#Making Magic

[markrosewater]

My first Bloomburrow preview article is up.

[cannedchelsea]

steve plays his guitar and sings to knives until she falls asleep (CANON)

[archerinventive]

Happy Makers Monday!!

With only a few short days before faire, the workshop is in full swing prepping all the final touches for the booth.

That includes these accent flags I've been painting on and off for the last few weeks. :)

If you know of any cool heraldry you'd like to see adorning the Archer Inventive booth, or future Knights of Loreamour tourney field please feel free to leave a comment, and I'll try to add it to the collection in the future. :)

Also, as a quick reminder this is your LAST CHANCE to acquire any of the Limited Edition items in the shop before they're all taken to faire this Friday. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArcherInventive

Wishing you all an adventure filled week!

I can't wait to see many of you this weekend at faire. :)

[mxssingmemories]

Making Magic- Rewritten

Summary: You’re an equestrian and you have been for years. Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan are your mentors and father figures-it’s your first horse show and they’re with you. What could go wrong? Or in your case, what could go right?

Pairings: Sebastian Stan x teen!reader, Chris Evans x teen!reader, mcu cast x teen!reader

Warnings: mentions of anxiety, mentions of parental issues, anxious thoughts, tooth-rotting fluff :)

Word Count: around 4.5k?

A/N: hi lovelies! part two is coming soon i swear, i’m just very busy :) here’s the rewrite!!

The funny thing about horse show days is that no matter how stressful they are, anyone in the “show business” would rush to defend them the second someone starts to say anything negative about them. It’s not that they’re wrong though; horse shows can be some of the most exciting and rewarding experiences in the equestrian world. You knew this personally.

Not only have you been equestrian your whole life, you’ve been to countless shows. The thrill of watching someone do what you loved professionally couldn’t be compared to anything else you’d ever felt. The only thing stressful about show days for you was the traffic and finding a place to park. Today was majorly different, though-it was your first horse show.

After waking up at the ass-crack of dawn to get the trailer ready, you finally made your way over to the stable. The route to Mac’s stall was ingrained in your memory, and you smiled absentmindedly at the familiarity of it all. Mac somehow sensed that today was a big day for the both of you, and the minute you stepped in the stall, he came over to you. He nuzzled you as you sat down next to him, his head falling on your knees. You sat there and cuddled him with a smile on your face. The upcoming chaos of the day meant that there was no harm in a little bonding time for both of you.

Much to Mac’s dismay, you stood up five minutes later. You took a deep breath as you put his halter on. The soft material was comforting on your hands as you adjusted it, putting it over his head. You checked you watch and smiled when you saw the time-you had at least an extra thirty minutes. Instead of leading him straight to the trailer, you led him to a tack stall. You grabbed your grooming bag and took out the curry comb. Dirt flew off of Mac’s coat as you brushed gentle circles through his coat. It confused you how he managed to get this dirty, you’d bathed him last night!

The familiar grooming routine allowed you to fall into a bit of a daze. It was a common theme-you’d always found it easy to get lost in horses. Your relationship with your parents wasn’t the best, but your dad was an actor in the MCU. This, of course, set up a bunch of connections for you with almost everyone who’d ever stepped foot on the set. It didn’t even come close to making up for the absence it had created with your dad, but you were pretty thankful you at least had this. It was nice to be able to have someone to look up to.

In your case, though, it wasn’t just one person. The whole marvel cast had made it their mission to be there for you as much as they could when they found out about your situation. 75% of your time was spent with at least one member of the cast, and if you weren’t physically with them, they were almost always texting you. It was a little bit overwhelming at first-going from almost no attention from family to almost always having someone to talk to was a huge change for you. You’d grown to love it eventually. As you got to know them, you realized that they were genuinely some of the most caring people you’d ever met. You got close with all of them, especially Sebastian and Chris (Evans, of course.) They took on the roles of mentors and father figures in stride, and you really couldn’t be more appreciative of the change in your mental health that caused.

If you were honest, the only reason you’re where you are right now is because of those two. When they found out about your pure passion for horses and realized you didn’t have the resources to be fully invested in the sport, they took major action. Chris did a lot of research. There were some days where he was still up when the sun rose, tired eyes staring at a computer screen as he scrolled relentlessly through articles. After about a week, he and Sebastian approached you asking if they could help you out. At first, you gave them a hard no. As you expected, though, they kept pushing. You gave in after a solid two hours of nonstop begging, albeit reluctantly, and then found out they already managed to buy an old barn for you. You were pissed off at first-they didn’t even ask you before they bought it-but you settled down when you saw the place.

Seb and Chris had insisted it wasn’t a big deal. Logically, you knew it wasn’t. They had so much money they didn’t even know what to do with it, and it made sense in their heads. The fact that they’d both come to see you as a daughter figure only added to the idea. The minute they saw the ad online, they were instantly charmed and knew you would be too. So they did the logical (okay, maybe not that logical) thing and bought it.

The minute you pulled up to the place, you’d instantly fallen in love with it. It was a little bit on the older side, but it was evident to you that it could be turned into a work of art with a little bit of work and love. It was tucked away into a quiet area with trees surrounding it, making it more charming in your eyes. The red and brown paint was faded, and the barn’s 5 stalls were coming apart, but you had faith. The pasture was huge, giving you more and more inspiration for the future of the barn.

It took the three of you (with a boatload of help from the cast) about a year to get it fixed up, but when it was done, you were very proud of it. It was one of the most gorgeous barns you’d ever seen. It had a comforting aura surrounding it, and you still take solace in that every chance you can. When you got Mac, you stopped spending your days repairing the barn. It got more and more common for someone from your close circle to walk in and see you in Mac’s stall or out in the arena. Everyone adored the Palomino, sitting and watching as you worked on showjumping in the arena or put up dressage letters to work on another test.

A tap on your shoulder brought you out of your thoughts, and you turn around to find Chris with a soft smile on his face.

��How ya feelin, kiddo?” he asks you kindly, looking Mac up and down as if to reassure himself that he’s still there.

“I’m okay. A little lost in thought, but that’s normal I think? Where’s Seb?” you question him, one eyebrow arched at the missing presence.

“He’s hanging out in the truck. He’s very excited to make our first pre-show Starbucks run!” Chris says, shimmying his shoulders with a teasing smile on his face. You rolled your eyes, having expected that. It’s well-known among everyone that Seb’s a sucker for Starbucks, seeing as he doesn’t hide it very well.

With the knowledge that all of Mac’s tack is in the trailer already, you hooked his lead rope back onto his halter and led him to the trailer. Chris followed behind in a way that reminded you of a lost puppy, a giggle escaping your lips at the thought. Thanks to the treats you used to bribe him, Mac goes in easily, snorting loudly at the treat you gave him. After making sure the trailer’s locked up and closed correctly, you hopped in the truck and took your signature spot between Chris and Sebastian.

“Starbucks time?” Sebastian asked, eyes lighting up at your nod.

30 minutes and a coffee run later, the three of you were finally headed to the showgrounds. You stole the aux as usual, your favorite music blaring through the speakers. They both danced and sang with you, the energy in the truck way more hyped up then humanly possible at the early hour. The sun was just starting to come up, giving you the view of one of the most beautiful sunrises you’d ever seen. The ride to the grounds was peaceful, a stark contrast to the upcoming events of the day. The second they parked, the mood shifted from peaceful to anxious instantly. You got out quickly, climbing over poor Chris in the process, and got Mac out. The ground crunched under his hooves as you led him around, leaving Chris and Seb to prepare what they could for you.

Sebastian walked over to you first, noticing the anxious manner in which you walked him around the parking area.

“You doin’ okay, darlin’? I know you’re nervous but pacing with Mac isn’t going to help. What can I do?” he questions, words coming out in a mouthful.

“I really don’t know. I need to go lunge him but I’m so stressed out right now I feel like I’ll trip over my own feet.” you admitted in a soft tone. Sebastian’s heart clenched at your words.

“What if I come in the ring with you to lunge Mac? Or I can go grab Chris if you want. Remember how you taught us all that stuff about lunging and shit? We’ve gotcha this time. Let us help, honey.”

You weren’t expecting tears to form in your eyes at his words. Instead of showing your face, you barrelled into him for a hug. Mac’s lead rope fell to the side as Seb’s arms wrapped around you, letting you take all the time you needed to breathe before you pulled away.

“Can you come in with me after you go let Chris know where we’ll be? You know how he is, he’s gonna wanna come watch even though I’m not even on Mac.” you sniffled, and Sebastian nodded and headed off. You hooked Mac’s lunge rope on his halter and led him into the ring, making sure you were alone so you could safely lunge him.

A few minutes after getting him to a working trot, Chris appears in your line of view, smiling at you from the edge of the arena. Before long, Sebastian is heading towards you, cocking his head as if to ask if you needed any help. You grinned reassuringly at him and looked back at Mac. When you finally got him into a working canter and warmed up, you waved Chris over.

“Could you go set up some jumps for me? I’m gonna lunge him over some smaller verticals. Maybe 2’3?” You asked him.

“Absolutely, I’ll set a line up. Want me to get Sebastian to hold him while you go get changed? I know it’s a little early for that, but it’s cold out. I don’t want you getting sick.”

You nod as you head to the truck, gathering your clothes in your arms while you walk to the back of the trailer. You eventually decided on a long-sleeve white riding top, one of Chris’ hoodies to go over it, and a pair of your favorite sweats. You wanted to put off changing into your actual riding clothes until Mac was tacked up.

You got back to the arena to see an absolutely adorable scene. Sebastian is holding Mac while snuggling his neck, and Chris is sitting on a jump doing his best to measure it. You grabbed your phone out of your pocket and snapped a quick picture, heading over to help Chris and take Mac from Seb.

You worked him back up to a canter, lining him up with the line Chris set up. You grin as he jumps it flawlessly, smile growing even wider as he jumps it even better the next time. Confident you could raise the vertical again, you signaled Chris over, pointing to the jump.

You’d made the decision to show in the 3 foot jumpers as well as the 2’8, so you had Chris set up two verticals and an oxer. The oxer was 3’2, just in case you qualified for the bonus round, and the verticals were 3 feet. You lunged him over those jumps for about half an hour until you were satisfied, Chris and Sebastian watching from the sidelines with proud smiles on their faces.

“Ready to tack up?” Chris asked as you walked over with Mac in tow. You nodded, and together, you headed up to the barn area. Sebastian checked you in while Chris helped you find Mac’s stall. The barn itself was pretty much deserted-it was around 9 in the morning, and the show didn’t start until 11. Putting Mac in his stall, you ran to the truck and grabbed your tack box.

You’d decided on a wintergreen saddlepad the night before, a choice much approved by Chris. You hooked Mac onto the crossties and brushed him again, getting as much dirt off as possible before you started to tack up. The saddlepad went on first, and after adjusting it a little bit, you threw the saddle and girth on. After you put the bridle on, you handed Mac over to Sebastian and ran to the bathroom to change again. You changed out of your sweats to put on your “show-worthy” breeches, and zipped up your boots as quickly as you could. Grabbing the helmet you haphazardly placed on the sink, you jogged out to the warm-up arena to meet the boys. After adjusting your stirrups, Chris gave you a leg up and you got situated in the saddle.

You thanked everything that the arena was empty as you came into a posting trot, pointing the boys to the jumps you wanted set up. You let yourself do a few laps around the arena as the boys set the jumps up, doing a few breathing exercises as you went. Picking up a canter, you did your best to find your distance to the first line. You clicked at Mac as you rode over the first one, losing your balance a little bit at the second one. The adrenaline started to kick in as you easily went over the last two, giving Mac a pat as you brought him down to a trot. You came back around and went over them again, trying to get the distances as perfect as possible. You let yourself get lost in the motions, the jumps becoming easier for you both to maneuver. Going over a few more variations of height and pattern, you hopped off and checked the time. You did the math in your head as you led Mac back to his stall.

You show at two, and it’s 10:45-you’ve got three hours to prepare. Looking around, you slowly notice the amount of people there. Naturally, your brain starts to set into a spiral. What if you’re not good enough? What if you embarrass yourself in front of everyone? What if you fall?

Not even a minute later, Chris and Seb walk over. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think they could sense your train of thought. They both had a feeling something was up, and that was confirmed when they saw the tears in your eyes.

“Hiya, buddy, I know it seems scary right now, yeah? But you know that you deserve this just as much as everyone else here, right? We’re both really proud of you, lovie,” Sebastian reassures, Chris nodding along. The boys both pull you into a hug as you feel your anxiety start to calm itself down a little bit.

“How ‘bout we go check out your course?” Seb smiles as you pull back, both Seb and Chris taking one of your hands to lead you to the paper. Of course you’d studied the course the night before-you weren’t a madman-but both the boys wanted to make sure you were as prepared as possible. You had to give it to them-they were doing their hardest to make sure you were comfortable.

“I wish the others could be here,” you mumbled, unfocused eyes scanning the paper for what felt like the 100th time.

“I know, love. You know how Chris is though! He’s gonna be filming the whole thing,” Sebastian teased, both of you laughing at Chris’ mock offended expression.

Little did you know, Anthony, Robert, Scarlett, both of the Toms and Mark were going to be there to surprise you. Chris had decided to get into contact with them a few days prior, telling them that it was our first show. He somehow managed to organize the whole thing, and everyone was out of their minds with excitement.

Once you were confident you had the course down, Sebastian and Chris set out to find as many distractions for you as they possibly could. They took you to the show shoop and grinned as you stared in awe at all of the merchandise they had on display. Your eyes kept wandering to a grey hoodie with the show’s logo on it, but you dismissed it with a grimace when they asked about it. Chris walked off with you to the cafe while Sebastian stayed behind, grabbing the hoodie off the rack and paying for it. It was your first show;they had the right to indulge you a little bit!

The time flew by faster than you could comprehend. Soon enough, it was time for you to get your number and warm Mac up. The boys did all that they could think to do for you-tying your number on your belt, leading Mac to the ring, and sneaking him a few treats. Your nerves steadily got worse as the crowd multiplied, the crowded stands more intimidating than you thought was possible. They did their best to calm you down, but even their comforting words couldn’t get rid of them entirely.

As you rode into the final warm-up ring, Chris and Sebastian ran up to the gate. They wanted to make sure they could send you off, being the proud guys they are. They watched intently as you warmed up a few jumps, excitement radiating off of them. As they scanned the crowd, the boys spotted the cast members in the front seats. Chris was puzzled for a second-all of the front row seats were reserved-but let it go when Sebastian tapped his shoulder. From your point of view, it would be impossible to not see the cast, and this somehow excited Chris and Seb even more.

The minute you got in line, the boys appeared right by your side. They had the biggest smiles you’d ever seen on their faces, automatically putting a giant smile on yours.

“Holy shit!” Seb whispered, blushing at the death stares this got from the other riders in your class.

“I know! I’m fucking terrified. I know the course, I know Mac’s ready, I just don’t feel ready, I guess,” you sniffled, ”but at least I have the same course for my 4 o’clock class!” you stated, sympathy in your eyes for the people who did. Chris reached up to give Mac a few pats on the neck, Sebastian doing the same with a smile.

“You got this in the bag, kiddo. I’m confident you’re gonna beat everyone’s asses out there,” Chris reassured you. You rolled your eyes but smiled anyway, feeling the confidence from the boys practically transfer into you.

“Feelin’ okay?” Seb asks for what felt like the fiftieth time that hour. You nodded slightly, effectively cutting off the conversation as the buzzer sounds for the rider in front of you. The feeling of Mac’s reins in your hands and his gentle breathing grounded you.

You watched the rider with bated breath. She knocks a pole over and ends up falling off, and your face pales. You can feel your heart race accelerating, hands trembling slightly as you tried to keep a hold on the reins.

“Shit, shit, shit!” you mumble, as Chris and Sebastian stand stiffly, jaws clenched so hard they could make diamonds. It was obvious this made your anxiety worse; so far, no one had gotten a clear round. You feel Chris’ hand on your leg and Sebastian’s hand in yours as you take a deep breath, their touches a simple way of saying they’re right there. The rider comes out of the gate looking devastated, and you give her a small nod. If it was even possible, your heart begins to beat faster.

You guide Mac into the gate and walk into the arena as the announcer begins her speech.

“Next up we have miss Y/N L/N! We’ve heard very good things about her, and cannot wait to see her ride. She’s on her horse Making Magic, aka Mac! You may start your round at the buzzer. Best of luck to you both!

Starting your courtesy circle, you bring Mac up into a canter around the arena. You gaze out at the stands, and you do a double-take. Sure enough, your cast is here. You feel your heart beating ten times faster, the pressure you’re under scaring you a little bit, but a glance at Chris and Sebastian and a deep breath clear your head.

The second the buzzer goes off, you made your way over to the first jump. It was clear you had no time to waste-the time allotted was barely enough for a rider who gallopped through the course. You soared over the first jump without effort, squeezing Mac with your heels to encourage him. Mac, being the angel he is, immediately does what you ask, letting you both continue the course easily. When you get to the second-to-last jump, the freakout sets in. Two other riders had previously fallen off over this jump. You swear time slows down as you scan the crowd for your boys, making eye contact with them. With a nod from Seb, you take a deep breath and count your strides. He eases into the distance, both pairs of eyes focused on the jump. They get there a stride too early, throwing you a bit off balance, but your faith in Mac never ceases as you coax him over it. The missing stride throws you out of your saddle a little bit, but what you choose to focus on is the fact that no poles were knocked down. A glance at the scoreboard reveals no penalties. You exhaled sharply as you realized there was only one jump left, using the reins to turn your horses’ head to it.

“Easy, easy,” you mumble, doing what you can to line the both of you up. Pushing Mac to his max, you get there at the perfect distance.

The second you both hit the ground, loud cheers break out from the whole crowd, and an ear-splitting grin comes onto your face instantly. You wave at the crowd, laughing when you spot the cast practically jumping up and down to get spotted by you.

“There you have it, folks! That was the last rider in this class, Y/N L/N, with the first and only clear round! Congratulations, you two!” The announcer said, a smile clear in her voice. You trotted out of the arena and headed straight to the cast, with one of the biggest smiles you’ve ever had on your face. Chris, Anthony, and Tom ran up screaming. You did your best to side-eye them but all hopes were lost when Sebastian started jumping up and down, causing you to giggle like a toddler.

“Holy shit! That was awesome! I told you you could do it!” Chris yelled, Anthony and Tom ecstatically nodding their heads at you as they patted Mac.

Everyone else ran up to congratulate you with huge smiles on their faces, and you couldn’t help but feel excited for your next round.

[keresacheron]

Gavin Verhey on River Song’s Diary.

[keresacheron]

Throne of Eldraine in a nutshell. If you change the names and mess around with the plot, no one can tell your adapting arthuriana.

consistently overestimating the general public’s level of arthurian understanding.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

I love you Safety Wizard.

(Inspired by @keroascrazy)

[curiositydooropened]

Hey, so I started a Substack a little while ago, if anyone’s interested. Just waffling about my art and lovely community and the need for art and community.

[vampirwurstsims]

Einhorn-Eskalation

Das heutige Update bringt euch und euren Sims eine Auswahl an Tapeten, für eure magischen Sims oder jene die Sternenhimmel (Sternenhimmel oh oh ) und/oder Einhörner mögen. Für die Maxis Matching Liebhaber habe ich auf die grauen Holztexturen aus Hokus Pokus ( In die war ich damals sofort verliebt) und dem Grundspiel zurück gegriffen ( Wer errät welche Textur aus dem Grunddpiel stammt, bekommt einen Keks). Da der Export trotz Vintage PC nicht funktionierte, griff ich auf die Texturen vom simthings Konversionen zurück. Die zauberhafte Einhorntextur stammt von Kate Rose, die diese Textur händisch Digital (Also ohne KI) erstellt hat.

Wenn ihr eine deutsche Katalogbeschreibung wollt, klickt hier:

http://simfil.es/5408168/

For an Ingame Preview, the english post and the download with english ingame description read further :)

Unicorn Escalation

Today's update brings you and your Sims a selection of wallpapers for your magical Sims or those who like starry skies and/or unicorns. For the Maxis Matching lovers I used the grey wood textures from Makin' Magic (I fell in love with them immediately) and the base game (whoever guesses which texture is from the base game gets a biscuit). Since the export didn't work despite the vintage PC, I used the textures from the simthings conversions. The magical unicorn texture comes from Kate Rose, who created this texture digitally by hand (i.e. without AI).

For English ingame description:

http://simfil.es/5408170/

And if you like you can Support me with a coffee:

[owlpero]

free will is all about headcanoning your faves as autistic

[markrosewater]

Today’s article is my first preview column of Foundations. I introduce the design team, talk about how the set got made, and show off some preview cards.

[kianamaiart]

Pretty Pretty Please I Don't Want to be a Magical Girl: Villains

[dapper-lil-arts]

What if Celestia had Whatsapp 🤣🤣🤣

[bisclavaret]

a day late to my 6 years on t anniversary ✨🏳️‍⚧️ a short comic about looking back

[strawberijasper]

so... some people on tiktok have been making sibling swap stuff, except a lot of them feel like either color palette swaps/miss the entire points of these characters so I decided to make my own because I was being autistic about it. so now I have an entire au :3c

I have more of these designs in the works but have these two for now