#as a nordic person i like the world... but it is probably going to be empty as hell and mostly set dressing

[hellodahliah]

The ea app has more info on the new pack. It looks like it comes with two new traits: idealist and shady. these traits will somehow play a role in how sims run their business (dreamer snd schemer aspiration) and how ot will affect their lives.

All in all this is clearly just a pottery and tattoo pack with a bit of candy making (why is this not a fledged out skill?) businesses and multipurpose lots. The maxis team clearly don't know the definition of the word hobby. Yeah hobbies can be made into businesses, but in that case they become more like a job than a hobby (in my opinion) hobbies are things you usually do on your FREE-TIME that you enjoy and like.

If they hadn't had the word hobby in the title the outrage would maybe not have been this huge. There would probably still have been ouitrage but maybe for different reasons.

[amethystarachnid]

BABY LIGHTNING

⤷ THOR ODINSON

ᯓ★ Pairing: Thor Odinson x fem!reader

ᯓ★ Genre: romance, angst, fluff

ᯓ★ Request from: MARVEL bingo

ᯓ★ Story type: one shot

ᯓ★ Word count: 5k

ᯓ★ TW(s): mentions of sex (that’s how babies are made lol), a little himbo Thor, bad nordic mythology I’m sorry,

ᯓ★ Request: Thor & Secret Baby where Thor doesn’t know until a friend of his tells him and wants to be a part of their lives. ( @rihannabale )

ᯓ★ Comment if you want to be added to the taglist (specify if you want the everything taglist or for a specific character)

ᯓ★ Songs & Superheroes tales - The Game (to make a request, follow the rules on the link!)

ᯓ★ MARVEL Bingo (requests open)

ᯓ★ If you are a Charles Xavier lover click on this link!

ᯓ★ English isn’t my first language, feel free to correct me kindly please

You can remember the first time you two met vividly: it happened when the Avengers were formed, you saw him stand next to Fury while you were sitting at your desk, doing your boring job behind a computer.

He was, literally, a God so you didn’t even bother to think that he was going to notice you, but he did.

Your eyes met for the first time and you fell in love with those blue eyes almost instantly, how stupid of you! You are an adult, you shouldn’t fall in love at first sight with a God.

“Who’s that?” Thor asks Fury, his head nodding towards you and you quickly look away.

“Oh that’s Y/N Y/L/N…Anyway…” Fury leads Thor on the other side of the room and it doesn’t really surprise you, instead, you’re surprised that Fury remembers your name.

When your shifts ends you enter the elevator with a tired sigh and as the door close you hear a voice asking you to stop them.

As the doors reopened you see Thor standing just behind them with an awkward smile, “Sorry, I don’t really understand how these things work…” He chuckles and enters the elevator, making you feel small suddenly, and it isn’t just because he’s a God but because he is big, in every direction.

“I-It’s not a problem…” You stutter, then look at him confused when he doesn’t push any button, “Which floor are you headed to?” You ask politely, not knowing how to properly refer to a God.

“Oh I’m leaving.” He simply says.

“Then you need to push the floor zero.” You explain as you push the button.

“Where are you going?” He asks, glancing at the buttons, “Inside Midgard?” You hold back a chuckle at his confused expression when he notices that you are headed to the floor -1.

“It’s the underground parking lot, I have my car there.” You smile, glancing at the screen that tells you which floor you’re currently on: 12 and after a few seconds it becomes 11.

“You humans created a lot of things, they’re cool.” Thor looks around.

You simply smile, not knowing how to answer that.

“So you uh…Work here? With the strange machine?” He asks awkwardly.

You feel your cheeks heat up, “The computer, yes, but it’s a boring job really…Saving the world must be more satisfying.”

“It is, helping people makes you feel good.” He smiles at you and you find yourself thinking how can a man that big and menacingly looking be such a soft and gentle person?

A few more moments pass in silence, as you try to steal glances at him, in doing that you find him doing the same.

“A friend told me that here on Earth when you like a girl you need to ask her on a date…” Thor starts when the elevator is at the fourth floor. “So, forgive me if I’m too straight forward, but would you like to go on a date with me?”

Your eyes widen at his words, a God is asking you out? Thor, God of Thunder, is asking you out?

“Yes!” You immediately, even though it probably makes you sound impatient. You couldn’t care less.

After that everything started moving forward quickly, super quickly.

In a month you have you have gone on more than 20 dates and you have lost count of all the sex you two had.

At first he stayed at the Stark Tower when he was on Earth but soon your apartment became his too.

You had never moved so quickly with a man, you have always been careful, but with Thor everything came naturally.

In a month you were completely in love with him and he seemed in love with you too, always bringing you flowers and jewels from Asgard.

“Why don’t you come and live at Asgard with me?” He suddenly asks one night, with you cuddled up by his side after yet another incredible night together.

“On Asgard? But I know nothing about it.” You answer, moving your fingertips over his toned torso.

“I will teach you everything you need to know.” He says, kissing the top of your head. “Sooner or later I’ll be King…And I want you to be my Queen.”

At his words you look at him shocked, “Me? A human becoming the Queen of Asgard, your people would hate me.”

“They will not.” He cups your cheek in his hand, caressing the soft skin with his thumb, “They don’t choose their Queen, I do, and I choose you.”

“Thor that’s…You’re asking me a lot.” You look away, the rational part of you is screaming at you that even just thinking about that is stupid.

But the bigger part of you, the once filled only with love for him, is telling you to screw everything and go with him.

“I know, but I’ll be with you every step of the way.” He smiles gently at you, “Be my Queen, Y/N, let me be your King.”

You look into his eyes and the only thing you see is pure adoration for you.

“Okay, I’ll come to Asgard.” You smile and he kisses your lips gently.

“I’ll make you the most loved and worshipped Queen Asgard has ever seen.” He lays you down on the bed while peppering your face with soft kisses.

“Thor we just stopped.” You chuckle.

“But we should celebrate, don’t you think?” He kisses your neck, “I have one last mission to go on, after that I’ll come to you and bring you to Asgard, my Queen.”

“I’ll wait for you.”

Three days later Thor leaves you to go on a mission to save the world, fighting who knows what type of aliens and bad people.

A week after he still hasn’t returned, but you know that missions can be unpredictable so you don’t worry too much.

You patiently wait for him to come home so you can show him the positive pregnancy test, you chuckle when you think about how confused he will be at first.

Another week pass, then another.

Then it’s a month.

Then another.

Soon your belly is too swollen to hide, you go in maternity leave, focusing on taking care of the little girl in your belly.

You have lost all hope that Thor would come back, he probably knew this since that night.

He knew he was going to leave you, you’re sure of it.

So now you have a baby girl to raise alone, sure, you thought about abortion but you simply couldn’t.

You loved Thor even though he probably didn’t love you back, and the little girl was a part of him too.

That’s why you named her Andora, according to Google it meant Thor’s Eagle.

That’s why you always read her stories about the Nordic Mythology, you wanted her to know her father even though he didn’t know about her.

What you didn’t expect was for her to have powers, you should’ve expected that — her father could control lighting after all.

Having a newborn who can control water but doesn’t know how to control it is a mess.

But you may know who can help you.

Two years later

“Stark! My friend, how have you been?” Thor asks as he enters the living room of the Stark Tower, where Tony is sitting, drinking whiskey.

“Look who shows his face around from time to time!” Tony chuckles, glancing up and down at Thor.

“How long has it been since I came here? One year and half I believe.”

“Yeah, while you were out on the galaxy we fought aliens again, why didn’t you come back? We could’ve used some help.”

“I came back…Like a year and a half ago, I went to see Fury, we had a little chat and…I didn’t find any other reason to come back after that.” Thor looks away.

“What do you mean?” Tony walks towards him confused.

“He told me that Y/N died during the alien attack.” Tony chokes on his whiskey as he looks at him, “She was the love of my life, why should I protect a planet that doesn’t have her in it?”

“Thor.” Tony places and hand on Thor’s shoulder, “Y/N is alive and well.”

“Don’t joke on this, Tony.” Thor brushes his hand off.

“I’m not joking, listen.” Tony places the glass on the table “I don’t know why Fury lied to you but Y/N is alive and living on the floor just above us.”

“What?”

“Two years ago she came to me asking for help with her daughter, who could control water.”

“Daughter?” Thor’s head is spinning.

“That little girl is the spitting image of you, man, if I were Y/N I’d sue you and the baby girl.” Tony shakes his head, but before he can add anything else Thor is already running on the upper floor.

Why did Fury lie to him? Why didn't you search for him?

He knock on the door of one of the apartments on the floor.

"Coming!" Oh, your voice is the same sweet melody he remembers. He hears giggles from behind the door and then you open the door.

Your smile immediately fades as you see the man standing right outside your door.

You knew that living in the Stark Tower meant that you were going to meet him sooner or later but it's been one year and half since you moved here and he never showed up.

"Oh, Y/N you are as beautiful as I the day I last saw you, you haven't aged a bit." He looks at you with a smile, sure, your body has changed a little - you gained some weight because of the pregnancy - but you're still the woman he loves.

He tries to wrap his arms around you and hug you but you push him away.

"What do you think you're doing?" You ask, your hands on his pecks as you push him away. "You disappeared for two years now you suddenly come back and act all friendly?"

"Y/N, my love, I'm so sorry but I did come back! Fury told me you were killed in the alien attack." He looks at you with his sad puppy eyes, the same eyes you loved.

The same eyes as your daughter's.

"Why would he tell you that?" You ask skeptical.

"I don't know, but believe me when I tell you I was completely destroyed by that." He takes your hands in his, "So I decided to never come back on Midgard because you were the only reason I kept coming back...If only I knew that you were alive and carrying my daughter I would've never, ever, left." He gently kisses the back of your hand.

"Who told you about her?" You ask, not having the heart to move your hand away from his hold.

"Tony did, five minutes ago." Thor glances behind you, "Can I see her?"

You look at his waiting eyes, trying to decide whether you should let him meet Andora or not.

But from the look in his eyes you can tell that he already loves her, you nod and move to make him enter.

"Andora! Come here, baby." You gently call for her, you can see Thor's eyes widening more as he hear the name.

"You called her Andora?" He repeats in a whisper, "Does...Does she know who I am?"

You nod, "I told her stories about you and told her that her daddy was on a long mission saving the galaxy but that he would come back eventually...I didn't know if you'd actually come back but it was easier to let her believe that way."

"Mommy!" You hear a small voice call for you, followed by small but quick footsteps.

Once he sees her Thor can't help but agree with Tony, that little girl looks just like him: blonde hair, blue eyes, same lips and she's slightly taller than average.

Andora stops as she sees the man standing next to you, then smiles and runs towards him.

"Daddy back!" She says happily, Thor picks her up and holds her against his chest.

"Yeah, daddy's back." He says gently, caressing her head as she wraps her legs around his waist.

You can't hold back the smile that forms on your face in seeing the two of them finally together, you wouldn't admit it but you hoped this day would come, letting your baby girl meet her dad.

The hours slip by since Thor walked back into your life.

Now, you're sitting in the living room, the low hum of the city outside barely a distraction from the tension between you and Thor. He sits across the room, his large frame somehow hunched, shoulders heavy with guilt. Andora is in his lap, babbling happily, her tiny fingers gripping a strand of his golden hair.

“Daddy! You have long hair! Mommy cuts mine. Maybe I cut yours?” she says, her words coming out in the sweet, muddled way toddlers speak.

Thor chuckles softly, a sound you haven't heard in so long. “Maybe not, little one. But I’m glad you like it.”

You watch them from the couch, arms crossed tightly over your chest, unsure of what to do with this scene. It’s surreal, seeing them together. Andora has taken to him faster than you thought, almost like she always knew he was meant to be here. After all the stories you’ve told her, the drawings you showed her, it’s as if she’s just meeting a long-lost friend.

But for you? This feels… complicated.

“Thor,” you say, breaking the relative silence. He looks up at you, eyes still soft with wonder as he holds his daughter. “Can we talk?”

He nods, and carefully lifts Andora off his lap, setting her down on the floor with her toys. “Why don’t you play with your dolls for a little while?” he suggests, ruffling her hair.

“’Kay!” she chirps, already distracted by her stuffed animals.

You watch her for a moment before turning your gaze back to Thor, your heart heavy. “This doesn’t change anything, you know.”

He looks at you with a mix of pain and hope. “I know,” he says quietly. “But I’m here now, Y/N. I’m not going to walk away again.”

Your fingers clench, tension rising in your chest. “You did walk away, though. You left. I needed you. She needed you.”

Thor’s expression crumbles a bit as you speak, and for a moment, the god of thunder looks as vulnerable as anyone else. “I thought you were dead, Y/N. Fury told me… he told me you were gone. I had no reason to come back.”

“And you didn’t question it?” Your voice trembles with the frustration you’ve been holding in for two years. “You didn’t try to find out more, to… I don’t know, feel something?”

He shakes his head, his blue eyes pleading for you to understand. “I was devastated. Losing you, believing I lost you, was unbearable. I didn’t have it in me to question anything. I…” He pauses, his hands tightening into fists. “I left because I couldn’t face a world without you.”

You close your eyes, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill. “You left me, Thor. You left us.”

There’s a silence that stretches between you, heavy and sharp. You feel him watching you, and it’s clear that this isn’t easy for him. But it wasn’t easy for you either. Raising Andora alone, carrying the weight of his absence… You’ve been strong for so long, but now, faced with him again, all of it is unraveling.

“I know I failed you,” Thor says softly, his voice thick with regret. “I failed you both. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but please… let me try to make it right. Let me be a father to her.”

His words hit you hard, and you glance over at Andora, who is now giggling softly as she talks to her toys. She’s only two, but she’s smart, more perceptive than you’d expect for her age. And she’s already fallen for Thor, without hesitation.

“Mommy?” Andora calls out, looking up at you with her wide, curious eyes. “Daddy stay? He read me stories?”

You swallow, the lump in your throat making it hard to speak. She’s been asking for a real bedtime story from Thor since the moment she realized he was her father. And now she looks at you, her little face full of hope, so much like his.

“Maybe just one,” you finally say, your voice softer than before. You feel your resolve crumbling, just a little.

Thor smiles, his eyes glinting with gratitude as he stands up. “One story, then,” he says gently, moving over to where Andora sits. He lifts her into his arms with such care, holding her like she’s the most precious thing in the world. And to him, she probably is.

You follow them down the hall to Andora’s room, leaning against the doorframe as Thor settles into a chair, Andora perched on his knee, listening intently as he begins to tell her one of the stories you’ve read to her countless times. But this time, it’s different.

This time, it’s coming from him.

“Once, in the great kingdom of Asgard,” Thor begins, his deep voice soft but powerful, drawing Andora in completely. Her tiny hands clutch his arm, her blue eyes—so much like his—wide with fascination. You can’t help but watch, your heart torn between the pain of the past and the warmth of seeing them together now.

As the story goes on, Andora starts to yawn, her eyelids growing heavy. Thor’s voice quiets, and he gently places her down in her bed, tucking her in with a tenderness that surprises you. He brushes a kiss to her forehead, whispering something you can’t hear.

When he stands up, he glances at you, and for the first time tonight, you don’t feel the anger burning as fiercely inside you. You’re still hurt, still unsure if you can trust him. But you can see the love in his eyes—for Andora, for you—and maybe, just maybe, it’s enough to give him a chance.

“We’ll see,” you whisper, your voice steady this time, as you meet his gaze. “But it’s going to take time.”

Three Months Later

Thor stands on the balcony of Stark Tower, watching the city lights flicker like stars beneath him. The wind whips through his long hair, but his mind is far from the bustling streets below. He’s thinking about you—how much has changed in these past three months and how much still hasn’t.

You’ve let him be part of Andora’s life, and for that, he’s grateful beyond measure. He never tires of spending time with his daughter, watching her discover the world around her, a world she’s already learning to shape in ways neither of you expected. The first time she summoned water from the sink to swirl around her tiny hand, she had giggled, thinking it was a game. But Thor knew what it meant—Andora had inherited powers, like him, but tied to water.

It was a gift, one that both scared and amazed you. You’ve been trying to help her control it, and Thor has been there every step of the way, guiding her when she calls the rain or forms droplets into little shapes to show you. He loves seeing the pride in her eyes when she succeeds, and the way she lights up when she knows her father is proud too.

But his heart aches for more.

He knows you still hold back, keeping a wall up between the two of you. The pain from his disappearance lingers, even though you’ve allowed him back into Andora’s life. You’re kind, even friendly sometimes, but you’re cautious, and he understands why. Thor wants to fix it—no, needs to fix it—but he isn’t sure how.

That’s where Tony Stark comes in.

“You’ve got that brooding god face again, Blondie,” Tony’s voice breaks through Thor’s thoughts, pulling him back to the present. He turns to see Tony stepping onto the balcony, a glass of whiskey in one hand and his signature smirk in place.

Thor sighs, leaning against the railing. “It is not so simple, Stark.”

Tony takes a sip, then looks at Thor with a raised eyebrow. “Let me guess. You’re thinking about Y/N.”

Thor grunts in agreement, his gaze shifting back to the city. “She has allowed me to be part of Andora’s life. But with her… things are still… strained. I fear I’ve lost her.”

Tony lets out a short laugh, shaking his head. “You haven’t lost her. She’s just… you know, dealing with the whole ‘you thought she was dead’ thing. Which, if I’m being honest, is a pretty big hurdle to get over.”

Thor doesn’t argue. He knows Tony is right. Still, there’s a flicker of hope deep inside him, and he refuses to give up on the love he once had with you.

“I want to make things right,” Thor says, his voice low. “But I do not know how to win her heart again.”

Tony taps his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. “You’re asking for my help? You want the great Tony Stark to play matchmaker?”

Thor rolls his eyes. “I seek your advice, not your… matchmaking skills.”

Tony grins, leaning against the balcony next to Thor. “Well, lucky for you, I happen to be an expert in charming the ladies.”

“I believe Pepper might disagree.”

Tony waves his hand dismissively. “Details, details. What I’m saying is, Y/N doesn’t need some grand gesture or heroic display. She’s already seen you in battle, she knows you’re a god. What she needs is to see that you care about the little things—the human stuff.”

Thor frowns. “The… human stuff?”

“Yeah, you know, things that show her you’re paying attention to her, not just showing off your lightning powers.” Tony pauses, then his face lights up. “Start small. Do things that’ll make her day easier. Watch Andora when she’s busy, cook a meal. And for God’s sake, talk to her. Like, really talk.”

Thor considers this for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. He’s always been a man of action, of grand gestures and battles fought. But this—what Tony is suggesting—seems almost… simple. And yet, maybe that’s what you need.

“Show her you’re here for the long haul,” Tony adds, clapping Thor on the shoulder. “You’re not the guy who left. You’re the guy who’s staying. You want her to fall in love with that version of you.”

Thor looks at Tony, a spark of determination flickering in his chest. “I will try your way, Stark. But if this fails—”

“If this fails,” Tony interrupts, “then we’ll regroup and come up with Plan B. But trust me, this is a good start.”

With renewed resolve, Thor nods, already imagining what small things he could do for you. He’s going to show you, step by step, that he’s different now. That he’s staying. He watches Tony head back inside, his mind racing with possibilities.

Suddenly, a small splash of water hits his foot. He looks down to see Andora toddling over, a grin on her face as she holds her hand up, a little ball of water swirling around her fingers.

“Daddy! Look!” she squeals, the ball of water growing a little larger before she accidentally loses control of it, splashing them both.

Thor laughs, scooping her up into his arms. “Very impressive, little one.”

“Mommy says I gotta practice,” she babbles, resting her head against his shoulder. “I gonna make a big water dragon someday!”

Thor smiles, holding her close. “I’m sure you will. But for now, perhaps we keep the dragons small.”

Andora giggles, and Thor can’t help but feel a surge of love for the little girl in his arms.

He glances toward the living room, where you’re sitting, unaware of the plan forming in his mind. It’s time for him to win back your heart, not as the god of thunder, but as the man who loves you. The man who’s staying.

Time skip

You never thought you'd see Thor again, much less have him back in your life, trying so hard to be part of it. At first, you were cautious, walls built high around your heart to protect yourself from the hurt he caused when he left. But he’s been… different since he came back. Patient, steady, and genuinely trying to make amends.

At first, it was little things. He’d take over watching Andora when you were swamped with work or needed a break. You’d find him and your daughter sitting at the kitchen table, her face lit up with glee as he conjured tiny rainstorms to entertain her. Once, you walked in to find him brushing Andora’s hair and telling her stories about his adventures in Asgard, his deep voice soothing as she giggled at the funny parts.

It warmed your heart, even though you resisted. You couldn’t let yourself fall for him again so easily, no matter how much seeing him with Andora softened you.

Then, there were the moments that took you by surprise. One evening, after a particularly rough day, you came home to find dinner already prepared. Thor stood in the kitchen, awkwardly stirring a pot of stew. It wasn’t perfect—he had clearly overcooked it, and there was a mess of flour and spices all over the counter—but it was the thought that floored you.

“You made this?” you asked, half-amused, half-shocked.

He looked at you sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. “I wanted to help. You’ve done so much already. I thought I could… make things a little easier.”

You couldn’t help but laugh as you sat down at the table, watching him try so hard to do something that came so naturally to you. It was messy, imperfect, and yet… it was endearing. You didn’t say much that night, but something inside you softened.

Then there was the day Andora first lost control of her water powers in a big way. She had been excited, showing you how she could make water rise from her cup, but it spiraled out of control quickly. Water splashed across the floor, soaking the both of you. You were already tired and overwhelmed, and the last thing you needed was another mess to clean up.

Before you could even react, Thor swooped in, kneeling beside Andora with a gentle smile. “It’s alright, little one,” he said softly, as Andora’s lip quivered. “We’ll clean it up together. You’re doing so well.”

He didn’t reprimand her, didn’t get frustrated. He just helped her calm down, his presence soothing her like magic. And then, he cleaned up the mess himself, all while making sure Andora felt safe and proud of what she could do.

You watched him with your daughter, feeling that wall around your heart crack a little more.

Little by little, Thor chipped away at the barriers you’d built between you. He never pushed, never demanded your forgiveness, but he was always there—steady, dependable, the man you’d fallen in love with so long ago.

There were nights when you’d sit together on the balcony after Andora went to bed, the city lights stretching out before you. Sometimes, neither of you said a word. Other times, he’d tell you about his travels across the realms, how he had thought of you every day, and how lost he felt when he believed you were gone. He didn’t ask for anything in return—just your company. And slowly, you found yourself wanting to be there with him.

One evening, after Andora had fallen asleep in Thor’s lap, her little hand clutching his, you couldn’t help but smile. You’d spent the evening together, the three of you, and it had felt… natural. Like a family.

As Thor carried Andora to bed, you watched him tuck her in with such care, brushing a kiss to her forehead before turning to leave her room. When he saw you standing in the doorway, a warm look passed between you, one that made your chest tighten.

Later that night, as you sat beside him on the couch, the quiet between you was comfortable, not strained like it once had been. You turned to him, your heart pounding in your chest. “Thor?”

He looked at you, his eyes soft and filled with that familiar warmth. “Yes, Y/N?”

You took a deep breath, unsure of how to say what had been weighing on you for so long. “I’ve been trying to figure this out… figure us out. And I’ve realized something.”

His expression tensed slightly, as if bracing himself for what you were about to say. “What is it?”

You hesitated, then reached out, your hand finding his. “I don’t want to hold onto the past anymore. I don’t want to keep punishing you—or myself—for what happened. You’ve changed. You’re here. And… I’m ready to try again. If you are.”

The relief that washed over his face was palpable, his grip on your hand tightening. “I never stopped wanting to try, Y/N. I never stopped loving you.”

Your heart skipped a beat, and for the first time in so long, you let yourself truly feel it again—the love you had for him. The love that had been buried under hurt and fear but had never really gone away. You leaned in, resting your forehead against his, the closeness grounding you.

“I love you too,” you whispered, the words freeing in a way you hadn’t expected.

Thor closed his eyes, his breath shuddering as if he had been holding it for years. And when his lips met yours, it was gentle, almost tentative, like he was still afraid of breaking something fragile. But the kiss deepened, and with it, the certainty that you were no longer broken. You were healing—together.

Six Months Later

The sound of Andora’s laughter fills the air as you sit together in the park, watching her chase after a small stream of water she’s controlling with her tiny hands. She’s gotten better at it, thanks to Thor’s guidance. Now, instead of accidents, she’s able to play, the water swirling in graceful patterns around her.

“Daddy! Mommy! Look!” she squeals, sending the water into the shape of a dragon, just as she had promised months ago.

Thor grins, standing beside you with an arm draped over your shoulder. “That’s my girl,” he says proudly, watching as Andora beams with pride.

You smile, leaning into him, feeling the weight of everything that’s happened between you lift away. You’re not perfect—there are still moments when the past catches up, when doubts creep in—but you’re moving forward, together.

And as you watch your daughter run toward you, her little face full of joy and confidence, you know that this is the family you always dreamed of. A family that wasn’t just held together by love but built on trust, forgiveness, and the decision to keep trying.

Thor presses a kiss to the top of your head, his voice soft in your ear. “I will love you both for all of my days.”

You smile, resting your hand over his. “And we’ll love you for all of ours.”

[vanalex]

Q: Isn't paganism a form of spirituality?

Pete: "Not the way I define it. I have the ultimate respect for nature. I consider myself to be an evolutionist. I find beauty in all things natural. My girlfriend and I like to go to the woods and look at leaves, almost like neo-hippies, getting into everything around us. That, to me, is paganism, respecting life. Everything has a right to live. In this band, we don't think that respect has to be earned. We think that respect should be given, until you realize that you're dealing with an asshole. Then you either try to walk away or break their legs.

"Most ancient cultures-- Nordic, Native American, Orientals-- all have the same beliefs. As we get further and further away from our animal nature, we start to lose touch with the id and become species who think we're better than anything else because we walk on two legs. For everything we create, we destroy 100 times."

Josh: "The planet will go on happily without us. I'm looking forward to it. Some people say that's a really negative attitude. That's not negative, that's totally positive."

Pete: It's nature's way.

Josh: "We'd be doing the planet a favor by getting rid of all the people on earth. It knows what to do. It's doing the right thing, and we can't stop it no matter how hard we try."

Q: Unless humankind changes its destructive ways.

Josh: "Yeah, can you imagine that? The common man changing his viewpoint? One hundred percent of humanity cooperating to make the world a better place? That's a great fairy tale, but it ain't gonna happen, man. Sorry."

Pete: "People will not change, especially when the media dictates values. That's really scary to me."

Josh: "What's even scarier is when they allow it to happen. It's one thing to be told what to do, it's another thing to be quiet and doing it.

Q: Like sheep.

Josh: "Exactly. Human nature is to destroy. If everyone was the same color, there'd be a new reason to kill each other."

Pete: "It would be, like, how a person smelled differently. There is always some reason to fight. My family comes from Brooklyn, where there is Irish, Italian, German. All these people look the same, but they fought every day, because they were from a different part of Europe."

~Peter Steele and Josh Silver~ Aquarian Interview 1995

[note: I realize the term "Orientals" is considered pretty outdated and racist today, but remember, Pete and the rest of the band grew up in the 70s and 80s, and that term was used quite a bit with no inherently negative undertones. I'm guessing most of my fellow 20th century people will probably remember this.]

[soapieanxiety]

Historical Iceland Ramble: Part 1 - Early Childhood

We’re actually pretty lucky to get a good look at Icelands very early childhood. Not only do we see him immediately after he was “born” but we also see more of his childhood from before Norway showed up in his life.

Interesting things I immediately notice:

- While Norway physically wasn’t there in his life his connection to Iceland is still important even before the two met

- Iceland doesn’t know that he’s a representation but he does know that he’s not human

- Iceland's loneliness is something he’s dealt with literally since he was born. He’s literally Dr. Doofenshmirtz levels of loneliness. I am not joking he’s extremely lonely.

- His hot and cold side is immediately established in these manga panels. Iceland is someone with a lot of internal fire however externally he appears to be the opposite. Sometimes people only portray one side of his personality and ignore the other, but if you truly want to understand Iceland you have to understand that there are two sides to him. They may seem contradictory but in reality both sides merge together and create Iceland. It cannot be ignored

These panels right here tell us directly that there is more to Iceland than what meets the eye. We’ve been told this in character notes, but in the actual content of Hetalia, we are shown it here. We’re shown it constantly, but this is the most in-your-face example I’ve seen. Iceland is directly getting upset at people judging him just based off first impressions. This shows us that not portraying him with these two sides is doing his character a disservice.

In some stories, I see that people make it that Norway found Iceland pretty quickly after his “birth." However I believe that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m gonna get more into timeline in the next paragraph, but the panel with Iceland contemplating if he has a brother takes place at a minimum 130 years after his “birth." Want proof? These are the next two panels that happen immediately after

It’s believed that civilization on Iceland started at around 870 AD, and it looks like that’s the date Hima went with. It’s the date I’m going to go with as well. Christianity came to Iceland at around the year 999 or 1000 AD, meaning Iceland met the God (/j but y’know what I mean) before he met his brother, the other Nordics, or Mr. Puffin. Now I can see someone arguing that maybe he’s met Mr. Puffin already; however, I believe that if he had, Mr. Puffin would be somewhere in these panels. He’s always with Iceland, and if he’s not, it’s a logical assumption to make that he just hasn’t met the bird yet.

Iceland makes a new friend! Despite the mental breakdown, I do believe meeting Mr. Puffin was an all-around positive in Iceland's life. We see them together constantly after-this, and Iceland finally gets his much needed social interaction. Even if it’s from a bird. He’s still suffering from extreme loneliness, which will affect him for the rest of his life. But it’s a good thing he has Mr. Puffin now, who does teach him a bit about the outside world.

I’d also like to note that Iceland, who knows he has a brother, believes that he’s the only island to exist and that the rest of the world is just ocean. That’s how much he’s suffering from loneliness. I can’t really pinpoint a year these panels take place but I’m fairly confident they take place after 1000, which, as stated earlier, is over 100 years after Iceland was “born.”

These are the last manga panels I’d like to go over and the ones I find the most interesting, in my opinion.

We see more of Iceland and Mr. Puffins time together in Iceland's early childhood. Mr. Puffin tells Iceland about the outside world, which Iceland doesn’t believe. I think this is probably just the loneliness getting to him. What I find really interesting in this panel is that it confirms that Norway knows Iceland exists. Now I love Norway, I’m a firm believer that he’s doing his best as a brother. But this is probably his biggest brother fumble, in my opinion. As an older sibling myself, I can understand being busy with your own life. Norway is obviously busy in this panel, but at this point, Iceland has existed for over 100 years now, and he still hasn’t gone to see him. Being busy for that long just isn’t an excuse. Now I guess I can see a point that maybe this was the first time he realized he had a little brother. However, I believe that this isn’t the first time. Iceland’s “birth” scene has a blacked-out silhouette of Norway and his voice. Now we don’t know what Norway said, but this is implying to me that Norway knows Iceland exists.

Bottom line: Iceland's loneliness in his early childhood was avoidable. Norway could’ve shown up way earlier, but he didn’t. I’m not going to bash him that much for it, but this heavily affects Iceland. I can understand that Norway was most likely a teenager at this time who was focused on being a Viking and fighting other people. However, the negative impacts of this weigh heavy, and Norway’s nosy and overbearing behavior is probably him trying to compensate for not being there for Iceland during this time in his life.

Anyways, thank you for reading Part 1 of this historical Iceland analysis. Part 2 will cover a broader history. I feel like the reason this part was so long is simply because we have so much content of Iceland’s early life. If Part 3 is needed (honestly it might), I’ll let y’all know before Part 2 is published. Expect Part 2 to be published sometime around Thanksgiving, whether that’s before or after. Again, thank you for reading this. My notes app literally started glitching because of how long this was.

Link to Part 2

[muffledmayhem]

Obsessed with this motherfucker so im gonna drop a few random headcanons about him

ALL ARE SFW AND JUST SILLY STUFF ☝️ im not used to sharing my headcanons publicly like this hyuck hyuck

there’s very little to go off of from this media since all we really have is a pilot with bare , and i MEAN BARE lore to go off of so a lot of this is really me filling in blanks becus im Insane .

> Nordic bunny’s planet has a robotic look to it, i think that he built it himself out of complete boredom along with its inhabitants (that he probably destroys too, out of boredom….)

> I like to think that his guitar strings function like cat whiskers, they aid him in vision and processing the world around him. They’ve definitely busted a few times during battle, causing him to be disoriented for a bit.

> Hates things that are vaguely shaped like snakes (do NOT BRING A CUCUMBER NEAR THIS MAN)

> purrs….meows…does all those silly cat sounds but they’ve got an electric guitar sound effect

> has retractable claws, they do wonders for a man needs a quick escape route !!!!

> related to the thing above, oh he so absolutely adores scratching things up . has the biggest scratching post ever .

> He’s lonely, not like he intends to be but his personality is offputting to many, one of those people who you have a hard time reading into the things they say because every word that comes out of his mouth always sounds insulting. naturally judgmental, thinks he has a keen eye for fashion despite wearing only undies.

> what is his deal with the undies anyways ? i think he has sensory issues so he wears very minimal clothing thinking he’s serving absolute cunt but no ones ever told him how dorky he looked, and if any of his minions did well…..lets just say They’re no longer with us.

> definitely has a weird way of giving gifts…you know how cats bring you things they’ve hunted? well he’s no different, he wants THAT praise he wants you to tell him how competent he is.

> his tail is an indicator of his mood, follows the same rules of a cat .

LOOK AT HIM. TELL ME THIS ISNT TRUE.

> claims he can’t fucking stand emotional music, but listens to sad 80s rock . but no one will see that, they’ll see him as the dude who’s constantly blasting oldies metal classics .

> I AM A NORDIC BUNNY FANG HAVER TRUTHER . I JUST KNOW HED HAVE A TONGUE PIERCING TOO .

> he’s so reluctant to touch, he never knows if he fully enjoys it or not, you’ll be petting down his back and feel his back quiver almost like it’s trying to avoid your touch but he’s also - purring…he’s a confusing little guy…

> If he ever does manage to form something vaguely friendship like, he’d suck ass at managing the connection, oh you invite him to a party ? he sends you an image of himself stuck in the toilet with a text underneath saying “SOZZ . CANT GO. TOILET TROUBLEZ”

> that being said , not having a lot of experiences with relationships, he’d have an avoidant attachment style, he’d also. subconsciously be as unlikable as possible, he has no clue what defines being cool and likable he’s a little clung onto “be as cool and mysterious as possible”

> says “mrr?” instead of “hm?”

> Oh. in my mind he uses he/she pronouns . finds comfort in expressing femininity .

> I can’t see this guy having a preference for dating… he will take anyone who can break through the massive thick wall he puts up.

THATS ALL FOR NOW UHHH UHHHH

[notaplaceofhonour]

Well, given the recent portrayal of the Ghorman Massacre in Andor, im not very surprised by a couple of piss-poor analysis

An example: https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/1khmw1o/as_an_african_andor_hits_a_little_too_close_to/

In the comments

its inspired buy a lot of events. whether it was the IDF, USSR, CIA, Nazis, etc. The Ghormans being very European is probably intentional for two major reasons.

The Empire is clearly Nazi inspired, having this be the French, Dutch, Nordic resistances and Partisan group inspired helps with established Metaphors.

White people being the victims makes it much harder for other White people to ignore it. If the Ghor were Middle Eastern of African it would be "Andor is woke" all over the internet for being too on the nose about it being a parallel to what is happening right now in Gaza. They may never say it but having the victims be of European descent makes it more personal for a majority of the target audience who is often only 1-2 generations removed from the effects and events of World War II.

Andor is very much pulling on what the US went through Post 9/11, Luthen is effectively Bin Laden and the Empire is the US. Both sides wanting to provoke bigger conflict for very different reasons. Luthen to put on full display the brutality of the Empire, and the Empire to get what they want. Replace the rare earth with Oil.

For one thing I dont think Israel has any plans to exploit Gaza for resources...

Also help keep a look out in this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/s/Pv02DSmhDI

I knew from the moment it showed the Imperials planning the Ghorman Genocide some assholes were going to try to make it about i/p. Nevermind that scene’s fairly direct aesthetic & historical parallels with Neuschwanstein Castle and the Wannsee Conference. Nevermind that there is no real world Israeli equivalent; it’s not like there was some secret conference of Jews in Masada planning to genocide Palestinians.

very telling as well that they literally can’t even conceive of people writing Holocaust parallels as Holocaust parallels or caring about Nazi atrocities its their own right; if anything reminds you of WWII/Holocaust, those parallels can only be there to make you care about something else “more important”. HUGE self-report

but “Luthen is Bin Laden” 😭😭😭 the history & media understanders have logged on!

[sleepyhouse2art]

so one of my fav people on here commented on my last post about how i dont believe sex work is work asking my opinion on decrim. im just going to copy paste it here because i want to clarify/explain my position/say how i feel. it is unedited so please forgive me if im repeating myself or saying shit dumb or whatever:

it was very bad!! idk, i only started being able to think all the stuff that happened during that time wasnt all my fault like a few months ago. therapy bro. i do i do -- so, i like the nordic model/equality model/survivor-led model, because its three tenets are this: 1. decriminalize sex work! 2. criminalize sex buying! 3. provide support services for those wishing to exit prostitution, such as safe and affordable housing, education/training, childcare, healthcare (physical and mental), and emotional support from peers and other people. i like it because it safeguards prostitutes from prosecution while prosecuting sex buyers/pimps and offers people ways out if they want to get out, which in my experience everyone ive ever known wants out. nobody at the street level likes it. what i dont like about full decrim (which is decrimming SEX BUYING in addition to prostitution) is that it tacitly normalizes exploitation and abuse (most prostitutes are in the game due to financial coercion of many kinds, including but not limited to poverty, addiction, homelessness, etc, and i believe any paid sex act by coerced people is rape), absolves pimps and sex buyers of their direct responsibility for that exploitation and abuse, and does not decrease rates of trafficking/violence/stds/etc the way that the nordic/equality/survivor-led model does. (gonna continue this in next comment cause i dont think tumblr comments let you do paras and this is probably long)

i do believe that people should have the freedom to do what they want! i do not think entering into prostitution or other forms of paid sexual acts is a good idea for anyone, but hey, other people are not me. i am sure there are people who dont experience the exploitation and abuse and vast, vast unhappiness that me and the majority of other prostitution survivors (i say this because me and many others have been in very real danger of losing our lives while selling sex) did and do, and thats good! i do not want people to go through what i went through! BUT i think touting the 'sex work is work' slogan and these tales of these 'happy hookers' comes at the expense of the most vulnerable and marginalized. we hear about people selling pics/videos or selling sex for beaucoup bucks as escorts or working as dominatrixes or whatever, but you know who they dont show us? people who are selling sex to survive. people who are selling sex to fund their addictions. people who are unhappy and exploited and sick and miserable and unprotected by anyone in the world, because nobody gives a fuck. i havent seen anyone engaged in street-level prostitution who was happy doing what they did. when i was in the life i engaged in a lot of self-deception and posturing to deal with it. i had to think i was a wild and cool and adventurous person who didnt give a fuck about anything. i was often homeless and i was addicted to heroin. i kept up with that posturing until i just...couldnt. until things got too desolate, and too many bad things had happened to me, and i barely felt like a person at all. i just felt like a body. when my husband (then friend) let me come to live with him, i was so fucked i couldnt eat or talk to people anymore. i didnt really realize how fucked i even was. i started reading about other peoples experiences and i found they had suffered the same catastrophic damage that me and the other prostitutes i used to know did.

so gradually through reading these experiences and thinking about my own and my old friends and doing therapy (im not clear on my therapists position - weve never talked about it and dont really need to, she just listens to me freak out) i came to have the opinions that i do. i mean i have seen some shit, man. i watched my roommate, who was a wonderful, clever, hilarious, sheisty, brave fucking woman i loved, sicken horribly after the hiv shed contracted from prostitution progressed to aids. we used to lay on the couch and just hold each other. she was so tiny. we did karaoke and went looking for arrowheads. one day she caught a case and had to leave the state and packed up her car with her abusive piece of shit boyfriend and i never got to see her again. i saw my best friend -- this was after i got out -- become addicted to heroin with her boyfriend and go from camming and selling panties to letting her boyfriend pimp her out, and how it emptied out her face and made her so fucking sad. we used to eat bon bons and watch married in the family together in her attic in lingerie and talk about fucked up manga. i miss her so much. her boyfriend, who was one of our friends too, overdosed in his parents bathroom and i think she got clean. i hope she did. she stopped talking to everyone. she was the coolest girl i ever met. i loved her. these are just two stories and i know so many and i wish i didnt. there is mine too. maybe one day i will talk more about it on here. i dont know. but knowing what i do know and seeing what ive seen, i really bristle at the suggestion that 'sex work is work'. its not work. its not a job. its not normal. its not ok. for all the people who are happy doing that, thats cool, i have no problem with them at all. but i do think theyre comfortable and removed from the reality that so many of us face/faced, and that they dont think about us and they definitely, definitely dont know what its like to be us. so thats my piece, i guess.

[paikothecateater]

Let's talk about the Nyo Nordics. At least... My version of them.

1) I see Nyo Denmark looking like a scary biker lady, but she's actually the sweetest, happiest lady ever. She has super short hair that sticks up like regular Denmark's, she'd probably wear a ton of black leather and long black boots. Bonus points if they have little silver details. I mostly ship her with the Netherlands. I like that ship because the Netherlands is such a broody guy, and he just has the embodiment of ADHD (as in tendencies, I'm not putting that title on her) next to him. They go biking together all the time.

2) Nyo Sweden isn't too different from her regular counterpart. She's pretty quiet, she's nice, but she doesn't take shit. Her hair is super long and painfully straight. I say painfully because she couldn't curl it if she wanted to. She dresses like a forty year old assistant in an office building. Pencil skirts, button-up shirts, suit jackets, those ridiculous heels no one can balance in. She refuses to dress casual. World's best aunt. She's the type to have a 20 step skincare routine (shadow who). You probably wouldn't assume she's a mom. She gives more... Wine aunt, but she's probably the best mom ever.

3) Nyo Finland is very coquette. She's short, has a softer build, and always has a bow in her hair. Her hair is always styled into this cute little bob. She refuses to wear pants. Skirts, dresses, literally anything other than pants. Knitwear is a must. She's super sweet and shy and terrified of people. Her best friend is Nyo Norway. I ship her with Sweden. He's just this tall, intimidating guy, and she's absolutely terrified of him, but she's always super nice to him. They're both absolutely terrified of interacting with each other. It's cute.

4) Nyo Norway is pretty shy. She's less introverted than her male counterpart. She just has serious social anxiety. She sticks by Iceland pretty much all the time, and she absolutely babies her. She has massive curly hair. It's pretty long. Her style is kinda similar to Finland. I ship her with Denmark. He's just such a golden retriever. I can see her needing him to get her out of her shell. She has a difficult time feeling sure about her feelings. The only person she's positive she loves is Iceland (as I said, their relationship for me is very much Katniss and Prim)

5) Nyo Iceland is a lot like her male counterpart in terms of mannerisms but not in appearance. Her eyes are more narrow, she has long, relatively straight hair, but the roots kinda stick up like Denmark's, so her hair goes up then down. (I really hope this makes sense) she sometimes dresses like Norway does, but she's started taking Hong Kong's fashion advice. She also likes baggy clothes because she's a little bit insecure. I, of course, ship her with Hong Kong. She's just super comfortable around him, and he's funny as hell. Hong Kong is a huge green flag in every way possible. One big difference from regular Iceland is her relationship with Norway because Iceland is very close with her sister. They tell each other all their secrets, Iceland likes doing Norway's hair and they both cringe over how awkward they are around boys. Additionally, Norway helps get Iceland to snap out of her anxious habits like putting the ends of her hair in her mouth (a trait she does share with regular Iceland)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the yap session. One of these is my favourite, and it's obvious who it is.

[11queensupreme11]

I have a question about mom Loki AU

How would the gods react to finding out that baby Percy's real mother is Sally?

How would the Nordic and Greek family react? What about romantic and platonic yanderes? Would they accept? Would someone secretly order Sally's murder?

I don't know if Poseidon would react well to learning that baby Percy was generated by another God, even if it is an alternative version of him, he will probably justify, to himself, that the alternative version continues to be his essence he is older so HE is the original version while PJ Poseidon is the copy so since baby Percy is made of half of that Poseidon's ichor she is also made of half of his ichor

What interests me most is Loki's reaction, I feel like he wouldn't accept it, this baby came from him so it's his daughter, accepting that your dear little baby only exists because of a human woman and that he was only a temporary charmer is an unacceptable idea

The humans' reactions would also be interesting because at the same time they believe that a baby should be returned to its family, they also realize how dangerous the PJ world is for baby Percy, why return her to a world where she will be where Will she have to initially grow up in poverty only to later grow up being hunted and killed? If her mother really loves her, she would agree to leave her daughter in a place where she will be properly raised with love and protection certainly their opinion was not influenced by being slightly platonic yanderes

And the valkyries would be desperately trying to convince Sally and PJ Poseidon to leave baby Percy in this universe, they know that if baby Percy is taken the gods will destroy this and the PJ universe trying to get her back

Shiva is fighting tooth and nail for baby Percy to stay so he can delight in the sight of her and his own son playing, no one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE is going to stop this play date

not only would they be pissed as fuck, but they're also NEVER going to accept sally as percy's mom. eventually, they'd deal with the fact that sally was the first person to actually carry percy in the womb, but they won't ever accept HER. partly because they want baby percy and partly because sally's a human, so they're just never going to accept her or care that she was the bio mom. sally's human, she doesn't have any rights or say to them.

loki is downright disgusted at the fact that HIS baby's bio mom is actually a human who, more importantly, wants her back. he's not even gonna bother hiring an assassin or trying to kill her secretly, ITS ON SIGHT THE SECOND HE SEES HER. hell, he could be taking baby percy on a walk with a stroller and if he sees sally, he's jumping that poor woman with no hesitation 😭😭😭

poseidon is probably gonna be the second most pissed about this right behind loki. while loki's got beef with sally, he's got beef with pjo!poseidon lol. he will degrade the shit outta that man and point out every singly little flaw his counterpart has: he's practically a kid, he has a deadbeat to all his 1234282347 kids, his seas are filthy, his family's a mess, he's a serial cheater like zeus, he isn't even allowed to RAISE percy so why should he have her, etc etc. he actually brings up a LOT of good points, which is when the ror humans start to lean more for the ror parents

what really makes the ror humans go for ror!poseidon and loki is how demigods' lives work back in pjo verse. it's way too dangerous and the fact that the gods can't even interfere in their lives to protect them is ultimately what makes them choose the ror!parents over sally and pjo!poseidon. the same for the valkyries tbh. they'd be more sympathetic for them unlike the ror!gods, but they really rather percy stay in their universe instead since she would actually have a higher chance of survival

[dailydemonspotlight]

Hel - Day 140

Race: Reaper Arcana: Death Alignment: Dark-Neutral December 6th, 2024

Death is an inescapable part of life, for rather obvious reasons. We all die some day, and, like most natural phenomena, the people of ancient times tried to come up with a reason as to why we did- without the knowledge of how our bodies work, folkloric explanations rose for death and its relevance. Even now, people aren't sure what happens after, and for obvious reasons, too- one can't just ask a dead person what happened. This, naturally, leads to a lot of different beings related to death, beings that bring it and/or guide the dead to the afterlife, if there even is one in said culture.

On that topic, Nordic culture had a very unique take on death, and how it worked- similarly to Christianity, there were several major afterlives one could go to. However, in contrast to the pure Heaven and the pain-ridden Hell, the two afterlives in Norse myth related to how one died- one, Valhalla, was for the warriors who died in battle, and the other, Hel, was where those who died elsewhere went to rest. Hel was so named, finally, for today's Demon of the Day- the eponymous Hel, a jötunn with quite a lot of mystery surrounding her. A daughter of Loki, and a being with much importance, this long introduction finally gives way to Hel herself.

When it comes to Hel, there are two things named as such- the jötunn Hel, who isn't as much a goddess of death as she was the queen of the other thing named Hel, an afterlife also called Helheim or Niflheim in many secondary sources (which I'll also be calling Helheim going forward to make it less confusing). Helheim was the realm that those who died outside of battle went to upon their death, as Viking culture highly valued battle and the honor it brought. The realm was the home for those who died from age, illness, or were too weak or cowardly to fight, among other possible ways to pass. The realm itself was impossibly cold, though the presence of Níðhöggr, the serpent who chewed upon the roots of Yggdrasil, made sure that those passing into the realm became just as cold as the realm itself.

Níðhöggr would head to any new arrivals into Helheim , signaled by the howling of a dog sometimes believed to be Fenrir (which is another insanely complicated topic to get into) and would suck their blood out until they became completely pale, allowing them to be assimilated into Hel's army easier. Helheim itself was actually a rather hard nut to crack, as much of Norse mythology has been corrupted by the only primary source we HAVE for it, thanks Snorri, and it was incredibly likely that most depictions of Helheim were influenced by depictions of Hell in Christian faith rather than an accurate retelling. As always, Snorri has screwed us again. Wish I could get an accurate retelling for the price of sending an email...

Hel herself is an incredibly interesting figure, though she's mostly mentioned in passing throughout the Poetic Edda. As one of the children of Loki, and one he bared with a jötunn, she isn't a goddess- instead, as a jötunn herself, she's tasked with watching over Helheim. She's also the sister of both the world's worst good boy Fenrir and the giant snake Jormungand, though ironically she's probably the nicest of the three- she's not shown as actively malicious, simply cold and indifferent. The only main myth she stars in is the Death of Baldur, though it's also just... too long of a tale to get into right now, but she ends up messing with the Æsir and trapping Baldur in Helheim through the help of Loki. Still, as she's barely mentioned in the Edda, there's not much to go off of with her- she's cold, callous, and indifferent, but that's about all we know. Overall, though, she's an incredibly interesting figure- she represents the grave in a way that Valhalla cannot, and she ultimately likely may have played an important role in Norse civilization, though we can't be sure of either. (snorri when i catch you snorri)

Her design in SMT plays into the cold embrace of death and its aspects in how Helheim is presented, though, again, it's nigh-impossible to actually tell if the way she's presented is accurate to the original mythos. The cold encompassing her legs is a really nice touch, though, and it also plays into the fact that she is a jötunn, being literally a frost giant. I wish we had more to go off of with her, but this DDS is dragging on a bit and the lack of anything concrete that may have not been Snorrified makes this a rather frustrating entry to research.

[queenlua]

Odd question - do you have any favorite books / places to look into animism for the curious, and that you thought were remarkably well done? (Only if you're comfortable answering, though!)

happy to help! though i suspect my answer will be a rather unsatisfying potpourri lol

inasmuch as i have an animistic practice it’s mostly an experiential thing.  i spent a lot of time running around in the woods as a kid & found myself relatively sensitive to a sense of awe, divine connection, etc in that context.  i was raised southern baptist so i contextualized those experiences as experiences of God, but, y’know.  later on i decided differently

and i do think a lot of relatively commonplace heavily-secularized rituals we experience in our daily lives have a sort of animistic component.  like, when i was a kid at Girl Scout camp, we had opening campfire and closing campfire each week, and we had a thing where we’d do a few big SHOUTS to wake up the spirit of the camp at the beginning of the week, and we’d say goodbye at the end of the week. and sure yeah it was a cheesy fun activity to get a bunch of kids and preteens SHOUTING for FUN. but also it's not that different than a lot of earnestly-practiced animistic rituals practiced worldwide. you can still say hi and bye to a forest before and after you go trampling around in there. it's extremely legal. if you wanted to get started you could probably do a lot worse than learning some Girl Scout songs & singing them around a campfire imho

anyway! i became interested in neopaganism/animism/polytheism due to a confluence of resources:

* i stumbled upon & then clicked around the religion section on Everything Shii Knows's personal wiki, which was kind of my introduction to some concepts that are pretty common-knowledge if you're a better student of history and/or religion than i was at the time, but, had a lot of nice resources on religious-studies-type stuff with a particular emphasis on neopaganism, since the author was the archdruid of the RDNA Mother Grove for a bit

(note that if you track down the author's current writings, he's taken a bit of a trad-right-wing turn, which i find kind of disappointing, but is also awkwardly common for writers in this space, so uh, word to the wise i guess)

* i liked John Michael Greer’s A World Full of Gods useful for offering a sort of "apologetics for polytheism" piece—as someone who, again, was raised pretty southern baptist and had a pretty specific mindset for What Valid/Invalid Theological Justifications Look Like, this gave me just enough justification that i felt intellectually OK exploring this sort of thing further. (this was probably mostly brainworms & idk how i'd feel about the book if i read it again today but it was invaluable at the time)

* (it just now occurs to me that it's pretty likely i heard of the book via either The Wild Hunt or some blog in the neopagan blogosphere back in the day. idk what became of the rest of that space but Wild Hunt's still around)

so once i decided i was open to this shit & it was resonating with me, i spent a lot of time at various rituals held by Earthspirit in the Boston area, and in particular i attended their Twilight Covening, which is an annual weekend-long... spiritual... thingy? in the mountains? idk, you get a bunch of woo new age people together for a weekend to do a weekend-long ritual plus intense focus on a particular discipline. a few of the participants i found to be kind of unserious and silly, but most of them were really cool & had spent a lot of time thinking about and practicing their various traditions. i studied under this intense awesome terrifying old lady who was really into Odin and had two phds, one of them in Nordic Stuff™. when i miss boston i mostly mean that i miss terrifying old ladies with multiple phds

...wow this is rambling on

ANYWAY, look, the New Age-y community broadly has the following subsets:

reconstructionists who are e.g. trying to recreate the rituals and religious practices of a particular older polytheistic religion as best as they are able (e.g. a bunch of people interested in Hellenistic Gods doing research on How Exactly Rituals Involving Zeus worked, and then doing them)

neopagans who freely acknowledge that the Thing They're Doing mostly originated in the late 1800s, but will often freely ape stuff from a variety of traditions. like they may be inspired by Hellenistic religion and they may be praying to Aphrodite or whatever but they are not super troubled by whether what they're doing particularly resembles what the ancient Greeks were doing

i think what reconstructionists are doing is really cool but not for me. i also think what neopagans are doing is really cool, but at the end of the day i was kind of like, it feels sort of dishonest/weird to ape from older traditions that may or may not have anything to do with the place i'm in...

...but at this point i HAD learned a lot of stuff from the community about e.g. how a ritual's constructed, how to access certain headspaces, etc

so i was like: can i just use these practices with special attention to the spirits/deities that i'm pretty sure actually exist in my own space?

and yeah, i had a particularly memorable trip to central Washington in winter where i was focusing on this sort of thing, and

that's about the time i started self-describing more as "animist" than "neopagan," since animist i think describes a broader, more generic concept of "paying attention to the Spirits Around You," and i don't think has to come with a bunch of baggage / hard doctrine / etc outside of like.. paying attention

the problem is about any religion that becomes Serious enough to start writing things down has generally moved past animism, so idk if you'll be able to find much writing about "animism as a modern practice" specifically. but i think doing a previous study of meditative/contemplative traditions in pretty much any religion, and then applying that to The World Near You, is probably the ticket

that or just read more history. i did write a paper on pre-Shinto religion in Japan once and that was definitely fun to research, the various nature cults at the time were definitely animist in nature, etc

(i guess in the spirit of full transparency i should say i went through a Weird Spiritual Crisis this past summer and so my personal views on What This All Is and What Spiritual Practice Makes Sense To Me are kind of in flux atm. i don't think that makes any of what i said here less valid; i've been doing neopagan/animist stuff since like 2012 at this point & don't have any particular regrets about that decade+, but yeah, just FYI so i don't look like i'm contradicting myself later on haha)

[soulstagger]

From Discord

Thinking on witch, if set to my own setting it explains obviously her animal parts, spirit possession goated reasoning for any traits. I'd have her set to the west in the city states, specifically south of Perlegg and near the Berrega Forest (7). Probably something unique to the setting and why she'd even be a witch instead of a magus or anything, would be the ability to actually seperate people's possessions from themselves. Like sometimes you can part ways, or it can leave you. Rare, but some people just get the worst traits and luck from spirits. Like having a spirit give you the body of the thing from fantastic four.

Love u spirits, but fuck man… And sometimes the spirit is sleepy and doesn't want to leave, so you go visit this witch who can split you from it. Which would also mean she could double as medical person as well. I don't want to say she's a forest witch of any kind, but there's the world's biggest forest there and a nice river, its close to the west most huge mountain chains.

She's gotta be call so we can respect Degen FC lol, being in the city states means she can have any manner of Euro name, though she doesn't have to origiinate form there. I was even thinking more Nordic name and origins, thus from Kotka in the North.

Like any magus or witch in the setting, most elements can be learned some unique spells from lost eras. But I would say her speciality comes from her ability to seperate spirits, or literally. To 'split' things from each other. Not to be confused with Law's room and cutting anything in clean two. But specifically to, with her sword split something from something, like a spirit from a body, a tumor from a body part, split fire from its fuel, make it fizzle ect.

Thusly I almost want to call her a Fission Witch, if not for the fact you know.. nuclear power isn't a discovered thing, nor known enough about. But in my head it sounds cool, and makes me wonder if she is someone who is researching that, like how science meets witch basically. Also reattached world name for example of stuff. This is ofc just, my own ideas into my own setting based but the general concept over all. Doctor Witch, unique magic is splitting.

[fatcathappycat]

Questions for friendsssss!

1) What's your favorite Ghibli movie?

2) What was your favorite childhood book series?

3) What is your dream pet?

4) What's your #1 bucket list travel destination?

5) Where would you rather spend a week - cabin in the woods or beach house?

Oo! Sure, I’ll play!

1) this is a hard choice! Currently it’s probably Howl’s Moving Castle due to nice fambly moments, interesting, flawed-in-good-way characters and overall gorgeousness.

2) I loved Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals and sequels, the ‘Little House’ and ‘Dragonriders of Pern’ series… I also enjoyed Potter and I’m so mad at JKR for ruining her legacy.

3) A talking fat cat of course (though a Ditto would be pretty squish too of course ;) )

4) Japan at the moment, though I would also love to go on a Nordic country and visit some fjords and travel by excellent, clean fast trains along water and through mountains

5) I am lucky to live in a part of the world where my cabin in the woods can be just a short walk to a beautiful cold ocean with a brilliantly coloured pebbles beach. I’m loving and living the dream of both worlds!

And thus we find that poor FatCatHappyCat’s person (me) is someone who doesn’t like to pick one thing haha!

Bonus related fun facts: Fat Cat’s real name is Monty. He is my muse, coworker and fur buddy. His fuel gauge is permanently broken.

Thank you for inviting me to play TC! That was fun ! ₍˄·͈༝·͈˄₎ ੭ ♡

[dreamyelectronicmusic]

I'm loving your Wilmon fic so very very much! I was feeling mostly done with YR and all related media and ready to let it go - in a happy, pleased-with-season-3, it's all wrapped up and my hectic job is demanding my attention way - and then it was like your fic just broke through my walls and reminded me why I fell in love with the show and its characters. Your Wille and Simon are so good to each other. Their anticipation and nerves and exhilaration as they begin to reconnect - it's everything.

I was surprised to see it's your first YR fic! I'm curious about your story of finding the show - when did that happen for you, when did you first feel inspired to create this beautiful extension of the YR world?

Aw, thank you so much for this lovely ask, I'm so happy you like the fic! 💜💜

I discovered YR literally on day one! Or even before day one, because I remember scrolling through Netflix’s coming soon page and watching the teaser. I remember thinking it looked like an Elite-type trashy teen show but that I would probably watch it because it’s Swedish (I love Nordic languages). Then on July 1, 2021, at like 10 pm, I was looking for something to numb my brain and YR popped up on the Netflix homepage and I thought, oh I think that's the Swedish show I said I’d watch, let’s give it a try. So I watched the first episode and needless to say it did not numb my brain, I was immediately hooked. But I decided to be responsible and go to bed, and I watched eps 2-4 the next day, and then the day after that was a Saturday and beautiful weather so I went on a hike, and all the time I was trudging up hills I kept thinking “omg omg Wilhelm and Simon are so cute and August is such an asshole omg omg what is going to happen I need them to live happily ever after”. So yeah, I’ve been obsessed from the start 😂

I was never inspired to write fic for it before because I tend to prefer canon to be complete before I write anything, but mostly because I have this weird mental block about reading/writing fic in a different language than the one I consumed the original in. It just doesn’t sound right! (I watch the show in Swedish with English subtitles, so I want fics to also be in Swedish with English subtitles. Yes I know it doesn’t make sense). I guess the inspiration for ‘maybe now’ was strong enough for me to overcome that but tbh it still doesn’t sound right and I have to do weird mental gymnastics to write it 😂

Inspiration for the fic struck very shortly after the show, this is a post I made on March 19:

Ok so who's writing a fic where Simon didn't notice Wille running after the car, or noticed him but couldn't bear to talk to him again, and they have no contact for a year until Wille's decision to give up the crown is made public on his 18th birthday, prompting Simon to reach out and tell him how proud and happy for him he is?

And then I guess I didn’t wait for an answer and wrote it myself!

The inspiration came from the fact that while I love the ending we got and I am so happy that we got it, I do agree with people who think that it was rushed. Given what the first 17 episodes were like, we got the best possible episode 18, but in an ideal world, I would have liked another season, or the three seasons to have more episodes, or the episodes that we got to have a different pacing so that there was more time between the breakup and them getting back together. This is what I wrote in a reaction post after the first five episodes:

If this weren't the last season, I think I'd want them to break up now, take some time apart and get back together after some separate personal growth. But there simply isn't time for that.

One thing about me is that I love it when characters go their separate ways, have some separate growth and find out that they can live without each other, but they just really don’t want to. So in a way it’s a kind of fix-it fic for me.

Anyway, thank you for the ask and sorry I wrote a novel in response!

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

I got a comment on the one YR fic I posted, from another swede who told me this was the only YR fic they have read, simply because they knew I was swedish and were afraid that non-swedes would fuck up swedish words if they wanted to include them or get something wrong about just swedish culture in general.

And I really got where they came from, because once it is about your country you get really gatekeepy about it and be more afraid someone would write something "inaccurate". Because it can just itch in your fingers when you see something you know is wrong and you just wanna go correct it but you can't.

But I also need to realize that 98% of the fics that I write do not take place in Sweden at all, but in completely other countries, some of which I have never even been in. Especially in regards to dcla fics - I love writing for them, but I also do have to realize I am coming from the other end of the world when I write them. I don't share a culture with any of the characters. I love them and I know them well, but I can still tend to write from a foreign perspective. Sure, most fics is just focused on the characters in situations that really can happen anywhere in the world, but sometimes I also need to double check with research about Argentinean culture, especially regarding school systems, and very often weather - Argentina is in the southern hemisphere and Sweden is in the northern hemisphere, which means it's the opposite season there. So I know that I cannot write that it snows in January, because it doesn't over there, even if it does where I live. They have summer vacation in January over there. I even research for media references; I had to google if the moomins anime ever aired in LATAM so that I could know if I could let the characters reference it or not (the answer was, YES, it did, but only in the 90s. Which means, the Violetta characters might have been more familiar with it, while the SL characters might have not, unless they owned it on VHS. I have yet to confirm if they did get a vhs or dvd release, but due to spanish dubbed eps being easy to find I assume so. That, or people just taped it. However, the european characters from the shows might have known about it more).

And I am sure that, just like I always feel hesitant when non-swedes write fics about a place taking place in Sweden, I am sure some argentineans and latin americans in general can feel the same about me when I write a fic taking place in Argentina.

Also, while I try to carefully research when it comes to most countries, I do not care a single bit when I write fics taking place in America. I legit just let the characters use the metric system and celsius because I refuse to use anything else. I also don't really care if something is "not a thing" there, because it is now in my fic! And it's possible I display a very inaccurate description of american culture because of that. The thing is, I would be a bit peeved if someone did that in a fic taking place in Sweden, so it's very hypocritical I'd do that specifically with America in this case. Even if, you could argue, it's very different as America is everywhere all the time, and... Sweden is this small country in Europe that a lot of non-nordic people don't know that much about. But still.

And that's also a thing: Sometimes when you write a fic taking place in another country, you get the idea that characters would do something that is "not a thing" over there, but you just wanna put those characters in that scenario anyway. And that's ok! In the end, we write what we ourselves are familiar with. Every time I write a fic where someone goes on vacation, they go on vacation to places I've personally been to myself, just so I can accurately portray it. I remember seeing something about YR, where someone imagined a scenario at the school and how the characters would handle it. And the person started it by saying "I think this probably is not a thing at swedish schools, but-", and I remember still itching my fingers because I was like "yeah, it is not!! It's inaccurate, it would never happen!!!" - but then I realized... hey, it's just a scenario? It doesn't have to be accurate to how it is irl. Especially as they started with saying "I think this is probably not a thing there". We all go from our own experiences. I have references to media that might not at all been popular in the countries of the fics I write, but I personally thought it would be funny to reference it. And sometimes you might not feel like researching (especially with media references), because you just want to decide that a character somehow knows it anyway.

I made this post mostly to tell myself this, but it's really for everyone who has felt similar to me in fics taking place in their country: I know it's so easy to be afraid that foreigners will not portray it accurately, especially when there's not that many things from your country that is that popular to begin with. You wanna make sure it's made right. But it's also just fanfiction. And you do the same thing when you write fics taking place in other countries. People may not always portray it as accurately, but it's JUST A FIC. They had an idea they wanted to explore, just let them do it. We shouldn't gatekeep people from writing just because it doesn’t take place somewhere they have been to. It should be fun to write fics.

I also want to assume that, if there's something someone is unsure of, they might not put it in. And if they do, then there's a high chance they have tried to research it as good as they could. Unless they actively disrespect a culture or intentionally write something offensive, just let them have fun (although, if they write something offensive or disrespectful, even if it wasn't the intention, do call them out)

[blueplumbbob]

understand what you said, but does that mean no one can write with blonde hair blue eyed characters anymore? Is there any other proof this creator is basically a nazi? Or are they just using characters that they relate to? I do think all stories need a mix of characters, but not everyone will do that and to call those with blonde hair and writing about blonde haired sims nazis is a bit extreme.

hi. thanks for the message, anon.

i didn't call this blogger a nazi. honestly, i don't think they are a nazi! i'm pointing out how nazi and fascist rhetoric can infiltrate spaces without people realizing what they're doing is, in fact, nazi and fascist rhetoric. this is not unique to simblr! this is fucking everywhere! you know that meme of the muscular blonde guy with a beard that represents good choices, being "based" etc? the "angel face" and "witch face" on tiktok? that's nazi rhetoric too!

let's look at the wikipedia article for nordicism, the idea of a "nordic race" that is superior to all other people:

This distinction was repeated by Charles Morris in his book The Aryan Race (1888), which argued that the original Aryans could be identified by their blond hair and other Nordic features, such as dolichocephaly (long skull). The argument was given extra impetus by the French anthropologist Vacher de Lapouge in his book L’Aryen, in which he argued that the "dolichocephalic-blond" people were natural leaders, destined to rule over more brachycephalic (short-skulled) people.

Nordicists claimed that Nordics had formed upper tiers of ancient civilisations, even in the Mediterranean civilisations of antiquity, which had declined once this dominant race had been assimilated. Thus they argued that ancient evidence suggested that leading Romans like Nero, Sulla and Cato were blond or red-haired.

so writing a royal family that are blonde haired, blue eyed white people with above average intelligence and strength... do you see how this rings a few alarm bells for me?

"Or are they just using characters that they relate to?" oh anon, you just gave the whole game away! you can't relate to people of color? you can't relate to fucking, i don't know, a white redhead with brown eyes? is that what this is about? seriously? you can't relate to asian people? you can't relate to black people?

"all stories need a mix of people but not everyone will do that" oh honey i know. i know you don't want to write about people of color, or gay people (unless they're like, conventionally attractive cis bi people or yaoi gay twinks), or trans people, or disabled people, or fat people, or jewish people, or muslim people. i see it every fucking day. and honestly, i don't want you to write about those people if you find them unrelatable, because you're probably just going to write them into massive bigoted caricatures and stereotypes. keep writing your white people if they're the only ones you see as relatable human beings!

no, i didn't call this person a nazi. i don't think they're a nazi. i don't think you, anon, are a nazi. i just think that person, and simblr as a whole, has a fucking problem because they can't recognize that writing something like that is harmful and literally Aryan Race Science 101. and people have the fucking GALL to be like "i just don't understand why fascism is on the rise all over the world." everyone needs to do better.

it's unfortunate if you had good intentions by sending this, anon, but no, i will not fucking apologize for being an asshole when the thing i'm complaining about is literally racism and eugenics.