues anyway, Till follows his heart through passionate action. Still, I really hope to one day have a comic narrated by him, something to put us in his perspective.
And on the last note, don't even worry about the authors hating him! I find it so funny to hear that, actually. QMENG and VIVINOS adore Till. He's actually QMENG's favorite! They love him so much they inserted themselves into a meme fangirling over him.
That's them right there. For their baby boy. Anyways, hopefully we can learn more about Till now that he's the only survivor left in the competition to face Luka. Apparently, they've had ROUND 7 planned for a really long time now. Both excited and nervous to see how it goes!
#alnst#alien stage#alien stage till#alnst till#i might not have worded myself properly here#but yeah!#asks
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I haven't said too much on the QSMP situation so I am going to try to at least share my thoughts, as of right now.
First of all : thank you to everyone in this project who did their best through adversity and a corrupt management, you all deserve the world.
To the eggs & capys & penguins & every other admin I will remember the characters you gave us for the rest of my life. Thank you, this past year has been one of my best creativity-wise and I have written nearly as much for this fandom as I did DSMP. You taught me a lot about character writing and found families in times of chaos, I will always think of you fondly.
Now, I want to discuss a few of the things I am disappointed with.
Starting off with how the egg arc ended.
Stories, to have full meaning and impact to me, leave the endings at a point where you want what's best for the characters. You want a chance to see the character development bloom [Hideduo mainly] and having it be so abrupt left us all reeling. It was so awfully familiar as someone who came from DSMP, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I do not blame the admins or ccs one bit here.
It's more...I wish there had been at least one last hurrah. Something Avengers level where we watched them all team up, clear out the Federation and maybe the Watcher too, and leave peacefully. Something that gave them all that one last interaction, a reminder of how through trials and trouble anyone on that island would have given their life for any child, their own or otherwise.
Every single person who woke up on that island went through development and due to miscommunication and watching the server slowly perish for months, it feels horrific to watch them all die one by one without being able to see the fruits of their labour. I am begging for fan made content to fill the hole in my heart left by that ending.
It hurts so much because I loved them all so deeply.
I mained Death Family content because I came into this fandom as a crow and adored how their little unit came to be. A son and a daughter with their damaged father who always did their best for one another. Sure, only one *maybe* was good at communication but they all tried. The effort was there. And the old crow hermit on the wall slowly became one of the most trusted members of the island due to the dedication for his family and friends.
Then I slowly became interested in FitMC's content after watching him hang out with Phil for months, and became a huevito instantly. The relationship he created in /rp with Pac was the first time in a long time I allowed myself to indulge in romance-based content [coming from a former SBI main, that should make sense]. I still remember the panic seeing the shipping art covering my timelines and checking boundaries before I realised this was something they both encouraged.
Fit and Pac came to represent a lot in my heart ; two damaged people moving at the pace both decided in order to form the family neither of them ever had. An ex prisoner and a veteran of toxic wastelands found home in one another's lives, enough they allowed their precious children to become bonded with their significant other.
They never said I love you, instead showed it through acts of service and protecting each other without question. They may not have kissed but they were always beside each other within the same space, only a short step away in case either needed support.
I will miss you forever, your characters were fantastic. I hope there are many more collabs in the future, your dynamic means a ton to a lot of people now.
Same goes to many more characters on that island I don't have the energy to do full write ups on but please know, you occasionally show up in my thoughts and another wave of mourning what I love passes over me. Death and Rosa Family were the ones I fixated on, nearly instantly, and I will create using them for a long time. I want to write their characters in a way that satisfies me, I still have to match my level of DSMP writing and beyond after all.
I want to also send appreciation to the streamers I found because of QSMP, it did what was intended and broke language barriers in ways I will forever be grateful to the translations mods that are becoming more common so I can still watch their content.
Cellbit, Baghera, Etoiles, PacTW, Mike, Roier, Luzu, you all are so cool! I enjoy your content and can't wait to watch more in the future.
Philza, Tubbo, Foolish, Charlie Slimecicle, Jaiden, Badboyhalo, FitMC, some of you I knew before and some I got to know better now, I adore you all.
All I hope for at this point is any future project takes what needs to be learned from watching this server slowly implode and please treat your employees right. Especially in creative ventures, we need the hope there can be confidence people are being treated right behind the scenes.
And to any of the QSMP CC's, I beg there are gaming collaborations and meetups in the future. You all have fantastic chemistry and I hope the families that were formed can continue to support each other.
To the admins. Thank you. I could say it a thousand times over and it would never be enough. You endured literal purgatory because you loved the plots and people so much, you deserve only the best in your future.
I intend to indulge in the egg content for the forseeable future, even if at this point I will just be VOD watching but there are still a few POV's I have wanted to watch in full and now seems like the best time. I do have several WIP I wish to finish and they make perfect inserts if I ever need characters for any new plots I imagine in the future.
Saudade QSMP Egg Arc 2023-2024. You taught me a lot within the short period of a year, you united many communities and heres to hoping we stick together long into the future.
I am sorry for the long post, I needed to spill my thoughts somewhere and tumblr's blogging format is ideal.
Let’s keep creating content surrounding the eggs and families we now miss. I understand if many move on but to me, this interest is one I will remember forever and happily talk about to anyone willing to hear me out. Just like Techno, they live on through me as long as I remember them.
#qsmp#wrenrambles#qsmp discourse#hideduo#fitpac#qsmp philza#qsmp chayanne#philza#qsmp lullah#qsmp fitmc#qsmp discussion#qsmp eggs#death family#rosa family#qsmp pactw#qsmp ramon#qsmp richas#its so disappointing that two servers I loved fell apart due to management#how hard is it to communicate and treat others fairly#please#i can't keep having my heart broken like this#qsmp egg arc#qsmp ending#qadmin situation#qsmp admins#qsmp admins situation#cellbit#baghera jones#etoiles#pactw
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05/17-18/2024 Daily OFMD Recap
TLDR; Rhys Darby; Nathan Foad; Kristian Nairn; SaveOFMD Crew; Int'l Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Intersexphobia, Biphobia; Uproar; Fan Spotlight; Mermay; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika
Hey crew, sorry yesterday and today have been busy ones for me, so we're doing a joint day again. Hope you're all doing well the beginning of this weekend!
== Rhys Darby ==
Rhys just getting to be his goofy self, which we love so much.
Source: Rhys Darby's Tiktok
== Nathan Foad ==
Nathan out for a boat ride with his co-stars of Love's Labours Lost. They had their last showing recently, and there are lots of dedications out there to Nathan and this wonderful cast! Gratz Nathan! Can't wait to see what you do next!
Source: Nathan Foad's IG Story
Wow Nathan's been busy!! Greta Gerwig will be available on Vimeo on May 31st!
Source: Marybeth Barone's Instagram
ALSO I've been meaning to post this for days, but I'm finally getting around to it. Have you seen the ADHD Short Film Nathan was in?
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Source: Nathan Foad's IG Stories Days ago
== Kristian Nairn ==
Kristian's joined the list! Kristian, Con, Nathan, and Vico will all be at Galaxy Con in Raleigh NC July 25-28, 2024! Ticket here.
Source: Kristian Nairn's IG
The latest episode of Kristian's podcast Spektrum is OUT NOW!
You can find links to listen on his Linktree!
Source: Kristian Nairn's IG
== Rosy Maple Moth Pie ==
Hey lovelies! Did you miss out on Samba's baking class? Good news! You can access it now on the Momentus website! You can also access the recipes here.
== Int'l Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Intersexphobia, Biphobia ==
Our dear friends over at These Thems posted a tribute to Int'l Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Intersexphobia, Biphobia. It was yesterday-- sorry for the delay.
To learn more about this day, you can visit UNFPA
Source: These Thems Instagram
== Save OFMD Crew ==
Pride month is approaching and Save OFMD Crewmates would love your feedback on how you'd like to help show Max, other streamers, the media, and the world that we NeverLeft! Fill out their survey here.
Source: Save OFMD Crewmates Tumblr
== Uproar ==
Still havent gotten to see Uproar? It's available on Amazon to Rent and Buy! Uproar on Amazon
Source: Blue Fox Entertainment's IG Stories
== Articles ==
So I thought I posted this back on the 16th with the trends but I guess not! So here's that article, you all have probably already seen it, but if not here you are:
‘Our Flag Means Death’ fans launch #DontStreamOnMax campaign, want David Zaslav fired
Robert Reich: How To Make $50 Million A Year While Your Corporation Goes Down The Tubes – OpEd
== Fan Spotlight ==
= Cast Cards =
Today's Cast Card is for the brilliant composer Mark Mothersbaugh! Thank you @melvisik and to the tumblr requester for including this fantastic guys work!
= OFMD Colouring Pages =
More colouring pages from @patchworkpiratebear. I feel like we need a bound book once these are complete. There's just so many fun ones.
Source: Patchwork Pirate Bear's Tumblr
= MerMay =
Can I just say that I am loving seeing how everyone's Art has developed over the past month? It's really cool to see slight changes in style/included details! You all are just so dang talented! <3
= SpencerDoesArt =
More catch up mermay prompts from our darilng crewmate SpencerDoesArtt over on Instagram, they've got some really cool stuff please check them out if you have an IG!
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= Snejpowa =
@snejpowa Love you have been just stepping it up with all these gorgeous Mermay prompts. Calypso is stunning~~
Day 17: Have you ever been sketched? / Day 18: Calypso's Birthday
= ErosTheArtist =
More prompts from @erostheartist - I am loving the colour contrast on these, they're so pretty <3
Day 13: Roads to Moscow Day 16: Kraken
= Blueberreads =
Eeeeee I didn't know I needed little pixel Ed drawings, but now that I have them I love them so much. I went them as stickers for my water bottle or something. Look at the little Ed-Gull. I'm dying @blueberreads these are so adorable.
Day 17: Have you ever been sketched? / Day 18: Calypso's Birthday
== Love Notes ==
Hey Lovelies <3 I hope you're having a wonderful start to your weekend (or mid weekend, wherever you are).
Tonight I'd like you to take a few moments to repeat after me, okay?
It won't take long.
"I am beautiful"
"I am kind"
"I am loving"
"I am worthy"
"I am a force to be reckoned with"
"I deserve rest"
"I deserve love"
"I am enough"
You are all those things. It's easy to forget sometimes how hard we work and how far we've come. You are so many wonderful things lovelies. Remember to tell yourself that once in a while. You deserve recognition from others, but also from yourself. You are so brilliant, and you continue to surprise and delight us all every day. Rest well <3
A few more love notes from some lovely folks on instagram, feel free to visit them below :)
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== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==
Tonight's theme is just goofy headwear I guess. Now we know how Rhys keeps his hair so silky smooth.
Gifs Courtesy of some of the most darling folks: @fandomsmeantheworldtome and @meluli
#Instagram#ofmd daily recap#kristian nairn#rhys darby#nathan foad#samba schutte#rosy maple moth pie#ofmd news#samba's cooking class
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Guys I’ve been so busy this weekend but it’s finally my turn to make a long sappy fable thank you post :D
I’m not always the best with words, and I said a lot of this in the fan appreciation video already, but I wanted to put it all here too.
I first started watching fable smp in (I think)November of 2021, cause I found Sherbert and Heyhay through DSMP tiktok compilations on youtube, and saw they both streamed. Fable is the first time I’ve actually been part of a fandom community, and it’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me. My whole experience with the community has been so incredible, everyone is so kind and creative and excited about the story being told. I met people through fable who are now some of my best friends on earth, and even got to meet up with one of them irl! I never imagined an online friend group was something I could have but those people, and the wider fable community, helped get me through some of the worst times mentally that I’ve had in my life.
Fable as a story is so incredible, I can’t even put into words all of the specific pieces that make it so amazing, but all of the characters, relationships, stories, side plots, and just silly hanging out in character streams are something I love so much. I’m having a hard time writing this rn cause I don’t want to leave out anything important but I don’t know how to say any of it.
One of the biggest things fable smp has done for me is giving me something to fuel my art. Before fable started, I was just starting to experiment with digital art, but had a ton of art block and no motivation to draw much anymore. Fable gave me a constant source of ideas for my art, and the responses I got when I posted my art(for the first time ever) helped so much in keeping that motivation. Having fans and cast members tell my how much they loved my art was incredible, and it eventually gave me the confidence to open up art commissions, which I had never thought was something I’d be able to do. My art was actually how I met my now friends, we started talking because we all loved eachother’s art, and it’s so wonderful to have a bunch of artist friends I can ask for advice, show wips, and just hang out on call while drawing with. Whenever I draw I almost always have a fable vod playing, there are so many comfort vods that no matter how long I draw for, I’ll never run out.
I know other people have said this, but I want to say it for me too, just because fable is over doesn’t mean I’m gonna shut up about it :D. I have so many art ideas I haven’t done yet, and so many thoughts and feelings about this story that aren’t going away anytime soon. I’m gonna keep brainrotting about these characters for as long as my brain allows me to, and even after that I’ll look back on this story and community so so fondly. This is a story and fandom that I think I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, and I thank you all for that.
There is a lot of other things I could say right now, but words are hard and I’ve had a very, very long weekend, so I’m gonna stop it here. I love fable smp so much, and I can’t wait to see what stories you all tell next <3
-arlo
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Art Imitates Life
Had this idea in my back pocket for what must be a few months now, but after Akumu_Oukoku’s wonderful ‘Weiss is silly’ meme, I thought I’d finally put this one together. That, and I wanted to make a little something to celebrate White Knight’s glorious victory in Ship Wars 8! The hordes of r/fnki well and truly descended upon the tournament, and all the better for White Knight!
I think there were a few folks on the regular sub that hadn’t quite realized just how popular White Knight had become within the community, but fnki itself has turned into something of a fortress for the ship, and the results of the tourney speak for themselves. White Knight really wound up dominating, becoming champion by an overwhelming margin, and with just Lancaster and Nuts & Dolts putting up strong competition in the previous rounds.
I’m impressed, and super stoked. It’s really something special seeing White Knight come out so strong after so many years treated as a pariah, having never before made it past the first round but now becoming the champion. The stars had aligned, really. The final round taking place on Weiss’ birthday, White Knight winning the championship being the perfect gift. Volume 9 had given the ship strong foundations to stand on. We can see that expressed in not only the various memes put out over time, but also in the A-Jaune-da alliance and numerous comments inundating the polls in order to promote the ship. White Knight shippers really had an incredibly strong messaging campaign this tournament, I might say no one else came close, and we always kept it positive. Everyone involved should feel proud.
Now, as for this meme, I chose these six characters (and Weiss) because I found it rather appropriate that they have all to some extent shipped White Knight in canon. Jaune, of course, is an obvious one. The story is littered with examples for him all the way through. Similarly, Weiss has been growing fonder of Jaune throughout the show, but Volume 9 saw her interest revealed in a very pronounced manner. Nora has the most tenuous claim here, having shared few moments with Weiss. However, Nora has a moment in Volume 5 where she teases Weiss about liking Jaune’s nickname, going on to tease the Ice Queen about her thawed heart.
Oscar, of course, gets his absolutely stoked look that he throws at Jaune when Weiss accepts Jaune’s invitation to the movies. Like, Oscar is just so happy for his big bro. Blake has a moment or two over the course of the show, notably her happy little glance between Jaune and Weiss at the Argus reunion, her smug look at the ~mature~ line, and how she perks up at Weiss’ giggle with Jaune about his restored youth. No real surprise there, since Blake is actually Jaune’s offscreen super-secret best friend. Yang herself throws a little dating advice Jaune’s way, and gets her ‘one day’ line, when our boy was down in the dumps following a rejection or two. She points out to Weiss that her harshness rejecting Jaune is the sort of thing that earned her the Ice Queen nickname. And, like Blake, Yang gets her own smug look following the ~mature~ line. Then there’s my most controversial addition to this list, Pyrrha. After all, she did walk Jaune through how to ask Weiss to the dance.
Yes, this was all an excuse for me to make a post about every little scrap from the show suggesting the characters ship White Knight. If anyone can think of any more, feel free to share. Maybe Cindere killing Jaune’s rival love interests, yet her attempts on Weiss’ life seem to have only helped Jaune and Weiss grow closer, hmmm. Well, I hope you all enjoy, I had good fun making it!
#rwby#jaune arc#weiss schnee#rwby white knight#white knight#rwby whiteknight#whiteknight#nora valkyrie#oscar pine#pyrrha nikos#blake belladonna#yang xiao long#jaune arc x weiss schnee#fnki#rwby memes#memes#rwby volume 5 spoilers#rwby volume 6 spoilers#rwby volume 7 spoilers#rwby volume 9 spoilers
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The Monkey King - Sun Wukong who first appears in Chinese stories (Journey to the West) during the Ming Dynasty period 1368 to 1644 CE, well after the introduction of Buddhism to China in about 206-220 CE.
But, was he inspired by another Monkey hero/character of myth?
The prevailing and dominant theory among Asian scholars is ...yeah, likely.
That character, Hanuman, king of the monkeys (the monkey people -Vanaras- of Vedic myth!).
The story follows a Buddhist monk who is accompanied by Sun Wukong and others to travel west to India to obtain sacred Buddhist sutras. Many of their powers and personality traits are similar as well.
We know that Vedic god such as Indra have made their way as far as Japan to take root and be worshipped because of the spread of Buddhism.
As I've talked about before and is shown in texts such as the journey's of Ibn Battuta / Ibn Fadlan, storytelling was a weapon and powerful tool for idea transfer--propagation. Philosophy was huge in the old world - and places such as Nalanda - the first residential university in the world - invited scholars from all over such as Greeks from the west, and the Japanese. Buddhism became a vehicle for trading things such as: martial arts information, medicine, sciences, and of course, myths and stories.
However, as with stories, people usually altered/coopted elements and molded them to better suit their cultures and fancy. That's a thing as old as time. I've shared how the panchatantra stories and jatka tales are thought to be the inspiration for nearly 30-50 percent of all nursery rhymes, ballads, "fairy tales".
Anyways back to this theory - Chinese Indologist Professor Liu Anwu of Peking University has dedicated chapters to the comparisons (in one of his works) to further break down this theory focusing on consistent and or similar depictions of beats in Journey to the West that of Rama's story in Ramayama and the Buddhist sutras.
Even though today the story of Sun Wukong is a wholly Chinese story - it's important to note the power of oral storytelling and how it travelled evolved over thousands of years, and, just as important, the vehicles it used to do so. Not just storytellers and philosophers and travelers but religion! Philosophy!
This is a theme heavily commented on and shown in Tales of Tremaine, which is my love letter and sort of self PhD. in comparative storytelling, mythology, and story foundry through an Asiatic lens (hence a silk road analog) stretching along a similar route the silk road did from damn near as far as you can east (complete with the oceanic routes) to as west as old venezia, portugal, and spain.
Also note: this is the most popular theory atm, but the operative word is theory. Experts likely far better than you, Internet, so chill before you comment, are still debating this. I know last week some of you were doctors in sociopolitical relations, the music industry before that, and then you were leading virologists before that. Spare us simpler folks from your mighty genius just now and sit down.
The point here is the beauty of stories and their ability to travel and morph and comment on themes/points ideologies important to cultures while being entertaining and showing that humans like certain universal moments, beats, archetypes, tropes, and progressions in tales.
Now, is that because we've naturally been predisposed liking them, or the opposite in that everyone went, yo, i dig this, took it home and someone else went, this is cool but needs to be more US (insert culture) and retold it. And thus...timemachine noises speed up. Here we are today?
You might not know that about 35,000 Chinese words ( I said this instead of Mandarin because they don't just show up in one language) are derived from Sanskrit as well as Pali (a Middle Indo-Aryan Liturgical Language -- meaning language of sacredness/religious use, in this case connected to sacred Buddhist texts). It is important to make the distinction, because, Internet!
Sanskrit did not SHAPE the Chinese languages. They evolved on their own. This is just a commentary on how words/stories shaped over travel in this case strongly through the spread of Buddhism.
Religion was the mover.
Back from quick bathroom break. Going to add again - INSPIRED is the keyword here.
INSPIRED.
Sun Wukong is his own mythos/character. Influence doesn't nor can claim dominion over everything in a later tale. Sun Wukong has gone on himself to inspire legends and characters Outside of China - re: most famously and legendary?
Son Goku - who is openly a Sun Wukong inspired character.
...hell, tbh, he might be the most famous monkey inspired super powered character now. Dude makes soccer stadiums air his fights. @_@.
#monkey king#monkey king journey to the west#hanuman#buddhist#buddhist monk#sun wukong#vedic gods#Japan#China#chinese legend#storytelling#mythology#myths and legends#asian mythology#mandarin#Sanskrit#pali#chinese language#dbz#dragon ball#dragon ball z#inspired#inspired by#the silk road#silk road retelling#philosophy#philosophers#journey to the west#fairy tales#nursery rhymes
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We Are Back!!! Everyone Please Help Me Welcome @snowbellewells Back to the CSSNS!!!
Your Tumblr and any other applicable names
snowbellewells
How long have you been in the CS/OUAT fandom?
Around 11 years
When did you start shipping Captain Swan?
About as soon as Season 3 got going
What drew you to this event?
Well, I was psyched to be part of something with so many other friends and fic writers I was just getting to know back when the first CSSNS happened, and I was also excited for the possibility of more werewolf CS stories!
What inspired your topic?
I have always loved the original Dracula novel (movie versions, not so much 🫣) and I am actually dumbfounded I never thought of trying it before. Thanks to @kmomof4 for planting the idea in my head, because I didn’t actually know what I was going to do this year before that moment!
If you would like to share a snippet/sneak peek/summary of your fic or artwork, please use the space below.
Emma craned her neck to peer out the small window of the carriage into the black darkness encroaching on all sides as the conveyance careened around sharp curves and stark cliff faces in a way that made her stomach pitch and put her heart in her throat. More than once, her mouth opened to call to the driver, to beg him to slow down, but each time a sudden jolt or swerve had her clenching her teeth and swallowing the words back as she gripped the seat. Pitching wildly from one side of the bench to the other, Emma nearly toppled to the floor repeatedly as they sped on.
The torches at the side of the carriage doors flickered wildly behind their glass sconces, but barely even made pinpricks in the heavily encroaching night all around them; deep blackness which had seemingly swallowed them ever since they left the small gypsy outpost where they had supped just an hour past. Realizing belatedly that she was only becoming more overwrought and anxious the longer they hurtled forward, she tried to lean her head back against the seat and close her eyes rather than staring blindly into nothing, resolutely forcing deep, calming breaths as she did.
Scant moments passed in such a manner before Emma felt her racing heartbeat slow, at least a bit. It was then that a different sort of thrill ran along her spine - different from the chill which had settled over her skin with the horrifying loss of Aurora’s sweet, innocent life and the eerie foreboding which had accompanied her since setting out on this final leg of her path toward the perpetrator of her younger friend’s downfall. This determined trek higher and higher into the isolated Carpathian range seemed weighed more heavily on her spirit with every mile they gained. But they were close now. She could feel it.
Still, regardless of the tightening pit in her stomach and the anxious flutter of her pulse, Emma would not fail to accomplish her part in Killian’s plan. None of them would. They had taken solemn vows. Each one of their number had a role to play. And she was the bait…
For our artists: What kind of art do you like to do? Picsets, painting, digital, etc?
I do Canva picsets.
For our betas: Who/what have you beta'd before, or is this your first time?
I have beta read for CSSNS the last couple summers, and I also occasionally beta for individuals when asked. I really enjoy being part of a story as it is being formed, and getting to talk with another author along the way about ideas, their process, etc.
What are you looking forward to most about participating in this event?
As always, I can’t wait to read the other stories and get to interact with all of those who are still keeping the CS love going strong!!
Welcome back, Marta!!! Your writing is always so descriptive and I have CHILLS reading the snippet above!!! I can't wait for it to drop on Aug 18, as well as your shifter OS on July 19!!
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A future in the making
Burakhovsky, Rated E, 12,499 words. Chapter 1 of 2.
“I have reached a crossroads,” Daniil eventually admits, squinting out against the Steppe with a sigh. “One with no roads to take. No matter where I turn, it will be a walk into the nothingness of unpaved ground. I think I may stay in your Town for a while, yet.”
It’s said in the way he says most things, which is oddly, but Artemy decides to interpret it how he wants to. He steps forward, pulling Daniil into an unresisted if unreciprocated hug. “I’m glad you want to,” Artemy says, realising how true it is. “It is a better Town for having you in it.”
That's a blessing. There are so many things he needs to do, people he has neglected, and it's not until the words are out there that he realised how afraid he'd been of having to fix it all alone.
OR: Turns out, having to rebuild after the apocalypse - and its end - is a slower process than he'd hoped.
OR 2: Artemy just wants his children to be okay. He would also quite like to figure out what the fuck it is he feels towards Daniil, neither of which turn out to be an easy process.
Read it on AO3!
Tags: great that the world didn't end and all but what the FUCK do we do now, Slow Burn, Post-Canon, Hurt/Comfort, Banter, Kissing, Cuddling, Mental Health Issues, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sort of?, as in I am no expert but I believe they all have it, llness Recovery, Sexual Tension, Romantic Tension, Artemy is incredibly tense, Daniil is mostly tense about figuring out how to get kids to like him, Steppe culture, Rebuilding, Socially Awkward Daniil, Socially Awkward Artemy, Turns out a plague is really good at covering up how horrible your people skills are, rated E for future installments, Post-Diurnal
A/N: Before we head on, I want to give a massive shout to the absolutely phenomenal, brilliant and extraordinarely talented @meirimerens , whose headcanons of the Children and their future selves was a massive inspiration for me. Sand Pest is no joke, and I love love love their thoughts on the long-term health effects, with intricate character designs and ever-gorgeous art to boot. Seriously, check it out, I owe half this fic to them and their work.
After much self-debate, I decided this really is a second work after the first, and not so much a 'chapter 2'. With that said, you probably can read this without having read "The future is a house built by people", although I can't guarantee the foundation for Artemy and Daniil's relationship will work flawlessly without it. If that was a story about a single event in their lives and how it pushed them forward, this is about the inevitable flux of limbo that happens after a catastrophe.
The other half of this is mostly written, but I wanted to get this out here. If you'd rather read a finished piece, drop back in a week or so!
#pathologic#burakhovsky#artemy burakh#daniil dankovsky#the haruspex#the bachelor#pathofic#my writing
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i want that red bunny bitch gone
#incredibox#incredibox fanart#arbox#velda#mike staffell#AGH#i love thems so much#and i have so many thoughts and stories and arts#and i wanna MAKE#but FUCK#rb-series is a NASTY BITCH#and i dont wanna support him#i feel bad for hyperfixating but i must :(#i guess separating creator from creation would be ok??? since the only way to *support* him is buying the mod and what not#but like#giving him attention also does that but indirectly#i guess if we beat in the fact hes awful its fine?????#i need help :(#featuring drawings of my human self (:0)#man#i wanna keep drawing them the characters are all so great#i have so many stories and hcs#i wanna share#my brainrot#d'arbox#edit: i have taken the characters#sparks creations
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Wow. That could not have turned out worse.
Part 23 || First || Previous || Next
--Full Series--
This comic will be on Holiday Hiatus this December and January! While on a cliffhanger? What a scam! >:/
#Chara finally realizes something is wrong....very wrong#And you get to see little Chara for all of 2 drawings. wow. You guys are so spoiled uwu#Asriel and Chara bbfs#finally out of that darn tootin' Darkworld! WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR 2 YEARS!!!#LORE TIME LORE TIME. I know Chara is very vague about it but player-human relationships are very personal.#it can be hard to talk about them if you've been possessed yourself. especially with some stigmas around it#chara just wanted a glass of water. why you gotta do this to em#I am so so so happy to get here#the full excitement has faded since I first thought up this scene but It's still one hell of an accomplishment#YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA how many times I reworked this and how many rough drafts I've thrown out the window because of it.#tbh. I may post the 10+ rough pages that will never see the light of day#Im glad I didnt go through with that scrapped plot bc It was too many unneeded pages. I've learned to start condensing in a better way#I am also planning on showing off my Patreon soon :) so I'll be posting complete scrapped story lines over there#deltarune chara timeline#deltarune#utdr#deltarune chara timeline comic#art#my art#bread#chara#asriel#saloon darkworld#darkworld#deltarune au#college chara#college asriel
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Danse Macabre
[Commission]
#dungeon meshi#dungeon meshi spoilers#marcille donato#winged lion#better drawn mdzs#<- art tag I really need to change.#Turns out the secret to drawing better was having someone offer you money to draw.#I jest. I just had a blast with this prompt and I seriously appreciate the commissioner for letting me have the chance to push myself.#And for giving me permission to post! Hi! If you're seeing this: thank you again!#Let me be clear: no I don't quite know where this came from. It just happened. My chakras unblocked for a few hours.#You too can unblock my chakras with money and commission me to draw cool art B*)#We are so far off from when this is relevant so this one is really just for the manga readers. *****Spoiler notes ahead:#So...As someone who read dungeon meshi monthly for many years....I admit to not seeing Marcille becoming the dungeon lord coming#Hilarious too; re-reading and watching the show made me realize that this outcome is pretty strongly foreshadowed.#Ryoko Kui distracts you by putting the focus on Laios being the 'one to break the curse' but nope!#This was the culmination of her goals and desires.#And - for those who did not have to suffer as us monthly readers did:#YES. WE NEARLY ALL THOUGHT THAT MARCILLE HAD TO DIE.#The last 20 or so chapters were a constant spiral of: 'Oh this story isn't going to have a happy ending is it?'#She just keeps losing herself! The winged lion plays her like a puppet and she is his perfect doll! So full of conviction!
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When I was about 14 I thought Endermen were so cool and I'd give them tragic Greek backstories and I wanted to be their friend so bad. They're just existing. They don't like eye contact. They hold blocks just because they can and destroy public property like the god intended. They get overwhelmed and rampage out of their control and probably wonder why there's blood on their hands.
#If this guy is not autism coded I don't know what it is#stimming sounds? dont look at me or I'll freak out? pretty blocks?#i can create so many stories#i have so many thoughts now#endermen#who's interested? probably no one BUT DAMN IT#minecraft art#minecraft#i cant believe im posting minecraft art#after all these years...#minecraft endermen#minecraft fanart#mc#my art#art post#almost a shitpost but not quite#sketches#doodles
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