#user: crooked-turtle

[savemeafruitjuice]

Tickletober Day 8- Nuzzles

This is where I give up on finding gifs 👍

For the rest of these, I'm going to be just saying what version I'm writing for, so yeah. On that note, this is a ROTTMNT fic! Maybe I'll color-code each version so it's easier to recognize.. 🤔

Lee: Donnie

Ler: F! Leo

TW!: SWEARING! AN ARGUMENT! (It's only referenced. The rest is just comfort and tickes.)

THIS HAS SPOILERS FOR THE RISE MOVIE!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT! ALSO, THIS IS NOT A SHIP!

(I'm putting this below the cut because of spoilers, but Future Leo is established to be in the present time with the turtles. I will be addressing him as 'Leon' throughout this.)

Loud techno music blared throughout Donnie's lab. He was curled up in his rolly-chair, sulking as the noise calmed him down a little. All of a sudden, he felt the presence of someone else, and turned around at the same time a knock sounded on his door.

"Hey, can I come in?"

Ugh, it was Leo. He knew it before a word even left his dum-dum mouth. "I don't like you. Go away." There was a moment of hesitation, before Leo called out again. "Did I do something? I didn't mess up a project or anything, right?"

Donnie stopped. Was he just playing dumb to get into his lab again? The scientist made his way to the door, opening it a crack. "No, dimwit- oh. It's you.." Donnie opened his door a little more. "Wrong Leo. My mistake."

Leon glanced at the younger's face. He looked tired, and not just normal Donnie-tired. "Don, how ya feelin'?"

The purple-themed turtle shrugged. "Just.. tired. Don't worry about it." The slider clearly didn't believe him, having had decades of experience reading his twin, even if this one was slightly different. "No, I don't mean physically 'how do you feel'. I mean emotionally. You don't seem to be doin' too good."

"Jeez, I don't like how much you know about me.." he muttered, but let the door open the rest of the way, sighing. "Come in, I suppose. You haven't done anything to upset me. Yet.." The elder walked in, glancing reminiscently around at all of the tech.

"Shelldon, turn the music down by fourty-five percent." The room got a bit quieter, and Leon crossed his existing arm over his chest. "I'm assuming you and little-me got into a fight?" Donnie nodded, and went to sit back in his chair, spinning around twice before turning back to the sword-user.

"He was being annoying, and wouldn't stop trying to make me try his nasty food. So.. I may- or may not, have called him a.. disgustingly-paletted ape.. and said his food looks like shit." Leon forced a chuckle down, nodding. "I see.. Was that all?" The softshell shook his head, pulling his legs back onto his chair and resting his chin on them.

"No.. It got bad, and he told me he didn't like me as long as I didn't like fucking pineapple, and now we aren't talking."

The slider's face fell at the last part, and he shifted his weight between his legs. "Oh. I'm sorry.. did you.. need anything?"

Donnie paused, then spoke softly. "A hug would be nice.."

Leon looked a bit surprised, but moved to the younger and squatted down. When Donnie didn't initiate the hug, the blue-themed turtle wrapped his arm around the softshell, and pressed his face into the crook of his neck. Donnie sighed, and moved to rest his head on the elder's shoulder, relaxing his tense posture slightly. "I'm going to pick you up now."

Soon enough, the purple turtle was being held to his sort-of-twin's plastron, the two sitting on the floor. Donnie was facing away from the other, while Leon's arm was holding him by the torso. "For how smart you are, you really don't know a lot."

Donnie's eyebrows lowered into the start of a scowl, and he turned his head to bite back with an insult, but was interrupted. "One of those things being how much I love you." His face faltered, and a more confused face was present on the scientist. "I don't know what you think you mean to me, but there's one thing you can be sure of. It's about three-hundred times more than you'd imagine."

The softshell let out a quiet noise, not quite sure of how to respond. He was never good at reacting to people when they got like this, but what Leon was saying was something he really needed to hear right now.

"It doesn't matter if it's your Leo, or one in the past, or the future, or in another timeline.. You will always be loved, and nothing in existence could ever change that. I guarantee that he didn't mean anything he said."

All of a sudden, his vision went blurry, and tears were filling his eyes. Donnie reached up to wipe at them, sniffling. "I.. don't know-"

"Trust me."

Donnie wiped his eyes again, his brother holding him as he cried. "Leon.. sniff- Thanks.." The slider smiled, squeezing a little harder. "And.. for the record, I- I love you too.. A lot."

He hugged the elder's arm, and Leon pressed his face back to the younger's neck, and was surprised with a giggle. "Hey, Donnie.. What was that?"

The softshell shook his head, kicking his legs out when the back of his neck neck was nuzzled into again, becoming aware of the fact that he was extremely trapped. "Noho! Lehee- ahahah!"

"Mm, I think you need a laugh."

The turtle flailed, trying to crane his neck upwards in an attempt to push Leon's head away, but all it did was give him time to reach forward and move to his throat.

Donnie let out a a high screech, reaching up to grab at the elder's head. The slider only smiled, but eventually flipped the scientist around, laid him on the ground, and sat on his legs. "Aw, I remember when you were this small! So much easier to hold down than my Donnie.."

Donnie didn't seem to register what he was saying, or didn't care, only shaking his head and giggling. "Heheh! Noho! Lehet mehe goho- youou scoundrehel!"

The elder tsked, and resumed his tickling tactic, this time the focus being the younger's belly. As soon as his face made contact, Donnie exploded into louder giggles, bucking and trying to scramble away.

"You're so ticklish, it's not even funny!" The softshell cackled when a bad spot was attacked, hopelessly trying to pry the weight of a full-grown mutant off of his legs. "Well, scratch that. Maybe it is pretty funny.."

The purple-themed turtle whined, covering his face with one hand, as the other pushed at his shoulder. The elder looked up to make sure he was alright, unfamiliar with a Donatello who didn't do everything in his power to try to kill whoever dared tickle him.

When all the other did was laugh and squirm, Leon took it as a chance to up his game, and pressed a huge raspberry right in the center of his plastron. Immediately, both hands came shooting to the elder's head, slapping and hitting frantically as loud laughter filled the room. "BPHK- NAHAHAHAH! LEHEHEHEOHON!"

Having his head attacked without regard to safety was definitely a lot more like his own Donnie, and Leon instinctively went to hold the smaller's wrists in his hand, holding them up in the air. "GYAHAHAH! GIHIHIVE- GIMME MY HAHANDS BAHAHACK!"

Another raspberry was pressed to his plastron, and soon enough the purple turtle's laughter went silent, slowly losing the will to fight as he turned his head to the side. The blue-themed turtle took it as a sign to stop, and he let go of Donnie's arms, then got off his legs, and smiled fondly at the sight of the younger curling up onto his side.

He reached out to rub his shoulder, and laughed when the younger flinched. A couple seconds passed, and Donnie had calmed down enough to roll onto his back, a happier face than before present on his features. "How do you feel now?" The softshell let out a quiet laugh. "More tired."

"Okay, you know that's not what I meant this time!"

-----

Weird idea I guess? Never really saw any lee Donnie with future Leo, soooo yeah. 😱

[suchusoid]

Where are all the vigilantes

Has anyone else noticed the lack of viglantes in mha?(excluding the vigilantes spin off manga) Like, the only characters in the main series that count vigilantes are gentle, la brava, and stain. With the former two being thieves who want to be famous, and the latter being a goddamn serial killer. Izuku briefly acts as a vigilante but then goes right back to ua after his "friends" beat him down... oops I mean "Help" him. So I've decided to take matters into my own hands and create a vigilante oc myself. Everyone give a warm welcome to Hachurui Waniguchi.

alias: herpeton

Quirk: herpetile

Quirk description: herpetile gives the user the features and abilties of a wide assortment of amphibians and non avian reptiles. This can range from herculean strength(herpeton is about as strong as spider man and the lizard), and atomic grip, a speed of 830 mph, wall crawling, steel crushing jaws, venomous spines, highly enhanced senses, extra senses, walking on water, breathing underwater, a super long prehensile tongue, gliding, cat like reflexes, high jumping, super regeneration, extreme durability, protective mucous barrier, pheromone induced telepathy to towards any tetrapod, a long tail, sonic croaking, high pain tolerance, cloaking, and a flexible body.

Even with his smorgasbord of abilities, herpeton does have some weakness, such as the cold, pungent odors, electricity, and vibrational attacks like sound or shockwaves.

Backstory: Hachurui was shojis best since kindergarten and the two have been like brotgers ever since. Hachurui was the son of kyoryu and ogama waniguchi, who were famous mutant rights activists. Unfortunately, his life changed when an anti mutant mob led by the villain dreadknight. Hachurui managed to escape but his parents weren't so lucky. Fleeing to the big city, rui was feared for his animalistic appearance and quadrupedal locamotion. Eventually he switched walking on two legs more often and pulled his tail in like a turtle to appear at least somewhat human. One night he came across two thugs mugging an old man. Using his monsterous appearance he scared away the crooks and helped to old man home. Turns out this man was Icarus pipistrello, who belonged to a long line of quirkless vigilantes that have been serving up justice sinced before quirks even existed. Icarus adopted rui as his son and through his mentorship, became the terrific herpeton. Now he attends ua as a gen ed student with his more humanoid form, and in his spare time he takes his more animalistic form as the vigilante herpeton. But it seems a certain sidekick-turned-president-of-the-HPSC wants him out of the picture, lest he tear down the illusion of hero society he had worked so hard to maintain.

Well what do you guys think? I'm thinking of using this as a baseline for an au I've brainstormed. It will have changed from canon like bakugou never getting into ua, all for one being dead 6 years prior, all might already retiring at the start due to a crippling injury, sir nighteye being the head of the hpsc, the league of villains never forming, etc.

[bluecube92]

Anime List *UPDATED*

Anime I have watched:

Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens Cardcaptor Sakura Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Medabots Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt Astro Boy (2003) Transformers Cybertron Seven of Seven Powerpuff Girls Z Case Closed (Detective Conan) Saru Get You On Air (Ape Escape anime) Megaman NT Warrior Viewtiful Joe Spider Riders Kirby: Right Back At Ya! Lucky Star Digimon Monster Rancher Nichijou Tama and Friends Hamtaro Revolutionary Girl Utena Sherlock Hound Montana Jones Samurai Pizza Cats Serial Experiments Lain Azumanga Daioh Slayers Paranoia Agent Kaitou Saint Tail Dinosaur King The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya The World of Narue Magic User’s Club Phi Brain Puzzle of God Dennou Coil Mawaru Penguindrum Nanana’s Buried Treasure Tiger and Bunny Yuri Kuma Arashi Mutant Turtles: Choujin Densetsu-Hen (TMNT OVA) Descendants of Darkness Alien Nine Ninja Nonsense Samurai Deeper Kyo FLCL FLCL: Progressive FLCL: Alternative FLCL: Grunge FLCL: Shoegaze The Irresponsible Captain Tylor Princess Tutu No Game No Life His and Her Circumstances Lupin the III Part One Kanon (2006) Pretear Kino's Journey (2003) Samurai Champloo Golion Ghost Hound Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Little Witch Academia (TV) Cowboy Bebop Kino's Journey (2017) Steins;Gate Monster Strike Ghost in the Shell: Arise Robotics;Notes Martian Successor Nadesico Grimoire of Zero Eden of the East Steins;Gate 0 Ergo Proxy Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day Erased Chaos;Head SSSS.Gridman Michiko and Hatchin Emma: A Victorian Romance Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. Occulitc;Nine Chaos;Child Terror in Resonance Heroman Sarazanmai Blood Blockade Battlefront Shingu Secret of the Stellar Wars Star Driver The Reflection The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan Samurai 7 Fruits Basket (2001) Ouran High School Host Club Beastars Neon Genesis Evangelion Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 BNA: Brand New Animal My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Polar Bear's Cafe Blood+ Carole and Tuesday Fruits Basket (2019) Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Allison and Lillia Noein Appleseed XIII Puella Magi Madoka Magica Figure 17 Cyborg 009 vs Devilman Freedom Project Kill la Kill The Way of the Househusband SSSS.Dynazenon The World Ends With You Odd Taxi S-Cry-Ed Devilman Crybaby Eden The Vision of Escaflowne Death Parade Phoenix Godzilla Singular Point Super Crooks Akudama Drive Durarara!! K-ON! Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story The Orbital Children Stellvia Dirty Pair Trigun Black Butler SK8 The Infinity Shaman King (2001) Cyber City Oedo 808 Spy x Family Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle The Prince of Tennis Trigun Stampede xxxHolic Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Darker than Black Planetes Shaman King (2021) given High-Rise Invasion Spice and Wolf Code Geass Gunbuster Chobits Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts RG Veda Boogiepop and Others Boogiepop Phantom Time of Eve Pluto Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok Mushishi Fate/Stay Night Witch Hunter Robin Campfire Cooking in Another World With My Absurd Skill Kurokami the Animation Monster Dawn of the Witch Shakugan no Shana Please Teacher! Please Twins! Fate/Zero Suicide Squad Isekai Go! Go! Loser Ranger! Ya Boy, Kongming! Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works (TV) Restaurant to Another World Macross Plus Dragon Dentist Delicious in Dungeon Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

Planning to watch next year: Beastars season 3 Part 2 The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World Toradora Sanda

[chloecherrysip]

teeny, tiny mario & luigi post-movie fic snippet!

I want people to believe me that I really am working on this!! I'm just slow and busy and also this fic is going to be really long because that's just the way it goes with me!! So here is a little preview. BUT FIRST, SOME CONTEXT.

I think it's really fascinating to consider how the star power works and what exactly it can fix or not fix when used in the context of the movie universe. I really like all interpretations! My personal interpretation is that even after the invincibility wears off, it still gives the user(s) one heck of an adrenaline rush for several hours. Rest? Food? Water? Don't need it! Honestly, you don't even think about it! You feel ecstatic and on top of the world and ready to run a marathon. There's just boundless energy for whatever needs doing (which may include helping clean up a completely ravaged city block).

But at the end of the day, the star's permanent effects are not absolute. It WILL heal major injuries, but it can't erase the strain of dehydration, lack of food, lack of sleep, etc - it can only delay all that for a while with its surplus of extra energy. And when the rush finally, finally wears off for good? All of that hits HARD.

Anyway, snippet time under the cut. :)

+

+

Mario's loud, gasping breaths seemed like the only sound in the world, echoes bouncing wildly all around.

"Luigi," he finally managed to wheeze — very quiet at first, then again, much louder. As gently and carefully as he could manage, he scooted up into a sitting position and turned his brother over onto his back, cradling him. He was still out cold. Mario patted his face.

"Hey, Luigi. Wake up for me, all right? I'm here, Lu. I've gotcha." He patted a little harder, steadfastly ignoring the way his hands were shaking at that point. Every second passing with no change stretched on like an eternity and then some. "You're all right, everything's all right. Come on, Luigi, snap out of it..."

Up close, Luigi looked very pale, sweat beaded all along the line of his cap. How had Mario not noticed that before? He'd been too caught up in the rebuilding efforts, too distracted by Peach and Toad and the thought of that hypothetical house. How could he not see that Luigi was starting to struggle? What kind of brother was he?

The kind that does something really, REALLY stupid because of pride or "destiny" or whatever you wanna call it. The kind that not only drags his brother down with him to do the stupid thing, but almost gets him killed because of it. 

Mario's shoulders sagged. He gripped Luigi tighter, pressing his little brother's face close to the crook of his neck, if only to try and desperately ground himself in the knowledge that he could feel him breathing still, at least. Their injuries were gone, it was true, but for Mario, it was like the star had just shifted the pain around instead. He could feel it pressing up from under his skin, a deep well that was ready to split him open all the way through if he let it.

It no longer seemed like he'd just been in a magical world on a whirlwind adventure, or that he'd defeated a spiked turtle monster with anger issues and saved Brooklyn in a glorious, technicolor blur. Now, he was just a small, ordinary man in a dark sewer room underground, exhausted and terrified and unable to help the person he loved most.

[void-inked-pen]

hi! another sai user here. i’ve been a martial artist (shaolin kempo karate) for about a decade now, and while i don’t practice with my sais extremely often, i feel like i have a general understanding of them. i would imagine how one uses a weapon would differentiate between the different fighting arts a little bit, but in my experience, there are actually moves where you CAN hold sais by just the handle — but these aren’t very common, and as you said, definitely aren’t a starting move. my sai form is, naturally, mostly defensive, but there are a fair amount of stabbing movements; they’re just not always with the tip of the sai, but with the pommel instead! there’s probably a different name for it, but it’s still a stabbing-like motion so i’m calling it stabbing. i do agree that raph often holds his sais incorrectly, as i myself often find i am holding my sais by the bottom half of the tine in the crook between my thumb and pointer finger, and — as i think you mentioned — keeping the shaft of the sai against the inside of my arm for protection. however, to be fair, i don’t think raph can do that considering the size of his fingers lmao

i feel like the fighting in tmnt 2012 mostly suffers from the writers and/or animators/artists not doing enough research on how these weapons actually work, rather than from a place of in-story incompetence. not to say that the turtles don’t mess up or should probably know better sometimes, that definitely does happen, but it sometimes feels like their skills are sacrificed for the sake of adding drama to whatever problem they’re facing that day. i don’t think that they’re COMPLETELY useless without their weapons (as one of the episodes you referenced was actually them struggling with using each other’s weapons, then struggling a bit with no weapons but quickly adapting), however they probably do use them as a crutch and may feel like they are useless without them, as seen in said episode. i definitely would’ve loved to see them fight more hand-to-hand combat or potentially with other weapons they feel confident with. it’s not uncommon for a martial artist to be skilled in multiple weapons (i personally practice both kamas and sais). like in the season one finale, raph brought tonfas, implying he knew how to use them, but then we NEVER SEE THEM USED!! seeing them use different (or slightly different) weapons in situations such as the spirit quest episode or in the space arc is so cool but it’s often, just… not utilized? which, again, i personally feel is a writing thing. i usually try to fix the fighting whenever i’m writing for tmnt 2012, but since i only really know the bō, dual katanas, and dual nunchucks secondhand, some things can’t be helped. i think it’s really cool how you’re analyzing the fighting in these shows and i totally agree with most of your points! keep up the good work!

(small note, kind of unrelated, but iirc in one of your posts you mentioned donnie and mikey would have stronger muscles in certain areas because of how their weapons are used? i do agree with the general statement, but i also have to note that these moves that often hit human muscle are hitting their shells most of the time and that should probably be kept in mind. sorry if it seems kind of nitpicky, i find your analysis really interesting and i can’t help but add my own opinions. have a good day!)

yall are SPOILING me with these asks!!

okay, fighting analysis aside, I will agree that a lot of how the turtles look should be taken into account when it comes to how they fight. they have less fingers, they have shells, these are aspects that DO contribute to a lot of stuff. HOWEVER! they don't UTILISE THEIR SHELLS!!

I can't remember a specific time in season one where they have actually used their shells as they're intended, for protection. Like they might have popped into their shells a few times but I can't remember if they ever used their shell or plastron as any kind of shield. A lot of how they fought was similar to regular martial arts and if I remember correctly they always jumped around to make sure they still faced the enemy. You personally should never turn your back on a foe but they have protection back there. wouldn't that make them feel idk a LITTLE overconfident in their own defensive abilities? just food for thought because you brought up a good point about their turtle physiology and now I'm curious how that could have been written in better.

in general, the writing in the show was... bad. when it came to fights and how stuff was written during those fights... I cringed more watching the fights then I did at some of the character writing (which I know I've said before maybe in passing but I REALLY do not like the character writing in 2012, literally me and my friend had to sit together as emotional support just to watch season 1 and I couldn't get any farther into season 2 on my own because one of the episodes started of with a HUGE phobia of mine and I had to stop)

I know some of the crew who worked on 2012 moved over to rise, JJ talked about how he was brought on as a board artist there and he was proud of what he did and learned while a part of that crew and the main writers of rise were support writers on 2012 and have stated they openly did not like how the turtles were written and wanted a more family focus in rise, so they were aware that the writing and such wasn't all that great in 2012. a lot of that stuff was a learning experience for them and 100% think that's why the writing in rise is so much better!

Like I mentioned, I'm a board artist who does action mainly. When I look at 2012 I see so many flaws in fights that drives me nuts! When you want to create a realistic fight that is interesting to watch and fun for the audience you have to keep in mind several things! Rule of cool is part of the process and can supersede logic a lot of the time (see any shonen anime ever) but it still has to be GROUNDED in some key parts. The environment should always be utilized to the fullest, how a character moves should be taken into account, using their weapons in fascinating and fun ways based on their real-world use, and showing your character is THINKING (or sometimes NOT thinking if its a rage induced fight) can make a fight so much more!

I am not sure I openly stated this in my last ask but what I meant by them going from switching weapons to not using them AT ALL was also a good character moment to show they all relied too much on their weapons like a crutch (like you said) and it would have been more fun if they just.... started to adapt.

Ninja weapons were originally farming tools. people who were fed up with their local lords would take up arms because they didn't have weapons like the samurai did, that's why those weapons exist. so learning to adapt to the situation is very important in ANY story and especially with modern takes on martial arts. learning how to fight with old school techniques and adapt them to more modern situations is what makes a lot of the turtle franchise fascinating... but we hardly see it.

thank you for your ask! appreciate the convo talks with all you guys its so fun to talk about this stuff :>

-Pen

[thedamageofherdays]

Another week, another reading log. I've read a lot of amazing things this week and I'm excited to share this list with people. I also posted a rec list this week with 20 fics with less than 200 kudos, which also contains some lovely fics for people to check out <3

🌻 marks a favourite, 🔒 marks a fic that is only available to ao3 users, 🍀 marks a fic that is only available on Tumblr

but if i catch a glimpse of you (it helps me feel at ease) by papesdontsellthemselves @turtle-steverogers [Stucky, 809 words, Not Rated]

Steve feels almost at home, standing beneath the brilliant rock formations, weathered by time and constantly shifting. The sentiment is familiar, and one he’s ever-living, though he’s inclined to believe his story is one much less beautiful than the sheer cliffs around him. Part of him wants to believe that this is the full circle he and Bucky have been eager to come to-- fulfilling the final few dreams of those two younger boys, already tainted by war and desperate to live out a fantasy. His thumb finds the ring that sits on his finger, twisting it out of habit, the palladium rubbing against his skin. Those dreams had seemed so unattainable at the time. But then they’d died, and came back to life, and suddenly marriage and a little road trip didn’t seem so out of reach.

-

Or the boys see the Grand Canyon

and they said you were the crooked kind (but you were always gold to me) by papesdontsellthemselves @/turtle-steverogers [Stucky, 1,6k words, Not Rated]

It’s more than Steve has ever said on the subject and Bucky lifts his head, listening. Hearing Steve like he’s so obviously begging someone to. His heart breaks-- there’s no way it wouldn’t, hearing Steve talk about himself like that-- but he ignores it for now.

“You ain’t dirt, Stevie,” Bucky whispers.

Steve turns his head away and doesn’t answer.

-

Or it's a bad day for both of them, but that's alright. They've got each other.

Drunken Confessions by BrokenApril [Stucky, 1,9k words, General]

Tony is holding another party, a smaller one this time, and Bucky finally decides to join in. Steve's keeping a close eye on him, insisting its just to make sure he's okay, but Sam - and Bucky - know better. Maybe its time to bring up something Bucky figured he'd have to take to his grave.

The Spin I'm In by victoria_p (musesfool) [Stucky, 3,5k words, Teen]

Five times Bucky kissed Steve because of ~reasons~, and one time Steve finally believed he really meant it.

Did you just steal my fries? by Gfawkes [Stucky, 1,9k words, Mature]

"Did you just steal my fries?"

“Yup. Paybacks."

"Paybacks for what?" He settled back onto his stool, sliding his plate safely away from Bucky's grasp.

"For taking 45 years to find me.”

_______________________________

Retired Veterans Bucky and Steve go back to college; Bucky steals more than Steve's heart.

Stucky Week 2021 Prompt 7 #Fluff

Indulge (With the Trappings of Love) by UisceOneLove [Stucky, 1,6k words, Teen]

Having a free day to themselves in the apartment leaves Bucky able to make some plans. Out of everyone, Steve Rogers deserves t be taken care of for more than just his health.

And Bucky's just the pal to do it.

🌻 no use speaking in absolutes by dontcallmebree @iamthe-wo-manwhocan [Stucky, 1k words, Mature]

The voice echoes in his mind: “Once a killer, always a killer.”

He can’t even remember who had said it, exactly. Maybe it was someone on his so-called team, or maybe it was a stranger he had passed on the street. Steve can’t tell the difference anymore.

Steve returns to what he does best: Proving everyone wrong.

🌻 here i am myself (after all the years that passed) by BuckWild (AnubisWrites) @blanket-burrito-bucky [Stucky, 1,6k words, Teen]

He covered his face with his hands and leaned over, digging his elbows into his legs. The pain helped to distract him a little, but the scent only seemed to grow stronger, and the world seemed blurred around the edges.

No. No. No. No.

or the one where Steve has body dysphoria, and Bucky takes care of him and helps him feel calm and loved

Stark Surprise by Broken Star (CountessRavengrey) @countessravengrey [Stucky, 2,1k words, Mature]

Alarmed, Tony started forward. He’d feared this would happen. After everything the Winter Soldier had done, especially his involvement in Tony’s parents’ death, he was least trusting of Steve’s old army pal. And the way the ex-sleeper assassin skulked about, speaking little to all but Steve and shadowing Steve’s every move, had always creeped Tony out. He didn’t know what he could do if Bucky actually attacked him, what with the Iron Man suit currently on the assembly for repairs twenty stories up, but Tony couldn’t stand by and let the Winter Soldier gut his teammate.

_____

AU. Tony gets the surprise of his recent life when he goes looking for Steve and Bucky, and discovers that the two men are more than teammates.

Home Is Where the Heart Is (And Where You Get to be Yourself) by KeepYourElectricEyeOnMe @moonagedaydreamohyeah [Stucky, 4,4k words, Teen]

““You are free.”

The words register clearly enough, but it’s like the emotional reaction that should be happening, haven’t gotten the memo yet, like there is some sort of wall between his thoughts and and his body.

Or maybe it’s just that it all seems a bit anticlimactic. They’ve been working towards this for months. Having the culmination of all that work be that nothing is happening might fit the success criteria for the whole operation, but yeah.

Anticlimactic describes it pretty well.

He will never be the old Bucky again.

But at least he is himself.

As the realization of what that means begins to take over, a trivial fact arises and slowly but surely fills up his body, replacing the numb feeling bit by bit:

Every small action he makes will be his own from now on.”

Or: Bucky is rid of Hydras programming. He need a bit of time (and Steve) to process it.

Inspired by Sebastian Stan’s phenomenal and heartbreaking performance in episode 3 of TFATWS.

🌻 Brooklyn Buddies by daisymondays [Stucky, 13,3k words, Teen]

Steve Rogers goes to Brooklyn Buddies Shelter for a dog and ends up with a boyfriend. He's not too disappointed.

Three Pencils and a Garage by hazel_lannister [Stucky, 13,6k words, Explicit]

Steve is an art student that doesn't have much but a big heart, while Bucky is a guarded mechanic that shows him kindness. Steve is finding more and more excuses to return to Bucky's garage and Bucky slowly lets him in.

A Way to Stay Warm by emphasisonem [Stucky, 3k words, Teen]

Bucky’s been wondering for months now what it would be like to get Steve Rogers into his bed. Granted, he never assumed Steve would be wearing about fifteen layers of clothing and still be shivering, but beggars can’t be choosers.

In which Bucky and Steve's apartment loses power during a snowstorm, and, consequently, there is no heat.

The One with the Waggly Tail by emphasisonem [Stucky, 1,7k words, Teen]

“Hey there, mutt,” Steve greets her softly, palm out so she can sniff him. He must pass because her tongue sneaks out to lick his fingers. Steve laughs; it tickles.

“What do you wanna call her?” Steve asks as he reaches to scratch behind the dog’s ear. Her fur is smooth and soft, and her eyes begin to close in contentment. Steve guesses he could get used to having this big lug around their place.

When Steve looks up, Bucky’s eyes are wide, mouth open and moving as he attempts to form words. Steve quirks a brow, waiting.

“What do you mean what do I wanna call her?” Bucky finally asks, voice incredulous.

In which the boys visit an animal shelter.

lock this wild heart up by orphan_account [Stucky, 4,5k words, Not Rated]

“No.”

“Bucky—”

“It’s not happening. I’m not helping.”

Or: Steve is a scheming prince, Bucky is his best friend and bodyguard, and they’re both pining idiots.

Made It To The Milky Way (To See The Stars All Faded) by geckoholic [Stucky, 4k words, Teen]

Steve and Bucky at the movies, past and present.

I Just Wanna Dance With You by HeliosNerd [Stucky, 2,2k words, General]

What if... after Captain Carter disappeared and the war was won, Bucky was discharged?

🌻 i'd like to have another kiss, another flashing chance at bliss by dreadlockholiday @dreadlockholiday [Stucky, 2,3k words, Teen]

"Steve," he says tentatively. "What's this?"

"Uh," Steve starts. Talking and answering questions wasn't part of his plan, and he suddenly finds himself unable to say a single word. He shifts anxiously on his feet, warmth filling his face until his ears feel so hot they start itching. "Well, it's..."

Bucky's looking at him expectantly, hope and awe written all over his face.

"It's your birthday," continues Steve, clearing his throat and wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. "So, uh, happy birthday. It's for you."

-

Steve is very nervous about giving Bucky his present.

It's Been a Long, Long Time by dixons_mama @dixons-mama [Stucky, 1,1k words, General]

Steve wondered why Bucky had invited him to the dance hall after-hours.

Flashes of Colour to My Heart by AvengersBarnes (JaskiersWolf) [Stucky, 7k words, Teen]

It's the day before Steve's birthday and Natasha is trying to catch up on some paper work when she gets an unexpected visitor.

🌻 Chasing Heaven by BonkyBornes @padfoot-and-the-marauders [Stucky, 1,9k words, Not Rated]

Steven Grant Rogers has been chasing Heaven his entire life. He was sixteen when he realized it could be found in a person.

Florescence: Seed by AllegedlyAnn [Stucky, 4,7k words, Mature]

“I hope your arm continues to heal well, Your Highness.”

Startled, Bucky turned around to see Captain Rogers walk towards him. An easy smile on his ridiculously handsome face with that stupid fucking awesome beard and beautiful blue eyes. Not to mention that he was only wearing a white linen shirt with his upper buttons undone, allowing Bucky to get a glimpse of his curly chest hair.

The fucking commander of the Stark Army that had fished Bucky out of the burning forest a good week ago like he was a stupid damsel in distress was practically walking around the city as good as naked. Without a care in the world!

thrilling wonder stories by luninosity @luninosity [Stucky, 1,2k words, Mature]

"I'm a writer," Bucky said.

🌻 accidentally need you by biblionerd07 [Stucky, 4,6k words, Teen]

Steve and Bucky broke up, but they're still friends. They just happen to keep going on dates and sleeping together. It's not a thing. (Except it is.)

away so long by biblionerd07 [Stucky, 3,4k words, Teen]

Bucky wants peace. Steve wants Bucky to have peace. But there’s only one way to guarantee that, and Steve’s fine with doing that for Bucky. The problem is, there's only so long he can be a one-man wrecking crew, wandering around alone, and he's not sure what else he can do.

honey, you're familiar (like my mirror years ago) by yusufsmoon [Stucky, 9,6k words, Teen]

Bucky says softly, “Were we together, before?”

A rusty knife seems to plunge into Steve’s heart. “You don’t remember?”

Bucky breaks eye contact and shakes his head, “No, m’sorry, I don’t.”

The knife twists.

Or: Bucky comes back to Steve and somehow remembers everything but their relationship. Suspicious.

'til you come to me by radialarch [Stucky, 4,9k words, Teen]

"I'll do it," Steve says. "I'll marry Bucky."

(It's because of the Russians.)

🔒 it don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing) by carissima [Stucky, 6,3k words, Mature]

“Alright,” Bucky says and stands with his hands on his hips and gives Steve a narrowed glare. “Hit me. What went wrong?”

“I uh, don’t actually know?” Steve says, and now he feels an embarrassed flush creep over his cheeks. “She stood me up.”

Bucky stares at him. Blinks once. And stares some more. “You,” he says flatly. “You got stood up?”

Masquerade by Ser_Charlemagne [Stucky, 5,5k words, Teen]

October 20th Prompt - Secret Crush

Steve Rogers never removed the Winter Soldier's mask, but sought to help him anyway. After turning on HYDRA and saving Steve from the Potomac, the enigmatic Soldier returned to his side to accept his offer of compassion and help, but for nine months, never removed the mask in his presence while he began to recover himself.

Then, one night, they shared a dance.

Girl on a mission by rainbow_nerds [Stucky, 845 words, General]

Olivia Jane Rogers is six and a half years old, and she has decided her dad is in desperate need of a date

🌻 Couch cushions on the floor by unremarkable @otp-holic [Stucky, 1,5k words, General]

Mindless domestic fun through with cushions and pillows.

We can put couch cushions on the floor like when we were kids, it'll be fun.

The One True King by roe87 @jro616 [Stucky, 12,3k words, Teen]

(Alternative title: The One True Thot)

--

Steve just wants to live out his life on the beach, despite being half Atlantean and of royal descent, and he almost gets his way...

Then his once betrothed, Bucky, shows up out of the blue and demands Steve aid him on a quest to recover the lost trident of Atlantis.

Steve agrees to help Bucky in his quest, and to defeat the power hungry Stark before he brings war to the Atlanteans and the surface world. And, Steve finds he enjoys being with Bucky again, and he willingly embraces his destiny as protector (Thot) of the deep.

🔒 they say love is a virtue by agetwellcard [Stucky, 22,6k words, Mature]

“I have a bet,” Tony announces to the room. He stands up, repeating himself a few times so that everyone is forced to stop the game and look up at him. He looks straight into Bucky’s eyes when he goes, “I bet you fifty dollars that you and Steve can’t spend a whole week pretend married without realizing that you’re both in love with each other.”

Boyfriend For Hire by Brenda [Stucky, 4,7k words, General]

"I'll pay you a thousand dollars to be my boyfriend for the next hour."

Or: Bucky is desperate, Steve is smitten, and this might just be the start of something special.

Where the Heart Is by Chancy_Lurking [Stucky, 12,1k words, Teen]

“Couples are more than welcome to room together.”

Steve freezes up, feels his eyes go a little wide before he can help himself. He stumbles over his words, “Oh, I—No, we’re not—”

“We’re not going to give you any trouble about that,” Fury presses, turning to squint at them head on. “Stark likes to say we’re opened minded and close-knit. Your private life is your business, but you don’t need to hide here, understand?”

Steve goes to reiterate that they’re not a couple, but startles when Bucky’s hand settles on the small of his back. He looks at him like he’s lost his mind, but Bucky’s just smiling at him. “Never can be too careful these days,” he says.

(Steve and Bucky pretend to be a couple when they move in, but at some point, it stops feeling like pretend.)

Have you heard, it's in the stars by victoria_p (musesfool) [Stucky, 3,1k words, General]

Telling the girls he's dating Captain America is the best idea Bucky's ever had.

🍀 Vampire Daddy Steve by @howdoyousleep3 [Stucky, ? words, Not Rated]

“Steve…Daddy, I can’t…can’t anymore. Too—”

Bunny by brewingbucky @brewingbucky [Stucky, 4,8k words, Explicit]

Steve Rogers is a natural born leader, captain of the football team, and he’s used to be in control. His life is good, great even. A full ride scholarship to college, pretty decent friends, and usually a girl hanging off his arm squeezing his bicep.

Steve doesn’t have any reason to want anything different. Until he meets Bunny.

🌻 I Love Rock & Soul by attackofthezee (noxlunate) [Stucky, 5,5k words, Teen]

“What’s the prognosis?” Bucky asks, his shoulder pressed lightly against Steve’s. The touch is grounding, a stark difference from the couple times they tried to separate before Wanda got there and Steve had ended up lightheaded and halfway to a panic attack.  Wanda stands up a little straighter, brushing her hands against the multiple layers of fabric that comprise her skirt. “Congratulations gentlemen, you managed to bind your souls.”

Or sometimes you touch a rock and end up soul bound to your best friend who you've been pining over for years.

[fend13th]

SeriRei week fic cover, ‘Surface Tension’ written by @crooked-turtle, posting next week on Ao3!

“A routine meeting with a client draws Reigen and Serizawa into a dangerous situation—one Reigen can’t help but make worse.”

https://archiveofourown.org/users/crookedturtle/pseuds/crookedturtle

[shlabam]

THE HISTORY OF THE H-DIAL, DC’S WEIRDEST SUPERHERO CONCEPT

Everyone wants to be Superman. His unparalleled might, massive array of powers, and winning personality makes him a fantasy figure in many imaginations. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, given the option, we wouldn’t want to be one superhero, we’d want to be all of them. This is the premise behind Dial H for HERO’s H-Dial, an incredibly powerful object used in DC Comics stories intermittently since the 1960s.

Introduced in House of Mystery #156 (a title up to that point reserved for supernatural horror stories), the H-Dial was discovered by teenager Robby Reed in a cavern while he was camping nearby. The H-Dial resembles a rotary phone dial, and since Robby existed in a time when rotary phones were still in use (youths of today would likely struggle a bit), he quickly discovered by dialing H-E-R-O, he could turn into a random and wholly original superhero until he dialed O-R-E-H to change back. There appeared to be no limits or boundaries on the heroes Robby would be become, as the first year saw characters like Giantboy (a giant with super strength), the Mole (who could dig at super-fast speeds), Hypno-Man (with the ability to control minds), and Mighty Moppet (a super-strong baby who could shrink his enemies by spraying them with a milk bottle). Clearly, this was a creative playground for writer Dave Wood and artist Jim Mooney, who had smartly devised a storytelling platform that liberated them from the bonds of using the same power set to solve new problems every issue. However, the stories clearly weren’t a huge hit, as House of Mystery reverted back to horror stories and ended the original Dial H run after only eighteen issues.

The H-Dial would return in 1981, with new users Chris Grant and Vicki King, who discover them in a haunted house. A number of changes were made to the H-Dial this time around: there were two of them (Chris wore his on a watch and Vicki’s on a necklace), they had a one-hour time limit, and, incredibly, the heroes they became were submitted by readers! If you had the manual dexterity to hold a few crayons, you could see your creation in print in a real comic book! (The creators of these heroes were rewarded with a t-shirt and, uh, credit.) For eleven issues of Adventure Comics and twenty-one issues of New Adventures of Superboy, Chris and Vicki transformed into heroes submitted by the youth of 1980s America (as well as science fiction writer Harlan Ellison, then aged 46 years old), and series creators Marv Wolfman and Carmine Infantino clearly picked the cream of the crop: Vibro the Quakemaster (caused earthquakes), Hasty Pudding (either moved super slow or super fast, no in-between), Glass Lass (who could amplify laser beams), and Sister Scissor-Limbs (do you need this one spelled out for you?). This iteration once again faded away as new back-up features replaced them. Chris and Vicki got a mini-epilogue in the pages of New Teen Titans but following that, just faded away.

It wouldn’t be until 2003 that the H-Dial would appear again, and this time it would be the star of the book: H-E-R-O would follow the H-Dial (as it was seen in the original House of Mystery run) as it gets passed around from person to person for anywhere from one to four issues. Writer Will Pfeifer took this opportunity to tell some smarter, smaller stories about normal people who briefly possess incredible chaotic power, only for it to be lost, via intentional abandon, theft, or, most commonly, hubris. Robby Reed also returns in this series, hunting the traveling dial as it turns minimum wage earner Jerry Feldon into Afterburner, pre-teen girl Andrea Allen into Nocturna, and small-time crook Tony Finch into the Stretcher. The series was cancelled after an incredibly satisfying twenty-two issues, ending with Robby sending it 50,000 years back in time, hopefully ridding the world of its dangerous potential.

However, reboots gonna reboot, and the H-Dial would make its triumphant return in 2012 as a part of DC’s New 52 line-up in the series Dial H. This time around, the H-Dial is turned into an anachronistic telephone booth, as novelist China Miéville would lend his signature surrealistic take to transform schlubby everyman Nelson Jent into heroes like Captain Lachrymose (who derives strength from the traumatic memories of others), Hole Punch (who had three arms and sledgehammer hands) and Control-Alt-Delete (a computer-themed hero with the ability to “reboot” recent events). Miéville traded adventure and coherence for comedy and absurdity, showing that when the existing status for a device is one without presented limits, the logical step forward is one without logic at all. It could be argued this series existed at the wrong time; if it had shared the shelf with 1990s Vertigo hits Doom Patrol and Shade the Changing Man, it could have entered a classic status and stayed reprinted forever. Sadly, 2012 wasn’t the year for an interpretation like this, and Miéville’s Dial H would be cancelled after 15 issues.

This brings us to the most recent swing at the H-Dial, the criminally underrated Dial H for Hero, remarkably the first time the feature has had its full, original name as the title of a book. This time, the H-Dial is a glowing red rotary phone (complete with fairly unnecessary handset), wielded by teenagers Miguel Montez and Summer Pickens as they travel across the United States to find a place to safely dispose of the powerful device. Under the storytelling direction of Sam Humphries, this version of the H-Dial transforms its users into wholly original superheroes, plus the new wrinkle of each hero being drawn in a distinct homage to comic book creators of the past, such as the Rob Liefeld-esque Monster Truck, the Mike Allred-ian Lo Lo Kick You, and the Irritable Various Geckos, four lizard villains drawn exactly like the classic Eastman/Laird Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Illustrator Joe Quinones puts in work for this series, effectively aping artists like Frank Miller, Akira Toriyama, Moebius, and even Bill Watterson, while keeping everything on brand in the distinctive DC-house style, allowing every page to function as a museum exhibit on comics history. This mini-series was originally intended to only last six issues, but early success expanded it to twelve, with the dangling possibility of more to come down the line.

What could the future possibly hold for the H-Dial? Like the device itself, there is limitless potential. Superheroes are more popular than ever, and with deep cuts like Doom Patrol and Stargirl finding success on the small screen, there’s no reason a Dial H for Hero show couldn’t make a similar mark. It could be animated (Cartoon Network’s Ben 10 showed there’s a market for “boy with many superhero forms”), but a live-action version would also work. Utilizing celebrity guest stars as the different heroes could place it perfectly in that high-stakes-meets-childish-wonder space the comics always occupied. Dial H for Hero is nails exactly what we love about superheroes: powerful, vibrant characters in a grounded, human space. But while Wonder Woman is limited to magic and mythology, Green Lantern is confined to space policing, and Batman deals with a constant crew of painted goons, Dial H for Hero discards the pesky origin and setting to create a one-person anthology hero, something completely different yet charmingly familiar every time, where the only thing predictable is that it will be absolutely unpredictable.

[rhimorechill]

1-30 can i just have your opinion on all of them please

KDHSKHFKFB whoever u are anon ur actually my only follower ever

1. are you of the “tom nook is a crook” or “tom nook is an honest businessman” opinion ?

HES AN HONEST BUSINESSMAN !!! ur loans have NO interest and he was handing out 100k interest/month for a good while there !!!!! the only reason it dropped to 10k is b/c i accidentally made a mil while tryna get dreamies ok. the whole "nook inc owns the entire island" thing is KINDA WEIRD but like ! i mean. its still a pretty sweet deal

2. do you play as yourself or a made up character ?

i play as me !! and then everyone tells me my character is cute which ROCKS

3. where is your house located ?

well CURRENTLY. its just at the center of the island. but once i get terraforming (which will be as soon as i get lolly, mitzi, and purrl) it will be on its own little island in the middle of the island

4. who were your first villagers ?

hamlet and renee ! and bea and agent s and broccolo. oh and quillson. theyre all gone now but i moved bea into a friends island so i can visit her later !!

5. preferable method of earning bells ?

turnip runs babey !!! srsly i will pay like 500k tips and make a million in PROFIT (per run !!) its fucking awesome. i never use turnip exchange tho that shit website always stops telling me where i am in the queue

6. what villager personalities do you typically get along best with ?

i love all of them. so much. normal and lazy villagers might take the cake, but ankha was on my island for 2 days and nearly stole my heart, so snooty villagers r up there too. smug villagers ? like i mostly have experience w raymond b/c i fucking HATED quillson and keaton n ed i barely paid attention to (ed gets points tho. he shares my bday) but that goddamn nerd has a war with slugs. we love to see it. peppy villagers rock (i have THREE on my island rn... but ugh i gotta kick out merry sometime..... i love her but i just !! have too many). i CANNOT hate jock villagers those guys just wanna work out !!! and talk abt working out !!!! theyve done nothing wrong in their whole lives. uchi villagers are great too and cranky villagers r trying their best !!! every villager is good is what im saying. even quillson (i guess)

7. who is your current best friend in the game ?

MGHGSHGD felicity or raymond !!! they send me mail all the time and also i really like raymond. b/c hes such a fucking NERD of an accountant. and felicity was the first of my dreamies to move in so im 💚 when it comes to her...... SOMEDAY. lolly will also be my bff. lolly come home

8. is there a villager you want to get rid of ?

MERRY WHITNEY VELMA. PLEASE GO AWAY. U R ALL SWEETIES BUT NONE OF U MADE THE CUT. ONLY ONE OF U IS EVEN A CAT. (if you want whitney or velma pls dm me !!! someone asked for merry already but id love for them to be on islands where ppl love em)

9. do you hoard a lot of items ?

YES. i did a purge the other day and laid a fuckton of items out to give away. it did not fit and i had to shove some on the cliffs. i still have a big pile waiting to be taken. meanwhile my storage gets new items added

10. take medicine or save & restart ?

medicine is for chumps.

11. where is your favorite spot in your village ?

HMMMM i rlly like my entrance !!!! its rlly neat and has green AND pink mums + trees..... and fencing and a path. IDK i worked hard on it and think it turned out rlly well !!!! other than that maybe my shopping area ? i dont have terraforming yet so theres a lot i Havent Gotten To wrt my island (like my cliffs are almost entirely undeveloped b/c i havent placed any inclines. so theres no pathing)

12. what achievement do you want to hit the most ? (ex: golden equipment, all fish / bugs, etc)

its not REALLY an achievement but i want all my dreamies real bad. after that i want a 5 star island !! i would like a lily of the valley. or 20.

13. do you know any secret tips ?

HMMM i dont think so ?? i dont really know any secrets. ive been trying out campsite cycling and it has Not been going well tho. if u need tips on tting to move villagers out or smthn i can help w that !! this is such a vague q that im like DO i know smthn ??? that is a secret ?????? i also vaguely know abt *m**b* sp**f*ng but im not allowed to do that soooo. thats a pipe dream. fun fact: its not a secret but gardening is SO fucking complicated theres genetics n shit. its wild. thank god someone straight up gave me blue roses so i dont have to go thru that shit. also do not tt backwards when dealing with turnips. not even 30 mins to save ur 600+ prices frm closing time. They Will Change

14. who are your dreamies ?

THESE CATS (i know major shocker from tumblr user pumakittycat. app is acnh life)

15. favorite furniture item ?

HMMMM THIS IS A TOUGH ONE. maybe mum cushions ? those r cute as fuck. i love every flower item, honestly, frm garden wagons to flower stands to pansy tables to hycanith lamps to. idk the bonsai shelf ? i have one of those. i also love my sea globe. its great. WAIT DO RUGS AND WALLS/FLOORS COUNT THERES NO QUESTIONS ABT THOSE i love so many FUCKING items. also autumn woods wall, if ur out there,

16. favorite clothing item / outfit ?

my green clover dress !!!! its the best thing EVER. my full outfit also consists of a silver tiara, a cherry blossom pouchette, white fishnets, and green rubbertoed sneakers. and, ofc, clover facepaint. ALSO FOR CONTEXT. my island is named clover bay thats why im like Clover Time. Theyre Important To The Aesthetic. im also an aro bitch who loves overall dresses. b/c they slap

17. favorite museum room ?

I LOVE THE LITTLE BUTTERFLY ROOM do not even TALK to me unless ur the butterfly room in the museum THERES SO MANY AT ALL TIMES ITS SO NICE

18. cedar, fruit, or palm tree ?

FRUIT. i literally chopped down every single hardwood tree on my island and replaced them w orange trees

19. favorite fruit ?

.......Oranges

20. favorite fish ?

HM. bitterling has a special place in my heart for being my Only fish model. whale sharks also rock tho. and thats only of the ones ive caught !!! i also love frogs, turtles, and obligatorily catfish. oh and seahorses and bettas

21. favorite bug ?

HM. ladybugs maybe. and both birdwings ! maybe also emperors butterflies. possibly others as well

22. favorite flower breed ?

MUMS !!!!!

23. favorite crossbred rare flower breed + color ?

GREEN MUMS.

24. favorite villager personality ?

havent we been over this ? im a dumb bitch who likes all of them way too much

25. favorite time of day to play ?

i uh. play. all the time. i tt a Lot tho so i like setting my time to 1pm ? idk it Feels like a good time

26. favorite special visitor event or reward ? (ex: selecting an art piece from redd, aiding guliver and getting a special item, etc)

SAHARAH. im obsessed w the fucking rugs and the tickets and the lottery. i also love celeste, and gulliver has a spot on the faves list for providing lucky cats sometimes (also a fave item) and for having been to space

27. favorite kk song ?

call me basic, but bubblegum kk plays at all times in my living room

28. favorite animal crossing game ?

ACNH lmao. i never really sat down and got Dedicated to city folk, which is the only other game ive played

29. if you’ve played animal crossing before, are there any animals you’re nostalgic for ? if this is your first game, has any animal in particular left some effect on you ?

ROVERRRRR come home :( also harriet.... i Miss Her. and resetti (i REFUSE to use rescue services dont @ me). and also the bus driver guy who took u to the city. If You Were An NPC In City Folk I Miss You Now

30. share a story from your gameplay

SO. i love the little alien easter egg. i set up a photoshoot and made like a little storyline abt the aliens and stuff. i even got a flying saucer and put that down and used it. and every fucking time !!!! i do shit with aliens !!!!!!! gulliver shows up on my beach. i know he went to space in cf n stuff (I GOT FLAVOR TEXT ONE TIME-- DURING NH-- ABT HIM NOT WANTING TO GO BACK EVEN) so i think its fucking hilarious that the aliens show up.... so does he

[craveanimeblog-blog]

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Fan Favorite Character Lives the Bizarre New Fashion Style

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind is the fifth part of Hirohiko Araki's series, and follows Giorno Giovanna, the son of former series villain Dio Brando, as he joins the mafia group Passione in order to change and reform them into reputable thieves and crooks from the inside. The anime adaptation premiered last October, and can be currently found streaming on Crunchyroll.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure was originally created by Hirohiko Araki for Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in 1987. Currently the second longest running series in the magazine with over 100 volumes collected, the series tells the story of the Joestar family, who are each entwined in a destiny battling outrageous foes. The series has been split up into eight parts, with each part following a different generation of the Joestar family.

Manga authors all have their own art styles, but there are few as distinctive and iconic as Hirohiko Araki's illustrations for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Over the course of his nearly 40 years as a manga artist, Araki has created some of the most recognizable characters, poses, and scenes in the history of the medium – in fact, so many other series pay homage to him that spotting JoJo references is practically a sport at this point.

But where did Araki's wild designs come from? How did he get the idea for Jonathan's dramatic hand pose, part 5's avant-garde outfits, or all of those stylish chapter covers? ...From museums and fashion magazines, of course! Today, we're here to shed some light on how classical art and fashion illustrations inspired the unique look of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and how JoJo's cultural impact eventually led to collaborations with the likes of Gucci and the Louvre. Strike your favorite pose and join us!

While some characters in the fifth season of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind didn't make it to the finish line, others capped off the series in fates worse than death! Diavolo got stuck in a "death loop" wherein he will never stop dying for eternity thanks to the new power of Golden Wind Requiem, and poor fan favorite Polnareff may have suffered an even worse fate! Losing his body thanks to the powers of King Crimson, Polnareff found his mind now trapped inside the turtle that harbored Giorno and company for so long.

As we saw from the last few episodes of season five, Polnareff managed to still be a much needed asset to Giorno, Bucciarati, and the rest of the Stand users as they attempted to put an end to Diavolo and take over the Passione gang themselves. Unfortunately, Silver Chariot was affected by the arrow that granted folks the ability to wield Stands and went berserk, with both heroes, and Diavolo, attempting a mad dash to get the arrow.

In the finale, it was revealed that the supporting character of Stardust Crusaders was no longer able to return to his now defunct body and decided to have his "ghost" reside within the turtle for as long as he could. Cue the post credit scene of Golden Wind where we see a stoic Polnareff watching over Giorno receiving "tribute" from other mafiosos, all while still in the body of said amphibian. Whether or not Polnareff will eventually return to a human form is still up in the air for anime fans, but we certainly wouldn't mind seeing a "bizarre" reunion between Polnareff and Jotaro in the future.

What did you think of the final status of Polnareff in the finale of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind? Do you see him making another appearance down the line within the franchise, for those watching the anime? 

[theonetruenorth]

Yours is the light

This fic reads a little bit differently. It doesn’t have a lot of dialogue and some parts of it may seem packed with information. That’s because it started as an ‘extended headcanon post’ sort of thing and then got away from me (and by now this shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me).

It’s my take on the ‘alpha/beta/omega’ universe. But I decided to give it a twist and take some of the A/B/O stereotypes and turn them on their collective heads.

In other words, this is actually as different from the A/B/O trope as I could make it and still get away with calling is an A/B/O fic.

Beta-read by RomanceShipper

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

yours is the light by which my spirit’s born: yours is the darkness of my soul’s return you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars

― E.E. Cummings

The first time Alec questioned his status was when he was ten years old.

Up until that point, he never even had a reason to think about secondary genders and what the consequences of being an alpha, beta, or omega were. He was just a kid. He had no use for the adult stuff when there were so many other more important and interesting things to learn, things like runes and archery and the history of Nephilim.

Then the whole debacle with Preston happened. He thought that everyone would be happy with him for adapting, and finally finding a way to beat the boy at kendo practice, despite Preston being nearly two years older than him. He listened to his mother’s advice and went against his training. Preston’s nose cracked under his shinai as a result.

Preston himself didn’t react badly - other than being embarrassed that the younger kid, whom he used to beat regularly, suddenly managed to kick his ass instead - but oh, Preston’s mother went ballistic. Alec remembered how she shouted at Maryse. She insisted that Alec should be put in his place like ‘the filthy little omega he reeked of’ and that he should be punished for insubordination and hurting her alpha son.

Alec also remembered how Maryse growled at the other woman. There was some vicious exchange of words that he couldn’t hear before Preston’s mother all but ran from the training room with the metaphorical tail between her legs.

Later that evening, when Alec was done cleaning all the weapons in the Institute, as a part of his punishment for going against Hodge’s training (a job he didn’t really mind that much), he asked Maryse about what Preston’s mother had said. Maryse sat him down on his bed and explained to him how the secondary genders worked. She told him about alphas and their dominant personalities. About betas and their hard work and neutrality that helped to keep society balanced.

And she told him about omegas. How they were incredibly rare, especially among boys. How they could carry children if they wanted and how every alpha would be lucky to have them as a partner. She told him that omegas were smart and had sharp, tactical minds, and were born leaders. She told him that nearly every great figure in the history of mankind was a confirmed omega. Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar or Napoleon Bonaparte, to name a few.

Alec didn’t understand why Preston’s mother was so upset with him and in turn, Maryse explained pheromones. How Alec already smelled slightly of omega and that he would probably present soon. Preston’s mother was the type of person who was envious of the gifts that omegas were blessed with.

“There will be people in your life who will treat you like you’re worth less than them, just because of your status,” she told him. “But there will be just as many people who will cherish you for what you are.”

Maryse told Alec, again and again, that what he did with his life was his choice and his alone. He didn’t have to put up with anyone who didn’t respect him if he didn’t want to. The world would be his for the taking. As long as he was dutiful to the Clave and the nephilim’s sacred mission, he could be anyone he wanted to be. The Head of the Institute. The Inquisitor. The Consul. No one would be able to stop him if he truly wished to become a great leader.

Alec could still remember the genuinely proud look in Maryse’s eyes when he presented as an omega a little over a year later.

The life of an omega wasn’t any different than the life of an alpha or a beta.

Ever since presenting, Alec was prescribed heat-blocking shots, just like the alphas. Since he presented so early, he wasn’t allowed to go through a heat until he was fourteen. Only then did the doctor’s at the Institute switch him over to the regular blockers that lasted about six months, allowing a heat to happen twice a year to keep his body healthy.

Heats were a nuisance for Alec. He had to isolate himself from all alphas - except for his parents - and Izzy, who was a beta. Alec always spent his heats away in their house in Alicante for two long, uncomfortable days during which his temperature spiked and he felt like his entire body was itching. Thankfully, as long as there were no alphas around to trigger him further, that was pretty much it. There were no inconvenient erections, no rush of hormones that made him impossibly horny (no more than was normal for a teenager, anyway), and no spontaneous leaking; that particular thought left him mortified. No, all of those things would happen only with a compatible alpha, and Alec had never shared a heat with anyone.

He even had to stay away from Jace, who presented as an alpha just a year after him. He couldn’t risk it. Jace was his brother in every way but blood, but apparently it was the blood that made the difference. His feelings for Jace made everything worse since he was sure that his parabatai would trigger his heat so fast it would make his head spin.

It wasn’t exactly a secret that out of all three secondary genders, it was the alphas who were the strongest, the most aggressive, the most territorial. It was well-known.

It was also completely wrong.

Because of the rarity of omegas, people believed that they were either submissive or neutral, like betas. Not many people were educated on how dangerous a threatened omega could be. Those that were educated?

Their knowledge often came from a personal experience.

The group of boys who cornered Alec in an isolated part of the Institute had the brilliant idea of putting the resident omega on his knees, to see if he would ‘get wet for them like the bitch that he was’. There were five of them. Alec had just hit a growth spurt not so long ago, but he was still only sixteen and they were all older and bigger than him. He didn’t have any weapons on him and was severely outnumbered.

Alec didn’t know he would need weapons in his own home. He had not experienced this kind of behavior before, this kind of degradation and aggression, aimed at him just because of his status as an omega. Polite disinterest was the worst thing that ever happened, not that he minded. It was better than the curious, interested looks he had been receiving for the past couple of months. Izzy had joked about it. She told Alec that it was because he was turning from an ‘awkward turtle into a beautiful swan’, whatever the hell that meant. Alec always rolled his eyes at her, but maybe even that joke had some truth to it. Was that why he was getting harassed now?

It didn’t matter.

The corner of Alec’s lip twitched in an imitation of a smirk, all sharp teeth and disdain. He was not going to give them what they wanted.

When other shadowhunters came running moments later, alarmed by the sounds of fighting, Alec had a broken rib and a black eye, but the five guys were on the ground either unconscious or moaning in pain, all of them looking far worse than Alec. One of them was missing half of his right ear. When Maryse arrived at the scene, Alec greeted her with a red-tinted grin. The blood running down his lips and chin was not his own.

Calming an omega down from a feral episode was not easy, but Maryse was the only alpha Alec yielded to. She coaxed him out of the corner, where he stood to ensure no one attacked his vulnerable back. She led him to the infirmary, where she held an ice pack to his ribs and drew a fresh iratze on his skin.

“I’m so incredibly proud of you, my sweet boy,” Maryse whispered into his hair as he hid his face in the crook of her neck, taking shallow breaths and fighting against the pain that came as the adrenaline rush ebbed away. The red haze of the anger-fight-survive instincts that clouded his mind was receding, chased away by his mother’s tender words and the familiar scent of her perfume. “I’m so proud of how well you fought and how you protected yourself.”

Alec never saw those boys again. He was sure Maryse put the fear of the Angel in them and made them transfer away from New York as soon as they could walk again.

As a general rule, Alec tended to be wary whenever an alpha warlock showed even a little bit of interest in him.

It was a given fact that warlocks were infertile, but what many didn’t realize is that it wasn’t completely true. It wasn’t common, but a male alpha warlock could father a child with an omega female or male, but only of different species, like a Seelie or a werewolf.

Or a Nephilim.

Alec wasn’t aware of this fact until he ran point on a mission to capture and arrest Iris Rouse, a notorious dark magic user. She managed to flee before they got to her, but she escaped in a hurry, leaving her experiments behind.

Her hideout was a thing of nightmares.

Rooms were filled with brainwashed omegas - Seelies, wolves, and even mundanes - some of them in late stages of pregnancy. The entire building reeked of dark magic, misery, and pain. As soon as Alec entered those blasted rooms, he knew that none of the omegas were there of their own free will.

At first, Alec didn’t understand how it was possible. Omegas who went through extreme trauma - physical or emotional - couldn’t conceive. Fertility during heats required a deep emotional bond between partners, and that sure as hell couldn’t happen in that horrific breeding house.

Later, much later, Izzy came to him with lab results. Through the combination of magic, potions, and drugs Iris managed to brainwash her victims into a state similar to heat and even imitated a bond between mated pairs, making sure that the omega’s body didn’t fight the unwanted pregnancy.

She had been kidnapping omegas for months. She had been renting them out like broodmares to alpha warlocks and demons, to create more warlocks. She had done all of this under his nose, in his city. Alec made a promise to himself, and to the rescued omegas and their unborn children, that he would find Iris Rouse and make her pay.

When Clary Fray entered their lives - along with her beta friend, Simon - she brought chaos with her to an extent that he really did not appreciate. She refused to play by the rules. She did whatever the hell she wanted and somehow seemed to pull everyone into her quest to find her mother.

Jace became enamored with her almost immediately, which only added insult to injury. Clary was an alpha, just like Jace, but that didn’t mean much. These days it didn’t matter what your secondary gender was, you could date whoever you wanted. Heck, even his parents were an alpha pair, which wasn’t something that would have happened forty or fifty years ago.

Clary didn’t know how to act around omegas. Alec very much enjoyed putting her in her place after the first time she tried to order and intimidate him, under the utterly foolish impression that he would yield to her.

Alec had never yielded to anyone but his mother in his entire life. Even the Clave officials have never seen a submission from him, only polite manners and professionalism that he used with everyone.

But then...then Clary led them to Magnus Bane.

All the silly romance movies Izzy had made him watch could not have prepared him for the lightning that struck when he saw Magnus clearly for the first time, after fighting those Circle members together.

He felt numb and buzzed with restless energy at the same time, as if he had an electric current pulsing underneath his skin. The apartment smelled of battle and blood and magic, but beneath that Alec could detect other, subtler scents. Something wild and primal that he couldn’t describe. It smelled like the air after a thunderstorm, like ozone and wet dirt. Like cedar and rosemary and woodsmoke, all wrapped up in one alluring package.

“I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,” Magnus said to him, and Alec forgot how to breathe. He could only stare at the most gorgeous man - an alpha - he had seen in his life. He barely managed to choke out his own name. He was torn between the desperate need to stay, to keep the warlock in his sight, and the need to run away and hide in the embarrassed of his own incoherent mumbling.

But of course, everything went to shit quickly when he screwed up during the summoning of the memory demon. Magnus tried to comfort him afterward, saying that he had nothing to be ashamed of. His voice was low and it sent a shiver down Alec’s spine. He could still remember the jolt of energy that jumped between their hands as they’d touched for the first time, just moments before. Alec could still feel it buzzing underneath his skin, like a phantom caress of invisible fingers. From the look Magnus was giving him, Alec was sure the alpha felt it too.

He agreed to go out on a date.

Alec still didn’t know what possessed him to say yes. Maybe it was the way Magnus trembled in his arms while Alec held him up and shared his strength as he healed Luke. Maybe it was the vulnerable look Magnus gave him afterward. Or maybe it was the fact that Magnus had seen him as an equal, someone worthy of asking for help.

Alec didn’t understand it. Never in his life had he felt this kind of attraction to anyone, ever. It was like some stupid, primal part of him woke up and reared its head every time Magnus appeared in his sights. Like the part that made him an omega suddenly longed for an alpha like it never did before.

He didn’t like it.

He wasn’t ashamed of being an omega, no matter how some people resented him for his secondary gender. But he didn’t like to feel as if he was missing something. He didn’t like to feel incomplete without an alpha to fill that empty space inside of him.

And yet, whenever he was near Magnus or heard his voice, his heart resonated with such intense longing that it made his breath catch.

So Alec did the only thing he knew he could do. He talked to his mother.

He didn’t tell her that it was a warlock who caused such a strong reaction in him. He wasn’t stupid, he knew what his mother thought of Downworlders. He told her about the conflicting feelings, about the sudden yearning he couldn’t explain. He wasn’t afraid of telling her that the alpha who made him feel that way was a man. Thankfully, the gender of your mate wasn’t an issue when you were an omega capable of carrying children either way.

“Oh, Alec,” Maryse sighed as she raised her hand and touched his cheek gently as they sat together on the couch in her office, “it sounds to me like you found your mate.”

And wasn’t that a terrifying prospect.

“Just like that? I don’t even know him. I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with him?”

Which wasn’t entirely true, Alec knew. There was no such thing as fated pairs, even though the romance flicks liked to overuse the trope. Each person had many possibilities of mates they could meet at any point in their lives. Furthermore, all relationships required work and patience, not just fate. Finding a possible mate did not mean that Alec had to tie himself to them indefinitely. People fall in and out of love all the time, and mating did not have to mean life-long commitment. Mating bonds could be broken and forged anew with different people at any given time.

“You’re not supposed to do anything but find out if he’s your match,” Maryse told him fiercely. “No one can force you to do anything you don’t want to do. This is your life, Alec, and only you can decide what makes you happy.”

And so he did.

They went on dates.

Alec was apprehensive at first. Magnus was an alpha warlock, and that always lit up a warning light in him due to the Iris Rouse case, which was still open. What could Magnus - beautiful, powerful Magnus - want with a plain, boring shadowhunter like himself? The fact that he was an omega had to play some important part in all of this. The fact that he could carry children for a warlock had to mean something.

And yet, during the dates they went on he couldn’t help but find himself falling more and more for Magnus. The alpha was a perfect gentleman, not pushing him any further than he was comfortable with, and always careful of not invading Alec’s personal space.

“I lived in times where an omega was considered property of an alpha,” Magnus told him one evening, “and I think it was one of the darkest parts of history. If I ever start acting like a caveman, feel free to shoot me full of arrows.”

It was a little over a month of dating - that no one except for Izzy and Jace knew about - that he kissed Magnus for the first time.

They were saying goodbye after a date night, which started at a Greek restaurant and ended with drinks at Magnus’ place. Magnus was just about to open a portal that would take Alec back to the Institute when Alec gently grasped his elbow, backed Magnus against a wall and kissed him. It was not fast and sudden. No, he had given Magnus enough time to stop him, but the warlock merely tilted his head up into the kiss.

It was Alec’s first kiss. It started out a little hesitantly, a little clumsily, and very much without finesse, but what he lacked in experience he made up in enthusiasm. His body was crowding Magnus’ against the wall, which the alpha didn’t mind much, at first. Then he pulled Alec close by circling his waist, bit gently at Alec’s lower lip and took over the kiss, dominating it completely and utterly. Alec all but melted against him and the empty, burning void inside of him started aching a little less.

Alec chose to spend his next heat in Alicante once more, not ready to share a heat with Magnus when they still had not even seen each other naked. It was rougher than usual, if only because his mind kept circling back to Magnus over and over again, making him more aroused than he was comfortable with. He was insanely grateful that heats spent in isolation lasted only two days.

He hoped that by the time his next heat came, in another six months, he would be ready to share it with Magnus.

“A warlock, Alec? Really?!”

His mother’s voice was loud and somewhat shrill, the disbelief ringing clear across every word. It grated on his nerves, made his hackles rise and buzz underneath his skin like an itch he could not scratch.

Lately, everything he did was met with some kind of disapproval, but he didn’t have time for this. Hodge had betrayed them. Jace was missing and still in Valentine’s grasp. And, while his parents played politics in Idris, trying to smooth things out with the Clave, Alec had been desperately trying to get his parabatai back.

Then, of course, things had to get worse. Maryse came back to New York two days prior and someone had already reported to her that Alec and Magnus had been dating for months. How they found out, Alec had no idea. Although, it was bound to be revealed sooner or later, especially since Alec did not intend to let Magnus go anytime soon.

“You know how alpha warlocks are,” Maryse hissed, venom dripping from her words, “they only want one thing from omegas like you! You can give them something they otherwise can’t have and I can’t believe you would fall for Bane’s deception. You’re going to drag the Lightwood name through the mud for him?”

“There isn’t a lot of good reputation to our name left, Mother, and that is your fault, not mine,” Alec spat out, trying to keep his anger reigned in, feeling it rise inside of him, wave after dangerous wave. “I don’t have the time for this. Jace is still gone, Aldertree is making our work more difficult than it should be, and I don’t have to justify myself to you.”

“I didn’t raise you to be some warlocks whore!” Maryse grabbed his shoulder when he turned around to leave and that was it, the fragile control he had over his own emotions snapped at the sound of her authoritative tone.

“ENOUGH!” Alec growled at her as he spun around and grabbed her by the wrist, yanking the offending hand away from his shoulder. She took an instinctive step back and, through the red haze of fury, Alec noticed how her eyes went wide, how a brief expression of fear flashed through her face. It brought him grim sense of satisfaction, knowing she didn’t expect his outburst. Alec wasn’t prone to anger often and never, ever, had he turned that anger on her.

Not until now.

“You once told me that no one has the right to tell me how to live my life,” Alec hissed, his tone low and husky, and with a hint of steel underneath his words. “That no one can tell me how to achieve my own happiness, or who I should tie myself to, as long as it was my choice. Well, this is my choice and you don’t get to have a say in it. I will not allow you to talk about Magnus that way. Not now, not ever. If he’s a mistake - which I highly doubt - he will be my mistake. You don’t have the right to interfere. You are my mother, but you’re not my alpha. Not anymore. Do I make myself clear?”

Alec watched her process this, her face turning more pale. When she didn’t reply, he squeezed her wrist a little more. She was probably going to have bruises. Alec would feel guilty about them later, but at this very point he could not bring himself to care.

“I said, is that clear?”

“Yes,” she finally said and he released her, but to her credit she didn’t move away, didn’t step back away from him. “Oh, Alec…”

She reached out to him, both hands raising to his face and he resisted the urge to flinch. He wasn’t sure what she was playing at, but he wasn’t about to yield to her. He wasn’t lying when he said she was not his alpha anymore. There was only one he would yield to now, and that was not his mother.

Maryse cradled his face between her hands, gently and cautiously, her eyes softening a little as she took in the hardened expression on his face. The narrowed eyes shining with suspicion, and anger boiling inside of him, ready to burn her. He was still and unmoving and towering over her, ready to snap at any further provocation. Alec was half-feral and in protective mode. And an angered or threatened omega was dangerous.

But he was still her son, and she was the one responsible for putting him in this state.

“Magnus is the one you told me about,” Maryse said, sudden understanding in her voice. She was running her thumbs soothingly down Alec’s sharp cheekbones, hoping that the familiar gesture would help calm him down. “Easy now, easy. I didn’t mean to make you so angry.” Her soft whispers eased some of the tension from Alec’s shoulders, just like they always did when she brought him down from the adrenaline rush that triggered feral episodes. “I’m so sorry, my sweet boy. I didn’t understand. I know now that he’s your mate.”

Alec closed his eyes and shivered, thinking about Magnus. His loving eyes and soothing scent and reverent touch. He had never put a label on their relationship, but his mother was not wrong. The intense, painful longing he felt whenever they were apart, the elation that filled him to the brim whenever he was near the older man, when he could breathe in his scent, touch his warm skin. It all sounded like an incomplete bond.

And Magnus...

Magnus was his mate.

Alec turned his head to nuzzle deeper into the pillow and desperately tried to forget about the disaster of an evening they’d just had. Max’s party had been a failure due to the spell that was cast over all of them. Because of Alec’s overwhelming guilt over Jocelyn's death, elevated by the spell, he’d nearly thrown himself over Magnus’ balcony. He didn’t do it, but it was close. The only thing that stopped him, seconds before it was too late, was the faint, barely-there scent he caught in Magnus’ apartment.

The memory of it was stuck in his head. His mind snapped out of the spell’s hold as soon as he caught trace of it. It was a scent he could never forget. A bizarre mix of tulips, ginger root, and dust. He would forever associate this scent with the stench of terror and pain and suffering.

He ran through the apartment trying to locate the source. His frantic behavior must have been enough to alarm the others. Magnus tried to get his attention, to calm him down, but it wasn’t working. Alec seemed to be focused only on his task, hell-bent on finding the threat and eliminating it.

How dare she? How could she come into this apartment, into their territory, and hide away like a coward? Just the faintest trace of her scent was enough to make Alec’s hackles rise and his skin crawl. This time she was not going to get away from him.

He found her in Magnus’ bedroom, disguised in the form of a cat. Alec rushed at her, but she shifted into human form just in time to cast a spell that pushed him back.

Iris Rouse.

What happened afterward, Alec wasn’t sure. He couldn’t remember most of it. He’d been immobilized with magic for half of the fight and then blinded with rage for the rest of it. He knew that Magnus fought Iris and trapped her in his own spell. He knew that Jace had to hold Alec down to keep him away from tearing into Iris with his bare hands. He would have. He would have choked the life out of her there on the spot if he only had a chance. But now she was in Idris, awaiting the Clave’s judgment.

And he was here, in Magnus’ bed hiding his face in a soft pillow, trying to muffle the world around him. He wasn’t running high on adrenaline anymore, but his body hadn’t gotten the memo. Every muscle in his body was tense and he was ready to fight, even though his brain already knew there was nothing more to be done.

He didn’t flinch when he felt the bed dip next to him. Then Magnus was there, lying down next to Alec, his arm coming around Alec’s shoulders to hold him close.

“She’s gone, Alec. You can rest now.”

Alec made a wounded, angry sound and abandoned his pillow, choosing to hide his face away in the crook of Magnus’ neck instead. The warlock’s scent there was strong, easing his mind a little, filling his lungs as he took in shaky breaths.

“The things she did to those omegas,” Alec rasped out, trying desperately not to think back to the horrors of Iris’ experiments and failing. Every time he closed his eyes he could see Iris’ victims. He couldn’t stop his mind from going in circles and wondering what stroke of luck had spared him from the same fate, from being bound and broken and violated in a way you couldn’t ever recover from, not really. As a male omega, he would have been an attractive target for Iris, if she only knew of his existence. “I could have killed her. I will kill her if I ever see her again.”

“She’s going to pay for what she’s done,” Magnus whispered as he ran his fingers through Alec’s black hair in an attempt to calm him down. Alec’s scent filled the air between them. It was sour, unhappy, and that put Magnus on edge as well. “And you are the one who figured out she was here in the first place. You caught an intruder in my lair.” Magnus paused for a moment. “In our lair. You did good, love.”

Their lair. That sounded… nice. A space that they could share as one territory, theirs to protect. To nest in. It was something that usually only happened between mated pairs and Alec couldn’t help the warm, happy feeling that bloomed deep in his chest.

They took their relationship to the next level not long after that since Alec didn’t want his first time to happen in the middle of his heat. He didn’t want the rush of hormones and haze of lust to cloud the experience.

And oh, it was definitely an experience. Alec grew up thinking he would always be alone since he never showed interest in any alpha, but this? This was something else. Magnus worshipped his body, taught him the wonders of shared intimacy that were just on the razor edge of being overwhelming.

Alec let himself fall, knowing that Magnus would be there to catch him.

“Your mother and I always had a complicated relationship.”

Alec snorted in disbelief, not lifting his eye from the tablet in his hand as he scanned over the latest report from the previous night’s patrol. The group had not encountered anything out of the ordinary, which gave Alec hope that things might finally be leveling out, even just a little bit. Valentine was in custody and most of his followers were scattered. The Clave had acknowledged his leadership in the battle, thankfully disregarding Alec's rebellion against Aldertree.

Everything led up to this moment. Discovering Izzy’s addiction. Taking back control of the Institute. The battle. Confronting Valentine and his shadowhunters. And now the Clave had named him Head of the Institute. This was what he had been aiming for ever since he was a child.

“It’s not complicated.” Alec put down the tablet after signing off on the report, sending it to be archived. He finally looked up at his father, sitting on one of the sofas in his office. His office. It still blew his mind. “You cheated on her.”

“I made a mistake,” Robert said, looking down for a moment before shifting his gaze to Alec once more. “I never meant to hurt you, any of you. But I fell in love. You of all people should know what that’s like.”

“Magnus isn’t an affair!” Alec growled, slamming an open palm down on the desk, the sudden loud thump making Robert twitch in response. “I won’t allow you to disrespect him. He is my mate. And mom was yours. Until you decided to throw it all away.”

They were silent for a minute. Alec closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying to control his feelings. Ever since realizing what Magnus meant to him, his emotions were all over the place. Logically, he knew it was a period of adjustment that he needed to get through. The fierce protectiveness over his mate would ease away in time, but until then he was ready to go to war for Magnus, even against his own father.

“I can understand falling for someone else,” Alec finally said. “People fall in and out of love all the time. That’s just how life is. You don’t have to stay with your mate for the rest of your days.” He looked at his father and saw the tiniest flicker of hope in his eyes, a hope for reconciliation.

He was about to crush that hope, hard, and didn’t feel any remorse.

“But going behind Mom’s back, continuing your affair? That’s what I can’t forgive. You should have ended things with Mom before you started seeing someone else. But now you’re not being truthful to either of them. You’re just another alpha being led around by his knot.”

“Alec!” Robert’s expression turned angry and he stood up from his seat, his entire body one tense line. “I won’t allow you to talk to me like that!”

“Why?” Alec asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because I am an omega? So is your mistress, remember?”

“Because you’re my son! You will show me some respect.”

“Respect is earned, Dad.” Alec hissed, narrowing his eyes. He remained seated behind his desk, anger churning inside of him freely, but it was the icy-cold kind of fury that washed over him with a false sense of tranquility. He did not need to shout or get angry to get his point across. “It’s also as easily lost, and you lost all respect I had for you when you chose to hurt your family. Mom was your mate for over twenty years - she deserved more than being cheated on and made into the new hot gossip of Idris.”

“Alec, you don’t have the right to--”

“I have every right,” Alec interrupted him, his voice low and dangerous. Robert’s eyes widened when he realized that he was stepping on thin ice now. “Out of the two of you, it was Mom who was my alpha. It was never you. She was my alpha and you broke her heart.”

Alec had hurt people for less.

“Unless it’s official business, we have nothing more to talk about.” Alec picked up his previously discarded tablet and turned it on. “Not until you fix your own mess. Now, I have the Institute to run. I trust you can let yourself out.”

“Alec…” Robert’s voice was quiet and defeated now, but Alec wasn’t looking at him any more.

“You can go,” Alec said and sighed with relief when Robert left his office without a word.

“Are you nervous?”

Magnus’ breath washed over the heated skin of his forehead and Alec closed his eyes as he shivered, half in anticipation and half in fear.

“Yes,” he finally admitted, his voice shaky, “I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”

Which wasn’t entirely true. Alec had academic knowledge of how heats should go, he wasn’t going into it blind. He knew that his heat would last from two to four days, during which his temperature would spike and, if a compatible alpha was near, he would experience a heightened state of arousal. Not enough to make his crazy with it (no matter how online porn liked to pretend that omegas in heat turned into knot-obsessed slaves that alphas could do anything with) but enough to make things very uncomfortable if he didn’t have sex. His pheromones would, in turn, trigger an alpha into a rut so that they could go through their heats together.

It all sounded very… clinical. Alec wasn’t sure how he felt about the aspects of his biology that only happened during heats. He wasn’t looking forward to experiencing the feeling of producing his own slick or having Magnus knot him - something he was pretty sure was going to hurt, at least at first.

He tried to approach it like a battle for which he could plan ahead. He scheduled himself a week off work, just in case this first heat went for longer than usual, which wasn’t uncommon. He left his siblings in charge and threatened them with bodily harm if they disturbed them for any reason, save for the apocalypse dropping on their heads or Raziel himself demanding his attention.

He also made sure his contraceptive shot was still active since he had no intention of having a child anytime soon. Alec had been wary of admitting this to Magnus, but the warlock only smiled, told Alec that it was his decision and he had all the time in the world to wait and see if he changed his mind one day.

So, all in all, Alec felt like he was ready.

Despite all this knowledge, despite all the facts he had researched and learned about, nothing could have prepared him for actually feeling the effects of the heat. The hot rush of pure want that filled him as they laid on the bed together touching and kissing, the need building up like an inferno, making Alec’s skin feel like it was on fire. The fabric of his clothes seemed like a branding iron, scalding and hurting, and he whined in the back of his throat at the uncomfortable feeling.

“You don’t need to be scared,” Magnus said, kissing Alec in between sentences. Pressing small, brief kisses over his lips, the bridge of his nose, his closed eyelids. “I’ll take care of you.”

“I know,” Alec panted, squirming a little until he could reach to strip off his shirt and then yanked Magnus’ own tunic off his body, relishing in the way cool air hit his overheated skin, “I trust you.”

That was what this was. For over a decade, he'd spent his heats alone, in isolation from the outside world. Now he had finally found someone who he trusted with his life, with his body. Someone who would stay with him when he was the most vulnerable.

“Magnus,” Alec whispered as the warlock shifted them around until Alec ended up on his back, Magnus nestled in between his legs. They were both hard. Alec shivered.

“How do you feel?” Magnus asked, pressing their foreheads together. One of his hands settled over Alec’s sternum, feeling his heart beating wildly inside of his chest like a bird caught in a cage.

“Hot,” Alec panted. “Too hot. Is it… is it always like this?”

“Yes, but it will get better. It’s just the first rush. It will ease soon.” Magnus kissed him again slowly, possessively, owning Alec’s mouth and Alec surrendered with the sweetest sigh.

“Can you feel it?” Alec asked after a moment, gripping onto Magnus’ hair with trembling fingers as the warlock mouthed at his neck, covering it in his marks. “The bond?”

Magnus made an affirmative noise and Alec closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling. The beginning of a bond thrumming between them. He had felt it for the last couple of months, but it would only be complete with a shared heat. Alec was more than ready to take the leap, to tie himself to this wonderful, brilliant man who turned out to be his shining star, his beacon towards which he had been gravitating his entire life.

Alec allowed himself to fall apart, trusting Magnus to put him back together. To gather all his broken pieces and make him whole again, until Alec felt brand new and loved and complete.

[savemeafruitjuice]

Tickletober Day 3- Prank

Not really sure what to put here.. Oh yeah, this is my first time writing for Mutant Mayhem/Tales, so sorry if I don't end up capturing the characters perfectly.

Lee: Leo

Ler: Mikey

TW!: ANXIETY ATTACK, FAKING AN INJURY! (Everything here is very mildly described, and I didn't put many details, so it shouldn't be very disturbing. Also, this only has depiction of my experience with anxiety attacks, so please tell me if there's anything inaccurate, so I can fix it.)

No spoilers for this, so it should be all good for anyone who hasn't seen the show.

Closest thing I could get to a gif of those two

"Leo! Somebody, help!"

The leader of the group ran into the living room-area, practically leaping over a chair in the middle of the floor to see his baby brother hunched over on the ground. "Mikey! Mikey, what's wrong?"

Mikey let out a groan of pain, clutching his knee tightly. When his sibling came to see what was wrong, he pouted, showing him his leg that.. didn't really seem to have anything wrong with it? "What happened? Did you fall?"

"I don't know! My knee just really hurts!"

The elder removed his brother's kneepad, only to see a large smiley face drawn on, surrounded by lots of little hearts. The orange turtle began giggling.

Leo paused, eyes skimming over his face, and then back to the knee. "Wait.. Was that just a joke?" The younger burst into laughter, grabbing onto his brother's arm and giggling. That is, until he noticed something was wrong.

The katana-user had a crooked smile on, but his eyes still looked as panicked as they had when he had first came into the room. "Leo..? You alright?"

The elder nodded, smile widening as if to convince them both of his being okay. "Y-Yeah! I'm fine, just.." he went to stand up, hands shakier than usual. "Don't do that ag-ain. You scared me."

Mikey's face fell. 'Okay, nope. Joke over.'

He stood up as well, helping Leo to the couch. Mikey hugged his brother, who paused, before wrapping his arms around the other. (I rhymed?) Mikey squeezed tightly around him, as the blue-themed's eyes were beginning to prick with tears. "Hey, it's okay. I'm alright, you don't have to worry."

"Just follow my breathing."

It took a couple minutes, but Leo had finally calmed down, though he didn't let go of Mikey just yet. "Are you okay?"

Leo nodded, squeezing his little brother a bit. "I'm o-okay. Just got freaked out.." Mikey sighed. He felt really bad about giving his brother an attack. "Is there anything I can do to help?.."

Leo shrugged, closing his eyes. "I'm kind of hungry.." Mikey paused for a moment. "I think we have some tacos from last night. You want those?" Leo nodded again, and the two made their way to the kitchen, the younger helping his brother to a chair while he went to heat up a taco.

"Sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to." Upon receiving the food, Leo gave a small smile. "I know. I forgive you, Mike." There was a beat of awkward silence, but it was quickly broken up by a groan. "Eugh, why are there so many onions in this thing?"

Mikey giggled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ihi don't know, Raph reheally likes onions." The other scoffed. "Yeah, but did he have to cram it full of them, and then not eat it? Seriously."

"Didn't he eat like, five, or something?" They both laughed, and Leo picked out a couple pieces of the vegetable. "Yeheah, I think he did."

All of a sudden, there was a quiet slap, and Mikey turned around in mild shock.

"Did you just throw one at me-?!"

Leo gave him an innocent look. "Uhm, no? Literally why would I do that?" The nunchuck-user picked up the onion from the ground and chucked it right back at his brother's head. "Because you're an onion throwing weirdo!"

"I told you, it wasn't me!"

Smack.

"..Okay thAT IS IT! C'MERE!" Mikey charged at the other, who only yelped and threw more onions in his defense. The chair screeched beneath Leo as it scraped on the floor, almost sending him flying right off, only to make a very similar noise to his seat when hands were shoved under his arms.

"EEHEEK! MIHIKEY! Whahat the heheheck-" The taco dropped from his hand and onto his plate. Mikey only giggled. "This is what you deserve! I can't believe you would do something so gross to- HEY! Do not touch me with your nasty hand! You smell like onions!" The elder's hand was slapped away, but he kept trying to wipe it on his brother's arm, throwing his head back and cackling when a hand went to his side instead.

"Thehehen stOHOP- STOHOHOP TIHIHICKLING MEHEHE!"

Leo squirmed violently, jolting to the side as he tried to pry the other's hands off, only to have it snatched up into the air. "I said stop wiping your hand on me! Now you've gotta deal with no hand!"

Leo snorted, too weakened by the tickling to yank his arm back down, though his free one continued to fight with the one at his side. The orange-themed turtle raked his nails down the entire bridge of his brother's shell, then did it again and again. Leo just about screamed, arching away from the fingers, and hitting into the other.

"NAHAHAH! SNRT- AHAAAH! TOHOO MUCH, PLEHEEASE!"

Mikey grinned, glad to see his brother cheered up. He stopped tickling, taking a half-step backwards before letting go of his arm. "Alright, fiine. I think you learned your lesson." He walked back over to the kitchen and grabbed a napkin from the drawer.

"Just wipe your hand."

-----

Broo the first half of this was a struggle. I think I like the way it turner out though, so that's good.

[terabitweb]

Original Post from Security Affairs Author: Pierluigi Paganini

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued a security advisory to warn organizations of DNS hijacking attacks and provided recommendations this type of attack.

In response to the numerous DNS hijacking attacks the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued an alert to warn organizations of this type of attack.

“In January 2019 the NCSC published an alert to highlight a large-scale global campaign to hijack Domain Name Systems (DNS).” reads the security advisory.

“Since that alert was published we have observed further activity, with victims of DNS hijacking identified across multiple regions and sectors. This Advisory covers some of the risks for organisations around DNS hijacking activity and gives advice on ways the risks can be mitigated.”

DNS hijacking is the practice of subverting the resolution of Domain Name System (DNS) queries to carry out several malicious activities. It can be achieved using a malicious code that modifies the computer’s TCP/IP configuration to point at a rogue DNS server under the control of an attacker, or through modifying the behaviour of a trusted DNS server so that it does not comply with internet standards.

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the service responsible for pointing the web browser to the right IP address when we navigate to a web domain.

According to a report recently published by Avast, for nearly a year, Brazilian users have been targeted with router attacks. In the first half of 2019, hackers have modified the DNS settings of over 180,000 Brazilian routers with even more complex attacks.

This year, security experts at Avast have blocked more than 4.6 million cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attempts carried out by crooks to modify DNS settings of targeted routers.

Recently, experts at Cisco Talos published a detailed analysis of the DNS hijacking campaign conducted by Sea Turtle threat actor for espionage purposes.

UK’s NCSC explains the variety of motivations and objectives behind DNS hijacking attacks ranging from taking down or defacing a website, to intercepting data.

The main risks enumerated in the report are:

Creating malicious DNS records;

Obtaining SSL certificates;

Transparent Proxying for traffic interception;

To prevent phishing attacks, NCSC recommends using unique, strong passwords, and enabling multi-factor authentication when the option is available.

To prevent registrar accounts from being compromised using familiar Account Take Over (ATO) techniques (i.e. Phishing, Credential stuffing, Social engineering) the agency suggests regularly checking the details linked to the account. It is important that they are up to date and point to the organization rather than an individual.

Restricting access to these accounts only to personnel charged with the management of the registrar accounts.

“Registry and Registrar Lock – many registries offer a “registrar lock” service. This lock prevents the domain being transferred to a new owner, without the lock being removed.” continues the report. “A “registry lock” (which sometimes involves a fee) is considered an additional level of protection whereby changes cannot be made until additional authentication has taken place which usually involves a call to the owner.”

In case an organization runs its own DNS infrastructure, the NCSC recommends implementing access and change control systems that can provide backup and restore function for DNS records. It also recommends enforcing strict access to the systems hosting DNS services.

NCSC also recommends implementing SSL monitoring and Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) specifications.

Early 2019, DHS issued a notice of a CISA emergency directive urging federal agencies of improving the security of government-managed domains (i.e. .gov) to prevent DNS hijacking attacks.

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try { window._mNHandle.queue.push(function () { window._mNDetails.loadTag("762221962", "300x250", "762221962"); }); } catch (error) {}

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – DNS hijacking, hacking)

The post NCSC report warns of DNS Hijacking Attacks appeared first on Security Affairs.

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Go to Source Author: Pierluigi Paganini NCSC report warns of DNS Hijacking Attacks Original Post from Security Affairs Author: Pierluigi Paganini The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued a security advisory to warn organizations of DNS hijacking attacks and provided recommendations this type of attack.

[bluecube92]

My Anime List *UPDATED*

Anime I have watched:

Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens Cardcaptor Sakura Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Medabots Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt Astro Boy (2003) Transformers Cybertron Seven of Seven Powerpuff Girls Z Case Closed (Detective Conan) Saru Get You On Air (Ape Escape anime) Megaman NT Warrior Viewtiful Joe Spider Riders Kirby: Right Back At Ya! Lucky Star Digimon Monster Rancher Nichijou Tama and Friends Hamtaro Revolutionary Girl Utena Sherlock Hound Montana Jones Samurai Pizza Cats Serial Experiments Lain Azumanga Daioh Slayers Paranoia Agent Kaitou Saint Tail Dinosaur King The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya The World of Narue Magic User’s Club Phi Brain Puzzle of God Dennou Coil Mawaru Penguindrum Nanana’s Buried Treasure Tiger and Bunny Yuri Kuma Arashi Mutant Turtles: Choujin Densetsu-Hen (TMNT OVA) Descendants of Darkness Alien Nine Ninja Nonsense Samurai Deeper Kyo FLCL The Irresponsible Captain Tylor Princess Tutu No Game No Life His and Her Circumstances Lupin the III Part One Kanon (2006) Pretear Kino's Journey (2003) Samurai Champloo Golion Ghost Hound Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Little Witch Academia (TV) Cowboy Bebop Kino's Journey (2017) Steins;Gate Monster Strike Ghost in the Shell: Arise Robotics;Notes Martian Successor Nadesico Grimoire of Zero Eden of the East FLCL: Progressive FLCL: Alternative Steins;Gate 0 Ergo Proxy Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day Erased Chaos;Head SSSS.Gridman Michiko and Hatchin Emma: A Victorian Romance Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. Occulitc;Nine Chaos;Child Terror in Resonance Heroman Sarazanmai Blood Blockade Battlefront Shingu Secret of the Stellar Wars Star Driver The Reflection The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan Samurai 7 Fruits Basket (2001) Ouran High School Host Club Beastars Neon Genesis Evangelion Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 BNA: Brand New Animal My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Polar Bear's Cafe Blood+ Carole and Tuesday Fruits Basket (2019) Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Allison and Lillia Noein Appleseed XIII Puella Magi Madoka Magica Figure 17 Cyborg 009 vs Devilman Freedom Project Kill la Kill The Way of the Househusband SSSS.Dynazenon The World Ends With You Odd Taxi S-Cry-Ed Devilman Crybaby Eden The Vision of Escaflowne Death Parade Phoenix Godzilla Singular Point Super Crooks Akudama Drive Durarara!! K-ON! Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story The Orbital Children Stellvia Dirty Pair Trigun Black Butler SK8 The Infinity Shaman King (2001) Cyber City Oedo 808 Spy x Family Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle The Prince of Tennis Trigun Stampede xxxHolic Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Darker than Black Planetes Shaman King (2021) given High-Rise Invasion Spice and Wolf Code Geass Gunbuster Chobits Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts RG Veda Boogiepop and Others Boogiepop Phantom Time of Eve Pluto Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok Mushishi

Planning to watch next year: Beastars season 3 Fate/Stay Night Monster

[fmservers]

Gift Guide: So your [friend, partner, kid, parent] wants to be a Twitch streamer…

Though many people still scratch their head at the idea of watching people play video games, Twitch and its content creators have proven that the platform is attractive (even beloved) to tens of millions of people.

Got a friend or loved one who believes they have the skill, personality and wide open schedule to be successful on Twitch? The right gift might get the ball rolling.

(Note: It should go without saying that there is one piece of gear that a Twitch streamer truly needs, and that’s a computer or console to play the game on. Generally, this will either be a gaming PC, a Playstation 4, or an Xbox One. Chances are if someone wants to stream games, they’ve already got a platform of choice, so we’re not going to go into detail on what type of PC or console to buy.)

Microphones

The best place to start when investing in a streaming set up is the mic. Yes, webcams are important (and we’ll get to that) but it’s really taxing to listen to poor audio for any lengthy amount of time, and most gaming headphones just won’t cut it.

Our top choice for a reasonably priced, high quality mic is the Blue Yeti Pro ($250). It’s a relatively simple plug-and-play product that sounds great. It supports both USB and XLR, giving users plenty of flexibility if they want to use it for multiple purposes (like, say, podcasting) or across various audio interfaces.

It’s not cheap — the Blue Yeti Pro costs $250 on Amazon — so folks looking for a less flexible mic that will simply work with a PC or console, the stepped-down Blue Mics Yeti ($130) should get the job done.

Webcams

While the point of streaming is arguably to watch the game, and not the gamer, there is something special about seeing someone’s reactions to the game or to the Twitch chat on a stream.

General consensus among the community points to the Logitech C922 HD Pro Stream ($99). It captures 1080p/30fps or 720p/60fps video and offers a 78-degree field of view, with particularly good low-light capabilities and solid autofocus. Oddly, streaming under the blue light of the monitor in complete darkness is pretty common, and this webcam can handle just that. As a bonus, the C922 offers background replacement, letting users green screen out everything behind the streamer to show even more of the game. The lower-cost alternative is the Logitech HD Pro C920 ($79), which doesn’t offer background replacement or some other bonus features like 720p/60fps capture, or autofocus.

The C922 also comes with a three-month free trial of XSplit (broadcasting software that will likely be necessary for PC gamers/streamers, but is less necessary for console streamers.)

Monitors

Most people think of a couch and a TV when they think of playing video games, but that is most certainly not ideal for a streamer. For one, where does the webcam go? Secondly, your vision just isn’t as good from 10 feet away on a 40-inch+ screen. Many pros tend to use a 24- to 27-inch monitor roughly two feet away from the face — so sitting at a desk is often preferred.

Super high-performance gaming monitors are very expensive, and there are very real trade-offs each time the price comes down. But the ASUS VG245H ($190) is a solid contender at a reasonable price point, managing to pack a punch where it counts.

The 24-inch monitor comes with a TN type panel (which can wash out colors more than ISP) but has a 144Hz refresh rate at a 1920×1080 resolution. At $190 on Amazon, this monitor is a bargain.

Beyond strictly streaming equipment, there are plenty of gadgets that can take a skilled gamer to the next level. Here are a few suggestions:

Inputs

A gamer that dominates the competition with entry-level inputs (be it a mouse or controller) will absolutely crush it with a gaming-specific mouse or controller.

There are many schools of thought when it comes to PC gaming mice — some think customization is king, while others are drawn to RGB lighting or wireless functionality. At the end of the day, personal preference plays a huge role. For folks switching over from a standard mouse, the best option might be the Finalmouse Ultralight Pro ($70).

It acts and feels like a standard mouse, but happens to be just 67 grams, with the Pixart pmw3360 eSports sensor, integrated illumination, enhanced tracking and a higher framerate. And as a bonus, this is the same mouse that streaming star Ninja uses. If it’s good enough for him, it’s probably good enough for your dear recipient.

For console gamers, there is a clear favorite if you’re looking to upgrade beyond the standard Xbox or Playstation controller. Scuf Gaming controllers (starting at $150) allow players to use paddles on the underside of the controller. This means that gamers can use their middle and ring fingers instead of multitasking with their thumbs, meaning their thumbs never leave the joysticks.

Headset

Switching from standard headphones to high-quality gaming headphones feels like cheating. Suddenly, you can hear everything around you. I’ve personally played with a wide variety of headphones, and my favorite by a mile is the Astro A50 wireless headset with base station ($300). Tech specs aside, these are some of the most comfortable headphones out there, perfect for those hours-long streaming sessions.

For folks looking for something more affordable, Turtle Beach also has a nice selection of wireless headphones including the Stealth 700 ($150).

Smaller Stuff

Once they’re streaming, then what? The best thing you can do for your new favorite streamer is interact with their new channel. Subscribe. Watch the broadcast and chat in the stream. And if you have a little extra cash to spare, gift subs to the channel so folks who show up and want to subscribe have no barrier to entry when they get there.

Via Jordan Crook https://techcrunch.com

[gummydesigndiscovery-blog]

My Mastery Journal Reflection: MDM570 Organizational Structure

During month six of my MFA, Media Design degree program, I learn how to organize, process, and evaluate information obtained from my previous class, Design Research, and applied my research to dynamic media. This month was full of wonder, excitement, and frustration. I learned how to create dynamic media through the Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro applications. I have always had an interest in editing film and animating my designs. My three takeaways from this course are: Dynamic media is more appealing to consumers, mood boards are crucial for a multimedia platform, and sound is an important element in branding.

My first takeaway is dynamic media is more appealing to consumers than static media. Motion graphics and static graphics have the same goal of communicating a client’s message. The difference between the two is motion graphics is appealing to the viewer’s eyes because the media incorporates illustration animation, narration, music, and sound design. We can find dynamic media used in infographic animation, movie title sequences, user interface design, etc. According to Infographics: The power of visual storytelling, “dynamic media has the ability to appeal to a viewer emotionally through music while also information through voiceover and imagery in motion provides an opportunity to communicate a brand’s message in a powerful way” (Crooks, Lankow, & Ritchie, 2012). Dynamic media is a useful marketing tool for consumers in our current society of instant gratification.

My second takeaway is mood boards are critical for a multimedia platform. Creative Bloq Staff (2013) explains some reasons why mood boards are worth designers time because mood boards are fluid, establish the basics, makes collaboration easier, helps responsive design, and they are time-savers (Creative Bloq Staff, 2013). Last month, I was assigned to create a mood board for the Rebellious Turtle concert and was required to refer to the board, when designing my website for the concert. This month I was adding to the Rebellious Turtle concert’s campaign by providing my client dynamic media pieces. The mood board helped me unify my project with a consistent brand message and attributes. I was able to refer to the board to pull imagery, typefaces, color, and mood from the brand.

My third takeaway is sound is an important element in branding. I will admit I never paid much attention to sound design as a consumer. However, sound is a good opportunity for companies to reinforce their brand by using sound. According to Noel Franus, “it is an opportunity to link brands and benefits through the intentional use of music, sound, voice and silence” (Franus, 2007). For example, the famous startup sound for AOL. It has been over two decades since I used AOL, but when I hear the tune I remember it like I used the system just only yesterday. The two approaches to building an audio identity is promotional audio branding and actionable audio branding. The methods use sound to become an identifier and to affect the consumers’ emotions. Sound can connect consumers to different emotions and memories based on melodies and lyrics. This is an excellent way for businesses to relate sound to their brand’s mood.

After finishing this course, I am eager to learn more about motion graphics and video editing. I believe making motion graphics will bring more excitement into my designs. My first step will continue my learning with Lynda.com and YouTube tutorials. My second step will create a short infographic film about my journey receiving my degree with Full Sail.

I referenced back to the mood board I created last month to maintain consistency with my web comps and dynamic media.

My logo exploration helped me identify a concept that expressed the brand attributes of the concert and the theme of punk rock music.

For my motion graphic, I wanted to create a hand drawn illusion, as if, someone spray painted the Rebellious Turtle Concert’s logo on the screen. The parts of the logo appear smoothly, as if, they are being created on screen. This motion style highlights my handmade brand attribute for the charity concert. Once the symbol is assembled, the logo seems as if it’s being hacked. The logo is distorted by static introducing the name of the show. The distortion reinforces a counter-culture of an illegal rebellious lifestyle highlighting my rebellious brand attribute of chaos.

For my 30-second promo reel, I wanted to create a narrative of Rebellious Turtle concert. I wanted to showcase who will be performing, what is their cause, and the genre of music playing. The promo represents the brand’s attributes with imagery, color, tone, typefaces, and message.

Reference:

Creative Bloq Staff, (2013, April 12). 7 Reasons why mood boards are worth the extra time. Retrieved from http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/7-reasons-why-mood-boards-are-worth-extra-time-4132367

Crooks, R., Lankow, J., &Ritchie, J. (2012). Infographics: The power of visual storytelling. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/illustration-and-graphics/9781118421598

Franus, N. (2007, April 26). Building brand value through the strategic use of sound. Retrieved from http://www.aiga.org/building-brand-value-through-sound/