#i need to expand on this more cus i have so many thoughts on this

[lilyliveredlittlerichboy]

it's time now. it's time to imagine the brightest future you can, and talk about it.

a future where people only work 8 hours a week and everyone's basic needs are met. a future where we are more connected to nature and eat seasonal, local produce. a future where you look out for your neighbours and they look out for you. a future where you actually know who your neighbours are. a future where everyone is just a lot more relaxed and able to do whatever they want to do - this 8 hour working week has given people their lives back and now they're able to make community events, work in community gardens, sing and dance and spend time with their kids, play whatever sport they want, travel, read, create art and music.

People are interacting with each other in good faith again because money as an ulterior motive has all but disappeared. Cus you see a few decades ago they made profits illegal. All money has to be put back into the company and CEOs can take home a salary only, no bonuses and it can't be more than 3x what the lowest paid employee makes. You can go to jail if your company is found to make profits, advertise on a large scale or pay its high ranking members more than what's allowed.

Jail still exists but mostly people go in for financial crimes (greed still exists); drugs are decriminalised and available to use safely. people are not as desperate now so there's been a massive reduction of violent and petty crime and most of the people who still do this are teenagers who get away with a slap on the wrist. police are not armed anymore and are heavily penalised if they abuse their power or hurt a civilian, and their role is more that of mediator, signposter (to community services, social services, and free and accessible healthcare including for mental health) and security. together with the former military they make up an "emergency task force" which are called upon in times of need and crisis, for floods, fires, other such disasters.

the stock market completely collapsed after profits were made illegal and people had to find other ways to figure out what a company was worth: such as how they treat their staff or how accessible their processes are. as a result of this, as well as more widespread disability thanks to Covid and an ageing population, accessibility is fucking incredible now. most places are accessible to the vast majority of disabled people even without them having to ask for a single thing. If they have to ask, accommodations are made quickly and without fuss and this is completely normal now. disabled people are more visible than ever in public life and this has led to a generally kinder, more tolerant public life.

Everything is slower now. Social media as we know it died decades ago and Internet 4.0 is efficient, will find you accurate answers and the websites you're looking for very easily and fast. there's monopoly laws restricting how large companies operate online. online ads are all but illegal - there's "phone book" esque pages where you can promote your business or service and that's allowed but not anywhere else. Lots of people are still annoying and some of them are still cruel but overall living together as humans has gotten so much more chill. We've tackled climate change and reversed much of it, now it's a global day of mourning whenever a species is found to be extinct through human intervention. these days used to happen much more frequently but it's very rare these days. Most everyone gets the day off and is encouraged to read about the lost species or hold themed funerals. Globally everything has gotten better - there's much more global equality now after a bunch of western/formerly colonising countries almost self destructed and then instead decided to own up for colonialism, pay reparations to a lot of countries in Africa Asia and Latin America, as well as indigenous nations of North America, Oceania, even in Europe. The USA doesn't exist anymore instead its a whole host of separate nations all managed by the native people whose land it is. The UK doesn't exist anymore. England is still sad about it but Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Cornwall are called Cymru, Alba, Eire and Kernow again and they've formed a Celtic Union for better collective bargaining power in the EU (which still exists, somehow. Its better now. England may still be out of the EU I'm not sure). Migration is common and foreigners are welcomed into any country with open arms.

I may try to write something about this. I have a vision for a future and it's so lovely. Here, on earth, with the starting point being now. We have a lot to work with and only a few changes could make such a difference. Demilitarisation, UBI and maximum working hours, greedy financial practices made illegal. Conservation and education on local plants and nature and food. Community building on every level. Giving people their lives back.

This is all extremely possible. If it were up to me, very little in society would be left unchanged but it would all be people friendly changes. changes that aim to support the poorest and most marginalised, changes that aim to punish greed and exploitation. It's a work in progress of course. But I have a vision for a better world and dammit if I'm not going to share it with you.

[rabbits-rib]

Hi! So I never do requests like these but getting into MH and EMH has forced my hand lmao

Watching Tim and Evan sleep head-canons with a GN!Reader. (😭)

Hear me out! I feel like these two don’t get as much sleep, knowing their circumstances it’s understandable. (Especially Tim.) You can try to coax them to sleep all you want but they’re stubborn.

But the second that they fall asleep, you can’t help but to observe, take in their features. Hell, caress them softly or give them a small peck on the forehead or cheek. It’s peaceful and you wish it can be like this all the time.

That’s what I’m currently thinking about and I would love for you to expand on it, or just your thoughts on it, if you can!

Love reading your posts, and thank you for feeding us with them! 😭🙏

~ 🐐

THIS IS SO CUTE I LOVED WRITING THESE SM !!!! this took me forever cus i kept getting in my own head and being a sap instead of writing lolz thank you so much for your patience 😭 Evans is much more angsty than i thought it was going to be

☠️🚬 Evan Myers / Tim Wright x gn!reader helping them fall asleep :)

· · ·

Evan :

He’s sprawled out on the couch, trying to focus on the low budget horror movie on the tv, but you can tell that he’s fighting sleep and you’re immediately hit with pangs of guilt. You and Evan have both been struggling with sleep for a long while, and for reasons neither of you can exactly help; Evan has started a pattern of trying to stay up as long as possible when his paranoia gets rough because he doesn’t want to wake up to find himself not in control of his body. He can’t stand the feeling of seeing you and not being able to trust “himself” not to hurt you. You know this about him, you’ve watched and tried to help him through it time after time on sleepless nights- assuring him that you love him and that you don’t plan on leaving no matter how many times he insists you deserve better than this.

So, walking over to him and quietly planting yourself next to him on the floor, you cup his face in your hand and you can feel him leaning into your touch. Closing his eyes and bringing a hand up to layer itself on top of yours, his eyebrows furrow in a mix of relief and pain. You quietly suggest that the two of you should get to bed as you lean over to kiss his forehead, and he grasps your hand a little tighter as he whispers out a desperate “i’m so sorry.”

Your heart breaks for him in that moment. The guilt you know he feels rubs off on you more every time, but you don't want him to know. You don't want him to feel more responsible than he already does for all of this. You stretch your other arm over his drowsy form to hold him impossibly closer to you, and his frame bends into yours as he takes a deep, shaky breath. Your hand rests on the back of his head, entangled in his soft hair with your lips still connected to the top of his head as you whisper soft reassurances to him; you're hoping the onslaught of 'i love you's and 'i still trust you's will still get through to him in his tired daze.

It takes longer than you wish it would for his breathing to even out and for his grip on your hand to loosen, but you're just grateful he was able to get there at all. You gently kiss his cheek before adjusting yourself to lay your head on his shoulder, and you take a deep breath as you take in the moment engulfing you. Evan is finally sleeping, the credits are rolling on the movie he had on, and you can hear the crickets outside through the quiet background music. Everything is okay right now, and you'd do anything to keep it that way for the both of you- but for now, you'll just get comfortable and make sure you're here for him in the morning.

Tim :

Tim needs a lot of comfort to fall asleep. He has frequent nightmares that, while he doesn't like to talk about them very often (in fact you've only heard him talk about them twice, and very vaguely), you know they're bad enough to make him want to stay up for the hours on end he usually does. Whenever you do manage to coax him to get into bed with you at a reasonable hour, don't think it'll mean you'll be sleeping any time soon.

Not that he asks you to, if anything he tries to reason with you to go to bed without him being asleep, but nonetheless you stay up until you can make sure he's getting some rest. Tonight, though, is a very different story. He had been exhausted, and it was one of the very few times he asked you to join him in bed. He had hovered behind you reading on the couch, placing his hands on your shoulders gently and touching his forehead to the top of your head and mumbling a deep, "'m tired, darlin'.", too tired to try and hide his low southern drawl this time.

So, here the two of you were in your bed. You're lying on your back, and Tim has himself draped on top of you, tightly wrapping his arms around your torso. You have one hand running through his hair and gently scratching at his scalp, and the other is tucked under his loose, unbuttoned flannel resting on his back. You can feel the way his body slowly melds to yours the more comfortable he gets, every couple minutes he sinks more and more into your form. You're whispering quiet praises to him, reminding him you love him, that you'll be right here when he wakes up in the morning, he doesn't need to worry his pretty little head about it. You feel a gravely laugh rumble through the both of you as he smiles, mumbling something about how he should be talking to you like that, and you tell him that is the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard; the loving and sleepy smiles are evident in both of your voices.

Eventually, when he does fall asleep, you find yourself stuck reminiscing on the world the two of  you have built together. You live together, the two of you have learned to cook different meals together, you both talk about the future with the other like they’ve always been there- it feels like the stars aligned at just the right moment for such a perfect match to have been made. You recall one of the few nights Tim has been especially sappy; the two of you cuddling on the couch with your head leaning into his hand as he quietly told you how much he loved you. He couldn’t look you in your eyes and his thumb was gently but nervously swiping along the side of your cheek, but he mumbled about how he didn’t understand how he got so lucky with you- he doesn’t know why you’ve stayed with him but he’s always gonna be grateful for you. Remembering that now, with your hand still in his hair and him softly snoring, this is one of the very few times everything feels peaceful.

[csmiclxtte]

ATEEZ 2018 Solar Return Reading (Debut Year)

I tried studying members' chart the year they debuted (2018) to get a general view on how the year went for them. I will only analyze placement that stood out to me.

Take it for fun only!

Hongjoong

Mercury conjunct Ascendant 1H: As a leader, Hongjoong definitely think and speak a lot. In 2018, communication was a big theme. It was a hectic year, and there's a lot of mental process. This aspect also indicates a new project (can associated with ATEEZ debut). His self-expression, ideas, and opinions were highlighted.

11H Stellium (Sun & Moon Scorpio, Venus Libra): An emotional year. Hongjoong could be self-critical. He focused on achieving his goals. Big ambitions. People found him charming and lovable.

Saturn Capricorn 1H: Saturn required him to shoulder major responsibility. He appeared very serious and disciplined. A year full of hard work and perseverance.

Pluto Capricorn 2H: A transformation in material, financial condition, or personal value. A year to learn the power of self-worth and his core value.

Chiron Pisces 4H: Family may be a sensitive topic. Conflict or argument with people in the house is possible.

Seonghwa

Moon and Jupiter Scorpio 6H (intercepted): A heavily emotional year, extra sensitive or emotionally unstable. He may felt like luck was not on his side, especially in work area. Overwhelming workload.

Venus Taurus 12H (intercepted): He may not feel so lovable. Struggle with self-esteem. Lack of financial stability, constant feeling of insecurity.

NN Leo conjunct IC in Natal 2H: I read this as a need to be true to oneself, to evaluate personal value, and to acknowledge the journey one have gone through.

Sun trine NN-IC, Sun sextile SN-Midheaven: This lesson is not completely unfamiliar for Seonghwa. He had experienced this before.

Mars conjunct Saturn Capricorn 8H: A year of personal growth, transformation, and gaining power. Financial trouble. Setbacks and delays. Lesson around responsibility, rationality, and discipline.

11H Stellium (Sun, Mercury, Neptune): His focus revolved around his goals. Chiron here suggested wounds around friendship or social media.

Yunho

6H Capricorn Stellium (Mars, Saturn, Pluto, Lilith): His energy mainly was poured for work, work, and work. Conflicts with coworkers is possible. Yunho may felt unsatisfied with his job, or that he wasn't moving anywhere in work. Daily life was tiring, struggles in routine. In worst case, authoritative figure could have beef with him.

Pluto conjunct Descendant (opposite Ascendant) cued that his relationship with people was pretty intense, transformative, or at worst unhealthy. There could have been problems with power dynamics.

Mars conjunct Saturn: A year to mature, to take responsibilities, and to maintain routine. His action was held responsible. He had to be more disciplined.

10H Sagittarius Stellium (Mercury, Venus, Uranus): His reputation, career, and public life changed radically. Yunho was charming to the public. He could feel adventurous and expansive in career life.

Sun, Neptune, Chiron 9H: Yunho may felt lost at that moment, questioning the purpose of life or his belief, especially with SR Ascendant in 9H. These placements suggested a lesson around faith. He had to expand his mind.

Yeosang

Saturn Capricorn 2H: Yeosang may struggle with self-worth. Finance could be slow or restricted. He could have taken futher financial responsibility.

Chiron Aries 5H: Struggle to find happiness. The things he used to love didn't bring him joy anymore. Feeling stuck, burnout or lacking creativity.

8H Stellium (Sun, Moon, Mercury): Year with a lot of transformation. Seeing the Pluto, Mars, Lilith 3H it's probably about honing communication skills, transforming the mind, and fighting the tendency to overthink negative thoughts.

Moon opposite Saturn: Yeosang could feel lonely, bored, or frustrated. He had many hidden emotions. Limited emotional support.

Mercury opposite Saturn: He had lesson around practical and pragmatic thinking, but this aspect could lead to hopelessness and pessimism.

Rectangle (Ascendant, Mercury/Moon, Uranus, Saturn): Despite all, Yeosang had a relatively smooth path on dealing with the challenges. He was willing to welcome change and to improve himself. He had plans ahead. Yeosang was also able to discipline himself, his thoughts, and emotions.

San

Sun 4H conjunct IC: San was close with his family & people from his root. Maybe it had something to do with being the first idol from Namhae to debut. He shone in his birthplace.

Moon Taurus 2H: Finance might be fluctuative. He was looking for reach financial stability.

Mercury & Venus Leo in 5H: A lot of creativity, romance, and happiness. He was likeable, warm, and glowing. Center of attention.

Moon square Venus: Tension between emotional fulfillment and financial security (e.g. buying things make him feel happy, but it might make his finance situation unstable).

Mars and Pluto 10H: Energy mainly flowed on professional life. Transformation or changes in reputation and career. Ambitious, serious, and intense.

Chiron Aries in 12H: Negative mental space. Difficulty sleeping. Issues with dreams, either literal or metaphorical.

Water Grand Trine (Sun, Jupiter, Neptune): His dream manifested. He got recognition on his creative pursuits. Being in the spotlight. All favors were working for him. Lot's of blessings.

Mingi

Sun conjunct Mercury: Increase in mental process and self-expression. Mingi had strong opinion, he could be stubborn. His thinking pattern is strongly linked to his ego. If he was indeed born at 4 p.m., he could reflect a lot since the conjunction is in the 12H.

Sun-Mercury square Jupiter: Mingi was prone in overestimating his capacity, taking up too much projects. Overly optimistic, spreading himself too thin because of heightened enthusiasm.

Venus opposite Chiron: Wounds around love. Low self-esteem. Trouble in setting boundaries with other people. A need to balance being there for himself and others.

Venus trine Mars: Improved financial condition. Hard work was finally rewarded. He had a lot of support in his creative and artistic pursuit.

Water Grand Trine (Moon, Jupiter, Neptune): I read this as an emotional fulfilment of reaching his dreams. A lot of the mentioned aspects also hinted that Mingi was probably very happy. Hence he was being optimistic, kind, and generous. However, he may be prone to be taken advantage of and seeing things in rose-colored glasses.

Wooyoung

Sun conjunct Jupiter 6H: An optimistic outlook in life. This was a happy year for Woo. Expanding and growing, experiencing positivity in daily life.

6H Sagittarius Stellium (Sun, Jupiter, Mercury): Wooyoung was broadening his perspective. Very busy period, but he has the luck to deal with all the tasks. He might be very talkative.

Venus Libra 5H (intercepted): Like San, Wooyoung stood out in creative field. Charming, charismatic, and interesting. However, I think Wooyoung was more self-conscious. His negative mindset may hinder him to genuinely have fun in creative, financial, or relationship sense.

Mars & Neptune Pisces 10H: Flowing creative energy. He was motivated to reach his dreams. At times Wooyoung might have been too naive in professional life.

Chiron Pisces in 11H: Conflict around friendship. Trouble with internet or social media.

Jongho

Sun square Pluto: Struggle with authority, issues in power dynamic. A profound change in personality.

Venus square Mars: Conflict with personal or business partnership. The need to hustle to earn more.

Mercury opposite Uranus: The mind focused on the future. Jongho was prone to anxious feeling and overthinking.

Saturn sextile Mercury: Jongho was able to discipline and take control of his mind with this aspect. Thoughts came in rational and realistic way.

Jupiter trine Chiron: Easier time in his healing journey. As he went through life lessons, Jongho probably gained new insights and wisdom.

Fixed Grand Square (Mercury, Mars, Uranus, NN): The lesson probably revolved around balancing each planet energy (the way he communicate, thinking pattern, motivation, action, changes, and self expression). Can be quite tough aspect seeing the fixed sign.

Thank you for reading

[shantyofme]

This is my own little family of Furies, I kind of want to dive deeper into their characters later but for now I can just talk about them surface level!

So baisically, because I hate the fact that the only way for nightlights to make more nightlights is inbreeding, I like to pretend that were more Nightfuries out there, and they came to the Hidden World when Toothless had them leave the humans (temporarily, i refuse to accept that they left permanently). And once Toothless and the Light Fury, Pearl, (I hc that as her name because it's my dogs name and I think it suits her too!) got together, it made the other night and light furies see that as a possibility. So Visionary, being apart of the small Nightfury pack the came to the HW, met Clouddancer.

Visionary is a fairly large male Nightfury, slightly older than Toothless but not by much. He is super shy at first, but very energetic once you open up that side of him. But he is also an insanely quick thinker because of how hard it is/was for Night furies to survive because they were constantly avoiding humans. Also I like to think that yes he has a pack, but nighfuries we’re probably independent hunters, but because of Grimmel mass hunting them, they formed a pack of however many nightfuries were left, because remember these dragons are super smart, and could definitely pull something like that off. I will definitely expand on his character another time.

Clouddancer is a female Lightfury and has more grayish blue eyes. Her scales aren’t as shiny and sparkly since she hasn't left the HW as much as Pearl has and hasn't needed to use her invisibility power as much. (I like to think that the reason Lightfuries are so sparkly is because of how often they coat themselves in fire hot enough to make themselves reflective). Anyways she’s super curious and kind of nosy, she’s very loyal though and gets snappy with the dragons that don’t agree with Toothless being king. I will expand on her character another time.

Now when they met it was strictly a misunderstanding, Visionary didn’t know there were any other nightfuries other than his pack, so he obviously went to see if the rumors of a nightfury alpha were true, and he did this cautiously. Clouddancer thought it could be an attempt to harm Toothless or something so she tackled him. After desperately explaining himself, she backed off, and they didn’t get along to well. Later down the line though, they bonded over Visionary wanting to be less apart of his pack and have more freedom, while Clouddancer wanted to go on more adventures, and just explore and see more. So obviously while sneaking out of the HW to do all that, they ran into eachother when Visionary is captured by some low life dragon hunters. Yes there are still dragon hunters, it hasn’t been that long since dragons left at this point. Anyways Clouddancer spots this and ends up saving him and he returns the favor by exploring with her to keep her safe. They visit Berk, secretly of course, and Clouddancer loves all the little people there. Anyways in this adventure they fall in love yada yada, it’s super cute and yah. There’s a whole lot more to this that I’ll develop later but that’s the gist of it ig.

They end up having two boys, Mighty and Hammer the twins. Mighty being more outgoing, playful and adventurous, while Hammer is more introverted but extremely brave and easily pissed off.

By the way, these names are given to them by the gang, because Hiccup ends up going to the HW way earlier than in the movie cus he misses Toothless too much, and the rest of the gang come too (they actually convinced him to go with them to find their dragons) he found out about all the nighfuries and he just had to meet them and name every single one, even though they all tried to kill him at first.

Lemme know if I should do more about these characters though!

(I know the Nighlights look similar to Ruffrunner but I originally made these characters with a Minecraft mod called Isle of Berk, and when Clouddancer and Visionary’s eggs hatched they both were the Ruffrunner modle, so I changed them a bit, but kept them pretty similar as to how they are in my mc world 💀👍)

(Also why is some of the text closer together than other parts????)

[pinkseas]

[parasocial bestie] to both responses on ur wip fics; i'm not a writer myself, like in a fic way altho i pour my brainrots out in a narrative way its a Mess, but i get what you mean!! it does feel like the more you stretch a story out there's bound to be a lot of loose ends and gaps you need to fill since you basically expanded it. in a way its how it is with drawing when you do big Big projects, having too much blank spaces over your main subjects without a decent background of the piece can get Annoying.

"i have my overall goal and less of an idea of how to reach it" OKAY BUT PERSONALLY? not even gonna relate genshin than my own original stories i always have this problem and still do, like. having a Beginning and End but literally almost no middle bc theres SO MUCH TO FILL and you have to think how it progresses chronologically And logically how it reaches the ending you imagined. it felt easy, it felt nice and 'complete', until you think of the middle and thats how i have stories that never finishes itself and stick to just throwing ideas around but unsure to put it as its canon or not o)-( so yeah!! the closest i can understand of a Process especially to long narratives.

ANYWAY THE,.... THE LUMINE ZHONGI @XIAO LYRICS,.... when hte,... when the UHUHUHUHUHUHSUHGUFHGUHUGSUDHFSKFHSKDJH

oh. yeah. i realized i did sorta sent a Bunch of brainrot BUT LIKE PREE MUCH EVERYTHGIN I HAD RELATED TO UM,.. AKFJHD THE XIAO DYING ONE OOPS cus,..... becus ughuhfjfdhgk its like a Big fav for me and am curious (and now i am a lil embarrassed JKAFHSDKFJH) and anyways i have a lot of Impulsive Brainrot Showers,....... scattered in that big one i told u cus of the Potential,....

also ill have u know during the recovery after xiao woke he can be a little cold bc the incident rlly shot down his physical constitution to nature so lumine covers him in a lil blanket over his shoulders that he can walk around with and that imagery is probably an Icon that represents the whole brainrot in general. blanket taco burrito xiao i think. anyway lumine got bored and did crochet, taught xiao how since its easier than knitting that thoma taught her, and the guy spent hours continuously crochetting a sheet like probably miles long till late at night bc lumine forgot teach him how to End the stitching. sweet lovely dumbass <3333

yes yes the expansion and more gaps to fill !!! that def makes sense with art too we are shaking hands rn... and idk when you have the filler/details planned beforehand it can be SO fun but when youre struggling to fill in the gaps. well. Fawk

admittedly cannot relate too too much with having a beginning and end, 80% of the time when i write i start from the middle there's just So Much Middle and then i dont know what goes where or how to connect it or what to make the beginning or end and and. explodes. actually tbf i have a solid beginning idea for both current wips and a half-decent ending for one of them but god help me figure out how the FUCK im gonna end the xiaolumi one i havent even thought about it yet it could honestly go on forever <- my worst nightmare.... stories that are never finished my BELOATHED i definitely get that god we are shaking hands once more

THAT'S ONE OF MY RLY OLD FAVORITE SONGS ITS SOOOOOOOOOOOO. xiao when he sees himself as an object or a tool or a weapon or something horrible but never really a Person and the song captures that so well when you think of him and the uckfingfg.f the fuckifngfg.

explodes and dies

THE XIAO DYING ONE GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD hold on finishing responding to this first

cold man with a blanket over his shoulders what if i Cried. that is so perfect in every way shape and form dear LORD. and lumi teaching him crochet and forgetting to teach him how to end the stitching is both so cute and so fucking funny dear lord this poor man sitting there for hours going on and on and on........

XIAO ALMOST DYING. GOD.

i have too many thoughts on death and near death and grief. something about xiao not allowing himself to grieve or process that he'd really been dead for a moment there because he survived, it's in the past, what is there to worry about? what is there to think of? it doesnt matter anymore. lumine struggling to come to terms with how close it was, constantly pushing back the what-ifs, if she'd been sooner if she'd been later if she hadn't been able to help him the way she did if zhongli hadn't come if if if if. zhongli, so accustomed to deaths of those so dear to him and moving forward from it, still shaken to the core because no matter how many times it happens you never really get used to it. it doesnt ever get easier. similar to xiao, telling himself over and over that it doesnt matter, all that matters is that xiao is okay, there's no need to grieve or be upset when he's alright. it's pointless.

lumine (and paimon) (and probably also venti lbr) bonking them both on the head because its important to process your emotions, because the fact that xiao isnt dead doesn't just magically get rid of the fear and the grief that the situation created. yes we Are talking about our feelings you stupid fucks ignoring the elephant in the room will not make the elephant in the room disappear. ignoring your feelings will not make them vanish it will only allow them to fester and grow stronger and more destructive!!!!

you'd think that people who've been alive for thousands of years wouldve learned how to express themselves by now but lumine and venti have to really push them through it.

and idk. just. the physical repercussions and what that means for him mentally. the intense feelings of self hate and uselessness amplified by being stuck in bed, amplified by being unable to move and fight and function the way he used to, having to relearn such "basic" things. he would be SO hard on himself about it. he should be better than this, he shouldve avoided it, it never shouldve happened in the first place, he should be recovering faster (nevermind that he is recovering exceptionally quickly in the first place, all things considered. just adepti things). and working through all of that, working through the frustration and the helplessness, being shown endless patience and love and care through it all, i just. mmmmmmmmmmmmmgmnfmngmfngmfdgnmg fuck.

finding himself useful and kept around and maybe even cared for as a tool vs being very suddenly forced to face the reality that even when he cannot fulfill his duty, even when he cant fight, even when he has no "use" and cant fulfill what he sees as his purpose- he's alive. he's cared for. he's loved and learning and moving forward regardless.

[daveg65]

230 - Freeform the iPad - With Jeff Gamet and Guest Kelly Guimont

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by Jeff Gamet and guest Kelly Guimont. Jeff and Dave were able to demo the new tool in iPadOS16.2 Freeform and they give their thoughts. Emergency SOS has been released in the US and Canada. We review and discuss the ways it will work. The Apple TV 4K model is slow and has bugs. HomePod Mini is 2 and Jeff has thoughts on how it will improve and will they release a Screen on a HomePod? Weather radar on CarPlay and more. 

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com


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Beta this week. Apple Seeds Third Betas of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2

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Emergency SOS Satellite is live and you can demo it. Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature is now live. Here's how it works.   Here's How to Share Your Location via Satellite With Find My

Freeform the app for the iPad was announced when iPadOS16 was introduced at WWDC but delayed until iPadOS16.2 beta 3 testing. Jeff and Dave did some initial testing and give our thoughts on it so far. 10 Things You Can Do With the Freeform App in iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2

Jeff’s favorite topic is HomePod :). The HomePod mini has turned 2 years old. Where do we think the future is and will the full size HomePod make a comeback? Will Apple fix the pain points many users have? HomePod Mini Turns Two as Apple Looks to Expand Lineup Next Year

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Here is our latest Episode!

[gryffindorkxdraws]

Want to start off by saying that I love your mind! I was hoping to get your opinion on: what is it in jackunzel that makes it feel so right?

EDIT: changed a few things ehe

ngl i found this challenging cus it made me think of how the answer would vary per person (yeah i went there idk why sdjkknds) so lemme get logical for a sec here haha

what exactly is the definition of “feel right”? 

to make someone feel relaxed and comfortable, as merriam-webster states

simple as that, right? but wait there’s more

what makes something/someone go under that category? 

now from there it expands because there are so many ways of answering that with everyone having different opinions and mindsets.

fair warning before we push on, this is going to get messy (like a word vomit) with how i’m just going to pour out everything i can think off, but just know i really like this question hence the, uh, mess? lmao

so back to your question, what is it in jackunzel that makes it feel so right?

in one POV, it could be because of how rapunzel and jack represent the sun and the moon respectively, making them two contrasting sides who shouldn’t collide and yet, against all odds and opposing forces that would come between them, they did. 

and we can bet on the fact that they fought hard/struggled for it, depending on how fanfic writers play with it (reminds of this sun/moon au that sold me to this trope lmao).

just because others said it’s impossible or it’s against whatever, why should they listen to the “norm?” what even is considered “normal,” when the two can explore so much more of what they could be missing from life after stepping out of others’ shadows?

i just love sun/moon dynamics. i’m obsessed lmao i read the ones below somewhere and idk where but it’s been living in my head rent free and i can’t escape it tho feel free to correct me about any of these symbol topic!

like the Sun, thoughtful and full of energy to share with everyone, is connected with one’s self and known to, yeah, radiate warmth or light. it also symbolizes firmness, strength and power. oh and life too i guess?

while the Moon, subtle but full of mysteries and wonders, can also get emotional and sway others to be more nurturing. cus like it also symbolizes calmness, beauty, and nurture. plus eternity and enlightenment?

the list goes on if we head into more of what it both symbolize, but when these two celestial bodies get together, masculine and feminine energies unite. the Sun gives out life, while the Moon cultivates it.

i have no idea where i’m going but moving on

maybe it’s that taste of rebellion with going against the authorities/society/rules/of what has always been set to find out who they’re meant to be or, y’know, finding their identity without the shackles of others (like jack learning he has the potential to be a guardian and embracing it in his own time, and rapunzel realizing she’s the lost princess and works hard to be a good one), 

or there’s something about the mystery that follows the other because they’ve never met anyone quite like them (like exploring a world they’ve never set foot on), 

or finding all the good and bad in each other and in their differences, but still loving the other for who they are, 

or what one lacks the other makes up for it and vice versa. with or without them realizing they can help each other grow to be a better version of themselves.

opposites attract who are bound to be full of surprises.

but on the contrary, they could also be two peas of a pod. aight this definitely goes against what i said above with all the opposites and stuff, but hear me out.

while they grew up and learned how to cope with life differently, they somehow still share the same sentiments when it comes to, for example, reaching their goals. 

they have their own way to go about it, sure, but my point is they can reach a common ground better together compared when they’re with others.

like rapunzel with the lanterns, and jack with his memories. at first, one hesitated and wavered, while the other disagreed and pulled away. it was only after they saw a chance/realized this was it that they agreed in a heartbeat

they ultimately made the choice of diving in head first regardless of their initial thoughts in the first place. kinda like the moment they realized they can be a step closer to what they’ve been yearning for their whole life 

bam, out of the way, they’re coming through lmao

not only that, but they can also be soft, gentle, understanding despite rapunzel’s spontaneuosness and jack’s mischievousness. we’ve seen them interacting with children and they’re so good at lifting their spirits up to have some fun and that there will always be a tomorrow.

and with their peers too. rapunzel lights up even the darkest of rooms, may it be like fireworks to bring joy or a campfire to warm one’s heart. jack meanwhile keeps things light when everyone else feels tense, easing others to relax and remember there’s always a way out

don’t forget the way they both sacrifice themselves for who they care for. like, they just do that, putting others first before them. that scene of saving eugene and baby tooth aaahhhhdjhdskdjkbkfjdkjf

and when everything comes crashing down and the world feels heavy on their shoulders, they both know they’re not alone with the other there for them.

maybe it’s the mutual understanding they have for each other after opening up, and finding a friend/partner/home through the connection they made together,

or they could be a push and pull that leads them to showing an unexpected side of the other, but in reality they always had it in them and all they needed was someone to show the way,

or how they complement each other, but they’re not two halves of a whole, no, rather they’re already whole themselves and they only reminded each other that they are,

or it’s simply because they don’t feel the need to put up walls or anything of the likes, because they know that no matter what they’ll be accepted for who they are.

opposites who have so much more in common than they originally thought

in another POV it could be because of how they give such partners in crime vibe. lowkey or highkey, take your pick. nothing would stop them from moving forward to a new tomorrow, or honestly whatever it is they put their minds to. 

and i am here for that

like i said in one of my posts, “They were a magnet for trouble, with the Sun being a free-spirited and vivacious fellow, and with the Moon’s knack for mischief and being a rebel without cause.” 

while both are adventurous, ready to explore whatever is out there, all the while just wanting to have some fun, they still balance each other out.

with jack usually ready to do what he needs/wants to do (which helps rapunzel to trust her gut and take the risk. that he’ll be there for her whenever she’s ready to step out of her comfort zone and jump away from her tower)

and with rapunzel knowing how to handle sticky situations properly (which reminds jack that not everything has to be done harshly and abruptly. that while freezing someone could be fun, it won’t solve things in the long run)

am i making sense? idek but you’re stuck with me lol but before i forget and i can’t believe i just remembered now. the way they can help fill in on what the other is missing 

rapunzel wants to see the world, what goes out there, with the people, society, and history i feel. and jack can take her to wherever she wants to go. hell, he’ll even surprise her and bring her to places he’d think she’ll like.

with his experiences, he’s bound to have an endless list of plans for them to go through and it’s no surprise that she’ll love it, and (him) his gesture, nonetheless

jack wants to be noticed by others, to be seen and heard for who he is. and rapunzel is such a welcoming person that she accepts him wholeheartedly. give him the love he was deprived of for years. 

reassure him that even he has a place to call home because why would he be excluded from that? he deserves it just as much as she and everyone else does

also i like to think they brainstorm ideas together

maybe it’s how they’re both game for an adventure, sudden or not, and this makes it easy for them to team up together and take on the world

or the feeling of familiarity as they click and everything flows naturally to them, where nothing is forced or uncomfortable between them

or how it’s like they can hold on to each other, knowing the other won’t let go no matter what because they’ll always have each other through the ups and downs

or it’s in their shared smiles, mischievous sparks in their eyes, moving together to the music of their synchronized heartbeats, as they step forward to the vast unknown

finding the ‘one’ who understands them inside out that they feel at home with them

i’ve said so many things and threw out so many brain rot, but what exactly is my final answer? 

it’s simple: who knows? now before you toss me aside, and i hope not lmao, lemme just say even with that kind of final verdict, you can still find beauty in it. 

you see, there’s so much more to explore and delve into with jackunzel because of their potential, that i don’t want to make a set answer for your question. i’d rather much help you, and anyone else wondering, to come to an answer yourself and maybe even share/discuss it with others.

i’m running out of brain juice, but i at least hope this helped satisfy your curiosity behind your question since this is all i can give… for now, maybe? who knows lmao 

tho i’ll be honest and admit i based these on how i feel about jackunzel. so if ever someone else out there wants to add more points they thought of, feel free to add on this

[satrangee-ray]

The Snack of a Lifetime

Book: Open Heart 3 and beyond.

Pairing(s): Ethan × NB!MC {Dr Inara Hepburn (she/they)}.

Rating: Teen+

Summary: Inara barges into the DT room with some obnoxious snacks to force Ethan into taking a break. But is that all they have in mind, or will their brilliant plan saved for later take him by pleasant surprise?

Category: Fluff, banter, life decisions and celebrations 🎉😁✌.

Trope: Weddings and Proposals.

Warning(s): one or two swear words, mention of a sex act.

Writer's note: By the time this starts, Ethan and MC have already said their 'I love you's, are in a committed relationship, and more or less everyone knows about it. In my original HC for Inara and Ethan they don't get married this early, so this is kind of an AU cause I really wanted to write a proposal fic. Also the whole lawsuit drama didn't happen, cause I said so, and most sane people would agree.

Ethan wasn't used to receiving.

It was apparent in the way he interacted with the world, immediately getting suspicious of anyone who would remotely extend some sort of courtesy towards him. 

He knew if he ever wanted to have something for himself, no one but he would have to take initiative to go get it. And for two-way processes like relationships, he had no belief whatsoever on the legitimacy of such things.

That was until Inara waltzed into his life, and amazed him with the possibility that he could be on the receiving end of good things without having to worry about any strings attached. Be it love, or a blowjob, or "care", as he previously liked to call it– the best things life ever had to offer were simply falling into his lap, and he couldn't find himself complaining.

Inara cared, in the truest sense of the word.

She cared enough to take off his glasses and cover him up in warm blankets, whenever he would fall asleep with an open medical journal in his hands. She cared enough to know just how he liked his coffee, or to school his scotch habits whenever they would get a little out of hand. And presently, she cared enough to let him work overtime, by agreeing to grab lunch with Tobias instead.

Ethan couldn't afford to take breaks. These days, he had to work even in between shifts, to finish editing his second medical book decently before it's approaching release date.

.

.

(One month before Inara's board exams)

.

The diagnostics office sat deserted, except for one doctor. A wooden desk, with papers sprawled all around. Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose, as he kept his glasses aside.

Suddenly the office door swung open, and three figures strolled in. Two practically tumbled, giggling overenthusiastically. The third one was Harper, who calmly walked in holding a tray, and shook her head with an amused expression.

Ethan looked up, and saw Tobias and Inara, each triumphantly holding up all their 10 fingers at him.

"Ring Chips!" Inara squealed, running towards Ethan. "Si baked these last night, and brought them as extra snacks for her fourteen hour shift today, but of course, we managed to hog some. So dig in!"

Ethan cautiously eyed the bright yellow crisps looped through Inara's fingers, and said, "you're not expecting me to eat those atrocities, are you?"

"Did you just call Sienna's baked goods an atrocity? That's wrong on so many levels E, lemme just get her on the phone..."

"NO", Ethan replied on high alert.

"That's what I thought. Cause bold words for someone who struggles even with a pancake."

Tobias and Harper chuckled, struggling in vain to stifle it.

"Fine, give me one here", Ethan said, extending his hand towards Harper's tray which contained the particular baked snacks.

"Nope, that's not the way", Inara stopped him, slapping his hand. "If you're doing this, you gotta do it right."

A loud exhale escaped Ethan. "What now, Rookie?"

"E, you can't just pick one chip and eat it, okay? You gotta slip it through your finger, and try to grab it with your mouth, the childhood nostalgia way. Like this."

Inara brought their hand to their mouth, and swallowed one whole finger, sucking on it until the chip looped through it flew backwards into their mouth. They proceeded to chew on it, staring straight into Ethan's eyes. 

He was so screwed. 

Turning away from Inara's gaze with tremendous effort, he wordlessly picked up a chip loop from the tray and tried to slip it into his finger.

"Too small", Tobias remarked, and handed him another. "Try a bigger one."

This time the ring effortlessly slipped through his finger, sitting perfectly at it's base. Ethan stared at it, perplexed, for a few moments.

"Yes! Now consume it with your mouth", Inara's excited cheers continued.

Harper couldn't hold in a scoff, while the youngest doctor in the room remained blissfully unaware of the implications of their phrase.

Ethan's mouth opened in protest, but he realized it's futility immediately and decided to close it. Scrunching up his entire face, in disbelief that he was actually doing this, he lowered his head, and slowly raised his hand to his face.

When his finger holding the chip was well within his reach, he opened his mouth once again to grab it. But just when he was about to take the bite, Inara acted quickly and slipped the chip out of his finger, causing Ethan to bite into his own skin instead. 

"Aahh, Nars what the hell! Are you nuts?"

The three other doctors in the room unabashedly cracked up now, not bothering to hide their glee in Ethan being tortured like that.

Inara began stroking his beard softly, before leaving a quick kiss on his cheek.

Shades of light pink took over it in response.

"You should have acted faster, honey", Inara said, taking his hands into theirs. Another gentle peck landed on his lips.

"Now I'm already running late, there's this patient I have to check on, gotta yeet. But you better finish the rest of those snacks, along with the real food we brought you for lunch, and for God's sake, please look up from those damn papers for five minutes, and take a freakin' chill pill!" 

The last words were shouted as they rushed out the door.

Ethan and Tobias sighed.

"They're the best thing that has ever happened to you"

"Indeed", Ethan said in earnest. "I'll be very inclined to agree."

.

.

(Four months after Inara's board exams)

.

The gorgeous venue sparkled with chandeliers and boujee people in expensive suits. Small round tables, aesthetic chairs, congratulations in order everywhere. No, it wasn't the medical industry's 'it' couple getting married, it was the 'it' doctor, and the chief of medicine's second book getting launched instead. 

Ethan had walked into the Edenbrook atrium that morning like it was a war zone. His expression still spelt terror, as he uneasily shifted his glance between some of his guests, shooting small, forced smiles their way.

"Why do we always have to do this?", he had asked Naveen. "Why couldn't we just release the damn book in stores? Why host a useless social gathering with forty thousand rich snobs who are only any good at showing off and draining your energy?"

Naveen had shook his head and hit him with an assertive "it's necessary."

So currently, Ethan stood awkward to his bones, in the middle of this necessary evil. Until, a certain presence near the door cued him to look up.

It was them.

Pantsuit in a sinful vermillion, the colour glowing bright against their skin. Red bottom wedges, that only aided their boss status. Brunette locks framing their face, so impeccably contrasting the emerald eyes looking affectionately back at him. Those, which never failed to take his breath away.

Inara Hepburn.

His giver, his lover, his Rookie.

And Ethan couldn't be more mesmerized, or reassured.

"Need some help picking your jaw off the floor, Ramsey?" Inara quipped, as they strode towards Ethan, torturously slow.

"I– well…", he stammered, before clearing his throat. "Is that look the reason why you chose to arrive 'fashionably late', and drive separately to my book launch from our own apartment?"

"Yeah, definitely the look, but I daresay some other things as well", they said, placing a playful hand on Ethan's chest. "You'll soon find out."

He smiled warmly at them. "Is that a challenge?"

"Have you ever backed down from one?"

A reckless mistake of letting his eyes slip to their lips, and Ethan couldn't wait any longer. He wrapped his arms around their waist, kissing them hard and deep. Drinking in their mouth, their warmth, their sensations. Aching to draw as much energy as he could to power through this event, from his greatest source of confidence, his only constant supporter. 

"I love you so much, Rookie", he panted, after the kiss broke off.

"Some brand new information there", teased Inara, bumping their nose into his. "You know I love you too, E. Now tell me what's bothering you."

Ethan pulled back swiftly at that, and stared at them in astonishment.

"What?"

"What 'what'? It was all over your face when I entered, and you still don't look quite alright. What's wrong, love? I don't recall you being afraid of public speaking!"

"I'd address an audience in my dreams! I just don't understand what's up with these people who come up individually to congratulate me, and purposefully try to expand those two lines into a whole one-on-one conversation. Scandalous!"

Inara nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Such a mood, b*tch, such a mood."

Peels of laughter were shared again, at their effortless mutual understanding, and at the usage of Inara's all time favourite nickname.

"All the best", they wished, shaking him by the lapels of his coat. "Get out there, and kill it!"

.

.

.

About an hour later, applause sounded from every corner of the atrium. Ethan beamed, as he finished reading the last line of a snippet about his latest research from his book.

Clapping proudly from the crowds was Inara, a lover on a mission.

"Thank you everyone, for joining me here today", Ethan said, amongst cheers and buzzing words of encouragement from fellow doctors and other esteemed medical personalities. "I hope I will be able to add value to patient-care through my efforts behind this book. There are some people I would like to specifically thank for being of immense help on my journey till here, so let's begin. Dad, thank you so much for coming to support me. Means a lot. Maybe because of my personal outlook, I could never comprehend your brand of unconditional love, which you so freely offer without actively needing me to work for it. I know now how valuable and rare that is, and how it has helped me grow into the man I am today. For that I will always be grateful. Naveen, thank you so much. You know if I start listing 'what for', I won't finish."

A lighthearted chuckle spread among the crowd.

"You always keep saying my success is my own, but I firmly believe there was no way I would have been the doctor I am without your help and guidance. Thank you for being the excellent mentor and leader by example that you are, you still motivate me to become better everyday. And, last but not the least… Inara."

All eyes in the audience shifted towards one young attending, who was clutching her glass out of giddiness.

"I really want to say thank you, but those two words will never be able to express the amount of gratitude I hold towards you. Before you, my life was only ever about blacks and whites. Giving my everything into medicine, working late nights and coming back to an empty apartment with scotch in my hand, I thought I was doing it all right. But when I met you, got to know you, I… you left me in utter awe of who you are, both as a professional and as a person. I couldn't stop myself from falling in love, and in respect, with your brain, your mind, and your soul. I am so glad you were patient with me while I was busy trying to deny it. You continued to show that patience even until recently, when I was all cranky with writer's block. Now I know the great Dr. Inara Hepburn is also a published novel writer, so of course that bit might have come out of empathy, but nonetheless, I'm thankful for it. Today, I'm about to release a book I put my all into, the information in which might hopefully change the face of what I'm most passionate about – public healthcare, for the better. And I'd rather not share this moment with anyone else. So Inara, would you please honour me by coming up on stage to receive the first ever copy of 'Prognosis and Evaluation'?"

Inara couldn't speak, stunned into silence for a bit. They had no idea Ethan would be the one for emotional public speeches, and here they were, utterly moved, in for another surprise. So would he be, soon, they reasoned in their head, and gathered themselves. Keeping their drink aside on a table, they strode towards the stage, eyes shining with pride, love, and determination.

Determination to get this right.

Ethan took their hand as soon as they stepped on the first stair, and led them upstage. 

A copy of the book, new and shining, was lying, all theirs to hold.

'Prognosis and Evaluation: A comprehensive study.'

Their heart swelled at the words written on the first page of the book.

Typical Ethan's handwriting, somehow neat and gibberish at the same time.

'My love, my north star, I promise to never let you down' - Dr Ramsey Ethan <3.

Tears. Instantly, a whole lot of them rolled down their cheeks. They clutched the book hard and hugged it to their chest, holding on tight. Ethan held them in turn, locking their shaking frame in his embrace, as the crowd broke into a unanimous applause.

"E, I don't know what to say", Inara began, on being handed over the mic. "Si would have cried so much if she were present here, Naveen's already crying."

Their grandmentor smiled back at them through his tears.

"The thing is, I love success. I love standing in the spotlight, having my own life, and earning my own achievements. Despite that, there is always a deeper warmth in standing next to someone you love, when they accomplish great things, and shouting "my person!" Today, you've given me that opportunity, and I'm so grateful to you for it. I'm proud of you for believing in yourself, and speaking your voice not as a "mechanism of coping with the means of this corrupt world", but as a means to bring genuine change because you believe you can. I've always seen you try so hard to never let your loved ones down, and that effort is what I'm so here for. People like you are rare, and I'm glad I got one to myself, to constantly cheerlead for, now and as long as you'll have me. I'll never leave your side, Ethan. I'd love us to forever be each other's hype person. Not just in practice, but also… officially."

Three distinct gasps were heard in the room.

Alan, Naveen and Tobias let their pinkies lock into each other.

Ethan's eyes widened, as he took in the meaning behind their words, starting to sense what might be coming.

Doubt. Disbelief. Shock. Anticipation.

In the next moment, they were down on one knee.

"Ethan Jonah freaking Ramsey, will you marry me?"

Dead silence in the entire room, everyone taking in what just happened.

Ethan's hands flew to his mouth.

Minutes passed.

One… two… and five...

No one said a word.

Eventually, the entire audience burst into cheers and jubilation. Even in such a formal event as that, quite a few wayward whistles were heard.

And then there was the man of the hour, standing centre stage, shell shocked. Still trying to process everything.

"Inara... Rookie, I–"

He couldn't. Form words or coherent sentences. His entire focus was on the person and the tiny blue box in front of him.

"There's a ring in there for real?"

'Shit', he cursed internally. What a ridiculous question.

Of course this was real. Their love was real, they were real. He was to get married. What? Wow. Really?

Of course there would be a ring for real.

"Depends", Inara said with a wink. "On whether or not you say yes."

"Come on Ethan!" 

Encouragements burst from his acquaintances in the crowd, imploring him to say yes. His three musketeers, however, were heard the loudest.

'Yes', Ethan thought to himself. 'Yes.'

He had to say it.

"Yes", he tried whispering under his breath.

A first time, then a second.

"Yes. YES OF COURSE I’LL MARRY YOU!"

He exclaimed those words in ecstacy before dropping down on his knees as well, and pulled his lover in against him. He engulfed her in his arms, holding her so tight, it could knock the breath out of his chest. 

"Yes Inara, it would mean the world to me if I could marry you", he whispered again into her ear.

"Good thing I asked then, E", Inara whispered back, before squeezing him one last time and pulling away. 

"Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!", the crowd chanted.

The widest smile ever was shot their way, as Inara once again took hold of the navy box. She waited for both of them to steady themselves, and Ethan found himself holding his breath. 

At last, the cover of the ring case slowly lifted, to reveal… 

A bright yellow ring chip sitting right into the slit of the fabric in the case. 

Confused noises of varying degrees filled the room. Only Naveen, Tobias and Alan watched the whole scene unfold with a twinkle in their eye.

Meanwhile, Ethan's expression progressed from utter cluelessness to gradual realization.

Oh! That ring.

"Wait, how did– how come that snack didn't rot in all these days?"

"Of course it did, love. Our original measuring tape probably decomposed long ago in some trash bin outside a gold shop, after having done its job. This is merely a replica, but you can call it a token."

"Nars… what do you mean?"

"I mean…", Inara said, inserting her hand into her suit pocket, to pull out a sparkling golden band, complete with five little diamonds on top. "May I have your hand?"

"Readily, Rookie… you already have my heart. Always, for as long as you'll have me."

Ethan placed his shivering palm on Inara's steady hand, and she took the opportunity to slip the golden band through his ring finger.

A perfect fit. 

With tears in his eyes, Ethan agreed.

"I'm getting married to you."

"I'm getting married to you!"

Inara squealed at the prospect, and Ethan decided on sealing their joyous sentiment by crashing his lips onto hers in a searing kiss.

The audience went wild, but they were all forgotten in the minds of the lovebirds.

"I can't believe I get to call you fiancé", Ethan wondered in amazement.

"Me neither", said Inara, joining their foreheads together. 

"Say what, we should ask Sienna to bake our wedding cake. Three tier, with a big old fondant ring chip on top."

"What? Ethan Ramsey wants a huge a** fondant snack on the top of his wedding cake! Are you sure he's okay?"

"Yes, he is, and he would do anything for his fiancé!"

With moist eyes and full hearts, they buried themselves again in each other's holds.

This time, with a mutual promise of a forever.

F I N.

Oukay so this happened. I kinda posted it. Shh, I need to breathe.

Thank you so much for reading, if you've made it this far. I hope I haven't damaged too many of your braincells.

Thank you @gaeipsstuff for naming Ethan's book. I would have never, seriously! Thanks for proofreading and giving a detailed analysis, it came extremely handy during the my edit sessions. Thank you @adiehardfan, @jeetushmannfeelz, you know if it wasn't for the both of you, this wouldn't be up on my Tumblr.

This is my first proper OH fic, with an actual story and shenanigans, so I've been super apprehensive about this. Hence, it would mean a real lot to me if you could tell me how you found it. Stay safe, do what you love, stan pixelated characters, and take hugs. Peace✌.

Tagging: @adiehardfan @irisofpurple @barbean

Others kindly let me know if you wanna be tagged!

[demoanais]

usual warning applies, keep scrolling if you don't like negativity 🙃🙃🙃

I watched e3 and it was nothing but glorified fanfic. I don't know how many times I have to learn with m/arvel but they literally cannot do anything right.

When they kept hyping sharon as a totally different person, a 'grown-up' now my flags went up but I stupidly decided to be charitable.

It's one thing to expand on the already solid character foundations from the films and explore how they are affected by the changes around them.

It's another thing to throw the baby out with the bathwater and basically reinvent a character as if you're overeager to mollify every brainless anti grievance you've heard since EVC was cast. I very much feel like this was the sharon written to appease the people who hated her instead of reward the people who didn't dismiss her all those years.

I completely expected sharon being cold to sam and bucky, I also understand and expect sharon's anger and bitterness. I'd love for that to be explored and meaningfully empathized with and I was excited to see it... but not in this needlessly clumsy way.

I don't understand why she's a shady hustling art dealer, why they're suggesting she enjoys this kind of lifestyle despite the fact that she lost everything dear to her, why her abrasiveness to sam and bucky had a weird personal edge to it (it's as though she's barred from outright complaining about steve so they just channelled all her spite to them, like they're the ones that deeply betrayed her or something) then gets hand waved away. If it's that serious of an emotional wound it needs that much more script to address...which we are obviously not going to get.

Watching the episode I almost feel like sharon regrets doing what she did in CACW...even though she took the initiative to rescue sam and bucky again in madripoor, unprompted. Like she's concluded that helping steve wasn't worth it, and somehow blames sam and bucky for the consequences of that (right) decision. Normally I'd see that kind of character turn in a villain origin story, not to a hero going through a dark period.

Add to that the absence of women writers and I get the sense that because sharon isn't technically occupying an 'eye candy' female role, they over course-corrected her into 'one of the guys' and deemphasized her more, for lack of better term, feminine qualities. As (genuine) sharon fans have consistently made clear, it was never her character that was at fault, but the lack of care and respect from behind the camera.

Maybe it's just my taste but I don't find pseudo-antagonism charming, and the whole exchange between the four of them at sharon's place just had this dour mood about it. Again, I expect awkwardness and distance but it was just... unpleasant and unfun. Not to mention the fact that she randomly exits the scene for no reason.

The funny thing to me is the elephant in the room of *why* she was abandoned. Sam offers her a pardon like it's a bag of chips, if it was always that easy or plausible why the fuck did no one attempt before? We all know it's because of the russos, but the show can't acknowledge that...yet they bring up this issue and highlight the nonsense of it all because they refuse to spell out that canonically no one gives a fuck about sharon.

You could argue that they have 3 episodes left with which to have sharon become sam and bucky's 'rock,' but you'd be reaching. It's extremely clear to me now that there is no 'new cap trio' (the tertiary role handed to zemo instead), that sharon will not meet sam's family or see his home, that she will not bond with either of them over their shared traumas, that she won't come to care about them nor they about her in any substantive way. Her loneliness and isolation is just played off as some kind of necessary level up.

When I watch any m/arvel property I expect bad writing and weak character relationships. But because this show had the benefit of some distance from the greater m/cu, I thought we could get away with some genuine friendship and warmth in true comic fashion. It's clear that sharon is far more inconsequential to the greater plot and that she will magically appear and disappear as required. I can't even enjoy EVC's stunt work because the context leaves such a bad taste in my mouth (her killing like 20 guys in cold blood....cool but sam and bucky didn't even care or acknowledge the danger, it was almost goofy).

My personal prediction: e3 was the last time she interacts with sam and bucky in person (the casualness with which she removes herself from their orbit and thus from relevance in the convertible scene...lol), she's absent from e4, she aids the mission on her own in a separate location in e5, sam grants her pardon over text in e6 where she wears her blue power suit and vanishes early while sam and bucky celebrate their victory without her.

[nathanielhoover]

Also, I take off my shoes as soon as I get in the house.

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[davidmann95]

Hey David? Why is ours such a cruel and merciless God?

mirrorfalls said: (If you don't know what I'm talking about, your inbox should be filling up with more specific deets riiiiight about now.)

cheerfullynihilistic said: THE SNYDER CUT

Anonymous said: You don’t seem to think Superman’s public rep will take another beating from the Snyder Cut coming out. Honestly I thought you’d be way more upset than you seemed on Twitter.

Anonymous said: So uhh, against all thoughts and logic the Snyder cut is being released? Maybe as a mini series? Thoughts?

Anonymous said: SNYDER CUT!

Bullies. Jocks. Guys angrily asking if we know who their father is. Assorted dudebro nerd-oppressors of America:

You have failed us. You have failed us so hard. What else do we even keep you around for if not to head this shit off at the pass? Shame on you.

Okay, so seriously: I’m actually gonna put most bitching and moaning under a cut, because I know firsthand there are as many as several non-slavering maniacs out there who dug Man of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and who are simply and entirely reasonably excited that they’re getting this movie after all. I don’t feel like throwing a wall of text at them shitting all over this, so I’ll lead off with I think some fairly even-handed commentary on the real-world circumstances here, rambling speculation regarding the production, and some cautious optimism about the actual movie/s. THEN I’ll get to what I imagine most of you are here to see.

So totally in a vacuum: this is a cool, good thing. I’m the notorious theatrical Justice League-liker, but at best it was a compromised product due to the original creator - who like it or not clearly had an incredibly ambitious personal vision for these characters and their world - suffering a horrific tragedy forcing him off the project, and leaving his final stamp on blockbuster culture and a world he’d devoted years of his life to a flop with his name on it when he couldn’t even truly call it his own anymore. At worst, said tragedy was taken advantage of by suits to ditch him in the home stretch so as to try and shove out something ostensibly more marketable. But now because of a...very loyal fanbase, the man’s getting the opportunity and resources to rise like a phoenix and see at least some of his vision through in a huge way. That’s pretty remarkable.

Not in a vacuum this is fucking horrifying. I’ve already seen folks poo-poohing the reflexive fears that this will ‘set a precedent’, and they were right enough that I deleted my initial tweet on the subject because I didn’t think I could express my own opinion with any nuance in the space of 280 characters. Yeah, nerd whining definitely shaped Rise of Skywalker (another movie I enjoyed in spite of the circumstances of its creation). Hell, Sonic the Hedgehog crunched its CGI team prior to unceremoniously firing them to redesign his model thanks to outcry. That’s already a market force, and just to be clear upfront, if we can’t agree the predominant mode of operation for #ReleaseTheSnyderCut has been a toxic nerd harassment campaign when they spammed posts memorializing deceased actors and chased Diane Nelson off Twitter, we’re not gonna be able to have this conversation. And director’s cuts are you may have noticed also already a thing. But this isn’t changing direction on a project that’s already going to exist no matter what, this is turning back 3 years later on a commercial flop and dumping tens of millions of dollars into it, explicitly in response to that harassment campaign. It’s not *actually* going back and, say, remaking The Last Jedi, but by god to the naked eye it’s gonna be as good as for plenty of fanboys, and probably to some shortsighted execs as well. This is a new thing, and in this context it is a very, very bad one. Hopefully one that won’t amount to anything.

As for the movie itself: what the hell is this thing going to end up being? I assume with this sort of cashola being pumped into it we’re not getting any slapdash greenscreen or storyboarded sequences, but four hours? Is it really just going to be an expanded and revised version of what we saw in theaters, or is this including content that would have been in the originally planned Justice Leagues 2 and 3? My understanding is that those were already compressed into a single Justice League 2 before plans collapsed altogether, were they maybe filming side-by-side and this’ll be the whole shebang? If not is Snyder going to hedge his bets and end this on a clean note, or keep it ending on a cliffhanger in hopes HBO will throw another $250 million his way to keep going? Does DC want to keep going? Would they give into fan pressure on releasing after all what was widely publicized as the first film of a duology or trilogy with dangling threads if they weren’t going to be at least watching the numbers to see the feasibility of returning to this in a bigger way? Not that I think WB execs would piss into Snyder’s mouth if he were dying of thirst at this point if he simply asked to be able to do Justice League 2, but if he floated that if they instead just give him a liiiiiiiitle more money he can finally deliver unto them their very own Avengers - one that they can work on even during quarantine since it’s mostly just VFX work left - and hey if it works out he’s got a sequel or two cued up and ready to go? Maybe they look at their scattered plans and say the hell with it and end up giving this a theatrical release and sequel with Snyder holding the reigns again if this ends up a killer app; stranger things have happened, if not many, and somehow this is already happening in the first place after all. Alternatively, if this succeeds, could they go “thanks and good on ya, totally do another, but it’s gonna be an HBO exclusive so you’re only getting a hundred million, figure it out”? Would Ben Affleck return? How much reshooting will he be willing to commit to even for this? And most importantly, since this is potentially going to be serialized as six ‘episodes’, will We Got This Covered count this as another ‘win’ since their bullshit rumor mill algorithm spit out “Justice League HBO TV show” recently?

As for the project itself: I ain’t subscribing to HBOMax for this bad boy, but once it becomes more widely available I can’t claim I won’t probably watch it. It’s basically a new movie about the Justice League, and if there’s anything I WOULD wanna see Zack Snyder do in the DCU, it’s the movie finally moving past pseudo-realism (aside from some of those dopey costumes) and leaning all the way into godlike superbeings bludgeoning each other through continents. I absolutely wanna see his aesthetic take on the Green Lantern Corps, and New Genesis, and time travel, and all the other weird promises of where his movies were going to go climaxing in a ridiculous super-war across all spacetime. It’s the same reason J.G. Jones was an exciting choice for Final Crisis before he had to leave, seeing a guy known for his work in an ultra-real grungy superhero style starting there and building up to seeing his version of absolutely wild cosmic spectacle. And no, to respond to one of the initial asks, I’m not worried about the impact on Superman. Everyone seems to have accepted this is its own distinct thing whether they like it or not, I think him getting to complete his ‘arc’ will quiet down many of the folks who like to yell at every other version as retro nonsense since now they’ll be able to be smug about having had the best take rather than pining for a lost finale, and I’m not interested in further Superman movies at the moment anyway with Superman & Lois in the pipe (which I was originally paranoid would be endangered by this when rumors first started floating, but if it’s been brewing since November then if they wanted to strike that down to ‘make room’ according to their Byzantine ever-shifting rules, they would have by now). Far as I’m concerned, as long as the other DC movies get to keep doing what they’re doing during and past this - even Pattinson in his corner, however that works - then totally let Snyder work out all his Wagnerian superhero bullshit for another flick or two. If nothing else, maybe we’ll learn what the hell that diagram up there is supposed to mean. And a plea I want to clarify upfront is wholeheartedly sincere: we’re already down the rabbit hole, so let Snyder to literally whatever he wants with his non-theatrically released Justice League. Zero input or veto power from outside parties. If he wants Flash to hang dong or Superman to say fuck or Batman to learn he’s Steppenwolf’s secret dad or Cyborg to learn he needs to eat babies to fuel his machine parts, let him go for it. Whole point is this is now his thing for people who want his thing.

Okay, beneath the cut the filter comes off, so go ahead if that’s your jam.

Hahahahahahaha this is gonna be such a fuckin’ shitshow you guys, Jesus Christ.

They’re giving the dude who did BvS and wants to make an Ayn Rand adaptation someday $30 million to take another crack at this monstrosity! 30 goddamn million smackaroos for four fucking hours of by many accounts roughly the same basic movie, except now presumably with what little coherency, fun, and clean character work the theatrical cut managed to pull off excised in return for weighty staring, ponderous pseudo-philosophical musings, hackneyed symbolism, aimless mythology teasing, and Steppenwolf I understand being decapitated by Wonder Woman at the end rather than taken back to Apokolips. I didn’t even spoiler mark that shit because don’t you dare pretend you care about the fate of Steppenwolf. I won’t have it.

I used to wonder if I was indeed missing the forest for the trees with these movies, that I was so inflexible in my personal image of these characters - even though I appreciate plenty of alternate takes on them and even some stories that bend or break what I consider their ‘rules’, just not these - that I was incapable of grasping or appreciating these films on their own merits as works of art using those archetypes in wildly different ways; even I could see there were good moments and interesting ideas on display despite seemingly failing to come together. No matter how much I personally deconstructed how and why it wasn’t working, I couldn’t do it to my own satisfaction to the point of stamping out that niggling little worry with how many folks whose opinions I respect love ‘em. Until I finally remembered that the Cadmus arc of Justice League Unlimited is totally the same basic story as BvS, centrally driven by an even worse take on Superman, and that’s still one of the best superhero stories of all time. These just stink by any merits, and while I think Justice League absolutely has the potential to be the most *entertaining* of the bunch, it’s not going to magically become *good* in the eleventh hour. Not to lift up Joss Whedon of all people as some kind of savior, I’m on the record that my love for Justice League as-is is some kind of inexplicable alchemical accident, but I promise that there is not going to be one single addition to this movie that’s going to make up for the removal of “Just save one person”.

Also I’m already not looking forward to dudes tweeting “whoa, he’s splitting it up into a serialized narrative, reflective of the sequential nature of the characters’ primitive native pictorial medium! Or mayhap in ode to the pulp film adventure serials which inspired those in turn! Even the Justice League children’s cartoon for dumb babies, which was itself...made up of episodes! That’s three references in the structure of the thing alone! The man’s operating on an entirely different level!” “God, isn’t it amazing how much better he understands the source material than you”, they shall say, about a man who I understand just very confidently referred to Doomsday in his livestream as having destroyed Krypton in the comics. Again, don’t you say they won’t, just the other day I saw folks tweeting they just realized that since Jor-El wears armor over his bodysuit that technically means Superman’s whole costume is underwear which means Snyder’s totally honoring that without putting him in ugly dumb red panties so checkmate, dorks.

(Okay, in fairness, I know Snyder was saying that’s his take on what happened to the moon in the past of the movies and maybe I only misheard that he thought that also happened in the comics, and it’s trivial information anyway. Still sucks though, that seeming out-of-nowhere Jax-Ur shoutout was like the one thing I liked about that otherwise interminable Krypton sequence. And why is there a second Doomsday? You did Death of Superman already!)

And further SPOILER thoughts below on the reported plots of 2 and 3:

It’s also an amazing, perfect sort of narrative synchronicity that the hypocrisy of Man of Steel in presenting Superman as a savior would (will?) be matched by the movies also rejecting that promise long-term. In there, Jor-El’s musings on the capacity of every living thing being capable of good, the closest the film has to a singular moral statement, are proven wrong when Zod has to be put down like a mad dog, and rather than the one who’ll bring us into the sun, Kal-El’s presence draws ruin from beyond the stars to our world. And again in BvS with Doomsday. And again in Justice League 1-3, where in spite of claims by Snydercutters that it’s okay for Superman to be a really lousy take on Superman because it’s totally supposed to take several movies after putting on the costume and calling himself Superman, including his own death and resurrection, for him to really, like, become Superman, man, he remains a liability to the end. His death lures in Steppenwolf, the Kryponian matrix in his genes is Darkseid’s goal, he becomes the villain of the first act of Justice League 3 - possibly of his own free will depending on which version you’ve heard about - and at the final showdown, it’s Batman who sacrifices himself to stop Darkseid and save the world and inspire the rise of superheroism, because Batman, you see, rules, whereas Superman, stay with me here, drools. A letdown given BvS was just about the one major story of the last 30 years to unambiguously conclude Superman is better than Batman, but not a shocker. None of what I understand goes down in these - iconography from the likes of Fourth World, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Death and Return of Superman, Rock of Ages, Final Crisis, and Injustice reused but stripped of all context and thematic weight that gives it meaning (even Injustice is built on the premise of having a ‘good’ Superman to contrast the dictator); Lois being the ‘key’ because of her connections to two men, one she married and one she bears; time travel that even by the very generous suspension of disbelief applied to it in a genre like this operates by two obviously completely different sets of rules in its only two uses, and is then used to write the entire second movie of the trilogy out of continuity in the first act of the third, making one and a half of these movies pointless - is shocking. It’s just more empty notions and unfulfilled promises offered up to a fanbase staking everything on the idea that all the tampering, all the wild swings, all the meandering, it’s all building UP to something, not possibly just a dude who doesn’t understand these characters but wanting to look very clever with them before building up to one more rad punch-up. So yes, make these movies. Let what can be gleaned from them as worthwhile be revealed, leave the rest of it up for examination to be judged as it deserves and let it, finally. Finally. Be done.

[ishkah]

Early Beginnings...

My 22 year old self spinning 15 year old diary entries into something or other…

One of my earliest memories is sitting by a river bend after school just sitting and thinking, being, remembering family togetherness building dams on the river, playing poo sticks. I wanted that deeply, I was aware I couldn’t be seen directly, playing with the other kids, but I also liked the idea that the adults would have to take time and think to know where I was.

With this came an identity, I heard a pride in my mum’s voice when she told the other mums where she found me, a deep nature boy that one.

I knew she would because whenever there was bedlam at home I would always take myself off outside. I knew how important it was that I didn’t see her cry because I saw it once, or get upset or argue but more than anything, she didn’t want me involved in the drama; to become something I didn’t understand.

My brother was a resistance fighter, in the trenches telling both parents what they were doing wrong, living the trauma, with two sunburn creased lines between his eyebrows to prove it.

I was a dreamer I liked this new state of being, I distrusted and held onto my words because I saw them used by other people like daggers or simply to pull on heartstrings. I must have thought a lot about how words are only used to hurt each other and get one over each other because by the time I was in secondary school I’d been given another personality story to hold onto.

I was like my great granddad I told people, he was a quite honorable man, would say hardly a word, but he always knew when something was at odds, so when he did speak his words had a profound impact on people. I became the listener and solver.

I thought about how small I was in this incomprehensible beautiful universe that I read in stories, I didn’t try much to understand it just admire it. I wanted to mimic its uniqueness, I wanted to be compassionate. I probably started labelling a lot of things, good and bad, normal and extraordinary. I went vegan with this people gave me the identity pacifist.

It wasn’t till the army came to school that I had a chance to practice what I’d learnt. Reading back over my diary at the time I felt a huge responsibility to my friends that they wouldn’t go off and get killed for no good reason. I’ve tried to stay as real to the 15 year old kid who’s newly forming ideas were shaped through the experience of what follows.

I spread my ideas militantly, if they were going to advertise the killing of innocents in my school, me and my young cronies were going to disrupt it. I wrote up a petition, confronted every kid in school with this reality. I made a ruckus because I was doing something radical that had never been tried before in the school’s history.

I must have got three quarters of the whole school to sign my little clipboard chart, not least because of the rumours that were spread, some of the kids straight out of primary learning about conscription in history class cued up to sign it, expressing a tangible fear.

My betrayal came suddenly, the teacher who invited the army to school flipped out at me, saying I was trying to limit other student’s access to knowledge about the army. I walked away furious, even more committed to stopping them, I schemed with friends how we could lock doors and sit on stage. I thought how an institution committed to educating, expanding minds could let someone go off and kill others halfway across the world.

I stubbornly asked all the head of staff each day when the army would be coming to school, all of them told me it hadn’t been scheduled but they’d tell me when they knew, not for a while…

When I walked into the school the next day to find everyone at assembly with teachers keeping a close eye on their forms in rows, I was pissed. I walked in from one side of the hall and surveyed the scene with contemptuous hilarity, down the hall, past the class sitting quietly transfixed on me, ignoring my form teacher’s calls to come sit down, and out the other end.

I sat outside with 4 girls fuming, a teacher came round to ask us back in, I glared back but 3 of us slinked back in. So this was the great resistance effort the 2 of us crumpled down to the floor.

We started talking about how depressing it all was, how powerless the teachers had made everyone feel, people had been scratching their name off the petition for fear of getting punished. We hated everything that was in that room and we threw in a few choice words of our conversation into the hall.

BULLSHIT!

The teachers guarding the doors peered through the curtains at us, they were afraid of us! Aha so they should be! Our beings and ideas were powerful!

The talk ended, the army officer came out and I felt an anger welling up in me, but I had nothing to say to him, the head of department came next, I had a maths lesson with him next but he’d lied to me only yesterday, I had no interest in hearing what he had to teach me. He encouraged me to move, saying it’s finished now, I laughed a laugh that came from the pit of my being, it was just the opposite of how I was feeling, a dramatic change in my being, nothing had come and gone, only feelings inside of me had grown a 1000 fold.

He threatened me with truancy, I learned the best way to get on an adult’s nerves was never to rise to them, never give them any ammunition. I just looked at him. None of the politics needed words, we weren’t going to get one over on each other, we were simply diametrically opposed and I wished the opposite of wanting to be understood by him by engaging him in conversation. I just watched him walk away.

The rest of the day I sat exactly where I was and made paper cranes for peace and talked to anyone and everyone. I was committed to public resistance. Resistance is emotional, beautiful even and I’d crossed a treasonous line with characteristic style. Action would from now and forever be how I wrote my story.

The next few weeks I was in and out of full-time detention where I wasn’t even allowed to go to class, I had to be watched carefully to curb my disruptive ways.

I raged against the teachers that had lied to me, but when I was in detention I got my first whiff of privilege, the kids I was in with admired my rage but with a sense of novelty.

I thought they’d understand more than anyone why I was fighting them, but they didn’t, they believed in the system more than anyone, they just got angry sometimes and needed to lash out and so were seen as unpredictable.

For most of them a care worker or teacher were the only people that would believe in them, show them the rails. I knew where the rails were but I wanted to derail them and set a new course.

But I began to hate the idea that I could afford to step off and be an example only to later intelligently articulate a political reason to excuse myself.

Even more entitled than that I had a co-conspirator mother who used her knowledge of childcare regulations to stop me from being expelled and afford me an easier sentence than my new friends who earned their detention by setting off alarms by setting fire to bits of paper and smoking in toilets

I came out of school feeling a strong sense of purpose, that words weren’t necessary in finding my-self, which validated my search for a spiritual interconnectedness based on compassion. Also the people telling you what you should or shouldn’t do can be the worst amoral shits on the planet.

I grew up as an outsider, the scouser transplanted into a tiny village in a valley in Wales. This moment was the activation of an identity I only knew through the biker friends of my mum and the stories they would tell together that I looked up to. An identity known only to myself that no one could take away from me, and I felt my internal world growing stronger, I felt a sense of purpose, the more active I felt fighting oppression, the more alive I felt. Now I have the privilege of being able to jump into so many struggles without getting burnt out or losing face.

My only limits are when I am being asked to conform to a situation I don’t agree with, in this way I need to stay spontaneous, my inner strength comes from the efficiency by which I can throw myself into a struggle and make gains, I am learning now to transform that into a circular routine of building my bases.

My outer self is a culmination of novelty stories of struggling through hardship and pushing through in pursuit of truth and finding pockets of hope. I need people around me to be open, allow me to tell my story slowly and not restrict my image to something that suits them.

When I’m on the road I’m still that little kid who disassociates, but the game of living with strangers allows me to feel creative. I feel like I need to make connections more strongly; because mutual aid is so important, the entire journey is dependent on other people. When I look at my life I see the journey, my life is about the means by which we make change not the end.

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Roguish Women Part 16

Summary: Kate Rosseau is an American who fled to Paris to escape her past life. Now she's dancing and playing the part of a courtesan at the Moulin Rouge. There she meets Tommy Shelby who thinks she can be useful in expanding his empire. But has he been blinded?

Part 15: Tommy doesn’t tell Kate, Kate dreams of being on stage again. 

           Kate didn’t remember what she said to Tommy. In fact, she didn’t remember leaving the Garrison. Perhaps it was a good thing to know that she didn’t have many reservations about getting blackout drunk with the Shelbys at their establishment. It just reinforced the idea that she trusted them. And trust was not easy to come by.

Still, she didn’t remember what she’d said. And Tommy didn’t tell her.

He was sitting downstairs in the kitchen when Kate came downstairs wearing the same dress she had on the night before. She didn’t look pleased with the hangover she was sporting.

“Tea?” Tommy offered.

“No, thanks.” She sat down at the table and took out a cigarette instead.

He simply turned the page of his newspaper, partially hiding his face behind it. He couldn’t be certain how much she remembered. Although she was certainly out of it, at the time that didn’t mean she forgot. Besides, Tommy didn’t want to mention it if she had forgotten and it was simply a mistake. Maybe he’d misheard her or she was just spouting nonsense. That was a convenient answer, one he held onto because he wasn’t willing to explore what he felt deeper. If he did, he was afraid of what he might find. Nevertheless, it would complicate things. So he chose not to bring it up.

“Did you come to the Garrison last night?” Kate asked.

“No, John brought you here. You weren’t making much sense.” He replied trying to sound nonchalant as if to portray the idea that she hadn’t said anything that bothered him or meant anything, to begin with.

It reassured Kate and she didn’t suspect he was hiding anything from her based on his demeanor. Of course, when she woke up at Six Watery Lane, she was horrified that she’d done something foolish. Perhaps she showed up at Tommy’s doorstep declaring her true feelings for him. How embarrassing that would be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been quite some time since Kate had been in a legitimate ballet company. Not since she’d been in the States. And it had been a while since she’d been in a studio or any sort of suitable practice space. The thing about Birmingham and London was it all felt so cramped. There wasn’t enough room to do much of anything. Still, Kate did her best to stretch and keep herself somewhat in a condition to dance again. Maybe it was blind hope that she would one day find herself back on stage.

Back to that feeling that had escaped her for so long. Something that couldn’t be replicated. It was the closest thing she’d known to flying. She felt weightless on her feet. Able to leap like a gazelle, making it look effortless, and as if she could walk on air. Of course, they were fleeting moments. If she were to be lifted by someone, the feeling lasted much longer. But it came with a price. The price of trust and having to rely on someone to keep her aloft. There was still a man there, holding her up. Kate always wanted the man to disappear. That way it would be her alone. That’s all she needed. She didn’t need someone else’s support.

When Ada arrived, Kate was stretching in the hallway, using the staircase railing as a makeshift barre.

“Come in!” Kate welcomed her in.

Ada startled a bit, unsure at what the woman was doing with her leg so high in the air. “Is this a bad time?”

“No, no, just stretching.” Kate folded over her lifted leg, reaching for her toes. “Make yourself at home.”

“Alright then.” Ada did so by hanging her coat up along with her purse and hat.

Kate could still hear her old instructor counting as she stretched.

Five, six, seven, eight.

She lifted her heel to remove it from the banister and returned to a normal standing position. “I’m guessing Tommy sent you with something.”

“Well, yes, and a question.” Ada removed a few things from her purse.

“Okay, good.” Kate went into the kitchen to get some water. Ada followed her in, spreading out the papers on the table. “If I had a penny for every contract I signed.” She sighed and turned to address the paperwork. “What about the question?”

“He said you didn’t RSVP to the wedding, I guess he just wanted to know why.”

Kate frowned. “Oh, I was certain I did.” Certain was a loose term. She recalled getting the invitation a few weeks ago. “Well, I think he knows I’m coming.”

“He didn’t sound so sure,” Ada told her.

The last thing she wanted to do was talk about the man she loved to his sister. Especially when that man didn’t love her back and intended on marrying someone else. “Tea? Or something to eat?” She offered to avoid the comment.

Ada sat down. “Tea is fine.” She figured she would be staying for a bit. Tommy had briefed her on the situation. He said Kate was acting strangely and he wanted Ada to gather more information. But of course, he left out the part about the drunken admission of love a few weeks earlier. Around the time the invitation had been received. Had Ada known, then the conversation would’ve gone differently.

“I was in a ballet company in America,” Kate said out of the blue as she filled the kettle. A distraction, to keep Ada off the topic of Tommy’s wedding. “Not for very long. I had trained for years, ever since I was little. But only a couple of seasons after I was accepted to join the company, I had to leave for Europe. It was one of the best times of my life.” She remembered fondly. Kate never fawned over the elegant, eye-catching costumes or attention from an entire audience. She had all of that at the Moulin Rouge and was miserable. No, she adored having an entire stage to use as her own. To stand tall with her chin lifted. Everything else was meaningless because the only thing that existed was that stage. It was better than any high.

“Why did you have to leave so soon after?” Ada wondered. The talk of ballet wasn’t anything interesting to her. What was interesting was the woman behind the story. Years passed and although Ada knew Kate well and got along with her, she still couldn’t understand who she was. A dancer that Tommy plucked out of Paris and brought home. There was so much Ada didn’t know, as well as the rest of the Shelby family. And yet, they felt comfortable enough with her that they could accept the inconsistencies. Only because Kate never drew their attention to them. She simply cued them in on vague parts of her life. Like saying she had been a ballerina. But they could be explained. And they could continue to keep her close.

“My father got into trouble. He promised things he couldn’t promise. And one night, a man came to my performance and had left me a note in my dressing room. He told me what my father promised and what was to come.” Kate explained. The memory of walking into the dressing room with all the other girls was still fresh in her mind even after years passed. She was smiling and laughing with them as they usually did after a successful performance. Riding the high of being on stage, Kate remembered seeing the note addressed to her laying by a dozen red roses. She had been intrigued and a bit giddy at the thought of an admirer.

“What was it?”

My dear Kathleen,

You looked stunning on stage, but I would prefer you all to myself. Fortunately, that has been granted to me. You know what you promised and you know that it’s far too late to make any more excuses. I’ll be at your apartment tonight at ten o’clock. I wouldn’t run, micina, you know that only angers me.

Yours,

Santo.

“He believed I was his to marry when I wasn’t.” Kate poured tea for both of them and sat down. She shifted her attention down to the paperwork that Ada had laid out on the table.

Ada watched her eyes shift from side to side even though it didn’t appear she was reading anything on the paper. “That’s what Tommy’s been protecting you from, then.” Her brother hadn’t much of an explanation for why they kept Kate around. Other than she had connections in America, Alfie Solomons liked her, and she needed their protection. Not necessarily in that order.

Kate nodded. “And now I’m afraid I’ve been entangled in his web. A bit more than I would’ve liked.” She mumbled more to herself than to Ada.

“Look,” It happened to remind the Shelby sister why she’d gone there in the first place. “None of us are thrilled that he’s marrying her. After what she did, I know it doesn’t seem like she deserves another chance to be trusted. But I think Tommy wants you there. He made it seem important.”

That only made Kate feel worse. She chewed on the inside of her cheek to keep the emotions from bubbling up in her. Although Ada seemed like a nice enough confidante, Kate couldn’t risk the chance that the news got back to Tommy. Not so close to his wedding date. “Well, you can tell him I’ll be there.” She replied. “I said I would, so I will.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kate assumed most people had been invited to Warwickshire a couple of days before the wedding. Only because she had been and if she had been invited, then surely others were too. After all, she figured she would be the last person Tommy would want around his home only days before his wedding to Grace.

But he’d only invited a couple of other family members. And that was only to make it seem normal that he was inviting Kate.

Tommy sent a car for her one morning. Apprehensive, Kate had packed her things and got in the car. The entire drive, she worried about what might happen. Of course, her greatest fear was Tommy was going to actually get married, even though it was guaranteed to happen. She knew it was too late for him to back out. Aside from the wedding, Kate was afraid she might say something. Anything damning, really. Maybe she said something that showed how she felt for Tommy. Or maybe inexplicably brought something up about her past.

Frankly, they were foolish fears. She hadn’t mentioned anything about her past that wasn’t carefully explained. She let nothing slip. Well, of course when she wasn’t as drunk as she’d been on absinthe. But even then, she thought she didn’t let anything slip. Kate thought that she had trained herself well enough that even in her most inebriated state, her brain wouldn’t let anything loose. But she didn’t know that she told Tommy she loved him.

“Christ,” Kate whispered to herself when the car pulled up the gravel drive. She’d been expecting a large property, especially after Arthur and John had been complaining about getting lost. But it was hard to imagine how imposing Arrow House would be until she was on the doorstep.

It didn’t feel inviting, but maybe that was because Kate didn’t particularly feel a warm invite to the wedding. Still, the estate looked like it was out of a book, not an actual place to live in. It was truly a modern-day castle where Tommy hid. And now he’d invited her inside.

One of the front doors opened and a maid came out to greet her and take her bag. “You must be Miss Rosseau.” She greeted politely.

“Yeah, thank you.” Kate couldn’t help but look around when she walked into the place. The large, drafty rooms only made her feel emptier.

“Mr. Shelby’s gone out on a ride with his brothers but he should be back for lunch. Miss Burgess is in the drawing-room. If you’d like to greet her, I could bring your things upstairs.” The woman suggested.

Kate bristled at the thought of facing Grace alone. “Um, I’d actually like to freshen up a bit.” She made up the excuse, hoping Grace wouldn’t come out to greet her.

“Of course, I’ll show you to your room. If you’d follow me.”

She followed her up the large staircase. There was a portrait on the wall of Tommy and one of his horses. Had it been a different day, maybe she would’ve thought it was funny. Tommy Shelby was slowly changing from a gypsy boy to one of Britain’s elite. Large countryside estate, portraits on the wall, immense power.

The maid brought Kate down the long hallway and showed her into a room that fit the rest of the house. Grandiose without much emotion tied to it. It wasn’t yet a family home. Just a large place filled with meaningless showy things. It didn’t impress Kate. She found most wealth was hollow. It was clear Tommy saw things differently.

“Would you like me to come and fetch you when lunch is ready?” The woman offered.

“That would be great, thank you.” Kate set her bag down on the bed and debated leaving. She felt so on edge and out of place that it made her skin crawl. “What the fuck am I doing here?” She whispered and shook her head.

After making use of the built-in bathtub, Kate got dressed and idled in the room. She didn’t want to go downstairs before she was absolutely certain Tommy or any other family member was home. That way she wouldn’t be trapped alone with Grace. It wasn’t that she feared Grace. No, she just didn’t know what to say anymore. What else was there to say? Congrats? You win?

There was a knock at the door and Kate assumed it was the maid back to tell her lunch was ready.

“Come in!” She called from her spot by the window.

However, it wasn’t the maid that entered. It was Tommy. He walked in and shut the door behind him. “We need to talk.”

Permanent Tag: @papa-geralt-of-cirilla​ @giftofdreams​ @biba3434​ @kimmietea​ @karmezii​

Tag list: @radical-gecko​ @actorinfluence​

Masterlist

[collegeofwinterhold]

vinny spouting pure unfiltered cringe not clickbait

i guess this was a long time coming. this isn’t like, coherent in any way or meant to be serious or smth i will expand upon since this is mostly to get this shit out of my system before i give myself a hernia or something

anyway, uh, i’m elaborating on my mag and tes crossover yayyyy. only like 2 people will understand this but i need to put down my fixation somehow.  uh. MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR LITERALLY EVERY MAJOR PLOT POINT UP UNTIL S5. if you want to listen to it later ill steer away from this

b4 you send me anything im just as embarrassed as you are. anyway w that out of the wayyy

so. magnus archives huh

okay uhm i have this sort of thing where i would like completely mash up my biggest interests and just really think on how this would affect the other and what differences and similitudes there were... though this one is a bit different, i think.

first off i’m much more interested on the more eldritch side of the story than the more human side. i love the characters but i love the concepts and lore a looooooot more. so, in this case it’s.. a pretty one-sided crossover hah

the main “premise” of the thing would be... i suppose that something ala 160 happens in tamriel that allows the entities to break through to another setting that is very much ripe in fear and many opportunities on how to spread their influence. the fun part, at least for me, would be the absolute shaking of the status quo like, how does the very much sentient and involved pantheon of gods and daedra interact with a nebulous, uninvolved and maybe even non-sentient threat?

i haven’t thought of it a lot mostly cus i have no one else to develop it with but like, i like to think some entities would piggyback or parasite off daedra like the eye, the spiral, the desolation, etc, while others like the vast, the buried, the stranger and rest would have to get pretty hands-on. and that would lead to aloooot of chaos because, well, while weird things go on in tamriel, the entity brand of weird is NOT tamriel-kind weird.  that and a lot of spheres getting turned on it’s head. peryite would detest the corruption i think

the confusion would also make for very interesting scenarios where the difference between champion and avatar is very much highlighted... maybe a herma-mora acolyte ended up falling to the eye instead of the daedra and vise versa... which is fucking hilarious

rituals, too! considering the diversity of things you can do w magic and shit there’s bound to be people just doing all sorts of crazy shit to bring their patron into the world... maybe it can even apply to daedra too... and also. who knows.... maybe the thalmor bring out the extinction in this world as well

i. haven’t developed this like in any way, this was just something i’m incredibly fixated on and embarrassed about and i figured i might as well puke it out before it kills me. if any of the 2 people who are into tes and tma like me want to do smth w this concept i highly encourage you to. hell maybe cannibalize it for ur own projects go do something where i failed

anyway this has been vinny leave your hate comments at the door

[avengerscompound]

The Grindhouse - Chapter 7

The Grind House: A Bucky Barnes Fanfic

Series Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Bucky Barnes x  F!Reader

Word Count:  1761

Rating:  E

Square filled: @buckybarnesbingo - U4, KINK: French Kiss, @star-spangled-bingo - Coming Untouched.

Warnings:  Smut (F/M, kissing leading to orgasm and some come play)

Synopsis:  When Bucky Barnes stops to get coffee and warm up at your coffee shop, he had just expected that caffeine might lift his mood a little. He didn’t expect to fall head-over-heels for you over a game of chess.

Chapter 7

Saturday was not a long wait and when it dawned Bucky was apprehensive.  Thankfully due to the lack of time to dwell on it, he hadn't completely over thought the whole thing.  He was overthinking what he should wear though.

He’d gotten a little stuck in a cycle of wanting to look nice for the date, but then getting mad at himself for caring so much about wanting to look nice.  He was just changing his third shirt when there was a knock on his door.

“It’s open.”  He called.

Natasha stepped in shook her head.  “What is with you and not being able to choose clothes?”

“I don’t know,”   He whined.  “I didn’t use to have this problem.”

She chuckled and approached him.  “You look good.  Just -”  She unbuttoned the top button on his shirt.  “Go with your leather jacket.  But -”  She took the hairband off her braid and pulled his hair back, carefully smoothing it down before tying it off.  “There.  Looks good.”

Bucky grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on.

“How are you feeling?”  Nat asked.

“Nervous.”  He said.

She smiled and ran her hands down his arms.  “Well, it has been like 70 years since you last went on a date.”

“Yeah, thanks for that, Tasha.”  He grumbled.

She chuckled and patted his shoulder.  “She likes you.  Just be you.”

“That’s the problem.  I don’t know who I am.”

Natasha sighed and rubbed the small of his back.  “I know how hard this is, James.  We’re monsters.  But that’s what they wanted us to be and they don’t get a say anymore.  Whatever you’ve been doing so far has worked.  You got the date.  Just keep doing it.”

Bucky nodded a little and let out a breath.

“So what’s the plan?  Taking her out?”  She asked.

Bucky grabbed his wallet and tucked it in his pocket.  “Nah.  Gonna cook for her.”

“Something Romanian?”

He nodded.  “Yeah.  I got a few things I liked making.”

She patted his back.  “Sounds perfect.  See your instincts are good.  That’s a total panty dropper.”

Bucky started laughing, which in turn eased his mind just enough to kick him into action.  “Thanks, Tasha.”

“Of course.  Clunking heads is what I do around here.”  She teased.

Bucky went to your place via an International Market where he picked up smoked ham, trout, minced pork, cabbage, cheeses, and the various other spices and vegetables he was going to need to cook with.

He made his way to your place, arms laden down with groceries.  You buzzed him up immediately and greeted him at the door looking like you belonged in a spring themed watercolor despite how cold it was outside.

“Oh my goodness, Bucky.  Look at all the food you brought.”  You said taking one of the bags off him.

“Yeah.  I might have gone overboard.”  He agreed following you inside.

You put the bag down on the kitchen bench and turned to him, kissing his cheek.  He felt a warm tingle pass through him.  It had happened every time you’d touched him in such a familiar fashion.  He didn’t know if that was just him getting used to that touch or if it was specifically because it was you.

Maybe the truth lay somewhere between those two things.  Whatever it was, he liked it.  A lot.  He wanted more but was worried that if it moved to the bedroom he wasn’t going to be able to perform properly.  It had been so long and he’d been through so much, that where once he’d have felt cocky and completely sure about his abilities, now he didn’t even know if he had it in him anymore.

“So what are we making?”  You said.

He started unpacking the bags and laying them out based on what dishes they were going in.  “Caşcaval Pane, Ciorbă de perişoare, Varză țărănească cu Ciolan Afumat, Mămăligă, and Plăcinte cu brânză dulce.”

“That sounds so cool.  But what is it?”  You said, looking over everything.

He chuckled and looked down, shaking his head a little.  “There’s a deep-fried breaded cheese, meatball soup, smoked ham hock and cabbage, polenta and for dessert a fried dough with sweet cheese.”

“So...much...food.”  You said.  “Good thing I love to eat.  Point me to what you want me to do and I’ll do it.”

The two of you worked well together and as you cooked he relaxed.  He liked cooking.  It helped him get out of his head.  Plus it was nice to actually create things after years of being used to destroy everything.

Soon the apartment was filled with the smells of spices and cooked meats and the two of you were sitting together on the couch eating.

“You’re a really good cook.  Where did you learn all this stuff?”  You asked.

“I spent a few years living in Romania.  I did all that kind of cash in hand, not on the books work.  Construction.  Odd jobs.  Working in kitchens.  Picked up things.”  He said.

“It’s so good.  I’d hire you to work in my kitchen.  Only we don’t really have one.  Just sandwiches and soups.”  You joked.

“Well if you ever decide to expand you know where I am.”  He said.

You laughed and shifted in your chair, snuggling up into his side.  He wrapped his arm around you.  He really did love how you felt pressed against him.  Even though sleeping with you on that couch had been a nightmare on his back, he had slept really well.  He loved how safe you seemed to feel with him.

“I am so full.”  You said putting your plate down and curling into him more.

“That was the plan.”  He said looking down at you.

For a moment he just stared down into your eyes.  His eyes flicked to your lips taking in every part of them in detail.  The color and texture of your lipstick.  The fine lines over the soft curve.  The way they parted just a little as you moved forward.

He bridged the distance, bringing his lips to yours.  The kiss started slow.  Just a gentle caress of your lips over his.  You dipped your tongue out and ran over his top lip.  It was something he had done many times before with lots of women but it had been so long and he had been a different person.  This felt like the first time.  He hummed softly against your lips and deepened the kiss, opening his mouth more and bringing his tongue to meet yours.

You circled them together and danced them over the other’s lips.  Your hand went to his hair and bunched in it making him groan deeply as his scalp prickled.  The deep tingle in his lips, spread through him, making his hair stand on end and his cock start to stiffen.

Part of him thought maybe that was a sign he was doing too much.  He had been conditioned to pain and while he’d come a long way since he left HYDRA this felt like such an extreme his body wasn’t quite sure how to handle it.

He didn’t stop though.  His closed his arms around you and pulled you closer to him, the extra pressure of your body against his increasing the pleasure he was feeling.

You sucked on his bottom lip and he groaned and pulled back a little, letting you tug on it gently as he did.

“I might need to stop.”  He whispered, even though it was really the last thing he wanted to do.

You gently caressed his jaw and looked down into his eyes.  “What’s wrong?”

“I - I uh -”  He looked down at his now obvious erection.

“Oh.  Did you want to - ?”  You cocked your head towards the bedroom and quirked your eyebrows.

“No,”  He said a little too quickly.  “I mean.  Yes.  I do.  But… I don’t think I’ll last.”

You pulled back and looked at him and he started to wish a hole would open in the ground and swallow him whole.  “I’m okay going at whatever speed you like, Bucky.”

“It’s just… since HYDRA… What they did… I haven’t been…”  He stuttered.

You hummed and leaned in and nipped at his earlobe.  “Then you need some time to get used to us.  So let’s keep going as long as you’re still enjoying it.  And if you come.  Then that’s just fine by me.”

The heat of your breath as it tickled his neck combined with the teasing growl in your voice traveled right down his spine to his dick, making it jump and leak.  He nodded and pulled you back into a kiss.

It was just that.  Nothing more.  His hand at your jaw and his arm around your waist while yours were tangled in his hair.  You kissed deeply.  Hungrily.  Lips moving together, tongues dancing.  His whole body seemed like a live wire.  A strong current running through it making his nerves feel raw and exposed.

His cock was hard and throbbing.  Each movement of your lips and tug of his hair seemed to bring him closer and closer to the edge.  You moved your lips down his jaw and sucked on the pulse point under his ear as you unfastened his pants and pulled his cock out.  “You gonna come, Bucky?”  You purred against his ear.  “Let me see you.”  You sucked again, hard enough that if he were almost anyone else, he would have marked.

It was enough that it sent a jolt through him.  He jerked up under you and came on his stomach with a loud groan.

You pulled back and looked at him.  For a moment he felt embarrassed.  The thought that this was all it took made him feel inadequate.  You bit your bottom lip.  “That was so fucking hot.”  You said and leaned down and licked him clean.

His head fell back and his metal hand clutched at your hair as every thought of inadequacy was pushed aside.  “Jesus Christ.”  He gasped.

You licked him clean and sucked on his now over sensitive cock before sitting back up and tucking him away.  He looked up at you and blinked a little.  “You’re kind of unreal you know?”

You chuckled and curled in against his side.  “Hardly.”  You said.  “Bucky, I really like you okay.  If this is the first relationship since that, I don’t mind that you might need extra time to feel comfortable.”

He felt a tightening in his chest.  He was really falling for you hard and he was really starting to enjoy it.

// NEXT

[r41nbowrumpusp4rty]

this is not what yall signed up 4 when u made the mistake of following my blog, but i wanna talk bout some ideas i had about a new toy line so imma ramble into the internet void.

I like to keep up with toy lines that come out and in that vein i also like to trash talk blindboxes when theyre done wrong and praise them when done right. In an ideal world you could buy just one blind box and have fun with what you get, and minimal waste. theres also the want to be happy with what u get even if it wasent the ONE you wanted, I usually see this done best with quality in the product and every character being well designed. i once saw a doll line that had poofy scented hair and you could see what color hair u get through the packaging, which makes a ton of sense to me cus to a child the hair color on a hair centric doll is the most important thing.

all of this was context to talk about a new toy line ive been following where u unwind a ball of different yarns to find a cute plush animal and all the stuff u need to make a buncha crafts. now i can talk about what i think would be cool in the next series of this toy line,

1 i think it would be rad if the box it came in looked like a lil house and the window u see the yarn ball through looked like the window of the house.

2 I think the outer most yarn on the ball should indicate something about the pet, a lot of blindboxes will split their characters into themes like "fairy tale" or "desserts" and i think having a yarn color scheme for each theme would help in making sure that u get something u like. another idea in this vein would be having the box house from idea one have something on it to indicate what kinda animal u r getting like a horse box would look like a stable or a dog house has a dog bone outside.

3 they should switch up some of the crafts, rn we got pom poms, frienship bracelets, a pet collar and a bed. their social media also shows different methods to do each craft which is cool. I think some crafts they could have in the future are things like fingerknitting (maybe starting with a pet scarf and working up to sewing the scarves together into a blanket for your pet), sewing together a lil bag so u can take ur pet on adventures, if they dont make the box a cute reusable house they could make a cut out loom or a box weaving project where you cut slits n the box an weave the yarn to make it look like a basket. i also like the idea of making pet clothes and stuff too. maybe they could include a lil knitting spool in the center instead of the pom pom maker. another tool that could go in the middle is a friendship bracelet circle loom thingy and in the mold of these things they could make it look like a dinner table or somethin. it seems like theyre aiming the base craft at a younger audience and using the online videos to show more complex ways of doing it, which is good but kids are smarter than a lot of people give em credit for, they can do a lot more kinds of crafts. last note on this, the fluffy most "yarn" on the outside works great for pet bed stuffing but if theres no pet bed project you could change that outermost yarn to a bulky fuffy kind for finger knitting.

4 they outghta think through the yarn colors more, more different colors in each ball so each of ur diys look different, but also having the colors make sense for the pet (which is why splitting the pets into themed groups would be a good idea(another thought is to have one of each animal per theme)) and any charms they include could be better matched to the pet

5 how are there not any traditional yarn pets (sheep alpaca rabbit ect) ?! i know all the yarn is acrylic but it would be so cute. on the instructions there should be a "fluff your pet out" step on the instructions (just write it cuter like "give your new pal a few pats to smooth them out" or something) its not vital but i think it would add something nice.

6 the lil charms for friendship bracelet (if they redid that craft) would be cooler if they were a bit more pet accessory esq, like it could be a charm but it also is a comb (blunt and wide tooth to keep the yarn hair nice) or a pet toy charm like a little mouse or a

7 the youtube should expand to more accessible crafts 4 kids, i remember being a youngin and wanting to do crafts from a book but lacking all the supplies, with this u r only missing sisscors and you can take the knowledge from these crafts and use whatever yarn u want for them and re do most of them missing clips or charms. They could show how to knit with pencils or maybe even show some papercrafts like a simple origami drawer to hold your pets belongings.

final thoughts (if you made it this low i commend your fortitude though my poor grammar) I like this toy line and can see how it could be a toy that a child gets and treasures for many years, i also like the different ways to do each craft. I hope that this toy line dosent end up one of the more "collect them all!" types cuz while that might work well for the instagram moms with youtube channels where they get paid to review toys it dosent work as well for the kid whose been saving up their pocket money and wants to get something that they will have a ton of fun with.

just in case anyone up in the raveltales office sees this, i promise i can be more coherent, and i do have more nifty ideas ;)