#simular to one another if that makes any sense?

[starlight-bread-blog]

Do you think there's a more complex and nuanced outcome as a result of Katara marrying Zuko rather than it just being Katara becoming a fire lady? Especially since, technically, she's the daughter of a chief and that considers her to be a tribal princess like Yue.

That is a good question. I suppose I don't think there's a situation where Katara marries Zuko and doesn't become fire lady. Since the definition of the word is, and correct me if I'm wrong, the Fire Lord's wife. But if you mean whether she'll live in a palace, I believe that she will.

According to this article she also lived Far From Home (lol) with A\ang, and in their family picture none of them wear clothes for the SWT's cold weather. Which does make sense with how fine she was with leaving to find Aang and how she spent the entire series away from home and the show rarely treated it as an issue to be dealt with. Additionally, now that the war is over she can pay regular visits to her home.

But that doesn't mean that the chief's daughter becoming fire lady isn't complex and nuanced. First thihgs first, I want to go through what being the fire lady & daughter of the chief would mean.

The fire lady doesn't seem to have duties, since we never see Ursa do anything for the Fire Nation. But it at least has to grant you respect and THE connection to the Fire Lord. Katara isn't Ursa, and is passionate & active in nature. The role comes with a certain power that can assist with one's political pursuits greatly.

As for her being a tribal princess, as opposed to the Fire Lady, Yue explicitly that she has duties.

Yue: You don't understand. I have duties to my father, to my tribe.

But Yue was probably the heir to the throne. She had no siblings as far as we know, and she says "my tribe". I don't know whether the north would accept a female chief, given how sexist it was. But some evidence there is to support that she was the heir is this line from her fiance:

"Perks". If she was going to marry him for him to become the chief despite having no other connections to the bloodline, he wouldn't casually call becoming a chief a "perk". Furthermore, when Sokka tries to hit on her, he remarks of their simularities as they're both a prince and a princess. And Sokka is ann heir, he's the future chief.

It's likely that they were arranged for other political reasons and Yue was going to become queen. Whether she was going to be respected/accepted is up in the air.

But we do know of another heirs that might help us get a fuller picture: Eska and Desna. They had a duty to their father as a prince and a princess. It was their wish to help their father whom they believed was a great man. Which isn't typical for an heir. This is why we can look at their case to see what Katara's life as the daughter of the chief would look like. In their case, they helpped the NWT in whatever they thought was right. And it's likely that so would Katara.

What does that leave us with? A role that grants her political power in the Fire Nation with no duties, and a person with a duty to the Southern Water Tribe.

The Positive

To me this paints a clear picture: Katara would use said political power to push the Fire Nation to rehabilitate the Southern Water Tribe from their atrocities.

I'm not the first person to show these before vs. After pics, but it's very important to remember the sheer extent of the Fire Nation's harm to Katata's home.

Before:

After:

And until the show ended, Katara was still the last waterbender of the south. Don't get me wrong, it IS Zuko's job to rehabilitate the SWT. But she'd want this.

Katara always want to help those around her by any means necessery. If it's getting captured in a Fire Nation prison or blowing up a factory, she will find the power to help others. So the power to fix the wrongs inflicted on her own culture and home being given to her, just for loving who she wants to love, is incredibly rewarding and narrativly satisfying.

The Negatives

1. All of what I've just described is good in theory, but in practice she's likely to face immense backlash. The people of the Fire Nation have been indoctrinated into believing the war was good and were fed Fire Nation propaganda since their school days (The Headband) and continued well into adulthood (Ember Island Players).

Suddenly the new fire lord comes along and decides that the war they've been fighting fir a 100 years is bad actually. And NOW he's dating a waterbender and the daughter of the chief, no less. + Suddenly the girl is starting to have demands. She'll be one of the most cobtroversial figures of that era, and that's no easy task.

2. It opens the door for one bad situation that no one could be blamed for. What if Zuko's heir would be a waterbender? That cannot be. Will the role of the heir go to whoever's a firebender/none bender regardless of order? What would it make their kids feel? Will Zuko be okay with how it'd make his kids feel? It raises so many questions, so many complexities and there seem to be no winners.

But looking at these negatives from a perspective of literary merit, as A:TLA is a fictional work, are these really negatives? I'd say no. There is no real suffering at stake here, only captivating conflicts to be explored. In real life, these nasty situations have to be dealt with. They're raw, they're complicated, and in literature, that's good. Conflicts are the oxygen of a story. Especially ones with no easy answers.

In conclusion, Katara marrying Zuko would make her the fire lady. This would lead to complex and nuanced situations, both good and bad, making for excellent conflicts/character progressions.

I don't know if this is the answer you wanted, but these are my thoughts. Thank you for the ask and have a nice day! 💕

[hotpotatopotat]

This might be an odd question coming straight from my biology nerd side, but have you thought on the taxonomy/biology of the mers?

Are all mer species related to each other, or are they closer to the species they resemble? Are the different mers even different species? Are they all one species with multiple subspecies? Are they branched off of a human ancestor, explaining their compatibility with humans? Are all types of mers are compatible with humans? Are all types of mers compatible with one another? Do mer/human pairings all result in more mers?

Feel completely free to ignore these questions and just answer whatever biology stuff you want if you have any.

Again, I'm just a biology nerd and always curious, especially animal and fantasy biology. 😅

Hello fellow taxonomy/biology nerd, let me take a crack at it. Also this is fantasy so go easy on me XD In my head, while not completely fleshed out mind you, there are two lines of thought here. One of divergent evolution, where there is a common ancestor, and two is convergent evolution, in which case two animals might develop similar traits, but are very distantly related, or not very related at all. True Mers and humans essentially started to diversify at the same time, branching off from a Mer-like ancestor while maintaining simularities to eachother. Bakumer and Deku, for example, is divergent evolution. However, only certain mers can produce young with humans, and only certain Mer can breed with eachother. Just as the word "Fish" describes and organism with gills, fins, scales, pretty much phenotypical characteristics, "Mer" is an extremely broad term to refer to these phenotypical traits (semi-aquatic, human/fish/seal/shrimp thing). So Kiriseal is an example of convergent evolution, in which he is a completely different organism, but just so happens to look like a "Human-like Mer". He cannot breed with humans. Same with Shoto Shrimp - Shrimp mer and Bakumer couldn't produce young. The only reason Bakumer and Deku Human could produce young is probably more of a hybridization because the genus is close enough. Think of horses and donkeys making a mule. They're different species, but they produce offspring. Of course, you know the consequences of such hybrids, and Bakumer's offspring are not free from those consequences. Hope this makes any sense.

[dotster001]

Congrats on 1.5k!🎉🎉🎊🎊 You earned it! But make sure to take breaks and watch your health!

I would like to do Twst and option one please. I'm a mother hen to those close to me. I just cant seem to relax until I know they are back safe and sound. Having said that I show my true colors around those close. A bit snarky and have a dark sense of humor. But I generally mean no harm in any of it. Thats just how I joke around.

My health is very poor so I often need to rest. But hey that gives me plenty of time to study different stuff and play video or watch shows. Though I tend to sleep if I feel too weak.

A bit shy on making new friends, but if they have simular interest I will be opening up faster. I tend to scare people away when I get carried away and talk about my passion for history.

(hope this is accurate lmao...I took it in a certain direction at the end 😜)

I match you with Malleus Draconia.

Look…I know your faves…but based on the bio you gave me, I really do think you and Mal Mal could be such a cute couple!

He's gonna keep your "mother hen tendencies" in mind. If you're worried about Silver and Sebek on another training mission, he'll stay up late with you to make sure they get back okay. Then once both boys are back, he'll scoop you up and tuck you into bed, teasing you the whole way about what a worrier you are…..despite the fact that if you were the one on the training mission, he would be twice as worried as you were.

We all know he already worries about his child of man… he already worries that every little thing will kill you. But when he finds out about your health, he gets twice as worried.  You never have to feel guilty about resting, because he has already prepared you a cozy room, a six course meal, and a book for either you to read, or him to read to you. (He feels guilty about how much he enjoys taking care of you if he's being honest)

He could never get scared off.  Especially with history. The things he has been alive for…you better be ready for long stories about what actually happened versus what the history books of twisted wonderland say….because once he starts he forgets how to stop.

He is also king of the dark humor. I can totally imagine you two making dark jokes back and forth while other students just look at you in mild terror and concern. Hysterical.

it had all started with you regaling Malleus with the follies of those who had tried to invade Russia in the dead of winter.

It had become something else entirely.

"And then, the human army, forgetting that our army had a dragon, believed themselves to be safe. They thought if they holed up in their fort, we'd freeze to death. But not so!"

Ace and Deuce were both looking a little green in the face. Neither of them had touched their lunch in quite some time.

"What happened next?" You asked, completely enthralled.

"Well, we burnt the outer walls to the ground, causing the general to surrender and leave our lands," Malleus said, a look of pride causing his face to glow.

"Oh, so no one died, good," Deuce said with a strained laugh.

"No. People definitely died." Malleus said.

"It was a war, Deuce, of course people died," you laughed, before messing up his hair.

"But…but…"

"Then what happened?" You asked.

Ace and Deuce stood up quickly, muttering excuses, and practically fleeing the lunch room.

"Some children of men are so weak willed," Malleus muttered.

"True," you said.

[specialshinytrinkets]

🪲Boys will be bugs🪲

(Technical stuff under cut)

Original Bug Popuko and Bug Pipimi toy pictures from this post

OML LOOK AT THE TWO BOYS!!!!! XDDDDDDDDDD I guess I have been starved of caption writing for long enough to do this, so.... here we go!

One of the things about this duo that is. Making me shake and yell is that, technically speaking, they're kinda opposites. But not really. They're simular, but different. In terms of headcanons — that is for sure. Let me explain.

Gumball is the star of the show. It's his world for a reason — if Gumball stops existing, the World (as in, the extraterrestrial omnipotent forces of scriptwriters) is going to do everything in its power to return things to status quota [See also: "The Static"]. The eyes are all on them. They can't escape being Universe's favourite boy. He suffers and doesn't quite know that, being shoved from one wacky situation into another, often being misinterpreted and laughed at, without proper guidance (this Gumball angst post has rewired my brain and you're gonna have to Get Over It).

As for Grave, he's a one-off character. He's starved of attention both in meta and in-universe sense. Why, you may ask? Well, because I don't believe that a child of loving, attentive parents would earn money via illegal burger selling. And rap during work without any specific purpose, only to entertain himself (amd maybe, as intention, others). He's nowhere and everywhere, possibly existing in the background for much longer than presented, with Mr Small referencing a guy who left EJHS for supposedly lying and working at the cemetary. Very interesting coincidence.

So, we have a guy about whom barely anyone strongly cares, and a three-episode character. Both are well-deep into humour as coping mechanism (with Gumball it's confirmed; with Grave — cutting up dead animals as a teen is definetely traumatic). Both are selfish in their own right. And both probably feel lonely!

But with Grave being adopted by Needlemeyers (because of course he is), that adds extra interest. Now he's directly tied to a person who suffers from Gumball's hijinks. So how would he feel meeting Gumball? And how would he feel after finding out Gumball has their own mental struggles? Would there be a sense of kinship? Of the need to guide the young cat through life? And considering that Needlemeyers would greatly care of Grave, what would Gumball feel when hearing of mothers, who DON'T throw their child into a desert to prove his worth?

Oh, and. Don't forget about the queerness. And gaming. Never forget. These fools are like that one meme: "-What do you think of gay marriage? -As far as I'm aware, all marriage is gay marriage." They are nigh interchagable. And I love their moronic energy.

[mimiri22-6]

*gets exactly one post about Dream drama* Oh god now what has he done. *can't find the origins on twitter because I want my revived account to be as bare bones as possable so I'm following like no one involved* Finds the #supportdream or whatever tag. it's filled with 70 hate/30 that's my streamer. I have got little no info, only the victims story falling apart and apparently dreams a+ handling of these kinds of situations has gotten no better.

on one hand, some things don't add up. sometimes dream does know she was under 18 sometimes she lied about her age. on her twitter at least, im assuming she could have done the same in dms.

Plus, a little thing w me; I have this fucking uncanny 6th sense for shitty yters through their voices, doesn't work when their singing, I figured it out after Ry*n of Achievement Hunter did something simular to these allegations dream is getting. I have never felt uncomfortable or worried about the people around dream whenever I've heard his voice. Well, that's a lie. I can't figure out what it means, but in certain situations, his talking did put a poker in my back. It wasn't immediate or noticable most of the time, but sometimes I could feel it. It might have been because his manhunt series is very edited down and he's not actually the one to talk in them the most, and on the other side of the coin could be because I want to punt his dsmp character into the sun, not because I think/thought his character was anything like him, nah, because his friends say he's the nicest man alive. No matter what it is or how small it is, it is good to take note of every little thing just in case. I've clocked many yters like this years before any shitty actions came to light, I'd say it started all the way back w Cr*ytic. I still watched them because I didn't know my instincts were like this, but I do take note nowadays whenever I get that little shiver up my spine to RUN.

...what the fuck was I writing about? how did I get here? it's been 90 minutes.

on the other hand, uh, he doesn't seem like the type???? was that what I was going to say?? ok, maybe he isn't groomer level, but maybe it's the racism my brain is clocking. idk why but I just can not let him off the hook for the Indigenous memorial graffiti incident. for some reason it feels like it was just swept under the rug and I could have sworn I saw dream respond to it in his very braindead way he handles those sorts of things "my fans can do no harm🥰did you know I'm .8% native🤗it's so goofy and fun, I hope they vandalize another memorial for me😍" y'know, that type. or I could have just mistook his response for the spongbob yelling as a response to the memorial. either way, he is not good at the defending words thing. Like, one of the worst I've seen honestly. Just hold your fans acountable and tell them what you're uncool with upfront. Like maybe not vandalizing memorials for marginalized groups you have an ounce of blood w.

idk how this turned into my essay on dream, ig this was a long time coming for me because I just have a lot to say about this man that I just can't hold any longer. I was happy for him and his friends Finally getting that fucking visa and plane ticket less than a month ago, but I think that was more my being pissed off at the system then being super invested in these people anymore. hold tight, I'm not done overanalizing this man yet. there will be a slightly longer than avg tldr at the end tho

Dream's relationship with his fans is weird and rubs me the wrong way. He isn't strict w them, not straightforward. The only other cc I know w simular nsfw fancontent to him is Badboyhalo, and he clearly stated he's fine w seeing sfw art of him and skeppy(I keep forgetting to aquant myself with whatever drama skeppy got into to make people hate him now, I think I remember it being stupid, but I could be wrong) being buddies and pals platonic soulmates if you will, and he acknowledged that there was going to be nsfw content of him regardless, BUT it was clear he didn't want to see it, he didn't wanna stubble apon it. With recent stuff going on, not the most recent allegations, but the face reveal and the twichcon t-shirt incident, I think Dream is actually in a simular boat, but he's just so fucking bad at this saying your clearest intentions and thoughts on the matter that he's in the middleground of nearly anything other than I love my fans, please don't harrass anyone, but then not saying anything when it goes down. the only time i've seen him say anything alnong the lines more solid on these things was in the twitter space interview w i forget who and i can't find it anymore. not even in my watch history. fucking weird. anyway, I just spent a half an hou looking for it and I don't know what I was talking about anymore...oh right, his relationship w his fans needs to change if he doesn't want this shit happen to him. wether this real or not, because there is a universe where the most recent alligations are fake, the fact of the matter is that since he has such a huge following there will be people that fake something like this just to pull his career down.

on the one hand, he's ramping up in activity because of his face reveal and people looking to kick him while he's on the rise is bound to happen, on the other hand, victims speak out at those times because they don't want the abusers to do the same to someone else while in the thraw of fame and massive power.

I've lost so much of my train of thought since i started writing this so

TLDR; Her story is falling apart at places, he's not handling the sich well, like usual, he gives me the heeby geebies sometimes and, yes, that needs to be noted, this is bound to happen again and again if he doesn't set real solid boundaries with his fans On His Main Account and if he Doesn't Give His Fans A Phone Number To Freely Call And Text Him On REALLY WHY DO YOU THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA-Also the indigenous disrepect is Loud and is the reason why I don't follow him on anything anymore(as far as I know, I may have missed a profile somewhere, but idk. I don't think I have, but the possability is there)

As more time goes on I get more and more uncomfortable w him, but w the other yters that turned out to suck, the reaction was instant and I had to learn to ignore it, but w him I'm learning the opposite.

anyway, im tired and im gonna do something i actually like now. fuck you bye love you be safe, uhhhhhhh, i hope he learns to not be a fucking dipshit for his friends sakes, but if he doesn't i hope his friends and dsmp members knows this is icky and dips when it gets too much. i do not care about the stans, but the fans that dream has helped through dark times in the past few years, i hope you can find it again in someone else or youre ok, uhhhh, my brain is tired and im melting, wait that's backwards oh well, uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[maaaxx]

im trying to finish outlining cots and telling yall my train of thought might help me finish this so here that is.

This is also the first time you guys are getting any idea of what is actually going on in this story so have fun.

It takes like 5 chapters (not including the prologue) for things to actually start going somewhere. I dont know if thats normal pacing or not but oh well.

The difference between Sokka and Katara in this half (ish) of the story is so funny because theyre both experiencing the opposite sides of the teenage experience. Kataras out here rebelling (against who??? not even she knows), and Sokkas going through the beginning stages of gifted child burnout but like on crack.

Azulas a lot more better off in this fic than in canon because her and Zuko get to have a lot better relationship. Theyre not extremely close, because there is still some tension but not nearly to the extreme as canon. They just have a normal sibling relationship or close to it. She gets to be the well rounded and overall stable one. She deserves it. Everyone else at one point or another is going to be pretty distraught. Azulas just watching the world burn. and we love her for that.

So far all four of Zuko, Azula, Sokka, and Katara have atleast one pov in each chapter. And the difference between these is so funny because you have Sokka, who is worried about everything and anything and is like the mom of the group trying to keep his children in line, Katara's out there doing the dumbest shit she can think of on impulse, Zuko's trying to fight 10 people at once at any given chapter and Azula's just... watching.

Direct quotes from some of the outlines of azulas povs include, "Azulas really confused at everyone", "Azula's scheming", "Azula's interrogating and also scheming", "Azula's being a girlboss" Pretty much Azulas just taking everything in and laughing at everyone elses problems.

I love Azula in this fic.

Zuko's getting himself into trouble. This boy really just needs to shut the fuck up and life will overall just be a whole lot easier for him.

Most of the oc's from this fic are the more minor ones from ihiap. So far I think they've only been mentioned once or twice. But there are also some new ones and one of the new ones should be pretty familiar because its like, if two of my other ihiap ocs had a baby and you change the font a tad bit, you get this dude.

This dude is going to be the one to save Zuko from getting himself murdered because he wont stop running his mouth. This guy is the type that usually really soft and kind and quiet but at one point he just has to go "it's not that zuko's a horrible person, he's just really fucking stupid" and everyone else in the situation just goes "Oh yeah that makes sense thanks for clearing that up"

Katara and Sokkas relationship kind of replaces Zuko and Azulas for the strained sibling relationship in this fic. This is because Sokka a few times has to do something that majorly goes against Kataras strong morals but he has to do it to save her but he doesnt tell her that and it creates a lot of tension.

Zuko getting himself captured by making dumb decisions while Kataras trying to be his braincell 🤝 Katara completely abandoning any and all responsibility, actively putting a target on her back, after Sokka had to mansplain manipulate manwhore his way into some semblance of control to keep her from being tortured and starved 🤝 Sokka making the most impulsive and not well thought out decisions possible while Azula is constantly covering him and fixing the mistakes hes making in order to keep Katara and Zuko from getting killed.

I think that Sokka and Azulas relationship is a lot more simular to canon Katara and Sokkas relationship than cots Sokka and Katara. Because like,, while canon Sokka and Kataras bond is the whole "we're siblings, we grew up with eachother, we've always been by eachothers side' thing going on, that got a little bit interupted in cots. Mean while Azula and Sokka both have this 'I have this overwhelming weight resting on my shoulders and it's caused me to have to do horrible things to protect either myself or my loved ones and my sibling doesn't underdstand the entirety of that' solidarity in one another that allows them to have a really close relationship.

This story has so much going on right now because all four of the characters that im trying to keep track of all have very different goals and drives and plots. And it's going to be a while before they start to overlap.

I really love writing Azula and Ursas relationship because canon gives you so little that you can interpret it in so many different ways. Like if you put a little bit of work in you can turn it into every single mother-daughter issues dynamic in the book.

Thats all for now I'll add onto this when I feel like mentioning something else.

[vexx-the-egg]

*puts on shades* Hello there favorite meme blog. I am here once again to ask about stuff that are not memes because it makes sense I swear. How do you cope with the feeling of losing a best friend? For context of the question, nothing has happened between you two, its just the love has seemed to have left.

I'm a bit high rn anon so I apologize if this is a bit messy. But this is a very good question ! And I'd be happy to answer.

Their are many many ways to coep with losing a freind. Weather it's flooding yourslef with distractions. Reaching out to other freinds for suport. Or suddenly obtaining full enlightenment and letting go of all earthly desires. All of which are good and dandy but don't really ....dooooo anything. And I think that's Wack as hell. So my dear anon here is some extra advice. When it comes to matters of a cold sardonic chill in the place of your warm relationship. All you really need is time. Relationships of every kind, but MOST of all friendships: is that of a turning wheel. Even your most hated freinds enemy can become a close ally. And visa versa. Hard times were bound to happen eventually. No relationship is perfect or without change. It is very likely that your freind may just be contemplating personal change, as a person. And because of that they maybe either dealing with personal feelings or looking for new things to focus on that may be different from what your used to. If it's the second one, all you need to do is re-establish common ground. Try out new things that you may be able to share in common. If it's the first. Then you really really should talk to them. Be honest and tell them that you may be afraid of losing them. If they ask why. Don't be afraid to be honest and tell them about how much they matter to you. Most knee jerk reactions would tell you that this is "cringy" or "controlling" but in order to connect again. Both of you must be deeply honest. Or you risk losing somone you love, without ever even saying the truth. Without knowing if things could have been saved. Theirs bravery and strength sometimes in being honest and you never know when you may be doing the other person a favor. Sometimes it takes some honesty from you for another person to show how they really feel. At the end of the day I can't promis it will work our. But I can promis that no relationship is fully one sided. And its very likely that if you care for this person they probably care for you as well. Who knows they may bee feeling very simulare. Be honest. Be open and be brave anon. No matter their answer things will be alright and good things will cycle back.◇

Non high Vexx will review this later and post notes below:

Sober vexx here! If you made it this far thank you for listening to me ramble incoherintly. Here's an actual clear minded response: Losing freinds can be scary and confusing. But it is something that everyone goes through in their life. Like any broken heart, the key to getting through it is emersing yourself with new experiences and letting yourself feel what you feel. It can be hard, to struggle with the idea of change, but know that like all things this to will pass. If your friend is drifting away then it is important to give them space and consider their feelings as well. As high vexx said you could tell them if you get an opportunity but that doesn't mean things will automatically swing your way. And they shouldn't to be fair, friendships should always have freedom of choice. Just as somone chooses to spend time with you you must respect when they choose not to. Know that this does not mean you a bad person. As people can have a mirad of reasons to want space that don't personaly involve you. If it does happen to involve you, then take it as a learning opportunity. Not a death sentence. Focus not on the bitter end of this relationship but the gratitude you feel, for all the happy times you had with them. Over time new people will cycle into your life once again. Sometimes that can be strangers who make your life better then you could have imagined, sometimes it can be an old freind under a new light. Give it time anon. And things we'll get better

Good luck anon!

[kudamono94]

Thinking about a modern AU where CEO Ningguang sees the director of the funeral home (Hu Tao) a few addresses down from her office building try a ‘company bonding day’ with a picnic in the park while playing laser tag or smth.  Seeing how dull the her own office is in comparison, Ningguang gets to thinking about doing something nice for all the hard workers on her director’s board, and finally decides to invite Keqing, Ganyu, Yaoyao, Yelan, and a few select others to Dave & Buster's for a mandatory ‘day of fun’ to boost company morale

You know, like how offices do on sitcoms and stuff

It goes...about as well as you expect it to...

Yelan and Yaoyao seem to be the only ones having a great time there period, although given how easily tired Yelan gets, she ends up taping out an hour into the ‘event’ and ends up driving home so as to avoid potential embarrassment from said condition.  Meanwhile, Yaoyao ends up getting into occasional heated debates with the staff every time she tries to go to the bar for another beer OR whenever she tries to play a seemingly age inappropriate game, and after this happens one too many times, also decides to tap out after calling a taxi.  She is oddly satisfied that her car is still parked on the premises if only because she thinks that it is a minor inconvenience to the establishment.  (It’s really not as Ganyu will just end up driving her assistant’s car back to the latter’s house later so that Yaoyao can still show up for work tomorrow on time)

Although she insists on remaining sober the entire duration of the event so as to play the role of the designated driver should any of them need a ride home, Keqing is left oddly defeated once Yaoyao and Yelan dip, and spends the rest of the time there just...hanging around Ganyu as the former has absolutely no idea what she should be doing.  Thankfully, the blue haired woman doesn’t mind her company, and aside from playing a few rounds of bowling with their boss, both girls spend the majority of their time there catching up on their personal lives

Given that Ganyu is also just as sober, the two end up having some meaningful conversations with one another, and aside from giving a few of the easy looking games a try, decide to more or less just sit and eat some pizza in a corner booth where they aren’t bothered by anyone else while enjoying each other’s company.  That said, by the time it starts getting dark outside, and they along with Ningguang seem to be the only people left, they (especially Ganyu) try to get Ningguang to leave with them and, although the girls are reluctant to leave without their boss in tow, they eventually leave to mill around in the bookstore next door for a few hours in the event said boss wants to change her mind about leaving with them. 

However, when it quickly becomes apparent that this isn’t happening as the sun begins setting in the evening sky, Keqing and Ganyu end up parting ways before heading home, happy that at least the day they spent with one another wasn’t a total waste of time they could have spent working

At least until Ganyu comes back later around 9 for Yaoyao’s car anyway XD

Lastly, Ningguang, the one who booked a time there and set up everything to begin with, doesn’t mind the screaming children or the large crowds there, but she deeply ends up regretting insisting they all eat there... 

She honestly spends a good portion of the ‘event’ either trying to balance the company’s budget so that her employees can have a good time without worrying about work (she didn’t think everything would end up being so expensive and had thought using the company’s credit card would work as far as paying for everything was concerned) OR tries to get into playing smth like bowling and getting distracted by trying to make sure that this event is a success, that everyone is a having a wonderful time~  Despite all this, she is still the last to leave and refuses to let anyone pay for either their game tickets, food, beer, etc., and even ends up bribing the guy at the prize counter to let her get some work appropriate souvenirs so as to commemorate the occasion (which she will distribute at the morning meeting the following day, as well as some aspirin should there be any potential hangovers)

Overall, while the entire ordeal isn’t the huge success her employees would be talking about for decades like Ningguang had hoped, everyone seems to have enjoyed themselves to a certain degree in the end, and as far as she’s concerned, this particular endeavor is a win in Ningguang’s eyes...

Just...maybe next time they could do something much less loud and a lot cheaper lol

[kngcrms]

Um... If requests are open, can I ask for one, please? Bruno gang with a new teammate, which has a personality and traits very simular to Bennet from Genshin Impact. If you're not familiar, there: they're very kind to their friends, and always ready to go on any mission, talkative and just... Like a little sunshine for anyone who knows them. But... You may think a hundred of black cats crossed their road, or someone put a spell on'em. The unluckiest person you've ever met. Like, they can get hurt inside of a padded room, if they try to steal things, it's always some useless trash, they always lose when playin' something. Just imagine: you're Mista, you take a newbie on a mission... And... FOURS. FOURS ARE EVERYWHERE. Well, that's all. And I hope you're havin' a great day!

(hello, hello! I'm really sorry for the extremely late reply but I couldn't figure out why I couldn't save some drafts so yeah T~T. I really really like this request and I hope you like this!!)((will edit this later))

𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢'𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐠 | 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘆 𝗦/𝗢

(gn!reader,SFW,comfort,fluff,(tw)mentions of blood)

Pairings: Bucciarati's Gang x reader

read under the cut!

ʙʀᴜɴᴏ ʙᴜᴄᴄɪᴀʀᴀᴛɪ

At first,Bruno would be very happy to met them,not being aware of the curse that's following his new teammate.

He's happy to have another teammate who brings joy to the table and can easily fight off opponents.

But everything does a 180° turn when he takes them out for a walk to discuss mafia business.

They trip, almost get hit by a car,a bird attacks them,but they seem to be happy.

At first he brushes it off, untill it happens every.single.day.

They were sent on a mission with Mista to spy on some rivals,and they come back to the base almost unconscious.

Bruno takes matters into his own hands and goes on a mission with them only to discover it's pure bad luck.

"What a misfortune... We'll have to do something about it.." he chuckles.

ʟᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴀʙʙᴀᴄᴄʜɪᴏ

Throws shade the moment he sees them.

It's not like he hates them,but he can already sense something isn't right.

So he spies on them whilst they are on missions.

Is really surprised to know that someone could be this unlucky but still pull up a fight with such joy.

Will let it slide, knowing that that's just how some people are.

Will throw daggers at people who stare at them.

Really doesn't look like it,but enjoys their company,even if they just spilled tea on his brand new clothes.

"How unfortunate.."

ɢᴜɪᴅᴏ ᴍɪꜱᴛᴀ

Would relate to them on a personal level.

This man's bullets hit him kore than his targets so I would say he'd give them a pat on the back.

Takes them with him everywhere to make sure they don't get harmed but he'd absolutely go nuts if he sees a four.

Stays up at night to listen to them vent about what bothers them.

Really understanding and gives good advice.

He gives you candy each time you end up unharmed after a mission.

"This is a two person situation and I say we go to a restaurant and talk about it."

ɴᴀʀᴀɴᴄɪᴀ ɢʜɪʀɢᴀ

At first he's clueless.Literally clueless.

He doesn't understand how somebody can be "unlucky".

Until he witnessed his new teammate in a mission and a bird flew straight into them, knocking them over.

Would go to Fugo and ask them stuff about unluckiness,then he'd ask their teammate if a cat walked in front of them.

By the end of the day he gets used to this "quirk" of theirs and goes with the flow.

"I guess not all people are lucky".

ᴘᴀɴɴᴀᴄᴏᴛᴛᴀ ꜰᴜɢᴏ

They're unlucky? It's not possible,he does not believe in superstitions.

Keeps up with that attitude until he gets paired up with them and their stand accidentally trips on a rock and blows up a building.

From that moment until now he's read every superstition book possible to answer his questions.

"H-how is this possible?Is it a stand attack?"

The next day he sees them happy and excited for a new mission, which gets him a little concerned.

It'll be hard to accept their unluckiness,but he'll get used to it somehow.

ɢɪᴏʀɴᴏ ɢɪᴏᴠᴀɴɴᴀ

This kid is probably the opposite of unlucky so he'd be really confused at first ehenyhe meets his new teammate.

Their excitement and bright aura might trick people into thinking they're perfectly fine,but Giorno can see through that.

So he challenges them to a stand battle.

By the end of it,he comes to one simple conclusion: It's not coincidence, it's just.. they're truly unlucky.

Gives them ice cream and a pat.

"Here,each time you overthink and are on the verge of quitting, remember that there will be a day when all that bad luck will vanish."

[keysszz]

Simular In Many Ways

A ROTTMNT Fanfic

Leo sighed as he started the next movie on the TV.

It was three in the morning, and he was wide awake due to the usual case of insomnia. He didn't fight it anymore since it was so common for him to just be up late at night, so he would go and watch movies in the living room until he fell asleep or until his other brothers got up. That would be hours later, and he would be groggy by then.

But with every passing movie, he couldn't enjoy them. He had his mind set on something else.

...If he was a true member of the team.

It was really starting to get on his nerves. He knew that he was wanted, appreciated, and loved by his family and his friend April, but the back of his brain told him he was useless. These thoughts would pop up in his head at random, and no matter how hard he tried to forget it, they would rush back to his brain.

Talking it out didn't help either...

Well, maybe it would if the slider wasn't so stubborn. If he let his brothers ask him about this topic, maybe he would be more willing to tell them how he truly felt. Maybe he would show them that he felt worried, scared, and just utterly useless.

Mikey even tried to use Dr. Feelings on him once, and though the box turtle thought that everything was all good now, Leo would just mask it behind the millions of one-liners and smiles he had.

Raph wasn't the best to talk to either. He was good at feelings; sure, but he just didn't understand Leo.

And Donnie was way out of the question.

He didn't like feelings at all, so why would he know or care about how Leo felt?

Sighing again, he paused the movie and just stared into the darkness. It wasn't like he was watching it anyway, and the quiet was nice.

He then heard footsteps approaching and he turned around, smiling softly as he saw his twin. Sure, Donnie wasn't good at feelings, but they could always talk about other things.

And Leo was definitely gonna make sure they talked about anything other than his problems.

Once Donnie finished up making the coffee he came for, he took his mug and sat beside Leo on the couch, the two sitting in silence as he drank.

"Working in the lab?" Leo asked with a smile.

Donnie nodded in response and sat his mug on the coffee table, looking up at the TV.

"What are you watching?" he asked the slider.

"Nothing now," Leo answered. "I got bored."

It went silent again as Donnie stared at the screen, trying to see the name of the movie before Leo had paused it.

"Insomnia?" Donnie asked him.

"Yeah, she's the worst," Leo sighed. "It sucks that I have to stay awake because of it."

"Did you try the new tea I got you?" Donnie questioned as he looked at his brother.

"Yeah, but it won't work," Leo groaned. "Tea doesn't seem to have any effect on me anymore."

"Huh, that's weird," Donnie replied. "There's gotta be something that can help you."

"It's no big deal," Leo waved his hand. "I've managed for this long, so I'll be fine."

Donnie nodded and he was about to ask the slider something, but he turned back to the TV screen.

"What?" Leo asked, raising a non-existing eyebrow.

"It's nothing," Donnie answered as he grabbed the remote.

"Oh come on, don't do that Donnie," Leo sighed. "Am I gonna have to force it out of you or are you just gonna come out and say it?"

"It's nothing Leon," Donnie responded as he clicked through the movies. "I'm fine."

Leo huffed at his brother, taking away the remote from his grasp. Donnie looked at him angrily and Leo sighed again.

"Don, you know this never ends well," Leo told him. "So how about we talk about this so that I don't bug you all night?"

Donnie glared at Leo before sighing and looking the other way.

"It's just... I've been thinking..." the softshell started.

"About what?" Leo asked.

"About the team," Donnie answered. "It's nothing bad, per se... It's mainly me just thinking about my role."

"Um, you're the scientist, duh!" Leo said as he nudged him. Wow, Donnie could forget stuff sometimes but this was just weird.

"You invent stuff, what's there more to think about?"

"No, not that!" Donnie groaned. "I mean... you guys have mystic weapons and stuff."

"Yeah?" Leo said with a confused stare, not getting what the genius was saying.

"So am I really needed?" Donnie asked with a sigh. He looked in the other direction as he waited for Leo to respond.

Leo stared at his brother. Did he really just ask that?! Of course he was needed! They would be nowhere without him!

"Of course you're needed!" Leo exclaimed. "Why would you even think that?!"

"With your mystic powers and weapons, you can accomplish so much more than what I can!" Donnie said as he turned to look at Leo again. "You don't need my science!"

Leo looked at his brother in shock. He couldn't believe what he was saying.

...Were those tears in Donnie's eyes?

Was Donnie really serious about this? And if so... Would he really cry about it? Leo knew that the genius was always reluctant to cry and show his feelings, and whenever he did the softshell would let everything out.

He knew that from the previous arguments they had in the past. The amount of shouting that would go down would be insane, and he didn't want that to happen right now, not when the rest of the family was asleep.

"Donnie, you are definitely needed on this team," Leo told him.

"Says someone that actually has a purpose," Donnie scoffed. Leo stared at him in shock before his face turned into an angry scowl.

Donnie thought he had a purpose?! Oh, now that's funny!

"You wanna talk about purposes?" Leo asked. "Cause lets do that. I have no point in being on this team. You guys have talents; you're the brains, Mikey's the artist, and Raph's the brawn. And what am I? The face man?! Without me, you guys would be just fine!"

"That's not true!" Donnie remarked. "You come up with so many plans on the spot, plans that I would never have thought about!"

Leo could feel his face get hotter, the tears flooding into his eyes as he spoke.

"I'm sure you're just saying that to make me feel better," he replied back.

"I am not Leon," Donnie told him. "The plans you make are amazing, and if you can do that, then why am I needed? I'm supposedly the 'brains' of the team, but you guys can do some much without my input as it is!"

"Can you stop saying that?!" Leo shouted, covering his mouth as he realized that he had gotten loud. Mikey and Raph did not need to hear this right now. Leo didn't want to explain to them what was happening, and he knew Dr. Feelings would have another session with him if he found out.

"You are needed, we wouldn't have defeated Shredder without you-"

"I used a handkerchief Leon, a handkerchief!" Donnie yelled, not caring if the others could hear him. His voice got louder with every passing word.

"The stupid thing didn't even work on him for long! You know how much that says about my fighting skills?!"

"At least you're trusted!" Leo shouted. "Me? You guys don't trust me at all! I'm sure if I wasn't around you'd all be much better!"

"You think that's bad? At least you're not a failure!" Donnie stated. "I have to live with knowing that my inventions and creations are nothing but failures. All of them either go evil or haywire!"

"I am a failure!" Leo shouted back, wiping his eyes from the many tears that had begun to flow.

"Have you not seen the many times my portal has failed?! The plans I create!? Fails are my life!"

At this point, both of the twins were in tears. They stared at each other angrily as their faces turned into frowns of shock. They had realized what the other had said, and they knew that they were wrong for it.

"Donnie... you're not a failure..." Leo said quietly. "You're amazing."

"You're not a failure either," Donnie sighed. "I don't know why you would think that..."

"I've just had so many mess-ups," Leo replied. "But I guess I should stop thinking this way."

The room fell silent as the twins stared at each other, the only noise being their sniffles.

"This is a weird way to spend a night," Leo chuckled softly. "Didn't think I was gonna cry."

"Neither did I," Donnie smiled softly. "Though I guess I needed it."

"You know, it makes sense that we're twins," Leo grinned, getting a groan from his brother. "Just think about it, we feel the same way about ourselves. I never thought you felt like you weren't needed. And I know you hear me say it all the time."

"Yeah," Donnie replied. "I just never thought about bringing it up."

"Ok, but be honest," Leo smiled. "Are you jealous of our weapons?"

Donnie looked at Leo with a raised eyebrow and sighed.

"Maybe..." Donnie answered. "But if you tell the others, you're dead."

"Trust me, my lips are sealed," Leo saluted.

The twins smiled at each other as Leo grabbed the remote and looked at a movie they could watch. Though they didn't say it, it felt nice to finally let go of their anger and stress. It was definitely something the both of them had needed to do.

~~~~~

When Mikey and Raph finally got up, they found the twins lying on the couch fast asleep.

"Wow," Raph gasped. "Never thought I'd see them in the same room together, let alone this close."

"Did something happen while we were asleep?" Mikey asked.

"I'm not sure," Raph answered. "I mean, I did hear some sort of noise last night, but I couldn't tell what it was because I feel deeper into my sleep."

The two turtles looked at each other before they shrugged, walking into the kitchen to get something to eat. They'd ask the twins later, and hopefully they would get a response from them.

But since they were so good at keeping secrets, Raph and Mikey probably won't get an answer for a while.

[blubberquark]

CPU Dispatch is a Minefield

CPU dispatch means having different implementations of the same algorithm optimised for different platforms in the same binary. This binary is usually, but not always, a library. For certain performance-critical functions, there is a stub/facade that implements a platform-independent API, multiple optimised versions of the function that use CPU-specific instructions, and a generic/portable implementation that uses only the basic CPU instructions that are guaranteed to be available on this architecture. When the public API stub is called, it checks at run-time which implementation to call. If no optimised implementation exists for the current hardware, it just calls the generic implementation.

This is not the same as “universal binaries”. A universal binary supports different CPU instruction set architectures (ISAs) inside the same file. When the executable loader of the operating system loads a universal binary, it looks for the compatible machine code, and starts executing. The different compiled versions could be for completely incompatible architectures, as long as the operating knows how to find the correct code inside the file.

CPU dispatch on the other hand means having specialised implementations of a select few functions. The rest of the program uses only CPU instructions that are common to all supported processors. That means it is not possible to use CPU dispatch to support two disjunct instruction sets like ARM and PowerPC, or x86 and MIPS in the same binary. There is no usable common subset of these ISAs to write the dispatch code itself, or a generic fallback implementation. CPU dispatch can only be used to support different extensions to a common instruction set, when the common instruction set can be used to implement general-purpose programs.

For example, CPU dispatch can be used on x86_64 to support extensions like SSE4.2, AVX, and POPCNT. Here is some pseudocode:

int my_function_generic (int a, int b); /* GCC-specific! */ int my_funtion_with_popcnt (int a, int b) __attribute__ ((__target__ ("popcnt"))); int my_function(int a, int b) { if (cpu_has_popcnt()) { return my_function_with_popcnt(int a, int b); } else { return my_function_generic(int a, int b); } }

The hard part of CPU dispatch is not writing this if-statement, determining what CPU we are running on, caching the result of the CPU detection, or replacing the conditionals with classes and objects. Nonetheless, GCC has a Linux-specific, ELF-specific way of implementing dispatch functions. There are GCC builtins for detecting CPU features at run-time, but SDL has a compiler-independent API for this as well. It is also not hard to ensure that platform-independent code won't call platform specific code directly, but it is a ting to keep in mind. Platform-specific code can call other platform-specifc code for the same platform, and platform-independent code, but platform-independent code cannot call platform-specific code without a run-time check.

One hard part of this is getting your compiler and build system to actually produce the machine code you want. You want to allow your compiler to use fancy, hardware-specific instructions, but not everywhere. You want most of the code to be target the most portable subset of the instruction set, and the non-portable code to target different instruction sets.

Modern compilers are smart, and when you tell them to use fancy instructions, they will generate optimised code with these fancy instructions where you would never expect it.

If you are using compiler intrinsics, you must ensure that the compiler won’t translate your intrinsics back into portable instructions - for example, replacing a single POPCNT instruction with a 64-iteration loop over the bits in an integer - and if you enable fancy instructions in your compiler, you want to make sure the optimiser does not insert fancy instructions like POPCNT everywhere, only where you allow it.

This way, you can have a function that calls a fast implementation on supported systems, but that will still run on others. Code that uses fancy instructions should be generated only in code paths that follow a CPU dispatch. (This is simular to "occurrence typing", a feature of some type systems. In an expression like (if (string? a) (foo a)) the compiler knows that at runtime, if (foo a) is evaluated, the argument to foo must be a string. I don't think any kind of instruction-set occurrence typing has been implemented in GCC though.)

In order to ensure that the correct kind of machine code is generated, you can either write assembly language directly, or you can put architecture-specific code in different source files and hard-code compiler flags for these files in your build script. You can also annotate different functions with compiler-specific target architecture information.

It gets worse. Compiler intrinsics are often architecture-specific. If you use an ARM Neon intrinsic in code you compile for x86, the compiler might not replace the intrinsic with the portable implementation, but just report an error and quit.

It does not make sense to do run-time CPU dispatch to support two disjunct instruction sets - the code doing the dispatching has to be compiled for one CPU or another. You have to write one CPU dispatcher per architecture, and do some compile-time checks to select the right CPU dispatcher at compile time. You have to make sure at compile time that code using intrinsics or inline assembly for the wrong architectures is excluded.

These compile-time checks are quite tricky to get right. You should not check whether the target architecture supports an extension like SSE2 or POPCNT, because your build system does not target specific extensions, it targets the lowest common denominator. Your code should check for the target architecture, and then include all the fancy extensions. You should not put your SSE code behind #ifdef __SSE__, but behind #idfef __x86_64__. The SSE code should always be built on x86, but the decision to execute it happens at runtime. On the other hand, if you target ARM or PowerPC, these instructions cannot be emitted by the compiler, and should be excluded from the build. The same goes for the CPU dispatch code. You will probably need one version of your CPU dispatch per ISA.

The next complication is benchmarking. If you benchmark your code, you should probably benchmark the simple and portable implementation, the optimised implementation, and the portable source code compiled to produce optimised machine code. You need to test these on multiple different machines. If you are unlucky, there is a problem with your optimised code (for example, because it mixes 64-bit MMX and 256-bit AXV2 instructions) that makes the optimised code run slower on a fast machine. Maybe your benchmarks show that your code runs faster on a Xeon than on an Atom, but without CPU dispatch, or without hand-optimised assembly, it would run even faster. To add insult to injury, some CPUs implement certain instructions in slow microcode for compatibility only, not speed.

Another complication are CFLAGS, USE flags on Gentoo, or optimised console builds. If the code is compiled for a system that is guarenteed to support a certain instruction set, optimised functions and dispatch code for these other instruction sets should not even be built. This is another way of entangling your build system with your library code. For example, if you compile with -march=znver1, instead of compiling the fallback code and emitting AVX2 instructions, preprocessor directives could make the AVX2-optimised implementation of the algorithm the new default.

The final complication is source code compatibility. All modern C compilers for support the common x86 intrinsics, but they do not interpret them the same way. Not all C compilers support inline assembly on all platforms. There are different assembly language syntaxes, and not every C frontend knows about the assembly instructions in every backend. MSVC does not allow inline assembly on x86_64. Not every compiler supports intrinsics in the same way. There are cases where some compilers will report an error when an unsupported intrinsic is encountered, and others will emit slower fallback instructions. The annotation syntax for overriding the compiler's backend instruction set targeting varies from compiler to compiler (if it exists at all), as does the syntax for compiler built-ins. In many cases, clang aims for compatibility with GCC, while MSVC aims for compatibility with older versions of MSVC. GCC has some built-in functions for run-time CPU detection, but using them would make a program incompatible with other compilers. SDL2 (a library, not a compiler!) has cross-platform, cross-architecture CPU detection at run-time, but that won't help with per-function instruction set targeting at compile time.

It can help to generate assembly, for example with cc $CFLAGS -S myfile.c -o myfile.S, so you can inspect the instructions the different compilers emit.

When implementing CPU dispatch, you always have to act as if you were cross-compiling. For every combination of CPU, operating system/ABI, and compiler, you have to test and benchmark to ensure that the right code path is chosen, and that the chosen code path is actually the fastest. If you don't do that, you might produce binaries that are not as portable as you want, binaries where the fast code path is actually slower, binaries in ehich the compiler replaced your intrinscs with portable machine code, or binaries in which the dispatcher never chooses the fast code path. In some of those cases, an automated test suite might not even catch that something is wrong, because the bug might be in a code path never chosen on your test machine, or because the code produces the correct result, just slightly slower.

CPU dispatch is easy to get wrong without knowing it, and even if you get it mostly right, bugs can stay hidden until Apple and the Raspberry Pi Foundation start building desktop computers with 64-bit ARM processors...

[looniecartooni]

JoJo theory: Santana’s Mode

Upon rewatching Santana’s part of JoJo part 2, I have a couple ideas on what “mode” Santana has. Santana displays a couple of water like abilities such as being able to manipulate his body so much so to fit in whatever container he puts him self into, like liquid in a glass. All the pillar men are capable of body manipulation, but never demonstrate it to the extreme of Santana. He also displays two abilities that are seemingly similar to water creatures such as the attempt at eating Joseph’s fist after the “raincoat of blood” the ripple kind of created. The other water- creature-like ability would be his “Meat Invade” attack which acted like leeches. However, given their name, it makes it less likely Santana had a water-based attack cycle. But yet, as Araki likes to give ironic deaths, Santana was defeated partially using water reflecting the sun, therefore it could still be possible Santana had some sort of Water mode or nature mode with all the comparisons to him drinking like a tree or that weird thing that tried to grab Joseph’s fist.

Santana also perfectly foreshadows the other three by performing moves simular to their individual abilities. Santana uses a rib blade attack indirectly foreshadowing Kars’s bone blade, a lot of vein-like attacks when facing Stroheim and Joseph as well as as his hands were being tied together by the chain-knife Joseph used displayed as sense of shock that he knew what mistake he made as if Esidisi may have had a big influence on his training (a headcannon for another time), and of course body manipulation that Wammu has used. Any way, thank you for listening to my Ted Talk. Any questions or add ons? What mode do you guys think Santana had? 

Yes, I understand some people calling it like a Meat mode (which rhymes with Heat which might’ve been cute) but Meat mode seems kind of meh... plus Santana does use his bones so- I don’t know. Tell me what you think.

[remmushound]

I know that expression on my brother's face all too well. The way his pupils constrict and eyes lock onto prey as a lion to a zebra. Raphael licks his lips, his tongue tracing over the point of his snag tooth as he waited just a little longer. When the Purple Dragon strikes his blow, aimed at my head, so too does Raphael make his move. The attack never even grazes me.

Raphael moved like a shadow, and it was on his cue that the rest of his team followed.

These men are young, but they aren't rookies. Many of them probably grew up on the street, learning as they went and advancing on their prowess from their unique experiences. When they attack, each has their own method, even if simularities may be drawn between them.

Donatello shies away from the brunt of the battle. As a soft-shell, he is much more prone to injury than Michelangelo, Raphael, and I, even with his armor to protect him. Despite this, he holds his own as good as any of us. He twirls his bō staff with an expert precision, striking each blow to disarm and defend, but not to kill. His brown skin is speckles with spots of silver and gray, almost purple under the moonlight, and his tail moves as an extra limb to aid in his assault. When he is overwelmed, an expert duck and roll is all it takes to find his freedom from the corner they try to press him in.

Michelangelo isn't as nearly as subtle in his approach. He strikes fast and keeps at it until the advisory backs down, and then he pursues until they start to flee. He's quick on his feet— surely able to outpace us water turtles in speed alone— but that skill is counteracted with a bold, overtly brash nature that often prevents him from seeing all around him. On the odd occasion my mad skilled brother is overwhelmed, his final defense is to duck into his shell and allow the bony armor of the box turtle to do its nature-intended job. Had he seen the purple dragon creeping up on his back, he may have very well deployed this defense-- at this moment however his narrow-sighted attention makes that observation near impossible. All it takes is a simple, silent call of warning for him to turn around.

Raphael strikes hard, dealing with the Purple Dragon before Mikey got a chance to. His strength and size is unmatched, and his will to protect is stronger than the blades that may pierce his tough skin. With his sai, he blocks any attack that dare hurt any of his unprepared brethren while doing little to protect himself. Such foolish heroism would have long sense ended a lesser turtle, but Raphael is a predator. Three hundred pounds of pure muscle and spite. The would-be attacker stood no chance against the striking sai.

I take my time. One wrong swipe of my blade could mean that a man takes his last breath. I must be decisive and quick, with little time to think and little room for error. I strike when they strike, block their blows with attacks of my own to push them back. I dodge with the skills of seasoned warrior, but my accuracy could use much work. I slide and skid, almost never landing where I intend to, but I can land by blows all the same. I can account for my shortcoming. Pretty soon, by the work or one brother or another, they're all fleeing the alley.

[merzelifestyle]

Adding Linens to Your Tablescape - How to Style a Tablescape Like a Professional - 9th in this series

Vintage linens are some of my favorite finds in the last few years and they were sure a hit at the fundraiser!

Did you know that linen, both vintage and new, are becoming all the rage again? Yup.

Why? Because linen is a sustainable product that is easy to care for. They can be used repeatedly, and it is a sustainable product that contributes to the overall health of our environment.

Let’s look at just a few facts about linen in general

Linen is one of the most biodegradable and stylish fabrics known in history. It is strong, naturally moth resistant, and made from natural plant fibers.

One of my favorite linen manufactures who live and breathe organic sustainable products is Libeco Belgian Linen Company. They are one of the leaders in this global industry and are certified as a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

Linen comes from flax seed which is a very sustainable fiber

It requires no irrigation: the flax plant loves the Belgian climate (wet and moderate). The natural circumstances are ideal for flax cultivation, so the plant doesn’t need extra irrigation.

No GMO's or crop protectors: organic products are made from flax that is cultivated organically, without the use of GMOs, crop protectors or fertilizers.

There is no waste: all parts of the flax plant can be used as a resource for other products.

To learn more about linens and how to care for them, follow this link to my blog, Oh those DAUNTING Linens!

Now, let’s look at the linen fabrics I used for my tablescape design

For me, linens are everything on a tablescape. Using linen give a sense of luxury to an ordinary table design. If you want to bring your design to the next level, use lovely linens and layer them to give more texture and pattern to your table.

I used four main table linens to add layers and patterns.

I first chose a simple round table skirt to place over the table base. It puddled to the floor so that the legs would not show and to add elegance of the table.

Note: If you have a tablecloth that goes to the floor, it is considered formal. The shorter the tablecloth the less formal.

Next, I chose a beautiful square white linen tablecloth for my second layer. This gorgeous tablecloth went to the floor on four sides of the tablescape. The tablecloth had a lovely embroidered detail all around the edging of the fabric making for a more structured look. It really helped to make that specific layer stand out against the white tablecloth below it.

I then added a luxurious light gray French Jacquard tablecloth on top of the white linen. This added a pop of color I was looking for. I had a good amount of gray in my centerpiece and this tablecloth was perfect for adding and coordinating the colors elsewhere in the table design.

And finally, I curated a beautiful table runner that had all the colors I was looking to add to my tablescape. The runner was beautifully embroidered with flowers of blues, greens and grays that cascaded down the length of the fabric. It added to the overall texture and color of my design and added a romantic garden feel.

I also added a few more linens such as vintage and new napkins as shown here.

Monogrammed napkins are always a good idea and are now a big design trend as well!

I had these beautiful linen napkins monogrammed in an ice blue color to give my design just a little bit more color and some interest. The “H” represents our family name, Hickey. This is definitely a napkin that is special enough to hand down as a family heirloom.

I curated the monogram design placing a bee just above the “H”. This was done so that the napkin can be simular to the other vintage bee linens I was adding to the design. I wanted the entire tablescape to have a cohesive look and feel to it

To learn more about what the Bee symbol represents in the French culture, click on this link. This link is to my other blog where I give more information about the special symbolism of the bee and how to create a color pallet for your table.

I absolutely adore these vintage cocktail napkins. I found them at an estate sale a few years ago in Connecticut. They were originally from a little store in Paris called Majolique that no longer exists. The embroidery is gold and silver thread and is very delicately crafted. They were never used and are in perfect condition. It was a lucky find.

""The details are not the details. They make the design.""  -- CHARLES EAMES

“The thing is…linens create an ambiance that sets the tone of your dining experience. Using a combination of vintage and new linens give your tablescape character and warmth. They bring to a design, in my opinion, a softness and romance that can’t be found otherwise.”

I also added another gray linen napkin to the inside of the basket just in case my other tea towel moved. I wanted to be sure I secured the stems of the flowers the best I could.

Here is a quick video of my finished tablescape.

“Mon Jardin à la Française” or “My French Garden”

As with everything I post on my blogs, please feel free to comment or if you have any questions, please email me through my contact page. I welcome it anytime!

Design with your heart™️

Happy entertaining my friends!

Mary

  "May your home be a place where friends meet, family gathers, and love grows. "  -- Anonymous

[howardpotts]

Girlsnight (Natasha Romanoff x reader)

Anon asked if I could do another Natasha x Reader. Of course I can!! :)

Summary: You and Natasha treat yourself on a girlsnight and you end up confessing your feelings.

Wordcount: 1079

Warnings: None!!

A/N: Okay so I just realised, at the end of the one-shot, that the other one is pretty simular with watching movies. Next time I’ll do one entirely different. Sorry, I just really thought this was cute (and I might need some girlsnight myself so I gave one myself by writing one)

You ring the doorbell with your elbow, since your hands are full. In one hand is a sleepingbag and pillow, in the other is a plastic bag full of wine and food. Natasha opens up pretty quickly and takes over the grocery bag.

“Ugh, I needed this”, she says as she walks to the fridge to dump everything. “Me too”, you agree. You and Natasha have been on nothing but missions for the last two weeks. Tonight was the first night to relax, so you decided it was time to have some ‘girlsnight’.

You invited Wanda as well, but she wanted to spend some time with Vision, which you both totally understand. So, here you were. Just the two of you, girls night in Nat’s apartment.

Girlsnight was all planned out: you’re going to watch some classic chick flicks and have some wine-tasting in between. You’ve brought 3 bottles yourself and Natasha also got 3 bottles. It wasn’t that you were going to drink all six of them to the bottom, but you just wanted to give this evening a little extra.

“I’ve got a Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah”, Nat says while pointing at the three red wine bottles on the kitchen counter. You smile and take the Merlot in your hands. “Have you ever drunk this before?”, you ask curiously.

She shakes her head. “Makes it even more exciting.” She wiggles with her eyebrow. “And what’ve you got?” She reaches for the grocery bag again, taking one white bottle of wine out of it. “Chardonnay, huh? Playing it safe”, she teases.

-

“In January, Regina had put a Spring Fling dress on hold at a store called 1-3-5. But being Plastic, she needed our advice before she could actually buy it.” You watch the chick flick play in front of you, making you laugh once in a while.

You’re watching Mean Girls while eating chocolate and enjoying the different kinds of wines. “I like the Riesling the most”, Nat says before sipping at her glass filled with white wine. “Hm, I liked the Sauvignon better”, you argue. “I don’t like the sweetness of the Riesling.”

While you’re discussing the wines and watching the movie, you’ve also decided to cozy up. You both put on your pyjama’s; you had one with little elephants on it, she had a blue one with rainbows on it. You didn’t really expect Nat to have one of those funny pyjama’s, but she looked absolutely adorable in it.

The wine has made you a bit bolder, so now you’re scooting up and resting your head on her shoulder. You liked Nat for a while now, but were way too shy to ever make a move. What if you would ruin the friendship you’ve build?

She responds to your scoot and lays her hand on your knee as comfort. Your heart skipped a beat when she did that, but from the outside you were keeping up your pokerface.

“Hey Y/N?”, Nat asks. You raise your head and look at her. “Have you… We never really talk about love, but… Do you like someone?” You can see she’s watching your expressions closely. You’re trying to maintain the pokerface, but it’s not completely working.

“You are!”, she exclaims. Her jaw has dropped for a second, but she quickly recovers herself. “Who is it?” Again she wiggles her eyebrow. It’s one of the many things you love about her. The mischief in her voice always cheers you up.

“No I don’t!” The lie had rolled of your tongue before thinking about it twice. God, you were such a bad liar. Well, you weren’t a bad liar, but you were to her. You never really had to lie to her before, since you never really discussed this topic.

“Okay”, she says while looking at the TV for a second and pausing the movie. “How about I go first?” You nod quickly. A little too quick for your liking.

“But you have to promise me that it won’t change your opinion about me”, she says. Even though you knew it would hurt, you could never ever treat her differently for having a crush on someone, so you nod again.

A loud sigh comes out of her mouth and she gently puts down the glass of wine on the coffee table. “Okay, this… this isn’t easy”, she says. Her eyes are focussed on you again. They were absolutely beautiful.

Her hand comes up and she puts a strand of hair behind your ear, giving you goosebumps all over your arms. “It- It’s you”, she whispers. You feel like your breath is stuck in your throat. Did she really just say?

Your body can’t move, your brain is trying to process what she just said to you. You don’t even blink your eyes anymore.

“Y/N?”, she asks with a little worry in her voice. You snap back to reality when you hear your name. A small and reserved smile comes on your face. “Really?” You grab her hand, that’s laying loosely on her lap.

You can see the fear in her eyes. Fear? Natasha fears something?

“You think it’s stupid, don’t you?”, she sighs and turns her head away from you to the ground. “No, I don’t.” Finally, you’re making some sense to yourself and it looks like you’re back at it again. Now, all you have to say is that you like her too.

“I- Don’t- You-“ You’re stuttering while trying to find the right words. You stop yourself, realising you’re not making any sense.

Come on, Y/N, it’s not that hard. This is what you wanted right? This absolutely amazing woman to like you back. She’s all you’ve dreamed of, all you’ve been thinking about. About her beautiful red hair, her breathtaking blue eyes, her glowing personality.  She’s so caring, loving and funny at the same time, that you sometimes doubted if she was a human.

After recollecting your thoughts, the words seam to slip easy: “I think I love you.”

Within seconds she literally took your breath away by pushing her lips on yours. It felt like the two of you were made for each other. Her plumb lips don’t let go of another minute and you’re trying to take it all in. Trying to store it for later.

When she lets go of your lips, a smile appears on both of your faces. “I didn’t know-“ “No talking”, you said and pushed your lips back on hers.

[fanartfunart]

ok so 3 questions for your daydream au 1: how did everyone meet , like: did ro just stumble on Patton and then they just find a cave and find Virgil etc . 2: what was their reactions to roman finding them and 3: what was everyones reaction (including Virgil) to Virgil's human form?. sorry for the long ask :|

No worries! REALLY Long reply ahead. :)

1 & 2: Patton, technically, stumbled upon Roman. (I have this part written) I won’t reveal too much but: Patton was doing as he do, being a unicorn in a forest (a lost unicorn with no sense of direction, but no one needs to know that), and he ends up finding an unconscious human. Unconscious human, however, has a very angry sounding person trying to find him, so Patton decides he’s gotta take this human with him. Upon waking up Roman is not extremely happy about finding out he has technically been kidnapped by a unicorn with no sense of direction, and they are now lost. Patton however, is quite cheerful and is now following Roman around because “New possible friend!” (Roman’s reaction to finding out A: Patton was a unicorn and B: that Patton could shape-shift….was mostly screaming and denial.)

Patton and Logan already knew each other, Patton was a young little foal with no caution around fae and fairies, and a young Logan was very confused by this creature’s pleasantness. Most individuals he had encountered beforehand had all instantly assumed he would do something to them. They became brief friends before Patton had to return to his herd & parents.

Fast forward several years, Roman stumbles upon a very busy, somewhat grumpy fairy while Patton’s up-to stuff elsewhere. Roman makes dumb comment, Logan rants… Patton shows back up and gets excited, causing Logan to turn towards him and get confused, cue this. Logan probably passes out. No one asked Logan to stick with them, but he does anyway (for some odd reason), and now Roman has two magical beings wandering around with him- albeit with a better sense of direction because now Logan’s helping.

At some point, Roman splits off from the small band he’s collected and wanders into a forest. There he meets Virgil. Virgil hasn’t seen many non-armored humans up-close and this one is both very obviously the prince (he may not see many but he knows about the important ones in the nearest kingdom) and also very grumpy and very alone. Virgil decides he should have some fun. Scare off any chances of people coming back to his domain. Patton (and Logan) find them and Patton goes into dad-mode.  Roman and Logan later find out that Patton already knew Virgil as well (Patton makes friends super easy ok? He just has a hard time finding them again). Roman rants about why the hell did this dragon just ‘attack’ him and why is Patton so calm about this- ect, ect. Virgil snarks back that Roman should stop letting his people go around trying to kill whatever they think is dangerous and they get into this argument (like they do) and suddenly they’re both agreeing to a deal of sorts that means Virgil helps him and Roman will decree that dragons are not to be hunted.

Thus begins a whole lot of chaos and friendship building.

3: Virgil discovered that he could shapeshift into a human(-ish) form on accident. He was young and scared of being discovered by the big scary people. Next thing he knows his body is much smaller and very easy to hide with. He doesn’t take much thought into it until the people have left. He instantly assumes he’s been cursed. He can’t control it very well until he’s in his late teens and even then he doesn’t want to. He hates that form. It’s associated with fear and anger and vulnerability. He very reluctantly tells the group he can shapeshift between a human and dragon form and when he does so, he expects a lot of things. He did not expect a sheer amount of wonder and fascination from them.

Roman had been getting used to Patton’s shapeshifting, so he didn’t scream (thankfully), instead he was starting to think it was very cool. Finding out Virgil could shapeshift was both confusing and startling, but he kept his cool, seeing how unsure Virgil was about it all and said nothing but compliments.

Logan also found it interesting that unlike with Patton, who’s shapeshifting was so variable he could look like whatever he wanted, that Virgil could only shapeshift between two fairly simular-appearing forms. Logan asked a near-mind numbing amount of questions.

Patton was extremely happy. Another shapeshifter! He kinda danced in one spot before turning into a human himself and hugging Virgil. Neither of them would mention the fact that Patton had whispered several reassurances and a small story of his own before they broke away from the hug.

:)