#BLUE WAFFLE ACTUAL PICTURE

[hotroadkill]

today 2 years ago i was in america and i had the worst hangover of my life and i was in a waffle house with my friend in awkward silence bc we’d fought in a stranger’s kitchen the night before and the server refilled my water for the 5th time while i fought to swallow half a forkful of hashbrowns and she said “i know that look, y’all had a good time at the superbowl last night” and i was thinking actually we had a mediocre time at a nerd bar where u throw darts and all the drinks r named weird things and anyway my friend gives the fakest laugh ive ever heard followed by “yep we sure did” like are we in a CW show right now what was that line delivery and also what even is the superbowl i was born here and should know but honestly i’ve always just pictured everyone gathering at a comically large bowl of cereal but her nametag says leslie and she’s really nice and she’s refilling my water for the 6th time so yeah sure whatever i’m a red blooded american i’ll be anything for leslie in this moment and she tells us stories about working at bars downtown and my friend tells me bad jokes and i feel a little better even though my heart is kind of withering away because my flight is in 17 hours and theres not enough time never enough time i won’t see him for another year and a half and i won’t ever see leslie again and if i ever run into the italian stranger who fell in love with me over darts then it won’t be the same because we won’t be dancing and i’m sitting in a waffle house while the sun sets and i’m sweating gin and tequila and my flight is in 16 hours and i have so many goodbyes to say in this

city because when i was fifteen somebody threw my glass heart onto the floor of my childhood house and bits of it shattered everywhere and fell into the cracks of the floorboards and behind the fridge and i’ll never ever get them out much less back together but i feel like ive been trying for eight years all the same and my flight is in 15 hours but maybe if my friend brings me home now i can spend three of those looking for more shards even though i’ll cut my hand because time never wore down any of the hurt because time might heal wounds but it cant really do jack shit about a metaphysical glass shard its still gonna make me bleed and my friend brings me home and we curl up beside each other in my childhood bedroom thats too small for us it was really a supply room but it became my bedroom when i was eleven and i painted it blue and put up stickers of fish and never took them down but someone someday will take them down and hopefully the house burns to the ground before anyone can touch them theyre mine i grew up here theyre mine dont touch them dont please dont please please please i grew up here and my flight is in 12 hours now because i fell asleep beside my friend and he let me because he knew i needed it he kept watch even though we dont have time we never do because he has to go now and all i can give him is a hug and my hoodie to keep safe until i can see him again and fight him in a stranger’s kitchen again and the sun is gone now and i go and i sit with my dad and my flight is in 10 hours and im trying

not to cry im trying to stare at the stickers because maybe if i look at all of it hard enough i’ll get to stay but i dont because thats not how it works and now my flight is in 4 hours because i fell asleep in my childhood loft bed and now i have to leave i have to pack up and go for the fifth time and it never never gets easier and i know i only have a few more trips left until someone takes my stickers down and paints over my ocean but for now my best friend’s stepmother comes with me and my dad to the airport because my best friend is in college two states away and my flight is in 3 hours and i cry i cry so much and she cries too because she loves me and i think it is such a beautiful blessed thing that i am so loved but oh it is so painful too because i spend more time in its absence than its presence and my flight is in 2 hours and i have to go and my dad is waving goodbye and i see it because i looked back because im stupid i always look back i never look forward i’m forever walking blind through my life because i’m looking back and i can tell my dad is crying and now i have to go through TSA sobbing and it’s awkward because they ask are you okay kid and im not but i cant tell them sorry its just that when i was fifteen somebody threw my glass heart onto the floor of my childhood house and bits of it shattered everywhere and fell into the cracks of the floorboards and behind the fridge and i’ll never ever get them out i cant tell them that so i nod yes im okay and i go and my flight is in 1 hour and i hope it fucking crashes and my flight is in the air and im so far away from all those shards on the kitchen floor now but they’re hurting me all the same and i think i look kind of insane sobbing in the middle seat but how can i miss so many people and so many rooms at once and not lose my mind a little bit? i was going to tell you a short witty little joke about the time i realized i was 21 and didnt know what the superbowl was but i think i slipped on a shard. i’m sorry. maybe next time i’ll get it right. maybe in another two years. maybe you’ll never see me again. maybe this is all the time we had.

[thoughtfulfiction]

Full of Surprises

Author’s note: My first Joe request from a gorgeous anon! Hope you, my angel @emmyblues and all the other New Years babies had an amazing birthday!!!

Pancakes. Waffles. Is both too much? A little fruit on the side? Should he have bacon on the plate? What about eggs?

“Joe,” he snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of a perturbed voice. “What should I make? I’d like to know today, please.”

The man continues walking around the kitchen, running through the plan in his head. It’s honestly causing him more effort than most of his pregame prep. Football was easy, it was x’s and o’s, utilizing his cadence and dissecting some of the best defenses the league has ever seen. Simple things. Planning the perfect birthday wasn’t exactly something he’d practiced his entire life but it was the first one he’d be spending with you living together so he was willing to try his best to make it unforgettable.

“Okay,” he places his hands on the counter, facing his chef. The first order of business for the day was to deliver you breakfast in bed but he loved you too much to make you sit through a meal he cooked. So he called in a professional to start the day off on the right foot. “Chocolate chip pancakes. Final answer.”

“Thank you,” his chef Morgan cracks a tiny smile, patting Joe on the back. “Relax man, she’s gonna love it. If anything, today might be a little over the top but hey—I’d go all out for my girl too.”

That did nothing to ease his worries. He made his way to the living room to touch up some of the decorations and make sure that the layout is how he pictured it in his mind. He thinks for a second, laughing to himself about how you’re still peacefully sleeping upstairs and he’s running around like a headless chicken. By the time he’s putting on the finishing touches, the food is ready and he needs to wake you up so you have time to eat and spend a little time together before he has to leave for practice.

You wake up to the most delicate kisses peppering your face, your neck, your collarbone. Trying to ignore it, you pull the covers over your face but your morning energy, or lack thereof, is no match for him. He easily takes the comforter away, pulling you in close enough to have his mouth back on your skin, kissing your shoulder. Each gentle touch enhances the beautiful wake-up call.

“Good morning sunshine,” he states calmly, “happy birthday.”

You hum tiredly, opening your eyes to ogle at him in all of his glory. His icy blue eyes peering into your soul, the way his arm muscles clench while holding onto the tray full of food that he sets in your lap. You don’t think you’ll ever get tired of this view, of being in his orbit…as long as you live. And he’s completely dedicated to making this entire day all about you. “Thank you baby,” you cover your mouth and back away when he leans in, “morning breath?”

Joe scoffs, “come here woman,” he grabs you by your legs, wrapping them around his waist and reaching over to present the most perfect platter of pancakes you’ve ever seen in your life.

“Thank you! You didn’t have to wake up extra early and do all this,” you give him a very quick peck, immediately digging in.

He takes a piece of fruit off of your plate and pops it into his mouth, “thank Morgan actually. I didn’t make any of it. But…I do have big plans for you today.”

“Oh you do?”

Joe nods, grabbing your fork so he can feed you. He sat there and helped you finish the plate, giving you a kiss after each bite. Once you were finished, he let you brush your teeth before pulling out a blindfold.

“This is a bit kinky…” you trail off as the light is replaced with complete and utter darkness. Joe gently ties the blindfold after wrapping it around your head and waving his hand in front of your face to make sure you can’t see.

“Maybe I’ll save it for later,” Joe growls into your ear, playfully smacking your butt before grabbing your hand slowly walking the two of you out of the room.

The gentle padding of his feet on the ground, leading you down the stairs is the one thing you can focus on. You knew he was only leading you to the living room but you really don’t mind trusting blindly to hold your hand through life and wherever it may take you.

Light comes back to your world when your boyfriend takes off the blindfold, his mischievous smile making an appearance.

“Joseph…what did you do?”

He puts his hands up, looking at you like he has no clue what you’re talking about. The entire living room is covered in balloons, two giant gold numbers depicting your age sit on the couch, surrounded by a array of lavish gift bags. “Oh, I almost forgot,” Joe rushes out, taking long strides toward the doorway and coming back with his hands behind his back. The birthday hat you made him wear a few weeks ago is suddenly now on your head and he takes a picture of you in the middle of the room and you feel like you’ve just won a spelling bee. “You can take it off now if you want, I promised my mom I’d get you back for making me wear the stupid hat. But you look good in the stupid hat so it’s not as funny.”

“Aw you’re so sweet,” you tell him with a laugh, kissing him on the cheek as he hands you the first gift.

The first three bags are Bvlgari. A complete matching set containing a ring, necklace and a bracelet. All gold. The next bag is Gucci, an ivory bucket hat.

“I have the same one in black. Figured we could match,” Joe shrugs, handing you the next one.

Calf length leather boots, with red bottoms. Then another pair of boots, which could be considered more casual since they’re Chelsea boots…except they’re Prada. And of course, he got you the Prada travel bag you mentioned in passing nearly a month ago. “Thank you. You really did not have to get me all this stuff. All of this is beautiful and so thoughtful.”

You wrap your arms around him, hugging him tight and giving him a tender kiss on the lips. “What did I do in my past life to deserve you?”

Most of your early relationship you tried to be firm in letting him know you weren’t with him for the stuff he can buy you. Over time as the trust and love continued to build between you two, you realized that it wasn’t the end of the world to be pampered and showered with gifts every now and then, internal cringing less at the thought of the prices at the end of his gift receipts. The man seemed satisfied with how his first two surprises had gone, letting you know that your friend Ryan was on her way to pick you up as soon as he was gone for practice. Every detail had been carefully planned out so you wouldn’t be alone and bored while he was gone.

As soon as he was out the door you took your time getting ready, putting your new items away in their respective places. Ryan texted you that she was on her way after you got out of the shower, not telling you where you were headed so you opted for minimal makeup and a casual but cute outfit and some sneakers in case there was walking involved.

The surprise ended up being an extensive spa treatment. A 75 minute deep tissue massage and a Vitamin C facial. Then there was the mani-pedi, hydrotherapy soak and exfoliating scrub included. You felt the most relaxed you’ve felt in years, all the tension was released literally from the top of your head and neck area to your feet.

Your home was eerily quiet when you and Ryan came back. The lights were off and Joe was nowhere to be found, even though the car he took when he left that morning was back in its usual spot in the garage.

“Babe? Are you home?” You called out, starting to search for him.

Ryan turned on the kitchen lights and suddenly the room was filled with people yelling “surprise!” Your mom and Joe’s mom were there, along with several of your friends, a few Bengals players and their significant others were also in attendance.

On the side table was a massive spread of food, mostly comprised of your favorites and you bravely held back the wave of emotion to greet everyone and thank them for coming. Having a birthday on a holiday has never been easy. Growing up it was a time where people were either out of town to celebrate with their families or it was just simply too much work to even want to plan anything concrete in case plans had to be moved around or cancelled. You sometimes felt like the day was completely overshadowed. Now that you were an adult it wasn’t the biggest deal in the world as long as you had a relaxing and relatively fun day but for Joe to gather some of your favorite people in the world all in one place to be with you on your birthday meant more than you could explain. Speaking of Joe, you hadn’t seen him yet.

You are in the middle of asking Chase Brown’s girlfriend Jazmyn if she has everything she needs from her baby registry when you spot him. In his hands is the most beautiful heart shaped gold birthday cake and he’s beaming as he starts the “happy birthday” song and everyone in the room joins in. Your eyes are closed when he sets the cake in front of you, telling you to make a wish. The first reaction is to ask him what more could you wish for when you have everything you could possibly want right in front of you, yet you indulge him and stand still to think for a little while before blowing out your candles and letting people try the cake.

Between the conversations about playoff scenarios and resolutions for the new year, the room is bustling with activity. Even Joe seems relaxed, a water bottle in hand and never really taking interest in being more than five feet away from you at all times. You catch his eyes a few times throughout the afternoon, a comforting smile here and there going a long way while the people in your home happily mingle and make significant dents in the amount of food available. Nobody really seems to notice that the two of you have snuck off other than your moms, who exchange knowing smiles.

“Alright, you have to stop.” You tell him once you’re finally alone.

“Stop what? What am I doing?”

“Stop looking at me with that face. That I’ve seen you naked several times face, don’t give me that face. Not with my mom in the room. Because when you make that face and you’re staring at me with that—freaking stare I want to do something about it. And I can’t. Cause my mom is in the room. And so is yours. So stop it. That should’ve been my birthday wish.”

Joe rolls his eyes, closing the already short distance between you. “Well, when you say a wish out loud, it doesn’t come true.”

He’s looking at you again, less intense this time, more…soft. You’re the only person in the world that gets to see him like this, completely undone and void of his impenetrable exterior. This is the man you’ve continued to fall in love with the more you’ve gotten to know him. And when your lips meet his you can’t help but grin, brushing your finger along the side of his jaw with your thumb. The kiss is as soft as a feather, almost painfully slow as Joe teases you, letting you trace his top lip with your tongue until he opens his mouth and takes charge. Before the kiss goes any further he pulls away, sitting down in one of the oversized swivel chairs in the corner of the room and letting you settle on his thigh.

“When did you have time to do all this?” You ask him earnestly, “I mean with your schedule and the end of the season. How did you—”

He leans into your touch, kissing the tiny space behind your ear that he knows makes your skin feel like it’s on fire. “No matter what’s going on in my life, I will always find time to celebrate my favorite person in the entire world. I really wanted you to feel special today.”

“You make me feel special everyday. But for what it’s worth, you’re my favorite person in the world too.”

Joe kissed you on the head, patting your leg so you can stand up first. He tells you to wait here, signaling there’s one more surprise in store. In his hand is a card for you to read…alone. “I’ll be out there making sure Sam hasn’t eaten all of your cake,” he jokes, giving your hand a squeeze on his way out.

Running your fingers across the front of the letter, you admire Joe’s handwriting, trying to think of what could possibly be inside the envelope. Your curiosity gets the best of you rather quickly and you’re tearing it open, holding a small piece of paper in your hand.

Happy birthday baby,

I’ve been thinking about the perfect way to close out the day. Then I thought about birthday sex and doing unspeakable things to each other and got a little distracted. So I took a break to regroup and come up with an actual plan. Today is about you and how amazing you are. How you’ve changed my life for the better. How you’ve been my rock every step of the way during this up and down season. One that I wouldn’t trade for the world because at the end of the day, I get to play football, which love and then I get to come home to you, which I’m starting to love more and more every day. You’re my dream come true and I’m so lucky to get to do life with you.

And if you ever tell anyone I wrote you a love letter on your birthday I’ll deny it. We are taking this to the grave.

I love you,

Joe

You were already in tears halfway through the letter, the waterworks in full effect when two tickets to Disneyland in Tokyo were taped to the bottom of the letter.

How was he ever going to outdo this birthday?

The Bengals should seriously consider signing you for a short term contract the way you wrap Joe up in your arms as soon as you spot him. If he hadn’t seen you coming and knew your reaction, you probably could’ve taken him to the ground. “I take it you liked the present?”

You shrug, “not a bad first offseason trip,” the facade quickly fades and you hug him again, “thank you Joey, for everything today…and everyday. I love you.”

“I love you too.” He leans into you, resting his head on yours for a few seconds.

Tilting you head up, you look at him. “Wait…is this why you got us the bucket hats?”

“That’s exactly why I got us the bucket hats. We gotta fit the vibe babe. Blend in.”

You huff out a laugh. “Right. Of course.”

You once scoffed at an 8:30pm bedtime and now it was hard to keep your eyes open at 9:16pm, laying in bed next to Joe. And you swear you just heard him giggle, leaving you wide awake.

“Did you party too hard birthday girl?”

“It’s not funny! I’m getting too old for this,” you mumble into his side.

Sometimes you don’t even remember what life was like before him. And you definitely don’t want to know a life without him. Here he was Mr. Football fiend, in the middle of the season, going above and beyond to make you feel celebrated, special and loved beyond measure. And he’s always so warm, being in his arms is grounding you, slowly lulling you back to sleep.

The two of took a power nap so you could make it to the ball drop. At 11:59, he wished you happy birthday again and you kissed him at midnight wishing him a happy new year.

“Thank you for escaping the womb. I’m really glad you did that.” He pulls on your—well his—hoodie strings so you can’t see, kissing your nose.

“You’re a freaking idiot.”

[dameronology]

recovery (bucky barnes)

summary: bucky's life has gone to shit. there's only one person who can help. (x)

warnings: this is kinda raw?? and mentions of drinking!! plus swearing.

thank you to @retrosabers for listening to my waffling as i wrote this

enjoy!!

jazz xx

Read, 11:32PM. 

Bucky Barnes missed the days when you didn’t know if someone had read your message. 

He’d never had that problem when pigeon mail was a thing. 

Now, he knew that you’d seen his message. He knew that you had read his lovelorn paragraph and chosen to ignore it. Even worse, you could have just swiped on the message and not taken in a word at all. If this had been the old days, he could have told himself that your lack of response because it had got lost in the mail, or delivered to someone else, or was just taking a while to get there. Now, thanks to Mark Zuckerberg, he knew exactly what happened. And when. And how. 

That was six weeks ago, and Bucky wasn’t entirely sure he had moved from his mattress since he’d seen those two blue ticks. It didn’t feel like six weeks. That was a long time. There were days when his phone ran out of charge purely because he was staring at your profile picture for so long. You’d changed it now, from one of you and him, to a selfie you took with Steve and Sam at last year’s Christmas Party. It had been cropped every so slightly to remove Bucky from the picture. You could still see the edge of the jaw, but nobody would have known he was there, save for him. 

That left a heavy feeling on his chest. Not just cropping him out the picture, but out of your entire fucking life. Even with his face removed from the picture, Bucky still remembered that night - kissing you at midnight, telling you he loved you at midnight, keeping a strong arm wrapped around your waist the entire time. If he squeezed his eyes shut long enough, he could pretend you were still there. But, he would open them again a few minutes later and realise you were actually just a pile of pillows with eyeliner stains on them.

(He was experimenting with his style post-break up). 

The worst part of it all was that Bucky knew it was his fault. It was his choice to get bad again; his choice to ignore all the warning signs and instead, dive head first back into his old ways. You’d begged and cried and bartered - left the numbers of therapists on the fridge and self helplines on his laptop - and still, he’d not only gone down a slippery slope, but he’d chosen to throw himself. Now, he was at the bottom. You’d peered over the edge for a little while but soon enough, you had no choice but to walk away. 

“Buck!”

There was a thump on the apartment door, but Bucky didn’t answer.

“Bucky, I know you��re in there,” Steve continued. 

“I don’t wanna talk!” Bucky yelled back. 

True to form, Steve Rogers never listened - the door came crashing down a few seconds later, the super soldier landing in an ungraceful pile on top of it. Fucking brilliant, Bucky thought. 

“What part of I don’t want to talk is hard for you to understand?”

Steve let out a sigh, looking at his best friend. Bucky was strewn across the sofa, six or seven empty bottles of Jack Daniels littered on the coffee and table and an eighth in his hand. The whole place smelt like a fucking bar. It was clear that he hadn’t cleaned since you’d left, or maybe even showered. Bucky’s stubble was forming a beard now and his hair was unkempt. Steve hadn’t seen him looking that tired and messy since his first days out of Hydra. 

“Buck, you’re a mess,” Steve said.

“I made my bed, now I’m lying in it.”

“Actually, you’re on the sofa,” he quipped, but his goofy tone soon dropped. “C’mon, buddy. This has been going on for too long.”

Bucky groaned. “I don’t know what else to do. I lost the only one good thing in my life-”

“- and whose fault was that?” Steve cut him off. 

“What?”

“Whose fault was that?” he repeated himself. “I’m not tryna be mean, Buck, but you pushed them away, remember? They tried, and you refused the help.”

“Did you come over here to help me to feel better, or to make me feel worse?” Bucky snapped.

“Man, I came over here to check you were alive,” Steve replied. “Because no one is sure these days.”

“Just leave me be, Steve.”

—

Bucky rotted in peace undisturbed for a few more days. 

That was until Saturday, when there was a violent knock on his (now repaired, post-Steve) door. He lifted his head from the pillow like a confused puppy, pausing for a moment. He glanced at the time - who would be knocking at 11:32PM on a Saturday night. Did people not have hobbies?

“Pizza!”

“I didn’t order pizza!” Bucky called back. “You have the wrong address.”

“You’re J. Barnes, no?”

“Wrong address, buddy! Go away!”

Another second passed, and before Bucky could even blink, his front door came crashing down again. Seriously, why the fuck did people keep doing that? 

He was about to lose his absolute shit, but instead Bucky froze when he saw you. Apparently it was snowing outside, cos there were a few flecks caught in the front of your hair and on your jacket - his actually, that you’d stolen years ago - and boots. And, to be fair, you were also holding a pizza. 

“I said pizza,” you announced yourself. “Also, Steve sent me to help get your head out your ass.”

“W-what?” Bucky stuttered. “You’re back? You came back-”

 “ - I never left, Bucky,” you cut him off. “I just needed to take some time. I couldn’t sit here and watch you throw yourself back into oblivion, which you have done a very good job of, by the way.”

There was a brief pause before you spoke again. 

“You look like shit and smell like a distillery, by the way.”

Bucky grimaced. “Yeah.”

“Let me help you…please?”

You opened your arms and in a second, he’d fallen forward and let you envelope him completely. You had always planned on coming back, but you’d had to deal with yourself first; Steve calling had been your sign, though. If he couldn’t help Bucky, then things really were dire. And, without sounding twisted, you’d hoped that actually up and leaving like you’d promised would be a wake up call for Bucky.

It had been. He just needed a kick up the ass - and that’s why you were here.

Bucky nor you spoke for a while after that.

He didn’t say a word as you sat on the edge of the bathtub, rinsing shampoo into his hair, although he did let out a little laugh when you used the bubbles to fashion his hair into one long spike. There was a quiet stay still whenever he tried to move when a razor was near his face, or scissors near his hair, but within the hour, you had Bucky looking like Bucky and less like The Winter Soldier. He looked tired still, of course, but this was the first baby step.

“Do you hate me?”

The question caught you off guard. You were sitting on the end of the bed whilst Bucky was drying himself off with a towel; you’d seen his butt enough times, so leaving the room didn’t feel necessary. It did hurt your heart a little to see that he’d lost weight, though, 

You shook your head. “Buck, I could never hate you, and I didn’t stop loving you either.”

His eyes lit up for the first time in weeks. “Really?”

“Are you stupid, Barnes? Of course I didn’t stop,” you shot back. “Like I said, I just couldn’t stand around watching you do that to yourself. I’m sorry for leaving, I really am, but I just wanted you to get better. I still do.”

Bucky took a seat beside you, pressing a kiss to your temple. “I’ll try. I promise. I’ll call one of Stark’s therapists in the morning, and I’ll go for a run, and-”

“- Buck, don’t push yourself,” you cut him off. “Baby steps, okay? And I’m there for every one of them.”

tags: @adelinesmedia

[forgottenarias]

Aria's Tournament Attire

So as we know Aria went to Cassandra to ask about what one wears to a tournament... and ended up with an entirely new wardrobe-- outfits for the day AND evening, a couple back up gowns, and instructions that things shouldn't be repeated ;) @forgottencassandra let me know if I'm off base here but I sort of thought Cassandra wouldn't go TOO insane knowing Aria does not dress too exuberantly, but she def put a bit of a ~varmont twist on it! also thinking that cassandra MAYBE noticed aria's been wearing red more so that's how some of arthur's color ended up in her wardrobe... Anyway! Here's some ~its the vibe~ images!

Day One aria definitely went with one of the plainest outfits in her new wardrobe for the first day! i definitely see this as being more ~stafford blue than this gray/silver but with the tone on tone details

Evening One Again, she went with one of the plainer options for the first evening feast! this was definitely more blue with a silver lining than green and she definitely didn't have an overly ornate waist piece! (maybe a silver cord or something?) i do think the subtle little detail on the neckline is v aria though :)

Day 2 so she's still trying to stay simple on day two but i think this gets a LITTLE more ornate! i have been waffling between if the dress is blue with silver highlights or maybe dark red instead?? one of those-- dealers choice haha! also imagining the detail across the bottom was more a tone on tone embroidery rather than being high contrast!

Evening 2 this isn't exactly period, but think these ~vibes with a dress and cape thing-- just make it astairan/medieval! i actually think this deep v neck is VERY out of character for aria in her normal attire so this was a ~daring look for her!

Day 3 still keeping it simple, but i think she was quickly running out of clothes that weren't overly decorated!-- i def think aria really took into consideration that the astairan people would be more likely to see her when she was out at the tournament so she did the best she could to not wear anything TOO varmont-inspired

Evening 3 did she wear red because @forgottenarthur was the victor that day? 100% she did! (we also know arthur clocked that cassandra probably influenced her wardrobe choices so i thought it would be something that seemed a bit ~cassandra, haha!) honestly love this starburst (??) motif on the skirt and how it had a bit of a shimmer to it!

Day Four I was contemplating if aria would keep the red theme going but i think she went back to blues-- esp knowing arthur would be in the stands, too, i could see her overthinking someone making a connection between her dress color and the red A on his favor! -facepalm- again, this would be a little more blue than green and i love the details on the neckline/sleeves!

Evening 4 okay, again more for the ~vibes of this outfit but i think the color is spot on along with the criss-cross pieces in the bodice AND the semi-sheer silk godets on the skirt! definitely thinking this was the biggest departure from aria's traditional style with the off the shoulder look since we know our girl usually has a more modest neckline!

Day 5 I think Aria wanted to repeat one of her earlier outfits but probably got chased back to her rooms by Cassandra and, at that point, had no blue gowns left so ended up in red! i would think this is actually a darker red than in this picture so its a little more subtle

Valentina's (Terrible) Party so we know the staffords weren't actually permitted to go to Valentina's terrible party BUT i'm going to HC that Cassandra was hoping her father would change his mind and had this made for Aria, too! this color actually screams cassandra but aria's would be dark blue but have the ~sparkles~ on the dress so it looks like stars on a night sky! aria def saw this and was like 'what' because its so far from what she'd normally wear! but she definitely tried it on asp and i actually think felt v pretty in it <3

we know roderick seized all the stafford's jewels so aria didn't do her typical move of wearing her star shaped hair pins. she definitely had her hair pinned up for the actual tournament events-- too hot to have your hair down out in the world!-- but always wore her hair down in the evening-- again, just like our girl, super simple!

[horoscope1078]

:)

Lando had been grinning all morning, and that was never a good sign. You squinted at him as you both strolled through the charming streets of Spa, your hand tucked into the pocket of your hoodie to shield it from the crisp Belgian breeze. It was the weekend of the Belgian Grand Prix, but for now, Lando seemed more focused on mischief than on racing.

“What’s with the face?” you asked, narrowing your eyes.

“This” he said, pulling a small blue and white package out of his hoodie pocket. “This is going to change your life.”

You stared at the package, recognising the name printed on it, stroopwafels.

“Oh, I’ve heard of these” you said, intrigued. “They’re like caramel waffles, right?”

Lando gasped, pressing a dramatic hand to his chest. “Like caramel waffles? That’s like calling a formula 1 car just ‘a fast vehicle.’”

You snorted as he tore the package open, handing you one of the thin, circular treats. “Alright alright. What’s the proper way to eat them, Mr. Dutch Heritage?”

He beamed proudly. “I’m so glad you asked.”

Lando grabbed your wrist and dragged you toward a nearby café. The place was small but cosy, with warm lights glowing behind the counter and the scent of fresh coffee filling the air. He ordered two hot drinks and then pointed at your stroopwafel. “Now, this is the trick. You don’t just eat it straight away like some amateur. You place it on top of your cup and let the steam soften the caramel inside. It’s an art, really.”

You raised an eyebrow. “An art?”

“Yes, an art” he said smugly. “Passed down through generations. My mum grew up in the Netherlands, remember? She taught me all the important things in life, like how to properly consume a stroopwafel.”

You chuckled but did as he instructed, setting the waffle on top of your steaming drink. Lando did the same and then leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm as he watched you expectantly.

“So, what’s it like?” you asked, trying to distract him from his obvious amusement at your inexperience.

“What’s what like?”

“Having a mum who grew up in the Netherlands.”

Lando’s expression softened, his grin turning into something fonder. “It’s cool. We used to visit all the time when I was a kid. The food is obviously great, stroopwafels, poffertjes, all that stuff. But also, my mum’s side of the family is really chill. And the country is just… nice. The people are friendly, the cities are beautiful, and I got to ride bikes everywhere, which was fun. Maybe that’s why I like racing so much.”

You smiled, picturing a tiny Lando zooming around on a bicycle, probably crashing into things. “That actually makes sense.”

“Of course it does. I’m full of wisdom.”

You rolled your eyes, but before you could tease him, he suddenly gasped. “It’s time!”

“Time for what?”

“The stroopwafel. It should be perfectly softened now.” he lifted his off his drink and took a dramatic bite, closing his eyes in exaggerated bliss. “Mmm... perfection.”

You snorted but picked up your own, taking a cautious bite. The moment the warm caramel melted onto your tongue, your eyes widened. “Oh my god.”

Lando grinned. “Told you.”

“This is amazing.” you quickly took another bite, savouring the way the caramel oozed between the layers of waffle. “Why have I never had one of these before?”

“Because you had a sad, stroopwafel-less existence until I saved you.” he leaned back smugly, sipping his drink. “You’re welcome.”

You shook your head, but you couldn’t argue. “Fine. I’ll admit it. You were right.”

“Oh, say that again?”

You rolled your eyes, finishing off your stroopwafel. “Don’t get used to it.”

Lando chuckled and nudged your foot under the table. “See? Now Belgium isn’t just about racing for you. Now it’s also about experiencing life-changing snacks.”

You sighed dramatically. “I feel so enlightened.”

“As you should.”

The two of you sat in comfortable silence for a moment, sipping your drinks as the world buzzed around you. The café was warm, the stroopwafels were sweet, and Lando, well, Lando was being his usual goofy self, but with that undeniable charm that made your heart squeeze a little.

After a moment, he tapped his fingers on the table. “Alright, next up, frites with mayo.”

You groaned. “Lando, how much food are you planning to make me eat today?”

He gave you an innocent look. “It’s called cultural appreciation.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Fine. But if I can’t fit into my jeans tomorrow, I’m blaming you.”

“I’ll buy you new ones” he said, smirking. “Consider it an investment in our adventure.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t stop smiling. Somehow, even a simple afternoon of snacks and stories with Lando turned into an adventure. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[simblorbo-bracket]

Round 2 - Simblr's Saddest, Wettest Meow Meow - Mainline

Seth Morrigan (@medleymisty) VS. Saxen (@herecirmsims)

(polls are presented left -> right unless stated otherwise)

Who's sadder? Who's wetter? Read on for more information, and vote with your heart!

What is a ‘Meow Meow’?

(taken from tumblr user @/torturelabyrinth) “The thing about a true poor little meow meow is they have to be 1) downtrodden 2) morally questionable at best 3) deeply and pathetically miserable”

Seth Morrigan

A name that makes all Sims tremble. They whisper, "Have you seen him? I heard he never takes off his blue cardigan. I heard his khaki pants bear the face of God in their pockets. I heard he stood in a fire for an hour once and didn't die."

Occasionally an impressionable young Sim dressed all in black will say, "Yeah, I heard he burned down his house with his family inside and that he haunts the valley and that the waterfall there always smells like smoke, but damn he looks good in that blue cardigan of his."

Seth is my original Sim, created lovingly in Sims 3 CAS lo these many years ago.

He also made the transition to Sims 4.

He first appeared in the Sims 3 story In The Valley Of The Sun. Its pictures are currently lost somewhere in Photobucket, but the basic idea was that he set his house by Sunset Valley's waterfall on fire, killing his wife. Years later a young woman named Lilith came to investigate the abandoned house, which was said to be haunted. Seth was actually still very much alive, though he haunted Lilith through the narrative. At least until Lilith set a fire herself, taking them both out.

Propaganda that still has pictures! At least unless otherwise noted.

Waffles: The Syruping: a short story of Seth's sad wet descent into meow meow land told from the POV of his wife, Sarah Morrigan.

Syrup: The Waffling: Seth's own POV of his descent.

Because Death Would Not Stop For Seth: A text-only take about Seth's trauma from surviving a fire and how his absolute refusal to try and heal that trauma just led to more fire.

Eggshells: Seth as an emo teen, dealing with being bullied and with his father's condition after surviving a fire at the factory where he worked.

A longer work with Sims 4 pics: Emo Pistols. An epistolary story told through Seth's letters to his two penpals, Jasper and Anya. In this one he is finally attempting to heal from his trauma, as you can see from this excerpt:

How does a house die? Well, other than being burnt down. Speaking of which, I have not yet set the apartment on fire. I suppose that’s good. The apartment does not give me gifts. Sarah does, sometimes.  She is still here. I told her the truth, and she didn’t break or burn. She didn’t disappear into the sun. She is the Sarah who stayed.

I love my Seth baby very much. I hope he might meet some new friends through this tournament, and perhaps I will gain some inspiration to write more words about him as well. :)

Saxen

Things Sax does extremely well: fainting and bleeding (separately), fainting and bleeding (combination), rotting in bed, crying or being completely stoic (no in between), causing more problems while trying to fix his previous problems, omitting certain truths (aka lying).

Now, I don't know if he really counts as an SWMM because he's not a classic villain... but in his pursuit of Doing The Right Thing he has made some awful choices. Good intentions, poor outcomes.

I present the evidence beneath the cut:

Some of his crimes:

In an attempt to save his sister, he left his post and facilitated the escape of a world-devouring entity which he was supposed to help contain.

After his sister died he made another attempt to save her, via necromancy, and instead doomed her to an endless cycle of death and rebirth. Until recently, none of her reincarnations were healthy enough to survive infancy.

He befriended the parents of this latest incarnation without filling them in on the backstory, or his motives. After they were killed by his enemy, he took the baby and kept her hidden for 11 years (did she have grandparents, uncles, aunts? Yes, probably. He claims they couldn't have cared for her like he did and technicallyyyy he's right, since her survival required magic, but...)

He broke the arm of one of his 'adopted' adult kids (he has an enchanted cottage which has been a refuge for a lot of people) when said adult tried to prevent him from killing someone else. Yes, technically he did only push Thom and didn't intend for Thom to hit the wall so hard, but...

Long story short but his home world didn't end, it was just knocked out of its timeline for a while. Unfortunately, due to his actions on the day the Grim escaped (attacking portal guards and forcing his way through the rift, just as an unrelated-to-him group stormed the castle), he was a) assumed dead and b) immediately arrested on his return for treason and attempted regicide.

He's a constant menace and cause of stress to his man, the kindest and sweetest soul to ever live. He doesn't mean to be, it's just that his attempts to keep Fen safe often seem to involve risking himself in increasingly creative and fatal ways.

Why should you vote for Sax? Well, I think his endless complex trauma and the fact that almost all his misfortunes happened because he was trying to fix things/help people makes him pretty damn tragic and definitely very damp. He could do with a win. Plus... look at him. 🥲

[blueikeproductions]

The hype for CyberWorld keeps coming as a new promo for the toys drops. We now have a promo featuring Optimus!

There’s definitely money being spent on this because the animation is smooth and the model looks well made, and not low budget looking like Cyberverse and Wild King (the superior show between the two and it doesn’t have facial animation), so that’s a step in the right direction. Perhaps less is indeed more with the five minute short format CyberWorld and Wild King are going for.

We also have the surprise inclusion of a new robot to the cast.

While Jazz was leaked and this guy looks similar at a glance, this guy is Wheeljack.

I think from the looks of it, he’s a retool of the earlier muscle car Bumblebee (though others have pointed out it could be a pretool of Jazz made into Jackie, since the car mode resembles Jazz!). It feels noteworthy that we have a proper Wheeljack in the line that isn’t lazily recolored from Bumblebee, vs the afterthought a lot of the EarthSpark toy line wound up being, such as the Breakdown toy that was just a color swapped Wheeljack, no attempt at retooling the head or nothing.

The sad thing in hindsight is a Wheeljack recolor would’ve actually worked better as a Wild Rider recolor.

Alas we did not get the other Stunticons, a Decepticon team who frankly would’ve made a heck of a lot more sense as the common enemies causing trouble in and around Witwicky, as the Stunticons are loose cannon Mad Max types who aren’t entirely loyal to Megatron and are happy to do their own thing most of the time, especially in RiD15.

This lack of focus and misuse of characters in roles ill suited for them (on top of just not writing some of them well), has led to EarthSpark clogging up my local Ollies.

These three I think sum it up well: the annoying teenager who got nothing to do and was eclipsed by his sisters, Hasbro and creative’s inability to fully commit to Elita in a way that’s acceptable to fans and general audiences and Grunkle Megatron, perhaps THE biggest Pegwarmer we’ve had in a while. Unlike past Pegwarmers like Energon Ironhide or Cybertron Mudflap, he’s not clogging shelves several years afterwards, straight to Ollie’s he goes!

It should be noted that the RotB toyline got aborted to Ollie’s when TFONE toys cropped up, and after languishing on Walmart and Target shelves for months, they went very quickly at Ollie’s. So there’s still interest in Transformers toys, it’s just the prices being a huge deterrent in particular (as well as a few characters like ES Thrash, BW Iguanus and BW Terrorsaur people want nothing to do with for whatever reason).

I think Hasbro realized price was becoming a problem, which is why the CyberWorld line, current waffling on tariffs aside, was designed to be far more affordable. Another attitude I think has changed is Grunkle Megatron. It’s pretty clear casuals and normies absolutely do not care about a good boy Vegeta style Megatron, with IDW starting the trend and EarthSpark ultimately killing it. Grunkle Megatron might have been ES’ more interesting thread, to the point the Terrans in fandom have been pushed aside in favor of Grunkle Megatron, but once again, kids and GA’s got no value from it.

Hasbro seems to be fully aware of this, especially after the abysmal performance of TFONE, which gave us a twenty something kid Megatron in his blue collar days. Sure he did become evil in the end, but with the film handled as more of a buddy adventure with college aged kids that can’t Transform thru most of the picture, it’s no surprise the thing kids in my theater liked the most were the deer bots.

So a recent post on Instagram instead focused on the evil exploits of G1, Armada, TFA, and TFP Megatron, explicitly calling Megatron scary.

Meanwhile a heavy G1 leaning post about Grimlock, complete with Gregg Berger voice over that’s especially bizarre seeing overplayed against the British Cyberverse Grimlock, did include EarthSpark Grimlock, but it paled in comparison to the attention G1 and CV Grimlock got. Curiously no inclusion of TFA Grimlock, and I get why RiD15 Grimlock wasn’t included since he’s the friendly college jock type rather than the hard ass the clip was trying to convey, … but then so is CV Grimlock so hmm.

Either way it’s becoming clear ES and theIDW writing style is being downplayed in favor of focusing more on past (non G1) successes like Armada and TFA for the moment.

CyberWorld is now the thing to focus on, with the best hope the Terrans have, especially Twitch and Jawbreaker, is to be 100% Autobot in some future thing.

CyberWorld is also looking to have an expansive toyline to our collective surprise, vs the apparent afterthought EarthSpark’s toyline was becoming.

So many characters with slightly different Beast and Vehicle Modes, and more exotic designs we haven’t seen since Beast Wars/Machines and the Unicron Trilogy, and it’s all the better for it.

Plus we have the return of Jazz in animated media after RiD15 and his brief cameo in TFONE (I legit forgot he was in the movie which probably tells you how little lasting impact he had), so that counts as something. Plus, we really don’t have toy only characters anymore so Jazz being listed strongly implies he’s in the cartoon!

Airachnid also sticks out for several reasons.

In an era where the Decepticons still don’t have a proper female presence, outside of some things like Angry Birds trying to force Nightbird into it, Airachnid has started to become a bit more common place as a villain following her mixed results debut in Prime.

It does feel like Airachnid is supposed to be the Arcee of the Decepticons, but Hasbro and creatives haven’t committed to the bit, but her role in TFONE feels like it’s (semi) permanently solidified her as a main Decepticon. While usually a helicopter, that sometimes Triple Changes into a spider like form, with CyberWorld’s love of using more unorthodox designs, I wonder if Airachnid will turn into something else that flies, like a jet, to mirror Starscream and Mirage.

I was thinking it was kinda odd there wasn’t many water themed Transformere for the Water World, but apparently we now have Scourge and Soundwave to round that out, making the water the Decepticons’ domain. Unless Elita has Riptide and another water themed Autobot/Maximal like Seaspray or Depth Charge I think she’s in danger…

It does feel the intention is having several larger playset Transformers to pair up with the smaller toys. A concept I’m surprised hasn’t been fiddled with more for the kids lines in recent years.

First round is Grimlock and Scorponok, with the leaks showing Scourge (pirate ship), Shockwave (dinosaur, possible Grimlock retool if I had to guess), and curiously Hound.

Hound is also significant because he was largely only used in the G1 cartoon, and never made any major reappearances.

The only significant role was the Bay films, but several have pointed out this Hound feels like he was supposed to be Bulkhead, something the RiD15 toyline supports funny enough, so this Hound feels like he doesn’t count with that in mind.

Hound being a yeti is also strange but welcome. I learned recently it’s written in some rules that Hound can never be a canine in the same way Bumblebee can’t be a bee (probably explains his absence in Beast Wars, but how that’s different for Wasp and Waspinator I dunno), but Hound being a beastial ape potentially is funny. I was thinking it was odd the Decepticons didn’t have a gorilla to counter Grimlock, so maybe Hound (as an ape) is meant to counter Shockwave? That said, the Autobots have two apes with Optimus Primal in the mix, so eh.

Some version of this will probably happen to Grimlock and Shockwave.

We did have RiD15 Grimlock do the Godzilla tail slide so it’s possible!

Lockdown is a other major inclusion.

His most famous role is his mercenary role in TFA, designed as a replacement character for Death’s Head, a similar character that started off in Transformers but became owned by Marvel similar to Circuit Breaker. A popular bounty hunter character, his role would be reprised in the Bay films as a major villain opposite Optimus.

Lockdown would appear in Cyberverse, but instead of the coolheaded powerful bounty hunter…

He instead became a Team Rocket stand in with the female Lugnut Clobber, and not a very good one at that. It’s been stated the show runner had no real knowledge of Transformers (not necessarily a problem due to Beast Wars), only wanting Lugnut because he liked the look and insisted on making Lugnut female, a move that saw Hasbro demand Lugnutte be a different character. So it’s no surprise that Lockdown being downgraded into a teenage (?) Decepticon goon in the lower rungs of the team ruffled a lot of jimmies. His lack of a toy despite being a major character also sticks out… so it’s no wonder this version has largely become forgotten. In terms of Team Rocket parodies, he’s not even on James’ league, he’s barely on Butch’s level. At best, Clobber and Lockdown are closer to Conia and Zirc, enemy characters Pokemon’s anime did not utilize well whatsoever.

Whatever CyberWorld plans to do can only be a step up, and with a possible third party antagonist being responsible for sending the Transformers to the titular planet, it’s entirely plausible Lockdown is working for this antagonist similar to Age of Extinction. With Scorponok acting as an obstacle for Autobots and Decepticons in the teaser, I’m leaning towards Lockdown in a similar role until we see more.

Scourge as a play set is also interesting. Pirates in Transformers are not in common like the Beast Wars Seacons and Star Raiders, but someone turning into a pirate ship is relative new. In G1, the Decepticon base was famously underwater, with an elevator thing allowing them to surface.

I dunno if I see Scourge being submersible or having a similar extending elevator, but it would be kinda amusing if he served as a head quarters for the Decepticons, and like Tidal Wave before him, combined with Megatron.

That’s assuming Scourge is a loyal Decepticon of course, with the anything goes approach to CyberWorld, Scourge, Soundwave and Sky-Byte could be easily reinterpreted as a separate faction of pirates who rule the Water World and are occasionally cooperative with the Decepticons ala Tarantulas or the Insecticons.

Soundwave as a third party with his own goals, and not loyal to Megatron is not unheard of!

You could even have Elita be a former pirate that defects to the Autobots, similar to Shira in Ice Age. That probably won’t be the case, but that’s my head canon in the spirit of how the toys are meant to be played.

Either way I’m actually far more excited than I have been with Cyberverse (which I wound up really hating and found forgettable) EarthSpark (I don’t hate it, but I’m more frustrated at its story choices across the board, and lack of cohesion). I don’t see CyberWorld being the next Beast Wars or Armada, but it has a far better shot at attracting kids and being a modest success like TMNT Mutant Mayhem than the other two series and TFONE did with their IDW/Tumblr-Twitter sensibilities.

[scone-lover]

Pics from Undredal 🌧️

When I started my fic Northern Downpour, I wasn't intending it to be a magical AU that explored... well, all it does. Destiny, magic, vampirism, family. I really just wanted to put it in this beautiful setting that kept popping up on my browser home screen. I literally threw a pin at the southwestern fjordlands of Norway and picked Undredal based on the goats.

Anyway, fast forward a year or so and I actually visited Undredal, like some type of crazy person. A big joy in writing this fic for me was crafting descriptions of the gorgeous scenery. Getting to see it in person was nothing short of absolutely magical. I walked the paths I've described in the fic, visited the cafe, took a kayak out on the fjord, and even got chewed on by a goat. I wrote in my journal, "I feel dwarfed in majesty."

I updated the fic a bit for accuracy, and here are some new pics with the real life locations!

The original photojournal can be found here.

Thank you all for following along- I love you dearly ❤️

Like, is this real?!?!?!?

More pictures below the cut.

the town

Simon's house No one was living there at the time so I didn't feel too stalkery lol. I was so enamored by this house, it's right at the edge of the main part of town and so charming.

Sunset from Simon's balcony

Simon's 30 second walk down the street

Undredal probably looks like this for most of the fic, since it takes place in the dead of winter

The real cafe!

The lighting situation in there is gorgeous, because norway.

with this beautiful outdoor deck!

ITS JUST SO PRETTY.

In the fic I envisioned that bright blue building on the water as the cafe - it seemed like the right color :)

WONDER VALLEY FOR REAL!!!!!

The real cheese room!

The stave church - so tiny

Insane views from kayaking - it started raining and the whole town just kind of disappeared into the fog and it was so gorgeous

I came back feeling exactly like a wet rat. Baz core

Oli captains one of these RIB tours lol

The river ran gold, and all that

You might recognize this shot from Twelve's art in chapter 12 :)

Undredal from above

Waffles with geitost!

Fancy ferries that Simon mentions in a later chapter

And here's Flåm from the water:

Goodbye Undredal <3

[medleymisty]

My submission to @simblorbo-bracket's Saddest Wettest Meow Meow tournament: Seth Morrigan.

A name that makes all Sims tremble. They whisper, "Have you seen him? I heard he never takes off his blue cardigan. I heard his khaki pants bear the face of God in their pockets. I heard he stood in a fire for an hour once and didn't die."

Occasionally an impressionable young Sim dressed all in black will say, "Yeah, I heard he burned down his house with his family inside and that he haunts the valley and that the waterfall there always smells like smoke, but damn he looks good in that blue cardigan of his."

Seth is my original Sim, created lovingly in Sims 3 CAS lo these many years ago.

He also made the transition to Sims 4.

He first appeared in the Sims 3 story In The Valley Of The Sun. Its pictures are currently lost somewhere in Photobucket, but the basic idea was that he set his house by Sunset Valley's waterfall on fire, killing his wife. Years later a young woman named Lilith came to investigate the abandoned house, which was said to be haunted. Seth was actually still very much alive, though he haunted Lilith through the narrative. At least until Lilith set a fire herself, taking them both out.

Propaganda that still has pictures! At least unless otherwise noted.

Waffles: The Syruping: a short story of Seth's sad wet descent into meow meow land told from the POV of his wife, Sarah Morrigan.

Syrup: The Waffling: Seth's own POV of his descent.

Because Death Would Not Stop For Seth: A text-only take about Seth's trauma from surviving a fire and how his absolute refusal to try and heal that trauma just led to more fire.

Eggshells: Seth as an emo teen, dealing with being bullied and with his father's condition after surviving a fire at the factory where he worked.

A longer work with Sims 4 pics: Emo Pistols. An epistolary story told through Seth's letters to his two penpals, Jasper and Anya. In this one he is finally attempting to heal from his trauma, as you can see from this excerpt:

How does a house die? Well, other than being burnt down. Speaking of which, I have not yet set the apartment on fire. I suppose that’s good. The apartment does not give me gifts. Sarah does, sometimes.  She is still here. I told her the truth, and she didn’t break or burn. She didn’t disappear into the sun. She is the Sarah who stayed.

I love my Seth baby very much. I hope he might meet some new friends through this tournament, and perhaps I will gain some inspiration to write more words about him as well. :)

[redistrictgirl]

As of October 13th, 2023, Kamala Harris is slightly favored (63% chance) in the race for the presidency.

Well, this is interesting. You usually don't see a bunch of new uncertainty three weeks before an election. But that's exactly what we've gotten in the core seven swing states, even as the rest of the battlefield narrows. Undecideds have generally ticked up and Trump has become more competitive at the margins along the Blue Wall - it seems voters are waffling on both candidates, Harris especially. I'll fully disclose that I am one of those voters in the wake of Texas Senate nominee Colin Allred's capitulation on trans rights (my single most important personal issue) and the risk of other Democrats adopting that strategy, but I imagine that for others, it has to do with Ms. Harris tying herself to the Biden administration further and Mr. Trump being... himself.

Closest States:

Wisconsin (64% chance for Harris) - Back to Earth for the Vice President here as her vote share declines to about 48.5% - still enough to be a clear favorite in the Badger State, but not enough to prevent her opponent from having a strong opening. Blame it on a 49-47 R poll from the highly respected Quinnipiac.

Nevada (67% chance for Harris) - It's probably an outlier, but my model is certainly taking note of the Wall Street Journal poll here that gave former president Trump a 49%... and his opponent a 43%. It's not particularly important for the Electoral College, but one would like to see more polling here.

Georgia (67% chance for Trump) - Well, this is a surprise in the other direction. The three polls here this week were largely a draw, with a 50-50 tie and one lead at 48% vote share for each candidate. It's a pretty big leap of logic from my model, but hopefully we'll get a clearer picture in the Peach State as more polling comes out in the last few weeks.

North Carolina (73% chance for Trump) - Meanwhile, the Tar Heel State narrows as the latest batch of polling shows most of the waffling on Ms. Harris' side. The fundamentals were never on Democrats' side here, so a one-in-four chance still isn't half-bad for them.

Arizona (74% chance for Trump) - This state has actually shown daylight for Mr. Trump, thanks to his securing two 51% marks in three polls this week. The fundamentals are basically what's keeping this state from being penciled in for the Republican.

In other news, New Mexico (99% chance for Harris) has reverted back to its fundamentals.

Overall, if you're a Republican feeling very cocky or a Democrat having a panic attack, don't, even if the topline and some pivotal states saw some big swings. I'm going back to my old friend, the card analogy, here - drawing a club and a spade are still clear Harris wins, it's only the heart that requires you to flip a coin now. And as always, the diamond is a Trump win - that was always a possibility! I'm curious to see whether the race narrows further or becomes a clearer Harris win. Either way, the Vice President's campaign should be all-hands-on-deck to stop the bleeding.

[dankillstheworld]

Castaway Cay

Actual Christmas day was the day we went to Disney's private island.

Gotta say, I loved this place.

We had a really decent view from the cabin window!

Started off the day with the famous churo Mickey waffles. Yes, they DO live up to the hype. I could eat them forever. Forget cotton stuffing, fill me up with these Mickey Waffles!

Had to meet Goofy again on the island. Like how can you see Goofy and not go "I wanna meet Goofy?" You can't. Guy's just so awesome and down to earth.

Donald showed up right after Goofy left, which was pretty chill.

Mom thought she was twinning with Captain Minnie since they were both wearing blue swim dresses, but those are obviously two different designs and shades of blue.

The lighting kinda sucked for meeting Mickey on Castaway. Mom gave him a hi five, but the shadows totally swallowed everyone's faces in nearly every picture.

Grandmama said Mom can remove the shadows with photoshop, but changing the lighting on my fur sounds like a nightmare. Real big talk for someone who accidentally made their phone think it was May!

We "ran" the 5k in order to get some medals. And by "ran" I mean we walked and took a bunch of pictures. They don't time you.

Not sure if you can see it, but Mom went nuts about spotting a lizard during the 5k. He's by the tree. You'd think she'd never seen a lizard before.

After the 5k, we went down to the beach for snorkeling.

I don't have a mouth, so snorkeling sounded hard...I volunteered to watch our stuff instead.

Hung out with my floatie. They're on the prohibited list, but the Disney provided floats were too big for me, which is why I got to keep my lapras.

After snorkeling, we went to the adult's only beach. I'm too young, but again, no one tells a bear where they can or can't go.

Mom got this bag in her fish extender from the facebook admin for our cruise. We used it as a shopping bag on the island so Mom could get a spirit jersey for her best friend. No idea why those are so popular...they don't even come in my size.

As we were leaving, made sure to grab a picture with the back of the ship.

It was a fun trip. Mom and her family had fun, my aunt bought me one of the paint brush knives from the Animator's Pallet. But after we made it back to the boat, we had to start packing in earnest.

With all the gifts Mom got for herself and for the people back home in addition to everything we brought, our suitcase was packed so tight. It was insane.

Mom's lucky I'm a bear in arms and not something that goes in the bags...because I absolutely would not have fit.

Also shoving me in the suitcase is bear abuse and would have been a crime.

[eolewyn1010]

Downton Abbey Fashion 62 - service worker fashion in 1924

More servant outfits, but this is a more mixed bag: We have Mrs Hughes, Mrs Patmore, Daisy (why is no one calling her Mrs Mason, ever?), and the short little glimpse we get at the housemaids because the basic maids are only extras now; speaking roles are lady’s maids. Because that is the best Julian Fellowes could imagine a lower-class person to achieve in their life.

Not that Mrs Hughes working dresses are so much more thrilling than lady’s maid fashion. The first ensemble that stays for most of season 6 is just kind of there with a double stripe along the trims, and it’s honestly so unstructured and without any additions like collar and cuffs that it might as well be a dressing gown. The second dress is nicer, but I think it’s the dress she already had last season and she just swapped out the under layer – the little soutache elements framing the front split are the same, and so is the belt. Regardless, I do appreciate the change; the beige and brown are giving this outfit a little more life.

Could only get this one shot of the black coat, but it’s enough to tell that someone’s done a little box pleating to that collar. Also, is this coat and hat combo actually black or film black, as in, dark blue? I’m not sure, but then Mrs Hughes has no qualms pairing the hat with her grey pinstripe walking suit, so it may be colorless. The walking suit is nice, but it looks like it doesn’t fit her; according to smooth 1920s fashions, this wrinkling around her chest should not be there.

--------------

Not much new for Mrs Patmore because she’s one of those characters who never really reached the 1920s fashion-wise, so while I can recognize this as a new dress thanks to the fabric, it has the exact same shape as the last, same collar, same sleeve volume, pin tucks on the front. It’ll stay into season 6 because why ever not; Mrs Patmore doesn’t care for change.

Same with this blueish green blouse, which is curiously not a season holdover, but instead gets replaced in season 6 with an almost identical one. No wonder I never paid much attention to Mrs Patmore’s clothes. And it’s with the pin tucks again. Is there no novelty Downstairs?

--------------

Daisy’s new working outfit is pretty neat for such a grey dress. It fits her well, the double-breasted closure and the collar really serve some chef vibes, and I cannot believe that this is swapped out for something shabbier come season 6.

Something else that inexplicably disappears between seasons is Daisy’s everyday coat, a brownish tweed with a cute zigzag weave and waffle-structured cuffs. She even wears a little brooch to this because this season Daisy gets really into motion to kick up her life prospects a notch. Perhaps that’s why the coat has to go, because she wants something that fits her better than this for her belated school graduation. That peach dress with the fractal print that peeks out in the first picture is only seen in full in season 6.

Another peach shirt, another coat, this one very nice – they show up again, albeit quite late, in season 6. Daisy got them for rare occasions like visiting London and writing her exams. Which is a damn shame, because that tie closure of the shirt with the square buckle is quite chic. On the plus side, this strange hat does not reappear with them. What is that? An uber-cloche? Why is it so exaggeratedly bowl-y on top? And why does Daisy wear it for a visit to her father-in-law despite it not matching that yellow checkered dress with the lace additions? The only element of this hat that doesn’t irritate me is the comeback of the chignon cutout in the back.

--------------

And now to the nameless nanny and maids. Said nanny, despite being ostensibly higher up in the hierarchy, can only be differed from the maids in one regard: Her uniform doesn’t fit her. The dress is crinkly, the apron looks like it’s gonna fall off of her any moment. The maid uniforms are fine by comparison, even though they only have frilly bands on their head instead of caps. But the spread collars sit, the aprons literally look like drawn on with a ruler. I don’t know why they’re wearing black dresses, which I’ve only known as evening uniforms so far, in daylight, because when the Crawleys visit another castle for a family get-together, who do we see around there? A maid in a grey uniform, which are still very much in use! A crinkly grey uniform, no less. Someone get a flat iron onto this set.

[little-miss-moonstone]

The Red Thread (Carmy x OC)

Chapter Two | Somewhere Between

Previous | Next | Series Master List

Summery: After Natalie begs Rori to help with some paperwork at the restaurant, Rori and Carmy come to an agreement.

WARNING: Anxiety, blood, almost vomit?, brief mention of past depression, very little editing. I think that’s all, once again just let me know if something needs to be added :)

Fear consumed Carmen as he watched Rori lying on the floor of the kitchen blood pooling by her side. She was struggling to breathe almost like she was drowning. He could hear everyone around him panicking, Sugar screaming for someone to call 911. It seemed like everything was happening in slow motion around the two of them. He didn’t notice when, but he was now on his knees by her side holding her hand as the blood soaked into his jeans.

“Help me, Carmy. Please, help me,” She begged.

He tried using a rag to apply pressure to the wound and the sound of her wincing through sobs broke something deep within him. How could this be happening? Hadn’t they all been through enough? Her whispering for help was all he could hear as he stared into her eyes, praying they didn’t close for good. He leaned in, noticing an orange glow in her irises. He wondered if that was what happened when someone was dying. He leaned in closer than before to see the reflection of fire dancing in her eyes, and the moment he turned around the fire alarm was blaring.

“Fuck!” Carmen cursed as he woke to realize he had almost set his apartment on fire. He opened the window while using the fire extinguisher to put out the blaze on his stove. He began fanning the smoke out the window and the alarm soon stopped. He sat on his couch with a glass of water seeing it was 1:30 in the morning. His breathing was starting to slow down from his actual nightmare and the one in his kitchen, glancing over to the journal on the coffee table, he leaned forward to grab it. He flipped it open, studying the polaroid that lay inside. He and Rori from Christmas 2018, or from what they called it, Fishmas. It was a candid shot neither of them had known was taken until Mikey had given it to him at the end of the night. The two of them were standing in front of the pantry, she had just arrived and greeted him with a hug. She pulled back and he said something that had made her laugh, his arm was still around her waist and she had put a hand on his chest as she smiled. If any stranger saw the photo they would have thought the two were a couple. He admired the picture for a few more seconds before putting it back and flipping to a blank page when his pen acted as a bookmark.

Dear Rori,

I saw you today for the first time in 3 years. You took my breath away, but you’ve never had that problem. I didn’t know what to do, or say, I thought I would never see, or hear from you again. That is my fault, I know, but I couldn’t risk you leaving me. I wish I never shut you out, you were all I ever truly had that was mine. You could have actually been mine and I ruined that too. I miss you, I miss you more than I ever thought was possible, and it's weird now because you're here and I saw you, but I still miss you. I guess that's because nothing’s changed and yet everything has changed. I used to know everything about you, your favorite song, color, flower. How you always prefer waffles to pancakes and when pinks and blues paint the sky at sunset. You’re scared of the dark and you can't sleep on the side of the bed closest to the door and the TV has to stay on. You adore dogs and you used to cry when we would pass the animal shelter. You hate summer and when Mikey and Richie would pin you down and tickle you and these days I would assume you hate me too, and I can't even blame you for it. I want to fix this, I want us to at least be friends because I can't imagine that you still love me, and I can’t stand for you to haunt another one of my dreams.

Yours forever,

Carmy

He closed the journal and moved it back to its spot on the coffee table, before lying back down on the couch and letting the TV lull him back to sleep.

Natalie invited Rori over to her house for breakfast in hopes of guilting her into helping find the missing tax forms at the restaurant. Rori almost choked on a piece of French toast at the idea of being around Carmy. She tried to voice her opinion but Sugar began to ramble on.

“No, Rori I need some help, and if it's you that helps then Carmen can run the kitchen so he won’t even be in the office. I have to find these documents or the IRS will cease my fucking home, please Rori, please, please, plea-“

“Fine! I’ll help,” She sighed.

“Thank you,” Sugar smiled. A comfortable silence fell upon the room for a brief second before Sugar spoke again, “Would it honestly be a bad thing if you and Carmy became friends again?” Rori sighed again, taking a moment to gather her thoughts.

“No, if we’re being honest, I would love that, but I doubt he would ever open up like that to me again. And, for shits and gigs, let's say he did, it took me months to cope with him cutting me out of his life. I-I don’t know if I could handle that again, I’ve never been so depressed in my entire life,” She paused. “You know how I feel about Camry, I don’t think there will ever come a time where I don’t feel that for him. It’s been three years, and when I saw him yesterday it was like the last 30 years flashed through my head, like everything came back to me, and despite the instant panic I just wanted to hug him because it actually felt like I was finally home.”

Nat’s eyes were glassy and she tried her hardest to hold it in, while another part of her couldn’t believe how much of an idiot her brother was. She had known since they were 10 that they were the perfect pair, not to mention both sets of parents often joked about the two growing up and getting married. Everyone expected it, so much that when Rori came home for Christmas in 2019, Mikey, Natalie, and Richie were shocked to hear that the two were no longer on speaking terms. She now hoped that if the two could just talk things out, maybe one day Rori would get to be her sister, like how they used to talk about as teens.

Rori became more anxious as they parked in the back of the restaurant, she was just thankful Richie was the only one taking a smoke break. She wiped her palms on her jeans before they started walking towards the door. She decided she was going to be cordial, she didn’t want to push Carmy away any further than he had already pushed. She was just going to stay in the office with Sugar and try to find this stupid document as quickly as possible.

After greeting Richie she slipped inside behind Sug and tried to keep her eyes on the ground. Carmen’s voice quickly got her to glance up as he was talking to Marcus a few feet in front of her. Their eyes met for a moment before she darted into the office and was quickly greeted by the poster of Fenway Park. A shiver went down her spine thinking about Micheal and how much time he spent in the office. She wondered if this was the last place he was before he went to the bridge that day, and she knew it was stupid to wonder things that were facts.

Two hours later they were still sifting through the never-ending paperwork. They were both growing frustrated and the office looked like a wreck. Rori was so grateful her phone began to ring. She noticed it was her publisher and quickly stepped out into the back alley. It was only a few moments later when Richie stepped out for a smoke break. He could tell it wasn’t a pleasant phone call from her constantly furrowing her brow and pinching the bridge of her nose. He took another drag just as she hung up. She looked at him and then at the cigarette he loosely held by his side.

“Can I?” She asked, gesturing to the American Spirit. He lifted his hand to offer the cigarette to her with a perplexed look on his face.

“When did Rori Bear start smoking?” He chuckled as she took a drag.She could feel her stress levels decreasing, even though she knew cigarettes didn’t help. She gave herself a moment before answering.

“Uh, I don’t know, about three years ago. I don’t smoke all the time though, it’s more of like an “I’m really stressed, or I have writer's block, or I just got off the phone with my publisher and they're bitching for a sequel” thing,” She shrugged before taking another drag and handing the cigarette back over.

“I’m sorry by the way, for calling you Rori Bear, it’s just habit y’know,” He apologized. It made her heart drop a bit that he felt the need to even say that. The nickname had always made her laugh, at least when she got older.

“No, no. It’s fine, I promise. Mikey always called me that, even after Carmy and I stopped talking so it’s okay,” She assured him with a smile. It wasn’t much longer before the two headed inside and she went back to the office to find Carmen and Natalie going through the mess together.

She went back to her spot trying not to focus on him too much, it was hard, but they all had their separate piles they were working out of. There was small talking happening mostly between Rori and Natalie or Carmy and Natalie, but that was better than silence. She got stuck on a piece of paper, it had MIkey's handwriting all over it, and then she noticed her handwriting. She remembered it from when she helped out during the pandemic. She had gone into the office and left him a note to remember to call the fridge guy and it ended up with them having a whole conversation every time one of them replied. She smiled brushing her hand over the ink, unaware that Carmen was glancing over at her.

“Oh, shit. I forgot to call Pete,” Sugar announced before slipping out of the office before either one of them could say a word.

Rori and Carmen both looked from the door and then to each other, then immediately to the papers they were both holding. He wanted to say something, but he thought he might vomit, or stutter, and that made him want to vomit more. Just say something, say anything!

“Uhh, so Book of the Year, is that like a big deal or?” He asked and then immediately regretted it.

“Kind of. I mean, yeah. I don’t know.” She settled on an answer all the while feeling like an idiot.

Carmen chuckled a bit, “You don’t know?” Despite him thinking he could’ve asked a million better questions he didn’t think that one was hard.

“Yeah, it is a big deal, but being the youngest to ever win a Pulitzer stunts your judgment on what is a big deal or not, y’know?” She explained trying to sound as humble as possible. Carmen just hummed in response, he did understand, which is why he didn’t care for awards all that much. Rori now realized it was her turn to ask something and she felt like there was a lump in her throat. She could ask all the questions she had been dying to know. Why did you push me out? Did our friendship ever mean as much to you as it did to me? Was there ever a point where you could have loved me?

“How has it been running this place? I mean besides all the shit that became yours and Sug’s problem.”

Carmen began to fiddle with the paper in his hand, trying to calculate a response that wasn’t completely unhinged. I’m so stressed I almost set my apartment on fire. I feel like one more thing might make me crumble.

“I-it’s definitely a change of pace from New York, but it’s not bad,” He tried his best not to lie. The room became quiet, but the tone wasn’t clear, it lingered somewhere between comfortable and awkward. They both knew it wouldn’t take much to make it flip, both of them grabbing folders to keep looking. She wanted to carry on a conversation with him, connect with him about something— anything. She opened her mouth to ask if Mikey ever got the fridge fixed, but he spoke first.

“Yo, I think this is it,” He leaned toward her to show her inside the blue folder labeled “Shit”. She met him halfway taking in the tax document not realizing how close their faces were.

“Yeah, yeah that’s it,” She smiled looking over to see his face an inch or two away. She glanced to his eyes wanting to burn the shade of blue even further into her mind, it was her favorite. He had always been a hard person to read, but not for her, she could practically see the gears in his head turning, he was trying to think of something to say.

“What is it, Carmy?” She asked, trying to pull the thoughts from his head. Say something, tell me anything, anything at all.

“Do you, uh, do you think we could talk, y’know about,” He paused to collect his thoughts again, “I think we should talk about things if you’re up for it. We’re both home and it’s clear that we’re going to see each other a lot. I just don’t want anyone to feel like they have to tiptoe around us.” I don’t want to tiptoe around you.

“I agree. Can you come over after work tomorrow?” She asked. Can you come over? I've wanted to show you my house since the day I bought it.

He agreed as Sugar came back into the office, the two shuffled apart proudly presenting the document to shut down anything she might say. After she and Natalie got the office back into some kind of order the two girls left, making an impromptu stop at the farmer’s market. Natalie obliged because she had nothing better to do, and after being stuck in the restaurant for hours the outdoor air seemed nice. They carried on a conversation about the “What ifs” in life coming to a bunch of unserious conclusions, laughing as Rori picked up some vegetables.

“What if you were picking up ingredients to cook Carmy dinner?” Natalie asked. She knew it was a bold assumption, but the mood in the office seemed lighter when she returned and she saw how close they were. Rori froze her hand going to pick up a tomato, she felt her cheeks warming up, and she just prayed her face wasn’t red.

“Well, I am picking up ingredients to cook dinner tomorrow night. If he eats, that's his decision,” She replied in a matter-of-fact tone. She didn’t have to look to know the grin on Natalie’s face stretched from ear to ear. She figured she had better do some damage control before Natalie got her hopes up. “We’re going to talk about everything. We figured it was better to get it all out there than to keep dancing around it. It does not mean anything is going to change, it just means we’ll be on the same page about all of it.”

The smile was still present on Natalie’s face, she knew this could only go well— no, this had to go well, for everyone's sake. She didn’t want to imagine what it would be like if it went wrong, she would be stuck facilitating every interaction the two had, not to mention what it would do to both their mental health. She pushed the thought as far back as she could. This was Rori and Carmy and she knew their story wasn’t over yet.

Chapter two!!! Please like, or reblog, or something! I hope you’re all having a wonderfully week!! My birthday is Saturday so I’m hoping to have another chapter out before then, or at the latest Sunday:) I going to do flashback I just haven’t decided if those are going to be actual chapters or like sub chapters, or maybe apart of chapter… ugh anyways, see you soon!

[queencj09]

A panicking early birthday in the day of Hawaii

(This is based on yesterday on my last day of being in Hawaii before I fly back home)

I woke up with a sore throat once again around 5 in the morning, getting on my phone and on Tumblr from being restricted due to the timeline. Me and some of my family members went to a place called “Eggs n’ Things” and I got a Belgian waffle with whipped cream and chocolate chips on top aside with 2 cappuccinos.

They didn’t mean to give me two cappuccinos but I was like: “What could go wrong with that?” So I ended up drinking to the first one at the restaurant while I drank the other one at the hotel.

It was going okay at first and not getting overly hyper. But that’s when things started taking a turn. Feeling my hands shake as I was at the pool with my two little cousins and grandma. I didn’t want to go in the pool so I just sat out.

I was just on my phone on Tumblr and listening to music but every once of a while, I would feel a bit dizzy for a slight moment. After a few minutes later, I heard one of my little cousins crying. He said that he couldn’t walk so he was being carried. It was making me feel worried so I had to wait for my mom, aunt, and uncle to get back as soon as possible from Pearl Harbor because they were having a fun time and looking at the history there.

Once they got back, we were in the hotel waiting and getting ready until to go to Hard Rock for dinner. I was wearing a beautiful blue dress that my mom liked very much. I wasn’t feeling so good after drinking those two cappuccinos so I didn’t eat there. My mom asked me if I wanted anything but I said no every time so all I had was water. Then I saw my uncle talking to a waitress, I grew in suspicion.

That's when I realized that I got a dessert for my early birthday a few weeks before my actual birthday. My period with the cappuccinos messing with my hormones made me feel two times worse so I covered my face as I cried while people were cheering and clapped for me.

But this crying wasn’t a happy crying. It was an emotional but painful moment for me. My family were getting a bit concerned about me so they tried to comfort me. I still cried while I was eating my Sunday ice cream and cried a few times walking to the beach to watch the sunset and fireworks. They got me a few things for my birthday and I got bracelets for my friends once I see them again. I tried so hard not to get so emotional when I was at the shop.

I was nothing but an anxious and crying mess. I put my feet in the ocean water, feeling the warmth of the sea. I did also take some pictures for my mom because I was having my first little brother. I keep thinking about how time went too fast for me like it felt like I was 8 years old again then suddenly turning 15.

Watching the fireworks was so beautiful to see for my sad eyes. After that, I went back to the hotel to rinse my body and took some pills that my mom got for me for me to help with my shaking body and my sore throat.

I draw for a bit before going to bed and hugging a pillow as if it was a person to comfort my sad heart. Needing for a kiss and the warmth close to my heart. I quietly thought to myself: “I miss when I was younger with my big happy family living together with me and my mom. I still remember all my childhood memories and wishing to have some touch to my endurance..”

I hug the pillow tightly once more before drifting away into my sleep wait for a better day to go back home

[victorluvsalice]

-->And so the group returned home, where the weather was actually halfway decent. I had Smiler and Victor resume their interrupted flirting, with Smiler getting frisky and going in for the kiss before getting a drink from Victor’s wrist (as they were QUITE thirsty at this point). Alice went and collected some of the wild chrysanthemums growing by the path to the barn while I pulled her photos and her and Victor’s paintings out of their inventories – the paintings went up into the attic rec room, to be framed and put on the wall next to the couch and the microphone, while I ended up selling most of the pictures, keeping just one small one to put in the digital picture frame. Seriously, that thing is useful when it comes to small picture storage... Anyway, I sent her upstairs to look at her own painting while Smiler finished their dinner and Victor went to have his (some more pumpkin spice waffles, as I’d shoved all the food back in the fridge once they got home) –

And then I looked at the back porch, and saw NPC Ericka Wada heading to the grill to do some herbalism. O.o Uh – when did you get here and why are you using the grill? I quickly had Victor send her home, then had him clean up the herbalism pot with his own dishes once he was done with his dinner. The fuck, game – at least require me to invite people in before they start using my grill and nearly burn my house down again!

-->Anyway – Smiler ended up heading to the attic to have a chat with Alice, and I figured while they were up there, that they could practice their comedy and tell a few jokes on the microphone. I had Victor transportalate up there to join them, and he and Alice watched and enjoyed Smiler’s performance (they both got the moodlet “Briefly Amused,” so it wasn’t a real WINNER, but they did laugh, so...). I ended the impromptu comedy hour around 10 PM, after which Smiler went back to their robotics station in the barn to make a computer chip; Alice went to the kitchen to have some more focaccia for dinner; amd Victor went to the second floor blue-and-white bathroom to mop a slime creature before using the toilet. I happened to notice at this point Victor was VERY close to getting a Talent Point from his magic usage, so I had him transportalate down to the greenhouse and cast Floralorial on that troublesome dahlia plant. Which – did actually seem to finally clear the glitch-weeds, when not even shift-clicking would. O.o Fingers crossed people! It also got him the Talent Point, which I promptly spent on “Hexproof” to protect him from all curses. :) I then pulled all of Alice’s super-vitality fertilizers out of her inventory (she didn't notice, she was busy playing laser pointer with Kelly in the back entrance mudroom) and put them into Victor’s so he could sprinkle them on all the oversized crops (though admittedly it looks like they’re all gonna be normal-sized crops this time), before noticing another specter outside the greenhouse and sending him over to give them a Potion of Good Fortune. They appreciated it and left Victor a forbidden candy jar, but as we already have three (one in the kitchen, one on the back porch, and Alice has the third in her inventory), I had Victor just straight-up sell that to an oddity collector. There's only so many oddities these three can collect after all!

-->And then – okay, I didn't get any pictures of this, but you'll see why I didn't in a second. After selling the candy jar, Shadow ran up to Victor whining about a ball – I figured “okay, let’s play fetch with the dog, I already have Alice playing laser pointer with the cats” (she'd moved onto entertaining I think Shock on the front porch by this point) and had Victor grab the ball in his inventory –

Only for Shadow to run away as another NPC showed upon the front porch for no good reason. *sigh* I had Alice send the person on the porch (Maya, I think her name was) away once she was done with the laser pointer, and waited for Shadow to finish her business so I could try to get the game of fetch back on. She headed upstairs and into Smiler’s room and approached their desk –

And then did that horrific glitch thing where pets try to stand up like Sims but their legs get all thin and distorted and their heads end up going backwards. O.o It only lasted for a moment, but as you might imagine, it triggered another MCCC error. (I think the dog was trying to play with one of the chatterbots on Smiler’s desk – maybe the NPC wanted to do that and the game got confused?) And kind of killed my desire for fetch. XD Fortunately, at that point I realized that it was actually after midnight in the game and decided it was a good time to wrap things up with the trio, saving and closing.

And that was the gang's Summer Tuesday! Nice, productive day for them – I’m glad to see that their snack business is doing pretty well. :D And I have to admit, it’s a little more fun to take the food stand around all the different worlds than just do the same thing over and over at the grocery store. But I still want to sell everything in their store before I do anything different with it. :p Next time we hit this save, though, the trio will be heading to Chestnut Ridge for SimCity Founding! We'll see you then!

[simblorbo-bracket]

Round 2 - Simblr's Saddest, Wettest Meow Meow - Losers Bracket

Seth Morrigan (@medleymisty) VS. Rook (@morrigan-sims)

(polls are presented left -> right unless stated otherwise)

They may be down, but they're not out yet! Who deserves a shot at redemption, to prove that they, truly, are the saddest and wettest of meow meows despite all the odds?

What is a ‘Meow Meow’?

(taken from tumblr user @/torturelabyrinth) “The thing about a true poor little meow meow is they have to be 1) downtrodden 2) morally questionable at best 3) deeply and pathetically miserable”

Seth Morrigan

A name that makes all Sims tremble. They whisper, "Have you seen him? I heard he never takes off his blue cardigan. I heard his khaki pants bear the face of God in their pockets. I heard he stood in a fire for an hour once and didn't die."

Occasionally an impressionable young Sim dressed all in black will say, "Yeah, I heard he burned down his house with his family inside and that he haunts the valley and that the waterfall there always smells like smoke, but damn he looks good in that blue cardigan of his."

Seth is my original Sim, created lovingly in Sims 3 CAS lo these many years ago.

He also made the transition to Sims 4.

He first appeared in the Sims 3 story In The Valley Of The Sun. Its pictures are currently lost somewhere in Photobucket, but the basic idea was that he set his house by Sunset Valley's waterfall on fire, killing his wife. Years later a young woman named Lilith came to investigate the abandoned house, which was said to be haunted. Seth was actually still very much alive, though he haunted Lilith through the narrative. At least until Lilith set a fire herself, taking them both out.

Propaganda that still has pictures! At least unless otherwise noted.

Waffles: The Syruping: a short story of Seth's sad wet descent into meow meow land told from the POV of his wife, Sarah Morrigan.

Syrup: The Waffling: Seth's own POV of his descent.

Because Death Would Not Stop For Seth: A text-only take about Seth's trauma from surviving a fire and how his absolute refusal to try and heal that trauma just led to more fire.

Eggshells: Seth as an emo teen, dealing with being bullied and with his father's condition after surviving a fire at the factory where he worked.

A longer work with Sims 4 pics: Emo Pistols. An epistolary story told through Seth's letters to his two penpals, Jasper and Anya. In this one he is finally attempting to heal from his trauma, as you can see from this excerpt:

How does a house die? Well, other than being burnt down. Speaking of which, I have not yet set the apartment on fire. I suppose that’s good. The apartment does not give me gifts. Sarah does, sometimes.  She is still here. I told her the truth, and she didn’t break or burn. She didn’t disappear into the sun. She is the Sarah who stayed.

I love my Seth baby very much. I hope he might meet some new friends through this tournament, and perhaps I will gain some inspiration to write more words about him as well. :)

Rook

Why a SWMM? I call him my "idiot bastard man", and it's accurate in every sense of those words. Actual literal bastard son of a nobleman. Ran away from home and joined a pirate crew because he was terrified of getting stuck working a dead-end job for the rest of his life (he was 17). Had 6 great years sailing with his captain, who was the first person who was ever nice to him. He even had one (1) real friend!!! But the rest of the crew hated him and thought the captain was showing him favoritism, so he got given a drugged drink during a "birthday celebration" on shore, and given to a rival captain. She kept him and torture him for 2 years until he escaped. He met two good father figures but one of them turned out to be the BBEG (see above), and the other one died 2 days later. The day after that he got kidnapped again. He's been cursed by a demon lord so he has terribly nightmares and barely sleeps. He's convinced that his life has no value, and is self-sacrificial to the point of self-destruction. Keeps telling people who care about him very concerning news (mainly that he died) in really stupid ways. Has died 3 times, and has been pulled back from the brink countless more. Goes down at least once every combat / gets the shit beat out of him constantly. Was reunited with his one (1) friend and she immediately got killed because of his actions. Has no common sense. Extremely impulsive. Got told he was too reckless to be trusted with his own life. Gets bullied by major villains on a regular basis. Has taunted powerful people twice and gotten killed both times. Has no common sense. A capital L Liar, has never told the truth in his life. Hasn't properly buttoned a shirt in ~9 years. Other people knew that his beloved mentor and father figure was actually the BBEG but they didn't tell him. Had to see said mentor figure get brutally "killed" in front of him.

Origin: He's my longest-running Dungeons & Dragons character, and I have literally never been more obsessed with a character in my life. And completely unbeknownst to me I wrote him to be a perfect parallel to the BBEG of the entire campaign. Hence why the DM made said BBEG show up and be Rook's mentor... Fun times!!!

Additional Propaganda: I mean, just look at this shit:

^ that should say "unless", not "in case", I made a typo and didn't realize until later.

Tags from a friend on a post I made about him: