#like I used to love baking and painting and being creative until I just set such insane standards for myself

[raplinesmoon]

i think the thing that no one tells you about being forced into being a high achieving child/teen is how much it comes to fuck you over later in life when you can’t do anything without holding yourself to an insane level of perfectionism and then you realize it’s basically leeched all the fun out of any hobbies you created for yourself and left you with a shell of a personality

[sagehqs]

if you’re hearing BEFORE THE WORLD WAS BIG by GIRLPOOL playing, you have to know SAGE OGLE (SHE/THEY; FEMME-QUEER) is near by! the 29 year old LIBRARIAN AND CLERK AT FINDERS KEEPERS has been in denver for, like, FOUR YEARS. they’re known to be quite FRAGILE, but being COMPASSIONATE seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble FLORENCE PUGH. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those ECLECTIC, HOMEY, HANDPICKED, AND FOLKY vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the UNIVERSITY DISTRICT long enough! 

full name: Sage Aubrey Ogle. | nicknames: aubs (always looking for more). | gender and pronouns: femme-queer, she/they. | age: twenty-nine. | sexuality: bisexual. | date of birth: june 26. | sun sign: cancer ( loyal, creative, sensitive, insecure. ) | moon sign: gemini ( childish, witty, impulsive, outgoing. ) | rising sign: capricorn ( hardworking, honest, sensitive, ambitious. ) | tarot birth card: strength. | place of birth:  charleston, west virginia. | occupation: librarian at the denver public library and clerk at finders keepers thrift store.

she can be found in the last drops of rain hitting hot pavement, soft greens and purples that blend together in the heat of parties, dissonant but purposeful notes in punk songs, awkward lyrics that paint too many stories at once, the aglet barely hanging onto worn out shoelaces that hang onto even more worn out sneakers, and the moment of peace you get when you walk into your apartment after a busy day at work

Sage Ogle was born in a local Charleston, WV hospital -- the air was out, the room humid, and her parents immediately doting on her as she wails her first cries.

They grew up in creek (crick) beds and foothills. Poison ivy was normal and chamomile treatments were well-known every summer. Childhood was filled with puddles, treehouses, and lightning bug earrings.

Deep in the woods in a tucked-away house, she could do what she wanted when school wasn't in session. Most of the time she grabbed a book and curled up under a walnut tree in her backyard -- occasionally opening a nut when she got hungry and dinner wasn't ready yet. Her closest neighbors were half a mile away but loved when she came bearing gifts of cornbread or fresh-baked pie. Most of the time she played with their kids, helped clean up afterward, and came running back home just as the sunset.

As a child she wanted to fit in with everyone, to find space for each person that she could -- which created a bit of a chameleon with no distinct set of self. Her friends were all over the place, which put her at odds with different groups during respective dramas -- but in the end she was always a mediator for them and gave some positive solution. Except for her cousins Daisy and Jeb -- they still don't talk and she truly believes they never will.

This lack of affinity for self left her at quite the crossroads once she graduated from WVU with a degree in English and a minor in gender and sexuality studies -- she didn't know who she was, or what she wanted in life. Hell -- they hardly even knew who they were.

Eventually they figured a big move, a big chop, and a big change was needed. They sold everything they ever owned, bought a beat-up SUV, and trailed their way across the states until the car eventually broke down in Denver. Instead of getting the car fixed, she sold it to the first person who asked about it, used her savings and car money to rent a dinky little apartment in the Montebello District, and began her life in Colorado.

They immediately got a job at Finders Keepers and started to grow in Denver. It wasn't long after that they landed their gig at the library, too. Now they're involved with the city and they know what's going on. The library isn't just for books, it's a place where all people go to learn, a place for resources, and a place for shelter.

After a year and a half in Denver she moved a little closer to the library and upgraded her housing to the university district.

Every day she thinks about applying for grad school, going into library science or public administration -- but every day she settles for the status quo and keeps her safety in routine.

wanted connections: I'm so up for anything! Partners in crime that post radical book displays in the library. A distraction that comes into the thrift store and causes a line. Activist pal that won't skip a beat about protesting with them. A mentor with blurred lines after a night at the bar. The bad taste in her mouth after a bad hook up. I'm here for it all, let's goooo.

[snyrtch]

15 Questions, and (not 15) mutuals lmao

I was tagged by @highwayphantoms ty!

Are you named after anyone? I was named after my paternal prababka- it's a lovely name, but I only let my family use it. IRL I typically go by either my chosen name, Tarren, or by my first two initials. My middle name was inherited from my maternal grandfather. It's quite unique and I am rather fond of it. My family traditionally takes one or both given names from the kid's grandparents/great-grandparents. ​ 

When was the last time you cried? That would be last night bc I watched a sad movie :^)  

Do you have kids? Not yet! I plan to have maybe two children, if everything works out. I would also like to foster or guardian one additional kid too.  

Do you use sarcasm a lot? Constantly! It's the easiest type of joking I ever learned.  

What’s the first thing you notice about people? My eyes tend to drift just to the cheekbones for some reason when I meet people. I don't feel comfortable making direct eye-contact until I have established some kind of acquaintanceship I suppose? So it's close to the eyes, but not quite. I see the texture there, the shape of the hair. Colors of all, etc. This question is kind of hard to answer because it can also be interpreted as, what stands out first when meeting, right? Not just the initial glance. So I suppose I notice and pay attention to someone's voice a lot when building new relationships.  

What’s your eye color? They're hazel! I'm fond of them. Some lights the major tone is grey, in others green. Some brown in the center. A lot of friends have thought they were brown entirely until I started wearing contacts more frequently & were genuinely shocked.  

Scary movies or happy endings? Yes. Both. Good. Yes. I love horror and supernatural elements, I just don't like the unbearable and overwhelming doom some horror media has about it. I like the contrasts of joy and humor and horror.  

Any special talents? When I was little I could bend my back in half! I have an uncanny sense of time; If I set something in the oven or microwave, I'll go back and get on my computer. Almost without fail, I'll sit up and go 'oh I should check on that really quick!' and the microwave or toaster oven will beep/ding, the timer will go off, etc, the second I step foot in the kitchen. If I go to bed and say 'I'd like to wake up at 8' I will always wake up within 20 mins of either side of 8, regardless of when I went to sleep.  

Where were you born? Technically, in York, Maine, though we lived in Kittery. I loved Maine. Very much my kind of weather.  

What are your hobbies? :^) Well. Writing, digital art, painting, sewing, researching obscure topics, video games, espresso/coffee making and latte art, cooking, tea collecting/blending, medicinal herbs, gardening, (does ren faire obsession count as a hobby?), baking. Some of those are more prominent as actual hobbies than others. I hope soon to get into archery. One day I'd like to get back into horseback and violin or cello.  

What sports do you play/have played? I am simply not athletic 👍🏻  

How tall are you? I'm 5'8".  

Favorite subject in school? In High School, I didn't have time to take art classes while doing orchestra, unfortunately. But I did enjoy orchestra the most, I think. In College, I took a Non-fiction Creative Writing class that truly changed my view of nonfiction, being creative, and how to create boundaries when writing from personal events. Literally life-changing lol.  

Dream job? Woof. Uh, anything. I'm going to probably end up being a Research Psych, but if I could legitimately never work again and have a semi-self sufficient household where I could do things like art and gardening without worrying about capitalism, but could also manage to buy supplemental groceries and modern needs that would be. Ideal.  

I'll go ahead and tag @sharpe-teeth @darethshirl @moss-flesh @siennamain @bluewren @fade-touched-shenanigans and @glowing-blue-feathermage

None of y'all have to do it of course, but I find these kind of things fun and an easy way to get to know everybody! :^)

[wimble-warcrime]

Hello!!! Can I request headcanons for poly KidKiller with a chubby fem! s/o? What would the relationship be like, and would they be willing to carry her around a lot? I think they would be an overall good duo to be in a relationship with, but I want to hear your thoughts hahah (you can also drop the chubby part if it doesn’t fit in with the request, it’s more for me personally, it’s just nice to see some love for plus sized girlies)

I myself am a plus sized girlie, so it will be staying. (tbh, there isn't enough plus sized representation in most fandoms anywayz, so..)

but yeah, some poly kid/killer headcanons;

first off, let me just say that having some extra meat on your bones us needed when in a relationship with these two. they're huge and while they know their strength, kid (and sometimes killer) can forget what their capable of, and toss a thing or two too roughly.

secondly, what is a pudgy stomach, if not the literal best pillow on God's green earth? he made you dummy thicc, might as well put that to good use

for the purpose of this headcanon, you are capable of cooking and are a creative type. bear this in mind going forward.

if you ever feel inadequate or a long standing insecurity starts to bother you, always go to killer first. not because kid doesn't care (he does, and will be angry) but because he has the emotional range of a chocolate eclair and probably would say something insensitive. he doesn't mean it, he just bad at words.

killer knows what insecurities can do, he deals with his everyday, so he'll know how to properly console you.

they would probably adore picking you up, maybe not carrying you (in a conventional way atleast) but picking you up to sit you in their laps or for other nefarious deeds 😏😏

they have a shared love language: quality time, but kid also likes gift giving (and receiving) and killer likes acts of service

so you know, bake some tasty treats, or paint kid nude riding a dragon and he'll definitely appreciate (he will guard it with his life, but will swear on his life that that's a lie)

he will spend like the next 3 days locked up in his workshop making you something. he will forbid you from entering, and won't leave until it's done. he smells like sweat and metal afterwards, but he's made you the most well made jewlery (it matches your aesthtic too) with his name engraved in it.

help killer with the dished, cause he sure as hell won't let you cook for the crew, or make him some of his favorite noodles; polish his mask, offer to help brush his hair. really anything that gives him a break.

when you first start dating, be warned, you will feel very left out. they have been sailing and probably fucking together since they set out to see, and have been friends for even longer, so they know each other. they are soulmates. they are the Hannibal Lector and Will Graham of the sea; fucking nuts, and will commit warcrimes for each other.

you need to be patient. they are like cats. this relationship requires you to be understanding of this. it will get better, but it's slow going at first.

the crew also has to like you. if they don't, it's it's no go. I don't make the rules.

heavy drinkers. both of them. they are Scottish, so expect them to be at least a bit drunk by the end of the day. I personally don't like alcohol, or being intoxicated in general, even though I have a pretty high tolerance (I'm also a scottsman) but I don't vibe with booze all that much.

they won't force you too drink, but they will look down on you just a smidgen for it.

you HAVE to be able to hold you own in a fight. they are pirates, and the violent kind too, so be prepared for a lot of fighting. if you aren't the fighting type, they will still expect you to know basic self defense, so that you can guard the ship.

offer to train with them. it helps you all improve, and fighting alongside them will be smoother with it.

kid will make you a weapon. you have absolutely no say in this.

he will give you a once over, and start working on it.

if you have anykind of tattoos or piercings, they will love you only a little but more than if you didnt. bonus points for any kind of genitalia piercings. if you have any kind of makeup or skincare routine, be prepared to share it with kid.

killer will have better hair than you. (I have better hair than him though, so you'll never have better hair than me) self care is very important to them. you will be forced to participate.

they are cuddlers. you will suffer in the summer climates. they have separate rooms, but always end up in kids bed to sleep.

killer wears a sleeping mask, and wraps his arms around your head.

kid will almost always sleep nude, and he will smother you; has his feet tangled with yours, you sleep with your back to his stomach, he will have both arms wrapped around you.

in the times that either of them are of watch duty that night, it goes either way; killer has your face buried I'm his tits, arms wrapped around your waist and head.

or

kids got you in and affectionate headlock, and got you swaddled in the blankets so tight, you'd think he's trying to mummify you in your sleep.

no altrrnative

if you are the one on watch, they will sleep on their sides, facing each other. no cuddling. both are always the big spoon no negotiations

conscious cuddling is a whole other story though; they like to rest their head on either your boobs (if you have any) or your stomach. though kid will need you to unconscious for that last one, he will not be caught being mushy.

killer likes to come up behind you in the kitchen and hug your waist/squeeze your hips. no one will be around though, expect maybe kid

kid will slap your ass, any where any time. (I hate being touched, especially on my butt, so I cringed so hard when writing this, but sadly it's the truth.) if you don't like that (like me) he won't, but he will be tempted.

he did it once to killer when they came out to the crew, and kid nearly lost tye offending hand

......

oops, I got carried away. anyways, thx anon for requesting, and please come by again, I'd love to write for you!! this is exactly the pick me up I needed, it's been a shitty week so far.

MY REQUESTS ARE OPEN (SFW AND SUGGESTIVE ONLY) PLS REWD THE RULES BEFORE YOU REQUEST ANYTHING

[threecrowsinatrenchcoat]

Paint My Spirit Gold

Dukeceit Week Day 2: Green/Yellow

Fans of the YouTubers "Deceit" and Remus "The Duke" Sanders start to suspect that maybe, just maybe, the two of them are more than simple internet pals.

AO3 Link: [here]

Word Count: 2187

Warnings: n/a

@dukeceitweek <3

-

[ID: A screenshot of a Twitter post by user @CallMeDukie. It features a watercolor-style painting of a snake. The snake appears to be made of melting chocolate, and there is a large bite taken out of its tail. Cherries and jam are leaking out of the snake at the bite wound. The snake's expression of horror is overly-exaggerated to the point of comedy. The caption reads: "liked your snake boi, @SerpenThyme. thanks for the inspo." /end ID]

- 

A notification ding cut Janus off mid-sentence. 

“Wow, someone left their cell phone on, so professional,” he said, giving the camera a dramatic eye roll. That someone was him, of course, because he was the only one in the apartment- just him and the running livestream- but that was no excuse not to be a drama queen about it. He finished wiping flour off his hands and grabbed his phone to silence it; but the notification made him pause. He flicked his eyes up toward the camera and gave a slight smirk.

“My goodness, I’m famous,” he drawled. “The Duke himself has graced little old me with some fan art.”

Most of the comments in the chat wanted him to show it, so Janus opened up Twitter to see the full post he’d been tagged in. It was a watercolor painting of the coiled-snake chocolate sculpture- lovingly named Jake by his viewers- he’d made for his YouTube video last week; it was wearing an expression of such comedic horror that Janus had to stifle a laugh. He flicked his phone screen toward the close-up camera on his counter so his viewers could see.

“How kind of you, Remus,” he said. “All of you should go scold him for what he’s done to poor Jake here.”

Most of his viewers would know he was joking- after all, they were the ones to nickname him Deceit when he provided neither a real or fake name for his online persona. They knew full well what he was like by now.

The oven timer dinged. Janus silenced his phone and set it aside.

“And our first batch of cookies is done. You know, why don’t we show the Duke some appreciation?”

-

[ID: An Instagram post by user @SerpenThyme. The photo is an artistically-framed shot of a stack of sugar cookies with green, yellow, and pink icing. Propped up against the stack is another cookie, with an intricate icing-drawing of an octopus. The photo appears to have been color corrected to have high contrast, low saturation, and a dark vignette at the edges. The Instagram user @OctoDukie is tagged. No caption. /end ID]

- 

“You know, I have often been accused of actually being a little old lady, what with my fondness for knitted jumpers, rocking chairs, and incredibly fucked up murder mystery books. Today I am doing nothing to dispel this accusation, by making soup.”

The studio was dark and empty aside from Remus' workspace. Everyone else had left long ago, even his own brother, which meant that it was officially ass-o'clock in the morning (or, as most people called it, somewhere between 1 and 2 a.m.) But Remus was stuck in hyperfocus, honed in on putting the last touches on a commission that he'd been putting off for weeks. It's not that it was a tough painting- once he'd gotten started, it was actually a very creatively satisfying piece- but man, executive dysfunction could go suck a dick

“French onion soup, specifically. Because while I do like to pretend I am a classy bitch, I am also, regrettably, a lazy bitch with a distaste for anything that takes longer than one bottle of wine to make.”

Remus hated working in silence. It was stifling, almost suffocating. His brain needed noise like his lungs needed air. So when the studio had grown still and silent, Remus had flipped open his laptop and queued up some YouTube videos. 

“So we have here three pounds of onions that we need to slice up, pole to pole. You’re going to cry no matter what, so if you have any memories you’ve been repressing since middle school, now is an excellent time to dredge those up.” 

And if it happened to be 90% SerpenThyme videos, well. Sue him. 

“Now the first rule of caramelizing onions: fast and sloppy is always better than slow and thorough… at least, that’s what every man I’ve ever slept with tells me.”

Remus choked and glanced over to his laptop screen just in time to catch Deceit's trademark smirk directed at the audience just for a moment. It was the deadpan delivery that always got him. Remus could barely hold onto a joke long enough to get through it without cackling mid-punchline, but this fucker could say the funniest shit like an off-hand comment. 

He wiped his hands off on his jeans (what use were clothes if you couldn't use them as paint rags?) and pulled his laptop across the table.  He typed out a quick comment, citing the timestamp of the joke, and after it was posted, he shut his laptop. 

'Cause ass-o'clock was short for "get-your-ass-home-or-I’ll-kick-it" o'clock. 

-

[ID: A screenshot of a YouTube comments section. The first comment is by user TheDuke, and reads: "10:42 wow, rude." The second comment is a reply by user SerpenThyme, and simply reads ";)" /end ID]

-

Janus plopped down on the couch with a slight groan. He didn’t need to stream today, but he really hated missing days. Besides… he was fine. Really. 

He adjusted the camera until he was happy with the framing, and then checked the settings on his streaming software. Satisfied, he started the stream, and watched as his usual viewers rolled in. 

“What do you mean I’m not in my kitchen?�� Janus drawled, addressing the chat. He glanced around with an expression of faux-shock on his face. “My goodness, when did that happen?”

He chuckled, and then gestured to his surroundings. “Yes, we are in my living room today. If you must know, my closest and most trusted friend tried to murder me today- yes, Virgil, it was attempted murder and nothing less- and I survived with nary a scratch… and a broken foot, but that is beside the point. Anyway, I’m not allowed to stand for long periods of time, and I may or may not be somewhat inebriated by pain pills and couldn’t stand even if I wanted to. So we are cooking from my couch today.”

Janus paused for a few moments to read the chat messages as they popped up. A few get well soon’s, a few theories about the “attempted murder,” Virgil- who moderated his chat for him- vehemently denying the “attempted murder” but otherwise refusing to clarify the event, and a large volume of wtf why are you streaming today, take care of yourself comments, which made him smile. But one particular comment caught his eye, almost lost amid the torrent of an active chat: wait this kinda looks like the Duke’s living room?

“Oh, VampSuga,” he said, addressing that commenter in particular with a slight smirk. “I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about. Anyway, since I can’t reach my oven from here, I thought some no-bake cookies were in order. For these you will need-”

-

[ID: A screenshot of a Discord conversation. The text reads:

“VampSuga: Ok ok hear me out. Dukeceit. 

Starstruck96: who?

IneffableSnek: lmao

FeralBeauYasha: lol

VampSuga: Deceit and Remus Sanders! They’re totally dating. I will die on this hill. 

FeralBeauYasha: Isn’t the duke w/ PatPat?

IneffableSnek: no thats his brothers bf

FeralBeauYasha: ohh

VampSuga: Did anyone see Deceit’s stream today? I swear that’s the Duke’s livingroom. 

StarStruck96: idk that seems like a stretch

IneffableSnek: no wait i kno what u mean

IneffableSnek: im watching the duke’s old videos and that one where he shows off all his old weapons he’s in a living room kinda like deceit’s 

FeralBeauYasha: They were acting all cute on twitter too

VampSuga: DUKECEIT”  /end ID]

-

"Hey guys, been a while since you've seen my face and not just whatever my hands are busy with, when it's within YouTube's terms and conditions I mean. They used to be way more lenient…" Remus trailed off for a moment, then shook his head sharply and plastered on a grin. 

"Anyway! In June me and a few other creators did a fundraiser for the Trevor Project, and y'all smashed the goal, so I let you decide what video I'd make this month." He paused, and gestured to the mountain of clothes piled behind him on the bed. "And you had so many juicy ideas to choose from, but you decided to dress me up like a Barbie instead."

Remus paused to scroll through his phone for a few moments. "Ah, ok, here we go. Twitter user YoonIsMyCat- oh, BTS, nice- sent in this first outfit. Uh… future Remus, put up the post here somewhere." He gestured vaguely to his right. "Y'all went with either a fuckton more clothes or a fuckton less clothes, which I respect. Apparently this outfit is called…” He squinted at his phone. “Amish chic? I take it back, no respect at all.”

Remus cycled through the outfits his viewers sent in, which ranged from the aforementioned “Amish chic” to “2008 rave attire” to “ok now you guys are just fucking with me” (which consisted of one of those big puffy snow coats, lime green in color; booty shorts with the shrug text emoji across the ass; fuzzy pink boots; and a yellow cowboy hat to top off the whole thing. It was awful. Remus loved it.) The mountain of clothes on the bed gradually became a mess of clothes spread across the floor instead, until there was just one outfit left. 

“Ok so Twitter user VampSuga sent me this outfit that I’m gonna call ‘sexy librarian.’ I couldn’t find this exact sweater online, but-” he paused for dramatic effect, before brandishing a sweater toward the camera like a bullfighter. “My boyfriend had something that was close enough.”

Remus hopped up from the bed and switched off the camera so he could change.

“They’re going to lose their minds,” a voice drawled from the doorway. Remus threw his shirt at him.

“Shoo, I’m getting naked.”

-

[ID: A Twitter post by user @CallMeDukie. It features a selfie of YouTuber Remus “The Duke” Sanders, a Hispanic man with his hair dyed green and styled into a spiked mohawk. He is wearing a yellow knitted cardigan over a black button-up shirt. He is grinning widely at the camera. The caption reads: “my viewers pick my outfits! now live on youtube. go see what i look like as a sexy librarian!” /end ID]

-

DukeceitStan

first and only dukeceit shipper ig

DukeceitStan

wow there’s so many of you now! Hi!!

DukeceitStan

i want this to be canon so bad omg

DukeceitStan

i mean just look

[image]

how 

[image]

cute

[image]

[ID: A series of three gifs featuring Youtubers SerpenThyme, aka Deceit, and TheDuke, aka Remus Sanders. Deceit is a black man with long, dreadlocked hair, and vitiligo patches along the left side of his face. Remus is a Hispanic man with green-dyed hair styled into a mohawk, many ear and facial piercings, and tattoos covering both arms. Each gif is edited so that the highlights are tinged yellow when Deceit is seen, and tinged green when Remus is seen.

The first gif depicts a close-up shot of Deceit’s hands as he carefully decorates a cookie with green and yellow icing. The cookie art he is working on appears to be a half-finished octopus. The gif then fades into a mid-shot of Remus, with his back to the camera, facing a canvas. The canvas is blank, and Remus appears to be laying out paints on a table to his left. 

The second gif depicts Deceit seated at his couch, facing the camera. He has many ingredients spread across his coffee table (including oats, cocoa powder, and butter) and appears to be in the process of laying out several more. The gif fades to show Remus seated at a similar couch with a similar coffee table in front of him. The camera is angled slightly downward to better show the myriad of knives spread out across the table. Remus is gesturing wildly with a morning star held in his hand. 

The third gif depicts Deceit in his kitchen. He is pulling on a bright, yellow knitted cardigan, and smirking toward the camera. The gif fades to show Remus in his bedroom, seated on his bed. He is holding up a similar-looking cardigan toward the camera and grinning. /end ID]

- 

“Remus, it’s almost two in the morning. Come to bed.”

“I’m coming, sorry. Twitter distracted me.”

“Mm. I can’t believe the bird app is more distracting than I am.”

“You should try harder.”

“Come to bed and maybe I will.”

“Ok, ok, I’m coming. Hang on though, is it cool if I post this?”

“Sure. They figured it out anyway.”

“Sweet. Ok, Jannie, I’m coming.”

-

[ID: A screenshot of a Twitter post by user @CallMeDukie. It reads: “Dukeceit is canon.” /end ID] 

[lowlights]

Hi my darling! First, I cannot believe I wasn't following you until now. Your work is just gorgeous and I cannot believe I read so much without following you! That ahs been amended though, and now I am following and planning another binge read of your masterlist.

Second, congrats on 500 followers!! You deserve all of them and so many more. If It's alright, I would love a Pedro boy pairing.

My name is Kay, I'm a bit curvier, 5'7", with blue/grey eyes, glasses, and shorter brown hair. I'm very creatively focused, with a huge love for reading and writing. Taurus takes up 2 of my big three, so I'm very stubborn and a home-body to the extreme, as well as an introvert. I like painting and doing other creative projects when I can, and I also love making coffee, baking, and cooking. I'm almost done with an English degree, and hope to either become a librarian or an English Teacher. I also have a huge soft spot for Shakespeare and poetry of any kind.

Again, congratulations!! Your writing is amazing and you deserve all the recognition!

Omg, Kay. You're too kind. Also, I see you over there with a milestone of your own on your writing page- congrats!!

Alright, my sweet Hufflepuff homebody- I'm going to give you someone who can complement your creative soul and stimulate your intellect.

It's our favorite prospector, Ezra!

The first thing Ezra would notice about you are your eyes, telling you that they remind him of his favorite gemstone. You might think his flowery words and flattery are insincere at first- but this man means everything he says to you.

I imagine you with the Ezra who is long-recovered from the events of the movie and is ready to just retire in peace. He not only doesn't mind that you prefer to be home, but loves that the two of you can set up a real home together- that's something he hasn't known for the majority of his life.

I think our boy Ez is a Gemini, and would be a really fun pairing with your Taurus energy. He is by nature restless and flirty, but finds a lot of solace with the stability you bring. He would also help you to keep things interesting in life and to try things outside of your comfort zone. He doesn't mind being the chatty one in the relationship and can be the one to take the lead in social situations, but he also values your quiet time together as well.

You and Ezra would have such a fun, full life together. Your shared love of literature and poetry would be one of the foundations of your relationship, and he would totally support you in your next career choices. He would like to watch you paint, and maybe even discover that he isn't too bad of a painter as well as he learns to use a paintbrush with his left hand.

And just...so many baked goods. He wants them all. This man has a major sweet tooth.

I hope you enjoy your match! I think you and Ez would be just right for each other.

[alchemabotana]

Horoscopes for New Moon in Cancer July 9th 2021

Horoscopes for the New Moon in Cancer

July 9th 2021

By Antonina “Little Thunder” Whaples

@whaplesantonina 

If you find these horoscopes useful, please consider voting for me in the Muscle and Fitness Hers front cover competition for 2021′s Ms. Health and Fitness: https://mshealthandfitness.com/2021/antonina

Digital painting by Antonina Whaples

Still steaming in the energy of the overarching solstice sun rays, this New Moon in cancer will have you blissfully forgetting any of the struggles of the very conflicted Capricorn dominated conversations of the last Full Moon. In the wake and bake of the solstice, our Yang energy gets an overdrive that manifests in contrasting ways. Looking at your focuses on this way down the epic landslide of energy will open up gates of knowledge to understandings about your true identity. With Saturn coming into center with Aquarius soon, and Jupiter hitting retrograde in Aquarius on July 28th, your inner databanks are getting a major makeover Queer Eye style.

Much of this reorganization will center around how we collectively feel about ourselves individually, our responsibilities for our words and actions in our communities, and how we plan to make real-time changes to our “Ways” in order to contribute to grand legacies. Legacies themselves will undergo a transformation of definition. We can thank good old Venus opposing Saturn in Aquarius for this. But, unlike the “tower of babble” moment, the scenarios brought up by this New Moon will have your communication systems recalibrating towards epic achievements of the mind/body/spirit varieties. It’s all about Love, your memories of it, the ways you’ve embodied it, and the sacrifices made for it. Some of those sacrifices are coming full circle, and in the New Moon, this will be mostly felt by the Yin collective consciousness as a major relief. If you’re feeling unbalanced on the 10th, try to focus on activities that bring you comfort and ease your mind. This act may feel like a true moment of spiritual rebellion. 

There’s a lot of hope in this moon, cradled by Cancers’ warm and loving waters. The “Home” is pivotal to this Moon’s inherent cleansing cycle, which may bring up dust and twigs swept under the rug. The idea of responsibility for our actions is heightened. We will all be challenged to face our own idiosyncrasies and dualities. This appears to be a long standing theme we’re all checking in and out of repeatedly until Neptune stations direct in Pisces on December 1st 2021. This very slow moving energy feels like a drum out of rhythm with our daily lives. Individually we are learning to tune into deeper vibrations of our own, and tune out wavelengths disruptive to our growth. This moon is a good time to move your body to healing sounds that help you manifest the emotional experiences attached to your not yet manifested dreams, hopes, prayers, and altar work.

Aries:

My fiery frequencies have been running too hot. I find places to release my steam that are quiet, dark, and all my own. Whether in the outside world, or my inner mind palace, I find slices of shade are my delight. I desire a type of self-synergy that can only be activated in the realms of the subconscious, and I make time to rest in the ways that make these new synapses happen. I want to learn and grow, and I’m giving myself the space to honor the eternal internal scholar within myself.

Taurus:

I’ve been typecasting my own archetype for some time, and I’ve realized those imprints have become outdated. I do not fear the revelation of my Cosmic Face to my own self, but rather look forward to the introduction of myself to Myself. I find ways to greet my emerging identity by balancing my time with friends and family. I take the time to meditate on what I am agreeing to when I go along with the herds. I respect my self sovereignty enough to reject projections on my personhood. I take responsibility for my own reflections on others, and these actions allow me to accept myself in any situation. I release all concepts of my empathic or psychic nature as negative, and allow the gifts I have been given to garnish me with life’s abundances.

Gemini:

I’m preparing for my mic drop moment. I’ve been writing bars and aiming for the stars, and I feel it coming. Not sure what, not sure when, but this moon is bringing mojo. I sense the message I was meant to embody is being written deeply inside me by a host of ghosts and ancestors ready to protect my destiny. Things are feeling extra cosmic, and I can almost feel my future touching me from time to time. I let myself enjoy my dreaming time, and this New Moon gives me a place to hide my secret poems and self reflections. There’s a softness coming over me, and I feel comfortable allowing myself to relax into the knowledge that my creative genius isn’t just valuable, it’s real.

Cancer:

The cycle of filling and emptying feels extra powerful under this New Moon. Elevated by this lunation, I use this dark moon to focus on the moments in-between. In this meditation, the world opens up a new concept of Time to me. In this knowledge I am able to reconstruct my psychological leanings away from worst-case-scenario and anxiety -laden secret self conversations. I don’t need to look outside myself for cues from the pack, and I am comfortable asserting my authoritative genius when applicable. This acknowledgement of my self-worth and efficacy gives me awareness that assists my community and gives others much needed moments of Hope & Joy.

Leo:

Things feel saucy in the right ways this new moon. Yin and Yang are focused on balancing my section of the sky’s influences this lunation cycle. Sometimes I feel the tug of my shadow side urging me to use my head AND my heart. Although I feel driven by the power of my heart center, and the emotions of my inner oceans, I find time to stop and ask myself “is this what I really want?”. When I allow myself to acknowledge the influences beckoning me to overspend my creative and sexual resources, I am able to find my personal zen. I discover new secret distractions in the everyday experience of relating and existing in community and friendship. I’m learning to tune my volume to the right settings, and this allows my audience to hear me clearly. Clarity has become increasingly important to me, as discernment makes me feel centered. This moon I use the dark hours to clear my mind, and calm my heart.

Virgo:

The quiet emptying of this New Moon secretly invites me to advocate for my silent needs in ways that feel safe to me. I practice self loyalty regularly, and renew my vows to my internal compass under the protection of the current skies. I know that moments like this aren’t always accessible, so when they are, I congratulate myself for my good luck. Spending time with private projects makes me feel centered and focused in ways that empower me. I use this darkened moon to look at my private world with a gentle eye. I know that my goals are just an echo of desires I’m learning to advocate for. Finding words for my journey helps me understand myself the way I wish to be understood.

Libra:

I am allowing myself to be seen and appreciated by myself. When I take the time to be in relationship with myself, my moods, and my memories, I find a special center. I’m manifesting a reality where my sense of self is solidified and appreciated by myself first and foremost. Through my self manifestation work, I am becoming aware and knowledgeable of the long history and sacrifices of those who came before me. I use this awareness to build gratitude within my heart center for myself and anyone else who shares in my archetype. My focus on self-healing is a radical step in my generational efforts in this timeline. I am an important person, and I tell myself so often.

Scorpio:

I am quietly waiting for new moments to try out my newfound knowledge. I’ve been watching and observing, but now it is my time to act. I take the reins of my destiny, and I do not apologize to the previous carriage driver. I know the power of an apology, which is why I know when one is owed or not. I do not need to struggle with power games that play in the psychopomp of the collective, and am my own sovereign spiritual space. I trust that my future is held in love & beauty and is supported by the generations of ancestors present on all planes. I am using this dark moon to get in touch with my essence and knowledge of my true self. 

Sagittarius:

This New Moon I am shedding responsibilities that have become recognizably not-mine. With this awareness has come the revelation of what is mine to control, and what is mine to let go. I accept the blessings of my responsibilities as the reason I am able to hold space for myself in my own life. I do not allow others to speak on my behalf, and use my voice to set the story straight. I use my energy for higher purposes and don’t have space this lunation to be dragged into any conflicts. I use my arrow to draw solid lines in the sand about which energetics I’m willing to play with. I promise myself to treat myself with compassion daily, especially as I outgrow scenarios and scenes that just ain’t me.

Capricorn:

I’m learning how to define karma for myself, and this New Moon is giving me a lot to think about. I understand that if I wish to heal, I must practice kindness towards myself. When I notice the mean monsters arrive in the darkness of night, I use my practical wisdom to ward them off. I’m noticing that fear doesn’t have as much power as I once imagined, and I’ve been slaying small demons like candycrush. This lunation I allow a space for the internal/external conflicts to find a cease-fire, and I find myself enjoying new mental quiet. I’m learning to trust the process of letting go, and this small cycle feels like the period at the end of a sentence.

Aquarius:

The labyrinths of my inner circuit board are asking me if I’ve tried turning it off and turning it back on again. When I consider my own off/on switch, I contemplate who I give access to it. When my triggers are alarming, I respect myself enough to take the time to respond carefully to my own messages. I acknowledge the wiring of the ancient ones, and use the ancient technology of this Moon to allow my power centers to upgrade. My dreamtime is especially sacred to me in these moments, and I use this lunation to discern important inner truths. I do not need to fear when I have premonitions, but instead, refocus that awareness on trusting my own intuition first and foremost. 

Pisces:

This New Moon I let out a deep sigh of relief. In the feelings of stuckness and frustration, I’ve discovered hidden patterns of life. As I discover which patterns benefit me the most, I learn to recalibrate my channels to an easier stream. This work opens me to timelines I may not have previously considered when vision-boarding and manifesting dreams. I thank the spiritual abbacus for working out ancient calculations this New Moon. I give gratitude when my supplies are distributed exactly how, where, and when they will make the greatest impact for my ultimate visionings. 

[zestyq]

The Flavours Of Life - A Sims 4 Legacy Challenge

Sims tend to have a lack of personality. A lack of flavour. But I'm here to fix it. Are you tired of sims challenges either being too short or having wayyy too many goals to incorporate your own creative freedom? Then read ahead!

General rules;

1 - No cheats and cheaty mods. Sims tends to get boring if you cheat money, careers and skills. 2 - This challenge is about having freedom and being flexible. So feel free to edit some of the generation rules for your liking in your playthrough. 3 - Stick to a normal or long lifespan. 4 - Design your sims with the general colours/styles of the generations. 5 - The whole point of this challenge is to have fun so if you don't think you're going to enjoy a gen, skip it!

Generation One, Vanilla;

New town, new life and new opportunities. You grew up with privilege and have never had to work for yourself. Until one day, your parents pass away suddenly and you find they left nothing to you in your will. In a rags to riches style, you have to build yourself up from nothing. Eventually, you gain back your white picket fence lifestyle and marry, then have kids. You care for and love your kids - you want the best for them. But one day you make a grave mistake...

Traits: Materialistic, Snob and Perfectionist.

Aspiration: Succesful Lineage.

Career: Your choice, excluding high intensity jobs.

-Max out a career of your choice.

-Have at least two kids.

-Master parenting and whatever skill(s) correspond with your job.

- Complete at least half of your aspiration

- Have a one night stand with an evil sim, get pregnant and lie to your partner that it's their child.

Generation two, Strawberry;

You've always seemed so sweet and... charming. So charming you can practically manipulate anyone into liking and trusting you. Okay let's face it - you're evil. (I wonder who you got that from). You've been married so many times it's hard to count. It's a shame your relationships never work out. Although you'd prefer to commit crimes all day, you have a reputation to uphold. So you buy a bakery! Some say the special ingredient is love. You know it's much more sinister.

Traits: Evil, Romantic and Foodie.

Aspiration: Serial Romantic.

Career: Baking Business.

-Have a pristine reputation.

-Have multiple of your wives/husbands die under "suspicious circumstances" and take their money

-Have at least a three star business.

-Master the Baking, Charisma and Mischief skills.

Generation three, Bitter;

Growing up your parental figures came and went. Nothing was permanent. Which is why you guess stability never come easy to you. The only thing that remained consistent throughout your life was your hatred of your parents. As a teen or young adult you run away from home at the dead of night and start a new life. With no set goals or plans in your life you jump quickly from one thing from another. You live all over the globe during your life but you finally settle down in the tropical Sulani. Oh, did I forgot to mention you hate children?

Traits; Non-Committal, Hates children and Self-Absorbed.

Aspiration: Beach Life

Career: Any four careers + a term or so of uni.

-Reach level 2 of four careers.

-Go to uni for a degree but drop out sometime during the first term.

- Max two skills and reach level five in another.

-Get pregnant by accident and have twins. (You may cheat)

-Have maxed out hate for at least one parent.

-Get a Nanny for your children.

Generation 4, Salt OR Pepper;

(During this generation you get a choice as who you will play as)

Option 1 - Pepper,

You and your twin sibling have always been polar opposites but that doesn't mean you can't be close! You were always the rebellious one. Sneaking out to parties, underage drinking and hiding your soulmate in your room. Whatever you were doing it certainly wasn't something good. At school you never tried and got an F Grade at high school. But when P.E came around... you were the star of the show. Sports was your natural calling. And after a long day of exercising, you liked to help yourself to a drink.

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Active, Hot-Headed.

Aspiration: Soulmate.

Career: Bodybuilder Branch of the Athlete Career

-Max the fitness and mixology skill

-Complete the Soulmate aspiration.

-Reach level ten of the athlete Bodybuilder Branch

-Have an alternative style for the majority of your life.

-Have max friendship with your twin.

-Meet your soulmate as a child and stay together forever.

Option 2- Salt,

You and your twin have always been close friends but that didn't stop you from feeling jealous of their perfect relationship. During school you always had your head in a book and at the library one day you meet someone to love. But it didn't work out. For a lot of your life you were stuck in a loveless relationship that ended in divorce and kids to look after. You wrote romance novels in hopes that one day the stories would come true and you'd find that special someone to call your "soulmate". And eventually, you do! In the last years of your life you meet your special someone...

Traits: Romantic, Gloomy and Bookworm.

Aspiration: Bestselling Author.

Career: None. You can only get money by self-publishing books.

-Max out the writing skill and logic skill

-Complete the Bestselling Author aspiration

-Meet your first love at the library during "Book Club"

-Have a divorce as an adult.

-Have max friendship with your twin

-Marry "the one" as an elder

Generation 5, Spicy:

Growing up you always wanted to be the centre of attention. You always had a fiery and unpredictable personality. Sometimes you'd fabricate stories just so your parents would feel bad for you. As you got older, nothing changed. You became a famous actor. People around the globe loved you and the roles you'd play. One night you spot a paparazzi and the flirtations began. At first you thought it'd be nothing; you were used to pretending to like someone. As the night progressed, you and the paparazzi hooked up and a child was conceived. Terrified of what the public would say you quit acting, become a stay at home parent and marry the paparazzi.

Traits: Self-Assured, Ambitious and Erratic.

Aspiration: Master Actor.

Career: Actor, Stay at Home Parent.

-Master the acting and cooking skill.

-Reach at least level 5 in the acting career.

-Complete at least half of the acting aspiration.

-Marry a paparazzo.

-Become a three star celebrity.

Generation 6, Orange:

You always knew your parent loved you but you could tell they'd rather be famous and living a life of luxury. They signed you up for drama club in the hopes you'd fulfil their dreams but you'd rather be playing with your doll family at home. Babies. Something about them was so cute to you. You grew up and had a large family. You managed to balance work and family perfectly. You gave your children full unconditional love and they returned it. Despite being unwanted as a child, you made sure your children felt belonging. One day it all changed. One of your children passed away in a fire and you were distraught. But you wouldn't let them be forgotten; every week you made at least one painting dedicated to them.

Traits; Creative, Family Oriented and Paranoid.

Aspiration; Big Happy Family.

Career; Painter.

-Master the painting skill.

-Complete the Big Happy Family aspiration.

-Make at least one painting a week after your child passes.

-Have 5 or more children.

-Attend drama club as a child.

Generation 7, Sour:

Your childhood was fairly uneventful. Except from the fire incident... But you don't talk about it. You prefer life to have a kick to it. You spend your life seeking danger. Some days you'll be climbing the treacherous Mt.Komorebi, others you'll be exploring the ancient tombs of Selvadorada. Whatever you're doing it's sure to be fun. For a while you settle down and have a child but as soon as the child is old enough to journey with you - it's back to the thrill. Life doesn't wait. Neither do you.

Traits; Adventurous, Loves Outdoors and Slob.

Aspiration; Jungle Explorer

Career; None. You sell fossils and artifacts.

-Max the Seladoradian culture and archaeology skill.

-Complete the Jungle Explorer aspiration.

-Reach the top of Mt.Komorebi.

-Have a child with a Seladoradian Native.

Generation 8, Sweet:

You grew up in a wild family. You often went on wild journeys with your parent but you didn't really want to live that life. Music was your passion. Anything musical was perfect to you. Through joy, sorrow and hope you played music. You became an entertainer and married your co-worker. You sang soft lullabies to your children when they cried and serenaded your partner when things were getting romantic. After a long days work, you come home and see your partner in bed... with the maid! Do you forgive and forget? Or do you divorce?

Traits; Music-Lover, Good and Jealous

Aspiration; Musical Genius

Career; Entertainer

-Max out two instrument skills and singing.

-Max out the entertainer career

-Donate to charity once a week.

-Adopt two children from less fortunate homes.

-Catch your partner cheating on you

FYI;

This challenge is my first one so please don't hate. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Also this challenge is loosely based off of the not so berry challenge by lilsimsie. Go subscribe to her :)

[oasisspringstownie]

FAME: A Legacy Challenge

Sul sul simmers!

Like many of you, one of my favorite things to do in The Sims is play Legacy Challenges. They lead you to explore new aspects of gameplay, give you new imaginative ideas, and facilitate storytelling. So, a couple of nights ago I got the idea to create a new kind of legacy challenge revolving around different aspects of fame.

The goal isn’t exactly to become the most famous using said career/ skill, but to play around with different elements of the fame system in the game. You by no means need all the packs to play through this legacy. While the experience would be more complete and you will be missing careers and skills and stuff you can obviously adapt it to your need. Also, you are more than welcomed to use mods to enrich your gameplay. I myself can’t play without mods and look forward to see what kind of chaos mods can add to this challenge.

So without further a do below are the 10 generations I concocted like a fever dream at 2 am on a Saturday evening:

Gen 1: A Shaky Foundation

Traits: Cheerful, Ambitious, Self-Absorbed

Career: Acting, Style Influencer (Trendsetter Branch)

You move to a new city full of hopes and dreams. You initially pursue your dream of becoming an actor. However, your career is cut short by the unexpected arrival of your first child. You retreat from the spotlight in order to raise your baby and put all of your energy into making sure they have the best future possible. The rest of the time you spend either working or trying to unwind from your demanding life. What will fate bring you and your descendants?

Goals:

Move into an empty lot with 1600 simoleons for the bare minimum.

Start in the Acting Career, but abandon it for the Style Influencer career once your first child is born. Remain in the Style Influencer Career and eventually choose the Trendsetter Branch.

Max out the Style Influencer Career.

Reach level 10 of the Parenting and Wellness Skills.

Be close friends with all of your children and make sure they each age up with at least 2 positive character attributes.

Gen 2: Get Your Head in the Game

Traits: Active, Music Lover, Outgoing

Career: Athlete, Entertainment (Musician Branch)

Your parent might have seemed very overbearing at the time, but they instilled a work ethic in you like no other. Your entire life you were split between your two passions: basketball and singing. Okay, fine, you're Troy Bolton. After succeeding in the sports world you still find yourself feeling somewhat unfulfilled. You enter the entertainment career later on in life to live out your dreams. Will this be the start of something new?

Goals:

Max out the Athlete Career and then switch to the Entertainment Career (Musician Branch).

Max out the Fitness and Singing Skills.

Be in the drama club in high school.

Gen 3: Going for the Stars

Traits: Clumsy, Loner, Genius

Career: Astronaut

Your parent always told you to shoot for the stars, you just took it a bit too seriously. This world was always a bit too pedestrian for you and you yearn to finally lay your eyes on the astronomical craters of Sixam. There's just one problem: you're terrible at it. It's not your fault, you're just a bit clumsy; but will your two left feet keep you from reaching your dreams?

Goals:

Work in the Astronaut Career your entire life. Get demoted and fired at least once in your lifetime.

Destroy and repair a rocket 3 times.

Live in a tiny home for your young adulthood and adulthood.

Have at least one set of twins. *You can cheat for this!*

Gen 4: The Finer Things in Life

Traits: Materialistic, Hates Children, Lazy

Career: None

You've seen all the generations before you work their little pixelated butts off for every simoleon, but you're not about that life. You were destined for the finer things in life.

Goals

Reach level 10 of the Charisma and Mixology Skills.

Marry and survive 5 spouses. Take that wording however you want. Divorce is not allowed. You must be the last once standing. After all, spouses are like infinity stones. Meaningless.

Never have a job. Only make money from spouses, family, or children. If you get desperate enough you can ask a friend for a loan or steal, but no working of any kind.

Each child you decide to have with one of your rich spouses comes with a 20k trust fund. If they get taken away or die before coming of age, all the money has to be returned to the evil capitalist overlords. You can't get rid of them that easily.

Own at least 1 restaurant/ retail/ business with one of your spouses. Decorate it, assign the uniform, and hire everyone, but you never run it. Why would you go through the trouble?

Gen 5: My Precious

Traits: Art Lover, Kleptomaniac, Self-Assured

Career: Criminal

Your childhood was pretty hectic and you felt like you barely knew your parents. Who needs them? You've never needed anyone else anyway. On your 18th birthday, you receive your inheritance and use it to buy yourself an unfurnished apartment in the nicest building you can find and that's when your money runs out... literally. However, will a new job as a tough guy be the first of many great ideas or will it only be the beginning of the end for this famed family?

Goals

Once you become a young adult give yourself enough money to buy one of the apartments in the Uptown Neighborhood in San Myshuno. It must be unfurnished. After moving in set your money to 0 simoleons.

Complete the Criminal Career.

Reach level 10 of the Mischief and Dancing Skills.

Gain an atrocious reputation and spend the rest of your life trying to cover it up.

Steal 10 paintings from a museum and exhibit them proudly in your home. You are never allowed to sell them. As an adult, hide them in a secret attic nobody else has access to or knows about. They are your precious.

Gen 6: The Muses

Traits: Creative, Family Oriented, Insider

Career: Painter

You could have anything you wanted in the world thanks to your family's empire so you pursued your passion: painting. While you were never close to your other family members you were always very close to your art teacher. This led you to have very close ties to your friends, co-workers, and eventual children. Will your legacy remain for longer in the memory of strangers or your loved ones?

Goals

Complete the Painter Career

Reach level 10 of the Painting, Cooking and Baking Skills

Have a better relationship with your art teacher than anyone else in your family until you're a teen.

Move to a new world once you become a young adult and cut ties with your family.

Be the leader of one club for all your young adulthood and adulthood.

Be close friends with 3 co-workers and all of your children.

Prepare a meal at least once a week with the help of your children. *I know we don't have this in the game yet technically, but I'm hoping to have Cottage Living by the time I play with this generation*

Hang 5 paintings in a museum.

Retire from Painting Career to help care for your grandchildren.

Gen 7: Mole

Traits: Good, Perfectionist, Paranoid

Career: None

You always had a good relationship with your parents. You told each other everything... well, almost everything. You never understood why but one of your parents never talked about the rest of your family members. They explained that they simply never had a good relationship and would rather not talk about it. You respect this until their death when you return to their seemingly abandoned childhood home. While exploring the house you find a not-so-subtle bookcase door and a long forgotten attic filled with paintings. You take them in hopes of returning them but unbeknownst to you, you are being watched.

After an unfortunately unavailable nail-biting car chase, you shake off your attackers. You can't just lead them home to the rest of your family and what would the police do? They don't even arrest Vlad when he's trying to bite all of your sims!

Sorry, different rant.

So you do the only logical thing: you sell the paintings you just stole for some cash to buy an empty lot and skip town. A new life awaits you... just a bit underground.

Goals

Reach level 10 of the Writing, Logic, and Handiness Skills.

Complete the Best Selling Author Aspiration.

After your parent dies, you visit Gen 5's main home and retrieve the paintings hidden in the attic generations ago. Sell them and use the money to buy an empty lot in a completely different world.

Use your remaining money to build a small underground bunker. You can now never leave your bunker or risk immediate death.

You make your income by writing books under your new name. Oh, didn't I mention that? You changed your name to avoid detection. Your children may carry this new fake last name or your partner's.

Gen 8: Part of Your World

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Outgoing, Geek

Career: Social Media

All you knew was the bunker and it's not that you hated it, you just wanted a bit more. You're basically the little mermaid, except you don't get to be a mermaid. You just get a bunker you can never leave and a desperate yearning to explore the outside world.

Your outlet is the internet. From a young age you loved using it to play video games and make friends. As a teen you began to make videos and fostered a community online. Will you finally take your place in the world or remain hidden underground?

Goals

Reach level 10 of the Media Production and Video Gaming Skills

Complete the Social Media Career.

You're never allowed to leave the underground bunker until you're a teen.

You aren't allowed to go to school. Instead you play video games and use your computer for outside interaction.

As a teen you start developing your online presence by posting on social media and making videos on the video station.

You are only allowed to move out of the household once your parent dies and you have enough money in reserves to buy a furnished home.

Gen 9: Natural Born Performer

Traits: Gloomy, Unflirty, Adventurous

Career: Entertainment (Comedy Branch)

Due to your parent's fame, it was always expected you would follow in their footsteps. While a bit more gloomy than most, you are happiest when you make others laugh. So you join the Entertainer Career where you flourish as a comedian. You're also a bit unlucky in love. Will the family name's fame and your own notoriety keep you from finding true love or are you destined to a lifetime of gold diggers and one night stands?

Goals

Complete the Entertainer Career (Comedy Branch).

Reach level 10 of the Comedy and Rock Climbing skills.

Complete Serial Romantic Aspiration

Have four children.

Die suddenly and *mysteriously* in your adulthood.

Gen 10: A Grand Finale

Traits: Kleptomaniac, Ambitious, Perfectionist

Career: Actor

After losing your parents at a very young age, you and your siblings were sent to live with some distant relatives you didn't even know about. While you and your siblings are all very different and you bicker plenty, you always stick together.

After learning you are a descendant of some of the most famous and infamous sims in history, you are determined to meet and surpass their achievements. Will you come out on top or have you flown too close to the sun?

Goals

Complete the Actor Career

Achieve level 10 of 10 skills of your choosing.

Become a Global Superstar.

Get a star on Starlight Boulevard.

Throughout your lifetime you must go on vacation to every house you lived in throughout all previous 9 generations. Oh, and your three other siblings need to come along too. Think of it as Narnia meets It. Also make sure to steal something from each of the houses as a souvenir and display it proudly in your own home.

After you've completed all the things above, get turned into a vampire and choose to end your mortal legacy here... or start a whole new type all together.

Thank you so much for indulging me in this insanity. While I haven't played through any of these generations myself as of yet, I look forward to see the chaos and cuteness possible in The Sims.

Happy simming!

V

[simschallenges]

Zodiac Legacy Challenge

(note: because the original poster has deactivated, i am reposting an archived version of the challenge rules retrieved with the wayback machine. all of the following text is a copy of the original post by @autumnalpixels.)

As someone who is a bit of a nerd when it comes to astrology and witchcraft in general, I of course love learning about western zodiacs. So I thought I’d bring my love of the zodiac signs to the sims.

I know that a challenge with this name has been made before, however mine will be more structured for each generation. This is a 12-generation legacy, with each generation representing one of the different zodiacs.

Side note: This legacy is not meant to misrepresent or offend anyone. The generations are being based off of descriptions of the zodiacs from this website. Feel free to read up more about each zodiac to get a better sense of your sim’s personality!

Starting out:

Feel free to make your founder however you’d like. Traits for each heir will be listed in their section, but their looks are up to you so feel free to get creative! You’ll start out like a traditional legacy on one of the 50x50 lots (or 64x64 if you’d like). Here is a link to Pinstar’s legacy rules.

General Challenge Rules:

Honestly this is the only way to fail the challenge, other than not producing an heir.

Generation One: Aquarius

“Aquarius’ are shy and quiet, but on the other hand they can be eccentric and energetic. However, in both cases, they are deep thinkers and highly intellectual people who love helping others. They are able to see without prejudice, on both sides, which makes them people who can easily solve problems.”

Who ever said eccentricity was a bad thing? You are a little out there and can be pretty spacey sometimes, but overall you are very passionate about your morals and strive to make other people’s lives better. Just be careful not to become a pushover.

Traits: Self-assured, Insane, Ambitious Aspiration: Leader of the Pack Career: Politician

Goals:

Reach level ten of the Politician career, either branch

Complete your aspiration

Have a club gathering at least once a week (your club can literally be for anything! Get creative!)

Have three kids, get married as an adult

Have at least four good friends (they don’t have to be a part of your club)

Reach level ten of the Wellness skill

Generation Two: Pisces

“Pisces are very friendly, so they often find themselves in a company of very different people. Pisces are selfless, they are always willing to help others, without hoping to get anything back.”

You love to socialize and surround yourself with all different kinds of people. Your parents loved you and raised you to be kind and perhaps a bit sensitive. You can be insecure at times, especially when it comes to your significant other. For some reason, you can’t seem to stay in a relationship for very long. Is there a way to fix this?

Traits: Creative, Jealous, Gloomy Aspiration: Soulmate Career: Painter

Goals:

Have at least two friends of a different race/gender/sexuality than your sim

Reach level ten of the Painting skill

Reach level ten of the Painter career, either branch

Must go through at least two girl/boyfriends before settling down

Have two kids

Own a pool (at least a 4x4 size)

Generation Three: Aries

“As the first sign in the zodiac, the presence of Aries always marks the beginning of something energetic and turbulent. They are continuously looking for dynamic, speed and competition, always being the first in everything - from work to social gatherings.”

You’re competitive and hard working, and can sometimes come across as a bit arrogant. However, you have a bit of an inferiority complex, so every time your sibling or a friend succeeds, you aren’t too happy about it and always try to one up them. But after a while, you realize that you acting this way is pushing away the people you care about. Can you salvage these relationships before it’s too late and the damage is done?

Traits: Hot-headed, Ambitious, Perfectionist Aspiration: Renaissance Sim Career: Secret Agent

Goals:

Be enemies with your sibling until you are both YA

Only have one friend until you are a YA, since they were the only one who stuck around

Repair your relationships as fast as possible

Reach level ten of the fitness skill

Reach level ten of the Secret Agent career (any branch)

Complete your aspiration

Go for a jog for a total of three hours each week

Have one kid

Generation Four: Taurus

“Practical and well-grounded, Taurus is the sign that harvests the fruits of labor. They feel the need to always be surrounded by love and beauty, turned to the material world and physical pleasures. Stable and conservative, this is one of the most reliable signs of the zodiac, ready to endure and stick to their choices until they reach the point of personal satisfaction.”

You grew up truly appreciating food and what it meant. You were amazed how a simple meal could bring a family together, and how many memories were made because of that. You were close to your parents and were taught to always stand your ground and share your opinions. However, this caused you to become a little bull-headed (pun intended). You’re super stubborn and don’t like to be wrong, and won’t admit that you are ever wrong. This makes romance hard for you, but you keep trying because you are a hopeless romantic at heart. And once you find that special someone, you are loyal ‘til the end.

Traits: Romantic, Foodie, Materialistic Aspiration: Mansion Baron Career: Business

Goals:

use the cheat sims.get_sim_id_by_name {PlayedSimFirstName} {PlayedSimLastName} Get the pregnant Sim’s ID, then use the cheat pregnancy.force_offspring_count {simID} {amount}

Generation Five: Gemini

“Expressive and quick-witted, Gemini represents two different personalities in one and you will never be sure which one you will face. They are sociable, communicative and ready for fun, with a tendency to suddenly get serious, thoughtful and restless. They are fascinated with the world itself, extremely curious, with a constant feeling that there is not enough time to experience everything they want to see.”

Growing up, you had the “perfect life”: two parents who loved each other, lots of friends, good grades, and a beautiful house. You were living the good life, so why did you always feel like you wanted more? You decide to take a step on your own, leaving your family behind to pursue your dreams in the big city. However, you quickly realize that life is harder than it seems. You can’t find a job you’re comfortable in, you can’t hold down a relationship, but you find solace in entertaining people and throwing parties. Something about being a host really makes you feel happy.

Traits: Noncommittal, Outgoing, Insider Aspiration: Party Animal Career: None

Goals:

Must have a twin (feel free to cheat for this)

You are the opposite of your twin, in obvious ways such as style, but also in more subtle ways such as emotions and reactions to events (for example, you could be stereotypical and make one of the twins a “preppy” person and the other an “emo” person)

Reach level ten of the charisma skill

Must move out to an apartment with the Needs TLC trait

Throw every type of party at least once

Complete your aspiration

Have three jobs (at least one week for each) before deciding to freelance (writing books)

Travel to at least two community lots each week and stay there for at least an hour

Have at least level four in three different skills by the time you’re an elder

Learn all of the recipes from the vender stalls in City Living

Have one set of twins (keep trying until you get them)

Be caught cheating by your spouse (you can decide whether they stay together or not)

Generation Six: Cancer

“Deeply intuitive and sentimental, Cancer can be one of the most challenging zodiac signs to get to know. They are very emotional and sensitive, and care deeply about matters of the family and their home. Cancer is sympathetic and attached to people they keep close. Those born with their Sun in Cancer are very loyal and able to empathize with other people’s pain and suffering.”

In another life you would have become a doctor, but in this one you are content with looking after your family and making sure your children grow up the best they can. You’re a loving but strict parent, and just want what’s best for your children. However, will you push them away by being too overbearing?

Traits: Gloomy, Jealous, Family-Oriented Aspiration: Super Parent Career: None

Goals:

Gen six heir must reach level five in Imagination and Communication as a toddler

Master Baking skill

Master Cooking/Gourmet Cooking skills

Host a tea party (or a small get together) every week. Invite over your neighbors, your friends, your family, whomever you’d like. Must have a baked good for the gathering made by you.

Complete your aspiration

Pick up woodworking as a hobby and craft every sculpture

You live off of your parents’ money until you get a spouse: you are to be a house wife/husband, and will never have a job. You’re allowed to sell duplicate sculptures for money, however.

Show off your sculptures by putting them on display somewhere in your house!

Pack a lunch for your kids every morning. If you forget, make them a snack when they get home.

Keep the house clean—all you have to do all day is chores, after all!

Have two kids

Both kids need to have A’s in school

Generation Seven: Leo

“People born under the sign of Leo are natural born leaders. They are dramatic, creative, self-confident, dominant and extremely difficult to resist, able to achieve anything they want to in any area of life they commit to. There is a specific strength to a Leo and their “king of the jungle” status. Leo often has many friends for they are generous and loyal. Self-confident and attractive, this is a Sun sign capable of uniting different groups of people and leading them as one towards a shared cause.”

Your parents were so overbearing to you and your sibling growing up that in your teenage years you began to rebel. Staying out late, skipping class, whatever you could think of. Your parent made sure you got good grades, but you didn’t care about school. All you cared about was your music. You were going to make it big, and you didn’t need calculus to help you rock out on your guitar. You’re arrogant and stubborn, but determined to succeed no matter what the cost. Unfortunately, that means that you can miss out on things that are most important in life.

Traits: Materialistic, Music Lover, Cheerful Aspiration: Musical Genius Career: Entertainer

Goals:

If your heir for this generation is male, come up with some sort of reason for why you got the baby. The mother didn’t want it, the mother died in childbirth, whatever. You can even move her in until she gives birth, then they have a big fight and she walks out on them.

Generation Eight: Virgo

“Virgos are always paying attention to the smallest details. Their methodical approach to life ensures that nothing is left to chance and their heart might be closed for the outer world. This is a sign often misunderstood, not because they lack the ability to express, but because they won’t accept their feelings as valid. The symbolism behind the name speaks well of their nature, born with a feeling they are experiencing everything for the first time.”

You grew up without a strong parental figure in your life, which made it hard for you to trust other people. How do you know that they would be there for you when you truly needed them? You’re cautious and shy, but curious about the world. You truly enjoy learning and collecting things, and through this passion is how you meet the love of your life. They are the only person you can trust, but they can tell you’re always holding yourself back and hiding parts of yourself away from them. Can a relationship last with this kind of distrust?

Traits: Loner, Geek, Bookworm Aspiration: The Curator Career: Scientist

Goals:

Marry a coworker who has at least one trait in common with you

Get married right before becoming an adult

Separate from your spouse for a while after a large fight (your choice if they get back together)

Reach level ten of the Scientist career

Complete your aspiration

Have a home library (at least 25 books)

Finish a collection (your choice)

Have two kids

Generation Nine: Libra

“People born under the sign of Libra are peaceful and fair, and they hate being alone. Partnership is very important for Libra-born, and with their victorious mentality and cooperation, they cannot stand to be alone. The Libra is an Air sign, with expressed intellect and a keen mind. They can be inspired by good books, insurmountable discussions and interesting people.”

You thrive on socialization. Your parents are kind of shy homebodies, but you crave constant company and cannot stand to be by yourself. This can come across as quite overbearing to some people, so sometimes it’s hard for you to make friends. And, despite being such a sociable person, you are kind of oblivious when it comes to romance. You are very childish in the best possible way, and are the kind of parent to get down in the dirt and play with your children. You are a very supportive parent and you strive to make your family as happy as they can be, through whatever means.

Traits: Unflirty, Loves the Outdoors, Goofball Aspiration: Big Happy Family Career: Social Media

Goals:

You post a lot about your kids and about your life, so take as many pictures of your kids as you can!

Generation Ten: Scorpio

“Scorpio-born are passionate and assertive people. They are determined and decisive, and will research until they find out the truth. Scorpio is a great leader, always aware of the situation and also features prominently in resourcefulness.”

You grew up watching true crime television shows and superhero movies and decided that’s what you wanted to do with your life: bring justice and fight evil. Unfortunately you can’t become a superhero, but you can become a police officer/detective. You want to make the world a better place than it was before, and you want your legacy to be something of legend. Hardworking and dedicated to your craft, you tend to focus too much on work and it puts a strain on your relationship.

Traits: Ambitious, Good, Genius Aspiration: Nerd Brain Career: Detective

Goals:

Get married to your high school sweetheart

Complete your aspiration

Reach level ten of the Detective career

Reach level ten of the logic skill

Reach level ten of the handiness skill

Get a divorce (you can decide who gets custody of your kids)

Get remarried as an elder, retire from your career

Have three kids

Generation Eleven: Sagittarius

“Curious and energetic, Sagittarius is one of the biggest travelers among all zodiac signs. Their open mind and philosophical view motivates them to wander around the world in search of the meaning of life.”

You love travel and learning new things. You want to experience as much as you can in your lifetime, which means meeting people different from yourself. You heard that one of your ancestors (generation five) was a big traveller too, so you decide to follow in their footsteps.

Traits: Outgoing, Noncommittal, Dance Machine Aspiration: Friend of the World Career: None

Goals:

Live in three different worlds for at least a week before settling down

Have kids with three different people

Never get married

Make money freelancing (collecting, gardening, painting, writing, whatever you wish!)

Completely redesign your house at least once (after settling down for good)

Go to every festival (unless you’re at work/on a date/at a wedding/etc)

Travel to the Nightclub every Friday

Complete aspiration

Master dancing skill

Master comedy skill

Generation Twelve: Capricorn

“Capricorn is a sign that represents time and responsibility, and its representatives are traditional and often very serious by nature. These individuals possess an inner state of independence that enables significant progress both in their personal and professional lives. They are masters of self-control and have the ability to lead the way.”

You hated how free spirited and laid back your parent was, and craved structure and discipline. Since a teen, you had a schedule every day after school: do homework, practice your skills for an hour, eat dinner, go to bed. Moving around so often meant that you didn’t make many friends, so you chose to devote all of your time to mastering as many skills as you could. But focusing in on one detail of life made you miss out on the bigger picture.

Traits: Ambitious, Snob, Mean Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy Career: Tech Guru

Goals:

Since this is the final generation, you can choose whether to have kids or not. Preferably none.

Reach level ten of the Tech Guru career (either branch).

Master logic skill

Have at least level seven in three other skills (your choice)

Follow a schedule every day; spontaneity is not your strong suit

Get married as an adult to someone who shares at least one of your traits and is in the same career as you.

Live in an expensive house (200,000 simoleons or more) by the time you’re an adult

Surround yourself only with other snobby people

Buy an expensive item every Wednesday. (Perhaps even start a collection of expensive artwork or sculptures and showcase them somewhere in your house. Feel free to get creative with it.)

Oh wow, we’ve made it to the end of the challenge! I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to show me pictures or update me on your playthrough on this if you’d like (tumblr: autumnalpixels.tumblr.com/twitter: @absoluteking8). You can also use the hashtag #autumnalzodiac so I can see your posts and reblog some of them!

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to tell me and I’ll take them into consideration. <3

[black-streak]

I wrote my own prompt if that's alright: "You know you love me!" "How that happened, I will never know." Any pairing is okay and it could be platonic or romantic.

Love comes in many forms. Marinette? Well she knew all of them, every day, intimately. Felt them in her bones, surrounded by the people she knew caused it.

She loved Dick like an annoying, over bearing brother that she wouldn't trade for the world. One that had her back in the toughest of times and showered her in love and guidance even when it was the best of times.

Loved Jason like the wayward middle child he was. Not always around and missed when he's gone, but appearing out of no where when you needed him most. Whether it be to eat greasy food at 3 am to fill the bottomless pit of despair she thinks she's become or to beat the shit out of the guy who thought she was an easy target. Even if she could've taken them herself. Or just to read a book together in the blissful silence of a rainy day.

Marinette loved Alfred as the grandfather who baked without a word about what flour they used. Who encouraged her mind and creativity, but kept them all in line, even Bruce. The grandfather who gave the best advice and knew when to help and when to set her free. Who she spill her heart to and know he'd hold the fragile pieces until she was ready to put them back together herself.

She felt the love of an older sister when she looked down at Damian in all his grumbling annoyance and risen walls and barriers of protection. When he showed vulnerability in his lack of childhood and allowed her to guide him along, only to push her away right afterwards. The pain in the butt he was that she loved all the same.

She knew love of a sisterly bond when Steph yanked her into her room and talked her ear off of let her return the favor. In painting nails or braiding her hair or stuffing their faces as much as they could while making fun of the insanity they've found themselves in the middle of. Of long nights whispering and giggling and dashing into the kitchen for midnight waffle parties. Of working side by side every Thursday as they picked their way across Gotham, shouting taunts and giving chase.

She loved Duke as the friend she'd only just come to know. Commiserating in the unsure footing of standing in the manor while the others dropped into absolute chaos around them. In hunkering down in the attic and taking turns checking if the coast was clear. In taking day trips to escape it all and just relax for a moment without something going wrong. To acknowledge their being the odd ones out with being the only meta and magic user of the family. To test their abilities without the eyes of those who didn't understand.

She loved Cass as the quiet companion she never knew she needed. In sitting together and looking out at the dreary world below and yet finding the good in it somehow. In enjoying the little moments of finding a particularly good song, not caring for the lyrics, but the beat that drove them. In blowing bubbles and building forts to make up for a childhood lost. In new techniques and hidden skills. In hiding in corners and taking comfort in the other.

She loved Tim like she loved everyone. Wholely and unquestionably. She loved him like she loved the moonlight on her skin. From tired days of no sleep and nights of work. Of putting on facades in the face of those who'd have them fall. Of a united front against the corporate jerks and capitalist dogma that ruled their day and violent criminal underground that owned their nights. To patience and support and understanding. Of time spent curled into each other's arms and soft brushes of lips and softer smiles even when the world crashed down upon them. To staying by one another no matter what and trusting the other to do the same.

Marinette knew love. Knew it's many forms and how they flowed through her. Knew exactly how much it filled her up and kept her whole. Inevitably, it'd come up, one after another, the same phrase in that cheeky tone, but she always knew exactly how to respond. Knew how to hold herself in tact and not show them the depth of her knowledge. To put them in their place.

"You know you love me," they'd say, a devious smirk or smile or grin or twitch of the lips to accompany them. And she'd answer them simply, without a pause.

"How that happened, I will never know."

[wlfkssd]

A Royal Return ( oneshot )

Piece based on the prompt ‘starting to talk to the other before even entering the room’ + hvithelred, sent in by @issadoragreen <3

Summary : Modern Royalty AU - Prince Aethelred returns from one of his royal tours a little early, only to find his Norwegian prince, Hvitserk, baking cookies with their children. Not too exciting or cute but I tried. 

Warnings : None that I can think of tbh.

Pairing : Aethelred x Hvitserk

Word count : 1,250

Additional Notes : Could become part of a larger, on-going piece but who knows. Also Hvitserk’s favourite song is Changes by Charles Bradley just because of that one video where Alex and Marco sang it behind the scenes. I don’t make the rules. 

The tour had been a tiring one. Six months away from Hvitserk and their daughter, their nine month old son and the dogs, had all but ground him down into a short tempered grump.

Being a royal representative for his brother, King Alfred, isn't anything like it was before the children came into their lives and he doubts it will get easier. The only difference is that, eventually, they'll have to come along as well. Aethelred dreads that day with every fibre of his being for more than one reason; letting go the fact that Hvitserk married him on the agreement that he would take a step back from public duties in a country that isn't his own.

The prince rubs his heavy eyes as the car pulls up outside of their shared home. It's an offshoot of the main palace, giving privacy to everyone - though he knows they've been moved here to reduce the noise of the children on his ailing mother. A glance up into the second floor windows tells Aethelred that someone's in the kitchen and, as the door of the Rolls Royce opens, he can vaguely hear music.

He smiles. For the first time, really, in what feels like a lifetime.

"Your Royal Highness." The footman makes a small bow as Aethelred steps out, pulling his thick black coat around him a little tighter. Unusually cold weather for April. He returns the greeting and takes the wide steps up to the front door two at a time and, as the large oak doors part before him, the smell of cookies couldn't be more homely.

Waiting hands quickly take his coat and that disappears somewhere, leaving Aethelred in a dark ensemble; slacks and a knitted sweater, bought for him by his husband for their anniversary trip back to Norway. Needless to say, that never happened - something about a disagreement between his brothers, Ivar and Sigurd, hitting the front pages of the tabloids deemed it undignified - so it's yet to be tested against a real winter.

Taking a moment to look about the reception, the realisation sinks in that he's actually back. Actually home. Even if it's only for a short time.

Luxurious blue carpet sinks with his footfalls as he climbs the staircase, set on either side with a portrait of their children. Aethelred touches each one as he passes it in turn. They were a gift from Hvitserk's aunt Helga, painted after photographs of their son's Christening were released in the papers.

That was a day nobody will forget in a hurry. Especially for Hvitserk who caught an earful from three of his four brothers. Only Ubbe seemed to understand that protocol demands such things when marrying into a largely Christian family. Not to mention their position in the public eye as royals.

Still, those memories whisper themselves to the back of his mind as the prince moves down the hallway to their private rooms.

Not much has changed. The bed is made, as per usual, and the long curtains have been tied back, allowing the light to find its way inside through tall sheets of stained glass. Hvitserk was the one who first suggested the idea - using the children as an excuse for the flourish of creativity. True, it's been a helpful tool some days, he'd imagine, but Aethelred really hasn't been at home enough to appreciate the effects anything has on the little ones.

A sudden feeling of guilt catches hold of him and Aethelred sighs, knowing he shouldn't waste any more time now but there's something about this room being quiet that is almost close to sacred.

Be it the toys packed away, save one that pokes out from under the bed, or the smell of Hvitserk's shampoo that envelopes the air - indicating that all three occupants who sleep and wake here must be using it. Be it the way a small indent still curves in his pillow from before he left, or the stack of drawings on his bedside cabinet.

On the last phone call, Hvitserk informed him that there'll be one for every single day he's been away.

It's the little things that make this room, this life, sacred.

He changes quickly, silently, into more comfortable clothes and takes the passage from their bedroom up to the nursery; now used only when they have a nanny, which is rare. They're very hands-on parents for the most part, when schedules allow - especially with Hvitserk's position meaning that he only has to attend events when Alfred attends as well, unless he decides otherwise - and Aethelred takes great pride in the fact that he knows what his daughter's first word was. That he was there for her first steps.

He loves those children more than anything.

Leaving the nursery, Aethelred notes that the music is louder now. Charles Bradley. Changes. There's something soulful in the melancholy but hopeful in the song too; Heaven knows they've been through so many changes themselves to get where they are now. It almost feels fitting as a guide to bring the prince to the arms of his family.

Socked feet pad softly up to the kitchen door. His hand rests on the cold brass of the handle as he peers inside; warm glow of the oven door illuminating Hvitserk's front as he, and both of their children, stare in at the baking cookies. They look so excited and it feels like a shame to break that, even if Aethelred is sure they'd be all-but-forgotten about in his wake.

He turns away and takes a few steps back down the hall before he stops and clears his throat.

"Are we having milk with those cookies, Prince Hvitserk?" He asks, voice loud enough to alert anyone who cares to be listening. A contained shriek - their daughter isn't an animal - lets the prince know he's been heard and he turns again in time to catch the little girl and scoop her up, into his arms first and then sits her safely on his hip. Small arms throw themselves around his neck and she peppers his face and soft shirt with tiny kisses. "Did you really miss me that much?"

"Mhm! Mhm!" Her response is muted in comparison to any other child her age but Aethelred appreciates it nonetheless. Of course he does. He smiles and tickles her tummy as he walks into the kitchen.

"They smell good." Talking to the little girl as he crosses the threshold, it's clear Hvitserk wasn't expecting him back so soon. He's covered from head to toe in flour and there's even a sprinkling of sugar in his hair. Aethelred's sure that story will get explained later but, for now, his Norwegian prince seems happy enough to turn off his favourite song.

With their baby boy in arms now - he's sleeping, one large hand resting soothingly on his back - Hvitserk looks surprised but not in a bad way. He stands up, awkwardly, and crosses the heated tiles to where Aethelred waits for him.

"I thought you said you wouldn't be home until tomorrow." Hvitserk's voice is a whisper and even that is endearing. Oh, how he must have suffered. He looks tired. "Nothing happened did it?"

"Nothing bad, no. A few engagements were cancelled, that's all. Aren't you happy to see me? Because I can go..." He's joking in that soft way he does and Hvitserk sees it immediately, smiling as he steps in and kisses Aethelred's cheek, chastely.

Anything more and he knows he won't be able to stop. "You're not going anywhere until you try one of these cookies."

[soc-characters-as-songs]

Favorite part of the interviews and a song for all?

ivy: "*he keeps a small polite smile, silently gesturing to the refreshments available as he asks* how have you been finding angeles and the palace, ivy?

*/king doof-ael,/ the title her friend alba had dubbed him with, though she couldn't possibly off that as another name. even if it was interesting, it's only when raphael sits that she notices one of the imposing figures standing a ways behind him. /the divergent man/. seven. he was here? now???"

alaska ("and I walked off an old me/oh me, oh my I thought it was a dream/so it seemed/and now breathe deep, I'm inhaling/you and I, there's air in-between/leave me be, I'm exhaling/you and I, there's air in-between")

meredith: "*he keeps a smile at her* I believe I do prefer celebrations inside, though, knowing how hot it can get in the afternoon here in angeles.

*she feels a bit insensitive when he answers because it's such a huge "duh" moment and she kind of just didn't think about it before she made the comment about all the parties. but she can just add it to her mounting list of little mistakes. she grimaces and nods, murmuring* right, sorry, of course. *she shifts again, reminding herself that she needs to focus more* it's um... colder in northern angeles too. at least where I grew up *she breathes in a sigh because somehow she's turned this into a conversation about the weather, which she feels like is what you do when you're stuck in a waiting room with a stranger and even if that's what the interviews could be likened to she was hoping it wouldn't be like that. she squirms a bit more and honestly a bit of desperation is setting in and meredith unclasps her purse, finally looking down so she can see what she's doing. she hesitates a moment, then reaches a hand inside and pulls out an assorted bag of gummy bears, which she pilfered from the pantry the night before. she quickly closes the purse again, then her hands go to the bag as she opens it, the bag makes that loud plastic crinkly sound. meredith finally looks up at him again and gives him a weak smile, holding up the bag between them, with the opening facing his way* would you like some? *her eyes dart to sam and the cameras, then back to him* it has all the flavors, I think"

good as it gets ("just leave it up to me, to be sad in paradise/I got a good heart but f*ck it for the art/had a good life, I could never really see that/got so bad, lookin' for love in the trash/if I had it, I wouldn't know how to keep it/well, maybe i'm a mess/and maybe I'm depressed/and maybe I'll just find out who I am and I won't like who it is/and I'm a wreck"

diana: "*he shakes his head at her question, not dismissive at all but offering only this* I'm not the cooking or baking type. reading, you could say, is a hobby of mine - basic as it sounds. *he knows it's probably not enough as an answers so he also adds this* podcasts are a good alternative too if I'm moving around on vehicles *he leans back, putting his elbow on his arm rest as he thinks about the baking thing but wanting to confirm his guess he asks* if you don't mind me going back to the cupcakes, were they in celebration of something?

*she shakes her head when he calls his hobby basic* it's not basic at all. I love reading, honestly, it's a luxury to be able to pick up a book on any topic and learn about something new */especially when you never got a formal education past high school/. she thinks it but doesn't say it out loud*"

blind ("but you're a little like me, same type/cancels every date night/stays home, never leaves/just can't find the energy/I stay pretty numb/never fell for anyone/you seem similar/always end up getting hurt/I haven't felt a thing this year/and I'm only tryna be sincere")

dahlia: *elevator music*

alassie: "*he shakes his head at her question, unsure also of how she's approaching this either but he lifts a shoulder up* not exactly, since it was accidentally spilled on me. it's a shame, however, that I don't have the time to change until a few interviews after this. *he waits for her to take a seat properly, gesturing to the seat again* I do ask for your patience to look beyond that for the next five minutes of your time.

*she raises her eyebrows at his gestures, and settles a little more in her current position by crossing her legs. all his fuss over his jacket makes her want to roll her eyes, and she says sarcastically* I'm not sure I can. *she looks towards the camera crew, sounding more polite as she addresses them* can anyone bring us gin? and a dry cloth?"

entertainer ("you thought you had me, didn't you?/when you lied to my face, I could see the truth/every step of the way I knew/how you fooled me, boo/guess you didn’t know that/you were my favorite entertainer/I'd watch you, I'd laugh, I would fuck with you/don’t you take me for a fool/in this game, I own the rules")

ramona: "*he presses his lips together at her last statement, a wry smile on his lips* nothing that the palace laundry couldn't handle. though, it was my lucky shity that got stained.

*she quickly gives him a more sympathetic smile, replying in an almost joking tone* I hope that wasn't an omen for the rest of the day"

meet me at our spot ("i'm not getting younger/but when I'm older/I'll be so much stronger/I'll stay up for longer/meet me at our spot/caught a vibe/baby, are you coming for the ride?/I just wanna look into your eyes/I just wanna stay for the night, night, night")

rhea: "maybe you'll get to work into developing the shows themselves in the artistic team side now *he tilts his head* I'm sorry that you don't get to perform anymore.

*she waves the apology off* developing shows looks like fun - you get some more creativity. *this is what she had rehearsed for. random fact, something near embarrassing, to make her memorable - not something her mother ever said, but something guy of all people had suggested. she leans in with a sly smile* this sounds incredibly nerdy, but I- well, someone I know back home and I- started work on this musical about aliens"

honey ("'cause I'm a beautiful wreck/a colorful mess, but I'm funny/oh, I'm a heartbreak vet/with a stone-cold neck, yeah, I'm charmin'/all the pretty girls in the world/but I'm in this space with you/colored out the lines/I came to find, my fire was fate with you")

cornelia: "I still think invitations are a nice touch, if not the tiny umbrellas stuck on the cherries of the black forest cake. *he bobs his head at the mention of her friends, curious about them* did your friends get to send you off the other day?

*she chuckles because of his words* the tiny umbrellas /are/ a great detail. I didn't know those were something I needed in my life."

like real people do ("I knew that look dear/eyes always seeking/was there in someone/that dug long ago/so I will not ask you/why you were creeping/in some sad way I already know/I will not ask you where you came from/I will not ask you and neither would you")

kaden: "*he thanks her for the coffee, holding it with both of his hands for a bit to let it cool* my previous shirt and jacket have seen better days, and this is a new set of saucers and cups but thankfully not many other casualties *he shakes his head, lifting his mug up* I'd prefer to be drinking coffee or wine rather than have it accidentally on my shirt.

*she finishes to serve her own cup* a thrilling morning you're describing. *she looks up from under her lashes, still amused apparently* perhaps getting rid of the small talk would be for the best."

slow burn ("born in a hurry, always late/haven't been early since '88/texas is hot, I can be cold/grandma cried when I pierced my nose/good in a glass, good on green/good when you're puttin' your hands all over me/I'm alright with a slow burn/takin' my time, let the world turn/I'm gonna do it my way, it'll be alright")

andreia: "*should she look closely, there are coffee stains on the place setting of the coffee table while raffy is in a different shirt and jacket thanks to the wine incident earlier. around them, there are still cameras going off around them, documentation crew really going at it. still, raffy's standing tall with his hands clasped in front of him as she approaches, only offering her his hand when she's close enough to him so he can guide her to her seat. he tries to give her a small smile despite being tired* lady andreia, thank you so much for waiting. my name is raphael, it's a pleasure to meet you.

*being outside all day, with the sun being bright, has not been /ideal/ for andreia, but she's trying her best to ignore the budding headache. she takes his hand when she reaches him, but keeps her other hand in her pocket for the time being, and gives him a small smile in return* just andreia is fine. it's nice to meet you. *once the handshake is done, she takes the other hand out of her pocket, and smiles a little sheepishly before explaining* in iberia, it's rude to show up to someone's house without a gift to give the host *she holds out her hand and in it is a small origami corgi* I know it's not much, but... *she shrugs a little, still with the same sheepish smile*"

valerie ("well, sometimes I go out by myself/and I look across the water/snd I think of all the things of what you're doing/in my head I paint a picture/since I've come home/well, my body's been a mess/and I miss your ginger hair/and the way you like to dress/oh, won't you come on over?/stop making a fool out of me/why don't you come on over, valerie?")

arely: ??????????????

suzy: "*he waits for her to take a seat before taking his own, making a gesture for plato to follow like the besets boy he is and he stays by raffy's feet* he gets mad when he feels underdressed for an event. *he nods at her response to the food, understanding of her wanting to save space for dinner, but is very pleased to hear that she likes the food. he glances at the table, looking for his recommendation and gestures to a green tea bag* I believe some hot green tea would be nice before dinner. cleanses the palate too. *he tilts his head* any favorites from the selection of food earlier?

*she raises her eyebrows, surprised since she tried to dress up bom several times but she ultimately hated being dressed, even if it's a simple bow. she turns her attention to plato and looks down at him* a true gentlepup I see"

505 ("not shy of a spark/the knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark/frightened by the bite, though it's no harsher than the bark/the middle of adventure, such a perfect place to start")

[angrycupcakellama]

Hi! I’m pretty new on tumblr so I’m sorry if formatting looks weird. I’m also not native speaker so don’t slander me ples.

I created this challenge for myself because I reinstalled TS4 and I have been overwhelmed with amount of content I have in my game. I also got to the point that I just bored if I “wing it” with my families. Therefore I wrote down all careers I’m somewhat interested in and built this challenge. If you find it interesting feel free to use my notes.

Unfortunately you most likely would need most if not all expansion packs to properly play this challenge. This challenge is inspired by most popular ones in community.

Your family value dynasty a lot, so to treasure and value it, you and your descendants sworn to keep photograph of each heir of your main lineage. No matter what your family will get into, you must protect your heritage.

Basic rules and generations description are under read more.

General Rules:

Cheats are allowed, but do be aware that they take fun out of the challenge;

You have to complete career, aspiration, goals and skills, unless it specified not to;

You may move lots;

Life span may vary as well, but do try to do it on normal;

You may change goals for yourself if you wish;

You must take photograph of your heir (your sim can use any device);

You can also collect family pictures if you want;

This challenge wasn’t tested so be aware that some goals might be unachievable and you are free to ignore them.

For more fun you can follow one color/gender/name throughout generations.  I also included only one supernatural generation, since I personally don’t like playing with them, but, of course, you are free to make witch/alien/vampire/mermaid/etc legacy.

Suggestions are unnecessary to follow and only serve as additional ideas.

1. The Selfish One

Story: You moved in new town and hungry for money. It doesn’t matter how you will get it, you will use all your ways.

Career: Lawyer (Attorney branch)

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Traits:

Kleptomaniac

Materialistic

Self-Absorbed

Goals:

Steal 50 objects in lifetime;

Earn money only via career/dates/robbing people;

Be a lover of rich person/people and cheat yourself 500$ every time you visit them/go on date with them;

Break up with them as soon as you get pregnant/they get pregnant (you get a child in any case);

Be neglectful of your heir;

Never marry, but you can see other sims (preferably rich);

You can have other children, but I wouldn’t recommend, as later generations are rich with kids;

Skills:

Charisma

Fitness

Debate

Logic

Suggestions for more fun:

Have your sim have awful reputation and get spouses, of people you are seeing, be your enemies;

Get your child taken away, so you got to have another baby.

2. The Kind One

Story: Your parent was an awful person and you feel responsible for their actions. You are not as smart as them but you want to try to make this place better.

Career: Conservationist (Environmentalist branch)

Aspiration: Super Parent/Bestselling Author (you choose one or complete both)

Traits:

Kind

Clumsy

Vegetarian

Goals:

Complete cleaning up Sulani;

Do weekly charity parties starting in adulthood (party type doesn’t matter, cheat whatever sum of money you want out afterwards);

Visit spas/do a lot of self-care actions;

Write book with every emotional boost (there are 4);

Write biography;

Marry your best friend (bonus points if they are your childhood sweetheart);

Have twins;

Have at least 3 children if you are aiming for Super Parent aspiration’s completion;

Follow eco-friendly lifestyle;

Collect all postcards;

Skills:

Parenting

Wellness

Writing

Logic

Charisma

Suggestions for more fun:

Make your sim make videos about self-care all the time;

Have 3 sets of twins;

Have your parent live with you and have tense atmosphere in house;

3. The Complicated One

Story: Your parent had good intentions but they were pretty naive. You have more realistic outlook on life as you first hand saw that no amount of love can fix person who doesn’t want to change. Your twin is criminal.

Career*: Detective

Aspiration: Computer Whiz (Do not complete)

Traits:

Loner

Gloomy

Non-flirty

Goals:

Move out from family house as soon as possible;

Try to not have friends outside work;

Play videogames as your sole entertainment;

Make your sim win videogame tourney;

Don’t cook, live on delivery or on food from stands (your spouse may cook);

Be enemies with your twin or at least have relationship in red;

Marry your colleague in adulthood;

Have one child (if you want more you can only adopt);

Have your twin move in the moment you have heir;

Die unnaturally before reaching elderly stage and have your twin raise your child (ideally child should be in toddler stage);*

Skills*:

Fitness

Logic

Videogames

Suggestions for more fun:

Last goal implies that your twin killed you. so you can get creative with scenario, get you sim killed in Strangerville or use mods;

Try to make your sim as socially awkward as you can, fail dates and wedding, birthdays and parties;

*A/n: From my other legacy challenge it’s not impossible to complete most of the goals by this stage but if your sim is getting close to aging you might ignore rules. Still try to complete most of it, start developing skills from teenage years.

4. The Sheltered One

Story: You never knew your parent and felt distanced from them. You turn to friendly society of women who claim to practice magic as they give you what you are seeking for - a family. But are things as simple?*

Career: Freelancer

Aspiration: Freelance Botanist

Traits:

Family oriented

Loves outdoors

Crazy

Goals:

Run away as teen

Create a witch cult and join it (it’s quite challenging, I recommend making Forgotten Hollow the cult town, it’s small and already has gloomy atmosphere);

Limit interactions with people outside cult;

Become a witch and be potion oriented;*

Fall in love with outsider and run away, do not practice magic afterwards (ideally outsider should be person who you absolutely have to interact, such as schoolmate or stands salesman);

Earn your money by any creative skill;

Have 3 children and encourage free spirit in them (ignore responsible trait, make them skip school to spend time with you);

Have garden (may have money from it as well);

Get full frog collection;

Skills:

Herbalism

Gardening

Cooking

Baking

One creative skill of choice (painting, music, writing)

Suggestions for more fun:

Explore Selvadorada ;

Make your sim as weird as you can, mismatch clothes (crazy trait will help you)

*A/n: If you don’t want to deal with witch side you may ignore the whole thing and just create cult.

5. The Lazy One

Story: Your parent always viewed life as something you have fun with. Sure you are not responsible whatsoever but life is too short to waste it on career building.

Career: Florist (don’t have to complete it)

Aspiration: Chief of Mischief (don’t have to complete it)

Traits:

Creative

Slob

Non-committal

Goals:

Don’t make any efforts to move up career ladder, skip days and don’t do daily tasks;

Live on off grid lot until adulthood;

Make money from your career and creative skill your parent had (they can teach you it);

Do pranks at least once a week (do not do them in your house, if you live alone);

If you get fired change careers to part-time, you can even not get job at all if you don’t need money;

Have on and off relationship with your romantic interest;

Eventually propose to your love interest but leave them at the altar;

Do have child with them;

Have other 4 children with 4 different sim;

Have small house so everyone have to be in each other space 24/7, have your eldest take care of smaller children (you might want to download double bunk bed for children);

Skills (ideally do not master any):

Flower arranging

Mischief

Creative skill of choice

Suggestions for more fun:

This is pretty chill generation, so I suggest just mess around with love interest and children;

6. The Perfect One

Story: Your parent was messy in everything so of course you won’t become the same and find better usage of your talents.

Career: Stylist

Aspiration: Successful Lineage

Traits:

Perfectionist

Ambitious

Art Lover

Goals:

Start with 100$ and build yourself up;

Open boutique and get it to 5 stars;

Visit art galleries once a week;

Marry sim who also has Perfectionist trait;

Have butler;

Try to make your house luxurious;

Have two children;

Be extremely strict with them (have a curfew and forbid romantic relationship until young adult stage, their grades have to be A+, all their traits in positive);

Skills:

Charisma

Painting

Writing

Violin

Piano

Fitness

Suggestions for more fun:

Master Photography Skill;

Have your children actually date others sims but in secret;

Live off your paintings in elderly age;

Dress everyone prudishly;

7. The Baby

Story: Your parent was so strict with you, so of course you got to prove that stable career and being perfect is not how life should be.

Career*: Actor

Aspiration*: Master Actor/Master Actress

Traits:

Childish

Squeamish

Jealous

Goals:

Have multiple lovers;

Be mean to people without any reason;

Live in mansion with butler and nannies;

Make videos in free time;

Win award;

Get involved with fan and get your career ruined (you choose how);

Get into red reputation, stop earning money and move out from your mansion to cheap apartment;

Meet with future spouse with kind trait;

Marry and have one child;

Have rocky relationship, divorce eventually;

Earn money from videos only;

Skills:

Acting

Charisma

Comedy

Mischief

Video making

Suggestions for more fun:

It’s dramatic generation, so go full drama;

Earn 1.000.000$;

Have thing with butler;

If you want even more ruined life, you may have child with this fan and hate your child;

*A/n: I don’t know whether it’s possible to complete career and aspiration by the time you have to ruin your career because I believe it has to happen in adulthood so you still have time to finish other goals. You may ignore them.

8. The Right One

Story: Your parent had difficult life but you can’t help but be enamored with idea of how easy is to ruin lives.

Career: Critic (Art Critic branch)

Aspiration: Leader of the Pack

Traits:

Evil

Genius

Hates Children

Goals:

Never have a good friend unless they are from criminal background;

Marry into rich family and divorce immediately;

Have accident child and basically forget about them;

Have nannies and butler to deal with child;

Try to eat in restaurants (I know it’s pain so try to do it on off days);

Kidnap a child/teen and make them your slave;

Have big social media following, at least a million;

Have a club of either high class people or criminals and do shady stuff as well;

Skills:

Writing

Charisma

Piano

Painting

Suggestions for more fun:

Sorry I’m kind of out ideas but I imagine this sim as very uptight and manipulative, so play accordingly. It would be funny if your sim somehow got in jail by the end of their life, maybe there is mod for that.

9. The Broken One

Story: Your parent never loved you, why should you be kind to others? The only friend you can trust is your bottle.

Career: Education

Aspiration: Friend of the Animals

Traits:

Cat Lover

Mean

Paranoid

Goals:

Have 5 cats through your lifetime (but only when you moved out from your family house, also the limit of household is 8 sims so keep it in mind);

Name cats with pun names;

Marry a vet and have poor relationship with them, but never divorce;

Have as many children as you want, but have poor relationship with all of them;

Go to alien bar night and fight with them;

Overall visit bars often, be a juicegolic;

Cheat on your spouse with alien in disguise, then discover they are alien and fight them as well;

Have a lot of photos of your cats all over place (for next gen, you may consider making your heir do them);

Skills:

Logic

Wellness

Mixology

Debate

Charisma

Suggestions for more fun:

If you didn’t already, go solve Strangerville mystery (bonus points if your sim will drink all the time and it would seem as if they did whilst drunk);

I based this sim on Wine Mom stereotype so gossip a lot and get in petty fights as much as your soul wishes;

10. The Last One

Career: Engineer (either branch)

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Traits:

Bookworm

Cheerful

Dance Machine

Goals:

Go to University;

Be popular, have 20 good friends during your lifetime;

Have romance with rival University;

Never get into fights;

Make photography your hobby;

Date your servobot (may ignore this rule if you want to continue lineage);

Only adopt children (may ignore this rule if you want to continue lineage);

Collect Microscope Prints;

Go to parties all the time;

Have wall of all your ancestors;

Skills:

Photography

Robotics

Logic

This is last generation so you can pretty much do everything you want at this point.

Please reply or send ask to me if you have questions or find unachievable goal, also you can tag me if you will play this challenge.

Thank you for reading!

[virgomoontarot]

It’s Friday, ruled by Venus, as Venus enters Virgo, during the tail end of an intense October full moon! 🌝

Time for some self love

I would like to invite you all to set aside some time for you today! Need some ideas?

🍂Spend five minutes outside, listen to the sounds, feel all the sensations like the breeze and the sunlight, and be still for a moment🍂

🧘🏽‍♀️Take time to meditate today! We all talk about meditation, but many of us don’t feel we can fit it into our busy lives, or perhaps we lack the motivation to do so. It’s okay! Today is a great day to set aside ten minutes for meditation. You could try using an app like headspace, a guided meditation from YouTube, or even trying the good old fashioned method of bringing awareness to your breath and letting your thoughts pass by. If that’s a challenge, try using a mantra! A great mantra for today could be “inhale compassion” “exhale judgement”.🧘🏽‍♀️

🛁Take an extra long indulgent bath or shower. That special scented candle you’ve been saving? Bust it out today! Have a favorite scent or product? Now’s the time to incorporate it into your personal care! Spend some extra time on your skincare routine, use a fancy mask or rose water, you’ve earned it! Envision all the negativity you’ve been carrying washing down the drain, and emerge a brand new you!🛁

💅🏽Paint your fingernails or toenails, if you’re into that sort of thing! If not, you can still take time to give yourself a manicure or pedicure, slowing down and getting your hands and feet nice and fresh and clean, incorporating some hydrating lotion, and giving yourself a little massage! Think of all that our hands do for us each day! For many of us, they allow us to type, to write, maybe to sign or communicate, they prepare our meals, perform our working tasks, and hold our loved ones! Think of all our feet do for us! For many of us, they carry us all day long, taking all the wear and tear that come along with such a responsibility! Show them some love!💅🏽

🤸🏼‍♀️For those who are able, you could take time today for gentle stretching or yoga! I invite you to focus on your breath as you stretch, and visualize the oxygen from your lungs being pulled into any areas you find tense, softening them and elongating them. Stretch only to the point of a slight challenge, don’t force anything or push anything. Remain in that space until you find some comfort there, and check in with your body as you go. 🤸🏼‍♀️

🚶🏽For those who are able, try taking a walk, tuning in to the sounds, sights, and sensations of your neighborhood or local surroundings. Take deep breaths as you go, and feel the satisfaction of moving your body and interacting with the world around you. 🚶🏽

🥘For those who are able, you could prepare yourself a delicious meal, or even bake yourself some cookies! Throw on your favorite music and dance around or sing along a little bit! Be mindful of all the smells and sensations you experience, and take time to connect with your food through your senses. Not much of a chef? Order your favorite meal for delivery, and set aside time to eat mindfully! Take in the colors and aromas of your meal, eat slowly and savor each bite. Light a candle and set the ambiance. Enjoy a special meal!🥘

☕️On a similar theme, make yourself a special cup of tea, cocoa, or coffee! Connect with your ingredients, their smells, their warmth, and ask yourself if any memories arise as you encounter these sensations. Once again, you could treat yourself to your favorite special beverage from a local cafe as well! Maybe you’re into a nice fresh pressed juice or smoothie? Maybe you love some pumpkin spice or a frothy latte? Indulge today, and truly immerse yourself in the vibrant colors of your fruit smoothie or the creamy texture of your favorite nitro cold brew.☕️

🖋Write or express positive affirmations! I used to struggle a lot with anger, but by writing affirmations every day for a long time, I was able to greatly improve my reaction to the anger response. Don’t underestimate the power of affirmations! You can type them into your notes app, hand write them in your journal, or speak them aloud to yourself. Not sure what to say? Try “I am deserving of the same love I bestow unto others” three times in a row, or more if you’d like!🖋

🧸Take a nap! Snuggle up with your favorite blanket in a cozy place and take a break today! Not a nap person? Dedicate an hour to catching up on your favorite show, or watch an interesting documentary. It feels extra special when you do it with intent, trust me. Resting is not a waste of time. 🧸

🛏Change your sheets! Throw them in the machine with a little extra fabric softener or a few drops of your favorite essential oil! Let them soak in there for a good hour before you begin the cycle, then launder them as usual. Maybe use an extra drier sheet, if you’re into that sort of thing. There’s nothing better than slipping into some fresh sheets at the end of a long day!🛏

There are so many more creative ways to honor yourself today, and every day. I would love to hear how you’ve decided to show yourself some love today! Send me an ask or reblog this post and let me know how you dedicated some time just for you today! And remember to say “thank you” to yourself for all that you do. I mean it. 💗

[ace-in-a-shopping-cart]

If you’re taking requests, might I suggest Remus who is told by the others that he’s almost certainly neurodivergent (you decide how) and denying it? Maybe Ro’s all “it’s ok I’m the same way” so Remus can try to be “better” than his bro but ultimately crash into burnout

I hope this lives up to expectations!

Different Can Be Beautiful. 

Word Count: 3,363

Remus sat on the couch, trying to focus on the movie Roman had picked. It was an interesting one, he was just restless. He didn’t fiddle with his hands. He didn’t bite his nails. He didn’t wiggle, bounce, flap his hands, or crawl down to the floor and color. He sat there and tried to focus on the activity everyone else was so engaged in. He didn’t know why it was so hard to sit still for long periods of time, it just was.

He looked over at his twin. Roman had no difficulty sitting this long. He didn’t need to have his hands busy or constantly look at something else. He was always good. Remus just didn’t get it. Why did Roman get to be able to be normal while Remus got called weird and creepy. Nobody wanted to be friends with him but everyone wanted to be friends with Roman. It wasn’t fair.

He shook his head slightly, turning his attention back to the movie. Why did his thoughts have to wander off like that? He tried to focus on the television. Focus, focus, focus, focus, focus. Soon, he was focusing on the act of focusing so much that he didn’t notice when their dad, Patton, walked into the room. He only noticed when Roman shook his shoulder, jerking him out of the thought to focus.

“Remus, dinner.” Roman said as he moved into the dining room.

Remus nodded, getting up to go wash his hands first. He noticed the way the light glinted off the mirror and stared at it until Patton came into the bathroom. “Remus, turn off the water. Your food is getting cold.”

Remus looked down to see the water still running. “Sorry, Dad.”

Patton sighed. “It’s alright, kiddo. Let’s just go eat.”

When he got to the table, he noticed it was a baked potato bar with green beans. He groaned. He really hated green beans. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was the way they sounded like rubber while being chewed, maybe it was the slimy feeling of them in his mouth, maybe it was the taste that he couldn’t stand, maybe it was how they were the color of puke. Normally, he found puke funny or interesting, but food should not be puke colored.

He slid into his seat, and, when the other two weren’t looking, tried to slide his green beans onto Roman’s plate. He loved green beans, let him have them. Roman noticed what he was doing before he could get any on the plate. “Remus, eat your own food. I’m not eating it for you.”

Patton looked over at them. “Remus, could we not, tonight?”

Remus sullenly choked down the slimy rubber tubes of death, hating every second of it. He didn’t see why Roman got to get out of eating things he didn’t like, like mushrooms, but Remus had to eat the things he didn’t like.

They went to bed that night, Remus avoiding the itchy set of nightclothes that made him want to scratch his skin off. The next morning, they were off to school. As Patton dropped them off, he called to Roman out the window. “Roman, don’t forget that you have an appointment with Dr. Picani after school.”

Roman held up a hand in acknowledgement as they walked into the building. Remus made a beeline for his locker, meeting up with his best friend, Virgil. They high-fived as they opened their adjacent lockers.

“Anything you wanna talk about?” Virgil asked as he always did at the beginning of the week.

Remus stopped himself from bouncing on his toes in joy at being asked. “Did you know that goats have rectangular pupils?” He proceeded to ramble about the interesting bits of goats for the next few minutes as they walked to their first class together.

During the class, history, Remus tried to pay attention, even took notes. It didn’t matter that it was only middle school and the lecture probably had nothing to do with the reading for the day, he needed his hands busy. He felt better after being able to keep his hands and eyes busy while keeping his ears busy at the same time.

On their way to the next class, Virgil rambled about aliens and spaceships and Remus tried to listen but found his thoughts wandering yet again. He tried to compensate for it by asking questions that summed up whe general idea of what he was saying. 

In math class, Remus wanted to sink through the floor and die. His teacher gave him a sharp look over his glasses. “Remus, I assume this paper is yours. It’s the only one without a name. It also has many problems half finished or not even started. I expected better from you.”

Remus nodded meekly as he took the page from him. “Sorry, Mr. Crofters. I’ll do better, I promise.”

Logan smiled at him, pushing his glasses back in place. “I’m counting on it, Remus.”

Remus sat at his desk and really tried to focus on the next worksheet. He made sure to put his name on it, rewriting it multiple times when it wasn’t legible or just looked wrong. He started the worksheet, not letting himself move on to the next question until the one he was on was done. Before he knew it, the class period was over. Looking down at his page, only half of the front was done. He slipped the paper into his bag, determined to work on it after school.

Remus’ English class was the worst. He forgot whole words and forgot to put in some letters in words in his last essay, making it less than satisfactory. In science, he didn’t understand the instructions from the teacher and none of his classmates would explain it to him. He wanted to cry but he didn’t, knowing he would be labeled a baby and that Roman would yell at him later for messing up his reputation. 

Remus wanted to bounce, to rub his arms, to bite his nails. He didn’t do any of those things, trying to be as still and attentive as possible. He tried to remember the good listening rules he learned in kindergarten. Ears listening, eyes focused on the speaker, hands in your lap, no wandering thoughts, no speaking over the speaker, and no moving his legs. This meant that he couldn’t swing his legs like he wanted to, couldn’t rub his hands on his arms like they itched to, couldn’t do a million other little things. 

Instead, he sat there and ruthlessly pulled his thoughts away from the bunny trails, focusing them on the teacher. By the end of science, he was frustrated. He had no idea what was going on no matter how hard he focused on the instructions, no one was willing to repeat the instructions to him, and the teacher was not having it today. 

By the time lunch rolled around, he was exhausted. He met back up with Virgil, leaning his head on his only friend’s shoulder as they sat at their table. Virgil looked around. “Where’s Roman? Doesn’t he usually at least walk in with you?’

Remus groaned. “Ro’s probably eating with the theater kids..” He sat up, pushing his food around. Virgil nudged him. “How was science?”

Remus groaned and went into another tirade over how stupid the subject was, even though it was usually his favorite, and how mean everyone else in the class is, shoveling bites of food into his mouth when Virgil paused him to ask a question.

Eventually, lunch was over and it was time for art. This was his second favorite subject as he got to play with a bunch of different colored things and let his creativity out. Today, it was painting. He wanted to use his fingers but got scolded the last time he did that so didn’t. Instead, he went for an abstract that represented his mood. It was a turbulent green with reds and purples and some shades of blue thrown in there. He called it ‘Frustration’. His teacher loved it.

While on the high of having done one thing right all day, he went to study hall, where he focused as hard as he could on the math page, determined to finish it before he left. While in study hall, someone was playing music that the teacher was making no effort to stop. Remus groaned as he couldn’t focus due to the noise. 

Suddenly, all the lights were too bright and he could hear them buzzing as if they were flies that were in his ear. The music was too loud. His palms felt like they were on fire, causing him to drop his pencil and move his hands, palm up, into his lap. He felt like crying as everything was suddenly too much to deal with at one. Raising his hand, he asked to go to the bathroom, trying not to sound like he was begging.

The teacher gave him a hall pass and told him to be quick. Almost running to the bathroom, he sat in one of the stalls with his eyes closed, just trying to get everything to go back to the way they were. He knew there was a limited amount of time that he was allowed to be in there but couldn’t remember how long it was. After a while of sitting there, he ran his hands under the faucet, turning the water as hot as he could. It helped just a bit. 

He felt calmer after that and went back to the classroom, focusing so hard on his math he didn’t notice the bell had rung until the teacher came over and told him to leave. He packed his bags, palms still feeling like they were on fire every time something touched them. At least he had managed to get the math sheet done. He would ask his dad to check it later.

As he made his way out, he hugged Virgil goodbye, not knowing if his hands could survive a high five. He slid into the back seat of Patton’s car while Roman hopped into the passenger seat. Patton adjusted the mirror to look at Remus, noticing the pain in his eyes and the way he held his hands at his sides. “Remus, are you doing okay?” His voice was laced with concern but it was too loud and too sudden, causing the preteen to jump.

“Yeah, Dad. I’m fine.” He didn’t see Roman struggling not to cry, didn’t see him cradling burning skin, didn’t see him being anything but his normal self as he regaled Patton with tales of his day.

The drive was silent on Remus’ end as he tried to get a grip on himself, telling himself he needed to follow Roman’s example and be normal. Roman was giddy as he talked about his day, waving his hands animatedly as he talked and bouncing in his seat a little. Before Remus knew it, the car stopped moving as Patton turned the engines off.

“Remus. Remus!” Remus looked up to see his dad’s face turned to look at him. Looking out the window, he saw the doctor’s office instead of the house. Right. Roman’s appointment for something or the other. “You have to get out, Remus. It’s going to be too long to leave you in the car.”

Remus nodded, hopping out to join his brother on the pavement. The trio walked into the building, Remus immediately going to sit in the waiting room and pulling out a book he was supposed to be reading for English. Roman and Patton went up to the front desk, signing in and almost immediately being told that Dr. Picani would be with them shortly. They went to sit on either side of Remus as he tried to concentrate on the book. Honestly, it was really interesting and he had been waiting all semester to read it. But right now, he was exhausted after the day he’d had and the office had too many distracting things.

After a few minutes, the door leading to the back room opened and a pink-haired man in a tan sweater with a white button up shirt and blue tie underneath walked out. He took one look at the almost empty waiting room and smiled. “You should be my last clients of the day. Come on back.”

Patton and the twins stood and followed him back to a toy filled room. Remus looked around a bit before sitting in the corner of the couch, tring to make himself as small as possible with his hands in his lap, still burning.

The pink-haired man sat in the chair opposite the couch as Patton sat between the boys. “So, who am I seeing today?” His eyes were trained on Remus.

Patton patted Roman’s knee. “This one. He’s needing a refill of his ADHD medication.”

The man, Dr. Picani, nodded. “I see, and what does he take?”

“Uh, Adderall.”

The doctor took a note. “I see. Is the other boy here for anything?”

Patton shook his head. ‘Nope, he’s fit as a fiddle.”

The man frowned. “May I speak with you outside for a minute?”

Patton nodded and followed them out. Remus was tempted to swing his legs but noticed that Roman wasn’t and was determined to be better behaved than he was.

The adults talked for a while outside. Remus pulled the book back out and tried to concentrate on it but kept getting distracted by all the toys and figurines in the room. Eventually, they came back in and the man sat back down, looking at Remus. 

“Remus, was it?” He asked, his voice kind. 

Remus nodded. “Yes, sir.” He knew adults liked it when they got a verbal response. 

The man smiled. “My name is Emile Picani. Would you mind coming with me for a bit? I just want you to take a test.”

Remus looked at his dad, who nodded and smiled encouragingly. Roman put a hand toward Remus. “Do you want me to hold your book?”

Remus nodded and handed it over before standing to follow the doctor. The man led him down the hall to a quiet room. He sat him down at a desk and started up the computer in front of it. He clicked through some files, getting to one that read, ‘ADHD test’.

“Okay, Remus, I want you to take this test. There is no rush, feel free to take as long as you need to. I’ll be in the chair over there,” he pointed to a seat across the room, “let me know if you don’t understand anything or need any help, okay?”

Remus nodded. He filled in the slots that asked for his age and gender. He got to one that asked if he was ‘newly diagnosed’ he didn’t know what that meant so hit ‘yes’. He answered as many questions as he could on a scale of ‘never’ to ‘often’. He tried to give an honest answer but some of the questions he had to think about as many of the situations described he was able to hold himself back from doing the activity. He answered honestly, for the situations where he even wanted to do it, he answered as if he did it. 

When he was finished, the screen said to wait while it was loading. He looked over at Dr. Picani, who seemed to be watching him as he took the test. The doctor stood, coming to stand behind Remus’ chair to wait for the results. Remus didn’t know what to make of the numbers and big words in front of him but the doctor sure did as he made a noise.

Remus looked up at him. “Is that good or bad?”

He smiled down at the boy. “That depends on what you define as good or bad. Is it good that these results are positive? Maybe. Is it good that we are now aware of this and capable of helping you with this? Yes.” He held out a hand. “How about we get back to the family while we talk, okay?’

Remus nodded but stared at the hand. He looked down at his own palms. They seemed to have cooled down while he took the test as they didn’t feel like they were on fire anymore. He reached up and took the hand, sliding out of the chair to follow Dr. Picani down the hall. They got back to the room with Patton and Roman in it and Remus went to sit on the couch.

“Mr. Sanders, it appears my suspicions were correct. Remus also has ADHD, just as Roman does.” Dr. Picani said.

Patton put an arm around Remus. “How is that possible? He’s nothing like how Roman was when he was first diagnosed? He’s always been so quiet and calm.”

The doctor nodded. “It seems that your son may have been hiding his symptoms.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I can’t say. You’ll have to ask him later. For now, how about we discuss getting him a starting dose of Adderall, the same as Roman’s.”

The adults talked as Remus looked at his brother. He didn’t know if the medication they were discussing was what helped Roman stay so calm, but he wasn’t sure he wanted it. What if it made him boring and dull? Worse, what if it changed him to the point that Virgil didn’t want to be friends with him anymore? 

“Remus?” He tuned back in to hear the doctor call his name.

“Yes, sir?”

“I just wanted to explain what is going on with you and what the medicine is going to help with. You have something called ADHD. This stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. A fancy way of saying that you have a hard time concentrating on one thing sometimes or can’t stop concentrating on the thing other times. This also means that you have a hard time sitting still when you want to move around. From what your father has told me, you’ve done an amazing job managing to sit still, but you shouldn’t have to do that anymore. You won’t have to force yourself to be still and quiet or force yourself to focus anymore. The medicine will help you with that.

“You also have to realize that this means that some actions you do are part of this and are okay. Sometimes, you might want to make weird noises, or rub your arms, bite something, flap your hands, or spin around a lot. These things are perfectly normal for you and are okay to do. If you aren’t comfortable doing those things in public, your father or I can help you think of other ways to get out the energy. Do you understand?’

Remus nodded as all the pieces fell into place. He wasn’t broken but the way he had been handling it had been bad. “Is that why I felt like crying earlier today? Is that why my palms felt like they were on fire?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes. You experienced sensory overload combined with, probably, a meltdown. This should help with that as well.”

Remus nodded and smiled. “Okay.”

A few months later, Remus was back on the couch watching a movie, only this time, he was coloring while he did it. Roman came out of the kitchen with a glass of water in hand. “Dad, we’re getting low on meds. Might need to make another appointment.”

“Got it, Kiddo.” Their dad called back from the dining room.

Roman sat next to Remus. “Whatcha drawing?”

Remus smiled and held up a picture of his latest hyperfixation: Frogs. “Frogs!” He gleefully shouted.

Roman smiled, picking up a piece of paper to draw boats, his own hyperfixation. They sat there with each other as Aladdin played in the background. They were content, Remus sometimes flapping his hand in pleasure and Roman wiggling when it got to his favorite parts. Patton stopped in the doorway to watch his boys for a minute. He was happy that they were content with their lives and happy that they were healthy.