#it's so great seeing how far i've come in learning this stuff
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spent the day making icons and replying here and there and . . .
i'm really happy with them you guys! this psd is rocking it and i am so proud of myself.
#˚❅‧˚ ⫶ 𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖕𝖑𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊 ⫶ it's my party and i'll cry if i want to.#˚❅‧˚ ⫶ 𝖒𝖞 𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖙𝖘 ⫶ turns out i make things.#it's so great seeing how far i've come in learning this stuff#sometimes it's good to sit and go...i did that#i'm awesome
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Lilia, Epel: Blessing Givers, Curse Breaker
Lilia’s vignettes continue to be gold! He “humble” brags about how his voice is great, he’s sooo adorable, and such an ikemen… (Apparently he realized he was cute because people would give him free stuff and help on his travels and when he first came to NRC!) Best part was definitely when Lilia described cooking for his dorm members and they were “so touched” that they bowed their heads, covered their faces, and/or cried 💀
NOT THEM PUTTING A PICTURE OF MALEFICENT DRAGON FORM ON LILIA'S BIRTHDAY CARD… His vignettes also mention having the strength to overcome “a curse” 😭 Cruel reminders of the tragedy that unfolded in his past, and bis unfulfilled search for a cure for Silver... TWST devs, you sickos/j
A Tale as Old as Time.
Three fairies crowded around a cradle, its curtained hood up to obscure the infant within. Green, pink, blue—each was dressed in a particular color. They glanced at the baby and at each other, mouths agape to discuss their blessings.
Safeguarded within the platinum frame was a celebration of life and a future yet to be told. The fragile start of a brand new story.
Lilia wanted to protect it himself.
“Looks like some fancy shindig.” The remark came from Epel, who gazed upon the same painting. "Erm... I mean, party. That is what it is, right...?"
"They've come to bestow gifts upon a newborn princess. Royal affairs can be a bit stiff, I'm afraid. Can't even show up to one without an invitation! Some hosts are just sticklers for tradition and protocol."
"Oh, I got it!" Epel visibly perked, cheeks appling with pink. "It's a different kind of gathering. Back home in Harveston, they're a lot more informal. Family and all the neighbors coming by with plates of warm food, a makeshift band and folks dancing, catching up by the fire... It's so lively."
Lilia’s lip curled, the corners lifting into a slight smile. "It's good to know that your hometown hasn't lost its charm."
"You've visited before?"
"Once, long ago," the ancient fae chuckled, "when I was still a stubborn and stony-faced youth. The people of Harveston opened their hearts and offered hospitality. From what you've told me, it's clear that the very same spirit from then persists to this day."
"Gosh, really?" Epel puffed up at that, as though he were a peacock flaunting his feathers. "Hehe, wellll, Harveston does have a way of makin' ya feel cozy and right at home, even if yer far away from it!"
"That it does." Lilia's eyes traced the wall of artwork before him. The colors, shapes, and textures. "Twisted Wonderland is so vast and diverse. I've traveled far and wide, experienced a great deal of cultures, yet I always find myself anchored to that one special place called home. There is no comfort like it."
There’s no place like home.
A twinge pulsated in his chest. The pain, marring the nostalgic warmth he bathed in. Lilia did not let it show—not to his underclassman, not this child that stared at him with such eagerness.
He swallowed.
“How do you celebrate in Briar Valley?” Epel asked. “Can you tell me about your traditions too?”
“Kufufu. You’re keen on learning, I see.”
“I didn’t always. I’m sure if you asked Vil, he’d give you a mouthful about how ‘uppity’ and ‘full of myself’ I was at first.” Epel groaned at the thought of another lecture from his dorm leader. “… But recently, I’ve been thinkin’ it’s not too bad to hear about how others experience everything.
“Meemaw—my grandma—goes to the city to sell our farm’s produce. She has to switch up how she talks to speak to the locals. I noticed our mayor too, when he talks to tourists. So learning about new people and cultures can’t be a bad thing.”
Epel’s eyes were wide, sparkling with wanderlust. Wistful and longing for the world that awaited him.
Perhaps Lilia had worn the same expression before, at the moment of his epiphany. When had he realized it? When the elderly couple had draped a blanket over him, when they shared a meal, when they spun him the stories of their lives, or when he sat at the cradle and relived those times to a still dormant Malleus?
The warmth in him expanded, like a gulp of soup trickling down his throat, then splashing in his stomach. It had been a humble broth of vegetables, and yet it satisfied him down to the last drop.
“We’re really not so different,” Lilia explained with a grin. “Food and friends are all you need to have a good time wherever you are.
“However, if you are particularly fortunate, you just may have a guardian fairy descend and give you blessings as well.” He indicated the painting of the three fairies hovering over a cradle. “Like so. I believe this infant was gifted with song, beauty, and…”
“Song and beauty?!” Epel’s expression crinkled. “Who decided on those, the parents?”
“The guardian fairies themselves. They choose what they believe will bring the blessed child happiness.”
“They could’ve given the kid something more…” Epel vaguely waved a hand. “I don’t know, useful? Why not strength so they won’t lose any fights? I’d be happy with some more muscle of my own…”
Lilia laughed, soft and low like a midnight whisper. “Why not indeed.”
Because time steals away everything eventually, hissed a voice in his head. The truth, bare and bitter.
The edges of Lilia’s vision quivered. A memory resurfaced—blink, and he saw himself in the frame, his long shadow cast over the crib. Blink, and that was Silver nestled in the fabric. Blink, and the castle was abandoned and covered in thorns.
A fairy robbing a crib of its cursed child.
“Strength is good to have,” Lilia said slowly, “but it will not last forever. Not many things do.”
Still… If I could have one wish, it would be…
The only force able to break the spell set upon Silver. The one feeling he was certain he was incapable of. A love so pure and honest, it was known to be true.
Something he wasn’t worthy of.
True love.
Not him. Not the grimy, low-born bat of a dubious past—as his most unkind of thoughts would insist.
He was the same as them. He had condemned Silver to walking in the night, had made the decision for him. The instant his hair had turned from pale sunshine to the moonlight of his namesake, it was too late to unwind the clock.
Which had he cast—blessing or curse?
The longer he looked at the painting, the more mocking the gentle, rounded faces of the guardian fairies seemed to become. Guiltless, oblivious beings, they were.
They would never know of his plight.
Lilia scoffed. “If the fairies wanted the child to be happy, they should have granted them that strength.”
That which was impossible for him.
"The power to overcome a curse.”
"... The power to overcome a curse, huh?" Epel quietly mused. "Not even Vil-senpai has that kind of strength--and his unique magic is to cast curses! Until the conditions are fulfilled, it can't be broken."
"That's the trouble with curses," Lilia agreed. "They're finicky, depending on how they're woven. Some may even last a lifetime without ever being lifted. Others may spend their own lives seeking out cures."
The story of his life. He was always searching for something, something, something. Lost friends, how to hatch a dragon's egg, true love to dispel drowsiness.
Now, a happy ending.
Lilia released a sigh through his nose.
If only.
"Well, if magic can't make that wish come true... we'll just have to make it a reality ourselves, won't we?"
#twst#twisted wonderland#Lilia Vanrouge#twst imagines#twst scenarios#Epel Felmier#disney twisted wonderland#disney twst#twisted wonderland imagines#twisted wonderland scenarios#spoilers#something no one asked for#Lilia birthday takeover#the title is a reference to an Equestria Girls song www
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If you are going to make a game here’s some things that might be helpful!
Game engines:
Godot: very new dev friendly and it’s free. Has its own programming language (GDscript) but also supports C#. It’s best for 2D games but it can do 3D also.
Unity: I don’t even know if I should be recommending Unity. It has caused me much pain and the suffering. But Unity has an incredible amount of guides and tutorials. And once you get the hang of something it’s hard to get caught on the same thing again. It also has a great Visual Studio integration and uses C#. I will warn you the unity animator is where all dreams go to die. It’s a tedious process but you can probably get some plugins to help with that.
Unreal: Don’t use it unless you’re building a very large or very detailed 3D game. It also uses C++ which is hell.
Renpy: Made for visual novels but has support for small mini games. It only supports Python iirc. Basically if you’re making a VN it’s renpy all the way otherwise you should look elsewhere.
What to learn: Game design and how to act as your own game designer. As a designer you need to know if a part of your game isn’t meshing with the rest of it and be willing to give up that part if needed. Also sound design is very important as well. If you want to make your own sounds audacity is perfect for recording and cutting up your clips. If you want to find sound effects I recommend freesound.org and the YouTube royalty free music database.
Sadly I can’t recommend a lot of places to learn this stuff because I’m taking Game Development in Uni. So most of my info comes from my lectures and stuff. One of my game design textbooks is pretty good but it’s around $40 CAD. It’s called the game designers playbook by Samantha Stahlke and Pejman Mirza-Babaei if you’re interested (fun fact there’s a photo of Toriel in there)
Anyway sorry for dumping this large ask on you I’m just really passionate about game design and I like to see other people get into it.
please do not apologize I'd never heard half of this stuff so this is super useful!! I've seen some godot tutorials on YouTube although so far I've played around with RPG maker MV (it was on sale. very very fiddly interface, i had trouble getting around it) and gamemaker, which recently became free for non-commercial use (a lot more approachable on first impact but like i said, haven't really done anything substantial in either yet).
mostly, I'm still in the super vague stage. I've got an idea for the main story conflict, the protagonist and their foil, the general aesthetic i want to go for (likely 2D graphics, but it would be cool to make like. small cutscenes in low-poly 3D) but not much else. haven't exactly decided on the gameplay either! it's gonna necessarily be rpg-esque, but I'm not much of a fan of classic turn-based combat so. I'm gonna check out other games and see if i can frankenstein anything cooler :P
#like for example. if i were ever to make a daemo game (knock on wood) i was thinking that it would work out quite well#if i made it a PUZZLE rpg kind if game. since the player character is no longer frisk/chara/connected to the player#and daemo doesn't really have any reason to 1) be possessed or 2) go on murderous rampages#so with a base game like undertale where those ARE crucial parts of player-world interaction I'd have to redirect it elsewhere#it being player input in the story#but I'm not sure puzzles are quite the solutions for this other story....... we'll see#answered asks#SAVE point#thank you so much!
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just a 3am thought for a request that i really want to read, but agedup!lo’ak with avatar!reader. spider has an avatar, reader an spider are close. the Omatikaya clan was having a celebration for (anything you want) spider and reader got up to do a traditional clan dance and Lo’ak got jealous (you can do anything you want whether it be a fluff, smut, etc💙
Why Not Me?
Lo'ak x Avatar! Reader
Warnings: reader is an oblivious queen, Lo'ak is insecure asf, spider and Lo'ak aren't super close in this, alcohol consumption
Here you go! Thought this idea was so cute but I don't think I've been able to do it justice 😭
Lo'ak walked alongside you, lost in his own thoughts as you kept up a steady stream of chatter. It was nice background noise, your voice as familiar to him as Neteyam's or Kiri's. Not that he was purposefully zoning out. Just that you weren't really talking for him to listen. He'd learned that from years of friendship. Sometimes you just needed to let that pretty mouth run itself ragged.
"Oh, and Mo'at asked me and Spider to do one of the traditional dances for the spring hunt ceremony. She wants us to show what we've learned," you said airily, glancing sideways at Lo'ak to gauge his reaction.
The young warrior had stiffened, golden eyes flicking to you, then away when he noticed you were already looking at him.
You laughed a little, confused. "What? What's up?"
Lo'ak shook his head and kept walking, but didn't get far. You caught him by the arm and backed him up against a tree, forearm pressed against his lean chest, which rose and fell a little raggedly beneath your arm, eyes blown wide as he looked down at you.
"Come on, Lo. What's so bad about me doing the dance? Or is it something else? You've been quiet all morning," you prompted, smiling a little, bracing yourself to keep him pinned there.
"It's nothing," he managed finally. Great Mother, how could you not see what you did to him?!
"Sure," you teased, tilting your head, but you stepped back and released him. And back into your sweet, mindless river of babble you went.
But this time Lo'ak listened, heart thudding painfully in his chest. It was dumb to be jealous. So dumb. He didn't even know if you and Spider were dancing together, or were just a part of a bigger dance. But his stomach still shrivelled into a hard little ball at the idea of Spider dancing with you, putting his hands all over you, making you laugh, making you breathless...
How could Lo'ak compare? Spider was built like a fucking tank, almost 10", like Kiri's biological mum Grace. Lo'ak was leaner, only 9"4, 9"5. Taller than his dad, at least, but he still couldn't help feeling totally inferior when standing next to Spider.
When it came to winning your affections, Spider was the obvious superior candidate. Funny, brave, a good hunter, liked by everyone...
It made Lo'ak sick.
"So I asked Spider to help me make a new outfit for the dance, and-" you were saying.
Lo'ak cut you off. "I can help you."
You squinted at him, eyes creasing at the corners in that irresistible way of yours. "You hate weaving and all that stuff. That's why I asked him."
"I want to help," he said stubbornly.
"You're always whining to me when your mum makes you fix something you've torn or worn a hole in. You say it's boring."
"It's not boring. Not to me," he insisted. "Not if it's you."
You blinked. "Okay. I'll tell Spider I don't need him to help anymore. Even if I know you're gonna bail after the first half hour." You punctuated that last bit with a laugh, but all Lo'ak could feel was something in his gut loosening with relief.
Even if Spider did the dance with you, he wouldn't have your attention, attention that was rightfully Lo'ak's, for more than an hour, anyway.
That was the thought that comforted Lo'ak through all the weeks leading up to the ceremony.
When he was helping you make your outfit.
When he insisted on helping you practice the steps, assuring you he knew them better than Spider anyway, even though he'd run away from any of his mother's attempts to teach him traditional dances as a child.
You didn't seem to mind.
And finally, when he was sitting with you mere minutes before you both would have to go to the ceremony and was helping you put on your ceremonial paint.
"You sure you wanna do this?" Lo'ak asked quietly, turning your face towards him as he dabbed paint on your forehead and cheeks gently, golden eyes meeting yours a little hesitantly.
You chuckled. "Course I do. Why? Do you think I'll mess up, after all the practice we've done?"
Lo'ak just shook his head and sank back into silence, not wanting to ruin your good mood with his feelings.
Not that anything really could ruin your mood at this point, it seemed. You were so excited, and as you tugged Lo'ak along behind you to go join the others, he would've smiled if he hadn't been steadily growing more upset.
Only made worse by Spider pushing through the crowd and catching you up in a hug, swinging you in a circle while you shrieked and slapped at his broad chest and shoulders. "You excited?" Spider asked cheerfully, setting you back on your feet and ruffling your braids.
You nodded, grinning back at him while Lo'ak glowered at the side of Spider's head, unable to contain his resentment. "Yeah. Should we go join the other dancers? I think Mo'at wants to see us before we start, anyway."
Spider hummed in confirmation. "Yeah, sure."
"Okay! Bye, Lo. I'll come find you after," you said, turning to Lo'ak and squeezing his elbow warmly.
His expression softened momentarily as he looked down at your happy face. He couldn't ruin this for you. "Yeah, I'll see you after," he murmured, wanting to pull you into a tight hug but not daring to smudge your paint.
You disappeared into the crowd, Spider's arm slung casually around your shoulders, both of you chatting happily.
Lo'ak stood there for a moment, then turned and went in the opposite direction. Preferably in the direction of the nearest alcohol.
Thankfully, one of the other warriors was passing around bottles. It was frowned upon by the elders, but Jake had said it was okay, and so it was okay.
Lo'ak plucked a bottle out of the warrior's hand and tilted his head back, wrapping his lips around the mouth of the bottle and gulping it back. He'd have to be at least a little tipsy to deal with the sight of seeing you with Spider.
Speaking of, Mo'at was calling for everyone to gather around, to create a circle around the fire that had been lit an hour or so earlier and fed steadily until it was a blaze.
Among the dancers, he found your face, glowing with excitement still. He smiled. You noticed him looking and smiled back, giving him a thumbs up before Spider caught you by the elbows and stepped into the dance with you, surrounded by a swirling crowd of equally decorated dancers.
You were radiant.
Twirling, twisting, stepping through the movements like you were walking on air...
And all the while, smiling, smiling, smiling. But at Spider. Not Lo'ak.
His stomach clenched again at the sight of you, whirling around with Spider's hands all over your precious body, without a care in the fucking world.
He had to look away.
"Little bro!" Neteyam's low voice said happily, and familiar hands clasped Lo'ak's shoulders from behind. A kiss was planted atop his head, even if Lo'ak knew instinctively to tip his head back so Neteyam could reach.
Much to Lo'ak's delight and Neteyam's exasperation, Lo'ak had grown to be taller by a good few inches.
"Teyam," Lo'ak grumbled, turning to face his older brother, feeling remarkably like a sulky little kid again.
"Woah, what's with the face?" Neteyam grinned, giving Lo'ak's cheek a light smack, eyes glittering.
Then he found your form in the swarm of dancers and seemed to make the connection. "Ah. Jealous, Lo?" he teased.
"Shut up, bro," Lo'ak grunted, shoving Neteyam's head away while the older man laughed. "S'easy for you to laugh. How would you feel if your mate was out there with Spider?"
"Mo'at asked them to," Neteyam said surprisingly. "They just said no."
Lo'ak admitted begrudgingly that they were brave for that. Mo'at nearly always got her way, on account of being too scary to refuse.
"So you still haven't fessed up?" Neteyam prompted. "It's been years, bro. I'm not saying you're wasting time, but you are wasting time."
"I can't tell them. They'll reject me," Lo'ak said desolately, sitting down on a treestump with a bump, bottle held limply between his knees.
"Come on. Don't be a wuss," Neteyam encouraged, rubbing his knuckles against Lo'ak's head. "They like you. It's obvious. And it was cute when you two were teens, but you're a grown-ass man now, Lo. They're not gonna wait for you forever."
Lo'ak remained silent, not wanting to admit that Neteyam was right.
Neteyam shrugged and sighed. "Ah, whatever. I was just coming over to check on you. My mate thought you looked lonely, sitting here with your bottle all by yourself. Don't get too drunk."
And with that Neteyam left, back to his own mate.
Lo'ak sat there for what felt like forever, sipping slowly from his bottle, seeking out to comfortable buzz of being drunk and not finding it. It just heightened his sick feeling and made him all twitchy, like bugs were crawling up his legs while he sat there waiting for you, watching you enjoy your life without him.
It wasn't that he wanted your whole life to revolve around him. He just wanted to be a part of it. But Lo'ak, you are a part of it, a small voice murmured.
Not in the way he wanted. He wanted to be able to kiss you and hold you and bury his face in your hair, and dedicate his hunts and wins to you without earning pitying looks from the rest of the tribe.
He wanted to be able to see you around other guys and not get jealous because you were all his.
He wanted-
"Lo!" you called, jogging out of the group of dancers, face and body covered in a sheen of sweat, grinning from ear to ear, tail waving happily behind you. Spider followed closely behind, also grinning and sweaty, but bid you goodbye and walked off before you reached Lo'ak.
You crashed into his arms without hesitation, throwing your arms around his neck, trusting him to catch you like always. "Did you watch me, Lo? Did I look okay? Spider thought-"
Lo'ak took a deep breath and tightened his grip on you, locking his arms around your middle and praying this wouldn't be the last time you ever let him near you after what he had to say. "Why is it always Spider?" he interrupted, the words coming out more plaintive than he meant.
You blinked, arms loosening around his neck. "What?"
"I mean-" Lo'ak paused, blushing to the tips of his ears, trying to find the words that would make you understand. "I feel- I feel like you like Spider more than me. And it hurts. We're best friends."
He didn't dare say that he wanted to be more.
Your ears drooped, as did your tail. But, for which he was grateful, you didn't try to free yourself from his embrace. "Spider's like a brother to me. You never used to have a problem with him. Lo, I'm serious. What's going on with you? You've been acting so weird lately."
Lo'ak looked upwards, asking Eywa for courage. "I just- I like you. More than friends. You mean the world to me. I know I shouldn't be jealous of Spider, but it kills me inside every time you ditch me for him anyway, because he's so much bigger and better-looking and better at stuff than me-"
"Hey. Hey," you said firmly, taking his face in your hands, looking serious for the first time in your life. "Lo'ak. Spider's not any of that stuff. I mean, yeah, he's bigger, but that's his avatar. They're genetically modified to have all the advantages.
"You can't help that. And as for better looking, I couldn't even tell you if he's good-looking or not. You're my idea of handsome. He doesn't even come into this. And he's not better at anything. He tries hard. If you tried hard, you'd be better. You know that.
"It's you for me, Lo. Don't be jealous. It always has been." You smile, a dopey little thing that makes him want to kiss you.
And he does, pressing his mouth to yours, burying his hands in your braids and angling your face upwards, kissing you till he feels properly drunk, just on the taste of you.
"You're mine," he breathed against your mouth, chest heaving, heart feeling like it was about to burst with relief. "Say it. I need to hear you say it."
"I'm all yours, Lo. Always have been," you say, pressing up against him like you want your body to melt into his. "All yours."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
#avatar#atwow#avatar 2#neteyam#avatar x reader#avatar fanfiction#loak#loak x reader#loak x you#loak avatar#lo'ak x reader#avatar lo’ak
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Guardian Angel
Chapter 6: Compound Living
Summary: Your recovery continues in the Avengers Compound. You open up to Wanda about your past and have a heart-to-heart that may lead to something more for the both of you.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 2.5k
A/N: Sorry for the delay! The next chapter of Guardian Angel will most likely be posted after the holidays. I hope you enjoy!
Guardian Angel Masterlist
If you had to stare at another cup of jello, you might just scream. After being stuck in the Med Bay for two weeks, you were craving something sweet from the shop. You were surprised that the food wasn't better given that Stark could have brought up filet mignon if he wanted to. You were extremely grateful that you were finally leaving the Med Bay today, even though you weren't going far.
Wanda would be here shortly to help you move into her old room in the compound. The redhead had been coming to visit you almost every day when she wasn’t out on a mission or at home with the boys. It was the highlight of your day when she walked through your door and brought some much-needed color and personality to your plain old Med Bay room.
Every moment spent with Wanda you learned something new. Her childhood and the happy memories she had of Pietro, despite the struggles they faced growing up in war-torn Sokovia. She waxed poetically about her parents. How her father would bring home American sitcoms that she fell in love with while simultaneously learning English. The Chicken Paprakish her mother lovingly prepared.
Despite all the information you had learned about her and everything she knew about you, you still felt like you were holding back. You couldn’t miss the look she gave you when Dr. Cho said she couldn’t reach your parents, but you were too scared to mention the kiss you had shared when you first woke up after the accident. You feared that Wanda would dismiss it as a mistake caused by your shared vulnerability. However, you knew you couldn't avoid it forever.
Dr. Cho and Banner entered your room, interrupting your thoughts. "You're all set," said Dr. Cho, handing you your discharge papers and aftercare instructions. "Remember, your first follow-up appointment is on Friday."
“Thank you both so much. I'm really grateful,” you said, choking up.
“Okay, who’s ready to bust out of this joint?” Wanda announced pushing in a wheelchair.
Oh great, my driver is here," you joked, wiping your eyes before Wanda could see. "Will you ever stop treating me like a baby? I've made significant progress in my recovery thanks to the cradle.”
“Not a chance,” helping you shift from the bed into the wheelchair.
*^~^*
“Steve, Bucky, and Sam are at your apartment getting your stuff and Natasha should be back from the Candy Bar any minute with an update from Harper on the shop,” rolling you down the hall and into the elevator. “Because you can’t just rest and let yourself heal, you have to be a workaholic,” Wanda mumbled.
"I have never missed a day of work, not even when I had a fever of 102," you proudly declared.
Wanda sighed and said, "I'm sorry Y/N, but I don't think that's the kind of flex you think it is.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Maximoff," said FRIDAY.
“Oh, my God!” You exclaimed. “Who is that person?” If you could stand up from the wheelchair, you would have.
"Relax, it's only FRIDAY," Wanda said as she laid a hand on your shoulder.
“What?”
“Tony's AI interface is integrated into every function in the compound and can provide assistance with any needs.”
“I notice that you have a guest, Ms. Maximoff.”
“Yes, FRIDAY. This is Y/F/N Y/L/N. She’s going to be staying with us for a bit in my old room.”
Welcome Ms. Y/L/N. Please let me know if you need assistance.
“Hi FRIDAY, it’s nice to meet you too.”
“She’ll be your new best friend,” Wanda joked.
“Stark really can do anything,” you said.
The elevator stopped as FRIDAY announced your arrival in the living quarters. Doors opened to a stunning common area, leaving you speechless. Needless to say, it was much nicer than your apartment.
"Welcome to the common room and the kitchen," Wanda said, as she led you through the room. "We usually keep some late-night snacks in the fridge, and if you ever need something sweet, I can show you where Clint keeps his stash of chocolate," she giggled.
"This is amazing," you say, your eyes wandering around the room.
“What did you expect?”
“I don’t know. I mean, you hear rumors about the Avengers Compound, but you don’t know if it’s true. Oh my god! Look at that plasma screen TV! A Ps5!” Squealing like a little kid.
“Yes, when they're not working, you'll find the boys and some of the younger ones gathered around that ridiculous thing.
“I want to play!”
“Y/N, you only have one good arm.”
“So, I could still play! Call out moves,” you pleaded as Wanda rolled her eyes.
“Tony’s lab is down that corridor to the left. He’s usually in there tinkering away at all hours of the night until Pepper comes and gets him.” Wanda continues to roll you down a separate hallway, “Team bedrooms are down this way.”
You passed a few doors before coming to a stop. “This is my room,” gently opening the door and pushing you inside.
“Wow, Wanda, this is awesome.”
If you walked in a forest at first light, if you let the awakening green hues into your soul, that would be the sense that was her bedroom. There was a calmness, a serenity, a feeling of optimism. The same feelings you felt whenever she was in your presence.
“Thank you. It’s not as fancy as some of my teammates' rooms, but I loved it,” helping you out of the wheelchair and onto the bed. “I did my best to make it my safe space. So no matter what was going on outside, no matter what happened out in the field, I could come home and find my peace of mind again.”
“That’s beautiful, Wanda.”
As you looked up, Natasha called out "Knock knock" from the doorway.
“Reporting back from the Candy Bar, boss,” Nat said walking towards you.
“Oh God, I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“Relax, everything is fine,” Nat said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. “That Harper girl has the shop running like a well-oiled machine.”
Thank goodness, you exclaimed. "Do we need anything? I could place an order from here," you said, reaching for your phone.
"Y/N, you shouldn't be working. Your number one priority should be your recovery," Wanda interrupted.
You simply grumbled at her response before turning back to the Black Widow.
“I called Harper and let her know you were coming. Is there any chance she didn’t fangirl over you when you arrived?”
“If you consider knocking over a jar of jelly beans and dropping some kid’s ice cream on the floor keeping her composure, then sure. She was very composed,” Natasha said.
You ran a hand down your face, imagining your best friend's clumsiness. You said, "Thank you, Natasha. I owe you one. I have been going crazy not being there. It was a relief to have someone in there to keep an eye on the place.
“No problem, Y/N,” patting your leg. “Oh, and one more thing,” bringing her other hand out from behind your back. “I brought you back a little something.” Holding up a bag from your shop. “Harper told me what you liked. The first rule of compound living - guard your snacks or they will be eaten by one of the boys,” handing you the bag.
“You’re the best! I’ve been craving some sweets from the shop,” taking the bag.
“I know,” Natasha smirked. “Second rule of compound living - I know everything.”
“It’s true,” Wanda confirmed.
“Delivery!” Sam called out as he walked into the room carrying a couple of boxes with Steve and Bucky trailing behind with boxes of their own.
“Wow, did you pack up the entire apartment?” Nat teased.
“We wanted to be prepared for every eventuality,” Bucky said. “We weren’t sure what Y/N would need.”
“Wow, thank you so much, you guys,” you said.
Steve said, "We'll be happy to help you unpack after our meeting with Hill," placing down the boxes.
I'll come with you guys," Nat said. "See you in a bit, Y/N.
“Bye,” you waved.
Wanda fluffed the pillow behind your back before sitting down on the bed next to you.
“Comfortable?”
“Yes, very much so.”
“Is there anything I can get you?”
“No, I’m alright for now,” a small yawn escaping your lips.
“I should let you get some rest,” rising from the bed.
“Wanda, wait,” placing a hand on her arm.
She turned back toward you, her face curious.
There's something I need to share with you. It's the reason why I'm here, recovering away from my family," you say, your gaze fixated on the soft comforter. "You see, my parents and I are not on good terms. We're estranged.”
Wanda’s face softened at the admission.
“My parents founded Onyx Petroleum in California in 1978. They're not exactly Tony Stark rich, but pretty close. Growing up, I always felt resentful towards them - they were never the kindest people in the world, and their wealth and status just made it worse. But once I started researching climate change and the impact of fossil fuels on our planet, everything changed. It was disgusting to see the sheer amount of pollution that Onyx Petroleum, one of the world's top five most polluting companies, was responsible for. And yet, despite all of this, they still don't seem to care even an iota. It's just not right.”
Wanda's calming hand on your thigh pulls you back into the present moment as you take a deep breath.
“Throughout my entire childhood, my parents never failed to remind me that one day I would inherit and run the family business. When I turned 18, they presented me with a legal document that would bind me to take over the company as the Chief Executive Officer after completing my college education. The mere thought of it was enough to make me feel physically ill,” you look down at your lap as you recount the painful memory. "I remember the day I told them that I would rather live on the street than work for their business," you said softly. "I had always dreamt of doing something that aligned with my values and passions, and I knew that working for them would compromise that. But they didn't take it well. The very next day, they cut me off and kicked me out of their lives. It was as if I had never existed to them." Your voice cracks a little as you finish your sentence, and you take a deep breath to steady yourself.
"Oh Y/N," she said, gently placing a hand under your chin and tilting your head up. Your eyes glistened with tears that threatened to spill over.
“I moved in with Harper,” wiping at your eyes. “I funded my college education using the savings I had accumulated over the years and pursued a degree in entrepreneurship. Upon graduation, I took a leap of faith and established the Candy Bar with Harper. It has been the saving grace of my life," you breathed out, feeling a sense of release from the burden that had been weighing you down.
Wanda didn't respond immediately. As you looked up, you saw tears shining in her eyes. "I am grateful that you trusted me enough to share all of this with me. I am so sorry that this was your reality."
“It was a long time ago. I’ve built a life and a business that I love, and I don’t think about it for the most part. But, when I heard Helen say that she couldn’t get a hold of my parents after the accident… I don’t know,” you trailed off.
“I understand that the accident must have brought up some painful memories for you. Trust me, I know firsthand how much courage it takes to face such buried trauma," she said, placing her hands gently on top of yours. "You're an incredible woman, and it's a shame that your parents aren't here to witness the amazing person you've become.
You nodded silently before meeting the gaze of the redhead. Those beautiful green eyes caught your attention once again.
“If you ever want to talk about this I’m always here, or I can talk to Bucky about introducing you to Dr. Raynor. She’s a terrific therapist.”
After thanking Wanda, you thought the conversation was over, but you could see her contemplating something. "What's wrong?" you asked her.
Oh, nothing. Nothing’s wrong. I just… I’ve felt so guilty about what happened between us after you woke up in the Med Bay,” struggling to get the words out. “I felt like I took advantage of you and how vulnerable we both were in that moment.”
"Oh, thank God you finally said something!" you exclaimed, relief washing over your voice.
“What do you mean?” A look of confusion on her face.
"I felt the same way, but I was too scared to say anything. I've been wanting to bring it up for two weeks, but I was afraid you would dismiss it as a mistake in the heat of the moment," you rambled. "Then I thought maybe the reason you weren't bringing it up is because you did think it was a mistake, and I didn't know--" Wanda cut you off by placing a finger over your lips.
“Shhh…”
You didn’t realize that you were out of breath.
"I like you, Y/N. It's the first time I've felt this way about anyone since Vision, and it scares me. From the moment I saw you in that cafe, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind, and then when I saw you in that car..." She started to choke up.
I know," you reassured her. "I haven't stopped thinking about you either. When I woke in the Med Bay and you were there," reaching up and stroking Wanda's cheek, "I knew I was going to be okay.
Wanda leaned into your palm as her eyes met yours.
“It wasn’t a mistake, Wanda.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
As she leaned forward, you could feel your heart racing with anticipation. Suddenly, her lips met yours again for the second time. It was a soft and tender kiss at first, but then you felt Wanda's hands gently cup your face, pulling you closer to her. You could sense a deepening urgency in her touch as her lips moved against yours with a newfound passion. In that moment, you forgot about everything else - your worries, fears, past, and future. All that mattered was the intimate moment you were sharing with Wanda. When you finally broke the kiss, your eyes met and you both knew that you had found something special in each other.
*^~^*
After their meeting, Steve, Bucky, and Sam kept their promise and returned to help you unpack. When Steve knocked on your door, there was no answer. Upon slowly opening the door, he discovered that you were sound asleep on the bed. Your good arm was wrapped around Wanda, who was peacefully dozing while snuggling up against your chest.
“Should we wake them?” Sam asked.
"No, let them sleep. We can start unpacking the boxes," suggested Steve.
You woke up a couple of hours later with the afternoon sun shining on your face. Wanda stirs slightly next to you.
"Hi," you muttered wearily.
"Hey," Wanda said while stretching and looking up at you.
“I guess we fell asleep.”
“It’s lunchtime. You should eat something. Let me grab you some food,” she said, looking at her watch.
“I'll come with you. I'm tired of being cooped up in rooms.”
As the two of you sat up in bed, your eyes widened in surprise as you took in the state of the room around you. You couldn't help but notice that all your belongings had been carefully unpacked and placed in their proper places, giving the space a neat and organized feel. The room was adorned with delicate fairy lights that cast a warm, inviting glow around the space, while a beautiful bouquet of flowers sat proudly on the coffee table, adding a touch of elegance and charm to the overall decor. It was evident that someone had taken great care and effort in decorating the room, and you couldn't help but feel grateful and touched by the thoughtful gesture.
“Um, can FRIDAY unpack boxes?” you asked
Wanda smirked and said, "I don't think she can." Then she added, "In case it isn't clear, I think the team likes you too, Y/N."
“Wow,” you were completely amazed.
#guardian angel#wanda maximoff#wanda maximoff x reader#wanda maxmoff x y/n#wanda x reader#natasha romanoff#steve rogers#bucky barnes#sam wilson#avengers compound#avengers x reader#mcu#comfort
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Thoughts on this post?:
https://www.tumblr.com/animentality/64152073250/abc-newsman-proves-danger-of-allowing-transgender?source=share
thanks for reminding me to delete that post I made in literally 2013 when I was 15 because it doesn't reflect who I am as a person anymore.
is this supposed to be a gotcha?
are people supposed to be born woke?
I am amazed you managed to even find this post with like 6 notes, where I legitimately asked people for their opinion on the subject because I was unsure about it and I had certain taught biases that I hadn't learned to abandon yet.
it might amaze you to know that I once told a guy he'd make a great wife when he mentioned he liked cooking.
this was in 2012.
how cisheteronormative of me, right?
but you were all so woke in 2012, weren't you?
you never said anything that was not PC as a teenager.
you never told edgy jokes or said stupid offensive things.
you were born perfect, I'm sure.
it's not like I'm proud of the dumb stuff I said.
but I didn't start identifying as nonbinary until I was 18, and I didn't start identifying as trans until I was 21.
I was raised by an older mother, not a gen x er or a millennial, but a baby boomer, whose inherent biases still sometimes surface in me when I least expect it.
I was raised Catholic.
I had JUST STARTED PUBLIC SCHOOL, after spending literally 6 years in a fucking Catholic school.
I DIDNT UNDERSTAND transgender issues, nor did most people in 20 fucking 13.
how the fuck could I
my mom to this day doesn't know what the fuck nonbinary or trans are, and I identify as both.
how was I supposed to know?
I'd never even met anyone in the LGBT community at that point, nor had I realized I belonged there either.
I literally didn't even know I was pan at that point, or that I was nb/trans myself, or how I felt about most political topics.
that's why I ASKED.
and I said the wrong things. yeah, I did.
but no one had taught me the right words.
and in that post, no one bothered to explain it to me either.
I had to learn that over time.
and guess what?
I'm still not perfect now. I'm still going to make mistakes because times change, as they always do.
and all we can do is try and forgive people who are trying and doing their best, and remaining open minded to things they don't understand right from fucking birth.
but by all means, do search my history to your hearts content.
honestly, I kinda wanna see what dirt you find because this was an interesting look at the kinds of things I thought in 2013.
I can look back at myself and see how far I've come.
this post was interesting to read for me because it was wildly off mark, it misgendered trans women, and it lacked political, historical, and social understanding...
and so?
yeah?
it's offensive. it's bad.
and I didn't know any better.
but lol.
people learn things. people change their opinions.
if you people spend all your time digging up dirt and trying to cancel people for who they were, rather than who they are, or who they're trying to be... I have news for you.
your existence is pointless and your efforts are meaningless.
but I am flattered you did such a deep dive, anon.
please do find more and send them to me.
I'd like to know what other gotchas you can yank out of my ass.
I used to be on Facebook in 2011 before I deleted it in like 2013.
see if you can find anything there.
I used to write cringy poetry. it might be funny to read now.
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Far too Close ²
Astarion x GN Tiefling Reader
Summary - Astarion bugs you until you you agree to help him learn how to shoot with a bow as well as making arrows
Master list
Far Too Close Masterlist
Previous / next
Words - 1722
A/n - soo uh I've been very busy, but I got bg3 a couple days ago and it's great, so this part is about using a bow and I know nothing about bows so if I have anything wrong I apologise
───────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────
As you sit across from the campfire for the heat of the warm fire in the cold of the night, your eyes fall onto your quiver seeing as it was low on arrows as you grab your bag next to your digger for your tools as well as some pieces of flint that you've collected along the way in a small pouch.
Taking a piece of flint as you chip pieces off bit by bit to create the shape of the arrowhead as you get the shape, you grab another tool to help make it more jagged and then add a notch so you can tie it onto the wood shaft, picking up wooden shaft you already made as you put a split into the top, putting the arrowhead in and grabbing the string you have in your bag.
tying it into place making sure it's stable and sturdy as you grab some feathers you found on the ground tying them on as well, as you carry on making a few more feeling the time fly by as you almost finish the last one you hear a voice from behind you. Recognising the voice as soon as you hear it as you turn your head to look at him and then back to finishing your last arrow.
"Well, hello there darling you up later than normal" he says as he comes closer now next to you as he watches you make the arrow.
"I must of not have realised, I was too busy" you say your eyes look up at him next to you as he looks at you from where he is standing and by the looks of it he wants to ask you for something.
"What is it that you want?" You say with a raised eyebrow as you finish the arrow putting it down next to the other ones. Crossing your arms over your chess.
"Well I was wondering, maybe you could show me how to use that bow of yours as you seem to be skilled at using it," he says to you his red eyes watching you.
"You want to know how to use a bow?" You asked confused as you grabbed the arrows put them into the quiver neatly and added up the arrows, 4 to 9 arrows now, just need to make sure you take the arrows back after using them, your eyes looking at Astarion.
"Yes, I want you to teach me how to use it, it may be useful in the future," he says as he takes hold of your bow as he looks at the details of words in a different language and patterns painted across it and chips of gold.
"I'll think about it for now though, it's quite late and I think that rest is needed" you say as you take the bow off of Asterion locking eyes with him as you take it grabbing your bag and quiver as you turn to head off to your tent for a long rest for tomorrow, as you walk into it you put your your stuff down on the ground before changing into something more comfortable to sleep in.
The next morning
Feeling the sunlight hitting you through the light fabric of your tent you lift your hand, putting it over your face to block the light as you roll to the side with a sigh knowing that you should probably get up and ready for the day.
Deciding that it was probably best to get up and grab something to eat before you started to help the others. Grabbing your gear as you start putting it on.
Opening your tent as you see Gale giving him a little smile as you walk past him, heading towards the basket of fruit for a small snack to eat, taking an apple and taking a bite out of it. Looking around as you see that some are still sleeping in their tents, you guess since you can see them anywhere.
Everyone agreed that we were to have a couple of day's break to rest since we had been on the move nonstop for a while.
"So have you thought about showing me how to use that bow, darling?" You hear from behind you, Turning around, give him a pointed look.
"Fine, but you better not be a pain in my back" you say with a sigh you know that he will keep asking if you say so might as well say yes and teach him.
"What a delight, when shall we begin?" He asks you with a smirk, his eyes look over you.
"We'll begin in a couple of hours because it's too early in the morning to teach you," you say to him as he gives you a nod and you walk over to your tent to do a little light reading beforehand.
You get up from where you are sitting and you look for Astarion your eyes travelling around looking at where his tent is you see him standing in front of it reading a book about something, walking over to him as his ears twitch a little as he hears you food steps looking up from his book to see you.
"Well it's about time, you showed up," he says in a teasing tone as you glare at him.
"Do you want me to teach you or not?" You ask your bow in hand as you as your quiver sits on the side of your hip.
"Well it was quite boring waiting, but that doesn't matter now, shall he begin" he says as he avoids your words.
"Fine then let's go, I know a place where I can teach you," you say as you turn around and start heading towards the oak forest, Astarion following after you.
Getting to the forest you follow a path leading towards a quiet part of the forest with a running stream flowing by.
"So how long till we get there? It seems we're quite deep in the woods" you hear Astarion say next to you.
"Well we are actually here this is where I'll be showing you, it's quiet and the type of environment that you would be hunting for animals' you say explaining why here.
"Now watch how I use my bow. We are aiming for that dead tree stump over there," you say, pointing out over it a bit away from the both of you.
"Alright am sure I'll be able to do it" he says as you get into position keeping your chin down and grabbing an arrow holding the main part of the bow just lower than the middle as you rest the arrow against the side of the bow, placing the end onto the string and pulling it back steady till you hand touches your cheek and you release it as it flies into the air landing in the dead tree stump.
"That was quite impressive, I must say," Astarion said as he watched what you did. You take a look at him as you hand your bow to him as well as an arrow.
"You show me how you shoot with a bow, so I can see what you can do to improve it" you say as he takes the bow and arrow from your grip.
Watching as he takes hold of the bow, his grip is too tight, he is not in the right position, his posture is too slouched and his chin is lifted as he pulls back the string arrow falling out of place as he pulls it back not as far as his cheek.
He releases the string as the arrow flies into the air landing on the ground a couple of feet from the target. Watching his face scrunch up annoyed.
"No need to get annoyed Astarion, you will not get it on your first try, try again and I'll help this time," you say with a little laugh as he glares at you. Handing him another arrow as he does the same as before holding the arrow in place.
"You are standing wrong and you need to fix that posture, look at how I stand and try and copy that, alright?" You say as he nods at you watching as you get into the right position as he copies you.
"Now that you are standing in the right position try and put the arrow in place," you say watching him again as you walk up closer to him his chin still lifted, as you step close you lift your hand up and gently push his head down. His eyes move to look at you.
"Now you need to relax your grip on the bow you are holding it too tightly," you say as he relaxes his grip.
"Now pull the string back with the arrow" he pulls it back but not as far as his cheek, taking hold of his hand you pull it further back so it's near his cheek.
"You need to pull the string up to your cheek so your arrow would land where your eyes would be looking, now try again," you say as you step away from him as he releases the string, the arrow landing much closer this time, watching him as his lip tug up into a little smile.
"Now try again, you should get a hang of it soon" you say as he tries again.
After about 5 tries of missing and almost getting it, as he tries his 6th time the arrow hits the target as he breaks I to a smile, as you give him a clap on the back.
"Looks like you finally managed to do it Astarion" you say with a smile.
"Well I wouldn't be able to do it with your help of course darling, which i will thank you for dearly, i shall return a favour soon enough" he says Turing to look at him with a little glint in his eyes.
"We should head back to camp, it's getting late now" you say looking at the sky dark blue as stars dotting the sky.
"I'll show you how to make a bow and some arrows when we have the time to do so" giving him a small smile as he looks at him.
"That would be lovely darling,"
Next
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It's been a long time since I watched Wild Kratts but I didn't even know he had a fandom, I'm so happy, and your story made my dream come true, I would love to create a story like you, but I'm not very good at writing stories What tips would you give to a beginner <3
I don't consider myself a super great author to be honest, I'm much more confident in my illustrations! But as someone who is completely self taught: here are some tips I use when I write my stories! (these may not apply to everyone, but they do help me)
Outlines
If I'm writing a plot-based story I make an outline of all the major plot points I want to make and separate them into chapters. I reference this outline when I'm writing a chapter and it helps me meet all my "goals" for that particular chapter! Of course you can be flexible with this. Say one of your plot points dragged out a little too long and you want to save something for the next chapter, you can adjust your outline as you go! Sometimes your idea will change as you write it, and that's okay! revise your outline accordingly. For me, it's handy so I don't end up spiralling completely off the path I intended and lose the conclusion I wanted to have. Here's an example of the outline for my Reprogrammed AU. (Only chapters 1-5 to prevent spoilers for unreleased chapters)
as you can see, it doesn't have to be super formal. This is literally just in my notes app. As long as you can understand and follow your ideas, that's all that matters.
Get a Beta Reader!
I do not actually have a beta reader currently, but sending your writings to someone to proofread is one of the best ways to get genuine feedback. Try to find someone who is also pretty educated on proper grammar. I learned more about proper formatting from a fanfiction beta reader than I did in school im so fr. At the very least, make sure this person is comfortable with giving you constructive criticism. If something reads a little awkward or if a plot point doesn't make much sense/could be solved with an easier method, it's a lot easier for someone to point out when they didn't write the piece.
Study fanfictions/books you enjoy
Honestly... just reading a lot has made me a better writer. You will begin to notice the way authors describe certain feelings or environments, and that can give you insight on how to go about writing your own ideas. If I find an author I really like, I will try to dissect WHY I like them so much. Is it their accurate characterization? Do they describe emotions well? Are their plots engaging? Is their dialogue interesting? Find out what makes their writing so interesting so you can incorporate those traits into your own story. This goes for the way they format their writing as well. For example, I've found I prefer when chapters are around 1k-5k words. Really short chapters can make the story seem choppy when the reader has to constantly click to the next page, it kinda breaks the immersion of the story. Instead I try to use chapter breaks as interesting pausing points for suspense. I love it when authors leave their chapter on a slightly unfinished note. So I'm curious for the next chapter, but also I feel fulfilled with what I've read so far. And I've discovered this by analyzing the stories I enjoy!
And the most important advice I can give.... PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!!
Writing is similar to drawing in the sense that in order to learn, you must DO it. You have to make the shitty stuff before you find out how to make it better! It's honestly just part of the creative process. I still have some short stories I wrote back when I was a preteen and ITS BAD LOL but I needed to go through that in order to learn and grow and be more confident in my storytelling capabilities. And just like illustrations, everyone starts at a different place and everyone's process is different. SO BE PATIENT AND DON'T GIVE UP! Write that story! Even if it's bad, who cares?! You wrote something! And next time, you will write something even better!
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What do you think of the sexualization of the characters? Do you like it and why? Feel free to skip this question if you don't want to answer it.
Hi there! I love it when it's done tastefully and falls within my boundaries. I know a lot of people like to write off all sexualization because a lot of people take it too far but I view it with more nuance and on a case-by-case basis. What I don't like is sexualization that reduces a character to just that alone. That and having a character (specifically one of my ocs) behave wildly ooc. (That and self-insert type scenarios that just make me wince). Outside of that though, its very fun to see. As long as people aren't stripping away the substance, being reasonable and keeping it SFW it's all great in my book.
You can appreciate a character for their story, quirkiness, substance and find them attractive without it being lewd. 😌 Some are more sensitive to this stuff than others, which I totally get. The abuse of it has understandably turned off many people to even respectable sexualization due to bad association, trauma or whatever else. I used to be quite opposed to it myself but after a lot of growth and encouragement I've learned to separate the bad from the good and just keep the good stuff. I've had a few cases where I've been sent some rather unwholesome art of my ocs but thankfully those are few and far between.
Most everyone else respects my ocs and how I portray them. So I'm just like " ・ω・ yes yes pretty girl ". So yeah, that's where I am with it and I do my best to reflect this in my work. All the sexy vibes I include in my work come from a place of genuine admiration and none of my fleshed out characters exist just for the sake of being a pretty face. Kinda long but I hope this all made sense to you ^^; Thanks for asking about it.
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3.74 San Sequoia dreaming
Dub was such a blast to hang out with, and I really wished we could have spent more time together, swapping stories and figuring out our lives. But eventually, he had to leave and meet Maia to catch their train. It made me really happy when he said he wanted to stay in touch. I was planning to ask him, but he beat me to it, and I was stoked to finally have a new friend. When I got home, Sophia asked where I'd come from all suited up, and I told her about meeting Dub. Needless, she was thrilled to hear about my new friend. That night, as I lay beside her, the memories of the afternoon replayed in my mind, from the tour to our conversations. At that moment, I recognized what I need to do. Or rather, how I needed to do it. I hyped up San Sequoia so much, but I never actually showed it to her. How could I expect her to be on board with going to a place she had never seen? For all she knew, it could be just another sleepy little town, like Oasis Springs. We were partners, and I knew she would pack up and leave when I was ready, but I wanted her to be excited about it. I needed her enthusiasm because, without it, she could resent me later. So, the next morning, as she began to stir, I asked if she had any plans.
"I was gonna ask if you did," she said between a big yawn.
I smiled, happy to receive a green light, and moved some stray hairs away from her face.
"I do. I want to show you San Sequoia."
"Okay!"
She got up immediately and hopped into the shower. After we ate breakfast, we gathered the dogs and headed out to the Celebration Center. I was determined to be a better tour guide this time around.
"San Sequoia is a great place for families," I began. "And this neighborhood is the hub. It's called Gilbert Gardens, and I love it here."
She glanced around, taking it all in.
"It's pretty here."
"This place is like a community hangout spot. They've got something to build just about any skill you can name for all ages."
"Wow! That's so important. Is this an affluent area? You usually only see learning centers in nicer areas."
"From what I've learned, San Sequoia is a very diverse city, economically and socially. I personally have experienced the latter."
She nodded, satisfied with my answers, but the lake stole her attention.
"I just want to jump in there. I haven't been swimming in so long. My body is calling for it!"
"Swimming is allowed! And the weather is warm most of the year, so you could come here literally anytime you want."
I saw a sparkle in her eyes and knew that was the moment she saw herself in San Sequoia. My tour was successful, and she hadn't seen the best parts yet, so I kept going.
"That's the spa I told you about over there. They've got everything and-"
"Oh look at this," she shouted in the middle of my sentence. "This is the cutest, biggest splash park I've ever seen! We've gotta bring our kids here!"
That last part made me feel all warm inside, but I didn't want to give myself away yet, so I demoted my smile to a slight smirk.
"We will."
We walked around the lake, and I told her about the track. And of course I took her to the Arboretum and told her of the trail. I could tell she was eager for more, but we had another place to go. Next, we headed to what I hoped would become our new neighborhood. We strolled leisurely through the streets, hand in hand, looking at houses, making sure our dogs didn't wander too far. The back of the neighborhood, where the Michaels' lived, ended at the water. The closer we got, the faint smell of salt in the air got stronger. Like many cities, San Sequoia had its signature architecture, and many of the houses looked the same. But each one had its own unique characteristic, whether it was a garden or a cozy porch or even tacky stuff in the yard. All the homes comprised the tight-knit community I longed to be part of again.
"This is Hopewell Hills, my old neighborhood."
"That's a nice name. I see why you love it here so much. It's so quiet!"
I grinned in pride for San Sequoia never disappointed. As we rounded the corner, the salty tang of the ocean permeated the air, and my heart began to race because it was almost showtime. I wasn't nervous at all, but my excitement ate me up inside. With our destination just steps away, I created a diversion to set up my production. I slowed my pace and walked toward the marina, which had the most magnificent, unobstructed view of the bridge.
"This is my favorite spot in the neighborhood," I said.
The bridge stood there, tall and majestic, proclaiming to all who gazed upon it, "THIS is San Sequoia!"
"Woooow! It looks so close, like you could swim to it," she said.
"You can't get any closer without being in Anchorpoint Wharf."
I casually turned around to face the house we'd been standing in front of.
"I love this house, too. I ran by here every day, imagining what it would be like to live there and watch the sky change colors at sunset on the porch."
"That sounds amazing. And this house is beautiful, Luca. Is it empty?"
"Sure is."
She left me to walk around and peek in the windows. I watched her for a little while, hoping she saw something she liked.
"I want to buy this house," I confessed finally.
She ceased her exploration and came back to me with a look of concern.
"It's so big! Can we afford it?"
I guess after living in a tiny house for as long as she did, most houses seemed large to her. To me, it was the perfect size, with no wasted rooms or cramped spaces.
"Probably not," I replied. "But we can figure it out....make a plan."
Worry still radiated off her face, but that's just how she rolled.
"But...can your SimTube money really handle this?"
I grabbed her hands.
"It might take some time, but I think we can do it. Whatever it takes, I'll figure it out. One day, it'll be me and you sitting on the porch watching the sunset. I'll build get my dad to build that treehouse for our kids. Rosie will run around this neighborhood and Kooper will chill on the porch watching her."
She laughed, but her eyes began to water.
"Ha ha! I think that's what they're doing now. Gosh, Luca! You're an excellent salesman! I want all of that right now!"
"I do too. That's really why I brought you here today. I love you, Sophia. I've loved you for a really long time, whether or not I knew it. You're the only woman who could get me to this point. And you're the only woman I'd want any of that with. We've been tiptoeing around marriage and starting a family. It's something you've been wanting and waiting for. And I just want you to know...I want it too. All of it. And I'm ready and want to give it to you. Sophia, will you marry me?"
"OH MY WATCHER! OH MY WATCHER!!!"
I wished I could snapshot that moment. She was so adorably shocked. It amazed me that she didn't catch on, but I was delighted to see her sincerely surprised.
"YES!!!! Of course I will!! Oh, Lucaaaa!!"
The ring dazzled her immediately after she took it and put it on. I was so happy she liked it because I knew nothing about jewelry and didn't ask for help. But as soon as I laid eyes on it, I knew it was the perfect one.
"Awwwww it's a heart-shaped diamond! It's so beautiful!"
"We're getting married, Luca!!"
"I can't wait."
#ISBI challenge#sims 4 story#sims 4 gameplay#adolting#adolting gen 3#luca winston murillo#sophia aguilar#rosie#kooper
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request here!
a one-shot of ellie teaching fem!reader how to use her bow and arrow🥹
𝐀 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
a/n: TY FOR THE REQUEST<33 I'm actually so in love with the idea of Ellie teaching reader stuff !! (had to wikihow how to hold a bow, if ur a professional I'm sorry) also peep the arcane reference(I couldn't contain the urge)
Genre: Fluff
Summary: Ellie teaches you how to shoot an arrow
(Jackson ellie, and usage of babe)
You groaned in frustration from not knowing how to aim your bow correctly. There were targets set up just outside of Ellie's shed. With Ellie out on patrol, you had a ton of spear time and really wanted to learn to hunt so you could have a chance to go with her outside the gates. Plus, it wasn't entierly a bad idea to learn how to use a bow for fun. Either way, just relying on memory about how to use a bow was not helping.
You only remembered that Ellie had told you to hold it with the non-dominant hand and to pull back with your dominant, but so far all the arrows had gone to the ground in shame. You weren't sure where you were going wrong. Just one more and you'll head inside you thought. Ellie should be coming back in some time and you didn't want her to see how bad you were at aiming.
As you drew the bow back, you thought about the anchor point to make it go straight. You closed one eye in hopes it would get the arrow to shoot straighter. The string felt so tense as you held it back, near your chin. With the second you let the arrow go, there was a clash of a plant pot breaking. Well, oh shit you thought. Hopefully, Ellie-
"Won't be missing that one," you heard a voice say behind you in a joking tone. You turned around to see Ellie standing there laughing at you and walking closer. "Oh my god, I am so sorry, Ellie." All you could think to do was look down in embarrassment, hoping Ellie wouldn't totally hate you. Yeah, you were dating, but the embarrassment was too fresh right now.
Ellie placed her hand onto your shoulder and told you in a sweet tone, "t's alright, babe, I'll have Joel make me another." Her words were reassuring you to finally be able to look at her. "Let me see," She gestered to the bow and arrow. Giving it to her, she drew the bow and held it for a second. Soon after, she let it go and shot right on the bullseye. You just stared at her in shock, "You're such a show off," you scoffed. She turned around with one of her shit eating smirks she always gave. Curse her cockiness. "What can I say? I'm just a great shot." "Yeah, yeah, you always are, my love."
GIving you a lighter smile, Ellie spoke. "I can teach you now, y'know," The way her smiled complimented her eyes always made you feel warm inside. God, she was just perfect. "Well, after that performance, how could you not." You grinned back at her. You turned back to the target with the bow, so she could start her instructions.
"Alright, so hold it how I've said before." Fixing your grip on the bow felt so much more tense with Ellie eyeing your movements. "Was it like this?" You asked in a doubtful tone. "Mmm, fix your thumb into the slot, so it fits a little better." You got your thumb into the pre-dented spot as she said and looked at her for approval. She simply nodded her head and got an arrow. Ellie placed the arrow in the designated spot and gave you a pat on the back as a go to draw the bow. Before you could even think about the angle the arrow would be going in the position you had it, she intervened.
"Here, let me help you, babe." Ellie got behind you and put her hand on your dominant one, helping you put the anchor point at a straight angle. It was right below the top of your jawline. The closeness of Ellie made you flush. Her hair was tickling against your cheek, but the feeling went away as she stepped back. "You're good to shoot now." You took a deep breathe in, hesitating for several seconds.
You looked at Ellie again as she said "Don't stress too much about it, angel." Hearing her voice comforted your doubt and you let go of the arrow, feeling the tense of your hand lessen. Focusing your view on the target, you stared in astonishment at the arrow that was buried in the bullsye.
"See, you're not too bad yourself." The warm feeling in your heart grew as you walked towards Ellie. You loved your girlfriend so much, she always helped you out like this. Reaching her, you gave her a kiss on the cheek and leaned back to speak to her. "You're the best, Ellie."
"I think 'the best' deserves a little more than that, don't you agree?" She snaked her hands around your waist to pull you back in and planted her lips against yours. You deepened the kiss, enjoying the warmth that radiated off her. After a few seconds, you leaned out of the kiss, still grasped by her hands. "Now lets hope you're a 'great shot' at showering too, something is still lingering on you," you scrunched your nose. Ellie's face flushed, as she apologized while you both walked into her shed.
#elliesstar#ellie williams#ellie x reader#ellie williams x reader#tlou 2#tlou ellie#lesbian#tlou part ii#ellie tlou#ellie x you
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Funny thing about the Mandoclone idea is that the Clones are in a unique position to experience a ton of different cultures as well as having their own on Kamino.
Via the Clone Wars they'd have the chance to experience the culture of the Jedi, Ryloth, Courusant, Kashyyyk and any other allied planet where they may have spent an extended period period of time. As compared to Mandalore which was an unaligned system that didn't interact much with them.
Like imagine if instead of "vode" the 212th used the word "nera" after Waxer and Boil introduced it to them from their time on Ryloth.
A group of Clones spend a long time living with the Wookies and adopt some of their behavior.
They spend a bunch of time on Courusant and get used to big city living.
There're limitless possibilities for the different divisions to branch out into their own miniature cultures based on who their Jedi is and the kind of people they meet out in the Galaxy. I don't know why people fixate on Mandalore.
I imagine people fixate on Mandalore because there's a lot of EU content and lore describing what Mando culture might look like which has spawned a lot of fandom engagement sort-of expanding on what Mando culture is and could be. Mandoclones are just... simple and easy. You never have to put a ton of work or thought into them, tbh, because everyone who goes for it just copy/pastes some variation on Mando culture onto the clones and calls it a day: armor means everything, they say riduurok vows or whatever, they speak Mando'a and call each other vod/vod'e, they exchange gauntlets as a form of courtship or marriage ritual, they adopt everything that moves, they like spicy food. I don't even CARE about Mandos and have never sought out fics about them or read a single book from the EU that focuses on them, but I feel like I know basically everything there is to know about them because I've read a lot of fics with clones in them that repeat the exact same things over and over.
Whereas having to go for, say, Wookie culture or even Twi'lek culture via Ryloth means having to be a lot more creative with your headcanons because you're likely going to have to come up with most of it yourself since they're VASTLY less examined in Star Wars than the Mandos have been (at least, so far as I'm aware of). It just takes more work and not everybody wants to go for that in fanfic when the easy simple obvious route is right there for the taking and it's probably in your head via osmosis anyway (despite the fact that canon doesn't showcase almost any of these traits).
But I am immensely tickled by the idea of a bunch of clones bonding with wookies during the war and learning how to understand the language the way Han does and absolutely loving the idea of living in trees and stuff and in a happy fix-it AU they just move to Kashyyyk and get adopted by a wookie family.
I'd love to see more stories of clones getting invested in various different cultures. Clones who go to Pantora because they love the cold snowy weather and the various different festivities Pantora has involving winter and snow and ice and the pretty fuzzy clothing they wear to keep warm. Clones who love Tatooine or Jakku because it might be a hive of scum and villainy in some of the towns, but deserts have their own beauty. Clones joining the community on Kiros after the war as they recover from the trauma of Kadavo and find peace. Clones who figure out a way to live alongside aquatic species like Mon Cala and Nautolans because they're still drawn to water worlds even years after leaving Kamino and they're drawn to the large ocean worlds even though they can't breathe underwater like the native inhabitants.
The options are truly endless once you break away from Mandoclones and they're all great and nobody talks about any of them ever.
#star wars#clones#clone culture#clone troopers#clone trooper culture#anti mandoclone#mandoclone critical
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Twenty Questions for Fic Writers
Thank you so much for the tag @lettersbyelise. loved reading yours here!
How many works do you have on ao3?
63 under my tacky account and I think 2 under my brasstacks account.
2. what's your total ao3 word count?
On my tacky account: 358,302.
3. What fandoms do you write for?
Only HP so far (plus, inexplicably, one Witcher fic even though i wasn't even really into the show let alone in the fandom). I have an idea for a Steve x Eddie fic (stranger things) and an F1 fic (i don't know the fandom or the real life people at all but I am obsessed with the writing of @boxboxlewis and have, fatally, had An Idea for a galex fic as a result. pray for tacky, i can't afford another hyperfixation, the one i have is bad enough). but they will probably never get written, alas. i barely get my drarry stuff done!
4.. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
I never check my stats - i don't have them blocked or anything, it just doesn't occur to me. I also think it's a really unhelpful way of judging the merits of a fic. Fandom is supposed to be fun, and a fic can be great in many different ways for many different people, and none of that can accurately be conveyed by how many hearts people leave. That said, I appreciate every reader i get so much - I never ever imagined people would read my fics so each person who does gets a whole lotta love from me. However for the purposes of this ask i did go into my stats section to have a look and here we go, it might be a surprising one as i suspect Modern Love is probably my most recced:
If It Takes All Night: quick oneshot i wrote for Lock Down Fest, forced bonding, quidditch buddies, friends to lovers.
A Lick and a Promise: My first long fic, a case fic involving an auror/unspeakable team who go undercover as Hogwarts professors to solve a crime at the school. oh and they also happen to be fuckbuddies already.
Modern Love: My own favourite, also my longest fic (so far, mwahaha). Muggle world Draco, depressed Harry learns to love himself and falls in love with Draco along the way.
Through the Window, Clear Skies: 1.4k of love story. so fond of this one as it's the first fic i wrote where i felt like i had finally clicked stylistically. it was the start of me learning to write in my own style rather than trying to emulate the fics i loved to read.
And One to Play: Gosh, i actually do not really remember what this is about. auror partners? Harry loves clothes in this one i remember. And it's about weather magic. I was so proud of this one when i wrote it and really learned a lot at the start of my fic writing journey.
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
Just like Elise, I would love to but I fell massively behind after Modern Love posted and never got my momentum back. I am currently about 3 years behind though i do try to reply whenever i can. i absolutely treasure comments and i really miss interacting with readers. at the moment it's a choice between writing new stuff and replying to comments. i also never ever mind when an author doesn't reply to my comments so i figure people will allow me the same grace.
6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
Some people might say it's Last Offices as that's MCD, but my own choice would be The Quiver of a Heartstring because of the sheer hopelessness of it. Depends on your particular flavour of angst i think.
7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Most of my fics are cheerful, I suppose Modern Love as there are two follow up fics so you get to see them happy in both of those, as well as in the epilogue?
8. Do you get hate on fics?
not much that anyone tells me about! Someone did feature one of my fics (ironically, the one with most kudos) on some horrible mean-spirited blog about crap mary-sues, which was probably the most out-and-out horrid thing i've come across. i wasn't upset by it, but i did think it was a surprisingly shitty thing to do about anyone's fics! I also had someone leave me very very long comments on one of my fics asking me to explain why I made Harry so mean, and then went on reddit and posted some long posts about the same thing (naming the fics they had a problem with, including mine). bizarre! i have never had out and out hate comments, thankfully. just the usual WELL ACKSHULLY type "concrit" that really just means "i didn't like how you did this, so i'm going to let you know in detail about it". to which i say, off you fuck, buddy, and learn some self-awareness. and brush up on your grasp of fandom etiquette while you're at it.
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
Yes i do, not necessarily all the time and sometimes it's more M or T rated hints. I read fic for the romance and sex is part of that. and i write what i want to read.
10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
No i don't, though after chats with my resident F1 expert @sweet-s0rr0w I wondered about writing a racing AU where one of them crashes and ends up in a fiery inferno but walks out of it. only they've come back wrong.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
not that i know of, i would absolutely hate that though.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
earlier fics yes, but now i ask that people not translate my fics. this is because if i need to delete all my works off AO3 at any point, i would prefer to have them all in one place to scrub them. i know it doesn't work like that but it's just one of those irrational worries i have and it gives me the illusion of control!
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
Yes! Body Electric with @shealwaysreads which is a Drarry bodyswap. And Dreaming Skies with @sweet-s0rr0w which was the Dron dragon-tamer getting together fic of my dreams. love a collab, what a privilege to get to work with such talented people!
14. What's your all-time favorite ship?
Drarry absolutely 100% no questions asked. I've never had another ship and never will. my brain just isn't made that way. it's a pain but it is what it is.
15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?
None, i have quite a few WIPs but I feel like I could go back to any of them at some point. I'd never say never on a fic tbh. if i started writing it, i had a reason. some WIPs i have from years back are: quidditch fic where Draco buys the team Harry plays for, Master of Death Harry fic where he is reckless after the war and Draco dies due to trying to keep up with him, and Harry has to go get him back... umm political fic about a corrupt Ministry where Dudley has a magical baby and Harry and Draco take the kiddo (and Dudley!) and go on the run. i probably have more that i've forgotten.
16. What are your writing strengths?
Not being disingenuous but it's harder for me to appreciate my strengths as I tend to be too immersed in my own writing to have any distance. I think maybe, going by what people have said, I am able to capture a mood? And i write love in a loving way.
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
From my own perspective, my weaknesses are being too slow (it takes me ages to write anything), inability to focus for long, and not being a good plotter.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
Yeah, I think that's fine! i'm not sure what this question refers to tbh 🤔😂 I mean, if it works in the story then it works. I have never done it myself other than in Our Little Life which is a multiverse fic where Harry gets visions of multiple other lives with Draco through space and time. In it they speak Middle English, Latin, Irish... i think that's all?
19. First fandom you wrote for?
Harry Potter. i actually wrote an angsty Draco x Ron oneshot YEARS ago (it was called Take This Longing and i went by perfidia back then and i can see the link on the wayback machine but the fic itself is lost sadly.. or actually that might be a good thing) but then I never wrote anything at all ever again until i started writing fic in 2019. i have never been in another fandom and i don't think i ever will. i don't know why i've imprinted so hard on these two idiots but here we are. I have also started writing original work in recent years, again not something i ever imagined doing but it's lovely and satisfying in different ways to the way fic writing is! so i feel very lucky tbh.
20. Favorite fic you've written?
Probably Modern Love. It is exactly the fic i wanted it to be, and people who read it seem to get what I wanted to give. and you can't say fairer than that.
Tagging @blamebrampton @boxboxlewis @citrusses @epitomereally @maesterchill @mintawasalreadytaken @porcelainheart3 @shealwaysreads @skeptiquewrites @sweet-s0rr0w @teacup-tai if you fancy it! and anyone who wants to play.
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I've been thinking A Lot about how Dorothy apparently wanted to open an antiques shop and uh, a little AU might've sprung forth from it. I present:
Golden Girls antiques shop AU
After divorcing Stan, Dorothy opens up her own antiques shop (let's keep it in Miami because that's just easier lol)
Sophia still burns down Shady Pines has to move in with Dorothy at some point, so she also helps with the shop. Much to Dorothy's frustration because all she really does is scare off customers by threatening them (admittedly with increasing creativity) when they attempt to haggle.
Sophia also glares at people when she thinks they might be stealing stuff (they usually aren't, but to her credit, she's caught and handled at least two real thieves. Never mind the poor, bruised, innocent people who received the same treatment)
Blanche, who already lives with Rose (they've been roommates for about 6 months), often stops by to see if Dorothy has any new paintings. Working for the museum, Blanche likes to stop by antiques shops from time to time to see if anything valuable pops up.
Dorothy's shop is Blanche's favourite by far. Not because she actually finds anything there (Dorothy doesn't even have a lot of paintings to begin with) but because she loves its owner.
She's not quite prepared to say how much she loves its owner, but suffice to say she would've been able to get herself invited to dinner (at the very least) if Dorothy had been a man.
So Blanche stops by very very frequently. They talk a lot.
Dorothy feels like strangely enough, Blanche is the only person she's ever been really open to about her divorce, since it happened 2 years ago.
Dorothy keeps any paintings she does receive in storage until Blanche has seen them, before puts them in the shop. Just in case there's one she does want for the museum this time.
Blanche starts bringing Rose along, because Rose wants to meet this really nice lady at the antiques shop herself. She's brought cookies (the cookies are tooth-shatteringly sweet, but then so is Rose, and Dorothy can't help but love her for it)
Rose shows up more often by herself, because the shop is on her way to the counseling center and she likes Dorothy and Sophia's company. She tells them St Olaf stories (Sophia tries to usher her out the moment she gets the St Olaf Story Look™ on her face, to no avail)
At some point Dorothy needs an assistant in the store who won't scare off customers. She shares this with Blanche, who suggests hiring Rose, who was told only a week ago that the grief counseling center is going bankrupt.
Dorothy's unsure about this, initially. I mean, could you see Rose working in a store? She might give away everything for free! But she feels bad about her being without a job, and if she's really honest with herself, she knows she'll miss Rose's company when she stops dropping by on her way to work.
When Rose starts to work in the shop, she turns out to be shockingly good at her job. Dorothy has no idea how she does it, but when people haggle with her, Rose somehow ends up getting paid more for the item than it initially cost.
When asked about this, Rose brushes it off with a simple "I sold waffles by the side of the road as a kid"-story (Sophia doesn't cut her off this time because she wants to know if Rose will disclose how, exactly, she learned to haggle that way. But the story ends without a point, as always)
In fact, the store is busier than ever. Rose brings homemade cookies or pie to work every day that she shares with everyone who visits. And she's so nice to people they just keep coming back, and bringing friends. Even Sophia can't chase them off anymore.
Dorothy wonders, at some point, if she ought to turn her shop into a café.
(she doesn't. there's no way Rose is ever going to charge money for the food she brings to work)
Blanche drops by basically every day after work at the museum at this point, for a chat and (more and more frequently) to have dinner at Dorothy's. Sophia's a great cook after all, and Blanche and Rose rarely get the chance to cook a warm meal for themselves after work.
It's been about a year since Rose started working for Dorothy, when Dorothy develops CFS. Rose and Sophia step in and run the store together for a while, with Blanche helping out whenever she can (she usually comes in to do household chores, but considering she actually hates those, mostly ends up talking to Dorothy for a couple of hours about her dates instead. At least the sentiment is nice)
But when it's been almost a month and Dorothy shows no signs of getting better, their concern about both Dorothy and their situation grows. They need help, medically and in the store, but they can't afford that on top of the rent Dorothy pays for her own house.
Blanche offers the solution before anyone else can think of an alternative: "Why, it's very simple. You two just move in with us!"
Sophia protests about moving in with Rose of all people ("You're crazy if you think I'm willing to live with that moron! As if working with her isn't enough!") because she probably feels at least as bad about this as Dorothy.
Seeing as there's no other choice they decide to move in with Rose and Blanche. This works out even better than expected for all four of them
Dorothy goes through the whole diagnosis stuff we've seen in the show and doesn't miraculously heal between episodes, but she improves slowly with the help of her friends to the point where she can work part-time again
They keep a very comfortable chair (with one of those adjustable backrests so you can kind of lie down on it?) in the store for Dorothy so she can rest at work, if she needs it
ANYWAY they slowly start to realise how much they mean to each other and just how lucky they are to be together
Blanche keeps working at the museum because she loves that job (and also they don't really need someone else to help in the shop now that Dorothy's back part time, so financially it's a lot more secure if Blanche keeps another job unrelated to the shop)
Rose gets to bake sickeningly sweet stuff every day and befriends all the kids near the shop because of it (Dorothy tells her she should've opened a bakery)
Dorothy realises just how lucky she is to finally be living with people who make her feel better about herself and her life. Finally she lives with people she doesn't just have to put up with, but whom she genuinely loves
Sophia, who loves them a lot more than she lets on, decides Blanche and Rose are her daughters now too. Turns out she was kind of predicting the future with that because obviously Rose, Blanche, and Dorothy get married at some point
#to be added to (probably) when i come up with more ideas because this au lives in my head now#they're wives :') who run an antiques shop :')#can i just say that wanting to open an antiques shop is in the top 5 of queerest things dorothy has ever done#like COME ON#the golden girls#golden wives#dorothy zbornak#sophia petrillo#blanche devereaux#rose nylund#long post#and when i say long post i mean LONG POST
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I've decided that I would like to understand what my mutuals see in the old man music cinematic universe. I have loved and supported their derangement from afar in my life and would like to dip my toes in, so to speak. so I come to you humble now and ask: where can I get information about the beatles that will make me think about old British boy band members exploring eachothers bodies? if it helps, I dont mind their more well known music, but I've never really dug into it properly.
Oh man. You've no idea how tough this is to answer lol. My derangement regarding the Beatles has been built up over 6 years now and I hardly remember how it even began.
I suppose that yes, if you're new, you should begin with listening to all their music because it's genuinely very good stuff. Their filmography is also good. If you haven't seen any of their films yet, it's a great place to start because the Beatles' looks, personalities, and sense of humour are just as important to understanding their appeal as their music is (in order: A Hard Day's Night (1964), Help! (1965), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), Yellow Submarine (1968), and Let It Be (1970) - most of these should be free to watch on Dailymotion).
If you're very serious about the Beatles and into the history on an actual academic level, this is a pretty good list of free resources to browse through.
My personal introduction into becoming an actual gay Beatles truther was a series of fan-made documentaries on YouTube called Understanding Lennon-McCartney. It's been a very long time since I've seen them, but I remember them blowing my mind and making me believe in the concept of soulmates. As fun as it is to make jokes about the Beatles exploring each other's bodies, there's something genuinely profound and beautiful about Lennon and McCartney's relationship that shouldn't be overlooked. Chris Evans said it best:
The Understanding Lennon-McCartney documentaries series is also just the most comprehensive overview of McLennon that I know of, even if it's semi-outdated now. I watched them in 2019 and even in just the last 5 years, a lot of new McLennon info has come out. We are truly living in the golden age of Beatles RPF.
One of the biggest recent developments was Peter Jackson's 2021 Get Back series. They're basically a revamped version of Let It Be (1970) and also required viewing at some point. I know a lot of Beatles fans who were introduced to the band via Get Back so I suppose it's not a bad place to start if you're so inclined, though since they chronicle some of the last days of the band, I think they can be best appreciated if you're already at least somewhat familiar with the boys.
After watching all of that, I think you'll have a pretty decent foundation of what people on Tumblr are talking about. Then oddly enough, I'd consider Tumblr the best resource for info. There's more in-depth Beatles talk on here than any other website as far as I know and, in my experience, I learned a lot just by freely exploring various tags and blogs.
There's also the Beatles biopic cinematic universe which is worth dipping your toes into if you like RPF and want an entertaining way to learn the gist of the band's history. There's a lot of low budget biopics out there about those boys. Even I haven't seen them all yet so I wouldn't say watching them is an absolute must, though there's three iconic "gay john lennon biopics" that are entertaining bc of how genuinely gay they are: The Hours and Times 1991 (about John's relationship to Brian Epstein), Backbeat 1994 (about John's relationship to Stuart Sutcliffe), and Two of Us 2000 (about John's relationship to Paul McCartney; the most iconic and revered of all Beatles biopics).
I don't really know what other reccs to give. If anybody wants to chime in with other suggestions, go forth! There's just so much Beatles lore and it's easy to become overwhelmed by it all so definitely take your time lol. And if you ever have any specific questions about the Beatles, I'd be very happy to answer them!
Happy RPFing!
#i've actually been toying with the idea of making a complete lennon-mccartney manifesto so all the knowledge i've collected over the years#would be good for something but such a project would take so much work and i'd prob need others to help with it lol#the beatles#ask
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Avatar the Last Expositionbender: Thoughts on the new Netflix adaptation from a near 20-year-long fan of ATLA (first three episodes)
Disclaimer: I’ve been a huge fan of ATLA since literally the day it dropped on February 21st, 2005. I’ve probably seen the original show at least 200 times all the way through. That said, I absolutely am trying to go into this Netflix show with an open mind. I don’t want to denigrate it just because it’s not exactly the same as the original.
I can't draw any final conclusions because I've only watched through episode 3, but my impressions are... not good. I’m going to try and leave some of the nitpickier stuff to my live tweeting thread and just focus on the big things here.
My biggest takeaway thus far is that the show has decent to great special effects, set design, and cinematography, and it is just ALL completely let down by an atrocious script and bizarre changes to both the plot and characters. I don’t think any one decision is the decision that’s breaking this show for me. I think it’s a death-of-a-thousand-cuts kind of breaking the show for me.
(A lot) more below the cut
Let’s start with the structure. The original ATLA is a serialized show (there is one overarching plot), but each episode is smaller scale with short plotlines that are resolved within the runtime of one or two episodes (leans more episodic). The Netflix adaptation seems to drop this format and centers the main plot in pretty much every episode. Many of the little stories still technically happen, but they’re reframed to be in service to the greater plot. E.g. They no longer visit Kyoshi because Aang just wanted to have a fun little adventure and ride some giant fish, he does so because he needs to learn more about the Avatar from Kyoshi.
This is not an inherently negative change, but it is a negative change in this case and I’ll tell you why: it completely destroys the character building that the original series was known so well for. Let me explain.
I can point to any episode in the series and immediately tell you if it's a Katara-centric episode, a Sokka-centric episode, a Zuko-centric episode, etc. I can tell you exactly what the characters did, what the themes were, and how the characters have grown from beginning to end. I can tell you the threads that were woven in which ultimately serve the larger plot, from huge shifts to tiny threads you wouldn’t even notice.
I’ll take episode 2 from the Netflix series and compare it to the three episodes I believe it’s based on: The Warriors of Kyoshi and The Winter Solstice (parts 1 and 2).
In the original series all three of these episodes are largely Aang-centric, with significant moments developing Sokka as well. Kyoshi is the point at which Aang’s lackadaisical attitude toward being the Avatar is significantly challenged for the first time. He spends significant time in Kyoshi being fawned over and messing around despite realistically having done nothing to earn that praise. It’s the damage to his friendship with Katara + Zuko coming in which ultimately humbles him. The Winter Solstice episodes are where Aang’s determination and goal is solidified and a sense of urgency is developed.
On Sokka’s end, Kyoshi is a significant moment for him as a character. He has some of his core beliefs challenged and not only does it humble him, he apologizes and works to better himself. In The Winter Solstice episodes (particularly part 2) we see, for the first time, glimmers of his ingenuity and his role as the idea/plan guy with how he develops a plan to open the door so Aang can speak to Roku.
In terms of the plot, The Warriors of Kyoshi ultimately doesn’t have much to say at this moment, but it is setup for later payoffs in seasons 2 and 3 (the Kyoshi Warrior ruse Azula pulls in Ba Sing Se, Suki’s presence in The Boiling Rock and subsequently joining the Gaang, etc.) so it’s not wasted. The Winter Solstice is where Aang gets crucial information about the world and solidifies his goal (stop the Fire Nation before the arrival of the comet).
Ultimately we discover something important about Sokka, and Aang has a significant moment of character development where he decides to put aside his own ego, stop messing around, and focus on saving the world.
What do we see in Episode 2 of the Netflix series?
Sokka has a kind of awkward relationship with Suki where she largely just kind of complains about being stuck on Kyoshi and acts like a massive bitch toward him for seemingly no reason (since they completely removed his sexism and thus his entire arc in that episode) but then they kiss anyway.
Aang gets shit on by the people of Kyoshi and then blasted by Kyoshi herself for not being determined enough in his quest and not understanding what it means to be the Avatar (even though in this version of events Aang never ran away from the Southern Air Temple he was just out for a lil fly to cool his head and got yeeted by the storm, and the entire reason he came to Kyoshi in the first place is so he could learn more about being the Avatar).
Katara is, uh, there and plays around with the waterbending scroll Gran Gran apparently had the entire time (so I guess we’re not covering The Waterbending Scroll in this show, aka one of Katara’s early defining character episodes).
None of them develop because they weren’t given any flaws to begin with. There’s nothing for them to overcome. The problems they overcame in the original episodes were taken out from the very start, which means they have nowhere to actually go.
And that might be fine if this wasn’t an Avatar the Last Airbender adaptation. You know, the show that is so well known for its character development that it’s often cited as one of the best examples of a redemption arc in fiction? That Avatar the Last Airbender show? Yeah…
Another problem, and I really can’t overlook this, is the atrocious script this show has. It feels like the characters spend 90% of their talking time either delivering bland exposition that was usually just shown to us in the original show, or monologuing about something. It feels like the writers had no confidence in their audience to actually follow what was happening or understand the themes, which is… embarrassing. This show is clearly not made for children at all based on the levels of violence depicted, and it’s not a great sign when the show made for ten year olds has more faith in its audience's intelligence than this one.
And really, I get that you’re probably going to have to combine episodes and cut out some things to fit a 20 episode season into an 8 episode season, but some of the choices for episodes they combined is just bizarre. Who on earth decided it would be a good idea to combine Jet, The King of Omashu, and The Northern Air Temple into one episode?
The original Jet is largely a Sokka-centric episode, dealing with his own insecurity as well as the group’s lack of confidence in him and his abilities. Yet Katara is almost exclusively the one interacting with the Jet plotline in the Netflix adaptation, and all of Sokka’s best moments from that episode are lost. Instead he spends most of this episode hanging out with Teo’s dad and establishing his interest in engineering (and weirdly shitting on Hakoda for some reason in the process?) which could have been established in an episode which shares a less Sokka-important plotline.
The Northern Air Temple is about Aang reconciling his conflicted feelings about refugees moving into a place that once belonged to his people, changing things, and adopting/adapting some of the Air nomad’s culture (such as the gliders). He ultimately comes to the conclusion that the Air Nomads are gone, but he’s happy new people have come along and carry their spirit. Because this episode takes place in Omashu in the Netflix adaptation, there is absolutely none of that conflict or growth over others using the space which used to belong to his people.
The King of Omashu is just a sweet, Aang-centric episode where he realizes he still has friends in the world, and establishes Omashu and Bumi for the world/later seasons. Bumi isn’t even in episode 3 of the Netflix adaptation physically until the end, and when he’s mentioned he basically gets shit on, treated as completely incompetent, and almost murdered by Jet. Though from what I gather based on the episode blurbs the substance of The King of Omashu is probably contained more in Episode 4, so we’ll see if my opinion changes after episode 4.
The act of combining episodes is not the problem. It’s the episodes they’ve chosen to combine. What they’ve done so far does not in any way take advantage of what the original show gave them to work with.
For example, Why not instead combine the Southern Air Temple, The Storm, and The Northern Air temple? All three episodes connect with the theme of Aang dealing with his loss. Just move Teo and his father to the Southern Air Temple instead of the northern one and keep their plotline the same. In the process Aang can walk the run down buildings and learn more about what happened, and at some point he can find Gyatso’s body and there can be flashbacks to him leaving the Southern Temple and he can talk about how guilty he feels.
(While I’m at it I think they could have more smoothly combined Jet with The Waterbending Scroll. Katara can steal the scroll and as they’re escaping they can run into the merry band of freedom fighters who hide them. Katara practices with the scroll while Jet encourages her which is part of why she takes such a liking to him, and Sokka has his arc with Jet. Maybe Jet could even dangle the prospect of getting rid of the pirates chasing them along with the town to try and bait Sokka to his side/convince him by exploiting his protective instinct, but Sokka still refuses.)
Basically, I wish they’d combined the episodes more on the basis of their interconnected themes rather than… whatever it is they were trying to do here.
Anyway I think that’s the big thrust of my criticisms of the show. Now I’m just going to do random miscellaneous complaining about character changes.
First, Aang is such a bland pile of nothing, and despite the writers claiming he’s more determined and a go-getter he has never, not ONCE stopped getting pushed around in the plot.
He doesn’t intentionally leave the Air Nomads of his own volition, he just happened to be out for a little fly to clear his head when a storm oopsied him into the plot. He gets bullied by Kyoshi for like four minutes straight into doing the thing he was already doing (going to the Northern Water Tribe) because she psychically knows that the Fire Nation is going to attack them later, not because he actually… y’know… wants to learn waterbending/wants to find Katara a teacher.
2) Sokka gives sociopathy with the delivery of some of these lines. The jokes are REALLY hit or miss and the acting is more miss than hit in this show (goes for everyone tbh, not even just the kids). I already complained about them removing his sexism and I can confirm the sexism is indeed gone. He does at least maintain his role in the comic relief department, but I can’t say I’m that thrilled they kept the literal least interesting part of his personality.
3) Katara is genuinely one of my favorite characters in media ever. Seriously I could probably make a whole other post about how much I love her, and I am so disappointed by what a bland ball of nothing she is so far. She has none of her edge.
You’ll notice that they’ve so far covered The Boy in the Iceberg, The Avatar Returns, The Southern Air Temple, The Warriors of Kyoshi, The King of Omashu, The Winter Solstice (1 and 2), Jet, The Northern Air Temple, and if I am being EXTREMELY generous The Waterbending Scroll (as in, there is technically a waterbending scroll and Katara does now have possession of it).
None of which are what I would consider Katara-centric character development episodes, and the moments she does have in those episodes appear to be mostly cut out or overlaid with bizarre PTSD flashback nightmare fuel. I’m not trying to imply that the show won’t get better about her, but I’m not a huge fan of having a lot of her moments stripped out and her characterization reduced to “yeah she’s traumatized”. Honestly depending on how the rest of this season goes you might have to deal with a big long ramble just like this on just Katara. Katara Alone, if you will.
4) I have no idea what’s even going on with Zuko. They covered Aang’s half of The Storm in pretty gruesome detail but completely neglected Zuko’s entire half of that episode. Thus far he feels like he’s getting pushed around by the plot just as much as Aang. And he has to share villain screentime with Ozai and Azula for whatever reason. Also, they wussed out on that scar.
Iroh is in a similar boat to Zuko. It just feels like the Netflix adaptation doesn’t have nearly as much interest in developing Zuko and Iroh as the original show did. Which is really disappointing. One of the things that made Zuko’s redemption so good was because he and Iroh were such a presence in the show from the very beginning. They very frequently, even if they’re not directly interacting with the Gaang, dominate the episode B-plot. His redemption simply does not work if you don’t have that.
5) Zhao is such a dweeb. A dork. A weenie. I don’t even understand why they made this change to him. In the original show he’s ruthlessly effective and ambitious to a fault. He’s an antagonist not just to Aang, but to Zuko as well. Aang is his meal ticket to even greater acclaim and Zuko is a banished princeling who has nothing of value to offer him. He has it made in the Fire Nation and he’s not afraid to flex his power or show it. He is also hot headed and rash, which gets him into trouble on more than one occasion and ultimately probably leads to his downfall. He is not some weenie hut junior loser who slides into the Fire Lord’s DMs while trying to play nice and team up with his banished prince son after failing his Commander Exams™ three times.
6) I’m sensing an Ozai woobie arc with that “don’t pretend to know anything about loss” line he said to those guys trying to assassinate him and I swear to god if they try to give him an uwu sad backstory and/or try to pretend like he gives a shit about his wife or either of his kids I am not only not watching the rest of this trainwreck, I’m never paying Netflix money for anything ever again. Don’t even start with me on that shit.
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