#A Friendly Desert Community

[5000chickens]

A love letter to WTNV

welcome to night vale my absolute beloved <3 I discovered it in the pandemic and I'd listen to it for hours on end as I took my dog on walks up and down the driveway and worked on art homework. As the next few years went back to semi-normal, though, I dropped it, not fully, but I'd only listen to an episode or two a month, at most. Then, I got into college (300 miles away from home), and I picked it up again, and it was something to dive into when I felt overwhelmed. Now, I'm getting ready to graduate with my B.A. and I'll be moving 2,000 miles away from home for my M.A. And, you guessed it, I'm back to listening to wtnv for hours at a time :3

[wunderflammer]

It's a simple formula:

- I listen to an episode of Welcome to Night Vale every day while I get ready for work.

- I get too close to the newest episode.

- I stop listening to Welcome to Night Vale to "save up episodes for later."

- Months go by.

- I return to Welcome to Night Vale, beginning at a much earlier episode/story arc.

- I am flooded with dopamine and nostalgia.

- I listen to an episode of Welcome to Night Vale every day while I get ready for work.

- Repeat ad infinitum.

[prettydamnneat]

I love how depictions of me vary so wildly between artist to artist, I absolutely live seeing the creativity everyone has.

If I could still shapeshift it would be great inspiration for new things to try, the same form gets very boring after a while. But only in headspace :(

I actually remember someone asking me once why I didn’t have just one appearance, and you know I didn’t think about it too much but I guess at first glance it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But I mean when you think about a voice can come from anyone right? I was the voice of Nightvale after all, not the body/lh

I mean of course I did have a “base” form that I guess was what I “really looked like” but I mean I never used it.

[birdcatt]

doodles of these 2 lads

[esperanzawave]

we all know that mcdonalds has the superior straw, it's just facts, but did you know that the compostable straw reigns supreme? It not only saves the environment and is a nice green tint, but is also more chew resistant and doesn't split or get a hole in it after being chaotic with the lid. I have stress tested these straws every day for a whole year and let me tell you, not a single one has let me down. And I chew tf outta my straws.

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

So I'm putting together an In Defence of Cassie PowerPoint for a PowerPoint night with friends. Do you have any arguments for or against her? I trust your opinion and am curious.

Let's see.

"She's too powerful, too unique, too far-seeing, and not good enough for Jake! What a Mary Sue!"

Counterpoint: May I introduce you to the reigning champion fan favorite, Sad White Boy Tobias?

Only nothlit ever to regain the ability to morph

Only known human-andalite hybrid ever to exist

Regarded as savior by entire hork-bajir species

Entire existence is a time paradox the war hinges upon

Pulls the canonically "most beautiful girl in our grade", who turns down 6 or 7 other offers in favor of Bird Boy

Correctly predicted planetary ecology 65 million years in advance

Believed to be immune to 2-hour limit

In conclusion: y'all wouldn't be crying "Mary Sue" if Cassie was a sad white boy, and I can prove it.

"She's too weak and hand-wringing, and she never helps the war effort!"

Counterpoint: First of all, the fact that the same people say this in the same breath as "she's too powerful" is... telling. Secondly:

She saved the entire team's lives in #24, in #29, in #44, and in MM1, among others.

Specifically calling out #44 — that ending shows she is willing and able to be ruthless when her friends are in need. She doesn't like slaughtering human-controllers, but if the alternative is everyone she loves dying, then she'll fucking well do it.

Much like Jake (see: Sad White Boy), she's more willing to risk herself than her friends, hence the end of MM1

Her medical knowledge saves Marco from rabies, Ax from brain!appendicitis, and Tobias from bird flu.

Her survivalist knowledge saves everyone in #25 (the Arctic), MM2 (Cretaceous Era), #11 (rainforest), and #14 (desert).

In conclusion: Cassie's only idealistic-looking by the standards of this extremely morally gray team.

"She's so unfair to Jake!"

Counterpoint: Jake? The Jake who refused to speak with her for weeks? Jake who proposes marriage while they're still broken up? Jake who announces he'll never trust Cassie again because she [checks notes] saved his brother's life? That Jake?

Also:

She gives him tons of emotional support in #16, #21, #47, and other times he's feeling low.

They have a healthy argument where they air differences and come to an understanding in #9.

Did I mention he doesn't just dump her but ghosts her in the middle of the war's endgame?

They're teenagers. Their relationship isn't perfect, but it is built on open communication and mutual respect which is more than Rachel and Tobias can say

She's fighting a war, and PTSD for that matter. No, she doesn't have infinite emotional bandwidth.

In conclusion: Their relationship is fine, their breakup is mutual, and her behavior only looks bad if, once again, you're holding Cassie to a different standard than you are Jake.

"She shouldn't have trusted Aftran!"

Counterpoint: friendly reminder that the alternative was killing a 6-year-old for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If that's what you think Cassie should've done, that tells us more about you than about her.

"She spends too much time moralizing!"

Counterpoint: this is a book series about war, not a friggin' video game. If you want moral pornography, go play Call of Duty. If you want sci fi realism, then you're going to have to accept that a majority of humans prefer not to kill their fellow humans if at all possible.

"She's a ripoff of [insert character here]!"

Counterpoint: literally every single one of these says more about the commenter than about the source work. "Every dystopia is set in the U.S." is the kind of thing only people who only read books by American authors would think. "All epic fantasy is Eurocentric" => tell me you only read books by white people without telling me. I'm glad you think Cassie is too similar to Willow Rosenberg, but there are at least 6 other stories in the known world, and I hear some of them even feature sweet/dorky/caring characters who are secretly ultra-powerful.

In conclusion: You don't have to like Cassie as a (fictional) person, but 85% of criticisms directed at her are bad-faith attacks on one of the 1990s' only fat Black female gnc ultra-powerful superheroes.

[dixons-sunshine]

Hazelnut | Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Summary: Daryl didn’t know exactly what he expected when his group settled into Alexandria—maybe some snobby, incompetent inhabitants who couldn’t stand their ground if something were to happen or people who would turn on him and his group at any given moment, but definitely not a little girl who basically attached herself to his hip. And he definitely didn’t expect to find himself drawn to the mother of that little girl.

Genre: Fluff, angst but not a lot.

Era: Alexandria, pre Saviour war. (Timeline is kinda wonky. Saviours kinda don’t exist in this? I don’t really know.)

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of death, child abandonment, mental abuse, mentions of drugs and alcohol, single parenthood, sexual content but not smut.

Word count: 8.1k.

A/n: This was such a cute idea that @louifaith had! I tried my best, but it honestly sucks. I’m not really happy with how this turned out, but I hope you like it! Also, definitely go check out @celtic-crossbow’s version! Pure perfection, honestly.

“You have to lighten up, Daryl. How do you expect to make any friends with that ‘leave me alone’ attitude of yours?”

Daryl grumbled to himself as he continued tinkering with his crossbow. The hot late afternoon sun was relentlessly beating down on the community as its inhabitants continued about their tasks. Daryl had silently been observing everyone from the porch steps he was sitting on, enjoying the moment of solitude he had, but Carol had other ideas.

“Daryl,” Carol started, crossing her arms as she descended down the steps. She turned around to face Daryl, her voice stern. “It would do you good to socialize a bit.”

“I talked to Tobin when we finished up with the construction of the new walls yesterday,” Daryl replied nonchalantly, keeping his eyes focused on his crossbow instead of the stern woman in front of him.

“That doesn’t count. That’s work talk. I'm talking about actual socialising. Like, striking up a conversation with someone that isn’t in our group or someone you have to talk to for work.”

“I dun’ need to. Y’all are the only company I need. Ain’t gon’ waste my time tryna make buddies with people who dun’ even like me,” Daryl responded with a sense of finality, gripping his crossbow and getting up. “Now get off my back, woman.”

“Where are you going?” Carol called after him, watching the archer walk away from the house.

“Somewhere,” he replied shortly, ending the conversation effectively.

Slightly irritated, Daryl walked with no particular destination in mind. He passed by some people who sent him friendly greetings and small waves, which he returned half-heartedly. After a while of mindlessly walking about, Daryl stopped in front of a makeshift park of sorts. It was a small area surrounded by grass and had a big tree towards the edge. He moved to sit on the grass underneath the shade of the tree. The few kids in the community loved to play in this area, but it was deserted for now; the perfect place for the archer to relax for a while.

Daryl went about sharpening his knife for a while. The mediocre task kept his mind busy, busy enough to ignore the parents and kids who arrived, busy enough to ignore the wary stares the parents threw his way. Daryl simply shook his head—even after two months, there were still people who were wary of him and the rest of his group. Even after everything they did and sacrificed to ensure the community's safety.

“Mistah lonely?”

Startled, Daryl’s head shot up and his eyes locked with those of a little girl who looked no older than three years old. The girl looked at him with curiosity written all over her young face, eyeing the knife in the archer’s hands with wonder. She tentatively reached forward to touch the knife, her fingertips close to making contact with the cold metal of the dangerous weapon.

Daryl jerked the knife away and out of reach of the young girl. “Dun’ touch that,” he barked coldly, standing up to keep the knife out of the young girl’s reach.

“Sharp mife?” the girl questioned, moving closer towards the archer. She reached up to grab his arm, trying to reach the knife.

Daryl frowned at the girl. He gently pried his arm away from the girl’s grasp and took a step back, unnerved by the soft touch of the child’s hands. That didn't seem to deter the girl, however.

“Mistah use sharp mife?”

“Scram, kid. Go back to yer mama.”

“Mama?” the girl asked, her eyes lighting up at the mere mention of her mother. “Mama! Get Mama!”

“What? No, that ain’t—” Daryl started, but was abruptly cut off when the girl took off and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, wobbling more like a penguin than anything else. Daryl raised his eyebrows as he watched the girl’s retreating figure, confused by the interaction he just had.

Well, he thought, at least that’s the end of that. However, as Daryl gathered his crossbow and sheathed his knife, he inwardly groaned at the sound of the little girl’s voice calling out to him.

“Mistah! Mama here!”

Daryl turned and looked at two approaching figures. The young girl was holding a woman’s hand, leading the woman over to him. The woman was laughing lightly, allowing herself to be pulled by the little girl.

“Come, Mama!” the little girl giggled, excitedly tugging your hand harder.

“Okay, okay! No need to rip my hand off,” you laughed, soon coming to a stop in front of Daryl.

Daryl looked at you with a frown, scowling slightly. His eyes darted between the excited little girl and you, slightly taken aback by the friendliness you radiated. Despite everything he had done for the community up until that point, only a few select Alexandrians—mainly Aaron and Eric—didn’t show him any contempt or wariness. Yet there you were, smiling up at him and looking as pretty as a picture.

“Mama,” the little girl excitedly told him, pointing up to you. She smiled at you, dimples forming on her chubby cheeks.

Well, the kid certainly knew how to follow orders. He had told her to go get her mama, and there you were.

“I'm Y/N. You must be Daryl?” You introduced yourself, extending your hand for a handshake.

Daryl looked at your hand, not moving to take it. However, just as you were about to lower your hand awkwardly at his dismissal, the little girl stepped forward.

“Like this, mistah,” she instructed, taking the archer’s hand and putting it in yours.

Daryl flinched at the contact and quickly withdrew his hand, looking at the little girl with a small frown. He looked back at you, chewing on his bottom lip nervously.

This was the worst random social situation he’d ever been in.

“Sorry,” you apologized, giving him a sheepish smile before turning back to your daughter. “Hazel, we don’t touch people unless they say we can, alright?”

“Sorry, Mama,” Hazel apologized half-heartedly, not fully understanding what you were saying. She turned back to look at Daryl. “Sorry, Dar.”

“Daryl,” the archer corrected her with a gruff tone of voice, talking for the first time since you had approached him.

Hazel looked up at him in confusion. “Dar,” she repeated herself, a look of concentration on her face.

“No, ‘s—nevermind. Forget it,” Daryl grumbled, shifting his weight from his one leg to the other. He looked back to you again and noticed how awkward you looked, your lips pursed as you avoided his eyes.

“Sorry. She has trouble with pronouncing some words and names. I’m working on helping her with that,” you explained, your body language exuding a challenging aura, as if daring him to insult your daughter for something as miniscule as not being able to pronounce a name.

Daryl noticed the defensive tone in your voice and noticed your defensive stature, making him raise his eyebrows questioningly, yet he refrained from questioning why. “S’alrigh’,” he mumbled, awkwardly fiddling with his crossbow that was slung over his shoulder.

“Okay,” you said, gathering Hazel up into your arms. “Well, it was nice meeting you, but I have to get going. I have to get this gremlin ready for dinner. Sorry for bothering you.”

With that, you turned around and retreated back towards the houses, Hazel happily babbling in your arms. Daryl watched your retreating figure with a sense of uneasiness. In that short interaction, he found himself unexplainably drawn to you. He didn't know you, but some part of him wanted to get to know you.

However, as quickly as that thought entered his mind, he just as quickly disregarded it. He didn’t need to get attached to any more people, especially people who couldn’t protect themselves in this harsh world they were forced to live in. In the end, everyone he cared about died or left, so it was better to spare himself the inevitable pain and keep you and your daughter at an arm’s length.

Something told him that it would be easier said than done, however.

The next morning, Daryl found himself working alongside Aaron. The two of them were busy carrying large pieces of metal to the wall they were busy fortifying, Aaron making casual small talk while Daryl simply hummed in acknowledgement. Once the last piece of metal was added to the already existing pile, the two men wiped the sweat from their foreheads and took a drink of water, before walking over to Aaron’s house. Aaron took a seat on the porch steps while Daryl remained standing on the grass.

“So yeah, that’s how I met Eric,” Aaron told him, concluding his long and winded tale.

“Story straight out a damn romance novel,” Daryl replied sarcastically, eliciting a laugh from Aaron.

“Yeah, yeah. Make fun of it all you want. Everyone always does.”

“Nah, s’a good story. Pretty cliche with the whole spillin’ yer coffee on his shirt bit, but s’still a good story,” Daryl reassured him. “Now c’mon, didn’t ya say somethin’ ‘bout havin’ a part for my bike?”

“Dar!”

As if materializing out of thin air, Hazel excitedly bounded down the porch steps of Aaron’s home and threw herself against Daryl, clinging to his leg in a hug. Caught off guard, Daryl stumbled a bit but quickly regained his footing, his eyes darting down to look at Hazel. His eyebrows raised in surprise before he gently pried the girl from his legs, not used to any kid other than his little Asskicker clinging to him like that.

“Kid, what are ya doin’?” he questioned, taking a step back from her, but it was to no avail. Hazel simply smiled up at him before throwing herself at him again, clinging to his leg like a koala bear.

Aaron chuckled. “I see you’ve met Hazel. She’s quite the character, huh?”

“What’s she even doin’ here?”

“Eric asked to babysit her. He loves having her over, and her mom said yes.”

Hazel giggled against Daryl’s leg, turning her head to look at Aaron. “Hi, Rin!”

“Hey, Hazel,” Aaron chuckled fondly, sending the girl a small wave.

“Rin?” Daryl questioned, placing one of his big hands on the little girl’s head, accepting his fate of being clung to for the time being.

“She can’t say my name properly,” Aaron explained. “She has trouble with pronouncing things sometimes.”

“Yeah, her mama said somethin’ ‘bout that,” Daryl said without really thinking about it.

“So you’ve met her?” Aaron asked, leaning forward with slight interest. He had a small smirk on his face, one that Daryl couldn’t quite decipher.

“Briefly. Hazel practically dragged her over to meet me yesterday,” Daryl replied, looking down at Hazel when he felt her grip loosen on his leg.

Hazel looked up at him and raised her arms, looking at him expectantly. “Upsies,” she said, jumping slightly on her toes. “Dar, upsies!”

To his complete and utter surprise, Daryl found himself leaning down to pick her up. The act hadn’t even fully registered in his brain until the small girl was already in his arms, her small, chubby hands gripping at his shirt as she giggled. The small sound of her laughter made the archer’s heart fill with a sudden and unexpected fondness, completely taking him by surprise. It was the same type of fondness that filled his heart whenever he coaxed a laugh from little Judith, and yet it was completely different at the same time. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“She seems to like you, Daryl,” Aaron laughed, standing up from his position on the porch steps. “Not a lot of people can say that about her.”

“What do ya mean?” Daryl found himself questioning, confused entirely by the man’s revelation. From the limited interactions that the archer has had with the young girl up until that point, he naturally assumed that Hazel was that way with everyone. What would make him special enough to the little girl, who had just met him, to make her treat him differently than she would others?

Aaron motioned for Daryl to follow him into the house, and he obliged, silently entering the pristine house while still carrying Hazel in his arms. The girl took a great interest in his hair, playing with it to entertain herself.

“From what Y/N told us, she was with a group before she got here who treated her and Hazel horribly, and Hazel hasn’t fully regained her trust in adults yet,” Aaron explained.

Daryl frowned. “Badly, how?”

“She wouldn’t say, but it took forever for Eric and I to gain Hazel’s trust. We even tried to bribe her with candy but she wouldn’t budge. But she seems to trust you and you said you only met her yesterday?”

“Yeah. She approached me at that makeshift park the kids play at,” Daryl nodded, rubbing a hand over Hazel’s small back subconsciously, shifting her in his arms slightly.

“Then you’re definitely special, buddy. This kid doesn’t trust easily,” Aaron declared, sitting down on a chair in the dining room.

Daryl followed his lead, taking a seat across from him on a chair while still holding the small girl firmly in his arms. Hazel’s attention shifted from his hair to the loose threads on his sleeveless shirt, playing with them to keep herself occupied.

“They were with a group ‘fore this? How long have they been here?” Daryl questioned, interested in knowing more about you, although he didn’t know why.

“Yeah. Hazel and her mom haven’t been here all that long. I actually found them a couple of days, maybe a week, before I found you all. From what I know, Y/N and Hazel had been on their own for a while before I found them. Y/N almost killed me the first time we met. She thought I was gonna hurt them. It took me and Eric a while to convince her to come back with us, but even then she refused to let her guard down. She was kind of like Rick when we first met, except she didn't tie me up or force me to eat apple sauce.”

Daryl hummed, hissing slightly when he felt Hazel tug at his hair rather harshly. He brought one of his hands up to pry her hand away from his hair, subconsciously rubbing his thumb over her small fist. “That hurts,” he told her softly, surprising himself by the gentleness of his usually gruff voice.

“Sorry, Dar,” Hazel apologized half-heartedly. She yawned before laying her head down on his shoulder. She wrapped her small arms around his neck, nuzzling her head into the crook between his neck and shoulder.

Daryl felt his heart swell with fondness for the second time that day. He gently rubbed her back. From his experience with Judith, that small action could lull a small child into slumber, and he hoped that proved to be correct with Hazel.

“You’re good at that,” Aaron commented, a smile on his face as he watched that small interaction between the big, ‘scary’ man and the small, innocent child.

Daryl looked at him, confused by the look the man was sending him. “Good at what?” he inquired, genuinely curious.

“That,” Aaron repeated himself, motioning to Hazel. “Were you a dad before all of this?”

Daryl stiffened at the question. “Nah,” he shook his head, adjusting Hazel in his arms again. “Not the type’a guy who could’ve started a family back then.”

“And now?” Aaron asked, unaware of Daryl’s inner turmoil.

Daryl inhaled sharply. “To start a family, ya need a partner,” Daryl started, slightly rocking the small girl in his arms. “I ain’t got a partner, and there ain’t exactly women linin’ up to be with me, so kids ain’t somethin’ I see in my future.”

“It could still happen, you know? You might meet someone. Hell, you know what? I know you’ll meet someone.”

“A lot of confidence for somethin’ that most likely won’t ever happen,” Daryl grumbled.

“Never say never, Daryl,” Aaron replied, giving the man a small smirk. “Never say never.”

“Mama! Mama!” Hazel called through the house, excitement evident in her voice.

You smiled at the sound of your daughter’s voice, glad to be able to see her again after a whole day of being alone in your small house. The sun was setting, the stars starting to twinkle in the sky and you were almost done with dinner. Eric had told you that he would bring Hazel back before sunset and you were starting to get worried, but thankfully she seemed to be okay.

You walked into the living room and hunched down to pick up the small girl that ran into your arms, hugging her tightly to you as you placed kisses all over her face. She giggled at the sensation and pulled back, grabbing your hand and excitedly pointing towards the door.

“Mama, Dar here,” she said, smiling widely before turning towards the door.

You followed her line of sight and locked eyes with the archer. You stood up and gave him an awkward smile, painfully aware of the awkward encounter you had with the man the day before. Daryl seemed to mirror your unease; he nervously shifted his weight from one leg to the other, ducking his head to avoid your gaze.

“I see that, Sweetheart,” you replied, keeping your eyes locked on the man before you.

“I played with Rin and Eric. Dar played too!” Hazel happily exclaimed, clapping her hands together in excitement as she looked up at Daryl in awe.

“Did he, now?” you asked rhetorically, marvelling at the sudden and unexpected change of character for the quiet man. Just the day before, he had shrugged Hazel off and seemed to want nothing to do with her, yet now your daughter was claiming that the huntsman had spent time with her that day. It didn’t make any sense whatsoever.

“Yeah! So fun!” Hazel laughed happily, waddling over to Daryl to seemingly hug his leg again.

Daryl, who had been hugged multiple times by the toddler that day, instinctively crouched down to have her hug his side instead of his leg. Hazel wrapped her small arms around him and nuzzled her head into his neck, and Daryl couldn’t help the small smile that spread across his face. One day had been more than enough for him to grow fond of the small girl, and he cursed himself for letting his guard down enough for that to happen, but the damage was already done; that little girl had already wormed her way into his heart.

“I'm glad you enjoyed yourself,” you smiled at her, watching the interaction between the archer and your baby girl. “Baby, why don't you go get changed into your blue PJ’s, huh? You're a big girl now, right? Think you can get changed without Mama’s help?”

“Yeah!” she exclaimed happily, pulling away from the hug and giving Daryl a smile, dimples on full display. “Bye, Dar!”

“Bye, Hazel,” Daryl greeted her quietly, watching the girl waddle to the stairs and begin to climb them carefully. He then hesitantly shifted his attention to you, but instead of seeing that wariness he’d grown accustomed to other parents giving him, one that he expected you to give him after his encounter with you the day before, there was a look of curiosity and wonder in your eyes.

“Thanks for bringing her home,” you thanked him, offering the archer a small smile.

Daryl ducked his head. “Ain’t nothin’,” he replied, shaking his head.

“So, you spent the day with her?” you started, looking at him questioningly. “By the way you looked uncomfortable around her yesterday, I figured you’d avoid her at all costs.”

“I was spendin’ the day helpin’ Aaron. He invited me to his place ‘cause he had a part I needed for my bike and Hazel was there. She wouldn’t let go of me after she saw me,” Daryl explained, fiddling with his hands.

“So she basically forced you into spending time with her?” you asked with a small laugh, your eyes crinkling in amusement.

“Pretty much,” Daryl joked, his lips involuntarily twitching into a small smile.

You laughed lightly and Daryl chuckled softly, admiring the way your eyes seemingly sparkled. The dim light of the living room gave you a golden glow, and Daryl found himself admiring your beauty. The unnerving thought struck him at full force and he tried to shake that thought from his mind—he couldn’t let his mind go there. He wouldn’t let his mind go there. He had to keep you at an arm’s length. It was bad enough that Hazel had broke through his barrier in one measly day, so he couldn’t allow her mom to do the same, too. More attachments definitely wasn’t something the archer needed.

“Well, Hazel seems happy. I think you’ve just became her best friend, whether you like it or not,” you told him playfully.

“I have a feeling that I ain’t got much say in the matter.

“Nope,” you laughed. “But thank you. She hasn’t looked that happy in a long time.”

“Glad I could help,” Daryl replied, a small smile on his face. “Sorry for bein’ a dick yesterday.”

“It’s fine. We shouldn't have bothered you.”

“Ya weren’t botherin’ me. I jus’... Weren’t in a good mood, s’all. M’sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” You gave him a sweet smile before turning around. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Daryl frowned in confusion but didn’t say anything. A few minutes passed until you reentered the living room, a lunchbox in your hand. You promptly handed it to him, and Daryl could feel the heat radiating off the bottom.

“What’s this?” he asked, giving you a questioning look.

“Stew. I made more than Hazel and I can finish, so I figured I’d give you some. And before you say anything, just take it. Consider it a thank you gift.”

Daryl pursed his lips but nodded, resisting the urge to deny your ‘gift’. “Thanks.”

“No problem at all,” you reassured him, looking up at him with a smile that made his heart flutter uncontrollably.

Daryl ducked his head, willing the blush on his face to go away. “I should get goin’,” he mumbled, avoiding your eyes.

“I’ll walk you out,” you replied, making good of your promise by walking with him over to the door.

Daryl stepped out of your home and turned to you. He gave you a nod and turned to walk away, but stopped when he heard you speak up.

“I hope you realize that she isn’t gonna let you off the hook. You’re going to be stuck with her now. And my daughter and I are a package deal, so you’re going to be stuck with me, too.”

For some unknown reason, Daryl didn’t mind that thought at all.

“Easy, Hazelnut. Ya dun’ wanna hurt yerself, do ya?”

The toddler giggled, her small hands toying with the arrow in her hands. “Sorry, Dar.”

Daryl smiled at the small girl, bringing one of his hands up to ruffle her hair, successfully coaxing another laugh from her. “I know ya are. Jus’ try to be more careful, alright? I dun’ want ya gettin’ hurt.”

“No boo-boos. Boo-boos hurt,” Hazel replied, gingerly handing the arrow back to the archer.

“They do,” Daryl agreed, taking the arrow from the girl. “That’s why ya gotta be careful, alright? Dun’ want anythin’ to happen to someone as sweet as ya, Hazelnut.”

Hazel giggled and nodded. “No boo-boos.”

“No boo-boos,” Daryl repeated, smiling fondly at the young girl.

Two months had passed since Daryl had initially met you and Hazel. In those two months, Daryl had found himself becoming intertwined with your lives, a constant presence for you and your daughter.

The archer hadn’t asked you what had happened to Hazel’s father yet, and he wondered when he could be permitted to ask something as personal as that. However, Daryl knew that there could only be two plausible explanations; either he was dead, or he willingly left. The huntsman really hoped it wasn’t the latter. No person should be left to raise a kid on their own.

However, as Daryl’s love for the young girl grew, so did his feelings for you. It got to the point where he had started wishing that he was Hazel’s dad, that he could’ve been there during your pregnancy and watched your belly grow. He would’ve worshipped your body and been there for you every step of the way. However, as much as he wanted that, that was a dream that couldn’t be a reality, so he settled on being Hazel's best friend instead. At least it meant being able to both bond with the little girl and simultaneously have an excuse to see you.

“The two of you look like you’re having fun. Mind if I join?”

Daryl’s head snapped up at the sound of your voice. His eyes met yours and his heart skipped a beat, that sweet smile of yours making butterflies swarm around in his stomach.

“Mama!” Hazel exclaimed happily, hurrying down the porch steps to fling herself into your arms.

You laughed, picking her up and placing a kiss on her forehead. You looked at Daryl and sent him a smile. “Hey, Daryl.”

“Hey,” he greeted you quietly, fiddling with the arrow in his hands.

“Mama, play with us!” Hazel giggled, wiggling in your arms to be put down.

You lowered her to the ground, watching her climb up the porch steps and clamber into Daryl’s lap. Daryl lowered the arrow and wrapped his arms around her, placing a small kiss to the side of her head. You smiled at the interaction, your heart speeding up against your will.

“I know what I just said, but I actually can’t, Baby. It’s time to go home. It’s dinner time,” you told her.

Hazel frowned and nuzzled her head into Daryl’s neck, a whimper building up in her throat. Instinctively, Daryl started rocking her back and forth, rubbing her small back and shushing her quietly.

“S’alright, dun’ cry. Ya will see me again tomorrow, alright?” he whispered into her ear, his heart breaking at the sound of her sniffles. When he felt her nod, he placed one final kiss to the side of her head before placing her back down. “Why dun’ ya go say bye to Jude?”

Hazel looked at you expectantly, and you nodded. “Go ahead, Baby. I’ll wait for you.”

Hazel ran into the house, leaving you and Daryl alone on the porch. The archer stood up and walked down to meet you on the grass, pushing his hands into his pockets as he looked at you through his hair. As you looked at him, it took all of your willpower to resist the urge to brush his hair out of his face and cup his cheek. Not trusting your own hands, you crossed your arms and looked up at the huntsman, giving him a small smile.

“This is the first time ya’ve come to pick her up. I usually bring her home. S’somethin’ wrong?” Daryl inquired, searching your eyes for an answer.

You shook your head. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just figured that I could come pick her up for a change. Spare you the walk back to my place.”

“It ain’t that far,” Daryl pointed out, motioning down the street. “Jus’ a couple’a houses down.”

“Yeah, I know, but...” you trailed off, unsure if you should lay your problems onto him.

“But what?” he questioned, suddenly on edge. Had you changed your mind about him? About him being around you and your daughter? He really hoped not.

You hesitated for a moment. “It’s nothing. Just some moms around the community who like to be judgy.”

“What are they sayin’?”

“That I'm a bad mom for not taking the time out of my day to pick up my own daughter. That I’m dumping my responsibilities onto other people. Just thought I’d start proving them wrong.”

“Hey, yer not a bad mom. I like bringin’ Hazel home at the end of the day. That way I know she’s safe.” He also liked it because it meant he got to see you being all domestic, hugging your daughter tightly and sending him beautiful smiles, inviting him to stay for dinner each time. He always declined, not wanting to be a burden, but your offer never waned.

You smiled at him, but it didn’t quite reach your eyes. Daryl instantly noticed it and placed one of his hands on your shoulder, taking you by surprise. His touch was surprisingly gentle, and your skin flushed where he touched you.

“Dun’ let ‘em convince ya that yer a bad mom. I ain’t never seen a better mom than ya. How many moms here can say that they kept their kid alive out there in the real world? That, despite everythin’, their kid came first and that they would kill for them?”

“How did you know I wasn’t here from the start?”

“Aaron told me he that found ya and Hazel on yer own not too long before he found us. The fact that ya kept her alive on yer own for that long proves to me that yer the best fuckin’ mom under the sun.”

You smiled at him and placed your hand over his that was still resting on your shoulder. “Thank you,” you whispered.

“No problem,” he replied, holding eye contact with you. His hand lingered on your shoulder for longer than necessary, and he gazed deep into your eyes.

Your heart sped up and stopped beating at the same time, noticing a shift in the archer’s emotions. However, before either of you could do anything else, Daryl snapped out of it and withdrew his hand, taking a step back.

You cleared your throat and ducked your head, your face heating up. Luckily, Hazel ran out at that moment and bounded down the stairs, throwing herself into Daryl’s side and clinging to his leg.

“Bye, Dar!”

Daryl pressed Hazel tightly to him. “Bye, Hazelnut.”

Hazel unwound her arms from around him and moved over to you, extending her arms to be picked up. You did just that, holding her tightly to you. You turned to Daryl and offered him a small smile.

“You know, my offer still stands. You could join us for dinner.”

Daryl was about to decline your offer again, but Hazel cut him off.

“Yes! Please, Dar!”

In that moment, Daryl found that he wouldn’t be able to say no this time around. He just would’t be able to. He gave you both a small smile and nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

You smiled broadly. “Great! Come on, then.”

“Dun’ I need to change?”

“No, you’re fine, don’t worry. You can come as is.”

“Alright,” Daryl nodded. “Let’s go.”

“Could you maybe get Hazel settled into her highchair? I’ll be right out with the food.”

Daryl nodded and watched you retreat from the dining room into the kitchen before turning around. “Hazelnut!” he called, hearing the toddler’s footsteps come into the dining room.

Hazel stared up at the archer with a huge smile, her arms extended to be picked up. Daryl smiled softly at the girl and leaned down to pick her up, placing her in her highchair. Once he was sure that she was settled and wouldn’t fall out, he got settled in the chair next to her, listening to Hazel’s happy babbling.

Soon enough, you reentered the dining room with a pot of spaghetti and meatballs. The aroma of the meal made Daryl’s mouth practically water. The last time he’d eaten spaghetti was when Aaron had invited him, and that was a good couple of months ago at that point.

“It smells fuckin’ good,” Daryl complimented you without really thinking about his choice of words, and he instantly regretted not thinking about them beforehand.

“Fuck,” Hazel repeated happily, completely oblivious to the horrified look that spread over Daryl’s face, or the amused one that spread over yours.

“Nah, Hazelnut, dun’ say that. Dun’ ever say that,” he told her hurriedly, his heart beating faster at his mistake.

“Fuck,” Hazel giggled.

“No, I jus’ said—” Daryl started, shooting you a worried look. However, he calmed down when he saw your amused smile. “What’s so funny?”

“You,” you told him, laughing lightly while serving everyone some food. “Don’t look so worried. I’m not gonna bite your head off because of one little slip up. If I had a penny for every time I accidentally slipped up since she was born, I would’ve had enough money to be able to buy a yacht in the old world. You’re good, don’t worry.

“Okay, but we can’t have her goin’ ‘round sayin’ that, though,” Daryl replied, taking a deep breath to calm himself. You weren’t mad. Everything was fine.

“You’re right about that,” you started, turning to look at Hazel. “Baby, you can’t say fuck, okay? That word belongs to Daryl. Until he’s ready to share that word, you can’t say it, alright?”

“Okay, Mama,” Hazel replied, starting to eat her food rather messily.

Daryl chuckled softly at the girl before turning to his own food. He started eating as well, the flavours of the delicious meal melting on his tongue. He wanted to gulp it all down but he resisted the urge, instead eating with a delicacy he never knew existed in him.

The meal was mostly spent in silence, save for Hazel’s happy babbling and the occasional input from you or Daryl. Daryl did, however, sneak glances at you when you weren’t looking, admiring your beauty and the soft, loving, tender way you acknowledged your daughter and the tenderness you used when you wiped her face clean of the sauce.

Unbeknownst to the archer, you had also been sneaking glances at him. Admiring his gentleness with your daughter, the way his eyes softened and the quiet chuckles he would let out whenever Hazel did something amusing, or the small smiles he would send in your direction. It was amazing how important Daryl had become to you and Hazel in a span of a few months. The big, gruff, quiet man with a heart of gold, who had invaded your thoughts and your heart. It was both terrifying and thrilling to think about.

Your respective meals were soon finished. and Hazel’s eyes were beginning to droop. You noticed it and got up to take her out of her highchair. She instantly laid her head down onto your shoulder and closed her eyes, and you placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

“You tired, Baby?” you cooed, rubbing her back gently. When she simply responded by nuzzling her face deeper into your shoulder, you laughed fondly and turned to Daryl, sending him an apologetic look. “Sorry, I should probably get this little rascal to bed. You can stay here. I’ll be right back.”

However, as soon as you said that, Hazel interjected. “Dar tuck me in with Mama?” she asked innocently, lifting her head up to look at Daryl.

Daryl looked surprised. He locked eyes with you, his heart fluttering at the smile you sent him.

“If Daryl’s okay with it,” you whispered, looking at him through your eyelashes.

“Yeah, ‘course,” Daryl replied, nodding his head.

You motioned for him to follow you upstairs, and he obliged. Together, the two of you descended up the stairs and into Hazel’s bedroom. Daryl stopped in the doorway, not wanting to overstep any boundaries, but you had other ideas. You gently took his hand and led him into the room, only letting go of it to tuck your daughter into bed. Daryl subconsciously placed his hand on your shoulder instead, watching place your little girl into bed.

Hazel was already half asleep when you put her into her bed. She instantly curled up into her pillow and let out a big sigh, her eyes opening only slightly. In her view, she saw you, her mom, the woman who always protected her when the two of you were living on the road outside the walls, and always loved her despite her shenanigans. And Daryl, the man who at first had been kind of mean, but was now always there for both her and her mom. The man who undeniably had started to feel like a daddy to her.

“Night, Mama. Night, Daddy,” Hazel mumbled, her eyes closing and she drifted into slumber. In seconds, she was out cold.

Time froze for a moment. Daryl’s eyes widened and his heart practically pounded out of his chest. There was no way that he had heard it right. There was no way that Hazel had just called him dad. There was no way that Hazel trusted and loved him enough to see him as her father. She couldn’t, could she?

He turned to look at you and noticed the unreadable expression on your face. You didn’t address what she had just said, however, and Daryl was too nervous to bring it up himself.

“We should probably let her sleep,” you whispered to him, motioning towards the door.

“Yeah,” Daryl agreed and followed you out the door.

Together, the two of you descended down the stairs and back into the dining room. You turned to look at Daryl and motioned towards the living room.

“You can wait in the living room. I just wanna put the dishes in the sink and then I’ll join you.”

“Nah, let me help,” Daryl protested, moving over to grab all the dishes. Before you could protest, Daryl walked into the kitchen. You quickly followed behind him and watched him put the dishes in the sink, but before he could start washing them, you quickly stopped him.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll wash them tomorrow,” you assured him. “Do you want some wine?”

Daryl nodded and hummed, silently observing as you grabbed two glasses from the cabinet, as well as a bottle of wine. You placed the glasses on the counter before popping the the bottle open, pouring the two of you each a glass of wine. You handed him the glass and propped yourself onto the counter, letting your legs swing below you.

Daryl leaned against the counter and took a sip of his wine, humming in approval at the taste. “S’good. Thanks.”

“It’s nothing, really. I've been wanting a reason to open the bottle for a while now.”

“Ya can’t jus’ drink it whenever ya want?” Daryl questioned, taking another sip from the glass in his hand.

“I could, but I prefer not to. I don’t want to be like—” you started, but abruptly stopped. You hurriedly took a sip of your wine, welcoming the taste in your mouth.

“Like who?” Daryl asked, frowning at the uncomfortable look on your face.

You hesitated for a long moment, not sure if you should tell Daryl about your past problems. You were afraid that Daryl would look at you differently if you revealed anything. However, as you looked into his eyes, you only saw care and concern, so you found yourself confiding in him.

“Hazel’s father,” you revealed, pursing your lips at the thought of the man you hated more than anything in the world.

“What was he like?” Daryl asked, placing his glass down on the counter. He turned his full attention to you, his eyes trailing over your face for any shift in emotion.

“He was a fucking asshole,” you spat angrily, clenching your jaw in anger. “He was a raging alcoholic and a frequent drug user. He didn’t even stop when Hazel was born. If anything, it got worse. I tried so hard to get him sober, but nothing worked. He always yelled at me and threatened to hurt Hazel whenever I brought it up, but I stayed. I was too scared to leave. And then one day, when I woke up, he was just... Gone. No note, no phone call, nothing. Hazel was barely one year old.”

Daryl frowned deeply, anger bubbling inside him at the thought of someone hurting you and Hazel so badly. He clenched his fist and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He had no right to get angry. That wasn’t something that happened to him.

“Not too long after that, the world went to shit. His sister came to pick us up and took us to her camp, and that’s where I saw that asshole again. He treated Hazel so badly and got the other people in the camp to taunt and be mean to her. Hazel didn’t even do anything wrong, and I never even brought up the fact that she was his kid, but they all ganged up on her. Thankfully it never got physical, but I could tell that it really scarred her. It went on until the camp got overrun, and all of those fuckers got what they deserved. The only reason Hazel and I got out was because his sister helped us. She sacrificed herself for us. After that, Hazel and I were on our own for more than a year. I’m surprised that I managed to keep us alive for that long on my own, but I managed. And then Aaron and Eric found us, and the rest is history.”

Daryl was speechless. It angered him that someone would hurt you like that, would hurt little Hazel like that. And the fact that you had to survive on your own for that long... It amazed him. He wished that he could’ve found you earlier and have protected you and Hazel from all those horrors, but there was nothing he could do to change the past. He could only ensure that nothing ever touched you in the future.

“Yer a strong woman. The fact that ya went through all’a that and managed to keep Hazel alive and love her unconditionally proves that. Yer amazing and I hope ya know that.”

You were taken aback by the sudden confession, but a smile soon spread across your face. You hopped off the counter and stood in front of him, almost chest to chest. You looked up at him, your faces close enough to close the remaining distance between your lips. You didn’t even fully know why you did that. It was more than likely liquid courage, you figured.

“You’re amazing too. I don’t think you realize how much you mean to Hazel, how much you mean to me.”

With that, you closed the remaining distance between your lips. You pressed your lips against his softly, wrapping your arms around his neck. After a moment of shock, Daryl kissed you back feverishly, pulling you closer by your hips to have you flush against his body. You gasped against his lips, allowing Daryl to slip his tongue into your mouth. You moaned into his mouth and pressed yourself harder against him, eliciting a groan from the man.

As soon as you pulled away for air, you tugged Daryl by the lapel of his vest. “Wanna take this to my room?” you whispered, breathless from the ravenous kiss.

“What ‘bout Hazelnut? Won’t she wake up?” Daryl asked, pressing his forehead against yours.

“No. She’s out cold. The chances of her waking up are basically nonexistent.”

Daryl let out a deep breath and nodded, allowing you to pull him up the stairs. The two of you soon stumbled into your room, hurriedly closing the door and pawing at each other’s clothes. However, when you reached for Daryl’s shirt, he stopped you, a pained look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” you asked, a worried look on your face. “Did I do something wrong?”

Daryl shook his head. “Nah, ya didn’t do nothin’.”

“Then what’s wrong?” you asked him, gently cupping his cheek in your hand. “Talk to me. I promise I won’t judge.”

Daryl inhaled sharply. “I didn’t have a good childhood,” was all he offered before slowly removing his shirt.

Your eyes hungrily trailed over his body, your hands reaching forward to press against his chest. Sure, a few scars littered his chest, but they didn’t repulse you. You didn’t understand what Daryl was talking about until you got a glimpse of his back in the mirror in your room. The scars on his back were jagged and raised, and you instantly knew what they meant; someone had hurt this perfect man before you, and you felt so angry.

You walked behind him. “May I?” you whispered, your hands hovering over his back.

Daryl hesitantly nodded. You softly ran your fingers over his scars, your touch feathery light. The archer shivered involuntarily, closing his eyes at the feeling. Before meeting you, the only feeling that he ever associated with his back was pain from his father’s cruelty, yet there you were, tracing over his scars as if they were priceless paintings in a museum.

Soon your fingers were replaced with your lips, and Daryl’s eyes flew open. Your lips softly kissed over his scars, trailing down to the lowest scars on his lower back. When you were done, you turned him around to face you. You gently cupped his cheek, a small smile on your face.

“You're perfect to me, Daryl. You’re so sweet, kind and caring. Hell, my daughter called you dad. That says plenty.”

“M’perfect?”

“You're perfect.”

That was all you had to say for Daryl to pull you into another fiery kiss. The two of you soon toppled onto your bed, spending a night filled with passion together.

That next morning when Hazel woke up and walked into your room, she was pleasantly surprised to find Daryl sleeping there, holding you, her mama. She was, however, confused that when she woke the two of you up, you clutched the sheets to your bodies and refused to let her climb under them with you like you normally would do.

Two years later...

“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Hazel. Happy birthday to you!”

You and Daryl cheered as Hazel blew out the candles on her homemade cake. Hazel laughed as she struggled to blow out the last one of the five candles on the cake, eliciting soft chuckles from you and Daryl. When she finally managed to extinguish it, you and Daryl each handed her a gift. She clapped her hands excitedly. She got up from her seat and ran to hug you and Daryl, which you both returned.

“Thank you, Mama. Thank you, Daddy,” she thanked with a big smile, eyeing the wrapped gifts on the table.

“Dun’ thank us yet, Hazelnut,” Daryl responded with a smile. “Go ahead and open ‘em.”

Hazel hurriedly opened each of the gifts and gasped with delight, holding up a colouring book, new crayons, and a new doll. She giggled in excitement at the gifts. “Can I go show these to Judith? We can colour and play dolls together now!”

You laughed and nodded. “Sure, Baby. Just be good for Auntie Michonne and Uncle Rick, okay?”

“Okay!” she agreed and took off in a run, throwing the front door open and disappearing out of it.

“I can’t believe she’s growin’ up so fast,” Daryl mumbled, wrapping his arms around you from behind. He rested his chin on the top of your head.

“I know, right? She’ll be moving away from home for college soon enough,” you joked.

“Hmm,” Daryl hummed, chuckling at your joke.

“Oh!” you exclaimed, turning around in the archer's arms. “I got something for you, too.”

“For me?” he asked in confusion, frowning slightly. “Why? It ain’t my birthday for another couple’a months.”

“I know, but this can’t wait that long. Here,” you told him, handing him a small box.

Daryl gingerly took the box from your hands and opened it. His eyes widened at the item inside, picking it up and looking at it. After examining it for a couple of moments, he confirmed that his mind indeed wasn’t playing a trick on him—it was a positive pregnancy test.

“Yer—Yer pregnant?” he asked, a smile spreading over his face.

“Yeah,” you confirmed, nodding your head. A laugh escaped you when Daryl picked you up and spun you around, before he placed you back on the ground and pulled you into a kiss.

When he pulled back, he leaned his forehead against yours. “Hazelnut’s gon’ have a baby sibling. We’re gon’ have another kid.”

“We are,” you agreed, closing your eyes. “I love you, Daryl.”

Daryl placed a gentle kiss against your forehead. “I love ya, too. And I already love that lil’ peanut in yer belly.”

“Hazelnut and Peanut, huh?”

“Yeah. Our two babies. Our own lil’ family,” Daryl told you wistfully, placing his hand on your stomach, over the life that was growing there.

“We have Hazel to thank for this. If she didn’t instantly like you back then, this might never have happened,” you told him, placing your hand over his.

“Remind me to thank her when she gets back later. But for now, let’s enjoy our alone time,” Daryl replied suggestively, tugging you with him as he walked backwards towards the stairs.

“I like that idea.”

[nottogetpoliticalbutwtfisoatmeal]

ok guys guys hear me out:

robloxians adapt to their environment quicker than humans. so for each area discovered, the locals have different traits and physical appearance.

BizvIlle:

as close to humans as you can get

green meadows and plenty of sun means not a lot of danger to adapt to

regular sleeping habits

the most human-looking body types you'll find. Sometimes hair matches skin color.

Omnivorous and fairly diurnal.

One of the most welcoming and friendly communities, like an animal with no natural predators.

David Buszuki

Notable characters from Bizville: Player (not including Noobador's family b/c i hc them to be imps native to somewhere else.)

Roadtown:

despite the fact it says it's 'the sunniest town in roblox' im just gonna say this place is like Scandinavia. cmon if they weren't adapted to the cold why is there snowflake rugs and log cabins

robloxians native to here have hairs all over their body, even their skin. It's thin and short, but definitely there.

Their hands and feet have sort of paw pads on them to help them grab things and keep traction in the snow. Between these paw pads thick fur keeps their extremities warm

Their eyes go from reflecting blue light in the winter to thickening their corneas to avoid snow blindness in the summer. Their eyes change color during the seasons to show this.

Their coats change as well, many light-blonde and white-haired characters dawning brunette and ginger colors in the spring.

Combing one's fur is a tedious habit that robloxians do themselves. If someone else does it, it's usually a loved one.

Hibernation is real. Incredibly real. If you come into Roadtown during December, expect no one to be awake, let alone outside.

Robloxians need extra fat to weather the winter. A Roadtownian has more subcutaneous fat than any other robloxian. It's just biology.

Families and friends usually spend hibernations curled together in a giant cuddle pile in one of the rooms to conserve the most warmth possible. Hugs are not only fun but tactical.

Notable characters from Roadtown: Mayor Monty, Accountant Jim, Banished Knight, Cruel King

Turitolopis:

turitpolis is in the jungles of africa and you can rip that headcanon from my cold dead hands.

Due to the hot, humid temperatures, sweat glands are bigger and skin is more permeable. Turitopolians are always covered in a thin sheen of sweat and grease. Think of a tree frog.

Due to this permeability, if a turitopolian's skin dries out they can get very sick. This isn't usually an issue unless they go somewhere less humid.

Love of water and cooling liquids. During summer it is not uncommon for the entire village to enter a lake or mud puddle.

There's so much vegetation in the way. But instead of try an eliminate these stray branches and vines, turotopolians have a natural talent for brachiation. It's rare for a long travel to consist entirely on the jungle floor.

This also means you can find a turitopolian lounging on a tree branch taking a nap. They don't find anything weird about it.

Their skin can be a variety of colors, but usually their skin has some sort of pattern on it to camouflage them. Think tiger stripes and butterfly swirls.

Some turitopolians have venomous fangs. This is supposedly only a trait the mayor's family has. The venom is more to endure physical pain than to stop prey from moving.

Loud. Everyone is loud. Dancing, eating, talking, crying, singing, arguing, laughing, even sleeping. They're just naturally loud, and can stand out when put in more quiet civilizations

Notable characters from Turitopolis: Mayor Thaniyel, Griefer, Bigfoot, Komodo Dragon

below is demo 4

Vermillion Village:

Hot, hot, hot! Vermillion is inspired by the vast deserts of egypt and the middle east

With the land made of sand, vermillions have padded feet to keep them from scorching on hot rocks.

Feet are long and wide compared to skinny legs, keeping them afloat on the sand.

Long, thick eyelashes help keep sand out of the eyes during windy days and sandstorms.

They have small, camel-esque tails that help swat at bugs.

Vermillions actually have fat reserves in parts of their body. This seems counter-intuitive, but actually helps them go long amounts of time without food and keeps them warm during freezing desert nights.

Very small sweat glands to conserve as much water as possible.

Black markings on their eyes reduces sun glare and helps them see on sunny days.

Tough stomachs have a multitude of bacteria that can digest rotting matter like carrion or wilted vegetation.

Some houses have underground compartments where vermillions can burrow down into to warm up in the night.

Notable characters from Vermillion Village: all those fucking camels, The Great Flocci, Temple Guardian, The Ancients, Finn McCool

[hee0soo]

Coachella, Baby!

Pairing — Song Mingi x afab!Reader

Summary — Not quite sober and having enjoyed the set you were most waiting for, you and your friend enjoyed the rest of your weekend in the desert. Not knowing what else it held ready for you...

Genre — smut, fluff if you squint

Warnings — fingering, penetrative sex , alcohol, stay safe kids and use condoms!

Word Count — 2.5k

Rating — NSFW

A/N — I don't know why i always think i can do smut but here you go! Also i'm a about 8 months late with this so oopsiee :))

Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by ©hee0soo on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

When your friend had surprised you with tickets for this years coachella to see one of your favorite groups perform, you weren't sure if you wanted to kiss her or smack her for spending so much money!

But now, standing a little to the side with a clear view of Ateez performing on the stage underneath the Sahara tent, you were sure your soul had left your body and had descended to heaven right then and there!

The bass was loud, filling your ears pleasantly, the vibration of the music playing and making the locals dance and bang their heads enthusiastically while Atinys were screaming their lungs out to make the group on stage hear their own fanchat with pride. You were glad that you could experience this milestone alongside those boys while they gave their all during the powerful set list they had chosen for the night.

And the visuals were a dream in and for itself! Unmatched even!

From the captains sudden change to cherry red hair, San's abs flaunted right in your face, Seonghwa's very low cut shirt to Mingi's almost white hair and chest tattoo, you were impressed that your legs were still working when the set was finally over and it was already late at night when you and your friend came back to the hotel.

The plan for the next day was simple. You hadn’t planned any specifics with her, instead opting to just go wherever you liked for the next 2 days and when you saw videos of the members enjoying their time watching other artists you didn’t think much of it. Happy that they enjoyed their stay, you weren’t planning to seek out any of them. You wanted to give them the privacy they deserved and not burden them with questions or attention.

With that in mind, you and your best friend, kept walking from stage to stage until it became dark again and while you watched over the other girl as she downed one shot after the other, you stayed sober enough to be clear minded. At least enough to realize that you had managed to trip over you own two feet and land in the arms of a complete stranger.

Hastily you freed yourself from the gentle hands holding onto your upper arms, apologizing profusely.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Are you oka-?" you froze in your tracks the moment your not entirely sober brain caught up with the moment. Words that before had come out of your mouth like a waterfall, cut of and you were stunned to silence the second you realized that the person that caught you was not just a random stranger visiting the festival.

Dark brown eyes that somewhat reminded you of molten chocolate stared into your e/c ones and a devilishly handsome yet friendly grin made your heart skip a beat! His white hair looked wild and disheveled; standing into every direction while barely being tamed by the pair of sun glasses atop his head!

The carefree aura surrounding him had you relaxing instantly.

For a moment you just stood there, buffering while you tried to understand what was happening.

"I, uhm, okay?" the deep drawl of his voice went straight to your lower regions, lighting a fire you didn't know had been burning.

Quickly switching gear at the obvious, although adorable, struggle at communication in English, your next words made his face brighten even further if possible. The familiar sound of his own language causing his nose to scrunch up cutely and for once in your life you thanked the seemingly endless nights of studying for giving you the ability to understand and speak at least some Korean!

"I'm sorry Mingi-ssi, I really wasn't trying to bother you!" you explained with a rushed bow of your head.

The tall rapper waved you off. "No, I'm glad I caught you! Can't let a pretty woman like yourself get hurt," the wink he sent you paired with the way he was very obviously checking you out made your cheeks burn. "And your korean is so good too!"

"Ah, thank you that means a lot! I'm also glad to see that you can enjoy yourself like this freely," you said with a head tilt to the stage where ISOKNOCK was still playing. The smile never left his face. "Yeah, I'm really enjoying the view right now…”

Mingi took a step forward, reducing the distance between your body and his as he came to stand by your side while you were vibing to the music.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," you winked and turned back to face the stage. You could feel him hovering behind you, eyes staring at the back of your head for a moment before whispering a soft, "Yeah...”.

Searching the crowd for your best friend, you found her dancing with a tall brunette that was feeling her up rather enthusiastically. The way it looked you knew that she wasn't gonna stay around much longer and would soon search for a spot to fuck the stranger into tomorrow.

She winked over his shoulder at you and you laughed at her antics before she took his hand and disappeared in the crowd.

"Was that your friend?"

You looked at him over your shoulder, nodding and looking upfront again. "Yes, seems like I'll be leaving alone later tho." you chuckled.

"And you aren't planning to do the same as her? Leave with someone to have some fun, I mean?"

His words made you stop your dancing and startled look back at his face again. He was smiling still but something about the twinkle in his eyes caused you to pickup on the ultirior motive behind said smile. It looked almost mischievous!

"Are you offering?"

The surprise in your voice was evident. Did he really just- ask if you were down to go fuck with him? Him? Mingi? Rapper of your favorite boy group? You were already surprised that you had kept your cool once you had known who had caught you and that he hadn't immediately left right after!

The man shrugged, his oversized black jacket with the little fix on drawing printed on, slipping ever so slightly. Revealing a small bit of tattoo on his chest. You gulped.

"Would you agree if I was?"

Suddenly his voice was much closer then before; him having leaned forward to whisper directly into your ear. You felt dizzy. With his front now almost pressed to your back, you could feel the warmth emanating from his body. It left you breathless and the touch of his hand on your waist did not make it better.

Humming quietly you nodded.

"What was that? I need words darling…” he drawled out, the music long having faded into the background.

Fuck!

You swallowed harshly.

"Yes, I would! Please…” you whispered hoping that he could hear you. Mingis hand left your side which you automatically missed until he reached for your hand instead, leading you away through the crowd and away from any people.

Panic struck when you remembered the amount of cameras surrounding you and him and what they could pick up.

He must have sensed that something was wrong. "Don't mind them." Hurrying to get out of the spotlight, the rapper led you to the backstage area, waving at the security guard who nodded at him with a low whistle that had your cheeks burning.

You recognized the trailers that the artists used to get ready for the show or simply to hangout and you almost squealed walking past Sabrina Carpenter!

While you weren't sure where you were being led to, Mingi knew exactly where he was going. The yellow sign with Ateez written in dark purple glitter pinned to one of the trailer doors clueing you in very soon.

Picking the lock swiftly, Mingi gestured for you to come inside before doing the same. The door of the trailer falling shut behind him.

You looked around, taking in the surroundings. There were multiple vanity tables, chairs and an unbelievable amount of luggage standing at the side but what caught your eyes specifically, was the big and very comfortable looking couch.

His hot breath fanned over the exposed skin of your neck, making you shudder and goosebumps appeared on your arms. Your purse mindlessly dropping to the floor and Mingi wrapped his arms around you from behind, plush lips pressing a kiss to the sensitive spot right below your ear, making you shudder.

You tipped your head back, letting it rest against his shoulder. Enjoying the feeling of his mouth trailing down your neck. The soft sting of his teeth nibbling on the skin getting soothed by his tongue licking over the bites like a little kitten. The temperature inside the room suddenly much warmer and a thin sheen of sweat appeared on your skin.

The man let up from your neck to walk in front of you, fingers reaching for you to pull you along, dropping down on the couch and take you down with him. Now perched up on his lap you couldn't stop yourself from pressing your lips to his in an urgent kiss. Not hesitating to reciprocate Mingi let his tongue run over your lower lip begging to be let in. His left hand found purchase on your waist, the left one pushing up the fabric of your skirt and squeezing the flesh of your thigh.

Your breath hitched at the touch and Mingi used the chance to deepen the kiss further.

With clumsy moves and shacking fingers you pulled down the zipper of his jacket, shrugging it of his shoulders and revealing a low cut black tank top and more of his tattoo. Gripping the hem of the shirt you pulled it over his head and threw it carelessly somewhere behind you.

"Fuck, I knew it looked good but damn-" you gasped out, finger tips brushing over his chest and making him laugh loudly.

“Good to know that it had it's desired effect ." he winked and removed your own top to throw it to the side. He admired you with hooded eyes, the strap of your bra slipping down your shoulder. Quick and definitely knowing how, he opened the clasp on the back and with a smooth shrug of your shoulder the offending piece of clothing landed somewhere behind you on the floor.

Mingi used the moment of distraction to lean forward, his plush lips now wrapped around your nipple, licking and sucking like he had spend a lifetime doing it. A moan ripped through the silence of the night and you could feel yourself clench around nothing while the rapper used his mouth to tease your breast as his hand fondled the other gently. Thumb flicking over the nub, stimulating it deliciously.

You could feel his other hand resting on your waist, guiding the rolling of your hips against the very prominent bulge in his pants. Until now, you hadn't even noticed that you had started grinding against him and judging by the blissed out expression, Mingi didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

At a particular hard roll against his dick, Mingi Iet up and an almost whiny sound of desperation escaped his throat.

"Want you out of those pants," you panted against his mouth, knowing full well that's what he wanted too.

"Fuck yes, please?" Mingi gasped lowly. His face was scrunched together in pleasure and with barely opened eyes the man nodded again for good measure. At this point he was already so hard that it was almost painful wearing the prison of fabric that were his pants and underwear and the little sounds he made went straight to your pussy.

You could feel your underwear very well sticking to the skin, sure that it was a whole mess in them by now after grinding against him and it wouldn’t surprise you if you had soaked his sweatpants too.

With your skirt scrunched together at your waist you pulled away, his mouth separating from your tits and a sound of disappointment came from him.

It sounded suspiciously close to a whine which in return made you smirk smugly down at him.

“Get these off.” You demanded with a teasing peck to his cheek and loved the wide boba eyes he gave you at the change of tone in your voice. Mingi entranced by the look on your face quickly rushed to do as he was told.

His cock sprang free and hit his stomach before bouncing back and you could feel your mouth watering at this.

“Good boy.” You purred, forcing him to look into your eyes by holding his face just how you wanted it; thumb gliding smoothly over his cheek bone and you let up once more to shrug your panties down your legs.

When you reached for the hem of your skirt, Mingi stopped you and shook his head with begging eyes.

“Leave it, you look so sexy in it…”

So you left it. Hands lowering to his shoulders you sat back down in his lap which Mingi did not stay in for long as he twisted you around so you were suddenly trapped under his large frame, caged in by his arms right next to your head and making it impossible to escape.

Not that you wanted to.

The man above you surged forward to meet your lips in urgency. His cock was rubbing against the inside of your thigh searching for your cunt to plunge into.

“Can’t wait anymore, can i-“ he gasped against your mouth.

“Yes! God, yes pleeease!” you keened in return and let your head sink back into the cushions of the couch, lifting you hips a bit so he could line himself up.

His head caught against the opening of your pussy and you groaned in unison with Mingi when he finally pushed himself in.

It didn’t take much for the rapper to absolutely lose it. As soon as he was sheathed inside you, he lost control over himself. His head fell forward as loud moans filled the trailer and his thrusts were met with the rolling of your hips.

You felt like you were send straight to heaven. Riding the cloud of ecstasy as you got fucked just like you needed him to.

It was evident that Mingi very well knew what to do [don’t argue with me on this cause my man absolutely knows how to fuck!!!].

You were both so wound up that it didn’t take long for your orgasm to build up.

You slung your legs behind his ass, urging him to go faster. Your hand reached for his hair to hold onto while your other went down to rub your clit and a high pitched whine fell from your lips and went directly into Mingi’s ear.

His thrusts grew erratic as you both hurled towards your peak.

Your walls clamped down on his dick sending yourself and him over the edge. White hot cum spilled out while Mingi did not stop plunging himself into you, fucking you through the waves of your orgasm to let you ride it and you felt his seed run down the inside of your thighs when his moves stuttered and slowed down.

The pleasurable pain of overstimulation burned through you and neither you nor Mingi had the strength to move. The man let his man rest against your bare chest before letting out a soft chuckle.

“What?” you asked, amusement lacing your voice at his demeanor.

Mingi glanced up with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

“Coachelly, baby!”

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Reptilia - Cuculiformes

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our next order of birds are the Cuculiformes, commonly called “cuckoos”. Cuculiformes contains one living family, Cuculidae, and 33 genera.

Cuckoos are generally medium-sized, slender, intelligent birds. Most live in trees, though some are primarily ground-dwelling. They feed on insects, insect larvae, and a variety of other animals, as well as fruit. Their feet are zygodactyl, meaning that the two inner toes point forward and the two outer backward. Arboreal species tend to be more slender have short tarsi, while terrestrial species are more heavy set and have longer tarsi for running. Almost all cuckoos have long tales that are used for steering during either flying or running. Some species have cryptic plumage, while others have bright, elaborate, or iridescent plumage. They live all over the world’s continents except Antarctica, in habitats ranging from rainforest to desert. Some are migratory.

Most cuckoos are monogamous, though exceptions exist. Cuckoos are usually solitary, and only some species can be found in pairs or groups. However, during the breeding season a pair will spend time together, sometimes bringing each other gifts of insects or fruit. Some species of cuckoo are brood parasites. Brood parasites will lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, in some cases while the male distracts the host parents. Their eggs sometimes look similar to the eggs of their chosen hosts, though they usually have thicker and stronger shells. This protects the egg if a host parent tries to damage it. The cuckoo egg hatches earlier than the host eggs, and the cuckoo chick grows faster; in most cases, the chick instinctively evicts the eggs and/or young of the host species. In some species the cuckoo chick does not harm the other eggs or chicks intentionally, but will outcompete them for food. However, the majority of cuckoo species are not brood parasites, and their nests vary in shape from shallow platforms of twigs, to globular or domed nests of grasses, to saucers or bowls on the ground, to simply being laid directly on the ground. Non-parasitic species lay white eggs, and both male and female are usually involved in care of the eggs and chick. The young of all species are altricial, born weak and featherless, though non-parasitic cuckoos leave the nest before they can fly.

Cuculiformes are part of the clade Otidimorphae, which also includes the Musophagiformes (turacos) and Otidiformes (bustards). Otidimorphs arose in the Eocene, around 34 million years ago. One of the oldest known cuckoos is Dynamopterus velox from the Oligocene.

Propaganda under the cut:

While most species of cuckoo are solitary and secretive, the Anis (genus Crotophaga) (image 4) tend to be the exception to this rule. They live and nest communally, with a large nest being built by several pairs in which a number of females lay their eggs and then share incubation, feeding, and territorial defense duties. They also tend to be extremely trusting and friendly towards humans and other species.

Many cuckoos will eat the noxious, hairy caterpillars avoided by other birds. They can do this by rubbing the caterpillar back and forth on a branch to rub off their venomous hairs, and then crushing it with special bony plates in the back of their mouth.

The smallest cuckoo is the Little Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcites minutillus) which is 15-16 cm (5.9-6.3 in) long and weighs 14.5-17 grams (0.51-0.60 oz). It feeds on insects and while it usually hunts alone, it has often been seen hunting in groups of up to 5 birds.

Meanwhile, the Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) is the largest living cuckoo, at 56–70 cm (22–28 in) long, with a 88–107 cm (35���42 in) wingspan, and weighing between 560–935 g (1.2–2 lb). The Channel-billed Cuckoo is a brood parasite, and also the largest brood parasite in the world. They parasitize the nests of larger Australian birds, such as ravens (genus Corvus), currawongs (genus Strepera), and butcherbirds (family Artamidae).

The fastest cuckoos are the Roadrunners (genus Geococcyx) (see gif above), which have been recorded running at 32 km/h (20 mph).

The Black Coucal (Centropus grillii) is unique among cuckoos for being polyandrous, with males tending to the nests while the larger female patrols the territory. A female’s territory can contain several nests with a different male at each nest, and males will often adopt the eggs and chicks of other males.

Cuckoos are a heavily present symbol in many human cultures. In Ancient Greek mythology, the god Zeus transformed himself into a cuckoo so that he could seduce the goddess Hera, to whom the bird was sacred (women in Ancient Greek mythology were frequently attracted to birds.) Three sacred cuckoos appear in the Finnish epic the Kalevala, connected to the death of a young girl who was being forced into marriage. In India, cuckoos are sacred to Kamadeva, the god of desire and longing, whereas in Japan, the cuckoo symbolises unrequited love. Cuckoos are a sacred animal to the Bon religion of Tibet. In Germany, a cuckoo clock is a classic pendulum-driven clock that mimics the call of a Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) (image 2), complete with an automated cuckoo bird that moves with each note. Additionally, the brood parasitism of some cuckoo species gave rise to the term "cuckold", referring to the husband of an adulterous wife.

[ooooo-mcyt]

what is your opinion on people who are always like "omg it's us, but it's desertduo" as in they're happy thing think their relationship is like desertrduo

cause when I see that, I laugh, because desertduo in my eyes is doomed to fail. one of the single most important things in a relationship is communication

which is the thing they do not have, and are worst at.

communication.

i think this is a thing I have noticed in shinyduo as well. they both are bad at communicating.

To me I think the biggest problem between Scar and Grian will always be their differing ways of showing affection and their struggles to understand/communicate with each other about this difference.

Grian struggles with verbally showing he cares, so he'll often express his love through actions. Grian will make other people his responsibility and will work and work and work tirelessly for those people. The problem with this, though, is twofold.

The first problem is that Grian can come across as overbearing, giving people the impression he's nagging or undervaluing them because he doesn't verbalize his concern or affection. Grian can take care of Scar all day, but when all Scar hears are complaints, he'll feel like Grian doesn't care. Grian struggles with verbally affirming his care for other people, but sometimes it's needed, and it damages his relationships that he often can't do that.

The second problem is that Grian builds underlying resentment for the fact that people rarely seem to appreciate how much he does for them. He isn't completely wrong to feel this way, because, frankly, I do wish people would pay more attention to his caretaking behavior. But Grian actively sabotages himself as well by never communicating that he feels unappreciated in a productive way.

Plus, because of his self imposed caretaker role, Grian will often make unilateral decisions for a team without minding his partners input, which leads to a further lack of trust from both sides of the relationship.

Scar, on the other hand, usually expresses his affection and care upfront. He's friendly, approachable, he won't hesitate to tell people he loves them, or say what someone means to him. Scar is good at making people feel good and affirming his affection for them.

That being said, his affection can come across as "shallow" at times. Scar is often very bad at picking up on, let alone fulfilling, the needs of his partner. While Grian absolutely needs to work on communicating what he wants from Scar, that doesn't take away from the fact that Scar very much should be putting an effort into making sure Grian feels like the labor in their relationship is equal when they team, because generally it's not.

Scar is a very verbal person, he's upfront with his own feelings most of the time, so he also expects to be told when his partner needs something, not just emotionally, but also with tasks that need to get done). Which is understandable, but frankly, genuinely shouldn't be Grian's responsibility half as often as it is.

Scar isn't off the hook for selfish decision making either, because he will often struggle to see other people's viewpoints or understand that not everyone feels the same way he does about certain things, which can lead to him talking over or ignoring his partners wishes when he thinks he knows what's best for them.

Desert Duo have a lot of problems with how they express affection and communicate their needs.

However. Do I think they're inherently doomed? No.

Firstly, I think it largely depends on the setting. The gaps in their understanding of each other or how to be good partners to one another are widened by the life or death high stakes fast pace of the Life Series, but are bridged much more easily within the slow comfy safety of Hermitcraft. It's easy to look at their worst moments and say, there, that's why they can't work- but people don't have to be defined by their worst moments, and everyone's flaws look so much bigger when held under the lens of a death game. I think it's just as important to look at how Scar and Grian are when they're in a healthy setting as it is to look at them when they're in the most high stakes setting you can put two people into.

Plus, it's worth noting that a positive peaceful place like Hermitcraft isn't the only place they can work.

Sure, Scar and Grian absolutely had issues in Third Life, but I think it means something that they both made it to the end. That they got their fair fight. That they did it in their home. Giggling. Apologizing. It wasn't perfect, but it was theirs- and their "doom" didn't come from themselves, it came from an outside force. An outside force made them destroy themselves, and they did it in the kindest way they could, loving each other all the way down.

That isn't to minimize their issues, because they both have issues. They both hurt each other, and sometimes neither of them know how to stitch it back together. But they try, right? Sometimes their relationship is like stitching up a quilt. And it comes out kinda uneven and slightly off-color, but it's still nice enough to look at, and warm enough to keep them cozy at night, and they both like it so so much.

Scar and Grian get each other, they counteract each others worst insecurities and fears, they gravitate toward each other, they make each other laugh, they just plain like each other. That may not sound like much sometimes, but it's often enough for them, and I think that's important. I think their relationship is good for them more often than it's bad for them. Even if they don't always know how to reach each other.

[lasabarcassims]

LasAbarcas Base Game Save File 1.0

My Base Game Save File is complete!!! Download it here!

UPDATED VERSION AS OF 3/18:

OLD VERSION:

My goal with this save was to make the base game feel super ALIVE and full of personality - basically what we all wanted the base game to be originally. This save is full of lore: each household has a story (some inspired by iconic Sims lore, others original), each Sim has relationships outside their home, each world has a description and each neighborhood within each world is built with a very specific vibe that draws particular Sims to live there, all community lots (and some residential lots) have descriptions, and even the graves (and ghosts) at the Willow Creek church graveyard tell a story. There are TONS of community lots in this save that all feel different from one another and are designed with different kinds of Sims (personalities, career types, ages, etc.) in mind to give everyone multiple things to do outside the house.

All lots were built using only the base game (disclaimer: occasionally my game adds pack-specific items, like a kind of food, during playtesting, so it might say there is a pack-specific item on a lot but it's not meant to be there!), but many lots were built with other packs in mind. For example, the save has restaurants, a boba shop/thrift story, a cafe/retail space, a community garden, a high school, and so on that are base game only. So, if you only have the base game or limited packs, it should feel like you have more to do than the base game provides and open up your gameplay with a little imagination.

If you do have more packs, the lots should easily convert to their intended lot type to allow more functionality. You should also find things that come in other packs available in the save. For example, many Sims have university degrees, all Sims have cold/hot weather clothes, there are loads of clubs for Sims to be in (each with a description - MORE LORE hah!), and the calendar is filled with holidays/events.

Here's a little tour of the Save:

WILLOW CREEK:

Most families in Willow Creek have lived here for generations. These families strongly value their roots and create such a strong sense of Willow Creek identity that the transplant families have taken on this identity as well, leaving the town full of people who proudly work to preserve and celebrate the town’s vibrant history and traditions. Families in Willow Creek tend to have a more traditional approach to family life/dynamics and care about the family’s image/status within Willow Creek.

OASIS SPRINGS:

Oasis Springs had its heyday several decades ago when its space exploration industry was booming, but when the industry fizzled out, the town lost a lot of business, wealth, and residents. However, those that remain take pride in their retro desert town and clearly see what remains: a beautiful, unique, special place to call home. Families in Oasis Springs tend to be a bit quirkier, care little about what other people think about them, and focus more everyday happiness than career success.

NEWCREST:

Newcrest is a very family-friendly neighborhood filled with fun for all ages. Families here tend to be a bit more laidback – they are willing to go with the flow and enjoy the messiness that comes with growing up. The Newcrest residents are a supportive bunch of people who enjoy each other’s company and have a healthy balance between careers/school, hobbies, and spending time with family and friends.

I will also be releasing a Limited Packs Save with version one containing updates to Copperdale and Strangerville coming soon, as well as a No Limits Save down the line.

I hope you all download and enjoy!! Please let me know what you think and if you notice anything that needs updating.

Thanks!

[prettydamnneat]

Sometimes I wonder if my town really did love me as much as I loved it. I know that is just insecurity and paranoia speaking, and I have been trying to keep those thoughts out of my head but, it’s still something I worry about. I suppose I’m just thinking too hard though

[cityof2morrow]

Anno2070-to-Sims2: Eco Production Buildings

Published: 2-4-2025 | Updated: N/A SUMMARY This is a collection of hood deco - eco production buildings from Anno 2070 (Ubisoft, 2011), including 40+ factories, farms, fields, and seasonal crops. I’ve edited them to work better with my desert landscape, but they should be suitable for all neighborhood types. Several crops change based on the season – I like to think of this “crop rotation” as an eco-friendly detail. Find more anno-to-sims2 content under the #co2anno hashtag.

DETAILS Requires all EPs/SPs (may work w/ only 1-2 EPs). §0 | Hood Deco > Effects/Misc Buildings light up partially in night/hood view. There are some texture quirks since these are not meant for larger meshes. Also, these buildings are not repo’d/compressed. Some building footprints are OFFSET because they are meant to be placed over sunken ground. Use “modifyneighborhoodterrain on/off” cheats to lower the terrain. Then, place the offset structure over the hole. ITEMS -crops range from 25 to 1584 poly across seasons; except the rice-soy is higher at 2640 poly -poly count ranges below apply to all other buildings Bakery/Pasta (2965), Basalt (965-1194), Biopolymer (2260), Cogeneration/Thermal Power (3914), Communicator/Electronics (2249), Corn (1450-1496), Dairy (1023-2384), Flour Mill (7483, HIGH), Fruit (2569-2608), Glassworks (1755), Grain (941-1636), Health Drink/Food (2703-3598), Hologram Projector (4275), Rice-Soy (1307-2189), Robot (5094), Solar (1276-3200), Tea (2884-3092), Tree (2196), Vegetable (1432-1444), Windparks (1848-1937). DOWNLOAD (choose one) from SFS | from MEGA COMPATIBILITY -Some buildings/crops have a few unused resources in the package files. I left these in since I’ll be using them as templates for other projects. -As I build up my neighborhood, I may re-size some buildings. If so, I’ll consider offering alt downloads as I did with residence buildings. neighborhood views...

pics from LOT VIEW with deco/neighbors turned on...

CREDITS Thanks: Simming, Blender, Github, and Anno Fan communities. Sources: Beyno (Korn via BBFonts), EA/Maxis, Offuturistic Infographic (Freepik), Anno 2070 (Ubisoft, 2011), Anno 2070 Buildings, Anno 2070 Wiki, Sangwiss (2014).

[nebby-exists]

Meet Black Wolfberry, or well,

This fecking thing.

I don’t got much to do or say with this—

But- uh-

Dis lil thing is Frigid’s kid.

Very lil fella. 

Its name is Black Wolfberry cookie— cuz I’m struggling to find a proper name—

It ain’t exactly like how white orchid was born (no mama),

Mostly cuz the oc I ship with him time to time is literally known as famine, or in some other stories, abyssal sea cookie. I ain’t showing it just yet but long story short she basically this kid’s mom and the literal licorice sea abyss seems to be friendly with her…almost like seeing her as its mom??? Idk just yet I might change some stuff so I don’t accidentally make it weird depending if Frigid cacao is his own thing or possessed by the licorice sea in some monster manner.

Due to how dis fecking thing was born, she’s immune to the frosty touch, though kinda has similar abilities in some way(distress causes frost that leads to drowsiness, lack of energy, but won’t kill you…immediately. The frost can just be broken off or put under water to thaw it off, so less of an issue than her father’s frost).

This ends up meaning she can be picked up by her papa without turning into an icicle. She got a big appetite (theoretically like her dad and mom, depending on what side effects other than not moving or talking much cacao got—), but most often she’s like those little animal videos where the lil guy ‘politely’ eats, or something.

She can form a maw, but it’s rare. 

Like her papa, she originally doesn’t talk much, making small gurgling noises and head movements to communicate. At a certain point she does get abit talkative…as in gurgling like sounds, growls…yeah she can’t speak technically just yet, but she’ll get there.

She kinda acts like a cat at times, and hell even skittered around like a cat, or just slithers. She’s got legs but she doesn’t care too much.

Which the additional canon of Cacao only visiting Midnight Lily, she would find out about the lil guy, and kinda has to deal with the fact he got with a harbinger lady (/j?). Overall she thinks it’s sweet.

I’d say at a point Black Wolfberry cookie might end up following white orchid after realizing some stuff. That, and they kinda done with being kept in the walls all the time. It ain’t their first rodeo somehow getting out and at a point ended up in the desert, so you can guess the stress the poor guy gonna be in.

Height comparison. Chances are she might be smaller but I don’t want to make her ant sized. (I might change her  secondary color—)

She love her papa, but she can’t tell if he care or not. Atleast he doesn’t mind her sleeping on him or messing with his hair—

Or hiding in it—

Anywho,

Beast ancients Au/ Frigid Cacao belongs to @cuppajj

Black Wolfberry aka this little fecking thing belongs to meee :33

[foundinthevoid]

A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep...