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#building it up in granny squares <3
gaviicreates · 3 days
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Blanket of the Seventh Dawn - Final FO
After two months, I've finished my FFXIV inspired blanket, and I can't wait to show it to you! For the individual posts: What is this project? Or, for the tl;dr - one colorway per Scion = Big Blanket. #blanket of the seventh dawn. Just be aware the posts may contain spoilers up to FFXIV Endwalker.
I was inspired after making a red cat hat, reminiscent loosely of G'raha Tia, to make a bigger project. Then when I started perusing yarns for my next project, wistfully browsing the yarns from my favorite hand-dyers, I kept seeing colorways that reminded me of other characters. At that point, the idea was hypothetical, but then I started taking notes for what characters I wanted to include, colorway ideas, screenshots to see how they looked together, a few plan layouts for 3 and 4 squares per hank... and it got a whole less hypothetical.
This was in January, so new year, new project, new yarn budget - I took the dive in.
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I wanted to really let the colors tell the story. Especially with crochet, sometimes the simpler stitches are better for letting the color variations shine, so I chose a basic stitch but a new-to-me granny design. The solid granny replaces the typical spacings with DC all the way across and then building in the corners.
It wasn't always pretty. On the very first hank my swift broke after I accidentally hadn't secured it it tight enough, and for awhile I started trying to wind by hand.
My second swift was an immediate purchase after THIS happened with two of the hanks.
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As I finished squares for each hank (I could get three per color), I blocked them, wove in ends, and put them to the side until all colors were complete. Then, when I finished all the squares, I put them all into a bag, mixed them up, then decided the final design by choosing them at random, displaying them in a 6 square by 7 square rectangle. I exchanged about six squares to make sure no like squares were touching and to better alleviate a block of red all in one place. This gave the blanket the layer of chaos you'll see soon.
Because of the weight of the blanket, I made a few decisions for connecting squares that felt, to me, like they would be more secure. For the back side, I chose to sc up the row in place of a mattress stich or any other sewing options or even slip stitch. I used Malabrigo, Arroyo for this part and the border. Although it's also dk, it is a little thinner than the dk in Arcane Fibre Works. When I got to a corner, I chose to connect inside the hole made, and not in the stitches. This resulted in the crossing you see here on both sides of the work. I also slipstitched in both sets of adjacent squares on the first pass through before continuing with the connecting single crochets.
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March 24 (this is getting posted a little late because I was behind on sharing squares), I finished up the 5th row of hdc in blo for the border, wove in the rest of the ends, and FINALLY she was all finished. You can see some final pictures and the full reveal below!
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Thanks for coming along with me on this journey.
This blanket will be treated like the treasure she is.
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theothersarshi · 4 months
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So, one of my hobbies is looking at real estate websites and checking out the best and worst out there. I like seeing what crazy things people come up with.
I would like to take you on a ride. Today, it's not a good ride.
The first thing you need to know is that I live in Romania, so the real estate websites I look at tend to be Romanian. The best known is probably imobiliare.ro, which literally means "real estate dot ro".
The second thing you need to know is that Romanians tend to be home owners, not renters, unless they're students or young.
The third thing you need to know is that ther's a wide availability of offers for everything home-related, and it's not that expensive, but taste is in short supply.
That being said, I was looking at houses in Bucharest today. I found one that was built in 1999, 5 rooms, 3 bathrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 balcony, 312.58 square meters total, built on 120 square meters on the surface. Selling price: 239,000 euros, which feels too cheap for such a big place in the capital (even if it's in an undesirable area).
Are you ready?
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This is the place. Look at that building. Somebody went creative on it. It's like you bought your own plot of land, but missed the apartment block aesthetic and wanted to recreate it. Except maybe with some really weird choices regarding the... gables? Roof? I can't tell from here.
It's nice having a courtyard that you've cemented. It really cements the fact that this is your property and you can do whatever on it.
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I'm more used to seeing this... cement marble mosaic or whatever indoors, in institutions. Schools, maybe?
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Oh. Wait. They've added it indoors and I don't even. Why would you use it inside your house? Why do the stairs not have a railing? Why do the doors look like they miss the castle they were stolen from? Why is there an extra step next to the stairs? Why is there what appears to be a tiny door towards the *inside* of the stair? (Cupboard maybe?)
This will be a ride.
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The kitchen! The owners went wild here. I'm not sure what they were going for, but they definitely got something. I wonder if the table truly matches the walls or if it's just an impression. I feel like every color here clashes with every other color.
I used to live in a place that had a similar kitchen, except the walls were shades of pink. I used to cry when cleaning it, because its colors showed under the grime.
The back of the chair has writing on it saying "back of a chair 1 person 6 pieces"
Where are the other 5 chairs? Don't answer that.
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The bathroom! Huge. Blue, except for the cement. No cupboards. A toilet and a bidet. I think I'd feel awkward taking a bath there. It would feel like taking a bath in a disused storage room. Not sure why.
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Going up the stairs, these people *really* don't believe in railings, but they at least have a desk to block your impending doom if you wander too close to the stairwell.
The cement mosaic stays and feels oppressive. I'm loathing it with a passion, but the Greek-style, waist-high decorative column on the left distracts me from the ugliness with confusion. There seems to be a bonsai on top.
Next to a mirror, someone who might be a silver Virgin Mary stares at us.
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A photo taken from the opposite direction shows us more castle doors and shelves hold porcelains, mostly depicting animals.
This house feels disconnected. Like the rooms are probably their separate, individual places. These huge hallways are just meant to connect them. Maybe this place belongs to 5 separate people who each do their thing.
Maybe not.
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Finally, a room.
This looks like granny's workout room. The pale blue walls, the watercolor painting in the gilded frame, the old-style, cheap, lacquered wardrobe... All it's missing is some stucco.
I wonder why they bought two identical smaller carpets when they could've bought a bigger one.
But at least it has wooden flooring! It doesn't look as uncomfortably cold and hard!
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Another angle makes this room look entirely different. Almost like the wardrobe isn't hanging out on half the wall awkwardly. We see another framed watercolor and what seems to be an overly crowded table.
This bedroom doesn't contradict my theory that people might be living here separately. It's big enough that I can see someone hang in there whenever they're home. And there's the workout equipment. All it needs is a TV.
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Never mind, it has a TV, too. (But no place where you might sit with a laptop.)
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A picture of another bathroom, this one in black. It has a cupboard and a shower curtain and looks like it might be used on purpose.
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Another room!
This one's blue. Blue-painted wooden floor, blue-ish carpets. Someone put some thought into making it comfortable and nice. It has shelves, and a wardrobe that stretches the whole length of the wall, and loads of light. I can even see a theme here, as each room seems to have some workout equipment.
While a breath of fresh air, it reminds me of camgirl aesthetic.
It's also the last room we get to see.
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Except this one, unless it's a hallway. It has a ping-pong table! Neat. And loads of maps on the walls, presumably so the owners find someplace to run that's not this house.
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A picture from the other side shows us more workout equipment. What even is this place?
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More workout equipment. What is this, a gym with bedrooms attached? I've got nothing.
And that's about all the relevant pictures.
What can I say? The more I look at it, the more perplexing, ugly and uncomfortable it seems. It never ceases to baffle me that somebody chose to make it like this. Presumably they liked it, if they either lived there for 20 years or bought it and moved there at some point during that period.
You can see the listing here, with a few extra pics from different angles.
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jeanbury74 · 5 months
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A CC filled lot this time. English-ish House is up on the gallery. 3 bed, 2.5 bath, with a pantry and laundry room. ID jeanbury. All the CC used is written below. Beware, it's a long 'un!
876 simmer-Oslo wardrobe, lowboy dresser, nightstand and standing mirror.
9 sims-DIY stars wall hanging.
Adrestea Moon-Storybook Lover and PJR Paintings.
Ars Botanica-Peonies Pitcher and Peony Jule Cup.
Ameyasims-You're So Vain: Vanity Brush and Hand Held Mirror.
ATS4-Breakfast: Milk Pack, Coffee Jars, Coffe Jar, Milk Bottle, Instant Drink, Tea Tin, Tea Box, Cocoa Powder Box. Fruit Juice Packs, Fruit Juice Glass Bottle, Coffee Bag. Baking: Wooden Spoon,Mechanical Scale, Timer, Canister, Baking Decoration Jar, Dried Fruits, Mixing Bowl, Baking Aids, Flour, Nutella, Baking Aids Stock, Dried Fruits Stock, Electronic Scale, Measuring Cup, Sugar, Jar, Measuring Cups, Rubber Spatula, Pastry Wheel, Candied Fruits. SnowyDay: Gloves, Wall Scarf #2, Wall Beanie #1, Fur Boots, Boots Snowcalf, Wall Coat #1 and #2 Bag Clutter: Tic Tacs.
Awingedllama-Apartment Therapy Potted Vine Round Mirror, Hanging Ivy.
Charley Pancakes-Insomnia: Organic Cotton Bedding. Miscellanea: Book Collection, Standing Books, Book Series.
Desimmy-Tiny Nifty Pictures.
Dew At Home-Hallway Hanging Scarf.
Duckey-Springtime Melody ,mug, Forever Spring Canvas Art, Lil Lilies, Friends and More Friends(these are table mounted frames that are called friends. That's all the information that was given)
Faaeish-BB Wall Decor Pegs and Toy Camera.
Felixandre-Chateau: Alarm Clock, Bedding, End Table, End Table 2, Drawer, Table Lamp, Rug Square, Telephone, Dresser. Grove: Salad Bowl, Lady Sam's Peony Vase, Bedframe V1. Grove-Timbershelf Inside Corner, Flagstone Floor, Cups, Stacked Plates, Stacked Plates 2, Stacked Plates Small, Wall Basket Small, Casserole, Bowls.
Felix and Harrie-Livin Rum: Box Files, Rug, Book Row, Book Series. Orjanic: Table Lamp, Bench, Cushion 2, Book End. Baysic: Toothpaste Container. Florence Fresco Mural. Tiny Twavellers:Hedge Wall.
GhostlyCC-Pre Raphaelite Paintings.
Harrie-Coastal Kitchen: Cereal Boxes, Cabinet Stack, Accent Counter 1 Marble Type, Coastal: Farmhouse Kitchen Sink with Tea Towel, Tins, Sofa, Tv Unit, Display Cupboard, Small Plates, Bowl, Bowl Stack, Cans, , Large Plates. Heritage: Traditional Towel Ring, Bowl Traditional Toilet, Traditional Runner, Landscape Artwork, Traditional Console Table, Floor Lamp, Traditional Round End Table, Traditional Elegant Mirror Small, Traditional Desk, Traditional Bust. Country: CoffeeTable.
Haruinosato-2x1 Curtain 01 Short.
Javabeandreams-Whimsical Animal Portraits.
Kardofe-Vienna Dining Room Curtains, Bella Babies Bedroom Small Pics.
Kliekie-Yove Plants 06, Awipow Plants 11, DecorationsPlants 10 Dragon's Herb. Whisper Laurel Plants 05
Kriss-Scania Build Set:Windows Classic Colonial 2 Tile, Classic Estate 2 Tile,Jugend Cottage 2 Tile.
Leafmotif-Botanical Bathtub, Twee Tableware: 6 Egg bowl, 9 Pot with Lid, Twin Mug Stacks, Whimsy Cake Plate, Short Pitcher. Basil's Favourite Chair 3 Maud Lewis Paintings
Linacherie-Ts2 Olde Tyme Skillets, Billyjean Curio Kitchen: Trays, Clip, Jar. Simlish Art 11, RPC Prints, Sizzling Cuisine Mitts, Delicious Bakery: Cookbooks, Flour Bag.
Madame Ria-Back To Basics: Spice Bottle,Dish Rack, Cereal Box, Pot Holder Wall, Modular Shelves, Coffee Tin, Pot Holder, Stock Pot, Dressing Container, Spice Rack, Counter Grey Scale, Open Book.
Marefc-Half Tiled Walls 2.
MC- Modern Crafter The Short Contemporary Radishly Plant
Menaceman 44-Granny's Brolly Vase.
Midsummersim-Simterest Poster.
Moonlightsim-Photo Frame Memories.
Nocturne-Rustic Cottage: Pokers, Master Curtain, Pedestal Old Miller Tea Set, Deco Retro Vacuum, Not So Shabby Rug, End Table. Grandma Cupboard.
Nynaeve Design-Lyne Half Curtains Blinds V1. Lyne Three Quarters Blinds V2, 1069, 1069 Lyne Radiator 1 Tile.
Okruee- ACNH Bathroom Towel Rack. (Animal Crossing)-
Omorfi Mera- Glass Jars.
PlasticBox- Modular Plant Hanging Pot.
Peacemaker-Hinterlands:Living Throw Pillow, Farmhouse Dining Table, Single Bedframe, Cottage Dining Chair, Bedside Table, Luxurious Single Bedding V1, Arched Mirror, Wardrobe, Bedframe with Footend, Nightstand. Hinterlands Living: Stately Fireplace, Coffee Tray Table, Mantle Mirror, Fringed Pouffe. Hinterlands Dining: Framed Dining Chair, Hanging Clock, Short Petal Pendant Porcelain Lamp.
Piersim- The Office Mini Pack: Higher Plant, Landline, Stackable Book, Printer.
Pocci-S Cargeaux Cabinet RecoloursCyclamen Outdoor, Iris Outdoor, Lilac In A Glass Bottle, Woodcabinet Open (Book cabinet Mini Set), Vintage Tea Set: Teacup With Tea, Milk Pitcher, Cupcake Plate. Magnolia Ceramic Vase, Basket Decor With Slots, Anthropologie Ottoman, Laundry Day Basket on Stool, Steaming Coffee Cup, Marguerite Teacup Empty, Iris In Glass Jar. Single Rose Glass Bottle. Potted Lily Of The Valley.
PTS-Cottage Garden Tea Tin Herbs, Granny's Basket Deco, Deco Mason Jar Short.
Quaylinsims- Paintings Zodiac.
Rhiannon AR-Medium Rug Floral Modern, Long Rug WithModern Floral Patterns
Ricca Bee-Mom's Lamp.
RSVN-Clothes Minded: Fedora, Floppy Hat, Baseball Hat, Sweater. Peg To Differ: Dish Towel, Knife Set, Mug, Utensils. Simmerdown: Cookie Jar, Mason Jar, Mug, Hanging Pots And Pans, Paper Towel, Ceramic Jar, Macaroon Jar. Smeglish Kettle Large.Procraftination:Hoop Large,
RoyIMVU-Seagrass Baskets.
Silverhammer-Executron Executive Desk Throne.
SimMan123-Sheer Right Curtain Short.
Sixam-Spring Six Kitchen: Buttery Toast, T Meg Mid Century Toaster With Toast, TMeg The Terrance, Deco Stove Hood, Olly's Oil Bottles, Kitchen Appliances Stove, Don't Be A Square Plate.
SJB (Yika)-Charlie Set Two CurtainsV1.
Soloriya-Zoe Blinds Part 2.
SYB-Colette: Towel, Toilet Paper Rolls, Soap Dispenser,Wallshelf, Bath, Blanket, Sink, Floor Vertical Mirror, Book, Cupboard, Rug, Bath Tray, Toilet.Millenial: Fridge, Fruit Basket,Utensils Rack, Utensils Pot, Totebag, Spices, Dish Soap. Microwave, Olive Oil, Breadbox, Island, Trashbin, Shower Curtains Short. Highschool Corridor: Hanged Backpack, Sandrine Slippers.
Tianella SE- Honey Herbs Paintings.
Veranka-Yesteryear Loveseat.
Wistful Castle-Wistful Room Pictures, Wistful Lamp #1.
Wondymoon-Cycnus Curtains.
Zeenasims- English Cottage: Paintings, Wainscotting Wallpaper.
ZX-Tagada-Lighting Table Candlestick.
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littleroma · 4 months
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No, seriously how did my WIPs build up so much without my noticing
I've got WIPs in writing, WIPS in knitting (that jumper will not defeat me, and ooh I want to work out how to knit socks), WIPs in crochet (how did I manage to build up 3 jumpers, one shawl, one blanket, that is murder on my nerve pain, granny square blanket and finally toys) with more ideas coming to me?
Yet, I always seem to find it much easier to procrasinate than actually do anything? Oh and how have I lost my measurements for both my arms and body?
No more yarn for me, even if I keep seeing some truly beautiful colourways. I managed to find yarn that was dyed to represent LotR just after I've got on a no-buy
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hopeshelley · 1 year
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START UP VENTURE WEEK 12
WHAT IS WORKING?
This week, on Saturday April 1, I had the opportunity to take my crochet items to a local vendor event to find out what people were interested in what things, and what they weren't! at the show I brought:
-purse/lanyard charms
-lily of the valley car mirror charms
-granny square scent bags (essential oil)
-a crochet crop top for display and advertising
-waffle knit dish cloths
-round doiley style coasters
At this particular market, the customers were in the older generation, so the dish cloths and coaster sets were a success! In addition, the few younger people who came seemed to love the scent bags and the bag charms. Since the audience was older, no one really took interest to the top, which has proven success in my younger customers, totaling 5 orders at $35/each since I debuted them a few weeks ago. The market was a great experience to learn what customers were interested in what, and what things were not as popular among certain age groups!
WHAT IS NOT WORKING?
Because I took so much time crocheting items for my market experience, I have put off completing other orders (which my customers were made aware of and were okay with), but I definitely bit off a little more than I can chew. In the future, I know that I should not accept market spaces until all my orders are cleared,or unless I only have small orders that can be easily completed.
HOW DO YOU FEEL THE PROJECT IS COMING?
I feel the project is really coming along nicely. The market was a great experience, and taught me things about running a business that you can't get on paper, which is a real life experience - interacting with people and seeing their body language and attitudes towards certain things, and opinions. I feel I have a good comprehension of the final written project due next week, and I think I can write about so much as I've learned a lot and feel so much more confident about my business and carrying it on after this course is over!
WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS?
I am learning that to have a small business like mine, opinions and real life experiences like markets are such a valuable asset and take away. It's easy to communicate online and make your photos look pretty and build a customer base that way, but it's a whole new ball game to sell your items in person, where customers can physically pick up and look at your items before purchasing, and to interact with you personally to create a meaningful connection. In my opinion, when your offering a product, these interactions are definitely necessary to grow a customer base and grow your business further.
WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Like I said above, I feel that this week I have bitten off more than I can chew with 3 active orders and a market last minute. I am learning that I need to impose boundaries for myself for my business, as I am learning how much I can truly handle at one time, and also how to not hyper-fixate on one particular thing. I spent all week from Tuesday to Saturday preparing for this market, but I put off my other orders because I was hyper-fixated on preparing for the market. In the future, I need to learn how to have balance between projects and not pour all my time and energy into one thing only.
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The Quick And Easy Way To Seasoning New Cooking Utensils
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Cooking classes in London provide a fun and effective choice for group building occasions. Classes can be tailored specifically to your requirements and provide for all levels of cooking ability-- you can even motivate a little healthy competitors with a cooking obstacle! If you are looking for an innovative activity to develop relationships between your employees, which obtains them out of the workplace and also allows them find out something new, then cooking courses run by specialist chefs are ideal. She certainly had her very own food preparation approach that did not consist of any kind of specific dimensions as well as it drove me crazy for a while. Currently that I have chosen to share my recipes by means of my website/blog and cooking classes, I have had to recreate some of my dishes to keep specific dimensions and the quantity of the ingredients to use. I will certainly constantly stick to the cooking fundamentals that my mom instilled in me, for life! I'm uncertain if this title requires any intro in all. I mean, just laid-back games freshers don't know the Dash game series and Flo. With regard to those, Food preparation Dashboard established by Aliasworlds Home entertainment as well as published by PlayFirst, is a brand-new sequel in the collection of time-management games. And for the time-management experts - you are mosting likely to fulfill Flo as well as Granny themselves in this release. Cookie is making his own fact program while Flo and Grandmother fill in for him and later on for other restaurants' cooks. I'm uncertain if this title requires any kind of introduction whatsoever. I suggest, only laid-back video games freshers don't recognize the Dashboard video game series as well as Flo. When it come to those, Food preparation Dashboard developed by Aliasworlds Home entertainment as well as published by PlayFirst, is a new follow up in the collection of time-management games. As well as for the time-management experts - you are going to meet Flo and Grandma themselves in this launch. Cookie is making his very own truth show while Flo and also Grandma really feel in for him and later on for other dining establishments' cooks. These kinds of cooking Television shows provide to busy people and also stay-at-home mommies that still choose home-cooked meals regardless of their active schedules. If you desire to find out just how to prepare fancy dishes, there are cooking TV reveals that function exquisite cooks who will show you how to produce easy haute cuisine meals. The bottom line is that there are several cooking Television programs offered for everybody. This typical cooking differs by place in France. Among the essential elements of this cooking approach is to take some time to appreciate your dish. Take it from Mark Sullivan who is The Village Club's Executive Cook in Northern California. He improves the old strategy by creating meals with conventional French roots. When food preparation, this is one of the French techniques anyone can grasp at home. Over high warmth, fry ingredients lightly in oil. He recommends the usage of olive oil and as soon as the oil is warm on the pan, toss in components you want, be it veggies, chicken or meat. Cutting is a vital skill every French chef must perfect. • Brunoise: cutting around 1/8 of an inch square. It produces cubes of a 3 mm or less side length on each side. Generally brunoised products are leeks, carrots as well as turnips that might be made use of as your garnish in many dishes. They ought to be regular fit as well as dimension to develop a fascinating presentation. • Dice: to reduce about a quarter of an inch forming cubic items. Make sure that you have a good slicing board and knife ready to assist you dice active ingredients well. • Chop: to reduce concerning fifty percent of an inch. Know the sizes of these cuts to assist you with the dishes you're doing. You will certainly require a sharp blade as well as a steady cutting board. Workout care when chopping. Broth or supplies from cooking meats, bones or vegetable are the base of most things prepared in the kitchen area. They are made use of to develop sauces. Merlot is one universal sauce matched with supplies. It does wonder on a smoked slice of fish or meat. As they state, come close to love and food preparation in careless abandon. Do not be frightened of these strategies. If you're a fanatic of this type of food preparation, risk to be strong as well as offer them a shot! The electric pressure stove is especially crafted to utilize built-up stress in cooking food. The raised temperature in turn causes a rise in the interior pressure, but since the structure of the device does not allow either air or fluid to leave, the stress constructs up all the even more as well as this is where pressure cooking comes right into play. With this, cooking time can be achieved concerning 2 to three times faster compared to conventional cooking techniques. Courses can be customized specifically to your requirements and also cater for all levels of food preparation capacity-- you can even urge a little healthy competition with a food preparation challenge! If you are looking for an ingenious task to develop relationships in between your staff members, which obtains them out of the workplace and lets them find out something new, after that cooking courses run by specialist cooks are perfect. Currently that I have actually decided to share my dishes using my website/blog as well as food preparation classes, I have had to recreate some of my meals to maintain precise dimensions and also the quantity of the active ingredients to utilize. If you desire to find out exactly how to prepare elegant meals, there are cooking TV reveals that feature premium chefs that will certainly teach you exactly how to create straightforward haute food dishes. With this, cooking time can be achieved about 2 to 3 times quicker contrasted to traditional food preparation methods. Read more at: https://thinkhealthylivecreative.com/
youtube
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tuggerahaustralia · 2 years
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Entry Level Buying – Original Home With So Many Possibilities & Potential
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angelsymbol · 3 years
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aaaaaaah i am simply crocheting a blanket for my niece
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mars-writes-yandere · 3 years
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Request: If you’re okay with writing multiple characters at a time,could I make a request with Ciel and Alois both falling for the same S/O without knowing the other has their eyes on the same person.They both order their butlers to kidnap and bring their S/O to them at the same time,so Sebastian and Claude both run into each other outside of S/Os house and get into a fight until one of them retreats and has to return home empty-handed to a very infuriated master.The loser then starts plotting on ways to take back their S/O from the other noble with a demon butler.
(You can use any pronouns for the S/O to fit with what you are comfortable with.)
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This is my first time writing (for others to enjoy) so i really hope you like this!!! Ciel and Alois are both 18 in this!
Warnings: Kidnapping, mentions of death, Alois slaps Claude
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Congrats y/n you are one (un) lucky fellow to catch the attention of BOTH earls!
I feel like Ciel and Alois have two different types so you must be very unique and special if you caught the attention of both of them.
Alois falls a lot quicker than Ciel does. He believes in the whole ‘love at first sight' so even if Alois and Ciel first met you on the same day, Alois would be plotting to kidnap you before Ciel even falls for you.
When Ciel does fall for you he’ll want to make a good impression on you so, he will invite you to his manor and play some games with you.
Both of them love spending time with you and get upset when you’re not free so it’s very unlikely that the two of them don’t know about the other's obsession with you. But because both of them are busy there is a chance that you can hang out with one of them while the other is busy and they wouldn’t know.
Alois would want to get his hands on you as soon as you start showing signs of trust while Ciel would want to build a friendship before kidnapping you.
When the two of them have their butlers kidnap you they won’t be suppressed to see the other butler there. I mean they’re demons. They knew that both of their masters wanted the same person but they decided not to say anything.
Now let’s say Sebastian won the fight between the two butlers. Ciel would be so happy that he finally had you and that his butler beat Alois’s. On the other hand, Alois is going to throw a fit. Like a whole temper tantrum 3-year-old style. He would yell, scream and hit Claude because he lost against Sebastian.
That same night Alois would plan on how to get you and the most rational thing he could think of was to just show up at Ciel's manor and demand for him to hand you over.
Of course when Alois demands you to be handed over Ciel almost laughed at him. His butler won fair and square so he got to keep you. Alois was having none of it and in a blind rage challenged him to a duel. Whoever kills the other one gets to keep you.
Now Let’s say Claude won. Alois would be so happy that he has you AND his butler won against Ciels. He feels so euphoric just thinking about it.
When Sebastian shows up empty-handed Ciel almost slapped him. How did his butler lose against the stupid spider! He wouldn’t throw a fit like Alois but he would demand to be taken to the granny manor.
He would order Sebastian to find out where you are and when he doesn’t locate you, Ciel will have Sebastian break into the room to grab you. Of course, Claude could sense Sebastian so Alois and his butler were already with you before Ciel could even get in the room.
The two earls will fight with each other and then Alois will request a duel (that’s like his only way of solving things) Of course because Ciel is angry and out for blood he’s the one to suggest a fight to the death.
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popculturebuffet · 3 years
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Ducktales Finale Review: The Last Adventure! or So Long and Thanks for All The Ducks
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Hello all you happy people. The day we’ve all simultaneously waited for and dreaded is here. The grand finale to a five year journey.. and for me an almost one year journey of covering season 3 as it came out. It was thanks to this show i’ve been able to make money doing what I love. Without it I never would’ve found my patreon Kev, and I never woul’dve had the solid focus to keep going as long as I have. And I never would’ve had all you lovely people reading my work. Thank you for that. I hope you’ll stick around even though the series is gone, I love you all. But as the sun sets on this series I have one last episode of the season, and the series to cover. I won’t be doing it in my usual recap style due to it’s sheer length and scope, but I promise you if you join me under the cut I will break down eveyrthing I can about this final adventure, it’s huge, awe inspiring twists.. and it’s heartwarming conclusion. It’s everything you could want from a finale short of a Grandma Duck Cameo, and i’ts under the cut with full spoilers. Seriously if you do not want any spoilers TURN BACK NOW. I’m opening with probably the biggest spoiler of the finale. 
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I Think She’s A Clone Now You were warned. So.. Webby is Scrooge’s Clone, made by FOWL as part of a decades long scheme to find the papyrus of binding, and raised by Beakly to keep this precious child out of their sinister clutches. I have hundreds of reaction images, several for what the fuck.. none of them seem sufficient.. ALL OF THEM together like some megazord of what the fuck are not sufficient for how much this reveal caught me off guard. It caught ALL of us off guard. I’m sure even those who called it still were suprised that’s the direction it took. I think we all expected her parents died by FOWL, or her parents were FOWl with Pepper being one of them, or anything else. So naturally it took around 14 drafts, and me going the fuck to sleep as I had stayed up to watch the finale and thought I could just smoothly transition into writing the review despite there being a LOTTTTT to unpack.
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Even after the recharge though this took a bit of doing... so now i’ve done it... what’d I think? Whelp....
I liked it. I like it the more I think about it. Even the problems I had with it just kinda melted away as I thought about it. I understand if you do not. This twist will not be for everyone, it changes Webby’s character and story entirely, ruins tons of fan theories, and in general is batshit even for a series that in the same finale, turned Manny into a shout out to Gargoyles, complete with Keith “My Body is Ready��� David. This series is genuinely batshit and loves it, but this is a LOT to ask dramatically, a lot to rewrite expectation wise and a lot to thinka bout. There’s a reason besides sleep deprevation it took me a whlie to fully grasp how I felt. So if you don’t like it fine, but i’m going to make my best case. 
Starting with something that made me realize I fully like it: It dosen’t invalidate Webby’s charcter. The one little problem I had left was “Well dosen’t Webby having the McDuck bloodline mean she couldn’t be specail if she wasn’t a McDuck? That sure the rest of the cast are specail but you can’t be really important without it?” Honestly.. no. Webby is who she is not because she’s a McDuck.. but because she’s Webby. She got her martial arts and mystery solving skills through Beakly and being raised. She had intate talent sure.. but as we’ve seen with the boys through the whole series, talent has to be honed. Skill has to be earned and learned.  Webby worked hard to research other civilizations, worked hard to hone herself into a deadly fighting machine with her mother’s help, worked hard to be every bit as cool as her idol who turned out to be her biological dad. She earned her badassery, her wisdom and her courage SQUARE. 
And more than that she’s her own person. Her adoptive parent and biological parent are both paranoiacs afraid of betryal, unwilling to trust, and slow to let anyone in. By all accounts Webby should be the same.. but she’s not. Oh sure she has some paranoia and is willing to slit some throats, she was raised by the world’s best spy and is the daughter of the world’s greatest hero, that was never going to be gone entirely. But at her core she just wants to trust people. She just wants to love them and be loved. And.. that’s why her family loves her. Because she’s the kindest, the warmest and the best of them. They love her because she’s Webby and that’s she’s family, they could care less who she’s related to. All it really changes is how Scrooge acts around her and that gives us fans tons to work with. 
It’s also expertly revealed, which helped ease us into it. Webby is just as shocked and confused as we are and is seriously hurt, which makes her vulnerable to the villains. Kate Miccui deserves a goddamn award for voice acting and if their isn’t an award show for that their should be. While she’s been fantastic with Webby all series long this is her finest performance, going from Webby’s usual self, to all the hurt she goes through.. to her quitter moments at the end, calling Scrooge dad and giving out a little noise that makes it clear as Beakly tries to leave, that no.. she’ still her family.. she’s still her mom and she’s not going anywhere. 
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As for the concept being a bit ridiculous yes it is.. but so is this universe. This universe is entirely insane in the best fucking way possible: I mean.. look at this final group shot. 
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We have an old man whose somehow still alive simply because he was too busy to die, an inventor whose cloned himself multiple times so clones are fesable and is probably a clone himself given how the last finale went, an awkward armored superhero and his biotech filled girlfriend, a small boy robot weapon of discretion who put his head on his brother’s body, a no longer headless manhorse former harbinger of the apocalypse with the silky voice of keith david as one big homage to gargoyles, a lesbian living shadow and her sister, a superhero who based himself on a fictional character and his boyfriend/sidekick who by all accounts should be dead by now, a lesbian military superheroine from the moon, STORKULES COCKBLOCKER OUT OF MYTH, his moong goddes sister, two adopted family stunt pilots, a bunch of super intelligent mice, an odd duck whose kinda sorta dating a giant shrimp, his cousin with super luck powers, my globetrotting boys, an immortal treasure hunter and in the family proper: a former spy turned adopted mom of a clone, a woman who lived on the moon for a good decade, a man who once trapped everyone in what would essentially be the plot of the mcu’s second best work by pure accident, a blue boy whose piloted a plain, captained pirates, and has his own talk show, a green boy whose ran a multi-trillion dollar company, nearly destroyed all of time and space and is under investigation for fraud, and a red boy who has a hulk-esque rage filled embodiment of all his suppressed emotions, whose fondest wish was tall legs, and who can easily take out a giant magica supermachine with some fancy wiring. So the richest duck in the world having a clone daughter, while divisvie and what not.. is far more plausable than we give it credit for. As are her new sisters who Id in’t forget but are part of the whole twist. 
So yeah, I like the twist and my nitpick is more that despite having a full season to set it up.. they saved it for the last episode. Instead of BUILDING on Webby’s desire to know more about her family and having the twins show up earlier.. it’s all shove into the finale. It’s a well done shoving but there’s so much that could be explored with Webby being Scrooge’s daughter, so much that futzes with the regular family dynamics and we don't’ get any of it. Sure it was probably saved for a possible season 4 but they treated this season as the last. Manny being an apocalyptic man horse voiced by the uber sexy keith david, and no I will not stop bringing that up even outside of it’s own section and why yes it is getting it’s own section, is the kind of revelation you can leave for one last episode. “One of the main cast is a clone” really isn’t and that’s disapointing. 
Especially since thinking back to life and times.. Webby IS a lot like Scrooge was before circumstance hardened him. She’s tough, resourceful.. but also has a peppy spirit to her. It adds interesting shades to her character, where she zigs where Scrooge zags, how much of it is her upbringing with Granny versus his with his parents, how much did Beakley play into it. There’s A lot to dig into and given I have most of the series left to review, I will get to dig into it, and there’s a lot to be explored in fanfic so if I wasn’t already planning a massive one before I sure as fuck am now. So it’s not a bad twist nor bad we get to write the future.. but I do wish the crew THEMSELVES had done more with it. Still my bar for “not fucking up the entire show” is pretty low after Star Vs ended with her committing implied genocide to stop a genocide and How I Met Your Mother ended “But the real journey was in how much I want to bang, bang bangity bang I said a bang bang bangity bang your aunt robin now your mother conveniently died”. I can handle “This twist is kind of weird but also really intresting.” If the twist isn’t for you, as I said i get it. This is my opinion. Now for the thing I won’t shut up about. 
I LIVE AGAIN:
Look i’ve made no secret how thirsty I am for Keith David nor how much of a national treasure I rightly believe him to be. He’s one of my faviorite voice actors, with a mind boggling number of awesome rolls, mostly recently as a fowl mouthed coffe cup encouraging a teacher to sabotage his rival teachers breaks on close enough. Even if I didn’t like Gargoyles, which I do, i’d have an entire section talking about that Manny reveal. 
Manny was already objectively one of the best parts of the show, a hilariously weird addition that was also relatable as he just wanted to fit in. I did not know you could make him better. Then they gave him Keith David’s voice and revealed he’s one of the four horseman of the apocalypse, but doesn’t want to end the world he just wants to be a normal dude, AND turned him into a shout out to the last part of the disney afternoon they hadn’t touched, my favorite part of it and a show i’ve been sitting on watching in full for far too long. Motherfucking Gargoyles. 
But given how unique it was for the Disney Afternoon and how much Disney had no desire to ever reference or use the franchise, still no fucking clue as to why they are sitting on money here, I expected it to be sadly but understandably left out. Instead they made Manny into an expy for them, gave him the voice of their leader Goliath, the voice of an angel, and had him say “I LIVE AGAIN” complete with the utterly transcendent theme song. Seriously give it a listen. 
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So yeah I couldn’t not mark out at this. Amazing fucking stuff and almost as unexpected as the clone thing and easily my second faviorite part of the fiinale only NARROWLY topped by the curtain call. Which we’ll get to. Keith David took his time getting to this series but they saved the best guest voice for last. Utter tremendous. 
Huey Season?: I”ll save more of this for my breakdown as the season as a whole but yeah while the finale as a whole was good.. I do feel Huey got short changed. He got PLENTY of development this season, and some REALLY good scenes with Bradford.. but ultimately he got overshadowed by the Webby thing. it just never quite felt like Huey got a real resolution to his character arc the way his brothers did. He still got some REALLY good moments, his “Just cough up the information Bentina!” was one of his finest and Danny Pudi did his best. The BUILDUP was good but hte payoff was non existant and easily the weakest part of an otherwise triumphant finale. I feel the final plot was ultimately just a bit too jam packed to really have Huey feel vital to it the way Dewey was to the Della arc and Louie was to his own arc. Both tgot big emotional payoffs in his finale but the most I could gather here was he accepted adventure? I guess. It just really feels off, like I missed the payoff to everything when it’s probably just nonexistent and that bothers me a lot. In a finale that was almost all hit.. this was easily the biggest misstep. I don’t have as much to say here on it.. but that’s because it’s really that simple: they gave Huey’s arc a ton of build up in this last episode and some of his others, really made him into Bradford’s good counterpart.. then just sorta.. forgot it because “oh shit Webby’s scrooge’s daughter kinda need to pull focus here”. Had they given this arc at least one more episode, we might of had time for it. Granted i’m not sure how much they could get away with but we clearly needed at least one more episode and what they chose to jettision, the climax to Huey’s story.. was way more important than they clearly thought and i’m heavily disappointed. 
Bradford’s Big Hole Speaking of payoffs the missing mysteries payoff.. is a mixed bag. I expected all of them to combine some how into some elaborate plan I just wasn’t seeing. In hindsight it does make sense that wasn’t it: Bradford hates overcomplicated schemes, so his would be incredibly simple and require as few moving parts as possible. It still dosen’t stop the fact that the big plan to cap off the entire series built over a season... was to build a giant stygian hole of non existence to throw people into. 
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Yes really. Instead of using the Payprus to write them out of existance, if carefully worded or try doing it all at once or anything practical.. Bradford just plans to shove everything he dosen’t want in the world anymore into a hole.  Look i’ts not like it ruins the episode, there’s still tons of tension from him holding Scrooge’s loved ones over his hole and threating to throw them into it’s gaping void. And it’s foiled by a 12 year old just.. shutting it off. Like I get him leaving an off switch on, that’s just common sense.. but why wouldn’t he have a remote or something to turn it back on? one with a password or something to lock it. There’s something inherently underwhelming about as series ending plan that can be summed up “hope no one shuts my unguarded hole. “
The finale does make for it by using the missing mysteries all in VERY clever ways. In fact every episode in the season had some sort of payoff here. It’s what makes up for how baffling the main plan is: every other thing, from the missing mysteries to the guest stars has lead up to this one moment, this one final adventure. Which leads me too
An Hurricane of Payoffs:
So from the top Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks!: Isabella Finch herself ends up being VITAL to the story and to Bradford’s backstory, as does Junior Woodchucking as a whole. Quack Pack!: Gene is the fuel for Blot’s glove.. though he also fucks off right afterwords.. never to be seen again or help out at any point...
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Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice!: This was the most unexpected and elevated the episode in hindsight for me as what seemed like a waste of time.. wound up setting up the first part of the finale, and the final battle with Steelbeak, and in clever ways with Steelbeak using the intelliray on himself, Launchpad muttering the map in his sleep via his smart self and Dewey remembering the base layout. 
The Lost Harp of Mervana: Used as a lie detector for that heartbreaking interrogation scene. 
Louie’s Eleven: Introduced Daisy setting up Donald’s plot which i’ll get to. 
Astro BOYD: My baby boy comes back for this episode! He also gets one of the best lines of it “I’m a Head!”. That is the most ralph wiggum the boy has ever been. I’m so proud. 
Rumble For Ragnarok: Okay I was wrong nothing from this one comes back. Still a great episode. Same with the trickening. Both are VERY stellar episodes though, so I give it a pass. You can’t give a nod to EVERYTHING. 
The Phantom and the Sorceress: The Blot and Super Sayian God Super Sayian Lena, as well as Lena’s character development from said episode.  They Put a Moonlander on the Earth!: Launchpad helping Penny realize her purpose.  Forbidden Fountain: Jeeves is un-babied as a trap Let’s Get Dangerous!: Drake and Gosalyn Return, and Solageo’s Circut ends up being vital to the climax.. in the strangest and funnest way to say possible but still. It counts.  Escape from the Impossibin: Beakley’s near breakdown at the idea FOWL has come back. It was already heartbreaking and the first adventure had made it even more so.. but now it’s out and out DEVISTATING. The one thing after her daughter is not only back.. but SHE’S the reason he’s in Scrooge’s life and home and her giving up SHUSH has now left her wide open. 
The Split Sword: Probably the best out of all of these as it ends up directly playing into the climax in an awesome way i’m saving for Bradfords New Gods: Storkules shows up. Okay so that every episode claim bit me on the ass. Also when did these two meet? I mean probably at end of spear of selene but the more important question is WHY DID YOU ROB  ME OF THESE TWO MEETING AT ANY POINT IN THE SERIES. 
The First Adventure: Naturally the Payprus comes back as Does herons needling bradford to stop denying what he is. 
Fight For Castle McDuck: Suprisingly the blessed bagpipes ended up being VITALLY important. And giving us sexiest man alive infinity years running Keith David for an episode.  Last Christmas; Santa Cameo
Beaks in the Shell: Gandra being taken and the Lost Library being setup for this episode. 
Lost Cargo: The Stone of What Was. And Credit where its due what FELT like simply a filler episode with a tantengal connectoin.. ended up probably being one of the most important episodes. Fair play. 
Life and Crimes: Magica turning Bradford into a non sentient bird, like what happened to her brother.... proving once again this episode really REALLY needed as subplot attached to lead into the finale or something. 
Bonus Round: Pilot payoffs by the pound. Seriously Scrooge and Donald’s last lines to each other, the badass return of “I’m a Pilot”, more on that in a minute, and even other smaller call backs like “Keep Getting Up” and webby sucessfully getting some juice to Louie’s pride. All top notch stuff and it really makes the finale FEEL like one with all this coming back full circle. So i’ve hinted at it enough, let’s bring on the bad guy. 
The First Woodchuck
We’ve had some mixed payoffs so let’s get to one that’s just out and out excellent. Bradford Buzzard.. is the best villian the show ever had. Now I will give the caveat that my favorite forever and always will be
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You know it, I know it. But Bradford is the best genuine threat of the series, with Marc Evan Jackson perfectly balancing his menace and genuine evil.. with his steadfast believe that he isn’t evil, and his calm, controlled business demeanor. It’s one of the best performances of the show and he deserves all the credit for it and after seeing him in supporting roles for his career, even if his role as Kevin on Brooklyn Nine-Nine is fucking awesome and I’m sad that show is ending, it’s nice to see him step into a big meaty role as the big bad and utterly nail it. 
And the finale.. pays eveyrthing off with him, apart from the plan itself perfectly. Starting off him being revealed as Isabella Finch’s grandson... was  a stroke of genius. I didn’t expect her to come back in play but it gives perfect reason both why he knew about the mysteries.. and why he’s like this. 
Like Scrooge did with his nephews, niece and daughter, Isabella dragged Bradford all around the world seeing the unseen, thinking it was fun. The problem was... Bradford HATED it. He hated every minute of it, like as one post pointed out Rusty Venture from the Venture bros, and felt he should be in school. He wanted a normal life and a normal world and not.. this waking nightmare. So to him, fixing the world, stopping this sort of thing is the only way and that doing so is a good thing. His problem is how he adapted to it.
We see that best in his mirror images, the people he’s in direct contrast with and the show knows it. Starting off with the one he’s not like at all is Scrooge. Part of what makes Bradford perfect is he’s Scrooge’s evil opposiite. The Luthor to His Superman, The Joker to his Batman, the Green Goblin to his Spider-Man, the Iron Monger to his Iron Man, the Sinestro to his Green Lantern. Both come from a long line of adventure but while Scrooge embraces that and loves it, Bradford hates it and wants to destroy it. One is energetic and always ready, the other’s calm, calculated. And one sees what he is.. and the other dosen’t. Simple as that.
But his other mirror’s are more like him, moving onto Huey. Their both woodchucks, both prefer caution and planning, and both want to make some sense of a nonsensical world. Both want to feel safe when they constnatly don’t. One’s prone to panic attack the other’s calm. But what makes Huey the better man... is that he accepts the world is the way he is. It goes all the way back to terror of the terrafirmains. While he was all for adventure he started his doubting things, not beliving things were real.. because the reality that there are some things you just can’t prepare for, just can’t know, and you can’t be always ready.. it shattered him. He nearly let himself die rather than live knowing what’s out there. Webby pulled him out of that, literally and figuratively.. and he never went back. Sure he still tries to have an order to things, still breaks when his structure’s broken.. but it’s gone from a paranoid fear of the unknown and weird to embracing it. To relishing in finding unsolved mysteries and new clues to unlock, to finding new things to explore. He went from seeing this chaotic world as something to run from, to embracing and studying it. To loving it the way it is the way his family loves him for who he is. Bradford.. denies reality belongs the way it is and wants to force it into what HIS idea of it is Superboy Prime Style. The world isn’t waht he thought it should be so he’ll MAKE it that way. Huey grew as a person.. while his arc didn’t have a full payoff.. it still pays off here by showing what he COULD’VE been. had he let his earlier fear and his always present neurosis drive him like Bradford has. Let his big brain make him think he knows what’s better for EVERYONE instead of using it to genuinely help people. Bradford lacks the boys heart and empathy and that’s why he fell. Huey had his family backing him, his best friends coming to get him, and his brothers ultimately rescue him. Bradford.. threw his only true ally down a styigan murder hole. 
Finally.. we have the one that’s not brought up directly.. but is very much there. Donald. While the two don’t interact hardly at all... it’s VERY fitting that Donald is the one Bradford picks to threaten Scrooge with. Like Bradford... Donald grew to hate adventure, he wanted to get as far away from it as possible and took it from his boys for as long as he could. Granted that was in part Bradford’s fault, and that was an INCREDIBLY clever twist: it dosen’t make him entirley responsible or anything that robs the moment of it’s imapct, Della still chose to take it out by herself, she still lied to Donald and she still got lost all by her own decision and impuslviness. But it fits perfectly into it: Bradford’s horrifying smile when Scrooge gets taken away from saving her is even WORSE now with full context, and it still fits that knowing about the project.. he’d want to set it up to screw up Scrooge’s life. I don’t think he sabotaged the rocket or anything, too obvious and something Della would’ve mentioned by now.. but he knew it was unfinished. 
Back to the parallel the diffrence is once again.. change. Donald let go of his hate of scrooge and his past and realized it wasn’t all bad. He let himself grow as a person after a decade of bitterness and anger. But most tellingly and poignantly is Quack Pack... both had a chance to make a world that was safe, normal and what they always wanted. Both out of terror of the danger of this world.  Thing is.. Donald’s was noble. He feared for his kids, his sister, his uncle.. loosing one again and any of them at all. He wanted a normal life to be safe, to hide from that.. but it’s not what THEY wanted or who they are. He accepted that’s not how the world works and how it does.. is still pretty great. And his growth shows: he’s ending the series planning to go off with his girlfriend globetrotting, KNOWING things might not be safe, but diving into adventure, having accepted it as part of him. He even finds some new family and takes in two girls who badly needed a home. He learned to accept things how they are... and Bradford refuses, not beliving in this world as it is and vowing to force it into the way he wants it to be. 
And it’s that inherent selfishness.. that makes Bradford the Cartoon Supervillian he desperatley claims he isn’t. Bradford dosen’t care how many lives it takes, how much worse it makes the world, or how many people he has to stab in the back... the world WILL be “normal”. Bradford cares for no one and nothing except his own ambition. He kills Heron despite her loyality, and his own clones who loyally served him.. simply because their chaos too. No one or nothing else matters, not how they feel, not their right to exist.. only HIS vision. If he wanted to keep the world safe he’d be more of a hero, if still throughly a bastard... but he dosen’t. He wants to make it “normal”. He wants the world the way he thinks it shoudl be and damn anyone else and perfectly represents all the old assholes like him today who refuse to accept something diffrent or against the norm because “that’s how it’s always been”.  Like those real world assholes.. Bradford is wrong. The Duckverse is beauitful how it is in it’s chaos and risk and love. And he just can’t see it because it’s not what he WANTS to see. 
And that’s why I also love the Sword giving him big, black and red classic villianous monster, slowly mutating him as he fights the duck family. Because that’s his inner strength: he may deny he’s a villian but he’s forcing his will on others, refuses to see the world as it is for selfish reasons, and is willing to kill his own friends and allies if it means getting it. He’s the bad guy. And while he denies it to those around him... it’s clear from the fact the sword is working for him that he KNOWS IT, he knows he’s a villian and this is just what he wants but is so up his own ass he can’t SAY it or admit it. And in the end he’s fully beaten by the fact that his forcing his will on everything’s what’s unnatural: While his plan was ingenious, have scrooge sign a contract agreeing never to adventure again, since he’s right Scrooge would solve nonexistance it’s the same reason “launch hulk into space” only resulted in a smarter, more skilled hulk coming back with a space army to get revenge. He just didn’t bank on the inherent rediclousness of the unvierse: family really is the greatest adventure of all.. and the papyrus accepted it. It was the one thing he coudln’t palnf or because he can’t see the woirld how it is.. and that’s why he lost. He was so confident how he saw the world and how he worked was the only way... another way beat him. 
His fate.. was also awesome and endleslly apporirate. Being mocked by the other villians who while less capable aside from Magica, at least admit what they are and what their doing.. and turned into a Vulture for Magica, left to be a mindless lackey in tons of chaotic schemes for the rest of his life. It couldn’t of happened to a nicer jackass. Okay three more sections to go. Let’s go.
Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away With Daissssyyyy
Donald’s leaving for a long, romantic adventure with Daisy is the perfect capper to Doanld’s character. Donald started the series hating adventure: blaming it for della being gone, his rough times during it, and wanted to escape it in the boat and keep from loosing his kids to it. He felt like a looser for not having reached his dreams or properly provided for his nephews, when really he did his best and still raised three wonderful kids. A bit overproective, god yes.. but despite his grief and anger he still got through ten years with them on his own merits, hard work and determination. 
As the series went he reconclied with his past, realized Scrooge lost something too and that blaming him soley when it was Della’s choice was just taking his anger out on the one person he had left to take it out on instead of embracing his only family left, accepted Storkules as his friend (JUST his friend), accepted adventure through quack pack realizing that while it may be weird, dangerous and sometimes stressful for him... it’s what his family love doing and they should be who they are instead of who he wants them to be, and finally.. accepted himself by finding Daisy, someone who loves him for who he is, and literally and metaphorically understands him and turned right back around from dumping him to save him from a giant monster she roared at. He’s finally at peace. 
And that’s why leaving. Not forever, He , Daisy, and his girls will be back in a few months or even a month. It’s very clear this is a vacation.. but it’s one  he’s earned.  He’ll always love his boys, his surrogate daughter/cousin, his sister, and his best buddy launchpad. But it’s okay for him to want to form his OWN family, to spend time with his future wife and show her the world. To make his own story for once instead of sharing it. To find his voice. 
I also find it very poetic that a story that started with Donald raising his nephews like their dad.. ends with him adopting two more children. Two kids whose lives had been misrable: rapidly aged in tubes, deemed failures, constantly bellittled by the closest things they have for parents, so desperate for answers they’d kidnap their own sister and betray her trust and do things they know are wrong, And all this.. for nothing as their  Dad kills their mom, bad as she was, and plans to kill them. And Donald’s first thought when given the chance to have a kid free time to himself, with no guilt having earned it? To take these girls in, start his own family, if Daisy’s cool with it mind he thankfully clearly called to talk this over first, and give them their own. Because that’s who Donald is, a good man whose finally earned his happy ending and the life he always wanted.. and accepted who he always was. An adventuerer, a loving fiance.. and  dad. 
The Real Hero: One last one before the bonus round and a quick one. The Launchpad Scene.. was one of the shows best. His arc in this episode of thinking he’s not a hero.. made sense. He’s been plenty heroic.. but his boyfriend is a martial arts and gymnastics savant and one of his three best friends has a giant suit of armor and is a genius. But the payoff made even more: He may not be the strongest, the most skilled or the smartest.. but he has the heart of a hero. He’s always been the kindest, most trusting, most friendly one of the main family, a guy who never gives up, even when he should, never surrenders and loves everybody. And that’s why he’s inspired so many people: Fenton to not give up after his firing and keep going, leading to his path as Gizmoduck. When Drake was lost, his fllm gone and his mentor seemingly dead (In fact skulking around the sewers like an evil ninja turtle), and his future unclear... TOLD HIM he could be Darkwing, that he could become the hero they both ihdolized and the inspiration to kids he wanted to be by his own bootstraps, and he gave Gosalyn faith in darkwing and hope at at time she had none. He also gave those mice their freedom. Not as poignant but you try creating the rescue rangers and see how far you get. I’ve lost a lot of chipmunks and mice that way. 
Launchpad’s last stand makes up for his lack of being in the season during the final  half. Launchpad realizing that despite his quirks he’s just as noble, valuable and wonderful as his families, both of them. And that he is a pilot. Sure he gets the gizmoduck armor.. but the armor isn’t what makes hi ma hero... i’ts being launchpad that makes him a hero. Loving adopted dad, wonderful partner, best friend... and a pilot
Bonus Round:
Okay this is just stray stuff from throughout the episode I didn’t have several paragraphs worth of material on before we get to the final thoughts. But it had so much good I can’t not talk about it. So...
Gyro calling Little Bulb BOYD’s brother. My heart wept. So sweet. As was him fixing his son at the end. BOYD has the two loving families he deserves.. and the brother he deserves.. and the brother he dosen’t deserve who will probably also is skulking around the sewers like an nafarious ninja turtle as the series ends. 
Gosalyn fixing up Darkwing’s outfit for him. Awwww. Adopt that child you coward. Also if they don’t base the reboot on frank’s work here, I will riot. 
“Just cough up the information Bentina!” that was just pure comedy gold especially the sheer fear radiating off him. Also right. 
Manny’s “I can explain” and , once he has silky smooth keith david voice going “Come on man I just want to live my life.” That man is a legend. 
Dewey and Louie just not talking the “you kids stay behind shit” pointing out both their stake in this and how they’ll just go anyway and him proudly accepting it. Given the kids turned the tied of things a lot, good call. 
Dewey and Don Karnage singing their own background music as they air joust. Hell yes. 
Pepper got a promotion! Goodf or her... it’s meaningless now but hey she has a partner in both senses. 
Speaking of pepper she had the best line of the episode “He’s a grown man who has the strength of a baby!”. Only Amy Sedaris could’ve given that delivery just the perfect way she did. 
The Funzo’s opening sequence was dynamite, from how well set up it was as an infilfration, to Webby having learned how to scam free drinks (Louie was so proud), to Lena cheating for her sister at DDR, to Scrooge paying full price.. it was wonderful> The payoff was also great as rather than be mad her special day was used as part of an elabroate spy operation.. she’s giddy. Because of course she is. Two specitic  bits that get their own items
The Cabs came back one last time! It dosen’t effect my now finished retrospective, but after spending all that time with them it was nice to see them for what will probably be the last time for some time. 
The whole scene where Della finds out about the trip. Just all of it. Her casually and accidentally choking daisy TWICE, Fethry, who sadly did not get an episode this season, being the one to blab about it and only realizing it .. after repeating that they told him not to, and Gladstone who not only was casually winning at Skeeball while his cousins both got pissed at it, relateable as hell, but then awkwardly escorting his baby cousin out of the situation. 
“Satstically with Hubert gone one of us should be pancking but WHO I ASK YOU WHO?” As if I needed more evidence they were perfect for each other. 
Lena just.. slumping over after Dewey finally has her drop the cloak. Comedy gold. BOYD scanning her later likewise so. 
The second best line and line read of the episode goes to Louie/Bobby Monihan. “That is not comforting, I do not want to die”. He couldn’t of summed up Louie in one line any better. 
Ludvwig was a national treasure.  Not only did I squeel internally when it turned out he was alive but the explination for it was hilarious as it was batshit, and him just causally revealing Webby’s origin was fucking amazing “Ill give you all a moment ot process” The acomplanying “bless me bagpipes” was also amazing. 
I do wish we found out where FOWL went but it was probably to leave the remains all free to come back as villians of the week. Frank outright said they had a tailspin sequel episode ready to go.
The Webby and June fight was a masterpiece and I REALLY need to do a top 12 fights list someday. 
Lena connecting with the new twins , having pretty much the same background of being created by a villian for shitty reasons. 
“one is silver and the other is “ “Flintheart glomgold!” they should consider a teamup. What’s a little brainwashing between friends?
“We’re sisters’. No you and violet are sisters, Webby is your girlfriend your both just in denial. I only say this because Webby also thinks Della and Penny are just friends and I feel she simply dosen’t know what being gay is or again is in denial. They’ll get there. Plus it feels like Lena just didn’t want to loose her and would say anything which is valid. 
Curtain Call and Final Thoughts:
The Curtain Call was the perfect way to end a spectacular finale. Each bit of it’s a masterpiece, and every character gets one last awesome, heartfelt and hilarous goodbye with the camera and ending how it should: on our five most important characters, in a circle, together, smiling, freefaling into the next adventure. I”d have it no other way and any other series finale credits and last moments will now pale in comparison. 
So the finale as a whole is messy, some bits aren’t resolved as good as they could’ve been, Huey go the shaft, and it REALLY needed another episode leading into it to help take the pressure off. While it needed 90 minutes for the plot it had to tell, it needed more to build up to that and while the season was tight with episodes they BADLY needed one more they didn’t get or even a subplto to help take the load off this episode. 
But even with that... it was an utterly awesome finale on par with other recent standouts like “Let’s Fight to the End”/ “Thank you For Watching the Show” (Both feel like finales to me but in diffrent ways), “The Future” and the whole arc leading up to it, both parts of “Heart” and “Nice While It Lasted” . It was heartstopping, heartrending and heartfelt and ended the show as it should be: with over the top insanity, big reveals, a hell of a final battle.. and a focus on family. It’s not the perfect finale, and I defintely need more ducktales.. but it’s still a classic one and one of the series finest hours.. literally in this case. 
I.. am going to miss this series. I went into it before but it’s thanks to this series I make a living. If you’d like to contribute to that, I have a patreon, patreon.com/popculturebuffet, my next stretch goal is a darkwing duck epsiode a month so  kick in a buck won’t you? and take comissions so if theres an episode from the first two seasons that’s not part of the season 1 arc (I’m almost done there) or Lena’s story (already being paid for that) feel free to shoot me a line to comissoin it for five bucks an episode. 
But more than that it was an excellent well crafted show that took a franchise I love and updated it for a new generation. My nieces love it, I love it, and I will always love it for that. Young or old, this show as phenominal, it was stupdendous.. it was a duckblur. It will remain in my heart for probaly the rest of my life among such shows as Steven Universe, Parks and Recreation, The Venture Bros, Letterkenny, DBZ Abriged, and so many more that have touched my life. It was simply the best. And i’m going to miss it. Thank you for reading this, i’ll see you at another rainbow, if not one quite like this.
Next on this Blog: Duck week continues after this review took two days to complete. Sorry about that. Our heroes head to castle McDuck and Dewey is forced to face the consequences of his actions, while Scrooge yells at his dad , his dad yells at him and his mom is the most precious thing tha’ts ever lived. Also Launchpad in Donald Cosplay. And it won’t stop there as till saturday the rest of the week is all dedicated to Ducktales as I finish up the Della and Lena arcs for season 1 and get started on Lena’s last three episodes. So if you liked some ducktales, stick around. And once again.. thank you. 
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bubblestheraccoon · 3 years
Text
Music Mixes
Lumberjanes “Arts and Crafts” Program Field
Treble Maker Badge
“Some Risks are worth the Reward”
Music fuels the mind and thus fuels creativity. A creative mind has the ability to make discoveries and create innovations. The greatest minds and thinkers like Hildegard von Bingen, Barbra Strozzi, and Florence Mary Taylor all had something in common in that they were constantly exploring their imagination and creativity. As a Lumberjane it will be vital that we not only enrich our minds, but enrich those around us. Music is just one of the many mediums that can create an empowering environment, it is one of the few mediums that can be enjoyed at any time.
Finch’s Notes:
This post is based on a section from the bonus content from Lumberjanes: To The Max Edition Volume One. I did not create these playlist, their titles, or the blurb at the top of the post. If any of the links are wrong or broken, or if I should add any more disclaimers for song content, please feel free to let me know!
*D-Slur Warning.
**Only version of the cover I could find on youtube, here’s a version of song without the extra audio but it’s on a Russian website that overwrote my adblocker a little bit so visit it at your own risk. Here’s the song it was covering if you want that instead.
***Could not find cover on youtube. Link instead goes to band camp.
****F-Slur Warning.
Fox Fight Jams! By April!
Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks
Bad Reputation by Joan Jett
Run the World (Girls) by Beyonce
Northshore be Tegan & Sara
Woo Hoo by The 5 6 7 8s
Wilderness by Sleater-Kinney
Wolf by Now, Now
Spin Around by Josie and the Pussycats
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Theme
Jet Pack by Dog Party
Pirates by Jenny Owen Youngs
Dance Apocalyptic by Janelle Monae
Bamboo Bones by Against Me!
Push It by Salt-n-Pepa
I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift
Up All Night by One Direction
Roar by Katy Perry
Eye Of The Tiger by Survivor
Say You'll Be There by the Spice Girls
Ribs by Lorde
Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks (”Best Song Ever”-April)
River Adventure Mix of dooooom by Mal
I Was An Island by Allison Weiss
Shark In The Water by V.V. Brown
Let's Submerge by X-Ray Spex
Eyes Open by The Gossip
Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill*
Giant Kitty by Shonen Knife
I Won't Follow by the Secret Someones
4Ever by The Veronicas
Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne
Take Me Away by Fefe Dobson
Borne On The FM Waves by Against Me! & Tegan Quinn
Ain't It Fun by Paramore
3 Small Words by Josie and the Pussycats
Anchor by Letters To Cleo
That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings
Independent Woman Part 1 by Destiny's Child
Crush by the Sleigh Bells
Oh! by Sleater-Kinney
Tropical by Plumtree
Rhiannon by Best Coast or Fleetwood Mac 
The Con by Tegan & Sara
The Competition by Kimya Dawson
Cave Tunes by Molly
I Have Confidence by Julie Andrews
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Tightrope by Janelle Monae feat Big Boi
Just A Dream by Taylor Swift
Heartbreak Dream by Betty Who
Corner of the Sky by the Jackson 5
Valerie by Amy Winehouse
I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston
Call Your Girlfriend by Robyn
Let It Go by Idina Menzel
Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations
Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash
Jolene by Dolly Parton
Rock ‘n Roll High School by Shonen Knife
Don’t Save Me by HAIM
The Cave by Dia Frampton**
She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert
This Is For by Ingrid Michaelson
Cut It Off by Mal Blum
Smash Into You by Beyonce
Jen’s Perfect Camp Mix by Ripley
Gravity Falls Theme Song
Summertime by Audra McDonald
Strong Enough by Kina Grannis
(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care by Cee Lo Green
Waterfalls - TLC
Just A Girl by No Doubt
Nobody Knows Me At All by The Weepies
I’m Beginning To See The Light by Ella Fitzgerald
Bad Girls by M.I.A.
Spice Up Your Life by the Spice Girls
Magic To Do by Patina Miller & Ensemble
***Flawless by Beyonce
Come On by Josie And The Pussycats
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey
Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles
Jo’s really rad! Mix by Jo
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Theme
Androgynous(Live) by Joan Jett and Against Me!
Tous Les Memes by Stromae
Sunshine by Rye Rye feat M.I.A.
L.E.S. Artistes by Santigold
What About Your Friends by TLC
Just One Of The Guys by Jenny Lewis
Melody by Kate Earl
Red Cape by Priscilla Ahn
No Wow by The Kills
I Found You by Tilly and the Wall
Do You Remember the Morning by Kid in the Attic***
Cheerleader by St. Vincent
Concrete Wall by Zee Avi
You Can Count On Me by Panda Bear
Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac (”<3″-Jo)
Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds
Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie
Oblivion by Grimes
Q.U.E.E.N. by Janelle Monae and Eryka Badu
Rapid Decompression by Against Me!
Roanokes Rule: The Mix[!][!][!] by April
Rattlesnake by Saint Vincent
Transgender Dysphoria Blues by Against Me!****
Amazon by M.I.A.
Another One Bites The Dust by Queen
Art-I-Ficial by X-Ray Spex
Separate Rooms by Now, Now
What’s Mine Is Yours by Sleater-Kinney
Sci-Fi Wasabi by Cibo Matto
Tennis Court by Lorde
Son Of A Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield
Dreams by Fleetwood Mac
Desire Lines by Deerhunter
Hot and Cold by Ex Hex
White Daisy Passing by Rocky Votolato
Misguided Ghosts by Paramore
For The Best by Gregory and the Hawk
The Hymn Of Acxiom by Vienna Teng
Capture The Flag by Broken Social Scene
From A Shell by Lisa Germano
Rosie’s Turn
Feeling Good by Nina Simone
Annabelle Lee by Sarah Jarosz
Terrible Things by April Smith & The Great Picture Show
You Can’t Be Told by Valerie June
Wild Geese Blues by Gladys Bentley
The Day Is Short by Jearlyn Steele
One Dime Blues by Etta Baker
Hard Way Home by Brandi Carlile
The Devil’s Paintbrush Road by The Wailin’ Jennys
To The Bone by Okou
Panic Cord by Gabrielle Aplin
Cups (You’re Gonna Miss Me) by Lulu and the Lampshades
Crayola Doesn’t Make A Color For Your Eyes by Kristin Andreassen
Complimentary Me by Elizabeth & The Catapult
Blue Spotted Tail by Kina Grannis
Sorry About The Doom by Slow Club
You Know I’m No Good by Amy Winehouse
From Texas: Big “D” by Julie Andrews & Carol Burnett
Finch’s Notes Cont:
Hi! I made this post to avoid work. But mostly I made this post because Lumberjanes is something really important to me, and these playlist are a part of my enjoyment of Lumberjanes I don’t see people talking about a lot! So I decided to make a post in order to share them with y’all. I remember hunching over my phone making a spotify playlist (here, though it’s missing a few songs that aren’t on spotify) while on a trip to California in the summer of 2018 when I first got into Lumberjanes. I probably listened to these songs while I made my first ever Lumberjanes fanart. These mixes helped me to discover artist I really love, like Janelle Monae and Mal Blum. I hope you enjoy them as well!
Other notes: Sk8r Boi is crossed out as that is the way it appears on Mal’s playlist. Also, I tend to shy away from music videos as a personal preference, so that’s why there are so few included on this playlist, though I’m sure many of these songs have beautiful music videos. I might reblog this post in the future with some youtube playlists of these mixes, but if you want to find them yourself there are a lot of playlists of these songs made on youtube already! Or you can make your own playlists using this post. 
And, just for fun, have one final Lumberjanes themed music recommendation:
Lumberjanes by Various
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spartanguard · 4 years
Text
even death won’t part us now (4/?)
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Summary: Two covens, both alike in dignity, / In fair New York, where we lay our scene, / From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, / Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes / A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life; / Whole misadventured piteous overthrows / Do with their death bury their sires’ strife. (Captain Swan + West Side Story + vampires. But not as sad. Probably.)
rated M | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | AO3 | 5.8k words
A/N: Happy Labor Day, friends! (If you’re in a place that celebrates it) (if not, then Happy Monday!) It took me a bit to figure out where this chapter would end and the next one would start but I finally got it, so here we are! This chapter is a bit more lore/world-building than CS, but it features Zelena and Belle, who are a lot of fun to write. Hope you enjoy it! Eternal thanks, as always, to @optomisticgirl​​​ for being an awesome beta; to @thesschesthair​​​ for her amazing art (THIS ONE IS SO COOL OMG); and to @kmomof4​​​ and @cssns​​​ for putting this event on and pushing me to continue this story!
have some OBC—and check out that sweet late ‘50s choreography!
part four: you got some high times ahead
Perhaps if Killian was less of a romantic, less dramatically inclined, he would have remembered the best way to get to Granny’s without being noticed by David would have been to stay on the rooftops. As it was, he had to sprint several blocks in the other direction after bidding Emma adieu to ensure her father didn’t catch him in the neighborhood when he hardly had a reason to be there.
Who knew that, at 270, he’d be sneaking out of his girlfriend’s place to avoid her parents? He hadn’t even done that at 27. (Also, who thought that, at 270, he’d actually be using the term ‘girlfriend’? Was it too soon for that? Was it immature? Did he care? No.)
But, thanks to his superior age and therefore speed, it was no challenge to detour all the way to Hudson Yard and take in a bit of sea air before heading back into the city, eventually hopping across apartment buildings to better avoid being seen, and landing gracefully in Granny’s back alley. He was late, but he didn’t have it in him to care much.
He didn’t want to let his friends down, though, so he didn’t hesitate to slip in through the rear door of the diner. Frankly, that entrance got just as much use as the one on the street did; not only was Granny’s a neutral site as far as vampire gang warfare went, it was something of a liminal space in the middle of the rush of the city: how many 24-hour diners catered to the tastes of all manner of nonhumans? Fae conducted business here on the regular, Bigfoot was known to make the occasional appearance when he was down from the Adirondacks, and the owner herself was a werewolf.
The woman in question gave him an appropriately feral grin as he entered the dining room; normally, he’d take the time to flirt, but the meeting had clearly started without him. Robin and David were seated on opposite sides of a small table, with their teammates around them—Henry and Will, another younger vampire (well, comparatively) were with Robin, and David was backed by that Graham guy, Jefferson the weird milliner, and Zelena, who he knew was close with Cora (and had been plain annoying as far back as he could remember).
“Switchblades?” Robin said; they’d clearly made some decisions without him. That might make it a bit harder for Killian to quash this.
“No; swords?” David countered.
“Daggers?”
“Stakes?”
“Icicles of holy water,” Killian interjected into their back and forth, somehow making them jump. “Sharpened stems of garlic. How many cliches can we hit on here?”
Robin looked appropriately chastised, but David just glared.
“What did I miss?” he asked Robin, but David answered for him.
“Rumble, tomorrow, same time as now. Under the highway. Winner gets control of territory between 42nd and 43rd. We were just deciding weapons.”
“Are you all mad?” he blurted out. “That’s a fine way to draw the attention of half the NYPD and blow the entire supernatural world’s cover. You may as well take out a billboard in Times Square.”
The ensuing silence told him they knew he was right. But he could tell tensions were too high for him to convince them to call it off entirely; he could at the very least minimize the potential damage. 
“Back in my day,” he started, immediately ignoring the huff of frustration from Will, who had been subjected to any number of such stories in the past 30 years, “we settled these disputes one-on-one. A duel, if you would. I see no reason why such a tradition has to die.”
Again, he was met with silence; he took the lack of protest as agreement.
“One on one,” he continued. “The most evenly matched from both sides fight it out until blood is drawn. No weapons, no teeth.”
Jefferson looked incensed at the idea, and he could tell Will was angrily shifting behind him. If they wanted to duke it out, they could do that on their own; Killian’s days of fighting were well behind him and the sooner this was over, the better.
“I can agree to that,” David eventually said.
“Aye,” Robin replied, and they shook on it.
Graham stepped from behind David and pointed at Killian. “I’m going to enjoy drawing your blood, mate,” he threatened.
Emma hadn’t mentioned it, but he’d gotten the impression that Graham was the preferred suitor. But frankly, he found him irritating. “Oh? Are you 250 years old?”
“No; 160,” he answered, slightly deflated (which gave Killian a tiny, immature thrill).
“Then I believe you’re perfectly matched with Robin here; he’s 168.” He slapped Robin on the shoulder for emphasis.
Robin stood and inserted his hand between Killian and Graham. “Looking forward to it,” he bit out.
Slightly bewildered, Graham accepted Robin’s hand, but was still glaring at Killian. 
They verified the details, gave it one last shake, and then Coroza was quick to leave. Which was just as well; Killian didn’t need any daggers, real or metaphorical, shooting in his back while he was drinking.
The four of them congregated at the counter and were promptly greeted by Granny. “That smelled like trouble,” the old wolf stated plainly, but leveled a too-sharp eye on all of them. “Should I be worried?”
“Your establishment is perfectly safe, milady,” Robin assured her. “You know we’d never dare risk the loss of your hospitality.” Though the mortals were somehow unaware of the fact, she’d been running some sort of eating establishment in the same spot as far back as Killian could remember, though back then it was a public house and she was merely the Young Mrs. Lucas (the title of ‘Granny’ didn’t come for another century). Not only was it neutral ground, but it was too beloved for any one group to let it fall into any crosshairs.
“Damn straight,” she grumbled back, then got their drink orders ready.
Henry and Will quickly fell into conversation, so Killian turned to Robin. “Why wasn’t Regina here?” He’d fully expected it, given that she’d been part of this for...well, ever.
“She decided to sit this one out. Figured it didn’t make for good negotiation if Nolan was involved.”
“Good call.” But then a pang went through his unbeating heart at the recollection of what Emma had been telling him—about why she grew up an orphan, and who was to blame. He’d known Regina quite well by that point in time, and had no idea why she’d attack a couple like that—especially all the way in Maine. It didn’t add up.
But then, how much of this petty rivalry did?
Robin went on, not noticing Killian’s discomfort. “Aye, especially with Zelena there. You know how they are.” The rivalry seemed especially bitter between those two for reasons that Killian had yet to glean. 
Granny gracefully distributed their drinks in a feat of dexterity that was obviously superhuman, and they clinked a toast—though if Killian’s was less than enthusiastic, the others didn’t notice.
They continued to chat about whatever—the Yankees, the Mets, Liverpool FC (three of the four of them were Brits, after all, even if two of them predated the club), construction at Hudson Yard—until Killian noticed that Henry had given up trying to down the god-awful blood-spiked beer Will had foisted on him (the man had been a punk in the ‘80s when he was turned and never quite grew out of some tastes), and was instead staring longingly at another patron’s burger. Killian hadn’t had a chance to assess just how recently Henry had been turned, but that confirmed it was a very new thing; it took surprisingly little time to forget a taste for mortal delicacy.
He leaned over and whispered to Henry, “If you ask nice, Granny will make one extra rare for you.” Henry jumped again, clearly still getting used to his new senses, but perked up at the idea. 
“So fresh, you can still hear it moo,” the old wolf commented from behind the counter. The hungry grin that accompanied it would probably be unsettling to most, but Killian had known her far too long to see anything but good humor (and more than a smidge of flirtation) in it. 
“Ah, a quiet meal,” he quipped back. “Most of mine tend to be rather...talkative.” The group shared a chuckle; perhaps that joke was a bit dark, but when you could only go out at night, that tended to happen.
Unfortunately for Henry, he didn’t get a chance to try the meal before Will was dragging him out (something about videogames, apparently; that was one trend Killian had never much caught onto). Robin followed shortly, heading for for Regina’s, leaving Killian alone at the counter with Granny.
“You know that battle’s not gonna be the end of it, right?” she said as she placed another shot of bloodrum in front of him and poured one of her own.
“Aye, but it can’t hurt to try.”
“No, I suppose it can’t.” She held her glass up to him; he clinked his against it and they downed the shots together. But she continued after they swallowed. “You do know about the prophecy, though, right?”
He looked up in surprise. “The what?”
“I don’t know the details, but I’ve heard it’s the only way to settle things once and for all. If you really want to end this rivalry, you’re gonna have to go to the top.”
He wanted to ask more, but she wouldn’t go into further detail, instead going to serve a pixie at the other end of the bar. He racked his brain; he couldn’t recall ever hearing anything about a prophecy, and few had been around as long as he had. Hmm; perhaps he had a visit to make later. 
But first: Granny had left the bottle of rum on the counter, and he needed a few more shots before he could truly unwind from what had been a tumultuous night. 
Before he did that, however, he did dig out his phone to call Gold and appraise him of the situation. Honestly, it probably wouldn’t mean much to the man—given that neither he nor Cora were involved, it might not even be official—but still, he should know.
To Killian’s surprise, he took the news in stride. “Fair’s fair; if that’s what everyone agrees on, I’m fine with that, and I’m sure Cora will hold up her end of it, too.” Killian was less convinced of that but if Gold was, he wouldn’t argue. “Extend my best wishes to Mr. Locksley, will you?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Is there anything else?”
“Actually…” It was probably stupid, but Killian needed to know. “Sir, are you aware of a prophecy?”
The other end of the line was so silent, he feared they’d been disconnected, until Gold’s voice returned with a hard edge in it. “Where did you hear that?”
“Just a rumor,” Killian lied; it was easy to over phone. “I’ve only heard of its existence, but not what it’s about. Do you—”
Gold cut him off. “Whether or not a prophecy exists is of no concern of yours. Just make sure Locksley wins that fight.” And then the line truly went dead.
Killian stared at his phone in confusion for a moment; just what had that been? Gold didn’t just sound angry; he almost sounded scared.
Which meant that whatever was in that prophecy, it was important—and if Killian wanted to put an end to all this, and ensure he and Emma had a chance at a life together, he needed to find out what.
★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★
Emma had just gotten out of a (rather long) shower when her dad and the crew arrived back at their place. Not that their townhouse was any sort of official Coroza hangout; the Nolans were just the most hospitable—something to do with David growing up on a Midwestern farm—and always keen to invite people over.
Either the meeting hadn’t been that long, or she’d been bathing for a while—both were likely, because she’d taken her time in making sure Killian’s scent was washed off of her. It’d be noticeable, especially if they’d just been in his presence. 
Right after she’d gotten out, before she’d even gotten dressed, she had gone to text him to ask how things went—until she realized she still didn’t have his phone number. Dammit. But the voices she could easily hear in the lower level of the house would tell her everything.
She was a little surprised to see that Jefferson had joined them; he was something of a loner, even though he’d been around for a couple hundred years and was reasonably close to Cora. 
Closer still to Cora, though, was Zelena, who was sipping a glass of bloodwine off to the side of where the guys were gathered on the sofa in the living room. She always seemed to pop up out of nowhere; honestly, it would creep Emma out if she didn’t know that she was one of the oldest vampires in town.
“Emma! There you are.” Emma jumped at the frantic way Snow blurted the greeting, and had to rely on her superhuman reflexes to grab the wine glass that was shoved at her (honestly, if she’d been able to react at even a fraction of this speed when she was alive, maybe she’d have lived up to her last name). “It’s drinking time.”
“Did the meeting go that bad?” she asked, watching as her mom took a long drag from her own glass.
“Actually, it was rather refreshing,” Zelena said drily. “Historically, at least one person ends up dead in these sorts of things. And I really didn’t feel like washing blood from this blouse tonight.”
Snow just took another long, panicked drink. Zelena was never known for her tact (although Emma did have to agree that her green v-neck was gorgeous).
“So what did happen?” Emma had never been that great an actor, so hopefully her feigned indifference was convincing.
Zelena caught her up on the plan—a one-on-one fight rather than an all-out brawl. It was still more than Emma would have liked but certainly not as bad as it could have been. 
“It was headed that way,” Zelena responded to her comment, “except for Jones apparently being the only one with any brain cells still alive in Aurum.”
“Jones?” she blurted, unable to hold back at mention of Killian. Shit.
But thankfully, they read it as confusion; being one of the youngest vampires in the coven had its perks. “He’s the one you were dancing with,” Snow murmured.
“Oh,” she said, pretending to be ignorant (and that she didn’t know what his kiss tasted like).
“It was his idea for single combat. Makes me wish we had a soldier on our side—or just, you know, anyone with any sort of battle strategy. Humbert here was ready to tear his head off at the suggestion, even though it was a good one.”
“Are they the ones fighting?” Emma had to ask; it was the one time she’d let her mom think she was showing concern for Graham.
“Humbert is, but he’s facing...oh, what’s his name—Robert? Robbie? Something like that.”
It took effort not to look too relieved, so she hid her reaction in her drink. 
“I’m just glad it’s not David,” Snow said, having emptied her glass. 
“Then why are you drinking so much?” Zelena sneered.
“Because this was my night to get drunk! Aurum can’t take that from me.” And without another word, Snow disappeared back to the kitchen; Emma was pretty sure she heard the liquor cabinet open, where she was pretty sure a bottle of sanguiria was hiding.
Which left a slightly awkward silence over Emma and Zelena while the boys continued to lecture Graham on fighting (what good would that even do at this point? How had he not made it a century and half without knowing these things?) She rolled her eyes at them. “At least this’ll be the end of it, right?”
“We’ll see,” Zelena answered and took another sip. “I don’t see how something dating back 400 years will be settled by two assholes in a parking lot, but they can certainly try.”
“This rivalry seriously goes back that far?” She’d been told vague stories of the bad blood between the covens, but they all started with cliches like “many moons ago” and “once upon a time.”
“Ugh, I swear—we need to make this part of new vampire orientation or something,” Zelena complained. “Cora and Gold used to be lovers; he’s the one who turned her.”
“Holy shit.” Emma had not seen that coming. She’d have believed it if one of them had killed the other’s family or something—and Killian’s story wasn’t far from her mind—but actually lovers? “They must have had the worst breakup ever, then.”
“Something like that,” Zelena confirmed. “Gold—or Rumplestiltskin, as he was known back then—” (which was a revelation all on its own—) “meddled with Cora’s family in a way that was unforgivable. He took one of her daughters.” 
“Cora had daughters?” God, how many bomb revelations were going to be dropped on her tonight? (And was separating kids from their parents just an Aurum thing or what?)
“Two. And you’re talking to one of them.”
Emma’s dropped jaw had to suffice as a reply to that. Hopefully, her mom had saved her some sanguiria. “Wait—so he...did he...you…?”
“Did he turn me? No; I practically begged Mum to once I got of age. But Gold stole my sister and that caused the rift, among other things. So I really don’t see this little kerfuffle solving anything.”
There wasn’t much to say to that other than hum in agreement; no wonder things got so heated. Emma still thought it was silly, but having a frame of reference helped. She didn’t know if that made her predicament easier to deal with or harder, though.
“And it’s too bad, really,” Zelena continued. “I’d love to see my sister again, and then you could be with Killian.”
For the first time in 15 years, Emma choked on blood. “Um, what?”
“Darling, I’m 383 years old; you’re probably safe from anyone else here noticing, but I can still smell him all over you; he positively reeked earlier. And I hardly blame you. Frankly, you two might be our only hope.” Emma really wanted to ask what that meant, but was too busy mentally panicking and praying no one else heard this exchange. “Don’t worry; your secret’s safe with me,” Zelena promised, handing Emma her now-empty glass. “Just don’t be an idiot about it, alright?”
“All—alright,” Emma stammered.
“Good. Well, I’m off,” she said casually—and much louder; Emma hadn’t even realized they’d been whispering. “Good luck tomorrow, everyone,” she called as she headed for the door, but her eyes were locked with Emma’s before she made her exit.
Quickly, Emma finished her wine—just in time for Snow to refill it (with some claret; honestly, she didn’t care what it was as long as it had blood and alcohol. She would have settled for finding a drunk frat boy outside a party if that was what it took). That was...a lot to unpack in one night, and she had never been very good at that—side effect of being a foster kid. 
She wondered how much of it Killian knew; he had to know at least some of it, right? And what had Zelena been talking about—how were they the “only hope”? (What was this, Star Wars?) She didn’t want to be any sort of savior; she just wanted to jump her vampire boyfriend’s bones without causing a gang war. And, you know, the happily ever after stuff her mom was always talking about.
The two of them wordlessly continued to share the bottle of booze and stare out the window as the sun’s early rays started to brighten the buildings across the street. At some point, Jefferson and Graham had left, which helped Emma relax but didn’t remove the tension.
Outside, the moon was starting its morning fade; she’d be counting the hours until it made its evening appearance—‘til she could see Killian again.
★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★
Killian only just made it into the library before the full sun was shining on the entrance. He’d have to steal an umbrella or something when he left, but with any luck, it would rain like it was supposed to this afternoon and he’d be fine. 
He loved the library—the scent of ink on paper, the quiet hush of knowledge being shared, the occasional squeal of joy—but all was quiet and still at this early hour, especially since they weren’t technically open. (But he knew which door was usually unlocked, and if he didn’t show up on any security camera, then what was the harm?)
He would have loved to linger in the stacks, and might yet later, but he was on a mission, and instead made a beeline for the rare book collection and archives—the one place without windows, where a vampire could actually work in peace.
He made little noise as he pressed the heavy door open and stepped inside the musty room. It was pristine—not even a dust mote swirling in the lights.
“Unless you’ve somehow managed to make an everything bagel with blood, we’re not open,” the petite librarian called out from somewhere in the recesses of the space. Of course she heard him.
“I was never much of a baker, love,” he replied. “But how about some bloody earl grey?”
He’d only just moved his arm to the side, ensuring the safety of said tea, when a small but solid form was wrapped around him tightly. A few seconds later, it was slapping his chest.
“Killian Jones, you fils de pute! You didn’t tell me you were coming back!” Belle chastised, even though she was grinning.
“What, and ruin the surprise?”
She rolled her eyes, but chuckled. “Merde, but it’s good to see you,” she said, pressing up the few inches her heels didn’t cover to press a kiss to his cheek. “And you, too,” she added, but this time directed towards the tea. There was exactly one Starbucks in the city that catered specifically to vampires, just a couple blocks from here; hopefully, corporate never investigated the contents of the extra “red syrup” the undead staff kept stocked, though considering neither the location nor staff had changed in at least 15 years, they were likely in the clear.
“Why do I get the impression this is more than just a social call?” 
She knew him too well; he supposed that was to be expected after 150 years. “Perhaps I just came here to help one of my best friends; had you considered that, eh? What are you up to today?”
“Digitizing, as always, and I think there’s an appointment later to see some old Broadway posters. And whatever it is that’s brought you here, obviously.”
“You wound me.”
She glared at him as she took a sip from her cup—surprisingly menacing for one so seemingly docile, but it was also hard to believe that the dainty woman before him was a 200-some-year-old creature of the night. (Though it certainly took that amount of practice to run around a library in platform heels the way she did.) “Just what are you up to, Captain?”
He took his own drag of tea as he studied the aging leather spines in a glass-locked cabinet on the closest shelf, noting that the two of them were both likely older than the tomes, and yet showed no such signs of wear and tear. “It’s not anything hugely important, just a bit of gossip I heard, but figured you would be the one to confirm or deny it.”
“And what’s that?”
“With this whole ageless coven war, have you ever heard of any sort of...prophecy?”
He turned his head to look at her; were it not for the way she licked the tea off her lips, he’d think she was a statue. “Where did you hear that?” she finally murmured.
“Granny.” He couldn’t lie, and Belle wouldn’t judge.
“Yeah, she’d pick up something like that,” Belle had to admit. “Sharp old wolf.”
“So it’s real?”
Belle nodded. “It is, but no one’s said anything about it in...gosh, at least a hundred years. It goes back ages, though; I believe to the start of all this.”
“Does it say anything about how to end it?”
She sighed. “Yeah, it does. But let me finish my tea first.”
He truly had come to see her—not just for information; they’d first crossed paths sometime during the 1860s in Australia and been fast friends ever since. Killian couldn’t even remember what Gold had sent him there for, but Belle had come back to New York with him on one of his trips and stayed in the city ever since. She was originally from France, but after being turned (and losing her family) during the Reign of Terror, she fled the continent for England and hopped on the first ship out of Europe—to a penal colony on the other side of the world. Thus her odd combination of French curses and Australian accent. (Though after long enough, most vampires developed hard-to-place accents on account of their nomadicity; his likely only identified him as British due to his recent time spent there. And it hardly mattered in New York.)
She caught him up on anything he’d missed in the last decade that Robin hadn’t already, but didn’t betray the one thing he’d been hoping she’d mention: whether or not she was currently with Gold. He kind of hated how well they’d hit it off when he introduced them, but in the intervening decades, he’d lost count of how many times they’d broken up, made up, married, divorced, or just been “on a break” (it wasn’t a stretch to say they were a real-life Ross and Rachel; her apartment even had a purple door). They were freshly divorced when he’d left, but that didn’t mean much.
While she was taking a last, long dreg of tea, he had to ask. “And how are things with Gold?”
Suddenly, the cup was flattened and thrown with some precision to the trash bin near the door.
“Excellent, I take it?”
“More like completely done. Forever.”
He’d heard that before, but wasn’t about to contradict her. “What now?”
“Believe it or not, that’s one thing you haven’t missed—we haven’t gotten back together since you left.”
That had to be a record. However, he sensed that wasn’t all. “But?”
“But he’s tried on numerous occasions,” she sighed. “I’ve had enough, though; the shady dealings, his weird hangup over Cora, acting like king of his own empire. I’m not just another one of his playthings for him to control—oh, sorry.”
It wasn’t unusual for Belle to forget who she was talking to while ranting; however, “I’m not going to refute any of that, you know.”
“I know, just—I know you don’t have a choice.”
“Few have one.”
“Well, someone might—which brings us to the prophecy.” 
She started off for the back of the room, where the oldest books were kept; he had to jump to keep up with her (not like it was hard, though).
“Have you ever heard the legend of the Dark One?” she asked as she grabbed an ancient-looking set of keys and knelt in front of an even older-looking case.
“It sounds familiar,” he replied, though he couldn’t pinpoint anything solid about it—just a name, almost a fairy tale, that had popped up over the years. 
She pulled from the case what looked like a journal in a very fragile state and quickly moved it to an exam table (or whatever it was called—he didn’t spend that much time back here). “According to all the tales I’ve heard, the Dark One is the most powerful dark sorcerer in the world. Not only are they immortal, they lay claim to their power by murdering their predecessor. The story goes back centuries, and continues today.” As she told this, she carefully flipped through the pages of the book, which was written in an old language Killian only vaguely recognized. 
“So you mean to tell me the Dark One is alive and kicking, even now?”
“Well, alive is a loose term. Also, he’s here in the city—and he’s your boss.” She stopped on a page near the center, and despite the aged parchment, the drawing on it bore more than a passing resemblance to Gold. “Not only has he held the title the longest, he was also the first vampire to lay claim to it. His existence is...I hate to say unprecedented, given how long he’s been around, but it’s definitely unique.”
How had he been unaware of this? True, there had always been something sinister about Gold that Killian hadn’t been able to put a finger on, but he just assumed it was because the man was an utter conniving bastard and had centuries to perfect being so. Not that he was also in possession of the darkest magic known to man. Few had any extra sort of magic—Cora was the only other one he knew of, and she wasn’t shy about it. Gold, apparently, was, though.
“How on earth did you find that out?”
“Well, he told me.”
Yeah, something like that would probably come up in pillow talk over the course of 150 years. “And he, what, gave you his notebook of devious schemes?” Killian asked, nodding at the book.
Belle snorted. “Not quite. I tracked this down myself about a hundred years ago.”
“So he doesn’t know about it?”
“Nope,” she confirmed, rather satisfied. “At least, he doesn’t know I have it. It was after our first divorce. See, he’s also spent plenty of time trying to hold onto that power and I, in my ire, decided to see if there was a way for him to lose it. Turns out, there is.”
She carefully flipped another few pages to one with just a few lines of text, in an older English, but easy enough for Killian to read:
Only one without creator live Can destroy the dark and survive. At truest love’s closing hour Will they eliminate the power
“And what exactly does that mean?” he wondered; he’d never encountered prophecies in the real world, but Harry Potter certainly seemed to have nailed their ambiguity.
“In simple terms, that only an orphan—someone without living parents—can kill him and end the line of Dark Ones. He did some awful things to orphanages years ago.” Belle shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cool temperature. “But ‘creator’ is a bit nebulous, especially with our kind,” she went on. “For us, it could also mean someone without a living sire. He’s also been known to target those.”
“Aye,” and it was Killian’s turn to shudder; he certainly had that kind of blood on his hands, although he’d usually been given a reason when taking out a hit on Gold’s orders. It was generally hard for anyone to get away from their sire—you couldn’t exactly kill someone when they had the ability to simply tell you to stop. The Nolans were an exception (one he still wanted to talk to Regina about); in fact, the only one he really knew of was… “Emma,” he breathed.
“Emma? Is that the girl whose scent is all over you?” Belle teased.
“Yeah, it is,” he told her, a bit sheepishly, but he had no time to stammer. “She doesn’t have a sire; she killed hers right after he turned her.”
“Impressive. I already approve of her.” Not that he needed Belle’s approval, but other than Robin, she was the closest thing he had to family—and that felt good.
“Even if she’s with Corona?”
“You know I don’t bloody care. Hell, I might like her more, then.”
That made him chuckle, but he needed to know more about the subject at hand. “What’s the rest of it mean, then?”
“Honestly, anything. ‘Closing hour’ is up for even more interpretation—could mean marriage, could mean death.”
“But we’re already dead.”
“I know. So I’ve no real clue. But I can spend some time on it, if you think she’s part of this.”
“It’s worth a shot; whatever it takes to end this feud.” Which gave him another, almost terrifying thought: “Does Cora know this?”
“That I don’t know. But I got the distinct impression it was part of why he turned her.”
“So she couldn’t kill him?”
“I think so. She was after power, whatever she could get; I think that’s why they got together in the first place. She was still mortal, then, and something of a witch, which...you’re already aware of. Turning her was always part of the plan, I gathered, but I think he moved up the timeline on it when he found out about the prophecy.”
“If she did find out, I can see why that might cause a legendary rift.” It would explain a lot of things, really.
“Precisely. And given my own dealings with the man, it’s easy to see why that went south.”
“At least you were already immortal,” he said knowingly.
“True,” she agreed, patting his hand. 
“What about you? Where’s your sire nowadays?”
“No clue. I saw her my last time in Paris but that was 50 years ago. And trust me—if I could kill him, I would have by now.”
They shared a laugh, but Killian was more laughing at the idea that she’d be willing to off him; despite her rage, he knew she still loved him, deep down, even if she didn’t want to be in a relationship anymore.
She put the book away as methodically as she’d taken it out, locked the case, and glanced at the clock. “Well, I’d love to hear more about this Emma, but I suppose it’ll have to wait for another day; my appointment is in 20 minutes and I haven’t pulled anything yet. But maybe we can get some tea again in a couple days?”
“Sounds perfect, my dear—and thank you for your assistance.”
“My pleasure; hope it helps.”
“Anything does at this point.” He gave her a parting peck on the cheek and began to walk away, hoping it was still early enough he could stick to the shadows of the skyscrapers just fine, but then she called out again.
“Oh, and tell Will to call me, would you?”
He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her; surely she was joking. “Will? That wanker? Why?”
She shrugged. “I guess that’s one of the things I didn’t tell you from the last 15 years.”
★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★
thanks for reading, friends! let me know if you want/don’t want a tag! @kat2609​​​ @xpumpkindumplingx​​​ @shipsxahoy​​​ @amortentia-on-the-rocks​​​ @mryddinwilt​​​ @cocohook38​​​ @annytecture​​​ @shireness-says​​​ @ohmightydevviepuu​​​ @profdanglaisstuff​​​ @wingedlioness​​​ @word-bug​​​ @distant-rose​​​ @wellhellotragic​​​ @welllpthisishappening​​​ @let-it-raines​​​ @pirateherokillian​​​ @bleebug​​​ @its-imperator-furiosa​​​ @fergus80​​​ @killianmesmalls​​​ @sherlockianwhovian​​​ @ineffablecolors​​​ @laschatzi​​​ @ive-always-been-a-pirate​​​ @nfbagelperson​​​ @stubblesandwich​​​​ @lenfaz​​​ @phiralovesloki​​​ @athenascarlet​​​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​​​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​​​ @snowbellewells​​​ @idristardis​​​ @scientificapricot​​​ @searchingwardrobes​​​ @donteattheappleshook​​​ @lfh1226-linda​
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PLF Advisor Headcanons (’cause why not)
So I’ve been thinking a lot about the PLF advisors, probably more than I should be about characters we barely have faces of. All of this stuff’s probably gonna get flushed down the drain sooner rather than later, and I have been meaning to start actually posting stuff on this site. Might as well share, am I right?
I’m sure I shouldn’t need to tell anyone this at present, but just to be safe, or in case of future readers: the latest chapter was 276 & we know next to nothing about any of these guys except Slidin’ Go, so most of is baseless conjecture. Most of it mine, but I’ll source where I’ve borrowed some ideas. The closest thing to a basis for any of these is “this is probably the kind of quirk I could see someone in this position having” & “these motives and backgrounds sound like what Horikoshi would give to a long-term ally of Shigaraki”. We clear? Everybody got their proper expectations in place? Cool, now let’s get to the fun bits.
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Black (Tactics)
Twice Advisor #3 (PLF Granny)
I won’t lie, I’m organizing this list this way to talk about her first.
Contrary to her appearance, PLF Granny actually used to be a super dangerous criminal and wanted hero killer, before disappearing off the face of the country (see Spinner Advisor #3 for more on that).
Now she’s the PLF’s resident mother/grandmother figure (depending on how old you are).
(She’s secretly not that old though.)
Always willing to help a fellow PLF soldier out of a problem no matter how minor, but would also lecture them for the smallest misbehavior.
Greatly appreciated because not a lot of high ranking PLF members have the greatest motherly figures in their lives rn.
Her quirk is something like Overhaul’s, but a bit weaker and a bit more gruesome. She can fully manipulate any human body she’s touching besides her own; allowing her to close up wounds, lock up muscles, contort limbs, or even just blow you up.
Illegally experimenting with her quirk caused her to accidentally kill someone in her youth, and she’s been on the run ever since.
She’s working with the PLF to improve quirk counseling, believing a society more accepting of quirks would allow kids with dangerous quirks to understand them better & know how to use them safely, so none of them will end up like herself.
Twice Advisor # 2 (Scary Canadian)
“Scary Canadian” really sums up his personality. He’s actually quite nice and polite to hid friends & allies, or otherwise in his downtime. But also you really don’t want to mess with him. Or else.
Needless to say, he and Twice got a long real quick once the underlying tension of their 2 groups going to war had (mostly) passed.
His quirk (along with a funky entire-upper-torso) allows him to energize himself with stored up energy, making him a bit strong, faster, and tougher.
He can also use a lot of energy at once for laser eyes. A useful skill, but it usually puts him out of the fight afterwords.
The energy stores up during sleep, which means he sleeps for an extra few hours each night and leaves him uncharacteristically grumpy in the morning.
He can also build up energy while awake, but it leaves him lethargic so he doesn’t do it while he has paper work to do.
He never wanted to be a hero as a kid, but as he grew older he found that meant people didn't like him using his quirk so much.
He joined the MLA for the simple reason of his experiences making him feel quirks should just be treated as a normal part of a person, instead of an aspect only heroes should be allowed to use/acknowledge.
Twice Advisor # 1 (King Bradly looking guy)
You remember in chapter 258, they mentioned a guy named Sanctum; oldest member in the MLA and believing all the League members are just in puppet positions? This is him.
He doesn’t really mean to come across as that unapproachable & rude, but he finds making sure everyone takes their jobs seriously is more important than being friendly.
As a result, while he & Twice come at odds quite often, they actually work quite well together. He keeps Twice on track and Twice appreciates that.
Much like Yotsubashi, his family has been in the Liberation Army for generations. Their cause is all he’s even known, but he has no regrets, especially now that Shigaraki’s livened the cause up.
I used to headcanon this guy’s quirk as making portals, but that might be someone else’s quirk no so...Earthbending, his quirk is earthbending.
He’s pretty good with it to, what with training with it since he was a little kid. The amount he can move is between that of Pixie-Bob & Gigantomachia, but he outshines them both in control.
He could make a perfectly square, finely-detailed hall a foot underground and no one above it would even feel the earth shifting.
Violet (Guerrilla Warfare)
Dabi Advisor # 3 (Ana)
So most of this is borrowed from @possessedfuzzybear
To catch everyone up: he’s named Ana (which means ‘hole’), he’s Dabi’s emo friend, and his hair is neon green.
See their blog for more info, but be warned: Fuzzy is horny AF. 18+ only, understand children?
His quirk has already been shown: It’s either making holes in stuff, or possibly making portals.
Needless to say, he and Dabi combo well together.
When he was a kid, one of his parents were arrested by heroes and he ended up running away from home before he got put in the system. He ended up meeting PLF Granny and some other runaways, and when she joined the MLA, he followed along.
He wasn’t originally a very active member, but when he saw the perks PLF Granny was getting for her hard work, and more importantly that she was spending those perks on himself and the other runaways; he started going above and beyond to earn his room & board.
Dabi Advisor # 2 (Tube Face)
Another emo of the PLF, which is probably why he’s with Dabi. That said, he’s less close to Dabi because he’s the exact same kind of loner as Dabi was before he got put in charge of stuff. So they resonate with each other, but they don’t exactly talk.
This guy’s quirk is that he has a snake for a tongue; full-sized and it talks in place of his normal mouth.
That’s actually what the tube is for, it’s snake armor.
(2nd guess, and this probably more likely if I’m honest, is some kind of gas quirk. if that’s true though, he’s related to Mustard.)
His story is a typical one; ostracized for having a particularly freaky mutant quirk that, while impressive, went unappreciated outside of heroics. Perhaps he even tried to become a hero, but dropped out, and the Japanese school system is yet another harsh mistress of society.
Either way, he then joined the biggest game in town that’s trying to make quirks more accepted, so he and kids like him can be appreciated instead of ridiculed.
Dabi Advisor # 1 (Happy with his piercings)
This guy’s something like Muscular without quite so many murders; generally just happy to be here doing whatever we’re doing as long as he gets to use his quirk to do it.
Dabi puts on airs of hating him, but really he...mostly doesn’t.
His quirk is actually super speed, which he combos with his impressive muscles to be quite the lightning bruiser.
That said, he’s not that fast. Like, he is to the flash, what Sato Rikido is to All Might. Probably somewhere between Iida before and after Recipro Burst.
His motivations are, as stated, pretty similar to why Muscular joined the League, except this guy looked into a slightly more legitimate organization because we was looking to legalize the freedom he was after, rather than simply ignoring legality in general.
He’s not exactly opposed to Shigaraki’s methods though.
Geten Advisor #3 (Pointy Head)
My first though looking at this guy is “His color is Blue”.
Generally, the suit and mouth armor make me think he either has or had ties to big business or heroics. Let’s go with the latter.
He was a humble but fairly accomplished hero, or maybe even just a sidekick, when he took down some socially powerful villain the HC didn't exactly want him taking down.
He and his entire Agency were indirectly ruined, and so joined the MLA in hopes of continuing to help people in their own way. Happily for him, that turned out to be fighting against the HC.
His quirk is a simple one: enhanced sight, hearing, and basically all his senses, as well as the ability to process it all very quickly.
To combos this with his swordsmanship to deadly effect.
Having the title of “advisor”, he tends to give lots of advise to Geten (regardless of if it’s wanted), looks out for him, and generally ignores that fact that Geten is his superior, not subordinate.
Geten Advisor # 2 (Sweater Lady)
The PLF Wine Aunt. And she introduces herself like that to people too.
She’s brash but wise, tends to look out for everyone in the PLF when she can, but also shares just a few of Geten’s more worrying views on quirks.
So guys like Dabi & Spinner think there might be hope for her if they can get her to knock that prejudice stuff out, and actually have good reason to think they can, but generally steer clear of her when possible.
Her quirk is something powerful, but disfiguring to her face. My current favorite idea being breathing out a gaseous neurotoxin or something to that effect that makes her mouth look weird. 
Her sweater actually hides a series of soft but sturdy tubes that expel the neurotoxin from her arms, because she can aim her arms better than her head.
Her reasons for being in the MLA are basically that with a lack of social changes in the advent of quirks, standards of beauty are as BS as ever for women, even as women like her get weird mutations to their bodies, and especially to the head.
She believes a society more accepting of quirks would be more willing to accept mutations as beautiful, although this has eventually developed into a complex about powerful quirks being beautiful in order to convince herself of her own worth.
Hence everyone’s belief that maybe they can fix that complex of hers once they build a more accepting society. (That and, y’know, they have to work with her anyway.)
Geten Advisor # 1 (Stressed Baldy)
Probably one of the most welcoming advisors to the League because due to this quirk, this man generally ties to say cheerful at all times.
You see: his quirk is tied to his emotions. All of his emotions. Only by not feeling anything in particular, like in the picture above, does it not activate.
That’s actually why he’s in the PLF, he finds in unreasonable that those with hair trigger quirks like himself be forced to not use those quirks in public or face criminal charges.
Well actually, he’s also from an MLA family like Yotsubashi, but his ancestor joined for the same reason; so he’s probably the person born into the MLA with the best reason for still being there.
Ah, but I didn’t explain the quirk itself, what he does depends on what emotions he’s currently feeling.
When Happy, or otherwise feeling positively towards himself: a barrier forms around him right above his skin & clothing. While in this barrier, hits to him are diminished, and his own hits hit harder.
When sad, fearful, or other such emotions: that barrier disappears from around him and instead forms around his allies.
When angry, or otherwise directing negative emotions outward: the barriers appear around his enemies, and then lock in place so they cannot move. They also can’t be hurt in this state, but he can work around that.
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Carmine (Intelligence)
Toga Advisor # 3 (Muscular tank top guy)
The reason he’s in the Intelligence regiment has little to do with his quirk, and a lot to do with his charismatic and friendly personalty. He get’s a lot done just going out and talking to people, and he teaches his subordinates how to do the same.
His quirk is simple x-ray vision. Nothing all that special, but he has learned to use it well in a fight, seeing how the opponent moves like a certain Jojo stand from part 6.
He was also a part of PLF Granny’s group of runaways who joined the MLA when she did. No particularly dramatic reason why, he was just broke & unlucky and she was just nice.
Before they joined the MLA, he did stuff like convince bakeries to give their left over product to the kids at the end of the day.
They ended up joining shortly before the MLA really started making it’s resurgence, so he made a name for himself helping out the new guys. And since everyone was already looking up to him, the higher-ups gave him a good position to keep doing that.
That’s his job with Toga too, introducing her to the ins and outs of the PLF. They also tend to talk romance and cute things (like I said above, he’s good at talking to people), so they get along pretty well despite underlying tension.
He finds her crushes on multiple enemies worrisome though, for multiple reasons, and is trying to build up the nerve to talk to her about that.
Toga Advisor # 2 (R2D2 Expy)
Little can we tell from the above picture, that’s just his head (and extremely long neck). He has a torso and such below.
His quirk is actually being a cyborg, and most of his body is augmentable.
He has multiple weapons he can attach and detach from himself and automatically control like any other limb.
It wares on him to attach to much to himself though, so he won’t be augmenting himself with any large equipment.
The R2D2 head is a disguise he wears to PLF meetings, and he intends for it to be his official villain outfit once he hits the field.
It’s not his only look though. He has numerous faces and various identities to go with them. It’s how he joined the Intelligence division.
He’s a Star Was fan (obvs).
Toga doesn’t talk to him much, what with him not being very cute. He mostly takes care of managerial tasks with his underlings, and organizes reports for her.
He also works at Feel Good Inc., & only really joined the MLA because he was invited by his boss, Skeptic. He got a promotion out of it and still feels like he’s on the winning side though, so he’s not complaining.
Toga Advisor # 1 (Beautiful Woman)
The advisor Toga most depends on, this woman tends to do all the work Toga’s less than qualified to handle as a 17-year old.
Frankly, Toga kind of looks up to her as a powerful feminine figure in her life, especially since she’s largely not quirkiest (like Sweater Lady), and her past is pretty similar to Toga’s but she managed to bounce back into a powerful position.
Her quirk is the ability to read minds in short snippets by making eye contact with people, usually whatever they’re thinking of in that moment..
It’s not perfect because people can sort of feel ‘something’ when she reads their minds, so people who know what she’s doing can just look away. It’s pretty easy to not look someone in the eye.
Giran caught on pretty quick when he was being held hostage.
She pretended to be quirkless to her friends and repressed it well into adulthood, until her quirk was discovered. At that point, not only did people stop trusting her, she was accused of illegal quirk usage and pursued by the police. This was when she found and joined the MLA.
Skeptic Advisor # 3 (Toad Man)
This guy radiates the best and worst of redneck culture, kinda gross, more than a bit judgy; but also inventive, Integrous, and always willing to throw down with corrupt authority figures.
(That said, he’s toned down the prejudice stuff working with so many different people and also Toga threatening him with knives.)
He’s also good at talking to the marginalized and those out in the boonies, which essentially means he’s got an underworld information network all his own, which is half of how he got his position in the Intelligence regiment. In fact, for better or worse, he’s the one who found Giran.
The other half is his quirk; which is, along with general toad-like characteristics, the ability to temporarily eat anything he can fit in that big ol’ gullet of his and analyze it down the the barest physical detail. (”physical” meaning he could find a finger print on a gun and draw it out, but couldn’t read the data on a memory stick.)
His reasons for being in the PLF are simple: like I said, he’s just always willing to throw down with authority figures. He doesn’t care that his quirk isn’t for fighting, he’ll just punch every HC member in the face.
Actually, he’s even more invested now that Shigaraki’s in charge. He wasn’t really feeling the MLA before, but now he’s gung ho about the cause like few others.
Skeptic Advisor # 2 (Ugh...Slidin’ Go)
Being a well known character, there’s not that much to say.
Hmm...
His reasoning for joining the MLA is surprisingly simple: he feels society’s view on quirks is too simple; praising flashy quirks while also forbidding non-heroes from using them where possible, all for the convenience of heroes and the hero industry.
Being so attached to his quirk, he entered into heroics in order to get a quirk licence, but still felt this thought process was backwards and joined the MLA to turn it around.
He’s responsible for a lot of the heroes in the MLA, having found a lot of like minded people in his industry and got them into the Army. A lot of them were actually old classmates of his.
Skeptic Advisor # 1 (Beautiful Man)
The half-brother of Beautiful Woman, he joined because she invited him and he wanted to help her. Not only because she was family, but because he was responsible for her quirk being discovered & he feels he needs to make up for accidentally making her a wanted woman.
He’s not a wanted criminal, so he got a job at Feel Good Inc. and works closely with Skeptic as a sort of secretary that reminds him of his personal affairs.
(In reality though, he manages contact with the MLA/PLF while Skeptic is running his company.)
He gets along with Skeptic as well as anyone can with that personality. Way better than Slidin’ Go anyway.
This quirk is a form of telepathy like Mandalay. There are 3 differences though. 1) he or a part of him must be touching the person to communicate, which he gets around by making bracelets & other accessories with strands of his hair that can be pressed against the wearer’s skin. On the other hand, 2) it’s got no range limit and 3) allows for 2 way communication. 
And on one last note: he can always tell who he’s talking too, as well as who might be trying (& failing) to listen in.
Essentially, he’s a hack-proof human communications network, able to pass along information from key PLF members to each other and Skeptic, who can relay the information to other members through more mundane means. 
It’s a good back-up for if heroes try jamming or otherwise interfering with those mundane communication methods.
Brown (Support)
Mr. Compress Advisor # 3 (Compress Cosplayer)
The mask is actually new, and actually kind of is Compress cosplay. when he met Compress they just kind of resonated with each other, and Compress decided to make him his apprentice.
It’s only been a few months, but he took to showmanship quite well. And now everyone else around him hates him. Dude just can’t win.
His quirk is basically being living hammer space; he can store things in his body like Momo in reverse & pull them out like Momo in forward.
The catch is that his whole body looks something like an astral CGI monstrosity; his skin is this gelatinous looking goop patterned like space that caused him to be bullied growing up.
Though his past is similar to Sweater lady, his motives are actually more like Spinner’s: living a lonely life, he kind of just joined the first cause that resonated with him in the hope of finding meaning.
He has yet to really find that yet, but at least he found a hobby & a good number of good friends.
Mr. Compress Advisor # 2 (Natsuo’s happier doppelganger)
A popular base commander, this guy has made a name for himself in the PLF for his managerial skills. He takes care of his people, completes his jobs promptly, and is generally pretty intelligent when it comes to resource management.
His job as an advisor is less stellar though. Except for reports, he tends to leave Compress to himself and/or his other advisors. Compress has tried to talk to him but he made fun of the magician act once and now they keep their distance.
He probably has one of the peatiest reasons for being in the PLF among the advisors & lieutenants.
You see, his quirk is that he’s able to make or dismiss a kind of wooden golem to do what he wants, and he often had it do menial labor for him.
That said, while it’s legal for him to do that in private settings, it’s actually illegal in public, and people have gotten on his case about that since he was a kid. What’s more, the reprimands got worse & worse the older he got, so eventually he got sick of it and joined the MLA.
Yeah, he’s part of a terrorist group because it’s illegal to use his quirk to carry his groceries for him.
Mr. Compress Advisor # 1 (Electric Scar Face)
Another descendant of a mainstay family in the MLA, he was actually a friend of Yotsubashi growing up. They’ve drifted a bit in adulthood since he isn’t exactly the business type, but they still work closely enough and keep in touch.
That’s actually most of the reason he’s not exactly on board with Shigaraki being in charge now. He only really heard 2nd hand about what happened in Daika, and he’s pretty biased in favor of the old boss.
All that said, he & Compress probably have one of the most stable lieutenant/advisor relationships; agreeable enough, healthy but minimal disagreements, actually pretty similar humor & they’ve both got good heads on their shoulders with just more than a hint of eccentricity.
We already know his quirk, absorbing and discharging Electricity.
Spinner Advisor # 3 (Cementos’ long lost cousin)
While not actually related to Cementos (probably), I’ve actually grown attached to the idea that he went to UA himself, so here’ the continuation of PLF Granny’s story I promised.
So one day, while working on his internship, he ended up pursuing a wanted hero killer, who he found out was just an old lady who lost control of her quirk and has been panicking ever since. He realized she needed help, but for her crimes she’d surely be sent to Tartarus for life (which is a redundant statement), so he decided to leave professional heroism behind to help her disappear, as well as help her in general.
In the process, they came across a good number of other runaways, and when the MLA agreed to shelter them in exchange for labor and generally joining the cause, they agreed.
As an advisor, he has a good professional relationship with Spinner, and they often discuss what they believe heroes should really be like and the failings of their current iterations. As such, he’s ended up growing to the idea of Shigaraki as presented to him by Spinner.
His quirk is the ability to turn into a large whale like creature that’s able to move large numbers of forces in it’s mouth through the water. I think it’d be cool if it could move through the ground too, but that might overlap with Machia.
He’s also able to produce and shoot spikes from his skin in either form to defend himself. 
He’d probably get along with/relate to Kurogiri if he’s ended up getting some of Shirakumo’s memories by the time he escapes.
Spinner Advisor # 2 (Edgy Spider Guy)
(Just a reminder for those who only remember this guy from the above picture, he was shown to have spider legs in a later chapter.)
Spinner’s gamer buddy among the advisors, as well as the main supporter for his crusade of eliminating mutation prejudice.
Having a spider quirk, no surprise he was bullied in school only to be harassed and marginalized in adulthood. He eventually got a job at Detnarat, and was personally invited into the MLA by Yotsubashi himself.
Along with the extra spider limbs, he can also produce especially strong spider silk, which he can then telekinetically control while close to it. He does’t produce it at a very quick rate, but he’s been able to sew it into his cloak to move it, letting him increase his speed and pull off a few other neat tricks.
The main downside though is a particularly freaky face, which he’s developed a complex about. Thus why he hides his face. He’s got friends working with him about it though.
That said, he’ll probably still keep the cloak after he overcomes this complex because it’s cool.
Spinner Advisor # 1 (Cute Bug Girl)
The last of PLF Granny’s old runaway gang among the advisors.
(there are still others, but they have much smaller rolls, if any.) 
She joined after losing her parents to an altercation with the CRC. (Y’know, the Klan looking freaks.)
Her personality is something like a transitioning point between a high school alpha bitch and a wine aunt. Mainly because she looks to sweater lady from Geten’s group as something of a roll model (unfortunately).
Her relationship with her boss, Spinner, is rather tense as a result. She looks down on him for his quirk (though she’s tactful enough to not mention this), but relates to his hardships as a Mutant. As a result, she looks out for him more than she looks down on him, but she’s still kind of waiting for him to prove himself.
Her quirk is the ability to create & control tiny insects about the size of fairy flies (<3mm in length) in vast swarms.
These bugs move pretty silently, so they can act as a fog, fly into people’s mouths and attack them there, or fly into wounds to either stitch them closed or make them worse.
While she doesn’t have an actual PHD, she was trained by several doctors hired by the MLA for many years to make the best of her quirk, and is now the director of the PLF’s medical units, except for small, personal medial units in the other regiments.
General stuff
Just to be clear, though I describe most of these guys & gals relatively nicely, most all of these guys probably have more confirmed kills under their belt than Twice.
(Granted, that’s partially because Twice doesn’t really confirm his kills. We only know of 2, including the guy he murdered after he was himself murdered. But that still means everyone here has killed several people.)
Each of these guys have their own base to watch over, you’ll remember, and part of their responsibilities is either recruiting or eliminating people who learn too much.
Each of them has the job of easing their subordinates into going along with the new leadership, especially the people who weren’t there for Daika. This is kind of tricky because they were also not there for Daika, so they’ve been required to talk with the League members a lot.
It’s helped encourage them to get to know the new management relatively well.
Side note: I’m also willing to bet Trumpet & Redestro have their own regiment; probably an undercover or public relations regiment, and probably have 6 advisors for themselves too. I’m excited to meet them.
And despite how much work I put into all this, I’m also excited to see just how much of it is wrong as we meet these guys for real.
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matildainmotion · 4 years
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Letters in Lockdown: an invitation to take part in an art exchange
May 1st 2020, Sussex
Dear You,
I want to write you a letter for the month of May – an analogue antidote to our intense online digital lives. Of course, for now, you will be reading this on a screen but my hope is, as you’ll see if you read on, that some offline letters will follow between us. For the time being I will write this in the style of a letter, thinking of the quality of one.
It was my birthday last week and I received two fountain pens and three bottles of ink as presents (my mother and husband both had the same idea), so whilst I am typing this, using squares on a keyboard, I am dreaming of ink on paper. I think what is special about a letter, the real kind that you can hold in your hands, is that it foregrounds my particular moment of writing, and then yours of reading. It grounds me in the physical, sitting now in the living room, the cold metal of the laptop on my legs, while the children watch a Toy Story short on Disney Plus (a new lockdown addition to our lives). It makes explicit the incredible thing that writing does, bridging gaps of time and space, and of people- the gap between you and me. It does physical distancing yet social bridging like nothing else, and I need that kind of bridge right now.
This period in lockdown has been reminding me of the no-time time between Christmas and New Year. As a child I used to find it strange and fascinating to walk down our street on December 25th and to know that behind every door a different version of the day was taking place. I knew the insides of some of those houses well enough, but I didn’t know them on Christmas day. It was like the doors that said ‘Staff only’ on them in cafes and shops - suddenly, at that time of year, everyone disappeared behind doors like that, doors that seemed marked with a backstage, behind-the-scenes sign, the place you can’t see, but you know that stories are unfolding there.
In lockdown this is happening everywhere, for much longer than it does at Christmas time. I think of the twenty-four other families of the children in my son’s school class, how there are twenty-four different versions of this time happening between us. We live close by to one another but do not know how it is for one another in any detail. So I thought I would write you a letter to tell you a little about what it is like here, behind our door, and then perhaps you can reply.
There are five of us behind our door – me, my husband, my mother, my son and my daughter. We are 46, 56, 78, 8 and 3 – ages seem important now. We live in a village in Sussex, in a two bed house, but there is a little studio-shed in the garden that my mother, ‘Granny,’ uses as a bedroom. It is a small house for five people. Usually my husband is not here during the week – he is in London, working. Usually my mother is not here during the weekends – she goes back to my brother’s house in Oxford. But during the lockdown we have all been here all the time, five people, holding, between us, at least twenty-five different roles. Not just the husband, mother, son, sibling, in-law roles – the family ones you might expect to find together in a home – but also the student, teacher, director, facilitator ones. Because usually my husband doesn’t have to be an Artistic Director of a theatre company in the attic, a tiny triangle of space under the roof; I don’t have to facilitate Mothers Who Make sessions in the bedroom; my son doesn’t have to learn his times tables in the kitchen. Usually we go out to be in other buildings for these roles. And these are only the worldly ones. There is a whole raft of other dreaming, feeling roles – the carer, the cleaner, the teaser, the pleaser, the critic, the grump, the clown, the aggressor, the sulker, the button-pressor, the one with the button pressed…..that list goes on to reach many multiplications beyond the times tables that I know. We move through them every day, thousands of roles, ricocheting off each other as we manoeuvre round the kitchen: my daughter running up and down, refusing to get dressed; my son reading comics, strewn across the floor; my mother, holding the pants my daughter won’t put on, trying to keep out of everyone’s way; my husband wanting to make a cup of coffee; me looking for the toothbrushes that I thought I had brought downstairs, but maybe I didn’t.
Letters can feel confessional and I think I have reached that point in this one. I know the thing that I am meant to do, for everyone’s wellbeing, is to create a clear structure and rhythm for the days, and yet it is the thing with which I struggle most. My son is not asleep till after midnight. This means we get up late – nine, half nine. The first thing he wants to do, as soon as he wakes, is use up his screen-time allowance for the day (currently this means two episodes of My Little Pony). I let him because it means I get my moment of writing time at once, and this helps me accept the cramped-ness of the rest of the day. So by 10.30am, we are undressed and un-breakfasted. Some days we manage to achieve breakfast and clothes just in time for lunch. And then I realise I haven’t done the tooth-brushing….And then there is school work to fit in, and a walk, and the hens need visiting on the allotment, and perhaps some supplies need to be bought or ordered, and several Zoom calls have to happen, and then it is supper, later than it should be, and a bath and I am typing this again, past midnight with the children asleep at last.  
Meanwhile, behind the worldly roles, and the dreaming, feeling roles, pressed tight together in our two bed house, there lie things that are larger than any roles or rooms: the big picture thoughts. The what-will-become-of-us thoughts. The what-will-happen-to-the world questions. What will my children’s lives be like? Will everything get better, worse, or both? Another confession coming up, a confession about prayer. My mother brought us up Catholic – I’m not religious now but I still find myself praying. It feels like writing letters to the air. I still imagine angels, spiritual postmen (but transgender), with huge diamond-shaped wings, like kites, straggling across the night. I pass them messages, requests for health, safety, joy, care – the big things – and they take them up as they fly by.  
           And because I cannot hold everything – all the toothbrushes, the meals, pants, melt downs, cups of tea, the roles, the feelings, the big thoughts and prayers – I write, and the writing does some of the holding for me. So, as well as this letter I also wrote you a story, which I will share in a moment. But before that I’d like to make you an invitation. Usually, I write a question for the month. This time, my question is this: would you like to write me a reply? Would you like to join me on a project of which this blog is the beginning, called Letters in Lockdown? If so, here’s how…
Write a letter, a poem, a song, a story. Or don’t write, draw. Draw a doodle, a sketch, a cartoon, a painting. Or do both. Or fetch the scissors and cut out some paper dolls of all the people in your house. Or find the glue and make a collage of your lockdown lives. Write or draw to me and/ or to another mother and maker behind another door somewhere in the world, within this locked down time. Write or draw about how it is behind your door. Write a letter, make an image, such as you would like to receive. Your children can join you in this. They can write their own letter or draw their own drawing. Or you can make one huge messy image altogether. It can be about the big picture, or the tiny details of your days, or both. About the joy, or the fear, or the grumps, or the grief, or the roles, or the toothbrushes, or the angels. Then post it to me. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). I will put what you send me into another maker’s empty envelope and send it out to her. I will put another mother’s/ child’s letter/ artwork into your envelope and send it back to you. In this way, you will get a reply. It will be like putting a message in a bottle and not knowing what message will come back, or from whom, but knowing, for sure, that one will. Nor will you know exactly where your message will end up. That’s the game. We will all be writing to each other, and all receiving from each other, lots of lockdown letters and pictures, the kind that involve ink on paper, the kind you can hold, made behind another door, posted through yours. And, with your permission, I will keep a digital record of what you post too so that one day, maybe, when this is over and we can walk out into the new world, there will be a book by you and me and many other mothers and makers, called Letters in Lockdown – a record of this time.
           If you want to take part in this art exchange, then email me at [email protected] and I will send you the address to which to send your letters/ artwork and other details. If you want to take part but you cannot get to a post box, then email me also and I can do the paper and ink part and the posting for you. I look forward to your post. Consider it a commission you are receiving from Mothers Who Make.
Now, below, enclosed within this letter, is my story for you. I am sharing it, though I feel shy and nervous about doing so, because I want to show you that it is possible to share different things – not just letters but things that you might not usually put into an envelope and post out to the world. This story is part of a longer series of unpublished flash fiction pieces I am working on called ‘Other Peoples, Other Worlds.’ This one, lockdown-inspired, is called ‘The People Apart. You can go here to read it: https://matildainmotion.tumblr.com
But first, let me sign off from letter-writing. I hope to hear back from you.
With love, and healthful wishes to you and everyone within your home, behind your door.
Matilda xxxxxx
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spoopyghostgirl · 4 years
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And now is my canon Shepard, Jax
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Name: Jackson James Shepard
Nickname(s): Jax, James, Jim, Shep, Sheepy
Gender: Male
Age: 27 years old (ME1)
Birthday: November 18th
Previous Homeworld: Earth
Current Homeworld: None recently
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Race: Mixed
Voice: Tucker, Red VS Blue
Personality: Jax is a very lighthearted person, easy to make laugh, and quick to smile. Despite his immensely sunny demeanor, he finds it difficult to relate to others, not for s lack of trying but because he is very shy. That is, unless he is working and then he is a firm, no nonsense, straight forward man.
Family or Relatives: His mother is Amelia Shepard, originally from England. His father is Admiral Hackett, though their relationship was hidden given his mother and fathers places within the alliance. The pair met during a search and rescue mission, Amelia pulling Hackett from behind enemy lines. He thought she was an angel sent to deliver his immortal soul. Waking up later, he was very embarrassed but it ended up working in his favor, since the beautiful lieutenant came to visit him several times during his hospital stay, and if Jax is any sign, those visits continued long after he was released.
Relationships: He originally has a relationship with Tali, though that relationship is ended when she discovers he works for Cerberus (and that he may or may not have taken up casually sleeping with Hades). He later develops feelings for Jack, joking that he has a thing for scary women before ultimately ending that relationship.
Morality: Lawful Good
Pre-Service History: Spacer. Given that both of his parents are high ranking service members, and that his parents were trying to be discrete about both their relationship and Jax's parentage, the young Jax spent most of his time bouncing between ships.
Psychological Profile: War Hero
Addictions: Caffeine, mostly becoming attached to it post promotion in ME1 since he has access to some really nice coffee/espresso. Later becomes addicted to the suped up version that Hades introduces him to when they visit her homeworld. After that, Earth coffee doesn't cut it.
Role model(s): Captain Anderson, his fathers closest friend and one of the biggest players when it came to hiding Jax's parentage. His mother, who despite becoming pregnant during the peak of her career, never slowed down, and achieved greatness. The Spectres, a group of highly trained warriors from several races across the galaxy.
Beliefs: He isn't particularly religious but he does believe in an afterlife. Would suck if you died and that was it.
Habits: Drumming his fingers on desks and his thighs when stressed. Humming to himself in difficult situations, whether on the field or waiting for important calls/meetings. Messing with the paint on his armor whenever he needs to keep his hands or mind busy. Has definitely rushed out on a mission in mismatched armor, thanks to getting interrupted mid repaint.
Hobbies: Plays the cello, something his mother had him learn as a child. Enjoys dancing, also took ballet lessons as a child, which later came in handy in his line of work. Likes painting with Hades, the pair taking turns as each others canvases. Building models (really just legos) and vegging out and watching old vids.
Source of Anger/Hatred: Racism, whether its humans or aliens mistreating each other or people of the same race mistreating each other. Childish people, mistreatment of the less fortunate. Cerberus. Hades shitty family.
Source of Sadness/Sorrow: Lossing loved ones. Losing a good portion of his team defending colonists during a raid. Finding out the awful shit his friends and crew have gone through.
Source of Fear/Phobia: Hates spiders, despite there being other things to fear in the galaxy. Hates heights, it's one thing to be in a ship but a completely different thing to be walking around somewhere high up or near large glass windows in high places. Definitely gets teased about it.
Likes: Music, especially electric music, music that gets you moving. Exercising, though he had prefer methods of exercising. Spicy food, especially anything with jalapenos in it. The colors yellow, blue, and green. Likes taking walks at night and singing along to whatever music is playing. Big animal guy, couldn't have any as a child so as an adult, he goes to shelters, volunteers to walk dogs and other animals that need some love.
Dislikes: Sitting still or being idle, he understands when its necessary but hates when it makes him feel useless or trapped. Not big into heavy foods, they make him sleepy, and a sleepy soldier is a dead one. Does not like the quiet, having grown up on a military vessel, he was constantly around other people. Makes him uncomfortable at the prospect of being in his own room. Can be found sleeping in an open bunk in the communal sleeping area.
Weight: 220 lbs
Height: 6'4
Build: Lean Muscular
Scar(s): Scar on his left back shoulder blade that looks like a several pointed star, was shot in the back close range. Another scar on his right forearm that look like little shots of lightning, from being electrocuted.
Tattoo(s): Several on his upper bicep, both arms and shoulder blades. They vary in what they are. Some are local fauna that he saw on different ships and colonies he's been to/on. Has an N7 tattoo under his right collar bone, about his peck.
Skin Tone: Depends on direct sunlight. His skin tone is normally a warm mocha with some honey brown tones in his cheeks, chest, and arms. Other times, if he has shore leave somewhere sunny, he can get closer to more of a milk chocolate tone. He was dark when he was younger but his skin tone has gotten a bit lighter as he got older.
Facial Features: Strong, high cheek bones. A more square chin and full lips. Long dark lashes, around a pair of granny Smith green eyes. His nose is slightly bulbed, a trait he acquired from his father. In his later he had his right brow and septum pierced but removed both when he join the military.
Hair Style: He normally has it grown out and braided but the military requires him to keep it short. Is normally just a flat buzz cut but, when he is relieved of duty before ME3 he has grown it out again and taken to dreading it.
Hair  color: A midnight brown, almost black.
Eye color: Granny Smith green.
Eye Style: Almond shaped eyes. Regularly called expesssive, making him a rather bad liar.
Helmet: Death mask Helmet
Visor Optics/Lens: Archon visor
Armor set: N7 Defender Armor
Utility Attachment: Ordance Packs (increases amount of ammo that can be carried)
Primary Colour: Matte black
Secondary Colour: seafoam green
Tertiary Colour: Eggshell yellow
Casual Clothing: Big into plaid button ups and crew neck t shirts. Occasionally wears v necks and cut offs. Has a black leather jacket with a hood that is his go to jacket. Wears slim fitting jeans and either dress shoes (preferably brown) or nice tennies.
Faction/Occupation/Affiliation: Commander of the Alliance/Council Spectre ME1, Cerberus Commander/operative ME2, Council Spectre ME3
Artificial Intelligence(A.I)/Companion: EDI whenever necessary or available
Allies/Friends: ME crew, Hades, Councilman Zeus.
Rivals/Frienemies: Hades, mostly in a friendly fashion when it comes to getting things done faster. The Council, since they seem to love and hate him.
Nemesis/Enemies: Cerberus, post ME2
Class: Solider/Adept
Category Threat Level: 9 ME1, 12 ME2 + 3
Rank: Commander/Spectre
Standard/Modified Weapons: 
1. Diamond Back X Assault Rifle
2.M-98 Widow Anti-Material Rifle
3. Cobra X line pistol
Armor Abilities(AA):
1. Kinetic Exoskeleton
2. Shock absorbers
Genetic Augmentation: Is a biotic with an M3 implant. Was chosen for advance biotics during his early Alliance days. Occasionally gets nose bleeds and headaches when over using biotics.
Supernatural Powers: None
Skills/Specialization: Jax is an exceptional biotic, his main go to attacks being throw and shockwave. While he primarily uses his biotics, he had made sure he is still very skilled within close range with pistols, combat knives, mid range with an SMG, and is at least adept when it comes to long range with a sniper.
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melipixie · 5 years
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NaKniCroMo 2019
Week 1: Meet the Maker!
Day 1: Share your goal
Gearing up for my first NaKniCroMo! This month, I've got a few goals in mind. Some may or may not happen, some of them may go through some sort of metamorphosis and become something else, I'm just gonna be forgiving with myself and make this a month of fun, not stress. Here we go!
Goal #1: Write my first big pattern using this yarn!
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I want it to be a skirt, with a fairly open motif, through which I can show off my FinFolk Productions mermaid tail scale leggings! What you see there that is already crocheted is too big, and also I don't like how it's turning out. I'm going to frog it and start again, with better math this time! My FMIL got me this yarn for Christmas and I hope there's enough of it for this project. But if not, I know how to rip, and I have some other ideas in mind 😉
Goal #2: Two pairs of slippers out of this yarn.
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The blue tones are for my grandma, and the purples are for my aunt. They both need new slippers, so this will be the first quick project of the month! I expect them to take just over half the week total for both pairs.
Goal #3: Hoping to make at least one amigurumi per week, like these guys here!
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This will help me build my inventory for the upcoming craft show, which I will talk more about later, hopefully. But if not a weekly amigurumi, then at least something to help build my inventory, like some hats or gloves or who knows!
Goal #4: Stash busting! I hope to make at least two medium-sized granny squares from my unused scraps every day. If I manage to make 60, that should be enough to make a blanket for our bed. Right?! My fiance seems to really like granny squares, so I would like to surprise him with a blanket by the end of April. We'll have to see how this goal goes, though, as I hear it is common to drastically underestimate how much yarn one needs for a blanket, and my entire past year has been one big decades-old stash being busted with small project after small project 😅
Anyway this first post is long enough, once I complete my goals for Day 1 I'll take a photo and update from there!
If you like my work here, please consider checking out my Etsy shop, FinsNStitches. Link will be in the reblog!
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