#took this opportunity to experiment with some textures!
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↳ buddie + this text post for anon
#911#911 edit#buddie#buddie edit#mygifs#myedits#took this opportunity to experiment with some textures!#im kind of. in love with the last gif#might make it my header#hope this is what you had in mind!!!
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I know they’re probably not going to go into this (which i understand, there’s only so much time in an episode and they’re telling a different story) but I think about Al’s background a LOT. Get ready if ur in the mood for a read.
To be a mixed Black person in America is a…bizarre experience. You come to realize that due to the coincidence of your genetic makeup, white folks may divulge information that they keep so closely guarded from the ears of “more obvious-looking” black folks. Im gonna bring it back to Alastor, but lemme give some personal context. I’m mixed with Filipino, so I’m pretty obviously not white, yet my ambiguous ethnic makeup in a predominantly white suburbia seemed to make white peers and people feel much more at ease in relaying their criticisms or prejudices of black people to me. I would hear someone feel comfy enough to spew vitriolic racist shit with me, then toe the line like a circus acrobat when around someone a few shades darker in skin tone and a few coils curlier in hair texture. It was constantly infuriating and holding my tongue was a practice to both investigate someone’s true nature and preserve my own safety. I did abandon that method of navigating life in America, and experienced the switch-up white folks made when I started ‘broadcasting’ my blackness. (E.G. beyonce pre vs. post Lemonade). The criticisms and prejudice confessions just came less often, til I saw them being caged up completely after white peers experienced backlash from me. After they realized “OH this bitch is a n*****!?”
Now this is from someone who is brown, but i also wanna talk about my white-passing cousin with a similar racial makeup as Al, who is from the south and oh BOY. (Let’s call him J for this post’s purposes). J’s navigation though simple daily life is such a constant contradictory experience, of which he is still working through in therapy. I think of one moment when he was manager at retail gig and his boss told him that whenever a Black customer enters, it’s policy to give them “exceptionally attentive customer service”. Essentially, “follow that n***** around”. This is just one modern incident of when J would hear the quiet part out loud, despite his Blackness, because his appearance was white enough to make white folks drop their guard. Eventually, my cousin and I took to the same direction where we used our advantage of disarming white folks against them when the time came. We would keep note and record of racism and unlock a sort of “this you?” when the opportunity to expose that person’s true nature came. It’s pretty vengeful thinking ngl, but it is really REALLY hard to resist exposing an asshole rather than attempting to teach an asshole to change their ways. Especially given that such an attempt is an ARDUOUS uphill battle. The experience of KNOWING the truth about what someone thinks of your people, and being opened to opportunities and information that you would not have access to if the chance of your genetics was only slightly different is bIZARRE, horrific, and fuel for constant inner turmoil. (It sucks y’all)
Now back to Alastor; to have been a mixed person in the Deep South in 1930s America—it’s not too difficult for me to imagine how traumatic and convoluted that experience must have been. Especially when legally and socially, things were so much more Black and White. And when you’re on the line in between that, when society does not prepare a place for your existence, it can be SO isolating. You may consider the absurdity of such an arbitrary method of determining class, status, and/or caste much earlier in life than peers, which only further isolates you. You hold a resentment of society now that you know exactly how the other side is operating to ensure your oppression.
And then I think of Al’s weird ass moral code. How he arrived in Hell and (according to Mimzy) began killing overlords with reckless abandon. This is someone who likely had to develop the cunning to navigate 1930s Deep South America as a mixed, murdering, psychopath without getting caught by authorities who are already gunning for you. And now he is in Hell where the rules of society have gone up in smoke and he can fully embrace his rage, resentment, and vengeance. A desire to burn down the powerful people of the world can be accommodated and ANY previous inhibitions can finally be released. The morality of rising above someone by cutting them down (instead of developing emotional/spiritual healing) has become the easier and satisfying option. Finally the opportunity to show the power-secure villains of the world how easily you can tear them down when nothing is holding you back any longer.
TLDR; The trauma of racism in America is pretty sufficient cannon fodder for a severe psychotic break, the development of socially debilitating behaviors and isolation, and a quest for profound vengeance. So maybe that can explain some of the enigma that is Alastor.
And this is just ONE facet of Al. I didn’t even get to bring up the isolation that comes with being an aroace nonbeliever in the 1930s Deep South. Like FUCK. I’m a mixed, aroace nonbeliever from a modern day conservative town and yall….what a weird experience for sure lol but anyway lemme get back to my life. Whole point of this was—-WHAT AN INTERESTING FUCKEN CHARACTER TO THINK ABOUT
#hazbin hotel#alastor#hazbin hotel spoilers#it’s an alastor analysis yalllll#character analysis gives my media and art engagement brain the wiggles#also I hate racism!!!! :)
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Roll A Die, Roll A Poison - Evocation and Provocation
>Yan! Aventurine x Fem! Reader
>Word count: ~2.4k
>a/n: before anyone asks, no this isn't a series. I'm just writing a drabble from the same universe this is not an established series. very subtle yandere themes. just wholesome in general. the backstory of this in my mind is not so wholesome
Part 1
Intrusive thoughts typically pop in uninvited and leave just as so. You do not let them stay for long lest they marinate and tempt you to cook them to feast on the ‘delicious’ outcome. However… however, this one has been festering in your mind ever since it made itself known. It has started rotting and mould is certainly growing on it, yet you are still allowing it to decay in your mind, waiting for the opportunity to let it seduce you into throwing it onto the grill.
You shamelessly pin the blame on Aventurine. After all, he was the one who said he’d like to experiment hairstyles on your hair, even going as far as to open video tutorials and search appropriate hairstyles for your hair texture. Unfortunately for him, the moment the blond took off his gloves, you had grabbed your hair protectively and uttered something about not trusting anyone with your hair.
Conveniently ignoring the fact that you were invested in which video tutorial he should follow, you declined his offer with a plethora of silly excuses (seriously, why did you say you’re afraid he might end up tangling it horribly? he treats his hair like his first born child he is obviously not so stupid as to do so). Having been let off the hook graciously by your captor unwilling living partner, you had carried on your merry day completely oblivious to the thoughts silently crawling from the dark in your mind.
Now you are here. Side eyeing him as he sheds off his fur lined coat followed by his hat. He turns around, looking at you as he discards his rose coloured sunglasses. The former two are placed onto a chair while the latter is placed on top of them. Irises more vibrant than those glasses remain fixed on you, and you grimace at the way the corners of his eyes crinkle from his smile.
That never happens outside these four walls. He never smiles like that outside.
Though you are lying on the bed with a book lying open over your chest, he makes no move to turn the situation into something intimate. Perhaps all his previous failed attempts have finally taught him something. Or maybe he’s just enjoying the view of you on his bed. He’s a simple minded creature after all.
Aventurine chuckles when you continue giving him a weird look. “You look relaxed.”
“No thanks to you.”
“Ouch.” He turns to the dressing table. First he takes off his wristwatch then his rings. The other accessories follow, and you strike when he least expects it.
“Aventurine,” you call, “I need something.”
He turns to face you instantly instead of looking at your reflection in the mirror like he usually does. At first he searches your face for any hints of what your request could be, yet his gaze drops to the cover of the open book lying on your chest. You close it and place it beside you face down promptly, cheeks burning because it’s one of those smutty romance books that he absolutely does not need to get access to.
Aventurine raises a brow at your antics, but humours you nonetheless. “This is rare. What would a beautiful woman like you need? I hope I’m not lacking in taking care of you.”
“I do agree that your knowledge is lacking in regards to women, but my request is… well, not something typical of me.”
He grows more curious, moving to the foot of the bed as he undoes his thigh garter before moving onto his belt. The two are placed onto the bed before he urges you to continue.
A nervous gulp precedes you voicing your request. The edges of your lips are stopped from scowling at yourself. “I need… I wish to have some time with your hair. There’s something I wish to try out.”
The reaction you receive is him unbelievingly blinking at you. His hands remain over the buttons over his waistcoat, frozen with twitching fingers. “My hair…?”
You sit up, nodding. He recovers quickly, clearing his throat. “My, that’s forward of you. What do you wish to do with it? You aren’t planning to turn me bald, are you?”
“As hilarious as that would be, no.”
“Then?” The waistcoat is unbuttoned, and he is currently shrugging it off. “If I am going to give you some time alone with my hair, it’s only fair I know your intentions.”
You swallow your pride, cursing yourself for tossing such rotten food onto a skillet. “I… I just want to braid it.”
Aventurine looks at you.
You look at him.
Aventurine continues looking at you.
You look at his waistcoat halfway down his arms.
Aventurine blinks at you.
You do not blink back.
“Is that it…?”
You nod at his question, and he clearly looks like he’s holding in a laugh. “My my. You’re being bashful as though you’re asking me to marry you,” he grins.
“This is worse than marrying you.”
“I’m glad to hear you changed your mind on nothing being worse than being mine forever.”
A glare is directed his way. His ability to remember your words is downright disturbing. Nevertheless, he places his waistcoat on the bed before crossing his arms. That damned smile is back on Aventurine’s face. The smile he has when he’s brewing something in his mind. Something that you would definitely not want to ingest.
“On one condition,” he raises a finger. “I want something in return.”
You raise a curious brow. “What would that be?”
A response is not given right away. Instead he peels off his gloves, placing them next to the waistcoat on the bed. Then, he tilts his head at you before voicing his price. “I want a kiss. On the lips more specifically.”
To say you choked on your words would be an understatement.
He taps his lips with his bare hand, and you make a horrible cringing face. “With tongue would be preferable.”
You shake your head profusely at his demand. What does he take you for? “Absolutely not. Anywhere but your lips is fine. Don't make me regret trusting you enough to ask you for something.”
“Aw.” Aventurine visibly deflates, eyes falling to his discarded waistcoat on the bed. “We've kissed before. I didn't think… wait. You said anywhere but my lips.”
A different meaning of your words comes to mind, and you slap your palm over your mouth in horror. If that devious smile on his face is anything to go by, he's having ideas. “No. Don't get ideas. I do not mean what you think I mean.”
“Relax. So no kiss?”
“No.”
“Not even if I bat my eyelashes all pretty?”
“No.”
He sighs, loud and dramatic on purpose to rile you up. “I still remember the last time we kissed. It felt like you were eating my insides.”
“You had forced it upon me by kissing me first,” you accuse. “I know your games now.”
A finger points in your direction, accusing yet remindful. “I admit I kissed you first, but you kissed me back harder. You were the one who started using your tongue.”
“It was a spur of the moment thing! Don't compare that to now.”
Aventurine sighs wistfully, as though he’s remembering a fond memory. To him it is, but to you it is not. “Don’t be shy,” he coos. “I remember. We were alone, and you were absolutely into it.”
A phantom sensation of his hands all over you returns, the image of his eyes seemingly more vibrant before he closes them and kisses you again accompanying it. It heats your cheeks and renders you unable to hold eye contact with him. Regardless, you clear your throat and try to negotiate again.
After what seemed like forever, he finally settles with a kiss to the cheek as his payment (he declined your insistence to kiss his hand instead). Alas, Aventurine had another demand. To receive his payment after you’re done with his hair. Which brings you here.
He sits cross legged on the bed while you remain kneeled on the mattress behind him. It’s hard to braid his hair. The longer parts are uneven since it’s longer on his right, so you thought you would attempt a messy bun with whatever braid you could make. Unfortunately, that did not work out. The layers poked out and it was mostly just hair poking out and less braid.
A sigh and you try again. “You good back there?” Aventurine’s question is shut down with a harsh ‘shush’ and you return to your battle. Out of pure frustration, you grab the brush and brush back all his hair despite the tangles and the way his head gets pulled back with it.
“Hey, be gentle!”
You simply tut. “This is how mothers make their daughter’s hair in the morning before school. This is a core childhood experience recreation. Savour it while it lasts.”
The pout is evident in his voice. “You’re simply making excuses for being rough.”
All of his hair is grabbed into a half-assed ponytail. Bangs are still poking out and a lot of layers from the side are too short to even be grabbed into it. Seriously, how intricate is his hairstyle? How does the barber even maintain this?
You let go of all of it. Fingers shake the hair to let it settle according to his natural hair pattern, and when you’re satisfied, you pick up a small section from near his bangs. You don’t grab all his bangs, only incorporating some of them and leaving the rest to frame his face.
An idea pops into your head, a good one this time thankfully, and you start creating a dutch braid from there. When you reach the nape of his neck, you realise your mistake and undo the braid just an inch. Then, you try to incorporate the longer strands of his hair into it, yet when it simply pokes out instead of being tamed, you settle with ending the braid at his nape with a low ponytail.
The braid is loosened a little for volume, but you retract your hand when a few strands start poking out. He’s been surprisingly quiet, you note. However, one peek at his face and you see that his eyes are closed.
They instantly open, already side-eyeing you.
“What the hell!”
He chuckles. “What?”
“That’s creepy! Don’t do that again,” you grimace. Aventurine doesn’t seem to mind. He even seems amused.
“So,” he drawls, “may I see the finished product?”
You take a good look at your work. Honestly, his hair is so soft and pretty you’d ask if he could grow it out a bit just so you could braid it more freely. You wouldn’t of course, but it doesn’t hurt to think about it.
You dismiss him, “You’re free to look in a mirror.” As expected, he gets up right away, going to the dressing table and looking at himself with widened eyes. He inspects your work, fingertips gently running over the braid trailing from near his hairline to his nape. The hair in a ponytail is brought to drape over his right shoulder, and he smiles, satisfied.
More of his face is visible with the wispy bangs, but you have to admit. He looks gorgeous. It’s almost unfair that he’s pretty.
“Now then…” Aventurine turns to you, a smile on face as he continues. “My payment for allowing you to have your way with my precious hair.”
On the other hand, you sigh. “I make you pretty and work hard, yet I still get punished. Where’s the worker’s right’s association now?”
“Gone. Decimated. My kiss, dear. Now.”
Your curiosity has led you to this. As you slowly get off the bed and move closer to him, he watches you with attentive eyes. It is when you stand in front of him that he smiles, body language obviously impatient.
Out of simple desire to be generous, you first cup his face then dive in to kiss his left cheekbone. When you pull away after the quick peck, you’re surprised to see his cheeks slowly turning red.
You blink at him in disbelief. “Are you… are you blushing?”
Unfortunately, he recovers quickly as always, deflecting it to you despite his flustered face. “The woman I love just kissed me. Of course I’m going to blush.”
Now you are at the receiving end of embarrassment. It’s unfair. It’s so unfair how he’s still able to stir up feelings within you. It’s unfair how you still care about him. It’s unfair how you can’t let him leave the house without having a proper meal, and it’s unfair that you still send him the same “stay hydrated” sticker on his phone everyday when he’s not around you.
It’s unfair because you want to hate him so bad for what he has done, but you can never forget the questions he used to ask you whenever you both spent time together. They were hushed and quickly brushed off, deemed insignificant after you gave your answer and dubbed “just messing around”. You can never forget them because you know he meant them.
He meant every single one. He just didn’t want you to peel away the layers of his person.
“Woohoo. Aventurine to [Name]? Is there still a signal?”
You snap back, gaze rising from your feet to his face. “Wow, I really lost you there,” he says. “Come on. The kiss wasn’t that bad.”
“You’re right,” you breathe out. After a few seconds of thinking, you excuse yourself. However, as soon as you are out the door, Aventurine’s concern turns into curiosity as he promptly grabs the book you were reading earlier off the bed. A picture of its cover is snapped, and it is placed onto the nightstand.
Unbeknownst to you, Aventurine downloaded a pdf and started reading. Not without taking a picture of your master hairstyling skills of course. While you were regaining your bearings in a different room, he had been searching up summaries and key events of the book.
Perhaps you might be in for a different game next time.
#yandere honkai star rail x reader#yandere honkai star rail#yandere hsr#yandere hsr x reader#yandere aventurine#yandere aventurine x reader#aventurine x reader
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MURDERBOT!!!!!
Wanted to practice poses and took the opportunity to experiment with some different Murderbot designs <3
[ID: a page of sketchy digital drawings of Murderbot, all water-coloured with sepia-toned light browns.
The first Murderbot is crouched in a three-point landing with one arm flung out behind it. It has a heavier build, boobs, and a soft mohawk / mullet type haircut, with metal plates on the side of its head. It���s wearing cargo pants and a sports-bra-like top, revealing inorganic details on its arms, neck, and stomach.
The second Murderbot is mid-jump with one fist drawn back, appearing to fling itself forward into a punch. It has darker skin and dark, curly hair up in two short pigtails. It’s wearing cargo pants with a large tactical belt-pouch strapped to one leg, and a big jacket with unbuckled straps on the collar and hanging off the bottom.
The third Murderbot is doing a vault, with its body mostly horizontal, one hand planted on the ground and one flung up above it. It has short, floppy hair with two longer sections on either side of its face. It’s wearing cargo pants with a thigh harness, and a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves pushed up to the elbow, revealing the open gun ports on both its forearms.
The last Murderbot is standing in a wide, solid stance, as if preparing for action. It has darker skin and dark hair with a thick, coily texture in a box cut style with inorganic details in the side. It has a smaller build with comparatively thicker hips and thighs, and boobs. It’s wearing cargo pants with a set of pockets at the top and bottom, and a soft jacket that’s puffed out as if hit by wind.
Around the four main drawings are three smaller doodles: one of a curly-haired Murderbot lying down with both hands on its stomach looking angry, one of a Murderbot with thick legs and a puffy jacket sitting on something and flipping off the ceiling, and one of a long-haired Murderbot tying its hair up in a ponytail. /end ID]
#i love playing dress up with the blorbo#its been too long since I drew Murderbot. such a crime#anyway i had so much fun with these#Murderbot is one of the Most fun characters to design#murderbot#the murderbot diaries#murderbot fanart#stuff i made
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I DREW MY OC TOAST AAAAAA
The folks at XPPen sent me the XPPen Deco Pro (Gen 2):
XPPen is having its 18th anniversary, and is celebrating with sales and product promos, so it's worth checking those out.
My thoughts on the tablet (and purchase links) under the cut!
⭐ Review ⭐
First impressions: After unboxing the tablet, I thought it sleek and professional-looking, especially after setting it up with my PC.
The remote I LOVED right out of the box because I enjoy fiddling with buttons and wheels. The keys are super satisfying to press.
The pen and storage case are nicely complete, lots of spare nibs to switch out (though I mainly stuck to the default nib while drawing, the textured ones have a nice gritty feel similar to paper).
I had some troubleshooting when I started, as connecting to Bluetooth wasn't happening with either the tablet or the remote. I tested the Bluetooth connection with a different device and my phone successfully, but couldn't with my work PC. I was promptly helped by XPPen Support, and it turned out to be a Windows update messing things up, so I uninstalled it and Boom; I could connect both the tablet and remote, no problem. Up until then, I used both via cable, which was a convenient option!
The tablet: The XL model at 15 x 9 inches, with plenty of space to work (although you'll need space to put it, luckily I have a lot of desk to spare), and can connect via cable or Bluetooth. It also looks so dang pretty.
The tablet was so smooth, and the pressure (16k pressure levels) felt amazing to draw with. After fiddling around with the pen settings, I barely had to press down to get a nice flowy line.
I usually work on a screen tablet, so it took some getting used to returning to a pen tablet and looking at my PC screen again, but it came back to me quickly. It actually helped my posture, as I tend to shrimp-curl over my screen tablet while working.
As lovely as it was to work on, I feel this size may be too large for me, despite it being perfectly proportional to my PC screen. I like to draw quickly, and I noticed myself making more effort to travel over the surface of the tablet and tiring my arm out faster than usual. I needed to take more breaks and stretch often, although I could classify that as positive. That said, this tablet has a sloped resting area that helped. All my drawing tablets have been medium-sized, so I'm probably just conditioned to that surface area.
The battery lasted as long as it took to draw this piece and more! I didn't need to charge it the entire time.
The remote: I love this thing so much. It has ten shortcut keys and a wheel you can configure to your heart's desire. Five sets of key functions!!! That's fifty shortcuts!! I only configured four sets and struggle to memorise them, but it's very convenient. I have my keyboard right next to the tablet and would bang out shortcuts there, but this remote changed my life.
I've been using it for a month now, and it still hasn't needed charging!
The pen: Comfy to use, with a design I was already accustomed to, and one thing I noticed was that the nib wasn't scratching the heck out of the tablet. After all the drawing I did with it, not a single mark.
I LOVE popping the case open to retrieve or store the pen, and it's one of those physical things that I find satisfying and so rare with digital products. I thought it would be nice to have a pen stand too, but I have pet birds that will (and have) run away with my tablet pens, so a storage case is a strong solution.
Final thoughts: This is a solid tablet with the potential to become an essential tool for industry professionals and freelancers. I didn't think I could be convinced out of a screen tablet, but I was offered a super strong contender. I can confidently recommend it, plus my experience with support was a positive one that boosted my trust in the brand. Overall, I had a great time using this tablet and really appreciate the opportunity I've been given to try it out!
⭐ Purchase links ⭐
US Walmart Store
CA official store
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Honey Bee
Master List Part 1
The morning light seeped through the gaps in the curtains, casting a warm glow on Jolly's face. He squinted his eyes and shifted slightly, feeling a dull ache in his neck. He wanted to groan, maybe even curse the cheap curtains that failed to block out the sun. But as he opened his eyes fully, he saw a sight that made him smile.
You were curled up next to him, your head resting on his chest, your arms wrapped around his torso.
Your hair is tousled, and your breathing is soft. Jolly gently stroked your back. He barely remembered you waking up from a nightmare last night, wide-eyed and uncomfortable.
It took him a minute to remember he invited you to sleep in his bed. He didn't mind sharing his space with you. He liked having you close.
Jolly felt frozen, holding his breath, afraid that any sound or movement would wake you up. He softly touched your cheek, his brown eyes filled with admiration as they roamed your face. He followed every curve and contour, every freckle and delicate line that marked your laughter, and every strand of hair you had colored in bright hues of purple and blue. He smiled, knowing how much you loved experimenting with your hair, changing it to match your mood and personality.
Jolly felt a numbness in his arm, but he ignored it. He didn't want to break the spell of this moment. He gently ran his fingers through your hair, feeling its softness and texture. He hoped you were dreaming of something beautiful that would make you happy.
You're aware of his presence, his skin against yours, his warmth radiating through you. You let out a soft sigh, feeling his breath caressing your face.
You open your eyes, but they are still heavy from sleep. You blink a few times, trying to adjust to the light that filters through the curtains.
You feel his arms around you, holding you close, and look up at him with sleepy eyes. You see his smile, his gentle gaze, his messy hair.
You softly say, "Good morning."
He whispers back, "Good morning."
You can hear his heartbeat, his steady breathing, his soothing voice. "Sleep, OK?" He asks in a sleepy voice, his eyes barely open.
You yawn, stretching your arms and legs. You feel the sheets' softness, the blanket's warmth, and the bed's coziness.
"Yeah, but I feel so exhausted still." You complain, rubbing your eyes.
"I think it's part of your charm." He teases, and you feel his chest vibrate with laughter. He tickles your sides, making you giggle, and hugs you tighter, making you feel loved. "If you let go of my arm, I'll get up and make you some coffee. We have a lot to do today." He says, sounding reluctant to leave as well.
You gently raise your head from his muscular bicep. You give him a sheepish smile, feeling guilty for making him uncomfortable. He smiles back warmly, his eyes glimmering with happiness. He rolls onto his back and stretches out his limbs, making a few loud groans that echo in the room.
You take the opportunity to scoot up, grabbing his fluffy pillow and throwing the cozy blanket over your head. "You're making me go outside where there are people?" You whine loudly, hiding under the covers. "You're breaking my heart!" You exaggerate your distress, hoping he will change his mind. You pull the blanket off your face and pout at him.
Jolly tilts his head, amused by your antics. His lips curl into a grin at your cute expression. "What did you think we were going to do this whole time? Just stay in bed and watch TV? There was no way I was having Noah over and not having a lineup of plans. So now you have to fill in the spots." He says teasingly as he sits up and slowly slides to the edge of the bed, standing up. He looks at you with a playful glint in his eyes. "Get ready." He says as he walks towards the closet, leaving you to wonder what he has in store for you.
You feel Jolly's warm breath on your neck as you browse the jewelry counter. He leans over your shoulder and gazes at the dazzling display of rings and necklaces. He knows how much you adore them; he's seen your impressive collection at your apartment. He's even bought you a few pieces himself.
He whispers in your ear, "Do you see anything you like?" His head rests on your shoulder, and his long dark hair cascades over your arm and tickles your cheek. His hair smells like mint and vanilla, a scent you've come to associate with him. You can feel his stubble scratching against your skin. You try to suppress a shiver as you bite your lip.
You point to a shiny oval opal ring on a black band. It catches your eye with its iridescent colors. It looks like a rainbow trapped in a stone. "I like that one," you say. "But I'm going to think about it. It's a little out of my price range at the moment. Maybe if it's here tomorrow, it'll be a sign." You pretend to be deep in thought as if you are making a life-changing decision.
Jolly steps back and gives you some room to breathe. He looks at the ring and nods approvingly. "It would look good on you," he says. "I think you should-" But before he can finish his sentence, you have moved on to the next thing.
You can't resist the urge to touch every single trinket in the store, picking them up and examining them curiously. You wonder at the intricate patterns, vibrant colors, and delicate shapes. You see a silver necklace with a moon pendant, a wooden box with a carved dragon, and a crystal ball with a swirling mist inside.
You are the owner's worst nightmare, a potential source of damage.
Jolly gives the man standing behind the counter a sympathetic look as if to apologize for your childlike behavior. He knows you mean no harm, but he also knows how much the owner values his merchandise. He sees the owner's eyes darting nervously from you to the shelves as if he's afraid you'll break or steal something. Jolly smiles reassuringly at him and reaches for his wallet, ready to pay for damages.
You are mesmerized by how different everything looks; blue seems to be the dominant color in every design. You love the creativity and how everything was hand-crafted at this shop. You see blue glass vases, blue ceramic plates, blue metal sculptures, and blue paintings. You wonder how long it took to design some of these things or where they found the rocks that they turned into beautiful statues. You see turquoise, sapphire, cobalt, azure, indigo. These kinds of stores were your favorite, and you could spend hours looking at everything. You feel like you are in a wonderland, a place where imagination and artistry come to life.
You feel Jolly's hand on the small of your back, gently nudging you forward. "I know you'd stay here for the rest of your life, but we have other things to do." He pulls out his phone, looking at the time. "It's noon, and we have much more to see." He gently grabs the green porcelain mermaid out of your hand and puts it back on the shelf.
"Besides, I think Karl over there is about to kick us out." He nods towards the owner, who glares at you from behind the counter. He looks annoyed by your prolonged browsing and touching of his precious items.
Jolly grabs your hand and drags you to the door. He opens the door, and you step out into the bright sunlight.
You smile at him, grateful for his patience and understanding. You know he doesn't share your passion for trinkets, but he always indulges you when you find a store like this. He knows how much joy they bring you and loves seeing you happy.
"Where to next?" you ask, curious about his plans. "I'm taking you to my favorite place, well, my favorite, while I'm home anyway." He says with a shrug. He doesn't reveal anything else, leaving you in suspense.
You nod, following his lead; one thing you loved about being here was everything was within walking distance. You pass by trinket stores, restaurants, live music venues, and the waterfront park.
You see people walking, biking, skating, and laughing. You hear music, chatter, and waves. You smell food, flowers, and fried foods.
You wonder which one of these places is his favorite.
You glance at the colorful signs of the food trucks and restaurants that line the street, your stomach rumbling. You smell cheese, meat, sauce, and spices.
"Is it food?" You ask him with a playful smile, hoping he'll treat you to something delicious. "Food sounds good…" You add, nudging him with your elbow. You know he has good taste in food, and you're always hungry for more.
He looks down at you with a warm grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Yes," He chuckles, "I knew you'd be excited." He wraps his arm around your waist and pulls you closer, making you blush.
You bite your lip and smile back. "Food is the way to my heart; you know this. This will be one of those cute moments in the movies where you order food for me 'cause I don't know what the menu says, and then you'll be like, just try it, even though I'm terrified by the looks of it." You say, imagining the scene in your head.
You picture him ordering something exotic like pickled herring or Smorgastarta, and you'd make a face as you taste it.
He laughs, his breath tickling your ear. "You've thought this through." He says, amused by your fantasy.
"I've seen a lot of romance movies…except we're friends, and it's platonic, but you can pretend for me, right?" You ask, batting your eyelashes at him. You hope he'll say yes.
He opens the diner's door, and the two of you step in, the smell of deli food and desserts filling your nostrils.
You see a cozy booth by the window and head towards it. "You sure you want me to pretend? You have Noah at home; you might accidentally fall for me." He jokes, but you can hear a hint of seriousness in his voice. He looks at you curiously as if trying to read your mind.
"Again, with the Noah thing?" You laugh. "How many times do I have to tell you he's my best friend?"
Jolly chuckles, "C'mon, I see the way he is with you." He winks, "How come you never give him a shot?"
You want so desperately to tell him the truth, but you're still scared of losing him. Jolly acted like Noah sometimes, making you doubt his feelings for you. You thought he only saw you as a friend, just like Noah did.
You just shake your head, “I don’t want to think about Noah right now." You open the menu and pretend to look at it, but you can't focus on anything but him.
After lunch, you're led back to Jolly's car and make yourself comfortable listening to Jolly talk about other places he wants to take you while you are there.
You gaze out of the window, trying to spot any landmarks that might indicate your destination. Jolly keeps his eyes on the road, his expression unreadable.
"Are you taking me out to the wilderness to kill me?" You joke; You see endless rows of trees, no sign of civilization in sight. "You were the last person I expected to murder me, Jolly. You were so nice." You laugh, which earns you a grin from him.
"Nope, you're not that lucky." He teases. "Too many people will know if you go missing." He parks in front of a colorful building, and you see people of all ages exploring outside and inside the building. You notice signs that say "Welcome to the Butterfly House" and "Discover the Magic of Nature."
"Prepare to be amazed." He says, opening the door and jogging to your side. He opens the door and helps you out. He takes your hand and leads you to the entrance. "You'll want to stay forever." He says, his eyes shining excitedly. “C’mon Honey Bee.”
You follow Jolly into the building, feeling curiosity and anticipation. He has a massive grin as if he knows something you don't. You wonder what he has planned for you and hope it's not too wild.
You trust him, but he can be a lot sometimes. You walk through a corridor and enter a large hall filled with natural light.
You gasp as you see what's inside. It's a butterfly garden, a stunning display of nature's beauty and diversity. Hundreds of butterflies of different shapes, sizes, and colors fly around and land on flowers, trees, and rocks. You see monarchs, swallowtails, blue morphos, and more.
The air is fragrant with the scent of blossoms, and you hear the gentle sound of water from a fountain.
"Wow," you whisper, feeling awestruck. You're surrounded by a sea of colors and shapes, a living painting of nature's beauty.
You want to explore every inch of the garden and touch the delicate wings of the butterflies. You wonder how they feel, whether soft, silky, or powdery.
You're tempted to reach out and catch one, but you know better than to disturb them. You step forward, but Jolly quickly grabs your hand and pulls you back to his side. "Don't touch anything," he warns you, laughing. "They'll kick us out if you mess with the butterflies. They're very sensitive, you know. I should have gotten a wrist leash for you." He says, teasing you. He knows how curious you are about everything. He finds it adorable but also wants to protect you from getting in trouble.
You roll your eyes but smile. "I'll behave, I promise," you say jokingly. You tug on his hand and drag him along. "Come on, let's go see more. This place is amazing." You say, your voice filled with excitement.
You walk towards a section of the garden with more flowers and butterflies. You see roses, orchids, lilies, and more. You smell their sweet fragrance, and you feel their soft petals. You notice that some butterflies have patterns and colors matching the flowers they land on. You see a yellow butterfly on a sunflower, a pink butterfly on a peony, and a blue butterfly on a hydrangea.
"How do they know where to stay?" you ask, fascinated. "Do they have a preference, or is it random?" You wonder if they choose their flowers based on appearance, scent, or nectar. "There's signs." He says, pointing in front of you. He sees a board with information about the butterflies and their habitats. He leads you to it and lets you read it.
Jolly's heart melts as you lean forward to read, your colorful hair dropping in front of your face, but he can still see your lips moving as you read the signs. He thinks you look so cute and intelligent and can't help but stare at you. He pulls out his cell phone and snaps a picture of you.
The two of you continue your travels, admiring every part of the garden. He was right; you could stay here for hours. You feel like you're in a fairy tale, a magical world where anything is possible.
"One more place, you ready?" He asks, his voice full of excitement. He takes your hand and leads you to the exit.
You nod, following him, "Did you think you'd have this much fun with Noah?" you giggle.
He laughs, wrapping his arm around you, "This was for you. Not for Noah." He says, squeezing you gently. He looks into your eyes, and you see a hint of something more than friendship. He quickly looks away, and you feel confused.
Does he like you, or is he just being nice? You bite the inside of your cheek.
Smiling up at him, "Thank you." you quietly say.
The night has fallen, casting shadows over the unfamiliar landscape. You've left the city behind and are now in the countryside. You see fields, forests, and hills.
You feel a breeze on your face, and you shiver. Your eyes feel heavy from the jet lag, and you struggle to stay awake.
You don't know where he's taking you, but you trust him. You hope it's worth it.
"Wake up sleepy head," Jolly says, nudging your leg gently. He sees you nodding off, and he tries to keep you alert. He doesn't want you to miss the surprise.
You jerk away from his touch, "Sorry. I'm still not used to the time zone here. Where are we going anyway? I get that you want to surprise me and all, but can't you give me a little hint?" You tease him.
He shakes his head, "Nope. You'll have to wait and see. Trust me, you'll love it." He says, smiling mysteriously.
"I was kidding before about the whole you murdering me thing but, this looks like a perfect spot for a murder. It's pitch black, you're driving on a dirt road, and there's a huge fucking lake ahead of us. This is it, isn't it?" You joke, trying to lighten the mood.
You see the dark water reflecting the moonlight. You wonder what's on the other side of the lake and why he's taking you there.
Jolly gives you a baffled look. "What with all this talk about murder?" He chuckles, "Maybe I should be the one who's scared. You're the one who's always watching those crime shows and reading those mystery novels. Maybe you're plotting to kill me and make it look like an accident." He jokes back.
You shrug your shoulders as he parks off to the side, "Men are the biggest threat to women." You remind him while grinning. "So if this is it…just tell Noah to keep my cat please, George won't survive by himself."
He turns the car off, and you hear the engine die down. "OK, well, I'm still not going to kill you. I want to show you this spot I like and, it's perfect right now with the full moon." He says, his voice full of excitement. He looks at you with a playful grin.
Jolly steps out of the car and waits for you at the front of his car. He takes your hand and leads you down a small dirt trail as you approach him. You feel his fingers intertwined with yours, and you squeeze them gently.
You follow him, trusting him to guide you. You see the moon shining brightly in the sky, casting a silver glow over the landscape.
The sound of rustling leaves and chirping crickets fills the air as you walk through the brush. You breathe in the fresh scent of the night, and you feel alive. You see the shadows of the trees and the plants, and you hear the occasional hoot of an owl. You feel a thrill of anticipation, wondering what lies ahead. You squeeze his hand again, and he looks back at you. He smiles reassuringly, and you feel a warmth in your chest.
As you emerge from the trail, you are greeted by a breathtaking lake view. You gasp as you see the water sparkling under the moonlight, reflecting the stars. You see the ripples and the waves, and you hear the splash of the fish. You see the sandy shore and feel the softness under your feet.
Jolly sits on top of the picnic table off the side, patting the spot next to him for you to join.
"Today was nice. Thank you for showing me around." You say, feeling grateful for his company. You had a wonderful day with him, exploring the city and having fun. You saw many beautiful and exciting places and learned more about him and his culture.
Jolly sees you noticeably shiver and wraps an arm around you, pulling you in. He feels your cold skin, and he wants to warm you up.
"What was your favorite part?" He asks, curious about your opinion.
You hum softly, trying to think. You had so many memorable moments with him, and it was hard to choose one. "Oh, the garden was amazing, but I loved that shop we went to." You say, recalling the places you visited. You sigh, feeling regret. "I'm kinda bummed I didn't get that ring. It'll probably be gone tomorrow." You say, wishing you had bought it.
Jolly's breath catches in his throat as he remembers the jewelry in his pocket. He bought the ring for you when you weren't looking. He wanted to give you something unique that would remind you of him. "Oh, wait! I almost forgot. I have something for you." He says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small black box. He shifts closer to you and hands you the box. He looks at you with anticipation and hopes you'll like it.
You furrow your brows, confused by the gesture. "What's this?" you ask, grinning as you open it. You open the box, and your eyes widen with shock when you see the opal ring propped up in the container. You take the ring out of the container and notice the opal's intricate details. The colors of the stone seem to change as you move it around in the light. You see shades of blue, green, pink, and purple. You now own the rainbow trapped in the stone.
"I can't believe you got it. You're so sneaky! I didn't even see you buy it." You say, amazed by his action.
You look at him and see him smiling nervously. Jolly's heart races as he watches you admire the ring under the moonlight. He sees your eyes shining with happiness. He sees your lips curling into a smile and feels a flutter of desire. "I'm glad you like it," he says, his voice barely above a whisper.
You turn to face him, smiling widely, and notice the look in his eyes of love and want. You take the opportunity to lean forward, hoping he'll take the hint. He leans in, his eyes locked on yours, and you feel his breath on your face.
You close your eyes, anticipating the kiss, but Jolly quickly pulls away.
"I'm sorry," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't." He looks away from you, unable to meet your gaze. He knows he hurt you, and he hates himself for it.
He can't be selfish and take what he wants. He can't kiss you, even though he wants to more than anything. You open your eyes and look at him, feeling disappointment and confusion. You don't understand what happened, what changed.
"What?" you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.
You want an explanation, a reason. You want him to say he's sorry and he made a mistake. You want him to say he loves and wants to be with you.
"I'm sorry." He says. He doesn't give you an answer, a justification. You feel your heart sink to your stomach, and you want nothing more than to leave.
You feel embarrassed and humiliated. You feel like a fool for thinking that he cared. You feel like a loser for being rejected. You bite the inside of your cheek as you stand up, crossing your arms over your chest.
You try to act cool and pretend that it doesn't matter. You try to hide your pain and act like you don't care. "It's fine. I get it. We should go. It's late anyways." You say, forcing a smile. You look up at the moon, and Jolly nearly dies when he sees the water in your eyes reflecting off the light. He sees the tears you're holding back and feels a stab of guilt.
Right now, he wished he didn't give a shit about Noah's feelings, but he does and betraying Noah was not something he could do.
Part three
Tags: @blackveilomens
#jolly karlsson fluff#jolly karlsson x y/n#jolly karlsson x you#jolly karlsson one shot#jolly karlsson x reader#jolly karlsson fic#jolly karlsson fanfiction#joakim karlsson x reader#bad omens fanfiction#bad omens fic
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I’d never leave you
Tate Langdon x fem reader
Hurt comfort. WC. Just over 1k
Hi! So this is a Tate version of hurt comfort with a reader having both autism and BPD. My moots encouraged me to write this because of the inclusivity I bring with these disorders. It’s short. And I tried to keep Tate in character. But I hope you enjoy! This will be my latest AHS fic because I have a few other fandoms so it’ll be a while before my next!
Warnings! Autistic episode and BPD episode depicted. Anger! Destroying room. Hair pulling. Tate slightly misunderstands reader. Not proofread
Tate was frantic as he searched the murder house for you. He hadn’t talked to you in a few days. Close to a whole week. He tried so hard to respect that you asked him for space. He really did. But he heard whispers from the other ghosts that you were in a dark place.
You weren’t dead like him and he wanted to keep it that way. He would never harm you on purpose or let anyone hurt you. He had sulked around the shadows, remembering how it felt to hold you. Your arms were his favorite place to me.
Tate heard a loud bang. Then a crash. In your bedroom. His old room. Bursting through the door, Tate’s brown eyes widened as he took in the state of the space.
You were crouched down, your notebooks, jewelry and clothes thrown around you. The dresser was on the floor and drawers were pulled out and haphazardly scattered around you.
You had spoken about these episodes before. Tate understood you were autistic along with a personality disorder. You kept it away from him, insisting he couldn’t handle your mommy and daddy issues that caused some of it. He had begged for you to open up but that seemed to only make you pull away more.
Your face was deeply flushed, your hair ripped out of its previously style and Tate cringed when he saw a few chunks in your clenched fist that was against your head.
Tate rushed over to you, reaching out but you jerked back and started gaining your balance as you stood. “What are you doing in here? I told you to leave me alone!” He immediately felt hurt but he pushed it aside and scanned you. Your eyes were glazed over. He couldn’t tell if it was from crying or lack of sleep.
“I heard something and I couldn’t just not see what happened-“
“Oh god, Tate. Come on. I can’t even-this is-fuck everything is too- I can feel the texture of that shirt! I can’t stand it!” You shakily pointed at a fleece t shirt on the floor. “And my phone won’t stop buzzing.”
Tate nodded, trying to understand through your volume. “I can put it away-“
“No! I don’t want any of it. I want it away from me! I’m so sick of this. And I can’t find my headphones.” Your voice cracked.
Tate knew those were a safety net, at first he thought you wanted to ignore everyone but it was just protective measure. “I’ll find them-“
“I don’t want help!” This time you yelled louder. “I just want a different mind. I hate myself. I don’t want to be me, Tate. Every day, something else adds up. And I can’t handle it anymore.” As you continued speaking, your voice became lower.
Tate took a step closer. He just wanted to hug you and make this all better. He wanted to touch your too big sweatshirt and kiss your sweet face that he loved so much. “Baby, pushing me away isn’t right. Why don’t you want me to help you?”
He half expected you to scream but instead you sank onto the wooden floor. Opening your palms where torn out hair slowly slipped off your flesh.
“I don’t like how this feels.” You shuddered, trying to fling the rest off.
He took the opportunity to quickly settle in front of you, his knees touching yours as he experimented if you’d pull away. You didn’t. Tate carefully took your hand and took the end of his shirt and started wiping away any remaining strands. He hated that you did that but he refrained from saying that right now. He didn’t want you to tell him to leave again.
“What-What happened? Why are you so upset?”
You were visibly shaking now, teeth chattering slightly. “I don’t have a good reason. My friend said something-and it was just off. I felt like she really didn’t like me. Maybe she was talking about me to other people. And then-I couldn’t find my headphones. Everything went shit.”
The last thing he wanted to do was move away from you but Tate forced himself to lean down and inspect underneath the bed. There they were. He crawled forward, shifting past you and pulling them out. “Found them, baby.” Your shoulders slumped heavily as you took them. Tears prickled in your eyes.
“I’m sorry, Tate. I’m so sorry for yelling at you. I know you just wanna help-I didnt wanna hurt you-“ He shook his head fiercely and gently leaned forward.
He gauged your reaction but you met his presence as he rested his forehead against yours. “It’s okay. I’m always gonna be here. And I want to help you. Even if you’re angry or-hurting. I’d never leave you. I love you…” he trailed off.
“Maybe you shouldn’t. Because I don’t want this to happen again but it will. And I don’t want you to be stuck with another problem.” Tate then cupped your cheek, his own eyes growing glassy as you held eye contact a little longer.
“No. You’re not a problem. You are everything. You hear that? I don’t care if I have to hold you while you cry or scream. If I have to listen to music from playing outside of your headphones all day, then I will. I would do anything for you, baby. And you want to know why?”
You shrugged a little.
“Because I love you, baby. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. And-I don’t want you to push me away anymore. You can tell me anything.”
He didn’t want you to argue as you opened your mouth.
“I love you too.” You whispered and his chest expanded with warmth as you brought him into a hug. He nuzzled his face into your neck, pressing a few gentle kisses against your skin.
Begrudgingly moving away, Tate scanned the bedroom. “Hey. I’m gonna make this livable again. Why don’t you put these on and try to relax a little? Can you do that for me?”
You nodded and he could tell you were growing tired from the intensity of your emotions. He helped you stand and guided you to the bed. Tate stroked your cheek with his knuckle as you settled against the pillow.
He would try his best to understand more and relate to you. But for you? He would do anything.
Tagging
@scene-and-dandylover @xxhellfirebunnyxx @reidsbtch @imyourdaninow @icannot3 @ifeeltoofuckingmuch @slvt4jamesmarch @taintandviolent @elaine-in-the-membrane @enchanting-evan
If I forgot anyone forgive because I’m baby.
#evan peters#american horror story#evan peters imagine#tate langdon#Tate Langdon angst#Tate Langdon hurt comfort#hurt comfort#evan peters fanfiction#tate langdon imagine#tate langdon angst
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The Milk Box (G/T Homelander x Reader)
1270 words. Pure fluff. Homelander is 8 feet tall. Reader is non-descriptive. Established relationship.
You and Homelander share some milk. Inspired by a conversation with @sehtoast, and a suggestion by @slasher-smasher.
It started out as a joke gift for Homelander, a subscription to 'The Milk Box' where every month he would be shipped a crate of specialty milk. Initially, he took one look at this box and scoffed, rolling his eyes at this silly present you got for him. However, it did not take long for the monthly milk arrival to become an anticipated event.
Today's the day the next shipment is set to be delivered, and Homelander is stressed. The waiting is the hardest part for the man who can have anything at the snap of his fingers, but he displays a high level of restraint from flying to the post office and retrieving the box himself, because he knows how annoyed you'd be with him. Instead, he's pestering Ashley every five minutes for an update on the box's tracking location. Yelling at her to keep him informed every second, while he's pacing back and forth in an attempt to stay grounded.
And then, the moment finally comes. The second the mailman enters Vought Tower with the package, Homelander is rushing to your office, practically bulldozing through your door. It doesn't even matter to him that you are in the middle of a meeting, this is more important.
You barely have time to understand what is happening before you are yanked away from your computer, held close against his chest with one of his immovable hands. He whisks you into the nearest elevator, giving its occupants just enough time to run out, before he hits the button to take you both up to his penthouse. Yet, it can't move fast enough as he bounces in anticipation.
The instant the elevator dings, he moves so fast into the penthouse he practically flies to the dining room, taking his seat while keeping you propped up on his lap. He's left a knife out on the table for you to open the package, as it's become tradition during these unboxing days. With a large hand on your shoulder, he watches intently as you slice along the packing tape. Even though the scent of dairy is overtaking his sense of smell, he suppresses his X-ray vision to not spoil the surprise of this shipment's contents.
Finally, the suspension is relieved as you open the box, unveiling the twelve glass bottles of specialty milk. They are chilled to a perfect temperature thanks to the dry ice packed around each bottle. Homelander is fixated on your hands as you carefully remove each bottle from the box, lining them up in front of the both of you. This month's crate comes from a local farm, featuring 1% milk, 2% milk, whole milk, chocolate milk, and unhomogenized milk.
Grabbing two bottles of the unhomogenized milk, Homelander's favourite, you pass one to him as you both unscrew your lids. He takes the time to deeply inhale through his nose, closing his eyes as the intoxicating dairy scent floods into his lungs.
You both take a sip of the milk, though your reaction is a lot more subdued than Homelander's. What you taste is very similar to the regular milk you drink. For him, it's a feast for his taste buds. The low-fat milk bottom portion dances between textures of smooth, creamy, and silky; the high-fat cream top portion coats his tongue with consistencies of sweet, foamy, and rich. He can perceive the faint tones of grass from the cow's diet, and the freshness of the farmer's harvest.
Regardless, it's not just about the taste of the milk. As a child created in a lab, he never had the opportunity to know his real mother, or be raised by an actual family. He was never able to relate to your childhood memories, having a cold glass of milk every day after school. In a way, drinking milk is the closest thing he has to connect to the childhood he missed out on, and nothing makes it better than being able to share this comforting experience with you, a person who truly cares for him.
"Mmm…" he mumbles, tipping his head back with his eyes still closed. His tense shoulders are now totally slack, letting go of the stress he's been holding onto all day, solely waiting for this moment.
"You like it?" you ask him, stroking his hand that is still on your shoulder.
"Yeah. They got a good batch this time," he remarks, licking his lips before downing the rest of the bottle. It leaves a delectable aftertaste on his tongue.
"What do you mean? Is unhomogenized milk not the same each time?" you ponder. To you, it tastes the same every month.
"Really?" he huffs in disbelief. Homelander takes his hand from your shoulder to start listing off on his fingers. "There's… there's so much that can effect the taste of milk! If there are preservatives or additives, what temperature it's pasteurized at, what the cow is eating… D-do you even know how the differences of the fat content can change the taste?"
You look up at him silently, grinning as he goes off on a tangent about the history of milk pasteurization and homogenization. Your innocent question about one of his passions has very easily gotten him riled up, although it doesn't take much to get him going on topics he loves. He's like a walking encyclopedia, and you cherish seeing him so invested in his hobby of learning new things.
"I love you, you know," you chuckle, leaning your head back onto his pecs. You catch a glimpse of Homelander's brain shutting down from your sudden praise. You took him right out of the middle of a rant, and instantly flustered him with your honest affection.
Putting your bottle down on the table, you turn around and kneel on his thighs so your face is up to his own. You giggle as he tries to angle away from you, hiding that his cheeks have turned red. However, he doesn't fight when you place your hands on his jaw and coax his face back towards you. His eyes are big blue windows into his soul, exposing how easily you overwhelm his emotions with the little ways you love him. But you can just as easily settle him down with those same little ways.
You lean in for a kiss, and bring your hands up to run them through his undercut. Almost immediately, Homelander sighs and closes his eyes, placing his hands on your back so he can sink into you. He purrs from the way your nails scratch his scalp, quickly letting go of that self-consciousness he felt from you bamboozling his train of thought with a simple 'I love you'.
When you break from your kiss, you keep your foreheads pressed together. His eyes open to gaze directly at you, now so serene. It's like you know how to flip the switch in his brain when he needs to calm down.
"You wanna have another bottle of milk? I'd love for you to tell me more about the different kinds," you say softly, caressing his cheek. A sneaky smile slowly spreads across his face.
"I haven't even gotten to modern milk production techniques yet," he chuckles, nuzzling into your nose. You can't help but laugh, but you know he's serious.
And you look forward to it, just to let Homelander have a chance to partake in something he wasn't permitted to enjoy when he was young. Just to allow him to get in touch with his inner child he neglects so heavily. Just to see that childlike innocence buried within himself have a chance to shine.
#the boys#the boys tv#homelander#homelander x reader#g/t#size difference#my writing#i am lactose intolerant so i have no idea what i'm writing lmao
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MediwhumpMay Day 9 - Oxygen
This is a continuation of Day 5! Read the story and comic here
CW for mentions of previous torture, blood, slight platonic intimacy and mind games
He knew Aziphem considered him an enemy.
Initially, Kotarou had struggled with just how much his subjects hated him, that to them he was pure evil. Of course he knew better, that what he was doing would change the world for the better, and would even give them a chance at normal afterlives if they had just cooperated with him. It had worked enough, relieving the guilt of his experiments, but did little to alleviate the shame he felt as Aziphem coughed and heaved the last bit of blood from his lungs.
Pulling off his bloodied gloves, Kotarou grabbed a fresh pair, pulling them over his fingers with the loud snap of latex fitting over flesh.. There was more work to do and he couldn't rest until he was sure whatever this was was passed.
But that sound had a power, instantly freezing Aziphem mid cough. There it was, the deep mix of fear and hatred spilling into those dark eyes. All at the snap of a latex glove. Why did he feel so guilty?
The tests could wait. Besides, this could be an opportunity to win some favor with the demon.
"I that's enough for tonight." Kotarou sighed, pulling off the glove he had just put on. "Are you able to breath alright?"
"I'm fine." It was a instant response, defensive and often used to avoid further prodding. Kotarou knew better than to trust it.
"I am glad to hear that, but I think I want to check myself." He reached for the stethoscope, only to be interrupted by a fit of coughing from Aziphem.
"Doesn't sound so fine."
"It won't kill me. You might"
"Probably not, but I can't imagine it's all that comfortable." The angel ignored the insult and reached forward, touching the demon between his two chest scars. He didn't need any tools to feel the rattle or hear the gurgle in Aziphem's chest as he spoke. "I can get a little oxygen flowing for you, it won't drain the fluids but it will help you breath better."
"No." Aziphem pulled away, smearing blood across the table.
"It is just a little oxygen tube, goes in your nose, not that far, and if you don't like it, you pull it out. How does that sound?"
For a moment, there was a quiet pause as the demon considered, interrupted only by another round of coughing. As the heaving finally subsided, he gave a small nod.
"Good choice." Kotarou smiled, reaching out again to gently wipe away some of the blood dripping down Aziphem's face. This time he didn't pull away, letting the angel touch him with his bare hands.
It was so much easier to wipe the blood from his body and put in the oxygen tube when Aziphem wasn't fighting back. He let him clean his face, an ordeal that was usually considered an invitation to bite at Kotarou's fingers, without any resistance. Of course, he never made eye contact, as if humiliated by this act of care, but at least it was progress.
"See? Not so bad." Kotarou soothed, rubbing the demon's neck gently as he slid the nose cannula up into place. No response, but at least better than the snarl that statement usually brought. "Does it help?"
A small nod, eyes still pointed at the wall behind Kotarou, was the only response.
"Good. See? I do want what's best for you." He smiled, rubbing the demon's arm and feeling the texture change as the skin blackened down to the finger tips. He hadn't noticed there was a texture change through the gloves. "How about I let you get dressed, and walk you back to your cell? Let you rest?"
No response. Kotarou took it as a yes.
He dressed the demon in a simple paper gown, a luxury for the usually nude subject, and helped him off the table. Aziphem normally would have fought the help, but allowed him to move his limbs as needed. With one hand gripping the demons arm and the other holding the oxygen, Kotarou lead him out of the medical cell.
Maybe he was too tired or sick to run, maybe he was finally submitting, but Aziphem simply walked himself to his holding cell, boldly labeled with the number 011, curled himself up on the bed he had been boycotting since his arrival and closed his two black eyes.
Kotarou knew he wouldn't be sleeping, demons never did, but he treated Aziphem to the respect of pretending he believed him. The Yellow eye never stopped tracking him as he sat down on the small chair beside the bed, settling in for a night of close observation.
@mediwhumpmay
general art tag list: @whumpqueen @whumpsday @whumpinthepot @kixngiggles @onlywhump @whatwhumpcomments @project-xiii
If the art looks different, its because I was gifted a second hand ipad and i'm fucking around with procreate!! And I have MIXED OPINIONS ON IT.
#Hoh boy yall its the one gentle caretaker episode#also kotarou is DEF training aziphem here#gloves on vs gloves off means doctor vs caretaker#gotta love a little mind game#as a treat#whump#whump writing#medical whump#whump art#angel caretaker#demon whumpee#demondamageart
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i wanted to draw something simple and tender with these two, so i took the opportunity to do some experimenting with textures to see if that helps make Glazed art look less...chewed on
#my art#otp: shelter in the storm#kawa#rigur#tensei shitara slime datta ken#tensura#tensura oc#oc/canon
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Valve has released a 25th anniversary update for Half-Life.
Half-Life is free to own on Steam until November 20, 2023 10AM PT / 1PM ET.
Overview
BRAND NEW INTERVIEWS
WITH THE HL1 DEV TEAM!
youtube
We got the band back together to celebrate this anniversary, and we invited the fine people at Secret Tape to film it all happening. Getting together after all this time was the perfect opportunity to revisit the game as it existed in its earliest forms, and to talk about how and why it eventually took shape the way it did. Check out the film to see what it was like to be a part of the team, way back then.
THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY UPDATE
FOR HALF-LIFE INCLUDES:
HALF-LIFE UPLINK
Originally released as a CD exclusive for magazines and hardware manufacturers, this mini-campaign was built by the Half-Life team right after the game went gold. As this was many people's first experience with Half-Life, we thought it was finally time to bundle it with the main game—no sound card purchase necessary.
4 NEW MULTIPLAYER MAPS
Built by Valve level designers, these new maps push the limits of what's possible in the Half-Life engine.
CONTAMINATION
Two-foot-thick steel doors block off access to this contaminated waste facility, which has questionable scientific goals at best. Strap on a gluon gun and roast all intruders.
POOL PARTY
Enjoy a relaxing stay at this abandoned Xen outpost built around a cluster of soothing healing pools free-floating in space. How do you breathe here? It doesn't matter!
DISPOSAL
Processing Area 3, a massive radioactive waste plant gone quiet. Tons of room for you and your colleagues to do experiments with a Tau Cannon or some hand grenades.
ROCKET FRENZY
The creaking weight of this decaying orbital satellite launch facility somehow feels familiar… If we could switch on the oxygen lines, power, and fuel, we might just be able to light this candle.
UPDATED GRAPHICS SETTINGS
Play the game the way it looked in 1998, but on a modern monitor.
Widescreen field of view!
Option to disable texture smoothing on the GL renderer!
Lighting fixes including the long-lost GL Overbright support!
Software rendering on Linux! Crisp colors, animated water, and unfiltered textures!
CONTROLLER AND STEAM NETWORKING SUPPORT
A proper gamepad config out of the box!
Added support for Steam Networking! Invite your friends or join games instantly with no fuss.
STEAM DECK SUPPORT!
We finally put our game through our own “Verified” tests, and... we failed super hard. So we fixed it! After re-testing the game, Half-Life gets to officially wear the green checkmark.
Now you can play Half-Life on the best handheld gaming computer in the world in glorious 800p with improved controls and UI.
UI SCALING SUPPORT FOR HIGHER RESOLUTIONS
The entire UI has been reworked to scale at larger screen sizes. We built most of this stuff for 640x480 CRTs and apparently some of you have upgraded since then.
RESTORED CONTENT
We brought back the classic Valve logo video with its iconic music and reskinned the menu to match the 1998 build.
IVAN THE SPACE BIKER AND PROTO-BARNEY
After all this time we finally shipped the original heroes from the alpha builds of Half-Life, available as multiplayer skins!
AS WELL AS THESE RARELY-SEEN EXTRAS!
In 1999, Valve released a CD called Half-Life: Further Data at retail stores, and we're finally including much of that content.
THREE MULTIPLAYER MAPS
Double Cross
Rust Mill
Xen DM
TWO MP PLAYER MODELS
The Half-Life: Further Data CD also included some multiplayer skins made by the original team; we've brought back this incredible skeleton (now with tintable eyes!) and fan-favorite Too Much Coffee Man.
DOZENS OF SPRAYS
While playing a bunch of multiplayer matches we kept wanting more sprays... So we grabbed several megabytes of them from the Further Data release!
BUG FIXES AND CHANGE NOTES
New Content
Now Verified on the Steam Deck (and our native Linux runtime has been set as the default).
Half-Life: Uplink — the original standalone Half-Life demo — has been added to the game, and is accessible through the "New Game" menu.
Added four all-new Half-Life Deathmatch maps: contamination, pool_party, disposal, and rocket_frenzy
Added three old Half-Life Deathmatch maps formerly available only on the "Half-Life: Further Data" CD: doublecross, rust_mill, xen_dm.
Added Ivan the Space Biker, Prototype Barney, Skeleton, and Too Much Coffee Man as player models to Half-Life Deathmatch.
Added dozens of new sprays formerly available only on the "Half-Life: Further Data" CD.
Added support for Steam Networking, allowing easy multiplayer via Steam's Join Game and Invite features.
Added support for Steam Friends Rich Presence, allowing your friends to follow your journey through Black Mesa.
Nostalgia
Brought back the original Valve Intro video. Can be skipped with the "-novid" launch command.
Updated main menu to a design inspired by the game's original 1998 main menu.
Changed the default models to the original (non "HD") models.
Gameplay Changes
Improved physics for throwing grenades.
Improved randomness for initial spawn points in multiplayer.
Improved satchel charge controls: primary fire now always throws a new satchel, and secondary fire always detonates.
Fixed push-able entity movement being based on framerate.
Fixed players with high framerates freezing in place on death in multiplayer.
Fixed some cases where the player could get stuck in place on level transitions.
Fixed some cases where characters would interrupt important dialogue with their "greetings" dialogue.
Fixed weapon view-bob angles.
Fixed red barrels at the start of Surface Tension not launching as intended.
Fixed Snarks attacking FL_WORLDBRUSH entities (such as func_walls).
Fixed players sometimes failing to deploy a snark while crouching and looking down.
Fixed certain convars ("pausable" and "sv_maxspeed") being set to incorrect values when entering a singleplayer game after a multiplayer game.
Fixed singleplayer auto-aim setting being changed when entering a multiplayer game that disallows auto-aim.
Fixed the flashlight HUD showing empty after loading a savegame.
Fixed rockets in CONTENTS_SKY not always detonating.
Fixed incorrect bullet impact sounds for NPCs.
Fixed gauss gun making a loud static noise if it was charged across level transitions.
Fixed a crash in mods that display keybinds in their UI.
Fixed singleplayer weapons not auto-switching away when exhausted (grenades / snarks / satchels / etc)
Fixed interpolation artifacts when animated models are moved by other entities.
Fixed some buffer overflow exploits.
UI Changes
Main-menu background and buttons have been reskinned, and now scale based upon screen resolution without stretching, supporting background image layouts up to 3840x1600.
In-Game HUD now uses double or triple sized sprites when playing at higher resolutions.
UI dialogs and in-game fonts now scale to improve readability at high screen resolutions.
In-Game HUD HEV suit display has been shifted to the left of the screen, and no longer changes position at larger screen resolutions.
Added an "Enable texture filtering" setting.
Added an "Allow widescreen Field of View" setting to correct non-anamorphic FOVs, for widescreen and ultrawide displays.
Re-organized all the Settings screens to improve legibility, and support controller navigation.
Updated the Pause menu to be aware of the current gameplay mode.
The default server name and multiplayer player name are now based on the player's Steam Persona.
The Steam platform menu has been removed, now that all its features are in Steam itself.
Fixed application icon rendering incorrectly when using the software renderer.
Fixed player and spray images not updating their coloring on the settings screen.
Removed the now very unnecessary "Low video quality. Helps with slower video cards." setting.
Input Changes
Improved support for keyboard and controller navigation everywhere.
Added "Lower Input Latency" option: Synchronizes the CPU and GPU to reduce the time between input and display output.
Fixed issues that caused jerky mouse / joystick input.
(We basically rewrote it all - if you've got a custom Steam Input controller configuration, you should rebuild it from our newly published Official Configuration).
Multiplayer Balancing
Increased the 357 damage from 40 → 50.
Hive Hand reload time has been reduced from 0.5s → 0.3s per shot, and it will be selected at higher priority than the pistol on pickup.
MP5 now always starts it with full ammo when picked up.
Players no longer drop empty weapons, and any that are dropped are reloaded by what's in the dying player's backpack.
Improved client-side prediction to reduce "ghost shots". Like Counter-Strike, consider hitboxes and not just bounding boxes for hits on the client.
Fixed network predicted crowbar swing damage being incorrect.
Rendering
Added supported for UI Sprites and Texture files larger than 256x256.
Added support for UI Font special render modes: "blur" and "additive".
Added setting to turn off texture filtering when using the OpenGL renderer.
Default resolution is now based on the resolution of the desktop, instead of a 640x480 window.
Default gamma has been decreased from 2.5 → 2.2, now that we aren't all playing on CRTs.
Software renderer will now correctly filter out incompatible resolutions, unless there is only 1 resolution available on the display.
Restored OpenGL overbright support.
Fixed fullscreen software renderer crashing on systems that don't support 16-bit color.
Fixed software renderer being stretched when using widescreen resolutions.
Fixed skyboxes and sky color incorrectly carrying over when transitioning maps in multiplayer.
Fixed the game appearing too dark after modifying video settings.
Fixed MSAA in windowed mode.
Fixed mipmap rendering on studio models.
Fixed gluon gun sprite rendering in multiplayer.
Fixed gluon gun sinusoidal noise being incorrect.
Various optimizations to support the newly increased engine limits.
OpenGL optimizations for the Steam Deck.
Engine Improvements for Mod Makers
Increased maximum limit of dynamic sound channels from 8 → 32.
Increased maximum limit of sentences in the sentences.txt file from 1536 → 2048.
Increased maximum number of entities (MAX_EDICTS) from 900 → 1200.
Increased MAX_PACKET_ENTITIES increased from 256 → 1024.
Increased MAX_GLTEXTURES from 4800 → 10000.
Increased software renderer geometry limits: max spans 3000 → 6000, max surfaces 2000 → 4000, and max edges 7200 → 14400.
Cycler and func_button entities can now be the entity target for scripted_sentence entities, and are allowed to speak in multiplayer.
Incorporated func_vehicle entity support from Counter-Strike, for mod-makers to use. Full SDK update will come later, but level designers can use it now.
Native Linux Build
Added support for the software renderer.
Improved font rendering.
Many stability and behavior fixes.
Other
Localization files updated.
Miscellaneous security fixes.
Notes
The previous version of the game has been archived to a publicly visible Beta branch named "steam_legacy", with the description "Pre-25th Anniversary Build." If a mod or feature is behaving in an unexpected way, you may need to run this archived build until the issue is resolved in the default build.
We now consider this anniversary version of Half Life to be the definitive version, and the one we'll continue to support going forward. Therefore, we'll be reducing the visibility of Half Life: Source on the Steam Store. We know Half-Life: Source's assets are still being used by the Source engine community, so it'll remain available, but we'll be encouraging new Half-Life players to play this version instead.
WALLPAPERS
Celebrate 25 years of Half-life by decorating your desktop and mobile phone.
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Dear EA/Maxis
We need to talk....
As a builder I don't actually play the game a lot but, recently, I had the opportunity to get more into the game play side of things and I am just gobsmacked at how frustrating of an experience it was.
You need to know these 3 things before we have our chat, 1. I have NO script mods in, as I have been prepping for your next update apocalypse. I do have a default skin, eyes, sliders and my choice of skin details because, well, let's be honest, you lot are terrible at creating acceptable looking body beautifuls. 2. ALL of my drivers are checked daily and updated, if needed. And 3. without getting into specifics, my system is very capable of handling the taxing of your 8 year old game.
I have been a sims player for over 20 years, I have dumped thousands into your franchise. I own every single expansion, game, and stuff pack you have ever released including your most recent money grab "kits" I do not feel that telling you this should garner me a higher standard of propriety because EVERY Sims player should have the ability to enjoy your game without the need to take a Xanax first! I just want you to be aware that my simlish is fluent (with and without alcohol).
Below is a glimpse of the issues I was having, and there were MANY, that I had in the few short hours I played, I have also included some colourful pictures because...well...some people learn differently...
Let me introduce you to Marley, she has been in my game for a long time, mostly to help me take screenshots for thumbnails (she is using the CC listed above, using the CC I normally have in my game and completely nude for reference)
Please fix your clothes so my normally healthy looking sims don't look like they have successfully dropped 20 pounds instantly without the need of some photoshop magic, your clothes should NOT being slimming my sims no matter how slim or heavy they are!
While Marley and I were in CAS we noticed that there is an alarming amount of clothes with texture oddities, mostly pants that made Marley look like she had taken a mahoosive shite, don't get me wrong it's a look, but? There were also several shirts and shoes that need fixing, too, however, I think the pants are the worst. Here are some examples:
When we were done discovering the horrors of CAS, I took Marley in game and moved her into a lovely little build in simlicy's save file (2.0) Here's a peak just in case you're feeling nosey:
After we loaded in, Marley stood on the lawn, while I immediately opened buy mode (be thankful this is a game play observation because I could blow your mind with the issues I have found while building) I bought Marley an easel, a bed, a knitting bag (the first of MANY mistakes I made) and a rocking chair. Going back into live mode I set Marley to apply for a painter job, then "cook" a salad, when she was done the welcome wagon arrived. I told Marley to invite her neighbours in, instead of doing as I had asked Marley sat down in the rocking chair and stared smugly at me until the welcome wagon left. Defense Exhibit A:
After shunning her new neighbours Marley settled in for some knitting relaxation with her new earbuds in. I selected "cottagecore" which was a genre neither of us had heard before and definitely will NOT again as it sounds like the entire "cottagecore" list played all at once with the added background noise that I can only describe as "living in a haunted house with a ghost that just had its nails did" I closed my game out of fear of being possessed by this entity and went immediately to your forums, where I discovered that this is a known bug that has been happening since 2017.
When I loaded back in, I was instantly hit with a phone call from a cat who wanted to know if he or she should go on a date with Eliza Pancakes and of course I said yes because pfffft what could possibly go wrong there, am I right?! Probably not but *shrugs*
After Marley told the cat that we would like to receive an invitation to the wedding and hung up my eyes were instantly drawn to the floor...what...what is THAT?! DUST?! At this point I was starting to get exasperated, and I am pretty sure Marley was, too. So back into buy mode I went to buy a vacuum for a house Marley hadn't even slept in yet. (reported fixed 23/03/2021 Patch PC: 1.72.28.1030, still broken)
I asked Marley if she felt like knitting in the rocking chair, she said she was a bit tired so I reminded her that we needed to recoup the cost of the expensive vacuum I just had to buy. Begrudgingly, Marley sat down and started knitting a panda beanie. Before long she began waving and yelling insisting I let her go to bed, she was exhausted, and truly, so was I. So off Marley trudged. I worried that she would not make it the 15 or so steps to her bed but she did. I sighed. Then, out of the blue and with the drama level of a high school Shakespearean actress, Marley stood up and threw herself on the floor next to her bed where she slept, I presume, like a baby. Ok Marley, you do you, boo! (broken with toddler patch - 2017)
While Marley slept I slipped into build/buy mode to add a pop of colour to her bedroom with a piece of art that had 2 birds on it and attempted a paint change. The art disappeared when I applied the paint, where did it go? Marley did you take the art?! No, of course not, you're still asleep on the floor.....(reported fixed 17/01/2023 Patch PC: 1.94.147.1030, still broken)
Marley got up bright and early the next morning, I asked her to make eggs and toast....she canceled the request repeatedly insisting she needed to search the web on her phone. (reported fixed 30/08/2022 Patch PC: 1.91.186.1030, still broken)
Finally Marley made it to the kitchen and began to cook...and apparently light the stove on fire
......thanks Marley.....I didn't know you were a closet arsonist.
After breakfast I clicked on the knitting bag and asked Marley to finish the beanie she had started the night before, she said she could not, so I clicked on the rocking chair and asked again, she just waved
I repeatedly tried the bag and the chair to get her to knit, she just kept on waving, she is such a friendly sim <3 Ok Marley, please go knit the beanie on the bed
No? Ok Marley, please scoot over and try the other side of the bed, still waving I see....Marley you have to use the loo, so go do that while I cue up knitting one more time before I reload, ok? Marley, you have been in the bathroom for over an hour....
Are you knitting on the loo?! Are you serious Marley?? Let's move you to a more comfortable place. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T KNIT IN THE DAMN ROCKING CHAIR?! Ok Marley, my face is red and I am annoyed let me just hit pause for a minute...Marley...why are you still moving...did you just "break the space-time continuum" like they cracked that joke about in the "patch" that was supposed to fix this issue?! (reported fixed 17/01/2023 Patch PC: 1.94.147.1030, still broken)
Alright Marley I am going to pull the knitting bag from your inventory, sell it and then buy you a new one, this one is clearly borked...let me just...wait, why can't I put this bag down, what do you mean I can't put it in the middle of the floor where there is literally nothing else around it...*click click click click* Wait, where'd the bag go?!
Marley let's just forget about knitting for a while, please go turn on the vacuum and then we will work on a painting to calm us both down. Oml, Marley that painting is lovel...why is the vacuum cleaner smoking?! Sh*t Marley, I think the vacuum found the knitting bag....
When Marley got home from work the next day she was clearly upset, after a SINGLE DAY at work she was feeling like she was stuck in a dead end passionless job, I sighed.
I asked her to change her clothes and then go paint, she changed her clothes and then stood on her front lawn for over an hour in game time, made a face at me then finally went to paint (known issue, reported as far back as 08/2020, still broken)
When I attempted to save and close the game out of frustration my save got stuck for 40 minutes before I gave up and restarted my PC.
The point of all this, EA/Maxis is you have chosen money over your players. These "fixes" you say you're doing are clearly not actually fixing anything! Your players are crying out for theirs games to be fixed while you are announcing the release of "growing together" And quite honestly I have found myself disgusted with this whole thing. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ADD MODS TO THE GAME TO FIX IT!! To quote a member of this community who I admire greatly "no other ea game is this fucking borked and no other gaming community would accept this but cc and mods more or less served as some sort of bandaid for this broken ass game." -xldkx 31/07/2022 (original post here)
When I am finished posting this I will be going into that horrible buggy af app (I am sensing a theme here) that you have forced us all to switch to, where I will be canceling my pre-order of "growing together" I am done blindly throwing money at you for a game I can not even play in its current state!
FIX YOUR DAMN GAME!!!
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Unexpected twists 🫣
So... something a little unexpected happened. 😇
Unforeseen circumstances had disrupted my regular hair trimming schedule, causing it to grow out more than i intended. Fortunately, i've now been able to plan my next trim again, soon, which will bring my hair back to its proper mid-back length. But in the meantime, i decided to embrace the opportunity to try something that's quite unusual for me: creating heatless waves. Now, let me preface this by saying that i'm truly my own staunchest advocate for sleek, straight hair: it's my natural hair type and texture. But, in the spirit of curiosity, i thought: why not give it a try? 😏
The process was definitely a departure from my usual hair care routine. It took a lot of time and effort – more than i had anticipated – but, after some patience and persistence, i was met with a fascinating result: my hair had taken on a whole new wavy look...😏 (The shade seems different too, but that's just a trick of the light.)
While it was fun for a change, it was actually a bit too messy for my liking. Plus, by the end of the day, my hair was already reverting back to its natural state... 😁 This actually just reaffirmed my love for the simplicity and elegance of sleek, straight hair – it's what feels most natural to me and requires the least amount of styling time.
Nevertheless, this little experiment really reminded me of the importance of being open to change and embracing new things and experiences. It's intriguing, even if it might take me out of my comfort zone – which aligns perfectly with my haircut journey... 😅 It has surely strengthened my determination to continue exploring the path towards shorter hair. ✨✂️
#hair#haircut#haircut inspiration#haircut motivation#future hair#curly hair#wavy hair#heatless curls#before and after#personal
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@fallenlondonficswap @uniquezombiedestiny
For the general swap! Listen both our main characters are amnesiacs I had to do Something with that
Down Here Underneath
Maethyl Fallow & Harper Faraday, General Rating, 909 words.
Maethyl dropped back into her seat with a heavy sigh, a cup of steaming hot coffee warming both hands. It had been a hell of a morning, and she was looking forward to finally allowing herself to just sit and relax. She let her head loll backwards against the chair, tentacles curling gently around its wooden edges, when she heard a small cough across from her.
“Ah, hello?” A voice said. She looked up and half-winced when she realized she had not, in fact, found an empty table. How she had missed the pages upon pages of scribbling and scientific notation was beyond her. She squinted at her unexpected table-mate, who gave her an owlish look of surprise in response.
“Sorry, I can move if you want me to. It’s been… a day.” Mae said after a moment. She really didn’t want to move, it was a very comfortable chair and she was tired, but it felt rude not to offer.
The stranger shook their head. “Oh, it’s no issue, really. Sorry about the mess.” They said sheepishly. Mae took a good look at them, from their unruly hair to their neathbow splattered labcoat worn unbuttoned, and came to the conclusion that this was probably as neat as they ever were. She shrugged, and they relaxed by a fraction.
After a moment of uneasy peace as they both tried to acclimate to each others’ unexpected presence, the scientist went back to their writing. Maethyl sipped at her coffee and tried not to stare too obviously.
“So, what is all this?” Mae asked. The stranger looked up near-immediately, alight from the opportunity to talk about their work.
“A collaborative experiment with my spouse, on mordants and fixatives. Some of their Neath-color dyes don’t stay in fabric well. Like gant, especially. Or irrigo.” they rambled, referencing a faded violet-ish stain along the hem of their coat. Mae’s vision slid across it no matter how hard she tried to focus.
“I see that color when I close my eyes, sometimes.” Mae said.
The scientist perked up, rolling a fountain pen between their fingers. “Memory loss?” they asked, almost seeming excited at the prospect. Mae frowned. People always made such a fuss about her amnesia, once they found out.
After a moment she nodded, begrudgingly. “Can’t remember anything before waking up in a New Newgate cell a few months ago.” She took a small sip from her drink to break the tension.
They fluttered their right hand by their side, suddenly, surprise and delight twining in their expression. “It was a few years ago for me, but… I’m the same.” they said, softly. Mae choked on her coffee in surprise for a second, coughing. “Do you remember anything from before? Or just total amnesia.”
“Dunno. If I did remember any details I’d just forget that I did, so how would I know?” She replied. “Do you?”
“Understandable, given the nature of irrigo. Ah, I… Some? But not really. Mostly just snippets, stuff tied to senses. Sometimes I remember the scent of surface flowers, or the texture of a specific lace, or the feeling of sunlight, but… I completely lack context, or any specific details.”
Maethyl hummed in sympathy. “Sounds nice, at least.”
Her conversational partner nodded after a moment, as if lost in thought, before speaking once more. “So, you’re still pretty new to the Neath then, if you only woke up in New Newgate a few months back. How has it been for you so far?”
Mae groaned, setting her coffee cup down and burying her face in her hands. A stray tentacle clung to one of her fingers. “Tried my hand at growing mushrooms and ended up in the middle of a warzone.”
The scientist winced. “That was a doozy. I’d like to say that was an outlier, as summers go, but from my observations it’s more pattern than coincidence. Augusts seem to just have a particular kind of trouble to them. And Thursdays, for that matter, especially at the end of any given month.”
“Eugh. Noted.” She replied, pinching the bridge of her nose. The scientist offered a wry smile, before it abruptly shifted into dawning realization.
“Oh.” They breathed. “That was your first time ever seeing the sun, then.”
Mae instinctively hunched up her shoulders. “Yeah. Yours too. What did you think? I thought it was a bit shit. Bloody hurt, too. I’ll be ecstatic if I never have to feel that again.”
“Bright. Warm. Absolutely painful, yes. But… I don’t know. As I crashed up there, burning in sunlight, all I could think of was that it was breathtakingly beautiful. But that very well could have been the adrenaline talking.” The scientist said, fidgeting with their cosmogone-lensed spectacles.
“Can’t say I agree, but to each their own.” She said with a half-smile. They both let their gazes wander over the rest of the coffeeshop, deep in thought.
“I wonder, though, how many others there are out there like us. Whose lives basically began in prison, not even remembering what they did or didn’t do. Maybe we should start a club.” They said with a dry laugh.
“Neathy amnesiacs anonymous. Anonymous because all of us have a shitty memory, that is.” Mae joked. The scientist paused for a second, seemingly having trouble parsing the humor, before they smiled too.
“Neathy amnesiacs anonymous.” They echoed. Mae picked up her coffee cup in a mock-toast and drained the last of it.
#fallen london fic swap#the scientist scribbles#they are amnesiacs for different reasons! but it is still neat to meet someone like you#c: harper faraday#others ocs#maethyl fallow#also jeez i have been writing a Lot. insomnia last night did not help. anyways i hope you enjoy this!#also the neathy amnesiacs anonymous joke is courtesy of the-dye-stained-socialite yippee#a copy of your bazaarine tale
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College Days
Summary: Your college life wasn’t anything like you expected
Written for: @the-slumberparty
Words: 3431
Squares Filled: I5- College, O2- College AU, G3- Video Games, I1, First Date
Pairing: Steve Rogers x Female Reader
Warnings: Drinking, mild language
To say you were nervous on your first day of college was an understatement. This big city campus was a far different world to the quiet country town you grew up in. Nervously, you made your way to the door rooms that were to be your home for the duration of your stay. You were about to open the door when someone beat you to it from the other side. The person who walked through was a tall, handsome blond man with kind blue eyes and a charming smile.
“Hi, you must be one of the new students. I’m Steve. I’m the RA of this dorm building. I’ll show you around.”
You introduced yourself and Steve took you through to the room you would be using. Steve left you for a few moments to let you settle in.
As you were getting unpacked, a young woman walked in and placed her stuff on the other bed.
“Hi, I’m Wanda. You must be my roommate,” she smiled, extending her hand to shake yours.
You shook her hand and introduced yourself, exchanging a few pleasantries before heading downstairs to the common room for orientation.
…
Steve explained everything you needed to know about dorm life, from rules and regulations to maps and any other useful information you might need to know. Once he was finished, you headed to the dining to where you could smell someone was cooking dinner. You headed into the kitchen to see if you could offer assistance to whoever was in there. Poking your head in, you spotted a curly haired male tending to some kind of sausages in a pan.
“Do you need a hand?” you asked.
The cook turned and smiled at you.
“Oh, hey. I’m pretty much set for cooking but you could help me dish them up. I’m Bruce, by the way.”
You once again introduced yourself and helped to put the sausages into the buns.
“What kind of hotdogs are these?” you questioned, noticing their odd colour.
“Tofu dogs. I’m vegan, you see. I know that most people don’t share my kind of diet but I wanted to share something with you guys, if that’s okay.”
Well, you did come to college for new experiences.
You helped Bruce bring out the tofu dogs with a few condiments and met with more of your dormmates. After a few more introductions, you all sat down to eat. As you took the first bite, you took a few minutes to assess the flavour. It was… not great. The texture was… interesting to say the least. There were a few moments of awkward silence before Sam stood up.
“Where’s the takeout menu?” he declared.
“Sam…” you began.
Okay, so it wasn’t the best tasting the you had but that didn’t mean putting Bruce down after he tried so hard.
“No, I can admit defeat. I confess, I must not have used a decent brand. Guys, order what you’d like. Dinner is on me tonight,” Bruce announced, handing out menus to a local takeout place.
And that was your first dinner in your new home.
…
The next morning, you got up bright and early, ready to start your new college life. Classes didn’t start until Monday but the weekend gave you a chance to find your way around the school and perhaps get to know your dormmates a little. As you made your way downstairs, you noticed a group of people in gym gear doing stretches.
“Hey, guys,” you greeted.
“Good morning, Y/N. We’re about to go for a jog. Would you like to join us?” Steve offered.
On the one hand, the thought of doing all that exercise first thing in the morning sounded like a nightmare. On the other hand, it might be a good opportunity to know the grounds a little better and get to know some of your dormmates a little better. You briefly considered your options before ultimately deciding to go with them. They waited for you to get ready before they headed off.
Steve, Bucky, Sam and Nat were much fitter than you were but went a little slower for your benefit. That was, until the boys started getting a little competitive. Then it became a contest between them on who could run circles around each other. Nat just rolled her eyes and kept her pace to match yours.
“Wow… they’re pretty fit… aren’t they?” you puffed.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Y/N. You’re doing a pretty good job at keeping up,” Nat smiled at you.
“Well… I try,” you tried to smile back and hoped it didn’t come out as a grimace.
“You should come to yoga with me. Classes start this Thursday,” she offered.
“I’ll think about it,” you replied, watching as Steve ran his third lap around with Bucky on his heels.
“Don’t say it!” Sam screamed.
“On your left,” Steve grinned.
…
After your jog, the group made their way back to the dorms.
“Hey,” Steve greeted.
“Hi!” you replied, taking a great big swig from your water bottle.
“You were pretty good out there,” he smiled.
“Thanks… nowhere as good as you though…”
“I’ve been doing this for quite some time… I would have liked to stay back to talk with you some more but I tend to get a little… competitive,” he admitted with a sheepish smile.
“Don’t worry about it. Nat kept me company,” you assured him.
“That’s good… Well, I would like to talk with you some time to see how you’re getting on. If you need anything, just knock on my door,” he softly smiled, heading up the stairs to take a shower.
You couldn’t help but smile to yourself. Steve was pretty cute and watching the way he climbed those stairs; you did notice he had a pretty nice butt… Was it possible he could be interested in you? Well, it was possible but the way he was nice to you could also just be a part of being the house RA. You would just have to wait and see.
…
The following Friday, you had completed your first week of classes. As you got home, you saw some of the others setting up some sort of drinking game.
“Guys, how many times do I have to tell you this is a no alcohol building?” Steve sighed.
“Don’t like it, don’t watch,” Clint replied, continuing his set up.
Steve grumbled and headed up the stairs.
“Y/N, come join us!” Tony offered.
“I’ll just put my things away and I’ll be right down,” you assured him.
You went up the stairs to put away your stuff and noticed Wanda sitting on her bed reading.
“Hi, Wanda. They’re about to start playing a drinking game downstairs. Would you like to join us?”
“Thanks for the offer, but I can’t drink with my meds. You have fun though,” she smiled, returning to her book.
“Okay. I’ll let you know how it goes,” you smiled, heading back downstairs.
To your surprise, you saw Steve had returned and was sitting with the rest.
“Steve? I thought you weren’t going to play…” you stated.
“I decided that I should probably be here to supervise,” he replied, although he didn’t seem all that happy to be involved.
“That’s the spirit!” Tony grinned, patting him on the back.
You took your place and the game began. It started out as a game of Never Have I Ever which somehow morphed into a game of Truth or Dare. Tony by far had the most shots, followed by Natasha and Clint. You and Steve only took a few sips on occasion which probably prompted the change in games. They made up a rule that if you failed to complete an action, you had to take a shot.
“Okay, Y/N. Truth or dare?” Tony slurred.
“Uh… dare?” you sheepishly chose. Either way, you knew you were in trouble.
Tony grinned wickedly.
“You have chosen… poorly. I dare you to…”
Your heart hammered in your ribcage as you mentally prepared yourself to take the next shot.
“Kiss Steve!”
Steve’s face turned red and you felt butterflies in your stomach.
“Really, Tony?” Steve huffed.
“Yeah… You need a little action to remove that stick up your-”
“Tony!”
Tony raised his hands in defence and suddenly, all eyes were on you.
“Well? What’s it gonna be?” Tony asked.
“You don’t have to do anything… I won’t force you,” Steve muttered.
Was it the alcohol or did he actually sound a little disappointed?
“I’ll do it…”
The three others all whooped while Steve looked even more flustered. You walked over and draped your arms over Steve’s shoulders and he wrapped his arms around your waist.
“Last chance to back out,” he breathed, giving you some more time if you wanted.
You crashed your lips to his before you lost your nerve. His lips were warm and smooth against yours. Steve pulled you a little closer to his body. You had kissed a few people when you were dating in high school but this one… this one felt perfect. You were so lost in the kiss; you barely noticed the cheering from the others. Slowly, you and Steve pulled away from each other. Steve smiled warmly at you then blushed as the hollering continued.
“Alright, you lot. Game over. It’s late now, get to bed,” he ordered.
“Boo. Let’s keep playing,” Tony whined.
“No, no more drinking. Bed now.”
“I’ll help carry him. The drunk dead man lift is a two-man event,” Clint said, helping Steve pick up Tony off the floor.
You and Nat made your way back to your own rooms. Trying to be as quiet as possible, you made your way to your bed but unfortunately, you were a little tipsier than you thought and tripped over something, making a clatter.
“Y/N?” Wanda sleepily voiced.
“Sorry. Did I wake you?”
“It’s okay… did you have fun?” she yawned, sitting up.
“Yeah… I, um… I kissed Steve…” you admitted, feeling your face heat up.
“So… How was it?” she pried, starting to form a cheeky grin.
“It… it was nice…” you smiled, still remembering the warmth of his lips and his body.
“Are you going to go for it?”
“I don’t know… Steve has been pretty nice to me but what if that’s because it’s part of his job… still… I’m pretty sure I felt something when we kissed,” you dreamily sighed.
“You never know if you don’t try,” she encouraged.
Her words gave you thought as you prepared yourself for bed. It’s not like it would be a bad thing if you got in a relationship in college and Steve seemed a pretty nice guy… You would have to wait and see.
…
Over the next few weeks, you really got the hang of your college routine. For the first quarter, you were just feeling your way around to see courses you liked best before you could fully commit. You were also starting to make friends. In your Theoretical Astrophysics class with Professor Erik Selvig, you met Darcy Lewis. She was really smart and a lot of fun at parties. She was also a good friend; the kind of friend that made sure everyone was having a good time but more importantly, everybody got back safely (even if she was in a different dorm building than yours). Not that you went to a lot of parties. You much preferred staying home and talking with your new best friend Wanda. Not only was she your roommate but she was in your psychology class, working to get a doctorate. You also started hanging out with the others and getting to know them. They all noticed the sparks between you and Steve and either encouraged or playfully teased you both about it.
One afternoon, you were studying in your room when there was a knock on the door.
“Hey, Y/N. You busy?” Steve asked, poking his head through the door.
“Hi, Steve. No, I’m not busy. What’s up?” you asked.
“I’m falling behind in grading these papers for my TA job and I need a hand. Would you mind?”
“Sure…”
You stood up and made your way over to Steve’s room. The truth was, you were actually pretty tired from staying up late last night playing your favourite game Barbarians of Altron. The boss you faced was pretty tough so you and your guild fought hard until it was defeated. You really wanted to take a nap but you also thought this would be a great opportunity to spend some time with Steve.
“Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it,” he sheepishly smiled, handing you a stack of paper. “It’s pretty easy. All you have to do is follow the guide.”
You took your place next to Steve and set to work. At first, all that could be heard was the sound of shuffling paper and the scratching of pens. After a while, your thoughts got the better of you so you decided just to maybe get to know him a little better.
“How did you get so far behind? I know you’re the type of guy to get things done as soon as possible,” you pried.
“Oh, the boss battle went longer than I thought. Damn thing was hard to beat…” he sighed.
Some pieces started to fall into place in your mind.
“That wouldn’t happen to be the boss battle in Barbarians of Altron last night would it?”
“It was… how did you know?” he asked, feeling a little self-conscious.
“I was in the same one! I’m SheildMaiden94!”
“You’re ShieldMaiden94?! I’m TheNomad1914!”
“No way! Your strategies are legendary!” you beamed.
“Thanks! Although last night they weren’t working so well…”
“Oh, don’t worry about last night. That guy was a pain,” you assured him.
Steve grinned at you and continued working while he chatted while you did the same.
“So, how long have you been playing for?” you asked.
“Since high school. Bucky got me into it. He goes by WinterWolf_17. What about you?”
“Also, high school…”
The pair of you continued discussing your favourite battles and items while you graded and before you knew it, the task was completed.
“Thanks for all your help, Y/N. It really means a lot to me,” he smiled.
“You’re welcome. I look forward to the next raid,” you smiled back.
Steve grinned and escorted you back to your room. As you closed your door, you couldn’t help but smile. You had always admired your guildmate for his leadership skills and action in battle but knowing the man behind the character… felt like something was meant to be.
…
By the time winter came around, you and Steve had bonded over your love of Barbarians of Altron but that was only the start. You got to know more about one another. You told Steve that you had almost narrowed down your field of interest and you learned that Steve was taking a few art and history classes. He showed you some of his beautiful works from his life model studies.
Time had flown by so fast. Before you knew it, winter break had come. As much as you wanted to go home for the holidays, you just couldn’t afford to travel but you still called them to let them know how you were going. Most of your dormmates had gone home, except for Steve. He stayed behind to finish a project he was working on. Once you finished your phone-call, Steve came to check on you.
“Hey… how’s it going?” he gently asked, walking into your room after knocking.
“I’m okay… I just miss my family. This is my first time being away from them this time of year,” you sniffled, wiping away a few tears.
Steve came to sit next to you on your bed.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
You smiled softly at him and began telling him all about your family. Steve listened as you told him the traditions you would uphold and the antics certain family members would get into along with funny stories from years gone by and by the time you were finished, you were feeling a lot better.
“How about we go downstairs, make some hot chocolate and watch some classics?” Steve suggested.
That was how you spent that festive season; cuddled up to Steve watching holiday movies under a blanket and sipping hot chocolate. You felt so safe and warm in his arms.
…
After the holidays, you and Steve were closer than ever. Your conversations became deeper and more meaningful and every movie night, you would cuddle up together but it wasn’t until Valentine’s Day that things were made official. Steve had told you how much he admired female artists throughout history so before Valentine’s Day, you bought a book about them, covering everyone from Augusta Savage to Artemisia Gentileschi. Taking a deep breath in, you knocked on Steve’s door. He smiled and let you in.
“I’m so glad you came by,” he beamed.
“Well, I… I have something for you…”
You presented your neatly wrapped gift to him. Steve opened it, taking great care not to rip the paper and smiled when he saw the cover of the book.
“This is beautiful,” Steve marvelled, admiring the gorgeous artwork.
He smiled and flicked through a few pages before placing the book on his desk.
“I have something for you too,” he confessed, handing you his present.
You opened yours and were instantly in awe. It was a framed drawing of you and Steve as your characters for Barbarians of Altron, back-to-back and engaged in combat with some unknown enemy. You couldn’t help but smile at it.
“I love it, Steve. Thank you so much…”
“It… it’s not much… Y/N, I like you a lot and… well… there’s a Frieda Kahlo exhibition happening in a gallery nearby and I was wondering if… you would like to go with me.”
“Like a date?”
“Yeah… That is, if you want it to be… I feel like we’ve gotten so close this term and I just… Am I misreading things?”
Steve was so cute when he was flustered. You decided to put him out of his misery and kissed his cheek.
“I’d love to go on a date with you, Steve,” you smiled.
Steve grinned and together, you worked out a time to go out.
…
The next night, you met up with Steve after Wanda and Nat helped you pick an outfit. Steve complemented you, making butterflies swarm in your stomach and held your hand as you headed to the gallery.
The exhibition was absolutely amazing. There were some of the artist’s works on display along with those of her husband, Diego Rivera, some of her beautiful dresses, photos and videos of the couple along with signs explaining the history of Mexico in Frieda’s time. The whole display was on loan to the gallery by a private collector. As you passed paintings, Steve went into detail about the brushstrokes, techniques and symbolism that went into a work of art. You weren’t entirely sure on everything he explained but you loved seeing the ways his face lit up when he was passionate about a subject.
After walking through the whole gallery, Steve bought you a Frieda inspired necklace made by a local artist at the gift shop before you grabbed dinner at a nearby café. As you ate, you discussed the exhibit and class life. Once you were finished, you walked back to the dorm.
“Thanks for taking out, tonight, Steve. I had a lot of fun,” you smiled.
“I’m glad,” he smiled back. “I was hoping I could take you out more… as my girlfriend that is…”
You crashed your lips against Steve’s. He was caught off guard at first but slowly kissed back. You could feel the love and passion in the kiss and when you pulled away to breathe, you both had dreamy smiles.
“I would love to be your girlfriend.”
Steve smiled and kissed you again, unaware you were being watched by your friends inside. Of course, they would give you a bit of a hard time but they were so happy you were finally together. You couldn’t wait to start the next stage of your college life with this wonderful, kind man who stole your heart from day one.
#navy and roo sleepover#navy and roo's sleepover#marvel#marvel one shot#steve rogers x reader#Steve Rogers#College#friends#First date#video games#College AU#bingo#drinking
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Blog 4: Interpreting Nature Through Art
For the longest time, I have never considered myself to be a particularly creative or artistic person, despite my appreciation for the world of art. I have always been fascinated by the various ways artists can capture the awe-inspiring beauty of nature, whether it be through the lens of a camera, paint and a paintbrush, or the simplicity of a pencil and paper. The way artists can convey the vivid colours of a sunset, the delicate details of a flower, or the vastness of a landscape shows how they interpret “the gift of beauty”. Art serves as the language through which artists articulate their unique interpretations of the gift of beauty in nature. It provides a platform for them to convey their emotions, thoughts, and perceptions, transcending the limitations of verbal expression. Art allows artists to share their personal connection with nature and allows others to see this beauty through their eyes and creative expression. Overall, art allows for a deeper connection with nature and allows for individuals to appreciate the beauty in nature. The concept of “the gift of beauty” suggests that nature offers a profound and enriching experience to individuals providing them with an opportunity to perceive and appreciate the beauty that nature holds. This gift extends beyond mere aesthetics; it is a source of inspiration, a catalyst for spiritual uplift, and a reminder of the interconnectedness between humanity and the environment. The interpretation of the gift of beauty carries an implicit call to action in terms of environmental responsibility. By recognizing and valuing the beauty in nature, individuals are more likely to develop a sense of stewardship for the environment.
Although I have never really been creative, I have always enjoyed photography. I am always taking pictures whether it be on a hike with my family, go on vacation, or simply just the trees in my backyard. In grade eleven, I took a photography class at my high school. We would go on walks with our class and take pictures. When we would come back to class, we would all share our images. I was always amazed to see the different perspectives in the images because we all walked in the same place. Some individuals would take a picture of the entire tree, whereas others would focus their image on a single leaf. This really showed how every individual interprets nature differently, and how everyone sees and appreciates nature in a unique way. Photography is my way of sharing the extraordinary gift of beauty that nature offers, allowing other to witness nature as I perceive it. Each photograph becomes a visual diary, as it narrates a story. Each photograph captures vibrant colours, textures, and emotions. After all, a photo is worth a thousand words!
Here are just some of the photographs I love!
After seeing these images of nature, how would you interpret them, what do you like about them? Do you think you appreciate nature in similar or different ways as I do? I'm curious to see what everyone thinks!
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