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codenamehazard · 7 months

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.:Feast by the Fire:.

Chapter 23: Feast by the Fire

Hey guys!

Some cozy feels just in time for the holiday season! This one of the scenes I've been wanting to do ever since No Man's Land started to evolve from a silly little one shot to what it is today. I have to thank @rogueshadeaux for putting up with my ramblings as well as giving me the push to actually write the whole fic in general! Without further delay, let's jump in!

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Crimson light bathes the land as the sun begins to set, I start to make my rounds around the HEMTT. I had volunteered to take the first watch while the others set up camp, mainly to be alone with my thoughts and boy howdy do I have a lot to think about.

I look around at where we had stopped, some sort of abandoned ranch or farm. A place where we could scavenge for scrap should we need to, quiet enough to set up shop for the night. I can see signs that people before us have thought the same, remnants of human activity littered the area in the form of burnt firewood, disrupted stones and used cans. I take one of the metal tins and toss it up in the air before shooting it with a mild bolt and walking on.

As I milled about, I started to think back about the “Night Warped” the Misfits mentioned before we had set off for Tri-Point. Bigger, nastier monsters that could only be out at night due to the UV from the sun frying them. I have asked for clarification before, but couldn’t get a straight answer from them as, apparently, there were just so many different types that somebody could run into if they wandered off into the night.

I think back to the monsters I had dealt with in the past. The Swamp Creatures and the Icemen that terrorized New Marias, the giant cockroach that Bertrand turned into, the metal monstrosities that the Dust Men created… Then there was that four armed freak, David Warner.

Now there were the recent additions to the rogues gallery of things I had to deal with, the literal zombies that were trying to turn Droptown into an all-you-can-eat Conduit buffet… And the less said about the Summoner, the better. I shudder at the still fresh memory of that ugly fuck, another thing to haunt my nightmares.

I remember the fight with that tumor-turned-skinned gorilla thing, how tough it was and how it healed when I used my Beast abilities. How the only thing that stopped it was the Amp shoved in its back and 100 million volts of fuck you channeled right into the spinal cord.

How much worse can these things get??

The smell of fire catches my attention before I could get too deep down that rabbit hole of potential nightmare fuel. I turn my head to see Kestrel and Dove setting up a fire and Pangolin bringing over a big-ass witch’s cauldron looking pot. A voice draws my eyes as I see Mako with a checklist and her calling out to the other three. Something about checking stashes. As the three head back to their trailers, I head over to Mako to ask what all the shouting’s about.

As I head over, I watch the Shark pull out various ingredients from a communal food storage. Hm, must be getting ready for dinner. My stomach growls at the thought. Damn, forgot to eat lunch earlier today.

“Whatcha got going on here?” I ask as I look over the ingredients, looks like some beef, potatoes and some veg, looking promising so far. Mako grins and puts her clipboard down.

“You remember the stew I brought over for lunch back in Droptown?” She asks in kind. Of course I remember, it was amazing! Especially after spending so long eating mainly shitty protein bars and whatever else I can get my hands on. I smile and nod as the memory of the first taste of actual, proper food flits through my head. Mako’s smile widens as I reminisce. “That’s what's on the menu for tonight, it’s called Hodge-Podge stew.”

“Hodge-Podge stew?” I repeat, raising an eyebrow. She nods in confirmation.

“Yeah, it’s pretty much a staple for us and any other nomadic Wildlander. Simple, easy to make, filling, hearty, everything you’d need in a meal.” I feel excitement well up inside as I continue to remember that thermos lunch. If it was that good as leftovers, having it hot from the pot would be even better.

“Just… Don’t expect it to taste the same as the leftovers.” Mako points out as she starts prepping the veg. “It’s never the same way twice.” I chuckle and smile.

“Don’t need it to taste the same way, just needs to be good.” I state before stretching. I give a wave before leaving her to do her prep work after saying a quick good-bye. My stomach growls again as I start to smell the ingredients. I hope there'll be enough for seconds.

I watch as the Misfits go through their trailers to find their personal stashes and bring them up to a card table where the ingredients were laid out. Mainly some spices like garlic and cilantro and other things. Now I see where the Hodge-Podge comes from, everyone contributes something to the meal. Part of me wished that I had thought of something like that for when I led way back when, but then I remember how much of a pain in the ass Kuo would have been about it and how it wouldn’t have worked with the amount of people under my leadership.

The thoughts of the comradery makes me frown a bit, not because I had something against it or I disapproved of it, but because I really didn’t have anything to contribute myself. Food-wise anyways.

I think to myself, despite the spats I’ve had with Kes and Pangolin, these guys have been decent hosts. Never asked any favors of me despite knowing I’m the Beast, hell, the Beast topic doesn’t really get brought up at all outside of said spats. Maybe every now and again in a joking way, but never seriously. They treated me like I’m just another person, no different than them, for better and worse.

I know they wouldn’t expect me to do anything, as I am their guest, but the thought just didn’t sit right. I look over and see everyone falling into their roles and an idea pops in my head. While I can’t contribute with food, maybe I can contribute by lending a hand? I see Pangolin lugging logs out from a storage compartment before pulling out a clipboard and looking over it. I’m guessing I’m gonna have to play nice for a little bit and talk to him about if there’s anything that needs to be done.

I stretch before walking over to the Brick Spartan, Mako turns her head to watch, wondering what I am planning.

“Hey Pangolin!” I call out as I walk over to him, I see him stiffen a bit, but once he sees the neutral expression on my face, he relaxes some. Seems like my little chat with him made an impact. Good. “Is there anything that needs done?” I can see Mako’s eyes widen in surprise out of the corner of my eye, but I focus on the shit brickhouse as he looks over a list and at what’s around.

“I’ve pulled out some logs for the fire.” He starts as he gestures over to the neatly stacked pile of wood. I look over at it and hum. “If you’re looking for something to do while dinner’s cooking, I’ll give you an axe and you can get to chopping.” I smile and nod, I can feel a certain itch making itself known at the thought of starting fires, but when I look over to the cooking fire, I see that Kes had it handled. Oh well, prepping the fuel will sate the itch for the time being. I hold my hand out and Pangolin gives me a chopping axe. “What, not gonna give me the monster you have?” I joke a little, he and I may not be on the best of footing at the moment, especially with how he treated the Gunsmith, but right now is a peace time, no point in stirring up shit when it’s not needed. Besides, me and Zeke still had our fair share of laughs even when things were shaky and I wasn’t ready to forgive. Pangolin chuckled nervously before rubbing the back of his head.

“Sorry Cole, just as the Amp is your baby, Rifter is mine.” I give a chuckle and a grin, but I can feel a bite of anger in my chest. If you already had a weapon you loved dear then what in the name of God was with your behavior towards Kes, Pangolin?? I note it as something to question him about later, but for now I take the axe and I head over to the wood pile to get started.

Putting my backpack to the side for the time being, I unhook the straps of my vest and use them to tie the vest back to open it more before taking the bandana from around my neck and tying it on my forehead. Do I look like some hick? Maybe, but I don’t care. I need more airflow to keep me from overheating and the bandana will keep the sweat from getting into my eyes.

I give the axe a good feel and a couple of practice swings. They take good care of their gear, I have to admit, the blade actually gave me a slight nick on my finger when I felt it. Grabbing a log, I stand it up before centering and taking a swing. Chopping the hunk of wood in half and then into quarters before I pile them up nearby, ready to be used to feed the hungry fire. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mako walking over with an amused smile.

“I have to ask, who are you and what have you done with Cole?” She questions with a grin. I chuckle and roll my eyes.

“He didn’t go anywhere, Mako. I’m still me.” I hum between the swings. Even though the tool is light compared to the Amp and the movements are familiar, my muscles still give a slight satisfying burn from the repetition. In a way, I’ve missed this.

“I don’t believe you.” She teases as she puts her hands on her hips. “The Cole MacGrath I know wanted nothing to do with any of this. Any time the word “chore” is brought up, he’d walk away, put up a fight or would have complained the entire time!” I can’t help but to chuckle, it is true that I did throw up a stink whenever chores and labor were involved, but granted, I had a reason.

“That’s because “the Cole MacGrath” you knew was either “volentold” to help, pestered until he said “yes” or was outright demanded to help, even when he was in the middle of something else... Like trying to keep a bunch of mad-dogs from tearing each-other to shreds.” I point out, still keeping the playful tone. “Back in the Conduit Army, I really wasn’t given any choice in the matter. Here? I chose to help out. Nobody asked me to help, it wasn’t expected or demanded of me, I got to make the call of my own free will.” Mako nods in understanding.

“Besides, the pyro-itch was getting to me and I figured this would hold me over.” I can hear Mako snicker at my comment before I see a mischievous grin split across her face, oh god, not again. “Penny for your thoughts, Mako?”

“You’re just wanting to spend more time with the resident hothead, aren’t you?” Fucking called it. I roll my eyes before looking at her.

“And what, pray-tell, gave you that idea?” I scoff as I cross my arms.

“Hmmm… Let’s see. You’re working on a task that is connected to fire-tending, which is Kes’ responsibility… You’ve opened up your vest more so that the goods are on display… You’re standing in a spot where she can see you easily and watch you show off how strong you are…” My god, if I could roll my eyes any harder, they would have fallen out of my head. She’s losing her mind over this!

“Mako, how many of those sappy, fluffy, cutesy-wootsy romance animes have you watched since you’ve been on your own? Because the’ve rotted your brain, you’re looking for something that isn’t there!” I guffaw loudly, looking at her like she’s nuts as she just grinning away like the cat that ate the canary.

“Uh huh…. Suuuuuuure.” She hums while still grinning that shark-tooth smirk. “Don’t think I didn’t catch those wandering eyes.”

“What the hell is that supposed t-” Mako runs off giggling like a gremlin before I can even finish my sentence. What has gotten into her?! I let out an irritated sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose before going back to chopping wood.

Time seemed to fly as I got lost in the rhythm of my task. It’s only when I hear Pangolin bellow out to everyone that dinner’s ready and it’s time to eat. I stop what I was doing and use my bandana to wipe the sweat off of my brow and hands before wringing it out. As I walk over, I watch how everyone falls into place like a well oiled machine. Pangolin handing out the bowls and silverware that looked like they were fashioned from scrap and rebar, Mako at the giant iron pot, ladle in hand.

The two remaining Misfits line up and I take a cue from them and line up behind them. Moving with them and doing as they do. Taking the bowl given, heading to the pot so Mako can fill the vessel with the delicious smelling stew and then sitting down around the fire to relax and tuck in.

As Pangolin and Mako get their portion, I take a deep breath of the steam coming from the food and a big smile grows across my face as I take in the scents of the meal. Mmmmm…. Savory, meaty, hearty… Maybe spicy? Who cares, it smells tasty and I want to eat.

I take the rebar made spoon and get some of the broth from the bowl and blow on it before taking a sip. My eyes widen as I feel the tell-tale immediate burn of peppers and spice. The capsaicin stringing my tongue and throat and flooding my nerves with a sweetly tortuous heat that added thrill to the hearty and meaty flavors. Reminding me of some of my favorite dishes from New Marias. The more it burns, the bigger my smile grows before feasting, eating the meal like a man starved.

As I chow down, I started to notice a cacophony of pained gasps and pants. I look up and see the two brothers with red faces and angry tongues. Dove’s damn-near squawking while fanning his tongue with his hands and Pangolin was trying to keep a straight face, but the reddening of his cheeks and the tears pricking the corner of her eyes gave him away. I look over and see Kestrel happily eating while the corner of her lips twitch in struggle and Mako was trying not to laugh at the two dying brothers.

“What’s up with them?” I ask as I point over at the two while looking at Mako and Kestrel. Dove snaps his head to look at me in shock, staring at me like I’ve grown three heads.

“HOW IN THE NAME OF GOD IS YOUR TONGUE NOT ON FIRE, MACGRATH?!?” The pigeon squawks out and I have to cover my mouth to keep myself from spitting my stew in laughter.

“Quit your belly-aching, Dove!” I hear Kes snark out, her lips still fighting not to smirk. “It’s not even that hot! Barely a nose-runner!”

“Easy for you to say!” Dove croaks before glugging down a canteen of water. “You’re probably the one who spiked the stew again with your homemade god-damn hot hot-sauce!!” I struggle not to laugh as Kes puts on an overdramatic show of looking hurt and offended.

“Oh Dove, your cruel cruel words wound my heart!” The birdie teases in a faux hurt voice while doing the dramatic wrist to forehead arm and hand to heart thing. “Accusing me of such a thing! I would never ever eeeeeeeeeever do that!” I snort and sputter, trying not to absolutely lose it as Dove has a conniption.

“This is like, what, the fourth time this month you pulled this shit with the hot sauce, Morrison!” Dove yelps out as he continues to try to cool his tongue in vain. I can’t help myself anymore and burst out laughing. Holy hell, she has done this multiple times and they practically let her get away with it?!

“Well whose fault is that?” I chime in between laughs. “You’re the ones leaving her with the stock-pot unsupervised, so y’all got no-one to blame but yourselves for that.”

“How are you not dying from this?!” I hear Pangolin bellow out as he stares at me in disbelief. I laugh more as I try not to choke on soup. Kes looks at the brothers with a smug grin on her face.

“He likes it, three to two, you guys are outnumbered!” Kes points out with her spoon before taking another bite. It isn’t long before Dove and Kes get into a bit of a heated debate about hot-sauce tampering and if it’s sabotage so she and Mako could have the whole pot or not. I continue to laugh at the bickering birds as Pangolin continues to stare at me like I’m some sort of anomaly and Mako falls into a gigglefit.

In my fit, I thought I could hear the sound of scraping stone. I stop to look around, but saw nothing of note. I shrug and go back to watching the squabble. Probably just needing some rest.

After all, since when can a boulder move?

#infamous #infamous 2 #cole macgrath #demon of empire city #infamous: no man's land #xeno writes #caper #blast shard caper #pangolin #Mako #Kestrel Morrison #Dove #Damn #Now I'm hungry #But yay! Everyone's getting along-ish #It would be a terrible shame if something were to happen. :)#:)

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vespersposts · 1 year

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what are your favorite types of perfumes? Also, what sample sets would you recommend for people just getting into perfume?

Hi, how nice to have a question from you! (your posts keep me a lot of company, they're kind of my daily gazette).

This post is loooong, you'be been warned!

How nice to be able to talk about fragrance. So, I start by telling you that in my opinion the main thing to figure out is what kind of perfume you like. Is there a memory, a flower an experience that has stuck with you because of a smell? In contrast, what are the smells/fumes that you hate? From there you go to figure out among the families which one is your favorite among: Citrus, Floral, Fougère, Chypre, Woody, Oriental, and Musky.

I'll give you a few examples of well-known commercial fragrances for each family so you can smell them in the perfumery or pharmacy

🍋 Citrus- zests of all kinds of citrus fruits Light blue- Dolce and Gabbana, Roger & Gallet -Cedrat Eau Fraiche, Acqua di Parma- Bergamot 💐 Floral: classical flower scents (mostly white flowers) Chloe, Nomade- Chloe, Miss Dior-Dior, Flora-Gucci 🌿 Fougère: woody, usually masculine (but in my opinion gender difference is a concept not applicable to fragrances, I use masculine or unisex perfumes almost every day). Acqua di Giò- Armani, Y- Ysl ✨ Chypre: classic, 'ladylike' , enveloping Sì- Armani, Jean Paul Gautier- Scandal, Narciso Rodriguez- Narciso 🌲 Woody: warm, woody base, usually the ones that are sold as 'cool boys' perfumes. Hero-Burberry, One Million- Paco Rabanne, bleu-Chanel, Sauvage-Dior ⛩ Oriental: spice and all things nice. The one gentleman- Dolce and Gabbana, Coromandel-Chanel. ☁ Musky : musk, leather, anything that blends with your natural scent. Idole- Lancome, Narciso Rodriguez- for him, Armani- Sì passione.

-> I suggest you ask for free samples or spray on the scent you like best and wait the whole day, so you evaluate how it changes on you and how long it lasts. I also recommend you look at this site, and if there is a note that you particularly like you can see what scents contain it and go to give it a try. A pro tip is to smell coffe grains to reset the nose between a fragrance and another (usually there are coffee beans near the shelves at stores), or just take some fresh air.

Coming to me, I use a mix of commercial perfumes but mainly niche perfumes thanks to a loved one who introduced me to them.

Actually, I am fond of musky, ambery, oriental and 'second skin' fragrances. I don't particularly like florals because on my skin they veer toward extreme sweetness and it bothers me. I usually use fragrances with few elements, I love minimalism in daytime but I am a night-time maximalist.

🎀 My favorite perfume, the one I probably use 99 times out of 100, all day long is "Mirabilis" by 'Artisan Parfumeur': musk and incense, earth and spirit. Wonderful, my Aomine Daiki of perfumes.

🎀 Another 'second skin' that I love is "Le Musc & La Peau 4.1"- Pierre Guillaume. Clean but not soapy, really well balanced.

🎀 The third perfume I use during daylight hours is Prada Amber Pour Homme. As you can see, no matter how it's categorized, it has a very fresh opening but then it has this warm, enveloping note of amber and saffron that makes me love it.

🌝 In the group of more impactful perfumes, those for the evening or a date out, I would say my favorite brand is Tom Ford.

I love "Black Orchid" because although it is a 'heavy' scent it remains elegant , and I also love "Beau de Jour" because it smells like lavender and has that vintage feel (some would tell you it smells like grandma's closet), or Noir Anthracite (vinyl, metallic, seductive ).

Belle D'Opium -YSL is another very playful fragrance, always getting compliments when i wear it.

🌒 The last strand I love are those "dissonant" fragrances, i.e., those that remind you of an experience and are not pleasant the first time you wear them, but as soon as they do drydown, you like them.

Mine are: Aura Mugler, a combination of rhubarb and green notes that makes you feel like a woodland deity, very tart and sassy, almost annoying.

Dent de Lait- Serge Lutens: metallic and milky, it is a perfume that evokes childhood, an ode to melancholy.

Equinox Bloom Penhaligon's : This tastes like a thaw, like spring. A child on the train told me I smelled like morning snow, I think that's a very good explanation.

😽Last but not least, the fragrances I love most on a man are scents that change to something disgusting on my skin, so I hope I have someone to gift them to sooner or later.

Egoiste platinum- Chanel : yes, please. this scent screams sensuality, kind dom vibes, and is perfect on anyone at any age.

Hindu Kush- Mancera: this is…mystical. unexpected, complex, warm and spiritual at the same time, hypnotic (my best friend wreaks havoc and ruin when he wears this, the scent is always a nice catchline).

Of course all the men's fragrances I wear I also love them on a potential partner…. What could be sexier than sharing the same fragrance?

Sorry for being pedantic and long-winded, I will open a tumblr page just for fragrances (joking).

Thank you for letting me talk about something I love, let me know if I was helpful and let me know when you find it which group of frangrances you like best. From your vibes i'd say warm spices with hit of floral, but only time will tell!

A super strong hug! V.

#vdiary #perfume is a serious thing #perfumes #my lovely mutuals #inbox fun #inbox open

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yanderelovlies · 1 year

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Ok so thus guy Steve Powell was...absolutely terrified of ending up like his father meanwhile his daughter (cough cough Marcy wu from amphibia) was not doing the best mentally feeling like no matter what she does she'll never be happy so she tries to kill herself but she's convinced not to and realized that she doesn't need to kill herself she needs to kill the heart of Hollywood...which is a magic talking cat of acid that sounds like Tiffany haddish and is worshipped by Steve Powell who is a blood obsessed spider monster in the sewers so she destroyed it which destroys all the magic there and places everyone in a magic force field they can't escape...and it explodes killing millions

THE second time was in uncanny valley the lovely hone of John Doe and my oc Kennedy who recently broke up with his boyfriend's and he's really sad but he meets this girl name charm and they start dating but charm is an awful girlfriend and makes him feel shitty about himself and his best friend Maya who is in love with him (and also married) tries to reveal to him what a shitty person charm is and her plan works it is revealed and it turns out charm didn't even love him she wanted his blood for magic reasons and he just gave her some to have and charm is upset this was so much harder then it needs to be....so she floods the town killing 100s including my friends ocs cat

As for why sunny day jack is in Ireland we have to go back to the Hollywood explosion which left a few survivors those who did survive joined....i wanna say tribes? The inventors ruled by jinx from fucking arcane (whole much more lore im not getting into) the scavengers ran by my oc Mia the queens court owned by Lola from brawl stars and the nomads of no man's land lead by penny from dead men don't do radio plays and these two characters luz noceda from the owl house and huggy wuggy from poppy play time were apart of the nomads and best friends after an epic revolution against the queens court everyone escapes and lives slightly normal lives but huggy wuggy ends up being taken to the scp foundation because look at him and turns out sunny day jack was also kept there because look at him so luz noceda and living member's of her family decide to save huggy wuggy so they go in guns blazing accidentally letting everyone out including jack who kidnapped one of the Dr's like just pick him up "this one's mine now" and they made their great escape so everyone is like oh shit we need to hide where do we go and Jack was like "ooh let's go to Ireland" so they fled to Ireland and yeah....thats the lore

Juniper💙💛❤

That's a lot you guys have been working on this for a long time.

Also, I love the whole "cause look at them" like no further explanation lmao

And wait did no one notice Jack just picking up a whole ass man??

#vivi talks #juniper anon

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mdshariful · 7 months

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Powered with innovative triple laser gentle sources, the NOMVDIC P2000 boasts actual 4K UHD decision, 2500 ANSI Lumens brightness, and full BT.2020 protection and seamless compatibility with HDR10/HLG, elevating the attraction of visible colours to unprecedented ranges. You also like Dangbei F3 Air. NOMVDIC P2000 Projector Overvew Because of its brief throw projection ratio of 0.22:1, the NOMVDIC P2000 helps you experience an unlimited 100" display screen from a minimal 6.7" distance from the wall. Encounter mesmerizing visuals on screens extending as much as 150 inches, elevating your viewing expertise by its efficiency. It combines precision engineering with four nooks and warping adjustments, making arranging easy. MEMC makes all fast-paced content material delivered specifically with super-low picture blur and latency charges. Sturdy MEMC expertise is necessary for extremely sharp and clear imagery, even within the warmth of the motion. Immerse yourself in cinematic audio and visuals with a 3D Blu-ray show, coupled with the built-in 25W x 2 Harman/Kardon audio system and compatibility with Dolby Audio and DTS help. Connecting your dongle lets you enter an unlimited library of over 1 million motion pictures. It reveals making sure that you have enough content material. Plus, now you can enjoy native Netflix streaming, offering you seamless viewing expertise. (*Hearth TV Stick 4K Max included) NOMVDIC P2000 Features I shopped for the NOMADIC P2000, the Formovie Theater, and the Hisense PX2 Professional. That is my first time proudly owning any projector - so I'm a noob (computer systems are my forte). I don't have a tool to paint calibrate with, and I don't have a display screen. However, on the gentle grey partitions in my gently managed basement, the Nomadic P2000 was the most effective. The Nomadic unit was much bigger than the opposite two, so if the area is a big challenge, that may be one thing to consider. The Nomadic doesn't have a lot of UI (you can calibrate and change settings and inputs); however, I discovered that to be like a speaker. You often find yourself utilizing one thing else - I'm using an AppleTV 4K, which did include a free firestick. I noticed loads of USTs with outdated Android techniques at the place, and folks complained about them, so the shortage of 1 will not be a hindrance. The NOMVDIC P2000 projector's built-in speaker is lovely; it's as good as the opposite 2. The image is the place where it shines. I attempted to do the inbuilt calibration on all three and tried the completely different image settings for the other 2,

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twnenglish · 9 months

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Inspiring story of Ritesh Agarwal: Founder, CEO of OYO Rooms

Ritesh Agarwal Early Life and Education

Ritesh Agarwal was born into a business family in Bissam Cuttack, Orissa, and attended Rayagada's Sacred Heart School. For him, growing up in Rayagada, Odisha, was all about having fun and learning, but his methods were far different from those of other children. He had a lot of fun messing around with the computer and looking for opportunities to make mistakes so he could learn new things. As a result, he developed a strong interest in software! Ritesh left for Kota to join IIT in 2009, and it didn't take him long to realize that Kota was anything but a location to learn to code. He used to spend his free time relaxing and traveling. He even started drafting a book titled 'Indian Engineering Colleges: A complete encyclopedia of Top 100 Engineering Colleges,' which he ended up inscribing. This book became quite popular on Flipkart and was quickly sold out.

Success Story of Ritesh Agarwal

Let's uncover the success story of Ritesh Agarwal!

Beginning of His Entrepreneurial Journey

Ritesh Agarwal was a nomad who traveled across the country before founding OYO, and it was during these journeys that he realized the problem with affordable motels. As a result, at the age of 17, he founded Oravel Travels, a company modeled after Airbnb. However, it later became known as OYO rooms. He saw that the issue with affordable hotels was more than just availability, so in May 2013, he established OYO to address additional difficulties.

Ritesh Agarwal Net Worth

Ritesh Agarwal is one of India's richest young men, with a net worth of around $612.1 million (Rs. 4,547 crores). According to the Hurun report, Ritesh Agarwal's net worth has decreased, and he has lost his billionaire status as a result of COVID-19.

According to Wikipedia, Ritesh earned the title of India's second-youngest billionaire in 2021.

Kevin David Lehmann took the top spot as the world's youngest billionaire, with a net worth of $3.3 billion, according to Forbes' 2021 list.

He was a billionaire withholding $1.1 billion, according to Hurun Rich List 2020.

Launch of OYO

OYO Rooms reached out to prospective hotels, or a hotel owner may reach out to them, and OYO's team would visit the location, audit the hotel to identify the improvements that would be required to standardize the property according to OYO standards and share the information with the hotels. Following the launch, Bhawna Agarwal, the former CEO of e-commerce giant SeventyMM, joined the team to provide crucial business advice. Ritesh was awarded a fund of 30 lakhs from VentureNursery, a startup accelerator that brought together a group of investors to nurture entrepreneurs. OYO Rooms raised 14 crores from DSG Consumer and four crores from LightSpeed Venture later in 2014.

The meaning of OYO is “ON YOUR OWN”

OYO Rooms reached out to prospective hotels, or a hotel owner may reach out to them, and OYO's team would visit the location, audit the hotel, and share the findings with the hotels. Bhawna Agarwal, the former CEO of e-commerce giant SeventyMM, was back in the team to provide business advice. Ritesh was awarded a fund of 30 lakhs from VentureNursery, a startup accelerator that brings together a group of investors to help entrepreneurs grow. OYO Rooms raised 14 million dollars from DSG Consumer and 4 million dollars from Lightspeed Venture later that year.

To Read This Full ARTICLE, Click Here

#riteshagarwaleducation #ceoofoyorooms #achievementsofriteshagarwal #thinkwithniche

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avee155 · 1 year

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HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE: 28 REAL WAYS TO EARN MONEY ONLINE

ARTICLE by Nicole Martins Ferreira

17 Nov, 2022

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16. Drive Your Car

17. Become a virtual assistant

18. Become a Twitch streamer

19. Invest in stocks

20. Sell Your photography

21. Sell clothes online

22. Become an extreme couponer

23. Buy and sell domain names

24. Sell your designs online

25. Review apps and websites

26. Get a part-time job

27. Become a TikTok consultant

28. Sell greeting cards online

How will you make money online in 2023?

How can I make money online very fast?

How can I make $100 a day on the web?

How can I make money online in 2023?

Want to Learn More?

From online lottery to stuffing envelopes at home, there are lots of popular get-rich-quick money-making ideas that always pop up. Do they work? Not really. Will you make money doing it? Maaaybe. But you’d probably make more money from your 9-to-5 job. At least then it’s a guaranteed paycheck.

The truth is there are real ways to make money online—millions of people are doing it each day. From freelance digital nomads to savvy marketers to rising entrepreneurs, there are plenty of business ideas you can try at home using your laptop and a solid internet connection. So let’s break down some real ways to make money online.

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How to Make Money Online: 28 Real Ways

1. Start dropshipping

Let’s start our list off with one of the most popular ways to make money online. According to Google Trends, dropshipping’s popularity is rising, highlighting its viability as a business idea. With success stories about how an entrepreneur made $6,667 in eight weeks or how a store owner made six figures selling just one product, there’s plenty of proof that dropshipping is a real way to make money online.

→ Click Here to Launch Your Online Business with Shopify

If you don’t know what dropshipping is, it’s a business model where you sell a product to a customer, but the supplier stores, packages, and ships the product to your customers on your behalf. With Shopify dropshipping, you have access to millions of products that you can add to your store. Some Shopify dropshipping apps allow you to hand-pick your product images, edit item descriptions, and give your business a personalized vibe, so people will love shopping with you.

The best way to make money dropshipping? Most entrepreneurs have been focusing on a few marketing strategies:

Running Facebook ads

Having influencers promote their products

Sending direct messages (DMs) to potential customers on social media

Ready to start a store but need products to sell? Handshake is where online entrepreneurs go to buy products at wholesale prices.

2. Try print on demand

Print on demand (POD) is another popular way to earn money online. Many individuals have adopted this business model because it has lower overhead than other businesses.

Print on demand is similar to dropshipping in the sense that you don’t need to carry inventory or ship out products to customers yourself. There are two slight differences, though. First, you can make your own custom products, which is great for brand recognition. Second, you can choose from specific items rather than a vast range of categories. Most print-on-demand companies offer products that are easy to print on, like t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags.

The best way to make money with your print-on-demand business? Free marketing channels. Your best bet would be to promote your products for free on Instagram and Pinterest, and through social media influencers who convert their audiences well.

You can get a complete overview of print of demand versus dropshipping by watching us get into a healthy debate with Wholesale Ted about the pros and cons of each business model.

make money with print on demand

3. Make money with affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways to make money online. Throughout the years, its popularity has gone up and down, but it continues to be a stable way to earn through the internet. The best part about affiliate marketing is that you choose from a vast range of companies to partner with, including Shopify, Amazon, Uber, and FabFitFun.

Affiliate marketing allows you to earn a living by promoting other brands. If you’re a savvy marketer, you can earn a commission from sales by promoting retail products, software, apps, and more. While earning a commission may seem small, keep in mind that you can be an affiliate for several brands and include several affiliate links on a single blog post.

If you really want to make money online doing affiliate marketing, your best bet is to focus on content marketing. By building out a blog with several pages of high-quality content, you create an asset you can call your own. Strategically place affiliate links in your blog posts to drive traffic to your affiliate partner’s website.

4. Start a YouTube channel

If others can make money from YouTube, so can you. The highest-paid YouTuber is Jimmy Donaldson (a.k.a. MrBeast), who uploads bizarre stunts on his YouTube channel, which made him $54 million in 2021. Another high earner is Jake Paul, who’s made $45 million on YouTube by sharing high-energy prank videos and boxing content. His YouTube (and boxing career) fame helped him use his influence to make money online beyond his YouTube earnings.

Your YouTube channel should focus on a single niche so you can build a strong, loyal audience. For example, you can create makeup tutorials, stream video games, review products, teach skills, create prank videos, or anything else you think there’d be an audience for.

The secret to making money on YouTube is to create content that people want. Create witty headlines to entice people to watch your videos and use keywords in your description to optimize for YouTube search. Once you’ve reached the 1,000-subscriber milestone, you can officially monetize your channel with YouTube ads.

make money with youtube

5. Become an influencer

Building a personal brand can also help you make money online. Did you know soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo charges between $880,259 and $1 million, on average, for a sponsored Instagram post? While it may seem like reality stars, singers, and athletes are the biggest influencers, keep in mind that even smaller-scale influencers can make more money today than they did a few years back.

To become an influencer, you need to build a healthy following. The best platforms to get started on? Instagram and TikTok. Some of the biggest non-celebrity influencers often gained their first taste of exposure on these platforms. You might want to check out how to get more Instagram followers if you want to build a big Instagram audience.

To make money as an influencer, you can charge for sponsored posts, create your own online store and sell products, add affiliate links in your bio, sell your photos, sell ads on your own podcast, make and sell merch, get paid to appear at events, and more.

6. Create an online course

Selling courses is one of the best ways to make money online. If you’re an expert on a subject, you can monetize your knowledge by creating courses online. You can sell your course on Udemy or, if you already have your own audience, through your own website. Some entrepreneurs earn as much as $5,000 per month with online courses.

To create a popular and successful course, take inspiration from trending courses in your niche. Then, look at the reviews. What are the aspects that people praise, and what are the things people hate? How can you create something better than what’s already been created? Focus on creating content that solves the biggest complaints while emulating the positive aspects people rave about.

The platform you sell your course on will determine how to best make money. If you sell your course on Udemy, you don’t have to do much to promote it. You can almost set it and forget it. Maybe promote it to some blogs or on social media networks. However, if the course is hosted on your own website, you might want to run ads to promote the course. You can also build an email list to promote future courses without needing to pay for marketing.

how to make money online with courses

7. Publish an ebook

With Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, it’s never been easier to publish an ebook. All you need to do is write the ebook, format it, create an ebook cover, publish it, and promote it. In 2013, I created several ebooks on Amazon, and even though it didn’t make me rich, I still made some money from it.

You can choose to hire a writer for your ebook, a graphic designer to design the cover, and a manuscript editor to eliminate errors from the content. When researching the topic, focus on keywords based on popular searches on Amazon. I often use the Keyword Tool, which allows you to find the words people use while searching so you can craft your title around them.

To generate sales for your ebook, focus on marketing tactics that are proven to attract customers. For example, you can give the first few copies of your book away for free. This helps you create buzz on social media and get some reviews, which helps you gain customers via social proof. Other effective strategies for promoting your ebook include influencer marketing and video campaigns.

8. Start a blog

Blogging is one of the oldest methods for making money online. People who love writing tend to start blogs with a niche focus. For example, a blog about procrastination, cars, dropshipping, toys, etc., is often a narrow enough focus to build a loyal following and big enough that you can cover a lot of ground.

You can start a blog on various platforms, from Shopify (remove the checkout feature, so you don’t have to pay a subscription as you build it out) to WordPress. When you start your blog, focus on very specific keywords with a tight focus and continue to expand into other but still relevant categories as you grow and dominate new spaces. This will allow you to build a massive blog over time. Remember that design is also important for making a good first impression on visitors. Here are 20 blog design inspirations to help you launch your blog.

There are several ways to make money blogging. You can add affiliate links in your posts (don’t forget a disclaimer). You can monetize your blog by placing ads strategically in your posts. Sponsored posts can help you make money from specific brands—this is popular among review bloggers. Bloggers can also sell digital or physical products on their websites. You can also use a blog to build a personal brand that helps you get speaking gigs, television deals, or big contracts from clients.

make money online blogging

9. Consider freelancing

The easiest way to make money online is to take your current job in your 9-to-5 role and do it online instead. For example, if you’re a writer, administrative assistant, graphic designer, teacher, developer, etc., you can market these skills and find clients online who are willing to pay you to apply them.

There’s a never-ending list of job platforms for each type of freelancer too. For example, freelance writers can apply for jobs on specific online writing job boards, but also on general freelance websites like Fiverr, Freelancer, Upwork, and all the others. If you find that your skills can’t be directly used to create income streams, you can try monetizing other transferable skills you may have.

To make money online as a freelancer, you need to start by building out a strong portfolio. That may mean doing some free work with some reputable mid-tier brands to start. Once you create a strong portfolio, you can reach out to potential big clients to earn more money online. Remember, freelancing is a numbers game: the more personalized emails and applications you fill out, the more likely you’ll be to get a response back.

10. Create an app

If you’re not a developer, you’re probably looking at this money-making idea and feeling a bit stuck. Fortunately, though, you can hire someone with programming skills to build an app for you. Sites like Toptal will connect you with plenty of app developers who are open to working with entrepreneurs to turn their vision into reality.

All you have to do is come up with a unique app idea, identify the audience you want to target, and create a brand image for your product. The programmer you hire will take care of things on the development front.

When it comes to making money on your app, your best bet will be to add it to Google Play and the App Store. And while it may seem counterintuitive, having a free app can help you make more than a paid app. With a free app, you can add ads or premium features to help you make money. Since the free app will attract a higher volume of people, it’ll be easier for you to upsell them.

make money with apps

11. Become a writer

With a growing interest in content marketing, more and more companies are looking for writers who can fill their web properties with great content. The secret to succeeding as a writer is to focus on a specific niche. A lot of writers try to be generalists, writing for a wide range of categories, from food to tech. However, having a niche focus as a writer sets you apart and makes it easier to attract clients in your target market.

When you have experience in the niche, you can add a different perspective to a piece of content. That means you’re not just saying the same thing as every other writer online. And that’s what brands really want to pay for—your thoughts, experiences, and insider perspective on a niche.

When applying for writing jobs, make sure to send relevant samples to the recruiter. If someone asks for a marketing writing sample, send them a marketing writing sample. Don’t send a finance article. Or a fitness one. It’s hard for a hiring manager to know how well you understand the niche’s industry if they can’t see a relevant sample. Apply to opportunities suited to your skills and experience

ideas to make money online

You can find writing jobs to make money online through the following websites:

Problogger

Craigslist

Blogging Pro

Freelance Writing

Media Bistro

Flex Jobs

Be a Freelance Blogger

12. Do side gigs

Side gigs can help you make money online while you keep your full-time job. If you’re looking to make an extra couple hundred dollars per month, this is a great idea. The work doesn’t always last long-term, but it can.

Use platforms like Fiverr to find part-time gigs that you can do online. As a new entrant in the gig economy, you’ll want to focus on offering a low price so you can get your first review. I’d recommend getting a friend to buy your gig to leave your first review so you can get started faster. Treat the friend like a client and actually deliver a finished product that you can feature in your portfolio.

The thing with Fiverr is that it’s also a numbers game. If you look at top Fiverr users, you’ll see that they have multiple gigs available. The more gigs you have, the more likely you will be found.

earn money with Fiverr

If you don’t want to get paid Fiverr prices, you can turn to platforms like FlexJobs to find side gigs. Under its jobs section, you can search for contract or telecommute opportunities. The great thing about the telecommute opportunities on FlexJobs is that you can apply for them in any city in the world.

FlexJobs has a variety of side gigs including writing, business, design, accounting, and more. So if your talents don’t match up with anything else on this list of money-making ideas, you might want to try a side gig from FlexJobs. Applying to multiple opportunities will increase your chances of landing a few gigs in a short period.

13. Do translation work

Translation is a fairly underserved niche, meaning there’s less competition in this field than in other niche markets. To capitalize on the opportunity, you need to be fluent in at least two languages. If you’re bilingual or majored in a popular language in school, this may be a great money-making idea for you to try out.

You will need to show proof of your ability to translate. If you have a language degree or experience translating text, make sure to highlight that in your portfolio or résumé. Most companies will require a translation test, and you can’t use translation tools at any time to help you pass the test.

make money with translating

Sites where you can find translation jobs to make money online include:

Upwork

People Per Hour

Gengo

Pro Translating

Translators Base

14. Sell your stuff

An easy way to make extra cash is to sell the stuff you no longer use. When using this strategy, make sure the items you put up for sale are of value to today’s buyers.

Most people immediately think of selling their junk like old CDs and DVDs. But most people don’t want to buy those things. It’s 2023—are you really going to buy a CD? Probably not. So don’t waste your time trying to sell it.

When you’re thinking about selling your stuff, focus on items like electronics, furniture, toys, and crafts. You can list the same products on multiple platforms, including Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, and your own online store. Multichannel selling will improve your chances of finding customers for your items.

Want to make a great first impression on the customer? Include high-quality product images in your listings. You can hire a Shopify Expert to create product photos for you or take a photography course that equips you with the skills to shoot and edit your own images.

sell your old stuff online

15. Become an online tutor

If you want to make money online on your own schedule, consider becoming an online tutor. Studenomics covered a story of a person who made $2,100 in one semester from tutoring. Interestingly, he built up his client base through word of mouth, visibility, and great group rates.

If you have a teaching degree, you may be more likely to land a tutoring position. Having a degree or experience in a language is essential for this type of job. If you’ve spoken at a conference or event about the topic, you might also be considered for an online tutoring, teaching, or mentoring position.

While sciences and maths often have a high demand for tutoring positions, you’ll also find English popular among international audiences. If you’re an expert on a topic, tutoring may be the right platform for you to make money fast.

earn money tutoring

You can find online tutoring jobs on platforms such as:

Tutor Me

Chegg Tutors

Tutor.com

Yup

Cambly

16. Drive Your Car

If you own a car, you can make some spare cash as an Uber driver or delivery person. But even if you don’t, you can still deliver food and other essentials using your bicycle or moped. Uber drivers looking to make even more money off their car can turn their vehicle into a moving billboard using Free Car Media. In this case, the company will wrap your car with a removable vinyl featuring an advert for a product or brand.

how to earn money with UberWant to know how to make money fast driving Uber? If you own your own side business, you can showcase your products to your passengers if they’re interested. Not all will be, though. However, if one expresses interest in your products, you can have products for sale under the driver’s seat for a passenger to sift through. If customers don’t have the cash, you can ask them to pay the cost with Uber’s tip function.

17. Become a virtual assistant

With so many entrepreneurs building businesses, the demand for virtual assistants is increasing almost daily. A virtual assistant is a self-employed individual who provides services to a business from a remote location. Writing, bookkeeping, social media, and customer support are just a few of the services you might offer as a virtual assistant.

You can find relevant gigs on websites like Virtual Office Temps, Indeed, or Upwork. Many virtual assistants have also found ways to make money online by reaching out to brands and entrepreneurs, asking if they’re looking for support in running their businesses. Using a combination of job posting applications and outreach, you’ll land your first client sooner than you might think.

18. Become a Twitch streamer

While Twitch started as a gaming platform, it’s quickly evolving to include other types of content. Nowadays, Twitch streaming is an increasingly popular way to make money online. To make money fast on Twitch, you’ll need to grow your following. If you’re consistent, streaming on this platform can help you build a sizable audience fast.

You’ll need to find a popular game or channel that isn’t overly competitive so people can easily find your content. In order to get people to notice your streams, you’ll need to have a consistent style for your channel: is it going to be funny, educational, or entertaining? Choose your path and stick to it.

There are five ways to monetize your Twitch channel: selling products, brand sponsorships, fan donations, subscriptions, and Twitch ads. As a Twitch streamer, you’ll want to focus on tapping into all five monetization methods to ensure the highest financial gains. With the right strategy and hard work, you can make a lot of money hosting Twitch streams.

19. Invest in stocks

You can also make money fast by investing in stocks. If you aren't an expert in picking stock, you might want to skip this money-making idea. While it can have one of the highest rewards, it can also result in money loss if you're inexperienced.

If you currently hold a 9-to-5 job, look into your company's financial programs. Do they allow you to invest in company stocks? If so, sign up for it. At least with a company stock program, you have some influence on the organization's success as an employee. If your company has an RRSP matching program, you can also sign up for that if your goal is to save up for retirement or a down payment on your first home.

20. Sell Your photography

how to make money with photography

Whether you’re a professional photographer or just love snapping great pictures, you can make money online by selling your images. Sites like Shutterstock and Alamy are great places to showcase your work. These websites pay royalties to photographers when someone downloads a copy of their image.

If you’re looking to monetize your photography quickly, you can create a listing on Foap, a smartphone app that lets you upload your works and earn cash. When an agency, brand, or anyone else buys a photo or video from your digital Foap portfolio, the app creator shares the profit with you 50/50.

21. Sell clothes online

You likely have clothes you haven’t worn in the past year and don’t have any intention of ever wearing again. Rather than letting them take up space in your closet, why not make money off of them?

Whether you sell your clothes, handbags, or shoes, there are quite a few websites that allow you to sell your used fashion items. Poshmark, Refashioner, The RealReal, ThredUp, and Tradesy are a few online sites where you can sell apparel for cash.

You could make money online by selling on several different platforms. If you’re looking to drive sales offline, you can use Facebook buy and sell groups in your community to find people online and sell the items in person. I’ve personally sold through these groups before and know they work.

22. Become an extreme couponer

When money is tight, coupons can help save you a few bucks. Plus, sharing coupons can help you make money online. Coupon Chief, for example, offers a Pays to Share program, where customers receive some percentage of sales from the coupons they share on the platform. You’ll need to add coupons that haven’t already been shared. In return, you’ll make a 2% to 3% commission.

It’s like affiliate marketing, where you share referral links and get a commission when someone buys through your link. Coupon companies are known to pay their affiliates regularly, so it’s a legit way to earn money online. Coupon Chief has already paid over $1.3 million in commissions to its users.

23. Buy and sell domain names

If you regularly buy domain names but fail to use them, you can always try to sell them for a profit. Selling domains is ultra-competitive, though. If you own a one-word .com domain, you’ll have a better chance of selling. Words that have a high search volume sell well too.

Also, domains that are on trend now have a better chance of selling. For example, a few years back, fidget spinner domains were an easier sell than they are today. You can search for domain names and buy a custom domain through the Shopify domain registration platform.

You can sell your domains on GoDaddy’s Domain Auction. Look through the domains with the highest bids to see what type of domains sell well. It’ll help you know whether or not your domains are worth selling and how much money you can make selling them.

24. Sell your designs online

Graphic design is an amazing skill that you can monetize in several ways. You can go the print-on-demand route and sell your designs on your own custom products. Alternatively, you can pitch your designs on a crowdsource platform like 99designs.

There’s also the option to create your own graphics and templates to sell on marketplaces like Envato or Creative Market. Or how about picking up some clients and working as a freelance graphic designer? According to PayScale, this role will net you $29.90 per hour, on average.

25. Review apps and websites

money making ideas

If you’re passionate about user experience, UserTesting pays reviewers $10 to give other entrepreneurs feedback on their websites and apps. You’ll be given a set of questions that you need to answer as you browse through a site. That’s one fast way to make money online.

You’ll communicate your ideas and feedback to the entrepreneur through a video while navigating their website or app. Your video is only 20 minutes long, so if you do three videos per hour, you’ll make $30. Other reviewers can take projects quickly, so you have to act fast when a new website or app needs to be reviewed.

26. Get a part-time job

When you’ve done whatever it takes to make money fast but struggle to make an impact, sometimes you’re left with no choice but to get a part-time job. You can browse part-time jobs on Indeed or a niche job board that caters to your field.

Some job websites require an upfront fee to register, so read the fine print carefully. Most sites let you filter for part-time and contract-based jobs, so you should have no problem finding relevant positions to apply for. With many companies hiring part-time, it’s easier than ever to make money online without working a full week.

27. Become a TikTok consultant

One of the trendiest ways to make money online is to become a TikTok consultant. Brands will contact you for brainstorming video ideas, developing engaging bios, and more. It’s the perfect money-making opportunity for digital nomads—you can run the entire business from your smartphone. Compared to Instagram, TikTok is relatively new and untapped, so helping brands establish a solid presence on the app can potentially make you a fortune.

However, you need to have a few talents before you begin offering TikTok consultancy to businesses. The most important is knowing how to create viral videos that get people to engage with brands. If you don’t have the expertise to drive sales through this platform, you can still learn how to attract customers by taking this TikTok course.

28. Sell greeting cards online

If you have a knack for picking out the perfect greeting card for different occasions, this might be an easy way to make money online. However, I don’t recommend that you market your services to everyone and anyone—it’s not a smart way to do business. Instead, design or source greeting cards that appeal to a certain segment of the population.

For example, you can make greeting cards that cater to C-level executives wanting to thank their senior vice presidents for making profitable decisions last year. Or you can target health care professionals wanting to thank their patients for choosing their clinic. For designing the cards, you can use an online graphic tool like Photoshop or Canva. These tools make it easy to put together nice-looking cards that will cheer anyone up.

How will you make money online in 2023?

Making money online can help you stay afloat during these troubled times, but it can also help you escape your 9-to-5 job so you can become a full-time entrepreneur. By brainstorming online business ideas and choosing to start an online business, you gain more financial freedom, improve your financial security, and inch closer to living life on your terms.

It really is possible to earn a living online if you work hard and stick with it. So, which money-making idea will you pursue first?

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hakesbros · 1 year

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Homelight: Buy, Sell, Or Purchase Before You Sell Your Home

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gameguides · 2 years

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Bounty Below Achievements & Bonus Guide

Welcome to our Bounty Below Achievements & Bonus Guide. All achievements in this game give you bonuses for achieving them, letting you mine MORE rocks in LESS time. #BountyBelow

Bounty Below Achievements & Bonus Guide

All achievements in this game give you bonuses for achieving them, letting you mine MORE rocks in LESS time. Of course, some are harder than others, but the payout is worth it (like increasing your DPS over 14,000%!). Mining Ore

Prospector Mine one thousand ore Ore find + 10% Miner Mine one million ore Ore find + 20% Keeper Mine one billion ore Ore find + 30% Hoarder Mine one trillion ore Ore find + 40% Ruler Mine one quadrillion ore Ore find + 50% Leader Mine one quintillion ore Ore find + 60% Lord Mine one sextillion ore Ore find + 70% King Mine one septillion ore Ore find + 80% Dominion Mine one octillion ore Ore find + 90% Host Mine one nonillion ore Ore find + 100% Overlord Mine one decillion ore Ore find + 200% DPS

Crashing wave Deal one thousand DPS DPS + 10% Atomic eruption Deal one million DPS DPS + 20% Searing ray Deal one billion DPS DPS + 30% Sporadic beam Deal one trillion DPS DPS + 40% Overwhelming energy Deal one quadrillion DPS DPS + 50% Radiant decimation Deal one quintillion DPS DPS + 100% Damage by Hand

Strong blow Deal one thousand damage by hand Damage + 10% Swift strike Deal one million damage by hand Damage + 20% Piercing burst Deal one billion damage by hand Damage + 30% Destructive barrage Deal one trillion damage by hand Damage + 40% Explosive power Deal one quadrillion damage by hand Damage + 50% Unrelenting force Deal one quintillion damage by hand Damage + 100% Rock Destruction

Rock breaker Destroy one hundred rocks Ore find + 25% Rock smasher Destroy one thousand rocks Ore find + 50% Rock crusher Destroy one hundred thousand rocks Ore find + 75% Rock destroyer Destroy one million rocks Ore find + 100%

Rich rock finder Destroy one rich rock Rich rocks + 20% Rich rock breaker Destroy ten rich rocks Rich rocks + 40% Rich rock smasher Destroy twenty five rich rocks Rich rocks + 60% Rich rock crusher Destroy fifty rich rocks Rich rocks + 80% Rich rock destroyer Destroy one hundred rich rocks Rich rocks + 100% Mimic Destruction - Bounty Below Achievements & Bonus Guide

Mimic finder Destroy one mimic Chests + 20% Mimic breaker Destroy ten mimics Chests + 40% Mimic smasher Destroy twenty five mimics Chests + 60% Mimic crusher Destroy fifty mimics Chests + 80% Mimic destroyer Destroy one hundred mimics Chests + 100% Boss Destruction

Boss finder Destroy one boss DPS + 20% Boss breaker Destroy ten bosses DPS + 40% Boss smasher Destroy twenty five bosses DPS + 60% Boss crusher Destroy fifty bosses DPS + 80% Boss destroyer Destroy one hundred bosses DPS + 100% Tier Reached - Bounty Below Achievements & Bonus Guide

Grassland traveler Reach tier 10 DPS + 10% Desert nomad Reach tier 20 DPS + 20% Quarry miner Reach tier 30 DPS + 30% Tunnel crawler Reach tier 40 DPS + 40% Cave dweller Reach tier 50 DPS + 50% Glacial survivor Reach tier 60 DPS + 60% Aquifer escapee Reach tier 70 DPS + 70% Magma thriver Reach tier 80 DPS + 80% Ruins explorer Reach tier 90 DPS + 90% Ancient discoverer Reach tier 100 DPS + 100% Realm jumper Reach tier 200 DPS + 200% Unit Amounts (1) A lot of repetitiveness here... Steam has a character limit for sections so this is split into 2. Water - Bounty Below Achievements & Bonus Guide

Water Own one water unit Water damage + 10% Bronze water Own ten water units Water damage + 20% Silver water Own twenty five water units Water damage + 30% Gold water Own fifty water units Water damage + 40% Emerald water Own one hundred water units Water damage + 50% Ruby water Own one hundred fifty water units Water damage + 100% Sapphire water Own two hundred water units Water damage + 200% Cosmic water Own three hundred water units Water damage + 300% Miner

Miner Own one miner unit Miner damage + 10% Bronze miner Own ten miner units Miner damage + 20% Silver miner Own twenty five miner units Miner damage + 30% Gold miner Own fifty miner units Miner damage + 40% Emerald miner Own one hundred miner units Miner damage + 50% Ruby miner Own one hundred fifty miner units Miner damage + 100% Sapphire miner Own two hundred miner units Miner damage + 200% Cosmic miner Own three hundred miner units Miner damage + 300% Drill - Bounty Below Achievements & Bonus Guide

Drill Own one drill unit Drill unit damage + 10% Bronze drill Own ten drill units Drill unit damage + 20% Silver drill Own twenty five drill units Drill unit damage + 30% Gold drill Own fifty drill units Drill unit damage + 40% Emerald drill Own one hundred drill units Drill unit damage + 50% Ruby drill Own one hundred fifty drill units Drill unit damage + 100% Sapphire drill Own two hundred drill units Drill unit damage + 200% Cosmic drill Own three hundred drill units Drill unit damage + 300% Fusion Bomb

Fusion bomb Own one fusion bomb unit Fusion bomb damage + 10% Bronze fusion bomb Own ten fusion bomb units Fusion bomb damage + 20% Silver fusion bomb Own twenty five fusion bomb units Fusion bomb damage + 30% Gold fusion bomb Own fifty fusion bomb units Fusion bomb damage + 40% Emerald fusion bomb Own one hundred fusion bomb units Fusion bomb damage + 50% Ruby fusion bomb Own one hundred fifty fusion bomb units Fusion bomb damage + 100% Sapphire fusion bomb Own two hundred fusion bomb units Fusion bomb damage + 200% Cosmic fusion bomb Own three hundred fusion bomb units Fusion bomb damage + 300% Acolyte - Bounty Below Achievements & Bonus Guide

Acolyte Own one acolyte unit Acolyte damage + 10% Bronze acolyte Own ten acolyte units Acolyte damage + 20% Silver acolyte Own twenty five acolyte units Acolyte damage + 30% Gold acolyte Own fifty acolyte units Acolyte damage + 40% Emerald acolyte Own one hundred acolyte units Acolyte damage + 50% Ruby acolyte Own one hundred fifty acolyte units Acolyte damage + 100% Sapphire acolyte Own two hundred acolyte units Acolyte damage + 200% Cosmic acolyte Own three hundred acolyte units Acolyte damage + 300% Laser

Laser drill Own one laser drill unit Laser drill damage + 10% Bronze laser drill Own ten laser drill units Laser drill damage + 20% Silver laser drill Own twenty five laser drill units Laser drill damage + 30% Gold laser drill Own fifty laser drill units Laser drill damage + 40% Emerald laser drill Own one hundred laser drill units Laser drill damage + 50% Ruby laser drill Own one hundred fifty laser drill units Laser drill damage + 100% Sapphire laser drill Own two hundred laser drill units Laser drill damage + 200% Cosmic laser drill Own three hundred laser drill units Laser drill damage + 300% Condenser

Condenser Own one condenser unit Matter condenser damage + 10% Bronze condenser Own ten condenser units Matter condenser damage + 20% Silver condenser Own twenty five condenser units Matter condenser damage + 30% Gold condenser Own fifty condenser units Matter condenser damage + 40% Emerald condenser Own one hundred condenser units Matter condenser damage + 50% Ruby condenser Own one hundred fifty condenser units Matter condenser damage + 100% Sapphire condenser Own two hundred condenser units Matter condenser damage + 200% Cosmic condenser Own three hundred condenser units Matter condenser damage + 300% Temporal Beam

Temporal beam Own one temporal beam unit Temporal beam damage + 10% Bronze temporal beam Own ten temporal beam units Temporal beam damage + 20% Silver temporal beam Own twenty five temporal beam units Temporal beam damage + 30% Gold temporal beam Own fifty temporal beam units Temporal beam damage + 40% Emerald temporal beam Own one hundred temporal beam units Temporal beam damage + 50% Ruby temporal beam Own one hundred fifty temporal beam units Temporal beam damage + 100% Sapphire temporal beam Own two hundred temporal beam units Temporal beam damage + 200% Cosmic temporal beam Own three hundred temporal beam units Temporal beam damage + 300% Spatial Expander

Spatial expander Own one spatial expander unit Spatial expander damage + 10% Bronze spatial expander Own ten spatial expander units Spatial expander damage + 20% Silver spatial expander Own twenty five spatial expander units Spatial expander damage + 30% Gold spatial expander Own fifty spatial expander units Spatial expander damage + 40% Emerald spatial expander Own one hundred spatial expander units Spatial expander damage + 50% Ruby spatial expander Own one hundred fifty spatial expander units Spatial expander damage + 100% Sapphire spatial expander Own two hundred spatial expander units Spatial expander damage + 200% Cosmic spatial expander Own three hundred spatial expander units Spatial expander damage + 300% Mage

Mage Own one mage unit Mage damage + 10% Bronze mage Own ten mage units Mage damage + 20% Silver mage Own twenty five mage units Mage damage + 30% Gold mage Own fifty mage units Mage damage + 40% Emerald mage Own one hundred mage units Mage damage + 50% Ruby mage Own one hundred fifty mage units Mage damage + 100% Sapphire mage Own two hundred mage units Mage damage + 200% Cosmic mage Own three hundred mage units Mage damage + 300% Unit Amounts (2) - Bounty Below Achievements & Bonus Guide Gateway

Gateway Own one gateway unit Universal gateway damage + 10% Bronze gateway Own ten gateway units Universal gateway damage + 20% Silver gateway Own twenty five gateway units Universal gateway damage + 30% Gold gateway Own fifty gateway units Universal gateway damage + 40% Emerald gateway Own one hundred gateway units Universal gateway damage + 50% Ruby gateway Own one hundred fifty gateway units Universal gateway damage + 100% Sapphire gateway Own two hundred gateway units Universal gateway damage + 200% Cosmic gateway Own three hundred gateway units Universal gateway damage + 300% Disruptor

Disruptor Own one disruptor unit Matter disruptor damage + 10% Bronze disruptor Own ten disruptor units Matter disruptor damage + 20% Silver disruptor Own twenty five disruptor units Matter disruptor damage + 30% Gold disruptor Own fifty disruptor units Matter disruptor damage + 40% Emerald disruptor Own one hundred disruptor units Matter disruptor damage + 50% Ruby disruptor Own one hundred fifty disruptor units Matter disruptor damage + 100% Sapphire disruptor Own two hundred disruptor units Matter disruptor damage + 200% Cosmic disruptor Own three hundred disruptor units Matter disruptor damage + 300% Disassembler Read the full article

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girlscience · 1 year

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I am intrigued by the wip titled “zaz” if you would like to share some about it fjdjdjdk

Ohhh yes I will absolutely share about Zaz!!! It is more or less a huge ass on-going worldbuilding document. There has been a vague idea of an alien world floating around in my head since about 2018 I think? And I finally started writing it all down and putting some actual detail into it. This document includes such things as angle and axis of rotation of the planet, placement of tectonic plates, ocean and wind currents, tides, a bit of flora and fauna, alien biology and culture, the very rough beginnings of an alien language, and some other related bits.

The aliens that live on this planet are the ones I have mentioned before that have horns like pachycephalosaurus and practice a sort of headbutt wrestling. The alien race is called Ma't'am. Zaz specifically is the name of one of the ma't'am, I am going to use them in a space dnd game, but they are also my sort of "way in" for understanding the culture and life in a more specific way than broad cultures (this whole world exists far beyond the scope of dnd but it has kind of given me an excuse to go wild over it lol). Zaz is a diminutive form of zazaz, which is a sort of bamboo like mangrove tree that their people use to do everything from building ships to weaving baskets to making clothing. And it connotes something like solid/sturdy/useful/multipurpose. The planet is mostly covered by ocean (fun fact the 'sand' on the planet is actually lots of small sea glass so the whole ocean is sort of like stained glass) and the majority of the landmass is islands. There are groves of zazaz trees around many of the islands, and because the ma't'am are entirely ship-living nomads the zazaz trees and a few other mangrove like plants are the only land based organism/object that they interact with.

This is my very loose map of the planet (excluding the wind and ocean currents, they are on another layer and make it hard to read). It's not super great, I have definitely made better maps before, but I think it gives a pretty clear picture of the shape of the world! The world is about the size of Mars, so it is quite a bit smaller than earth. I made some very loose calculations about human populations from a few different areas and time periods and concluded that there would be around 100 million ma't'am living on the planet.

I have about a bajillion other thoughts on this world and it's people, but that's the pretty basic overview I think? Someday I hope to draw Zaz and some of the other Ma't'am and their world.... but who knows if that will ever happen. I will absolutely share more information about all this if anyone wants it! I think about it all the time and love theorizing and worldbuilding with other people :)

#I could totally go on about the ma't'am biology forEVER i really like what i came up with for them #(really I just gave them all my favorite alien pieces like an alien scavenger lol but I think I tied it all together nicely)#the word doc for this is edging on ten pages now so I have a lot of thoughts in general lol #i have also considered buying a dictionary and starting an excel spreadsheet in order to make their language #so I am very invested to an extreme degree lol #thanks for asking!!! 💜 I love talking about worldbuilding

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sequelscreen · 2 years

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Qatar football World Cup: For many migrant workers, glitter on contract, grime on the ground

In the shadow of the Qatar World Cup will be the stories of migrant workers from India who poured into the Gulf state to turn this unlikely desert destination into a global football hub and returned home to their families in villages from Bihar to Punjab and Telangana — in coffins.

Exactly a month from now, as the football World Cup begins, all eyes will be on the glittering 60,000-seat Al Bayt stadium in Doha, an architectural marvel that, in its nomadic tent-like frame, pays tribute to Qatar’s past and future.

Eight-hour work shifts. Two hours of overtime to “meet workload obligations”. Additional payment of 125 per cent for working extra hours on a regular day, and 150 per cent on weekends. Food, transport and accommodation provided by employers, along with a medical card. Twenty-one days of paid leave in the first two years, which would be doubled after that. And, after completing two years, an economy class return air ticket from Doha to the international airport closest to a worker’s hometown in India.

On paper, these are the key terms and benefits listed in a standard contract for a migrant worker availing employment with a company in Qatar, which is hosting the football World Cup next month. The average salary offered is 1200 Qatari riyals, or about Rs 27,000. Most of those who sign up are from rural areas where employment opportunities are limited, and the Government's job guarantee scheme offers upto 100 days of work in a year with the maximum annual earnings on an average about Rs 21,500.

But Indian workers who have returned from the Gulf state, and the families of those who have died there while working for companies linked to the tournament, say the ground reality is far removed from the glitter on the contract they signed.

For one, they say, their contracts are silent on insurance and compensation in case of death or accident. And that the Gulf country’s opaque labour laws have made it very difficult to make legitimate claims.

This, despite The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the Qatari body responsible for organising the World Cup, urging employers at least three years ago to purchase life insurance for workers to ensure their families receive compensation regardless of location or cause of death.

Moreover, workers who have returned from World Cup projects say they were made to toil for long hours in harsh weather conditions, provided unsanitary accommodation, and had to work in unsafe conditions at construction sites.

“After landing there, we submitted our passports to employers. We woke up at 3 am or 4 am every day so we could start work at 5 am, before the temperatures increased. Normally, our work ended around 6 pm. Often, we did not get a chance to take a break. Fridays used to be our day off but the entire day was spent recovering so you couldn’t do anything else,” said Sravan Velmal, who worked for a construction company in Doha along with his father Ramesh. Velmal returned home after Ramesh died in Doha of heart failure.

Workers remove bodies burried under debris at the construction site where Akhilesh Kumar and Surukanti Jagan died

It was over the last decade, after Qatar won the rights to host the World Cup, that the nation emerged as a preferred destination in the middle east for Indian workers. In 2020, Indians comprised 42 per cent of the 17,639 workers of 69 nationalities who worked on projects overseen by the Supreme Committee, according to the panel's workers' welfare compliance report. In July, the Ministry of External Affairs submitted in Lok Sabha that of the 1,29,260 Indians who migrated to Gulf countries in 2021, 49,579 went to Qatar -- the most among the lot.

A majority of these workers are employed either at World Cup sites or in the service industry that is gearing to cater to millions of visitors during the tournament -- from stadiums and highways to marinas.

And for many of them, the journey began with exploitation at the start of the migration cycle. According to Government rules, recruitment agents are allowed to charge up to Rs 30,000, in addition to 18 per cent GST, for their services. Further, the cost of air tickets and visa fees has to be borne by the employers.

No compensation, say families of Indians who died in Qatar working on projects linked to FIFA World Cup.

However, family members of several of the workers who died in Qatar say they paid exorbitant fees to agents, going up to Rs 1.5 lakh. “Hence, workers endure challenging conditions in Qatar just so that they can wipe off their debts. The workers are aware that if they return, there aren’t many employment opportunities back home,” said Velmal.

This migration cycle begins when an employer raises a “demand” by submitting an official request to the Indian embassy in Doha, said Bheem Reddy Mandha, president of the Emigrants Welfare Forum and a member of the Migrant Forum in Asia. Once a demand letter is submitted, enlisting job requirements and employee benefits, the information is uploaded on a Government web portal, setting into motion the recruitment process.

A common pitfall, Mandha said, is workers approach a sub-agent, who charges his own commission, thus inflating costs. “This happens because most agencies that are registered with the Government are in cities like Hyderabad and Mumbai, which are far away from the villages of the workers,” Mandha said.

Read |Projects linked to FIFA World Cup: ‘Employers asked Rs 5 lakh to send body’

In normal course, a recruitment drive is held in districts that are identified as catchment areas. In March, The Indian Express visited one of these recruitment drives at Metpally in Telangana's Jagtial district, where around 200 men were being interviewed for the job of cleaner at buildings to accommodate World Cup visitors.

“When FIFA World Cup 2022-related activities started, the requirement of workers in Qatar increased along with the salaries,” Masula Praveen, a labour agent, said. “Every day we get new requests. Most of these contracts are till the World Cup since there isn’t much requirement after the event is over.”

A key criterion for selection, Praveen said, is the worker’s willingness and ability to work under strict rules. Sometimes, he said, a candidate is made to commit, on video, that he will work for at least six months at a company. “If the person returns to India within six months, the company imposes a fine of up to Rs 50,000 on us,” he said.

Once a candidate is finalised, his passport is submitted to the Protector of Emigrants (PoE) for emigration clearance in India. “Each and every name will be recorded and uploaded on the Government website with all details, including passport copy, photographs and labour contracts. This can be retrieved at any time by the authorities,” Mandha said.

This process was followed in almost all the cases analysed by The Indian Express. However, once in Qatar, the workers are mostly left to fend for themselves.

International human rights watchdogs have accused Qatari authorities of failing to investigate the cause of deaths. In one case, after reaching Qatar, a worker -- Rajendra Mandaloji, a carpenter -- was presented with a contract that paid about half of what he was promised in salary, his wife Sucharita said. This practice, called ‘Substitution of Contract’, is very common, Mandha said. The stress of a low-paying job and heavy debts took such a toll that, in September 2019, Mandaloji died by suicide.

A majority of workers have died due to reasons described on their death certificates as “natural causes”. “While going, a person is healthy. The doctor certifies he is fit to work,” said Mandha, adding that detailed health check-ups are mandatory for workers before leaving for Qatar. “After going there, people below 40 years old are dying, many from cardiac arrest. The reasons have to be investigated.”

#FIFA World Cup 2022 #Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 #Qatar Migrant Workers

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couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name · 4 years

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Hi! What is your very specific Twilight AU?

okay, so. New Moon.

party disaster, dumping her and dipping, all happens normally.

but THEN. Bella finds out she’s pregnant.

(and I know you’re thinking- pre-marital sex?!?! Edward would NEVER! but listen. I am the author now. I’ve been around Christians my whole life. shut up!)

so anyway after a million pregnancy tests and a lot of googling about vampire baby legends, Bella’s like...well this is probably gonna be a situation,

Nessie doesn’t have an insane growth rate here because I hate that, so she has a normal amount of time to prepare, and she’s very...aware that the birth is gonna be Rough at best. So she goes to Jacob

who is NOT a wolf yet but Is aware of the pack and the treaty, and they are closer friends already, and she’s like ‘hey. paranormal emergency. you’re the only person in this town who enables me. help.’

and Jacob’s like I’m Fucking Fifteen and goes and gets Leah, since she’s technically an adult and a girl

(ms. meyer How did you make one of leah’s only 3 character traits ‘upset she’s infertile’ and then not have her support bella’s choices in breaking dawn please make it make sense)

so they start brainstorming solutions and the best they can work with is. Bella’s gotta ride out the pregnancy in hiding. they have no way of knowing whether she can survive the pregnancy and the only clue they have about whether the baby will be a monster or not is from google searches, but they also can’t exactly take her to an obgyn when her uterus feels like it’s calcified and her ribs are getting broken and she seems to be craving blood

So, Leah’s got her own little place. Bella moves in there, telling Charlie she wants to move back in with Renee (she knows her parents would never willingly call each other so as long as she keeps up communicating with both of them they should be none the wiser of her growing a little dracula in Leah Clearwater’s basement).

Leah has already defected from the wolf pack at this point (because...the Cullen’s left and she didn’t really like any of the guys anyway lmao) so they don’t run the risk of them hearing her thoughts while she’s in wolf form. She goes out and hunts animals, brings them back and her and Jake drain the blood from them so Bella can drink it. All three of them find this extremely disgusting obviously but Jake’s loyal and a little bit lovestruck, Leah’s a supportive friend and queen, and Bella’s just trying to keep her and her baby alive, and none of them feel like trying to rob a blood bank

Bella is 100% certain the baby will just be a baby who happens to like blood, like she was in bd, but the tentative plan is that if a crazy soulless monster comes out of her Leah will...handle that...

Which neither are thrilled about, so Bella’s just trying to focus on staying positive. And between that, trying to survive and stay hidden, Bella doesn’t really have time to...Check Out the way she did in new moon. Like, she’s absolutely still depressed, and she’s still getting an occasional Edward hallucination because carrying a vampire baby counts as reckless in many books, but she’s just more...resigned and pissed than anything. She’ll have days like the ‘possibilities’ scene, but more often than not she’s just telling the Edward hallucination to go fuck himself when he’s begging her to find the real him so they can have Carlisle deal with the pregnancy

at some point, Seth gets roped into the whole mess (he’s prone to just breaking into his sister’s house) but since he’s like, 13 and The Best Baby Boy he’s immediately supportive. He didn’t even fucking know about the wolves and the vampires until he walked in on a six months pregnant Bella drinking blood while his sister and Jacob are hacking away at a dead deer, but he’s like...you know when you were 13 and sneaking around about Anything made you feel like the coolest person alive? point is he’s helpful

AND he can get away with spending a lot of time at Leah’s house without anyone finding it weird, unlike Jacob, so he starts spending most of his free time there keeping Bella company and brightening her day up

HE is the one who enables her when she comes up with the name Renesmee lmao

(just because she hates Edward doesn’t mean Esme ever did anything wrong!)

“bella I’ll throw you out of this house if you don’t come up with a real name” “leah she’s white you can’t just disrespect her culture like this omg”

anyway these four become the DORKIEST and WEIRDEST little family it’s cute

so then. labor.

it’s less...graphic than in bd because Bella hasn’t been actively dying the whole pregnancy and she doesn’t snap her spine in half, but it’s still. bad.

she essentially delivers a rock that Nessie then begins chewing her way out of. she’s actively bleeding out. Jacob’s having a panic attack. Leah made Seth watch so he would never have unprotected sex and the scare tactic is working. Leah’s covered in Bella’s blood which is not great considering she’s Holding A Rock That A Vampire Is Emerging From

Leah’s been taking classes and researching deliveries so she needs to stitch Bella up and see what else is wrong but Seth is rocking back and forth on the floor crying and Jacob’s screaming and pacing too fast to grab so she’s like. Bella babe I know you’re dying but you need to hold this thing for me ksjdfllksf

so while she’s handling That, Bella’s got this weird little rock in her arms and is watching the baby slowly fight it’s way out like this is a very fucked up egg or something and she’s just. overwhelmed. maybe it’s the blood loss but she’s looking at the messy, scrunchy little face and she’s already in love and envisioning their lives together.

and then, you know, the baby bites her,

she has just enough time to think ‘how did we not think to prepare for that’ before she can feel the venom coursing through her. it’s just as bad as she remembers from James’ bite but somehow...easier to tolerate. she blacks out pretty quickly

the other 3 notice and are like : 👁👄👁

Jacob...literally explodes into a wolf On Spot

Seth darts out the fucking door he’s seen enough for one day

Leah, sole holder of the braincell, realizes Nessie just bit and isn’t drinking from Bella, and deduces this is like...a survival instinct or something. the baby instinctively changes it’s mother first thing. weirdly...touching?

So she gets the baby and checks that everything is physically okay with Bella (apart from you know. changing species) and is like...guess this is an issue for 3 days from now Leah

more immediate pressing issues: screaming new born baby and oh, yeah, the giant red wolf in the basement,

“Jacob I know this is disorienting but if you break anything in my house I’ll fucking kill you”

she really just leaves the poor boy to go get the baby cleaned up and warm up some of the frozen blood they’ve got in her fridge (RUINING HER TUPPERWARE, BELLA)

she’s not worried about the wolf pack mind meld yet because she knows Sam took the guys on a mission way farther up the coast for a few days and they’ll be too far away to hear Jake. hopefully, by the time they get back, Bella will be awake and they’ll have made an escape plan by then

and as she’s bottle feeding blood to the baby she’s thrilled that it seems to be like...relatively normal and not s horrific monster or anything. mission: unwillingly murder my best friend’s baby has been successfully canceled

“Oh Goddamn it....Renesmee DOES fit you...”

Seth, from where he’s cowering behind the couch: “told you”

so, Jake eventually calms down, they spend the next few days cooing over Nessie and brainstorming how to handle Bella when she wakes up a vampire, and also nicknaming Nessie ‘Nessie’ because they know Bella will find that intolerable and they feel she deserves karmic punishment for stressing them out so much lmao

so, three days are up. Seth’s upstairs putting on a way-too-elaborate puppet show for the baby with not a care in the world. Leah and Jake are in the basement because they know Bella probably won’t want their wolf blood and their ready to phase in case she gets a little aggressive

but she just wakes up and is like. hey! how’s it going? where’s my baby?

sjdhfksdj they were expecting feral but Bella still has her super self-control. she didn’t even realize she’d changed into a vampire until they told her lmao

Bella’s a little too freaked out to try hunting yet so they give her some of the stored blood they’ve been feeding Ness and she’s like. good to go. Leah’s about to scream like have the elders been exaggerating this whole time or is Bella truly a freak??? lol

So, they spend a couple days just...relaxing, Bella and Renesmee bonding, they’re trying to come up with fun places Bella can move to with the baby so no one she knows finds out, and every now and then Leah and Jake go out and she tries to help him get the wolf thing under control

and then,,,,the pack get back from their mission early

and immediately are able to read Jacob’s mind

so they head over to Start Shit because there’s two bloodsuckers on their land but,

the pack not attacking because Jake imprinted on Renesmee? tired. the pack not attacking because Jake’s Alpha Genes have taken over and declared Nessie and Bella as part of his Pack and attacking would literally start a war? inspired

so they hash the whole thing out....ultimately Sam decides Bella is more of a victim than a threat, and since neither her or Nessie seem to be going on a bloodlust rampage any time soon...he decides to grant them immunity from the whole ‘kill the vampires’ rule. He’ll let her and her daughter stay in La Push as long as they agree to stick to animals and only hunt out of town. PLUS from what little Bella knows about the Volturi, she’s worried about them finding out about Nessie, so they’ll offer protection if that does happen, in exchange for her being able to help them with intel on any other vampire threats in the area (you know like. if a nomad is fucking stuff up in a nearby city, they’ll send her to talk to them first before deciding if they need to intervene. Sam has become acutely aware he has a lot of teens and kids in his pack, so he’s trying to keep them out of fights as much as possible)

anyway that’s the story of Nessie gaining like 17 chaotic as hell ride or die uncles,

let’s fast forward a bit

it’s like 15 years later. Bella’s not living with Leah anymore, but she’s got a cute apartment in a nearby town, and owns and runs a bookstore on the first floor of it. she got her ged and did college online and teaches night classes at a community college. She’s still in contact with her parents, who Adore the life out of Nessie. She still helps the pack out and they’re all close. Nessie is a handful but in a fun and lovable way. They go on little weekend trips whenever they have time. Bella’s happy.

but then a. Situation. arises.

basically, the Volturi have been made aware of some unknown vampire chasing others out of the pacific northwest and conspiring with shapeshifters. and you know when Aro gets curious he tends to spin things dramatically. who’s to say this vampire isn’t conspiring against all vampires? against them? why has no one’s special talents worked on her? he simply must find out.

Bella and the Pack get word and decide their best course of action for now is to go on the run. they’re not gonna be able to take on a whole army but if they can bide some time and lay low they might be able to figure something out

except Bella is like....I have a teenage hybrid that the Volturi don’t know about yet...it would be EXTREMELY irresponsible to take her with me

but she can’t send Nessie to Charlie or Renee because they don’t know about her...dietary restrictions. She can’t stay with Billy or anyone else in La Push because the Volturi might trace the pack’s scent there and discover her. She’s panicking, they have to leave in a few days max and she can’t find a safe place for her daughter

and then she’s like.....fuck.

she had run into Jasper a couple of years ago- they have the same forgery guy and were heading to his building around the same time as a coincidence. She promised to forgive him for the party incident if he promised not to tell Edward he saw her and that she’s a vampire now. He agreed, but then told her Edward’s been living on his own for a while now and insisted on giving her his number...she never could bring herself to call it or delete it...but now...if she wants to be 100% Nessie is safe and protected...

fuck

So, the past 15 years have been fairly rough for Edward

he’s still convinced leaving in order to save Bella was the best course of action, but like...the vampires canonically mate for life. that’s his soulmate. he’s absolutely miserable without her. he’s thought about cracking and going to find her again but he always talks himself out of it, convinced she’d just tell him she hates him or something

so as stated in his patented Edward Cullen Self Loathing Guide, first thing to do is isolate yourself from all the lovebirds you usually live with. Sure, he keeps in contact, but...not well. he’s currently living alone and posing as a university student. He’s not even really sure what he’s supposed to be majoring in. He’s mostly been in a haze since he left Forks.

and one day....he gets a call from an unknown number. he ignores it, thinking it’s a spam call. but then it calls like 8 more times in a row and he figures answering might be a bit smarter than simply throwing it at the wall

And Edward...swears he came back to life and immediately had a heart attack the second he hears Bella’s voice

He feels breathless and disoriented the whole conversation, trying to figure out if his memory did her voice any justice, trying to rush out 15 years worth of apologies, trying to comprehend she’s actually speaking to him.

But Bella’s very blunt on the phone. She doesn’t want to let herself get emotional. She’s on a time limit, and she has to focus on getting her daughter to safety

And Edward swears he somehow misheard her the first ten or so times she told him. He had a daughter? that wasn’t possible

“she has the audacity to be your Evil Twin so I’m pretty sure it’s possible”

so she gives him a rundown. she needs to go into hiding, no I don’t need your help with that, gives him details about Nessie, what she’s like, what she likes to do, her diet, her favorite color, how annoyed she is by this whole situation, “Edward I know you don’t love me anymore, but I remember how protective you were, and that’s what I need Nessie to have right now. She needs you right now” and Edward wants so badly to refute Bella’s claim of lost love, to tell her he has absolutely no idea how to be a parent, but...her tone is aching so much he can barely speak. He can’t let Bella down again, and he can’t let this little girl he foolishly created and left down anymore than he already has, either.

So he agrees, she tells him to be at the airport in a few days, and hangs up.

Edward loses about half a day staring at a wall in shock, before he jumps into preparations.

Bella told him while their daughter possessed some speed and strength, hunting was fairly dangerous for her. She was more delicate than his kind, and had a heartbeat. Reheated blood bags had been their best option, and she also needed human food as well. He also had to get a room ready for her- he wandered around stores for hours, reading young girls minds to see if there was any furniture or decorations that were universally liked- which was of course, fruitless, but he did manage to find a handful of things he was sure Bella would have liked at that age, and prayed for the best. He somehow got himself covered in purple paint that was a nightmare to get off. Bella had sent him some forged documents claiming Nessie was his younger sister he’d won custody of, and he got her enrolled in a nearby school. He lived every day leading up to her arrival staving off a panic attack.

it wasn’t until he was on the way to the airport that he realized he forgot to inform his family about this life update. they must’ve been on a hunting trip, because he got nothing but voicemails

imagine being Carlisle and you come home to a voicemail from your son who’s banished himself from the family that’s just like ‘hi. you’re a grandfather now. I’m having a nervous breakdown and might crash my car. call me back at your earliest convenience I suppose” like what would you DO

after he gets to the airport he starts panicking again, realizing Bella had never actually sent him a picture, worrying about how he’d find her, but then- he sees a tiny girl with untamed, dark red curls, features strikingly similar to his own that are pulled into the expression Bella always made when she was reading, absently chewing on her lip, and before she looks at him with her mother’s big brown eyes, he already knows who he’s looking at, and he’s certain if he was human his tear ducts would be having a fit right now

Renesmee, however, seems less willing to have an emotional meeting. She mumbles out a simple greeting before gathering up her bags and heading for the door, Edward rushing behind her to try and help

listen. the awkwardness of Charlie trying to connect with Bella. but 10000x worse because of Edward’s overthinking, self-deprecating ass and Nessie being like ‘ah yes the guy who broke my pregnant teenage mothers heart, fantastic’ lmao

the car ride is p a i n f u l. Edward’s trying so hard for light conversation and Nessie’s barely giving one word answers. Bella had warned her about the mind reading so she was carefully keeping her mind blocked, which Edward is trying very hard to be understanding about instead of annoyed, but By God does he want to know everything about her

when they get back to his place, she quietly thanks him for the room and then promptly locks him out of it lol. He spends the rest of the day just pacing back and forth until he realizes he should eventually feed her lmao

and that’s...kinda how the first couple weeks go. she only emerges from her room if he bribes her with food, she awkwardly tries to dodge his questions, he drives her to school and then begs her to tell him how it went when he picks her up, he spends his college classes distracted because he’s freaking out constantly about how to successfully bond with her. His favorite time of day now is night, because she can’t block her mind while she’s asleep, and even if her dreams are all nonsense they’re still...part of her that he gets to know.

His family keeps begging him to let them meet her, but he’s pushing back because if she’s this bad at adjusting to one new family member, how is she going to handle six more?

(meanwhile Alice and Rose started a group chat with her and are having a ball clowning Edward lmao)

wait ksjflksd I think this vine perfectly sums up the dynamic im envisioning https://youtu.be/wQZIUHNORHg

anyway they....very slowly make some progress. much too slowly for Edward’s taste, but hey.

Like he finds out snacks she likes. or jewelry she likes. stuff like that and just...wordlessly leaves it around for her lmao. he thinks it’s like trying not to startle a deer, Nessie thinks it’s more like a cat trying to gift you a dead mouse, but either way it’s weirdly endearing.

He notices she always has a huffy little frown when he picks her up on Wednesdays. So instead of begging her for an ounce of information of her school life, he asks her one Wednesday morning if she’s excited for the day and she admits she has an elective class every Wednesday with a girl she doesn’t get along with.

He gets her school photos (and Weeps) and realizes apart from her room the home is fairly barren of decorations, so he buys a bunch of picture frames and hangs up the school shots, and some pictures of the Cullen’s over the years, and the few he has of Bella that he could never bear to part with. Other than catching her smiling at the prom picture of her parents, Nessie doesn’t say anything- but the next time he comes home from hunting, there’s a pile of pictures of her growing up on the table, and he starts weeping all over again as he hangs them up

(there’s one of her and Bella hugging and looking at the camera with identical grins and joy in their eyes, he can’t help but put that in his room. He hopes one day he’ll get to see a scene like that in person)

He starts trying to get her out of her room a little more- he still hasn’t managed to a get a ‘favorites’ list out of her, so he starts playing movies Bella loved, to see if any of them lure her out. some do, some don’t- he got halfway through a Lord of the Rings marathon, which was Torture in his opinion, but then Ness came out and quietly asked if he could restart it and suddenly they became his favorite movies ever.

Bella’s not able to contact her on a set schedule or anything because of her situation (and you can bet your ass Edward’s contacted every vampire he knows and ordered them to help her out if they come across her or the Volturi), and Edward realizes that’s probably taking a toll on the girl, so he starts telling her stories of her mother when he knew her in Forks. She’s particularly amused by the blood typing incident- the first time Edward hears Nessie properly laugh, he literally starts crying on the spot

could you imagine the sheer panic if she ever gets so much as a cold

And yes, she’s still pissed on Bella’s behalf, and yes, she specifically blasts 70s music because Bella told her he hates it one time, and yes, if he looks at her like he’s a kicked puppy one more time she might claw his eyes out, and yes, she refuses to introduce him to her friends from school because she Knows everyone will then start asking her about her ‘hot brother’ and she can’t live with that and also can’t live with him knowing that so she told him if he ever introduces himself to any of her friends she’ll set him on fire, and yes, she’s homesick 95% of the time but...he’s growing on her. like a mold, or something.

(okay, maybe when Seth tried to analyze why Mamma Mia is her favorite musical, he might have had a point. half a point. quarter of a point. shut up.)

And Edward’s still trying to not have a panic attack every time she’s out of his sight- he’s got Carlisle keeping tabs on the Volturi for him, and it’s not exactly hard for him to keep track of her through other people’s minds- but she’s so tiny and her heartbeat is Too Fast and what if she inherited her mother’s unlucky streak??

but they’re toeing the line of co-existing peacefully and Edward’s scared to push it past that

then he has to, because it turns out he sent her to one of Those Schools where the parents have to be involved in the school in some way or another and Nessie’s Annoyed

sdkjfsdkjf she keeps trying to get him to just sign up for like pta meetings or something and he’s like ‘I need you to understand you are the only person in this town I actually know or like I Cannot survive around fundraiser moms I can’t’

so she’s like ugh fine I’m in the drama club

listen.....Stage Parent Edward Cullen.......the power this holds...

that’s right this whole post was an elaborate ruse for me to make a musical theater headcanon again lmao

no okay but seriously he starts off just helping build sets and stuff like that but then midway through the year their music teacher gets fired and the schools like begging him to take over because they can’t find someone in enough time that’ll know the music for the show they’re doing and he’s like “I need you to understand Nessie will never talk to me again if I start actually working at her school” and they’re like “She also will never talk to you again if we have to cancel the big musical, though” and he’s like. fuck.

silent treatment for a week and a half

lmao so now he’s trying to juggle being an overly-enthusiastic stage parent who’s making costumes and sets and kinda crying backstage when he sees his daughter in her costume with also being the music director for the damn show and trying to teach a bunch of kids how to read sheet music

one day he ended up in a coffee shop with the hair and makeup moms, gossiping about the cast’s love lives, and he literally doesn’t know how he got there

is it wrong to pass Nessie in class even though she’s putting all the wrong answers on the test but he Knows she knows the right answers and is only answering wrong to try and get a rise out of him

Bella sneaks into town to see the show- they thought it would push their luck if the pack came, but they sent an ungodly amount of flowers and candy. When she snuck into the house while Ness was sleeping she Was Not expecting to find Edward up to his elbows in sequins, trying to fix a bedazzler he accidentally broke in frustration, muttering under his breath about how if Nessie’s romantic opposite in the show doesn’t keep his thoughts clean he’s gonna kill him- and it just cracks her up. She WAS nervous about seeing Edward again but now she’s assured he’s still a dork lol

So Edward freaks when he sees her but they don’t wanna wake Ness up so they’re trying to be quiet but like. they’re going through it

Like Bella Wants to be pissed at him but she can’t, she still loves him- and while she can’t just get over what he did to her, it’s also not lost on her that ‘leaving to protect someone I love’ is literally what she had to do to her daughter

And Edward....Edward, who only left to give Bella a chance at a safe, human life, seeing Bella in front of him as a vampire, knowing it’s his fault she ended up that way and she had to go through it alone, had to raise a baby herself because he’d made it so hard to find him...knowing if he’d just pulled his head out of his ass he would have been able to be there for her...would be able to form a coherent sentence around his love right now, would have long and fond memories of Nessie’s childhood, likely wouldn’t have to watch Bella hide from the Volturi...he’s back in a self-loathing spiral already

But they haven’t seen each other in so long and they just don’t want to...deal with the unpleasantness right now, so they just push it aside. Bella helps Edward with the costumes. Edward fills her in on what she’s been missing with Nessie. Bella tells him some stuff about when Ness was younger. They just spend the night talking, and it feels like no time has past between them at all- which just makes the heartaches a little stronger

When Nessie wakes up to her mother there she’s ecstatic- bubbly and loud and glued to Bella’s hip all day, giving her in depth play-by-plays of her school and rehearsals and friends she’s made, bouncing on her toes all morning, hyper, giggly, and- it kind of breaks Edward’s heart a little, even though he knows he hasn’t really...earned this side of his daughter, yet.

(at least he got his wish of seeing their twin smiles in person)

(he wishes he could see them every second of every day)

so the girls spend the day catching up while Edward mostly feels like a thirdwheel, and then they have to get Ness over to the school so she can get ready

Bella decides to hang out around the school theater before the show actually starts- she leans against the wall next to the piano, the two talking in hushed tones while Edward runs through songs. Bella really missed watching him play- the only thing that managed to drag her away from it was when Nessie called her to the dressing room to help with a hair emergency

she didn’t talk to him much at intermission, her attention being stolen by the rest of the Cullen family (who had been Very Loudly supporting the show so far, she knew Ness was probably dying of embarrassment backstage)

after the show, the three went back to Edward’s and just...talked. Nessie was gushing about the show and eating while her parents assured her she was the greatest actress ever born, simple stuff like that. she fell asleep sandwiched in between them on the couch

Bella realizes she’s never going to be able to bring herself to leave again if Nessie wakes up, and tells Edward as much. He clearly doesn’t want her to go just yet either, but...she’s on the run, it’s not like she has much choice

He has so much he wants to say to her but he just- can’t. it’s not the right time. but he’s hoping she can see that in his eyes

Bella shifts Nessie off her shoulder so Edward can hold her, and she gives him a light kiss and says ‘thank you, Edward’ before disappearing in a flash. she needed to go before she lost her nerve.

Edward can’t bring himself to let Nessie out of his arms, so instead of carrying her to bed he just stays there, holding her, trying his best not to think that that could be the last time for a long time he’d ever see his Bella again, trying not to let thoughts of a life he gave up unwittingly consume him

okay I didn’t mean for this to be So Long so I’m cutting it here uhh...let me know if anyone wants a part 2? sorry lmao

#twilight #edward cullen #bella swan #edbella #twilight saga #asks #molly mumbles #elephantlovingmouse

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zutaraplatter · 3 years

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Avatar: The Last Airbender Critique

There are already a million of posts like this one, and I might be saying things that’ve already been said a million times but I’ve recently become reheated about the ATLA ending and wanted to let it out -_- No one asked, this is true, and this may or may not be a way to stall from this final project I still have to complete, but here’s 10 things I didn't like and/or would change about the show that likely shouldn’t need changing because they should have been done in the first place.

1. Katara should have apologized to Sokka after TSR

It should have happened and it didn't. In my canon-avoiding mind, Katara and Sokka have a heartfelt conversation where she apologizes for the awful things she said, Sokka says he forgives her and he's sorry if he wasn't as there for her as much as he should have been, which he follows up with "but I'm happy you listened to Aang and took his advice," leading into my next point

2. Katara should have said that not killing Yon Rha was her choice

And thats why it was the right one. Not because Aang already said it was wrong. No no. It was the right choice because that's what she chose. I love my mom to death and can't imagine losing her in any way, let alone the way Katara did. And I can't say for sure that if I was in her shoes that I know what I would have done f that yes I do I would have killed that motherfucker. But I also know that if Katara decided not to kill him, then that was one of two correct choices because they were Katara's choices to make. Not Aang's or anyone else's and this should have been clarified. I know it's a kids show but I said what I said. Next point.

3. Katara should have said more after telling Aang she was unsure at the Ember Island Players

Katara hasn't had any trouble saying how she feels, especially when it comes to helping others and making them feel better, whether she was right or wrong. But she holds back or overly softens blows and seems to even shrivel up at times when it comes to Aang. And me no likey. I had a boyfriend who I adored and admired and just genuinely looked up to. I'm also a shy and anxious person who hates confrontation, but because I loved him, I never refrained from telling him when he was wrong. I might have been a little shaky about it but I did it tho because when you want to be with someone you walk through the grass and stomp through the mud. And I personally feel like either in that moment or later on in an added scene that Katara should have voiced to Aang how unheard and disrespected she felt about his words before TSR and his actions on the balcony. I hate being uncomfortable and my secondhand embarrassment is toxic but I would love to see a scene of this. I always imagined Katara saying stuff like "But I'm not you Aang, and I'm not an Air Nomad," or "Zuko could understand why I needed to go, and I'd hoped you would too," or...I'm out of ideas but you get the idea. And you know what, I know I'm a hard Zutara shipper, but them having this conversation would honestly make me respect their relationship a whole lot more should it be believably written to end on a good note (I don't see how it could be but hey I'm an open minded person and I did think they were cute together once upon a time). Basically, all I'm saying is that Katara is no small voice and she should have been written that way when with Aang. Boyfriends can make you shy but should never make you weak. Period. Next point.

4. No rock! ONLY GROWTH!!!!!!!!!!!

I still squint my eyes whenever I remember that rock that unblocked Aang's chakra. What even was that? The laziest writing possible in my opinion. That's what. And Aang deserved better. What should have happened should have been that Aang started to lose to Ozai. And then as Ozai's about to deliver the finishing blow, Aang has flashbacks of everyone he's trying to save and honor, ending with a very prominent flashback of Katara with the guru's disembodied voice reminding Aang to let go of his attachments to become all he needs to be...then BOOM! Baby boy is back on his feet, chakra unblocked, he kicks Ozai's ass, I'm crying hysterically on the floor, as are the rest of us, and he wins. Then at the end of the series, instead of a kiss, he gives Katara an apology. She accepts, everyone else comes to join them on the balcony, cinematic group hug, camera pan into the sun. I don't know lol. Basically what I'm saying is that Aang did not deserve some deus ex machina. He deserved to grow and become his best self like everyone else got to.

5. Aang should have heard differently in The Storm

Katara is a very fate-minded person and this is when I saw potential for her to become a toxic character in regards to Aang. When he admits that he ran away from home 100 years ago, Katara tells him that that was basically a good thing because he was meant to be here and now. Like...no? What Aang did, though understandable for someone so young, was still wrong. Yes he would have maybe been killed but I'm like 10000000% sure they had a plan to protect and evacuate the literal avatar. And what was technically "meant to be" was a new avatar. But hey, what's done is done and kicking Aang while he's down is a no-no in this household. But that doesn't change the fact that Aang needed and deserved honesty. Maybe the fisherman could have said this, I don't know, but I feel like Aang should have been told by someone that although running away was wrong, it's a blessing he and Appa were able to survive and be able to help save the world now with his amazing friends found-family. Maybe this is too harsh, and maybe even outright wrong, but I felt like Aang deserved a truer answer here to support and comfort him.

6. MAILEE!!!!

Do I even need to go into detail?

7. Spiritual sigh*

Don't make me go into detail -_- I will say though that although Aang and Katara are both amazing individuals capable of earth shattering things, they were not a healthy fit for one another. This is evident in the original series and especially in their children from LOK. They both deserved the best but better than one another.

8. ZUTARAAAAAAA

This is a Zutara blog you KNEW this was coming, as it should. There's just too much. There's too damn much. I would give a real paragraph to this too, but, I mean, there's already so much proving that this was the pair. Fics, metas, rants, this site. Scroll through my blog or any of the ATLA related blogs I follow and...dude. These two were meant to be together and I'll mourn the narrative brilliance WASTED for no good reason every day for the rest of my life. No reason these two shouldn't be married with three kids. sob. I will take this part to say thank you to the amazing fic writers that gave Katara, Zuko, Mai, and Aang what they deserved that the writers didn't have the guts to give them themselves. Next point tho.

9. AANG AND ONJI

Good God almighty. Why not this? WHY NOT THIS? I'm putting on my bullet proof vest and I'm going to say this; Aanji is cuter than Zutara. Now before you scorn me or whatever, let me explain. Zutara for me is like steak. No. Chicken parmesan. I like chicken parmesan better. The point though is that Zutara is savory. You know? I don't see them as cute, I see them as Obviously. Aanji on the other hand is like a bag of my favorite candy. They are like a brownie. A cookie. Girl Scout Samoas!...I don't know what words are anymore. This post got way out of hand. I guess what I'm saying is that for Zutara, I scream, but for Aanji, I squeal. I hope that makes sense. But here's the main point I want to make. Onji never knew who Aang really was. And Aang was always, at his core, himself. She very obviously had a crush on Aang for his personality and that was crazy cute and frankly preferable to Katara's "I...guess he is." (you know exactly what I'm talking about) Anyway, I kept wanting more of them together. I wish all the time that we'd gotten to see her again, with a more fleshed out character and all. And in the way that I imagine the show should have gone, she could have been the perfect love interest for Aang, during this episode or way later, even in the comics! Another WASTED opportunity for greatness and I will, again, never recover T-T

10. Iroh get your ass back here

Maybe this is a misguided critique but I hated that Iroh just left Zuko alone in the fire nation at the end of the series. Baby was in trouble in every sense of the word and Iroh was just like "See ya! You got this nephew." I'm expected to believe that? I'm expected to accept that? No no no. He should have at least stayed for a few years to help Zuko stay upright and, you know, alive. And by "upright" I don't mean "good." I just mean been there to support him because Lord knows he needed it, at least in the beginning of his reign. It was cute that Iroh was able to settle down with his own teashop after all those years of violence and mourning and running and this and that. I was more than happy for him for being able to have that peace finally. But I still think it could have waited a little while longer so he could support Zuko.

That's it I guess. I know not everything I've said makes the most sense in one way or another, but I enjoyed putting it together all the same. Thank you for reading and have a great day. I'll go finish my final now.

(Edited for a typo)

#zutara #katara #aang #aanji #avatar the last airbender #uncle iroh #onji #on ji #Im wasting more time with these tags #avatar the last airbender critique #avatar critique #mai #avatar mai #ty lee #avatar ty lee #tylee #avatar tylee #the southern raiders

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moonchildsaurora · 3 years

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Running in Circles

✤ guard captain!Mingi x thief!reader ✤ genre: Guard AU // smidge of fluff, (semi)enemies-to-friends. (feat. Yunho) ✤ t/w: sfw, none - except very brief mentions of some fighting, rated PG ✤ count: 3k ✤ [ part 3 ] of Lacuna miniseries

a/n - huge apologies for keeping Captain Song in for a so long but alas, he’s finally freeeeee. I really need to pick up the pace with continuing on with this mini series 😅 this idea sorta played out better in my head than out in words - I’m not 100% happy with this, it’s defs not my best but I shall practise writing more Mingi fics in the future! This is also probably the tamest of the lot in terms of cry-level. Just preparing you guys with an easy read before the shitstorm that awaits in the next member on the list one shot hahahahahahaha. @hereisleo & @barsformars hope you both enjoy this for ya man 😉 I couldn’t bring myself to hurt this giant teddybear too much in writing. Also everyone, let’s welcome back a familiar face within this one shot :P

In all of his years of being a royal palace guard of Aethevintis, nothing would cause his body to seize up with tension instantly and hasten the greys that threaten to come through his still youthful auburn tresses than when he was requested at the interrogation chamber.

Heavy steps echoed off the dark granite stone floors, the sharp clinking from an array of medals that hung proudly to signify his prestige were in sync with his tense pace. Song Mingi had no problem exercising command and authority when it was needed, in fact, he prided himself in doing so.

He was good at his job, and he knew that.

Otherwise the title of Captain wouldn’t had been bestowed upon him that four winters ago. The real struggle was when his confidence in being assertive was mistaken for the ability to intimidate, broad body physique to further fuel that common misconception. And so Mingi often found himself sat in that bleak chamber with some poor unfortunate soul, who had been frightened into admitting nothing more than petty crimes.

He’d argue such tactics were unnecessary. Running his hand frustratingly through his hair for the umpteenth time, Mingi mentally braced himself for whatever...or rather whoever awaited for his arrival.

Rounding the corner, his brows arched up with surprise upon seeing the King standing in front of the chamber doors. The troubled look that replaced the King’s usual ebullient features prompted Mingi to straighten his posture immediately; this was sure to be a serious matter. “Good afternoon Sire…”

Yunho turned towards the rich baritone voice of the Guard Captain and rigid shoulders relaxed ever so slightly at the sight of one of his most trusted.

“Captain Song,” Yunho nodded in acknowledgement, “Although I’m not sure if it’s entirely good at all.”

Mingi’s forehead creased but remained silent to allow the King to further elaborate about his plight.

“The Queen’s aquamarine diamond parure has been stolen, and I suspect a selection of other jewels too. Those I care not for as much as the diamond parure…it’s got high sentimental value as it was passed down within the family from my great-great-grandmother.”

“That certainly isn’t good at all. Has the perpetrator been caught yet, Sire?”

“As luck would have it, yes actually. And I’ve been told that you would be the perfect person to know how to handle this….situation,” at saying this Yunho fully turned to face Mingi. The falchion in his belt’s scabbard felt heavy and a million and one thoughts were running through his mind at once.

“Mingi…”

Mingi could see the sincerity in Yunho’s eyes and the hesitation in spilling out the words that needed to be said.

“I hope you know that in any other circumstances, I would not be requesting you to deal with such matters that you have immense dislike for. I apologise for putting you in such a position. This…certain individual has crossed paths with you before and I’m hoping with that familiarity you may be able to coax them to reveal where the diamond parrure is. How you do so, I’ll leave that up to your discretion.”

Oh.

Well that wasn’t what Mingi was expecting to hear. A certain individual he’s familiar with?

He straightened his back and gave a determined nod of his head, “I shall do my best Sire. That room may be the bane of my existence but this matter is clearly of importance to you, let us hope the thief can be convinced to comply.”

“You have my utmost gratitude Mingi,” Yunho said, reaching his hand up to give Mingi’s shoulder a comforting squeeze before making his way out of the grim dungeon hallway.

Mingi waited till the King was out of sight before turning to face the chamber. Taking a deep breath, he steeled his heart and pushed open the doors with slight force.

“Well, well if it isn’t my favourite Captain of the guards. Come to keep me company for the evening?”

If he wasn’t already sweating before, he sure was now. That oh-so coquettish voice he’s grown to recognise almost immediately, fell on his ears.

You sent a cheshire grin to the tall figure, legs propped up on the worn-out wooden table and hands idly fiddling with the heavy brass shackles around your wrists. This certainly wasn’t the first time your paths had crossed but it was the first for you both to meet in a more dire setting.

Mingi feared for the implications of your capture.

Not just a mere thief of the streets but being the leader of Dusk Talons, the Royal Crown surely won’t pass up a chance to make an example of a core individual from the renowned thief guild.

“You ought to close your mouth, otherwise the flies will get in.”

One of the guards closer to you brought his fist down on the table, a mere tactic meant to frighten you. However, all it got out of you was the bored glance you sent to the guard who started berating you for talking back to Captain Song.

Mingi let out a sigh, “That’s enough. I can take it from here, you all are dismissed.” The command was given to the other guards in the room as he settled into the chair across from you. They left without a fuss and silence encompassed the room, though not for long.

“Would you please be a dear and help with this?” you asked, chains jangling as you held out your cuffed wrists towards Mingi.

“It would seem that’s not needed at all,” a ghost of a smile gracing his lips, “your handy work got the job done for you.”

“You’re no fun.”

Not admitting out loud, you were slightly impressed that the guard captain didn’t let your lock-picking slip by him. The shackles dropped on to the table and you made a show of stretching your arms out, body arching lithely off the chair. Your loose tunic rode up just shy of showing skin, causing Mingi to avert his eyes out of respect.

That widened your grin.

Mingi let out an awkward cough, any pre-planned script he had for questioning was abandoned. You weren’t entirely a stranger to him nor were you an acquaintance – if the laws even allowed for that. But Mingi didn’t feel right about making you go through the same interrogation protocol as previous criminals had to. You weren’t like them.

“I can’t tell if you thrive off the riskiest raids or that you don’t fear anything nor anyone. Going after Her Majesty’s diamond parure? Of all things!”

An airy chuckle left you, “If I didn’t know better…you sound awfully worried for me, Captain.”

“Shouldn’t you be at least more careful? What would become of your family if something were to really happen to you?”

The grin on your face disappeared immediately.

Mingi continued when he didn’t hear a response, “I’ve seen you…giving food and gold back to those in the Lower Wrean. I know some of the funds for the city’s orphanages are provided by your guild. And that one time…the only reason why you led the attack on our eastern outpost was to rescue a few of your own and relocate some of the nomad camps away from potential crossfire. You don’t abandon family, right?”

These were the things that convinced Mingi, you weren’t really all bad. Questionable choices? Sure. Morals? A little grey. Although underneath the layers, your intentions have always stemmed from a compassionate heart.

“What’s to the rich if they lose a few here and there? They have far more than enough, so to us, they’re top of the list of contributors.”

Mingi remembered you telling him that when he had first caught you escaping from one of the noble’s house. Your guild only ever stole from the rich and it was a bonus if the corrupted was targeted too. Mingi, who then was still under the command of the previous captain, hesitated to pursue. For his moral compass went spiralling. Being bound to carry out his royal duty or close a blind eye because he empathised with what you stood for.

Empathy.

Nothing more than a weak link, according to his captain. There was little room for that, just as grey had no place among Aethevintis’ black-or-white justice system.

Hence, a thief was still a thief at the end of the day. Even for a good cause, by definition you were on the opposing side.

You continued to observe Mingi in silence, with a neutral expression, as you let his words sink in. Captain Song was much different than his predecessors. An unspoken level of mutual respect had developed between you both somewhere along the way of your encounters. The way he led with his heart rather than blind authority was admirable.

“We do what we must to get by. My family…as you so kindly put it…are capable of adapting to whatever circumstances are thrown their way. Risk is an inevitable norm for us.”

At least, you could appreciate Mingi looking at you without that faux sympathy.

“And I’ve lived doing what I do best…that is to survive. Being careful only gets you so far but being smart, well, you could go just about anywhere with that.”

With a rather loud yawn you broke the tension in the dim room. The grin reappeared back on your face and you slinked backwards on the chair. Mingi was contemplating on whether switching back to the original subject of this…talk…would be a good idea or not. He needed a starting basis, a hint of sorts from you in order to give direction where he’d be searching for the missing parure.

Betting on the fact that you don’t wholly despise him, Mingi tried his luck. “Now I do have a job to complete, and I’m sure we both would rather spend our time elsewhere other than down here…”

“Aww, I thought we were having a good time getting to know each other better. Don’t get to do that as much on the streets now, do we?”

“What have you done with Her Majesty’s parure?” asked Mingi, keeping his tone levelled.

“You sure are set on that huh? What’s in it for you if you successfully retrieve the jewels?”

Tilting your head, eyes sparking a challenge. Only to be met with determination glinting off Mingi’s own pair of dark chocolate brown orbs.

“Nothing more than the satisfaction of returning a precious family heirloom back to my King. It’s of great importance and sentiment to him.”

You wished you could find fault in his resolution. Yet again, Mingi was nothing but honest in answering you.

Surely, you could play a little nicer this time, right?

“Hmm, I’ll think about it. I’m feeling rather parched as well…any chance I could get some fresh water?”

Sensing you weren’t going to give in anytime soon, Mingi drew in a deep breath and exhaled. Standing up he offered, “And I’m guessing you haven’t had anything to eat?”

“You’re offering?”

“This is an interrogation chamber, not a torture one.”

Mingi left to gather the necessities. Head filled with too many conflicting thoughts, that he missed the growing grin on your lips and the space where the dungeon keys previously sat on his belt.

“THE PRISONER HAS ESCAPED!”

“FIRE IN THE COURTYARD!”

It was havoc.

The thunderous sound of fireworks broke through the tranquil evening. Catching everyone by surprise and confusion arose as to why bursts of colourful sparks were going off within the palace grounds. When some of the flag banners and trees caught fire from the stray sparks, it caused a flurry of panic.

And to make matters worse – the guards had lost you.

Mingi finished over-seeing the last batch of palace staff into the safe area. “All palace guards are to stay by the doors to the throne room and west wing! No one is to leave or enter until my unit and I have done a final sweep of the grounds, “ he ordered.

Part of the team was put in charge of getting the fires under control. He deduced the fireworks were set off as an intended distraction and, a successful one at that too. Mingi’s priority was now to prevent you from escaping.

He heard the commotion and shouting before, “CAPTAIN! THE SOUTHWEST WALLS!”

You held your own and by the time Mingi had reached your location, the guards who were stationed there were knocked out cold on the ground. A minor cut bled slightly from your left cheek and you looked a little more roughed up than when Mingi had last seen you.

“Here I was thinking this would be a clean goodbye…” you said, securing the rope around your waist that Mingi noticed was tied to the stone merlons. He also saw a couple of dark-coloured pouches with you that weren’t present on your attire during the interrogation.

Three guesses as to what filled those pouches.

You followed his eyes to where they were fixated on, “Ah yes, amongst thieves it’s the number one rule to not hide our spoils on ourselves…lest we get caught.”

A series of sharp whistles was heard. The signal that your guild had completed their tasks and was awaiting to reunite with their leader down below at the meeting point. You blew three consecutive similar whistles back in response.

“Wait!”

You paused with one foot up on the stone edge. Turning back to look, you saw Mingi’s hand hover slightly over his falchion.

“Are you going to try and stop me?”

‘No. But I will ask once more, where is the diamond parure? I know the cold season approaches and you’ll need all the resources you can get. Those gold and other jewels you’ve got there should be sufficient enough. So please….”

Having already made your decision the moment you slammed the doors to the chamber out, simultaneously breaking the noses of the unsuspecting guards, you knew what you had to do. But that didn’t prevent you from adding a little dramatic flair.

After all, you want to stay memorable in Captain Song’s books.

“You just don’t know when to give up, do you?”

Your voice dripping with light sweetness, eyes locked on his as you made your way right up to him. Your hand darted out to grab his falchion and on reflex, Mingi intercepted – large calloused warm hand latching around your wrist.

“But maybe that’s what makes so different from the others…” You flipped his hand so it faced palm up, and placed a familiar cobalt blue pouch on it. “You’re a good man, Captain Song. Thinking with your heart doesn’t make you weak…this world needs more of that, more of people like you.”

You watched his shoulders fall with relief and the look he had in his eyes change into something you couldn’t quite discern. Mingi nestled the pouch carefully towards his body, the delicate clinking confirmed its fragile contents within. And he didn’t feel the need to look inside for confirmation; he trusted you.

“If we were to meet in another lifetime, I hope we’d be on better terms then. Preferably one leaning closer to friends.”

A genuine smile crept up from the corners of your lips upon hearing Mingi’s words.

“That sounds rather nice, actually.”

You could definitely use a friend like Mingi in your second lifetime, should fate ever be so kind to give you another shot.

“CAPTAIN!”

The clamouring of guards and blades being drawn drew closer and you could hear the running of feet up the stairs.

“Well, that’s my cue to leave. And I am so sorry for doing this but…”

And you physically winced when you sent a knee to his gut, causing Mingi to collapse and gasp for air.

“…Captain Song wouldn’t go down without a fight and this makes it look less like you just let a scummy thief off the hook.”

Mingi waved his other gloved hand, “I…understand – you ought to hurry…” he managed to cough out the words.

“Don’t be a stranger.”

With that, Mingi watched you leap over the wall’s edge just as back-up from his unit arrived. Not only did you leave him with the Queen’s jewels and potentially a bruise or two, you also left him with a new sense of comfort.

Two worlds apart. Two unlikely individuals who were both willing to cross the bridge that’s been built to fill the gap, to meet in the middle.

Yeah, this was a change he could get used to.

“Thank you Captain Song!” cheered the orphans, watching with admiration at how effortlessly Mingi climbed the tree to recover their kite that got stuck in the tall branches.

He soon found his legs to be attacked with hugs from several pairs of petite arms.

Mingi returned the affections with gentle head pats and a, “Be careful not to run too fast and watch where you’re going!”

The townspeople greeted him as he patrolled his rounds. Even scoring a ruby red freshly-picked apple from one of the vendors. Today would be a breeze. Golden rays of the sun shone down warmly and the morning air was still crisp. Mingi was already planning to finish his shift early and go see if he could convince Yunho to sneak away from royal duties for a round of archery out by the fields.

“STOP! THIEF!”

Just like that, his trail of thoughts were cut short. Mingi snapped his attention towards the direction where the yelling came from. Jogging over to where the crowd had gathered, he was nearly bowled over by a fleeting figure.

Upon making eye contact for that split second, he could recognise your mirthful eyes from anywhere.

Your eyes crinkled with delight and being bold as to send a wink his way. But your feet never stopped sprinting and within seconds, Mingi had lost you among the sea of townspeople who still went about their business on the street.

“THEY WENT THAT WAY!”

Mingi looked back to see some of his unit tailing after a few hooded figures who disappeared into the maze of alleyways. Your guild sure knew the layout of the town inside out.

A sigh escaped him. So much for finishing up early for the day.

But if it was a chase you wanted, then it would be a chase you’ll get. Being the respectful gentleman that he was, he’d let you have a head start of course.

Maybe one day, when he’s old and cranky, worn out to his bones – he’d stop running in circles after you.

Luckily for you both, today wasn’t that day.

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kyber-crystal · 4 years

Text

here again || s.r

words: ~2k

summary: you & steve reunite in wakanda after two long years apart

warning: literally none, just fluff. also bad writing bc this is an old ass oneshot

a/n: so uh,,,this was apparently the result of me falling in love with nomad steve rogers all over again. IW was actually the first avengers film i saw and let me just say, hot damn...also i’m horrible w/titles i’m so sorry. if you’d like to be added to my taglist to be the first to know when i publish something new loml!

tags: to @wxstedhexrt ! THANK YOU FOR BEING SO SWEET AND SUPPORTIVE AND ALWAYS TAGGING ME IN STUFF ILY

Time flies, people told you. Make the most of every moment. Take nothing for granted. Appreciate those you have around you while they’re still here, because you never know when they’ll leave you.

What they didn’t mention was what happened between those long hours, the immense pain that came along with missing someone you loved and held near and dear to your heart. The countless sleepless nights awake, wondering if they’d be alright, wondering if they were safe and not in danger. The countless nights hoping and praying they’d come back to you and crying yourself to sleep.

They didn’t tell you that sometimes, you never knew what you were missing until it was gone.

In your case, your ‘what’ was Steve Rogers.

Initially, you’d started off on Tony’s side. Not because you agreed with his argument - that wasn’t the case at all - but because you couldn’t stand the idea of turning your back against the man that had sacrificed so much for your sake. But as soon as you saw Steve on the other side of the battlefield, eyes soft and pleading, you couldn’t take it anymore. You caved.

Being in love made people do strange things, you thought.

You were lucky enough to have found refuge in Wakanda. T’Challa was more than happy to let you stay, knowing you had nowhere else to go and wanting to make sure you were looked after at all times. The others - Sam and the rest of Team Cap, had been sent to the Raft - they weren’t as lucky.

You felt awful. Here you were, living out a peaceful life (well, as peaceful of a fugitive’s life could be), while the rest of your teammates were trapped within the iron fists of the government.

Two years passed, and you still hadn’t gotten a message, any sort of sign, from any of them. You began losing hope. Maybe they weren’t coming back...

“Miss Y/N?” a calm voice suddenly jarred you from your thoughts.

You turned around to see T’Challa standing there with his hands behind his back. “How many times have i told you to just address me as Y/N?”

“My apologies, Y/N,” he nodded curtly, correcting himself. “Are you alright?”

“Just...thinking,” you hummed.

“It seems as if you have a lot on your mind,” he guessed. “Is there something that’s bothering you?”

“No, no...”

“Miss- Y/N, you’ve been here for two years, and you think by now, I wouldn’t know when something’s up?” The Wakandan king raised an eyebrow.

“T’challa-”

“Hopefully, some good news will lift your spirits?” he offered. “I have received a call, they’re on their way.”

Your brows furrowed in confusion. “Who?”

“Captain Rogers and the others are due to arrive soon. War is coming, and we need to prepare.”

You froze. “D..did I just hear you correctly?”

“Indeed. Okoye will meet you outside your chambers in half an hour, so take some time to wash up and rest, will you? You seem exhausted.”

“You know me so well,” you yawned and stretched your arms in the air. “See you in a bit.”

After you finished washing up and drying your hair, you changed into a comfortable cable-knit sweater and dark jeans before opening the door to see Okoye and Shuri standing there. “Hi.”

Shuri came forward and squeezed you into a tight hug. “Hey!”

You chuckled lightly and ruffled her hair. “So, what’re we doing?”

“T’Challa’s already there, we’re going to see Barnes,” she explained.

“Bucky?”

“The one and only.”

Okoye offered you one of her rare smiles. You’d formed an unexpected close friendship with the fierce warrior during your time here - she made an excellent sparring partner, and even taught you how to work her weapons.

You headed outside to meet T’Challa, and made your way towards the fields together.

...

“Drop to 2600, heading 0-3-0,” Steve stated as he walked up to the pilot’s seat. Despite the calm tone of voice he had, everyone could tell he was on the verge of losing it.

“I hope you’re right about this, Cap,” Sam said, “or we’re gonna land a lot faster than you want to.”

“Nervous, Rogers?” Natasha nudged him gently in the side.

“No.” But the look in his eyes gave it all away.

“It’s been a wild two years, huh,” she exhaled as she stared out ahead, the Quinjet passing through a camouflage forcefield into the Golden City’s valley, landing at the airfield outside the palace.

“Yeah...it has.”

“So when are you gonna tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“That you’re hopelessly in love with her.”

“Natasha-”

“Don’t bullshit me, Rogers, I know you are,” she gave the super-soldier an accusatory look. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have woken up in the middle of the night because you had a nightmare that she died, and it was only after talking with Sam for an hour that you fell back asleep. Which has happened multiple times before.”

“But, Natasha-”

“Come on..why can’t you just admit it? Are you afraid she’s gonna reject you? Because that should be the least of your worries. She’s head over heels for you.”

“What makes you think that?” he tilted his head to the side slightly.

“Intuition. And the way she looked at you.”

“When you said we were going to open Wakanda to the rest of the world...this is not what I imagined,” Okoye commented as she and T’Challa walked side-by-side.

“And what did you imagine?”

“The Olympics. Maybe even a Starbucks.”

The Quinjet’s back gate dropped open and its occupants disembarked. Steve and Natasha stepped down the ramp first, followed by Bruce and Rhodey, with Vision and Wanda in the back.

“Should we bow?” Bruce whispered into Rhodey’s ear.

“Yeah,” he replied, dead serious. “He’s a king.”

“Seems like I’m always thanking you for something,” Steve said as he and T’Challa shook hands.

Bruce awkwardly bowed. Rhodey pretended to look shocked, but there was a hint of an smile on his face. “What are you doing?”

“Uh, we don’t do that here,” T’Challa motioned with his hand. Bruce shot Rhodey a look, and was just answered with an amused grin. “So how big of an assault can we expect?”

“Uh, sir, I think you can expect quite a big assault,” Bruce replied as they began walking back into the administrative building.

“How we looking?” Natasha questioned.

“You will have my Kingsguard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and...”

“A semi-stable, 100-year-old man,” Bucky finished with a wide grin as he walked towards his best friend. The two men exchanged a tight hug.

“How you been, Buck?”

“Uh, not bad, for the end of the world.” He paused for a moment before speaking again. “But I think I’ve been holding up better than she has.”

“Who?”

“Everyone’s favorite retired Olympian, ex-nurse, and fugitive electrokinetic hero.”

“What-”

Before he had the chance to answer, your familiar figure stepped out from the shadows.

“Y/N?”

“Steve?”

You felt your breath catch in your throat and froze on the spot. He still had that same lean, muscular figure that any girl would swoon over, but his hair had grown out from years on the run and a rugged beard now covered his sharp jaw. His suit was darkened from dirt and grime and the star in its centre was torn out. But he was still absolutely breathtaking - bright blue eyes shining through the coverage.

His expression immediately softened upon seeing you. After many nights praying to see your face again his vision had finally become reality - and he had to keep pinching the inside of his palm to remind himself that this in fact, wasn’t a dream at all. He wasn’t dreaming. You were real, and you were standing just a couple yards away.

You felt your chest ache at the sight of him - it had been two years since you heard him speak. And it didn’t seem to matter how long you were apart for, because his voice would always make you weak at the knees. You hated him for making you react the way you did - or was it yourself that your hatred was directed at more?

But then all feelings of resentment and frustration starting to bubble up to the surface suddenly evaporated. You snapped out of your temporary trance and broke into a sprint, running as fast as your legs would carry you and launching yourself towards him, flinging your arms around his neck. “Steve-”

You slumped against him and broke down, your body trembling from your sobs. He pulled you closer against him and circled his arms around your waist. You didn’t know whether you were crying out of frustration or relief - but the feeling that was brought upon you by being held by him was unlike any other - you’d never get tired of it. You felt so safe, so protected in his tight embrace that you didn’t want to think about anything else. You didn’t want to think about the inevitable war on your way, you didn’t want to think about the past nor the future, you just wanted to live in the moment - with your head on his chest, his chin on top of your head. That was it.

Steve felt his heart shatter into a million tiny pieces. You were crying. You never cried. You never cried and now you were breaking down - because of him.

“I missed you,” he mumbled, voice muffled by your hair. “God, I missed you so much. I’m so sorry I left you-”

“It’s okay-” you choked out, “I’m just glad you’re alive-”

You lifted your chin up slightly and he rested his forehead against yours, so close that there were only a few millimeters that kept your lips from touching. That’s when you realized he, too, was crying - tears streaming down his face and you swear there’s literally nothing that could make him look any less handsome. You felt your heart stop momentarily. A strange feeling settled in the pit of your stomach. If it weren’t for his steady gaze, you’re almost 100% sure you would’ve forgotten how to breathe.

Steve let out a shaky sigh of relief, inhaling the fresh scent of roses in your hair. It’s been two years since he was last able to hold you like this - and two years later, he still believes you fit perfectly together and that you were made to be held by him, and him alone.

Then you were overcome with a sudden surge of confidence and quickly cupped his face in your hands and pressed your lips to his, closing the gap.

It was like fireworks were shooting through your veins as he deepened the kiss and pulled you closer - if that was even possible, given that you were practically pressed against one another - your heart racing at what felt like a million miles per hour at the feeling of his warm lips on yours and his hand between your shoulder blades and on the small of your back. He tasted like everything between euphoria and heartbreak, salty tears and berries and warm coffee, and his touch was electrifying.

You probably could’ve gone on like that for hours on end. It was only when you heard someone cough awkwardly that you broke apart, eyes still glassy with tears, your faces flushed, and lips swollen.

“Are you and lover boy gonna keep up the baby-making or are you gonna say hi to the rest of us?” Sam interjected. “Just a friendly reminder that you aren’t the only two people here.”

“You’re gross,” you muttered as Steve released you to go greet the others. “Hey, Sam. It’s been a while, huh.”

“Long time no see,” he agreed.

“Well, well, well, I see you’ve finally worked up the courage to make a move, both of you,” Natasha smirked as she brought you in for a quick hug. “I’m proud of you both.”

“Nat! I missed you.”

“I missed you too. You know, Cap wouldn’t stop rambling about you the entire way here-”

“Shut up, Nat,” Steve cut her off. “I wasn’t rambling.”

“Not rambling my ass,” Bucky muttered, “you were talking my ear off that day we took the Quinjet. Wouldn’t stop worrying about her when she insisted she’d be okay.”

“If there was an Olympic sport of being passionately in love with your best friend and mutually pining over one another for years before finally breaking the through-the-roof tension, I assure you you’d win, Captain,” Shuri grinned mischievously.

“Oh, my God.”

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