#carefully going thru all of the intruder

[hesitationss]

okay so sometime i will have really deep intense thoughts that i’m pretty sure are maladaptive daydreams and i will come up with whole worlds and narrative in my mind and they feel so real even tho i know they’re not but i’m going to word vomit this one since ira has me think about time loops and we may possibly be making something about timeloops together <3

so the setting is like a universe with witches, and it is basically a regular type of universe, but magic exists and most people have traces of magic within them. the land masses are different however do the make up of countries and history are different. lots of supernaturals living regular mundane lives but only other supernaturals are aware of this stuff etc etc. so werewolves have magic, vampires have magic etc etc. magic is the force of life on the planet. witches (or anyone really) is able to learn magic, but techniques are often passed down thru families so different witches have different affinities for certain things. and i think there are certain taboos like blood, controlling another persons body, death, love, and TIME. all of those types are incredibly rare and punished <\3. anyway different countries have their own law surrounding magic and it looks different everywhere. i think somewhere are probably countries where magic is the norm and out in the open, but it is universally agreed that magic won’t be used in warfare.

so i was taking my walk thinking about a time witch who doesn’t know that they’re a witch. and has had a relatively rough life but falls in love or something and then their partner dies a relatively common death and everything is so hard to deal with that they turn back time and they end up in a time loop for a while totally unaware that they’re in a time loop. but everything hurts more and death always finds a way to happen. eventually the witch turns time wayy back to just a regular day but GOOD day and they just loop that one day over and over again and it is so mundane and normal that they can’t even tell time is passing and maybe they are like that for at least a year minimum and it’s just so totally normal.

but in present time, the day that happened, the material world became a thing of dream logic causing worldwide issues and no one knows why. but specifically, the place the time witch is from is experiencing the brunt of it like a bubble was placed over the area of the city. so some government witches or something are sent to investigate. they think they are looking for some agent of chaos or some criminal or something, but then they discover the apartment and they are able to enter the time loop with the help of some spirit of the city. it’s been been like 2 weeks of chaos in the present time and like a year and half of time loops for the witch before the time loop is disrupted.

the day that the loop gets intruded on is when the witch starts to notice things are different. they’re like ‘that’s not supposed to happen’ like their carefully built world is starting to crumble. but it also takes time to break the time loop when you have a delicate mind etc etc. so it goes like this: the witch agents are at first disturbances before they slowly become friends, and then eventually it is like the time witch has always know them like they are old friends and they become a part of the time loop. one of witch agents become delusional and think everything is normal, and since all of them think they are friends, the one who is aware of them wants to save them but they don’t know how. everytime the time witch experiences something stressful, the day restarts along with all the other witches. no one can feel time passing. the time witch’s partner accidentally say something that makes the last conscious witch suspicious. it turns out that the person who dies has known that they were in a time loop this whole time (when you die once you become aware of these things i guess) and it’s the final witch agent that convinces the lover to break them out of the spell. something about the city falling a part and the world slowly collapsing into dreams. ANYWAY they do and the time witch is like ‘actually let them all die’ and their partner is like ‘eventually we will die to’ and TW is like ‘but we’ll die happy’… the witch agent is actually the one to tell them about how life is beautiful and even though life is scary, they have a lot ahead of them etc etc. and as the time witch comes to face reality, the whole world crumbles around them and they get to have a proper final good bye with their partner where they apologize to them for holding on to them for so long and making then unhappy etc etc. and maybe they’re like “no, i was happy together with you, i thought this was heaven for a while” or something corny idk.

then they all wake up in the time witch’s apartment where everything has reversed, but all supernatural creatures are aware a time loop has occurred. the end <3 welcome to my brain on a 3 hour walk ^_^

#i come w so many little stories all the time wow #long post #adding another story to my long list haha #anyway timeloop posting reminded me of that

[totallykel]

for some reason i have become extremely determined to figure out how exactly the owl house is laid out

#im sure theres already someone whose done it but idk #i had a comic idea and wanted to draw the inside of the owl house and then i was like #wait how is it laid out #so far im learning no the way i thought it was #FUCK I FORGOT THE BATHROOM AHHHH #carefully going thru all of the intruder #im having a stroke

[mermaidxatxheart]

Paint Me a Memory Chapter Fifteen

I know this has been a long time coming. Thanks for being patient with me. Going through a rough time right now. I hope you all like it. It’s a short chapter, and then after this one, we’re back to the picture portions.

Pairing: Bucky X Reader

Warning: Softness. Seriously, turn around. Don’t read this disgusting fluff.

Master List

Chapter 15

 You’ve been in the bathroom for a long time. I’m worried, but I don’t want to intrude. I’ve placed the order for the pizza and wings, getting a beer out and pouring your coffee for you. 

 You eventually come back, your eyes looking a little red. You drop your phone onto the couch and walk over to me. 

 “Hey.” I greet as you walk right into my chest, wrapping your arms tightly around my waist. I fold you in my arms, rubbing your back. 

“I’m sorry I keep crying on you.” You mumble. 

 “Would you believe me if I said I honestly don’t mind?”

 “No. Everyone minds. But it helps and you smell so fucking good. Jesus, what is that?” You ask, pulling your face back. “It’s delicious.” You rest your cheek back against my chest and I smile to myself, getting comfortable with you in my arms.

 “Pizza’s on its way, doll.”

 “And wings?”

 “Definitely. I figured we could wait until it gets here to start the movie.” I say.

 “Okay. Then we can watch the Two Towers?” You ask. 

 “Fucking marry me.” I groan and you laugh.

 “Maybe, if you’re lucky.” You look back up at me and wink.

 ***

 “Fuck, these wings are so good.” You moan, dropping your recently finished one on your plate. 

 “They have the best in the city.” I agree.

 “I shouldn’t eat anymore.” You sigh.

 “If you’re full, we can save the rest and you can take it home with you.” I offer.

 “Yeah? I’m not sharing with any of them.” You grin, picking up our plates. I watch as you move easily around my kitchen, looking entirely comfortable and at home.

 ***

 Your head is in my lap, your breathing is slow and steady. About an hour ago, halfway into the third movie, you got unbearably cold. Teeth chattering, hands like ice.

 I retrieved you one of my favorite hoodies, three times too big for you. That didn’t faze you at all. Your eyes grew wide, bright, and you climbed inside. Burrowing deep as it drowned you in fabric, you yanked the sleeves over your hands and crushed them to your face, inhaling deep. 

 “I hope you know you’re never getting this back.” You mumble, laying back down in my lap. I chuckle, lifting the thick blanket off the back of the couch, draping it over your form.

 It wasn’t long after that that you fell asleep. 

 Carefully, I brush a strand of hair off your cheek, tucking it behind your ear. Your eyelashes flutter against your cheek and my chest constricts painfully. 

 I can see my situation very clearly. I’m standing on the edge of a cliff. Far, far below me, over the edge, is a void. You’re standing at the bottom of the unknown. All smiles, talent, drive and sunshine warmth.

 Behind me is safe, known. I know what to expect from that direction. It might be a little darker without you, but it’s predictable. 

 I just have to choose. 

 You shift your head slightly. “Bucky...” you mumble in your sleep. Dreaming of me.

 I smile to myself, falling head first over the edge of that cliff. 

 No going back.

 Chapter Sixteen

Everything Tag List

@everythingisoverrated @psyched2b @shreddedparchment @bitsandbobsandstuff @after-avenging-hours @alexblrus @thinkingsofamadwoman @i-dont-want-to-be-called @thefridgeismybestie @fortheloveofallthatsholy @crazychaotic @pleasureoftheguiltiestvariety @redstarstan @justreadingfics @themistsofmyavalon @sebastianstanslefteyebrow @wkemeup @thiccbinch @glide-thru @elliee1497 @ellaenchanted91 @part-time-patronus @janeyboo @scarlettwitcher @thirstybitchqueen @xxloki81xx @stuckonjbbarnes @browngirlmagic @geeksareunique @nicoleplacee @lexshead @gambitsqueen @sebbbystaaan @lokisironthrone @imanuglywombat @also-fangirlinsweden @ravenesque @murdermornings 

Paint Me a Memory Tag List

@katshrev @pantrashtic @buckysmischief​ @pinnedandneedled​ @estillion14 @alagalaska​ @seduce-me-with-your-weirdness​ @i-dont-want-to-get-out-of-bed @fandom-addict-aesthetics​ @voltage-my2dlove​ @flyawayprincess​ @buckybarneshairpullingkink​ @what-is-your-plan-today​ @matsumama​ @afterlaughter27​ @lilliannaansalla​ @superavengerpotterstar​ @stuffandstuff-stuff @introvertatitsfinest​ 

#paint me a memory #mermaidxatxheart-writes #romance #Bucky Barnes #james bucky barnes #bucky #bucky x you #bucky x reader #reader insert #bucky barnes x reader #social media au #marvel fluff #bucky barnes fluff #artist!bucky #Artist!reader #bucky x artist!reader

[myimaginesandrp]

Kylo Ren x Reader

(NSFW)

Thanks for the requests :) This is written by me and full of mistakes. Please be kind, smut is not really my forté

Prompt 4:

Cleaning his battle wound

The echoes of your footsteps rang down the empty corridor as you made your way to your quarters. The crisp white lights of the day were now muted to grey tones for the evening. The hall was deserted on this part of the ship; no one would venture down this way after dark especially since no one wanted a run in with the commander. Having your quarters so close to his would have anyone thinking it was an honor, but to you it was the biggest burden to your job. Any mistake you made could cost you your life, it was a good thing most generals favored your skill set . Still, making your way down the long corridor always made you paranoid. It was as if there was always a shadow looming over you. Usually a few mechanics lingered thru the halls, picking up for the day, but today no one was around. In fact, half of the ship was in the med bay. Today had been brutal. An unexpected battle with the resistance fighters sent everyone into a frenzy. You would think that with all the protocols set in place, people wouldn’t panic and lose their minds. This time a prisoner got away and all of the superiors were giving everyone hell.  So after being yelled at by one of the generals for walking too slow, you were sent to assist the medics as punishment. Your feet were throbbing after running around tending to the troopers all day; it was time for a long bath. With a huff, you managed to drag yourself all the way to your door. You punched in your code waiting to slid inside as the door hissed open. They didn’t. After a few seconds you punched in your code again and waited. Nothing. With frustration growing inside you, you punched at the control panel until the doors finally flew open, ducking away from a few sparks that flew out of it. You had to get that stupid thing looked at again.

You stumbled your way straight to the resfreher and after a few minutes, emerged relaxed and ready for bed. You wrapped yourself in a towel and and looked around for your clothes. You’d left them sprawled out on the bed before you left this morning. You walked back into the living quarters confused. Why was it so dark in here? The air was filled with an eerie silence inside your quarters. You looked around as the refresher door shut behind you. Why weren’t the damn lights turning on? As you rounded the corner you froze in front of a mirror. There behind you was the silhouette of a man. Before you could turn around a hand gripped your shoulder. You wanted to pull away but you were frozen stiff. Yell, cry! Something! Yes words, use your words! A piercing scream escaped your lungs as your brain finally registered what was happening. Someone broke into your quarters. Was it the resistance prisoner?! In an instant the hand moved around to cover your mouth. Your hands flew to your face, trying to pull away from the intruder. It as useless, his arm was a wall of cement against you.

“Are you out of your mind?!” the figure spat trough gritted teeth. The lights flickered on and there in the mirror behind you was the commander himself. Your eyes widened at the sight of him, what was he doing in your quarters?! Your eyes flew around the huge room; it was so clean and adorned with strange objects and just off to the side was a huge viewport that took up the entirety of the wall. It was so beautiful and so not yours. You weren’t sure if it was the exhaustion or the surprise, or the sheer terror of what you’d just done, but when you looked back to see him everything went dark.

When you came to, you were sprawled across a couch. The towel still wrapped around your body. That was a dream right? A horrible, exhaustion driven dream you must’ve had. It had to have been, because there was no way you’d actually walked into the commanders personal quarters and used his refresher right in front of him. But it wasn’t, because there sitting at the foot of the couch was Kylo Ren himself , starring back at you with a scowl on his face.

“Commander I-“ you began.

“Save it” he said as he lifted a hand to stop you. “I thought you were competent enough to know where your own assigned quarters are. I will see that your general knows that is not the case” You took a deep sigh of relief. At least he hadn’t killed you.

“Not yet” he muttered at your thought. You winced as he stood up waiting for him to strike. “Leave” he ordered. You stood up quickly from your spot. You didn’t wanna press your luck. As you turned to leave you noticed he had a large tear running down his leg. It glowed red underneath the dark fabric.

“Commander you’re...”

“I am aware” he hissed back as he slumped back down into the couch.

“Sir” you gulped, unsure of where your sudden courage came from “that needs to be treated before-“ A sudden force pushed you against the wall nearly knocking the air from you. You stood up slowly facing him again.

“I believe I’ve given you orders” he said though griten teeth. “Are you incapable of doing that as well?”

“Sir please let me help” you begged. He stared at you for a long moment before giving you a nod. You sighed with relief and turned to grab supplies from the med bay but you were frozen in place.

“No, treat me here” he said and the invisible grip he had on you fell away.

“Sir I need to get supplies-“

“I have some here. If the supreme leader finds out I was off world there’s gonna be hell to pay.” You made you way over to him and crouched beside him. A puzzled look plastered to your face.

“Do you understand?” He wanted you to heal his wound with what? Your hands? There was no way he’d have the necessary tools for you to help him.

“Do you understand?” He repeated. His expression was grave. You didn’t understand, but if there was someone you didn’t wanna anger, it was the supreme leader. So you nodded your head and looked around for the supplies. He directed you until you had all you could manage in front of you. You examined his wound; It ran from his knee all the way up to his inner thigh. The gash wasn’t deep but it was definitely on the verge on getting infected.

“I have to remove the clothing” you said apprehensively.

“Then get to it” he ordered. You fixed your grip on your towel before nodding. With a trembling hand you cut away at the fabric careful to keep it away from the wound. It cling to his body, wet from the blood. After what seemed to be forever, you finally removed the last piece of clothing from him. You covered his privacy with a clean towel and got to work then, carefully cleaning his wound.

“This might sting” you warned as you poured a purple potion over him. His whole body stiffened underneath you, a quiet groan escaping him. You worked as quickly as you could, knowing he was in pain.

“You won’t feel anything after-“ you were cut short when his hand reached out and gripped your thigh. A wave of heat hit your face at his touch. He quickly removed it, sensing your discomfort.

“It’s not working” he yelled as pain pulsed through him. He cursed under this breath several times before settling on quiet moans.

“You need to relax, let the medication do it’s job” He glared at you before going back to his cursing. After a few minutes his whole body seemed to relax. You took the opportunity to begin patching him up. You worked your way up his leg, running out of bandages as you reached his inner thigh. Great. What the fuck were you supposed to do now? You sat back and thought about your options. Only one would work, but you dreaded the idea. His head wiped up to look at you as he heard your thought. Another wave of heat cursed through you once you met his gaze. He nodded and dropped his head back on the couch, numb from the medication. You slowly pulled his leg on its side and leaned your head down to press two clamps into place.

Now for the worst part. You thought.

You leaned in further and closed your eyes as your teeth curved around the clamps. Gently, you bit down into them until they clicked into place. As you moved up to work on the next one your lips accidentally brushed against his skin. The sudden touch made a gasp escape his lips. A sudden bulge began to rise underneath the towel. Your whole body tensed. His legs were now covered in goosebumps. Shit shit shit! A wicked though flashed through your mind. You realized he looked so hot, splayed in front of you, hard at your touch. His hand was on the back of your neck in a second. Without a thought, you leaned back down and pressed a kiss right next to his wound. You must’ve lost your damn mind. No way you’d just done that.

“Fuck” he hissed through his teeth. His cock was fully erect now. His hand pressed down on you, urging you on. You lifted the towel off him, and looked on as his member was freed. The sight made your insides itch. You lifted your hand and brushed your fingertips down his length as you trailed kisses down his thigh. His breaths grew labored, and his hand tangled in your hair. You lined your lips with his member blowing on it gently. He cursed under his breath, pulling at your hair. Your tongue brushed his tip before you took him in your mouth. Your hands traveled down his legs as you began thrusting your face against in a steady rhythm. His hips writhed underneath you as you bit down on his member. His cock throbbed inside your mouth as your tongue tasted him. You continued your work as his hands guided you in and out of him, his hips bucking up to meet your mouth. His chest was heaving as he came close. You looked up to see him as he came undone inside your mouth. His body went limp as you swallowed his cum. You pressed your lips to his cock one more time before you pulled away from him. Bet he was relaxed now. He laid there trying to catch his breath as you stood to pick up your supplies. After a few minutes he sat up and inspected his wound. The medicine had definitely taken effect.

“Not so incompetent after all” he muttered in approval. You nodded and finished your work. As you turned to leave your mind ran wild with a million filthy thoughts. You couldn’t wait to get to your quarters and quench your thirst.

“Y/N” he called out as you reached for the control panel. He motioned for you to approach him. You bit your lip and complied. This time, you couldn’t refuse your commanders orders. You walked back to him, his cock already hard for you again. You straddled him, careful to rest your weight away from his wound. His eyes were on fire as he reached to take your towel off. Your nipples hardened at his touch and a wicked smile spread across his face as he took you in. Your bare body was hot and ready for him to take you. His fingers dug onto your hips, pushing you closer.

“Stay” he ordered.

“Yes sir” you said before his lips came down on yours ready to devour you whole.

——

Thanks for reading! :) Requests are always open

#kylo ren #kylo ren imagine #kylo ren x reader #kylo ren x y/n #star wars imagine #starwars fanfic #ben solo imagine #ben solo #ben solo x y/n #ben solo x reader #kylo ren x female reader #kylo ren x you

[f-nodragonart]

ok wait I have one more rant abt American Dragon and I swear I’m done, but the whole concept of a ‘leader’ dragon for every country is very.... strange to me

like ok, suspension of disbelief for vague hand-wavey magic, or the existence of magical creatures, etc. fine fine. but the whole PREMISE of the show is built around the concept of an American Dragon-- yet that concept is so incredibly, frustratingly vague. like I said in my original review, I’m willing to excuse a lot for a simple kid’s show that isn’t looking to worldbuild super deeply, but the main premise at the VERY least should have SOME planning behind it

for one, the physical size and population distribution of each country varies WILDLY across the globe, it’s honestly stupid to assign the same number of ‘leader’ dragons (one) to each, and expect each dragon to serve their respective country to the same degree of competence. the US is a fuckin MASSIVE country w/ two states disconnected from the mainland, and SEVERAL different biomes that have contributed to diverse sets of populations (which would likely be reflected among magical creatures as well, culturally and biologically-speaking). it’s ridiculous to expect ONE dragon to serve, represent, and protect ALL those populations

and the thing is, Jake DOESN’T do that! he’s a New York Dragon at best. the only times I remember him helping out w/ magical emergencies out-of-state are when he’s traveling for personal reasons (like visiting family) or when he’s tending to dragon council business, in which case most dragons across the world are gathering there too (not to mention these instances are generally out-of-country)

having a ‘leader’ dragon assigned to a bio/cultural region without even bothering with human borders would make FAR more sense (esp since the dragons don’t even wanna bother w/ the human world anyways, so why are they assigning things based on human constructs??). hell, there could even still be dragons representing larger areas too, so long as it was established that they’re the more broad-scope representatives that must regularly convene with the dragon representatives of the smaller regions under their jurisdiction. this would assure that each dragon is truly an intimate member of the communities they’re assigned to, rather than some outsider intruding on important matters that they simply can’t understand w/o cultural context. this especially makes sense if we assume that dragon forms are magical/psychological projections of the cultural society that a given dragon is raised in, rather than a *strictly* biological body whose traits are genetically inherited (tho like I said in my main review, I’m rly doubtful of that actually being canon to the show...)

now, it would admittedly be p cool if the show took the time to pull Jake across the nation to explore different cultural/ecological regions and the magical creatures within. but that’s expecting a lot from a show that only establishes that Jake is part-Chinese on the most shallow of levels, and fails to explore Chinese culture in any intimate manner beyond ONE(1) episode about the Chinese new year. like, the bar is on the ground, here

and even if some attention had been paid to America’s diverse cultural settings, I’d still be skeptical of Jake being able to handle the whole nation on his own. hell, I’m skeptical of an ADULT dragon being able to handle a nation as huge as the US, much less a tween handling the whole thing. I already take huge issue w/ kid’s shows framing dangerous, mature situations as “normal” responsibilities for children to encounter and just “get over”, as if they’re as commonplace and simple as like, studying for class. so every time Jake is reprimanded for not managing his time properly when he’s running on 10 min of sleep after facing off against angry trolls, or trying to take some free time for himself when he’s missed out on every other chance at a normal middle school milestone, I genuinely seethe w/ rage

at least w/ most other kid’s shows there’s some explanation I can accept for the main character having to go through that kinda stress. like w/ Danny Phantom, Danny unfortunately goes thru a freak accident, and he can’t tell his ghost-hunting parents abt it for fear that they might tear him apart for science or misguided protection, and he decides on his own that he has some responsibility to use his powers for active good (tho DP still pulls the “ghost-fighting is just like balancing school and a social life!” bullshit that I HATE..). or w/ Steven Universe, all this responsibility was thrust on Steven by adults who didn’t understand the consequences of their actions or had no other choice, and Steven’s currently dealing w/ the massive emotional fallout of having his childhood stolen from him

but with American Dragon, like... this shit is PLANNED. the council carefully CHOOSES the dragon for each nation-- these adults have a RESPONSIBILITY to both a whole WORLD of magical creatures AND their dragon subordinates to choose capable, mature dragons to lead the magical world. and for some reason they decide that this responsibility should fall on the shoulders of LITERAL CHILDREN?? who was the previous American Dragon? where the hell are they now? (Neopuff pointed out to me that Jake is in fact the first AD, which is even even more suspect than before! what!!) even if Jake is chosen to be a potential future AD, why does he have to take on that full responsibility now?? why isn’t a seasoned adult taking care of the bulk of responsibilities until Jake grows up??? like I get that children’s power fantasies hit different when ur an adult b/c u can recognize what responsibilities a child shouldn’t have to deal with-- I GET that it’s good to let children explore mature responsibilities in fiction, I’m not arguing that. but these responsibilities should at LEAST make sense in-context, and NO adult should have knowingly thrust these duties on literal children w/o some DAMN good explanation for why they literally CAN’T assign dragon duties to adults. not to mention that the whole, “you’re selfish and need to learn better time management skills,” thing is such an insidious message to direct at kids who should literally only be expected to... be kids? I’m SO fucking mad abt this!!!

and don’t even get me STARTED on the fact that Jake is being trained by the Chinese Dragon, and Haley by the Korean Dragon. like, again, the show establishes that there’s only one ‘leader’ dragon for every nation, and that Lao Shi and Sun are the current dragons of their respective countries-- they haven’t resigned, as far as we know. so like, what happened to China and Korea (and now that I think abt it, which Korea??)? they just don’t have dragon protectors? fuck them, I guess, they’re on their own now? b/c training American dragons is so much more important than protecting their own countries? b/c a Chinese and Korean dragon somehow have better knowledge of American magical communities than the dragons that have actually been living there and presumably been serving those communities for decades (and b/c every Asian country is apparently interchangeable, so a Korean dragon is obviously perfectly fit to understand the cultural background of part-Chinese dragons)? hello???

now I AM at least willing to consider that perhaps the dragon council runs on enough shallow bureaucracy that their predecessors just arbitrarily decided to assign a single, young dragon to each country, and the current council is too stubborn to change that tradition even in the face of its clear problems. like, actual real-life political systems are absolutely fucked, so it tracks that a fantasy political system could be similarly broken. this doesn’t explain all the fuckshit, but it might at least explain some of the fuckshit. BUT none of these problems are ever brought up in the show, so we have to assume that they are somehow, canonically......... not actually problems..... ugh.............

and none of this even BEGINS to tackle the weird dragon monarchy over all magical-kind. like this obviously isn’t exclusive to AD, u see this sorta bloodline-bound authority thing in a LOT of western fantasy media. but the fact that the dragon council seems so utterly incompetent when u pick apart all the above issues, I’m just sitting here like... how have the trolls/elves/merfolk/etc. not guillotined y’all yet? lmfao

-Mod Spiral

#don't get me wrong I still rly love this show. nostalgia's a helluva drug #but this RLY fucked me up while I was rewatching it #like please sir? an ounce of logic for me sir? my family is starving #american dragon #American Dragon: Jake Long #mod spiral #reviews #long post

[jaybird6232]

Birthday Kisses Born From Birthday Wishes

Bucky x Fem!Reader

Request: Can i request a thing where it's bucks birthday and the reader has a crush on him so she makes him a cake and when he makes a wish on the candle, she asks him what he wishes for? And whoop, barnes wished to kiss her? Then fluff. ily and thanks! 💙- @saltyandsweet

Warnings: none, I tried to make this super sappy. some angst if you squint.

Word Count: 1.6k (1,654)

A/N: So this is super late but I wanted to post it regardless. Let’s just pretend his birthday totally hasn’t passed yet, yeah? Yeah :) I tried to write this as quick as I could, so if there are any grammar/spelling errors I apologize 

Masterlist

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

You glided around the kitchen in the early hours of the morning, a happy hum falling from your lips. The sun hasn’t risen yet, but a soft orange glow begins to make itself known from the harbour.

The kitchen and common room floor was quite possibly your favourite floor in the tower, the windows to open and the layout breathable, it was your little heaven.

And today was quite a special day, with it being Bucky’s birthday and all. The soldier didn’t want anything done for his birthday, much to everyone’s dismay. He hasn’t had a proper birthday celebration since before the war, and the fact that he didn’t want one now saddened you.

But a simple cake could do the trick, you reasoned with yourself. Your plan was to have it ready by the time Bucky arose, and leave it on the counter for him to enjoy, a small birthday card already prepared and waiting beside it. Even if Bucky didn’t want a birthday party, this was the least you could do.

A soft beep from the oven behind you pulled you out of your thoughts, and you stepped away from the window that your feet had carried you to. You carefully slipped on your oven mitts and opened the oven, pulling out the cake you spent the previous hour whipping together.

It smelled wonderful, you had to give that to yourself; you could bake one good cake, although following a recipe did help. You set the cake on the counter to cool, taking off your oven mitts.

You walked over to the pantry, picking up some sugar and other ingredients for the frosting, before setting them on the counter. Grabbing a bowl from cabinet, you set to work.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Bucky watched you with a soft smile, standing near the entrance of the kitchen, hidden away in the shadows, arms crossed and leaning against the wall. Even in the dim light of the early morning, he could see the small specks of flour that coated your cheeks and hands, frosting on your fingers and a bit on your nose. You definitely knew how to make a mess, and he found it utterly adorable.

You were lost in your own head, humming away to a song Bucky didn’t recognize, but it was soothing and peaceful coming from you. Everything about you made him smile.

He knew what you were doing, being up so early on his birthday. You were just as good at keeping secrets as you were being tidy at the moment. You had asked Steve what cake flavour was his favourite, not realizing that he was standing a few feet away. You had asked if he was allergic to anything, didn’t like a certain flavour and what not, and it absolutely made his heart flutter in his chest at your care and concern.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

You had just finished frosting the cake, placing the last dollop of frosting on it, before you stepped away to look at your handiwork. You were proud of the sight before you, and you hoped Bucky would like it too. You put the little birthday card you had made for him on the counter beside the treat, and began to back away. With the kitchen already clean, your mess nonexistent, you were prepared to leave and head back up to your room.

“You’re up awfully early, doll,” A voice comes from behind, nothing but a rough whisper, the sound ridden with sleep. You let out a small yelp from surprise, spinning around and setting yourself into attack position, nearly throat punching Bucky. The brunet catches your hands just in time, a flash of surprise passing through his eyes. “Easy, Y/N. It’s just me.”

“Bucky…” You sigh, relieved that it wasn’t an intruder. But then you begin to panic, eyes growing wide with realization. “Bucky! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean–“

“It’s okay, really,” Bucky affirms, giving your hands a soft squeeze. You feel your cheeks heat up at the small motion, and you stare down at the floor, averting Bucky’s gaze. “What’s all this?”

You don’t have to look up to see what Bucky is gesturing too, and you feel yourself flush in embarrassment. “I um… well I know you don’t like celebrating or anything, so I thought…” You shake your head, suddenly feeling ridiculous. “Never mind, it’s stupid, I shouldn’t have—”

“Mmm chocolate cake, who’s this for?” Bucky interrupts, tugging you towards the counter. “Is it someone’s birthday?”

“I-“ You look up at him, confused and unsure of his words. But he has a smile on his lips, the action stunning in the soft morning light. “It’s your birthday, Buck.”

“It’s my birthday?” He questions, moving the both of you to sit on the stools by the kitchen island. You sit and watch as Bucky props his elbows up on the counter, staring at the cake with wide eyes, like he has never seen anything so spectacular. “Well I’ll be damned…”

“I can get you another cake, this one isn’t very—“

“No, no this is perfect,” Bucky fights, all smiles and grins. He’s like a child. It warms your heart. “Does this mean I get to make a wish?”

He’s already grabbing for the small box of candles on the counter beside the cake before you have a chance to respond, happily opening the box and sticking a candle in the center of the cake.

“Y-yes it does, but wait wait!” You scrabble to take an unlit match from his hand, holding it and the box of matches close to your chest. “You can’t light the candle, that’s a violation of the rules.”

“What rules?”

“My rules,” You huff, pulling the match out carefully, scratching it against the box to light it. You moved the match over the candle, placing the flame on the wick. You scoot the cake closer to Bucky and shoot him an excited smile. “Okay, now you can make your wish.”

Bucky playfully rolls his eyes but leaned forward anyways, pretending to think about his wish. After a few moments, he nods his head and sends you a wink, before blowing out the candle upon the cake.

“Yay!” You cheer loudly, but quickly bring your voice down when you realize that the sun has hardly risen past the horizon. You didn’t want to be too loud. “Yay.”

Bucky laughs quietly, then casually bumps his knee with yours. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I wished for?”

You shake your head with a laugh. “Nope, that’s breaking the rules-“

“No, I’ve got my own rules about birthdays, which you already broke.” Bucky nods his head at the cake. He has never liked celebrating and you knew that better than anyone; it took you a long time just to figure out what kind of cake he liked. “It’s only fair if I break one of yours.”

You roll your eyes but comply, letting out a small huff. “Okay okay, you win, what did you wish for?”

“You’ve got to close your eyes first.”

Your eyes furrow in confusion, but the small smile he sends you keeps your question silent. As he requests, you close your eyes with a little hum and wait patiently.

A few seconds go by, only silence filling the room instead of Bucky’s words. You begin to laugh, a smile making its way across your lips. “I feel like you just walked out and left me alone here like an idiot-“

A brush of soft lips against yours cut off your complaints, and now you’re the silent one. You freeze up, not knowing what else to do other than sit there stunned.

It ends after a few moments, and when Bucky pulls away you open your eyes. He’s got a sad smile on his face, looking at you with an odd expression.

“I wanted to do that just once,” Bucky says softly, moving to stand. He grabs your hand and brings it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss upon your skin. His thumb runs a small circle on your hand before he gives it a small squeeze and lets go. “Thank you for the cake, doll. I’ll have a go at it after breakfast.”

Then he turns to leave, shoulders slumped as he walks out of the kitchen. It takes you a second to realize just what had happened. In an instant, you leap out of the chair and run after him. Bucky turns his head at the noise, and hardly has a moment to prepare before he catches you in his arms, your lips pressing against his.

“You jerk, you can’t just walk away after something like that!”

“I-“ Bucky fumbles, sending you an incredulous smile. “You didn’t kiss back, I thought you wouldn’t want to.”

“It’s not everyday that the person you have a crush on kisses you out of nowhere, I didn’t know how I was supposed to react-“

Bucky brings his fingers to your lips, effectively silencing you. “You like me?”

You give him a small nod, cheeks growing warm from embarrassment. “Well, yeah, I do. I just kissed you, Barnes, I thought that was pretty clear.”

Bucky chuckled lightly, meeting your eyes. “Then I want to do this right. Are you free later tonight for dinner?”

“Dinner sounds like a fantastic idea.” You smile brightly at him, hardly containing your excitement. Never did you think that Bucky would be asking you to dinner, you felt as if it was your birthday instead of his. People say that telling someone your birthday wish will prevent it from coming true, but as you pulled Bucky back towards the cake with a happy laugh, his eyes warm and cheerful as they looked at you, you realized that Bucky never exactly told you his wish. You knew exactly what it was though, that much was clear, and you mentally logged this as the best birthday experience you’ve ever had.

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A/N:Thanks for reading this, y’all!! It means the world <3 if you would like to be on the tag list or have a request, shoot me an ask! <3

Taglist: @worrisomeme @glide-thru @buckybabybaby @avengerofyourheart

#bucky x reader #bucky x you #jaybird6232 writes #birthday kisses born from birthday wishes #james buchanan barnes #bucky barnes #reader insert

[rxcusant]

wow hey more peopled liked my hoshimeguri sora sketch than i thought so

Hey, who wants some context!!! and further rambling of the au!!! its all about traveling the stars and theres a dragon and everyone has beautiful designs and my faceclaim is an assassin in it

[its a little long tho because of the Lore (TM) so uh. fair warning]

Hoshimeguri, or Star Tour Observer, was an original event and storyline in IDOLiSH7 like 4 months ago? I think? anyway if you wanna get a little glimpse over everyone and the stars you can go right here but otherwise im gonna quick run thru everything cause i rly love hoshimegu (the PV is gonna pop up first you can either watch it and rock out to Hoshikuzu Magic or click out and skim thru everything)

the prologue for hoshimeguri is, as roughly translated,

in the beginning a myriad of stars crystallized into a form known as the ‘Star Gem’. The gem contained the power to grant any wish. People prayed to the Star Gem for blessings and obtained joy and fulfillment in their lives. People prayed to the Star Gem for evil purposes and brought about calamities. People grew covetous of the star Gem, breeding hate and resentment. The Star Gem that had granted millions of blessings had instead become a vessel for millions of curses. the Guardian of the Star Gem prayed for the Star Gem to be sealed away. The wish was granted the Guardian fell into eternal slumber. The Star Gem could no longer hold its form and split into six pieces. A single massive planet split into six with it. On the verge of sleep the Guardian created a being to oversee the worlds in his place. To journey across the stars, watching. the ‘Observer of the Stars’ bore witness to countless moments, countless stars, and countless lives.

so.. in less fancy speak, there was a Star Gem that granted wishes but people misused it’s power for Bad Stuff. the Gem’s Guardian sealed it away and the Star Gem split into six little gems-- and created the six worlds i’m about to explain-- and the Guardian pulled a ventus and fell asleep, but the last thing he did was make a cool dragon to observe and watch over life.

so this brings us to the six planets/worlds/stars one thousand years later!

First off-- Eterno! aka where I shoved Sora and Riku, ill expand on them later

Eterno is a desert star, covered in sand and sunlight. the planet Alba once waged war with Eterno to steal their sunlight a dozen years ago and drained the planet of its resources in the process. During the war the royal family disappeared so Eterno doesn’t have any ruler or security. Being a wasteland Eterno is considered a worthless star so nobody bothers or troubles it beyond some trading at the port.

Secondly we have Bestia!

Bestia is covered in dense forests and jungle, inhabited by several types of animals. The people of Bestia have beast blood and animal parts like ears and tails so this is basically the furry planet. the people of Bestia are looked down upon for this though. Bestia is home to a large trading port and many from starts all over come to trade in Bestian goods.

Next is Alba!

Alba is a star covered in darkness as the other planets block the sun’s ray from reaching them. Alba's main specialty is minerals and so bright crystals are their symbol. the former king invaded Eterno to steal their sunlight however the current king, Carnelian, regrets that war and would like to set things right between the stars.

Then we have Lama, the star of steel! i love Lama, two of my favorites are from this star!!!!!

Lama is a star with strong military power, easily overcoming the other stars in terms of strength. Lama is currently recovering from a long civil war between the former king and the people. The former king treasured military might and soldiers above all else-- in particular, those that could provide weapons for warfare. Anyone who couldn’t was subject to a life of poverty and servitude. Eventually the people rebelled an the civil war raged on for years. the prince at the time, Orion, with the help of an assassin, Erin, faked an assassination of the king (instead locking him up) and when the news reaches the rebel forces they called off their forces. The rebels had no issue with Orion becoming king since he carried out the assassin order and thus Orions peaceful reign as King began, working to rebuild relations between the people of Lama and the royal family.

next up is Sirenia! this is where i put Kairi, ill expand on that later.

Sirenia is blessed with water and canals everywhere. Every year they hold a festival to celebrate the rainy season. The people of Sirenia are relaxed and laid back because their star hasn’t been attacked or invaded in many years (with the former king using most of his power to essentially cut off Sirenia from the other stars with a magic wall, and trading was regulated). The residents love the arts and music and living life freely and creatively. The residents also practice in hydromancy, using water to predict the future and learning tarot cards and fortune telling.

Lastly is Mistero which i admittedly remember the least about

Mistero is a mysterious star but faith in the Star Gem is strong. There exists a large temple on the star however divine energy prevents people from entering. Mistero was the original planet before the planet and Star Gem split into six pieces. Its on this world that the Guardian, Vega, still sleeps. His attendant, Capella, still waits for him to wake.

aaaaaaand those are the stars! oh my god that took an hour to type. WELL SINCE THIS IS ALREADY REALLY LONG WINDED I’LL TRY TO KEEP THE AU WITH SORA AND RIKU AND KAIRI BRIEF EVEN THO IM SURE THATS WHAT YOU’D BE HERE FOR INSTEAD OF IDOL JUNK djfgnks

i dont have anything concrete but my current concepts are-

Sora and Riku grew up on Eterno together. Having known about the existence of other stars but always being too young to travel themselves the two decided one day to leave and explore them all together. Eventually the day came where the two of them snuck onto a ship, not entirely sure where it was headed. Once the ship docked on Sirenia Sora and Riku made a break for it, not wanting to be discovered as stowaways. 

Kairi lives a carefree life on Sirenia with her friend Namine and instructor Aqua. Aqua teaches the girls hydromancy altho Namine holds more of an interest in drawing and painting. Kairi however is extremely skilled in hydromancy and one day receives a sign about dual forces about to enter her life. She doesnt know what to make of the vague message tho and puts it to the back of her mind for a week maybe.

And then came the day she ran into Sora and Riku. the two of them stuck out like a sore thumb in their Eterno attire. Kairi warned them about how trade and visitors are carefully regulated and any intruders aren’t to be taken lightly. the boys apologize and explain they just wanted to explore some new worlds. Its with that Kairi agreed to help them out but only if they let her come with them, since life in Sirenia while carefree can get dreadfully dull doing the same thing over and over again. Kairi arranges passage under the guise of aiding other stars with her fortune telling and sneaks Sora and Riku onto her ship. 

And thats how the three of them began their own Star Tours ha cha cha

also side note i bet Vanitas and Ventus are brothers from Lama raised by xehanort to be soldiers in Lama’s military but neither of them are really Cool with this idea and probably just take off one day jdfhgkjf dont ask me what terra or xion and roxas and axel are doing because i have NO IDEA what star to put them on

yeah. thats the hoshimeguri au right now. //jazz hands; if you made it this far thank you for indulging me i owe you my life

#outofxiii #this is kinda long and rambley under the cut but if you were Slightly interested then Yeah heres come info #i love hoshimeguri tho.........its been 4 months and it remains my favorite i7 event #if only because its a COMPLETELY ORIGINAL STORY with its own world building and lore like what!!! #all this for a freaking mobile rhythm game??? nice nice nice nice

[deztinywarriors]

ES Spectre 2.0 Chapter 8-4

#Playchoices #Endless Summer #fanfic #ES #adventure

[thecloudlight-blog]

New Post has been published on Cloudlight

New Post has been published on https://cloudlight.biz/despite-warning-israeli-tour-group/

Despite Warning, Israeli Tour Group

YERUSHALAYIM – Despite a central authority-issued journey warning, an Israeli excursion operator plans to continue bringing groups to North Korea.despite vs in spite

“People are old enough to determine whether or not or now not they’re prepared to address the political anxiety worried,” Chaim Peres of the Tarbuto travel organization instructed Channel Ten. “The statement issued with the aid of the Foreign Ministry become now not a warning towards tour due to the opportunity of terror attacks, as in the warning it issued on journey to Sinai, however a notice of caution that travelers needed to be aware about.”

Naruto turned into decided on in February through the North Korean government to set up for tours to the country. The operator can be empowered to problem visas to Israeli residents who desire to go to North Korea, challenge to the approval of the Pyongyang government. The employer has prepared its first institution, which is set to leave for North Korea in the coming days.

North Korea is the final destination for well-traveled Israelis, Peres stated.

“North Korea is one of the most captivating locations in the world these days. It is a country nearly completely closed off to the rest of the sector and cut off even from its acquaintances… complete with mystery.” Israelis had been capable of entering the united states of American simplest via visas issued in China; but because of this agreement, the North Korean government traveler employer, KIST, will approve visas issued at once to Israelis. There aren’t any direct flights, however, and all tour to and from us of a can be via China.

In its caution, the Foreign Ministry burdened that travelers had to be aware of the “growth in tensions inside the location,” as rhetoric among the US and North Korea heats up. While character vacationers are unfastened to do as they like, they have to be aware that Israel has no members of the family with North Korea — and inside the event of a trouble, Israelis need to no longer assume any assist from their government.

Peres is not worried; North Korea is a secure vacation spot, and in reality it seems as such on the Foreign Ministry’s maps. “North Korea has one of the lowest degrees of personal crime within the global, and tourists there sense very safe,” he said. “Israelis who have been there in current weeks have reported that the anxiety isn’t felt with the aid of them, and that the government is ensuring their safety. The extensive majority of North Koreans are going approximately their daily enterprise, partly due to the fact they may be blind to the ‘anxiety,’ as they generally do not have get right of entry to to on-line information or out of doors announces.”

Creativity Despite Adversity

Life is innovative and resilient in spite of the adversity of ecological area of interest, same with the human thoughts.

What does it suggest to find out a new technology paradigm while residing in a non-secular country?

During the last 4 a long time a Sudanese Researcher has been growing, in his spare time by way of self coaching, a major scientific idea, which he calls quantum statistics biology (QIB). QIB is the have a look at of bio-systems as spontaneous self-organizing dynamical systems. It is about unifying physics with biology, and revealing the essential legal guidelines that describe biotic evolution and development. This may be completed on the basis that existence (genome) is a quantum records fractal discipline (QIFF) which generates, similarly to electromagnetic waves, self-sustained bio-data oscillations thru successive generations. Genome’s bio-information is ready phenotype; it’s far a degree of developmental purposeful complexity and has the size of power and statistics. QIFF is a nested hierarchy of bio-data attractors in the direction of which a biosystem develops or evolves. The QIFF’s equations that describe biotic evolution and development admit restricting transition to linear reversible quantum mechanics. Thus ordinary physics is unique case of the fundamental legal guidelines which describe life phenomenon.

What is the reaction of the clinical journals? From 1970 to 2010 the principle had been rejected extra than 30 instances for being premature. The Researcher thanks several anonymous reviewers inside the journals, Theoretical Biology, Biosystems, Ecological Modeling, and many others. Whose vital comments helped him to overcome the failings and inadequacies of his proposed concept. He sends special thanks to Robert Ulanowvicz, Sven-Eric Jorgensen and the late Mahgoub Obeid Taha. From 2010 onwards unique levels of the Researcher’s clinical concept had been published in peer-reviewed worldwide journals.

What is the response of the science network?

Do scientists and researchers take note of the new medical step forward? The answer isn’t any, why? Main circulation technology or what Thomas Kuhn knew as in his “Structure of Scientific Revolution” normal science protects itself from intruders who might also sabotage the triumphing paradigm and threaten the prevailing pastimes. One strategy is that usually, the number one recognition of scientists is not on what is written as opposed to from what u. S ., from what college, and who’s the writer whether a Ph.D. holder or not, whether he or she has greater than 10 guides or not. For example, if a writer is a Ph.D. holder from Harvard University and has more than 10 guides then his or her paintings is much more likely to deserve interest.

On the opposite hand if an author is from Sudan (Africa), University of Science and Technology (personal university unknown to technological know-how network), holds an MSc and has 4 publications, in this situation his or her work is more likely to be unnoticed. If the Researcher is asked who is extra eligible to make a systematic contribution? He says he nominates the man from Harvard; any affordable character does that, because technological know-how is community, way of life and finance, that is why Harvard has an fantastic record of clinical contributions. However, there are exceptions, uncommon? Yes, however good sized. Because as Thomas Kuhn emphasised paradigm shifts normally come not from important move science but from the periphery. More vital lifestyles is so sensible and clever that it does no longer sure creativity, and is the reason its significant differentness and variety; it’s far creative and resilient -to first rate quantity- notwithstanding the adversity of ecological niche. So if we dismiss those uncommon instances we may additionally equally nicely throw a toddler with bath water.

The Differences Between Hazard Signs and Warning Signs

The Differences among Hazard Signs and Warning Signs

You come in all styles of signs for your daily lifestyles. Be it on the roads, your administrative center or maybe on cowl of products that you frequently use, you’re uncovered to different signs like threat symptoms, protection symptoms, records signs and symptoms, route signs and symptoms and danger signs. They have all been designed with specific purposes.

For instance, regulatory symptoms train human beings to do certain actions. Information symptoms saved offer people with crucial facts. For your safety and the protection of people round you, it’s far essential which you apprehend the variations between caution signs and symptoms and threat signs and symptoms.

What are threat signs and symptoms?

These inform you about the hazard that a product can cause to a person or surroundings. A danger is a condition which does not exist but someone can fall victim to it. It is unpredictable.

Hazards can be herbal like tornadoes and floods. Hazards also can be guy-made like as an example extreme sports activities or unsafe storage of radioactive chemical substances. A cigarette p.C. Has a label which says ‘smoking is injurious to fitness’. Electrical home equipment has a statistics on their covers which warns unauthorized humans from opening it.

What are caution signs and symptoms?

They tell humans of the hazard or threat they’re exposed to. Warning signs and symptoms on roads like ‘Bend ahead, power carefully’ or ’roundabout ahead’ makes you cautious and so that you do no longer over speed and thereby put your life at risk.

When you go to a zoo, you notice written information that asks you not to feed or tease the animals. Road caution symptoms are characterized by a triangle form and a red border line round it.

Difference between caution and danger signs and symptoms

A caution signal is a situation in which someone is prone to a likely threat. A danger sign is a situation wherein the individual is informed of the danger to him or the surroundings.

A danger signal typically refers to very serious existence threatening situations. A caution signal is used for standard situations which can cause little or slight harm.

Warning symptoms are generic while threat symptoms are unique.

As a responsible individual, it is one’s responsibility to respect the policies. For the clean functioning of any environment, humans should follow and cling to the records. This manner you may save you unfortunate incidents from occurring to you, the people around you and to the environment.

How To Plan Group Events That Aren’t Lame

Planning organization occasions may be difficult to do truely because you are caught wondering that you have to create lots of leisure for a large quantity of human beings. Even if the group isn’t that large, you still find yourself seeking to make many human beings glad. That, of course, is something that just isn’t always going to work. Ultimately, you’ll have a bit (or large) group assume that your occasion is decidedly lame, and for this reason, your difficult paintings is undone.

However, when you are planning a set event, you need to think of something this is simply a chunk special. A organization occasion doesn’t have to be a starchy affair with out a actual semblance of amusing. The line among excellent for morale and lame is a nice one, however it is one which want not fear you so much. The purpose is to tap into a rich global of cool alternative ideas.

For starters, maybe you need to think about the numbers of human beings you’re operating with earlier than planning the occasion. Your organization might also have a few hundred personnel, but do all of them need to engage at the same time? Trying to appease a massive institution does not go away a number of room for success, but you may succeed in developing a ton of fun for a small institution.

You additionally ought to think about what form of activity makes the maximum sense if you’re trying to get a collection to engage with each different. Are you capturing for an surroundings that engages the institution with competitiveness in mind? Maybe you are hoping that the group members depend on each different either for ethical assist or they just want a cheering phase as they play for a win of some kind? You just need to make sure that there may be an hobby this is concerned and not some thing that allows for a loss of communication.

[bbmbossblog-blog]

Selecting a Platform

A client recently approached me about making a purchase and entering the firearms ownership realm for the first time. He willingly admitted that he had no previous forearms experience and had not even held a platform before. He then launched into a dissertation about how he “knew” what was best for him and his family (obviously using his vast trove of experience to draw from during the conversation).  My client spoke for a few minutes about how he had been around weapons for decades because his brother had “tons of guns” and he was always trying to get him to go shooting as well as how, as a former boxer he had superior reactions and hand eye coordination. Presumably the skillsets were transferable. I listened politely and then asked the three questions he had no answer for. 1) Without ever holding a firearm previously, what makes you think you would be able to use one if an intruder ever entered your home and threatened you and your family? 2) What is your training regimen for ensuring you are not a statistic if you ever do have to use a firearm in self-defense? 3) What platform do you want to use?

To his credit, my client thought very carefully before he uttered another sound. Thank goodness that he asked me “what is the right way then?”.

If you have never owned or fired a weapon before then I strongly suggest you try as many as possible before you make a purchase. The best way I know to do that is to go to your local shooting range, then rent (most ranges have rental firearms) and shoot as many as possible. Experiment with different calibers and models. Different manufacturers and styles will feel quite different and you will react quite differently to all of them. When you get to a platform that is comfortable and that you feel confident about handling and discharging, make a purchase. Don’t look for something that is popular. Don’t look for a weapon that is on sale. Don’t look for something “manly” or “pretty”. Choose the weapon that you feel best with in your hands. The one that you can handle the recoil on when firing it. If you are a first timer with a slight frame, then a 1911 chambered in .45 is most likely not for you. Remember that there are lots of choices out there, take your time and make a smart decision.

Once you have made a purchase (ideally prior to the purchase) make sure you have a training regimen thought or laid out to make sure your skills are up to par with your new weapon. I am not going to speak to the requirements for firearms safety in your local community or state. The differences from region to region are so varied that I would only get myself in trouble if I tried. Suffice it to say that the very LEAST you should do is make sure you are following the three basic rules for firearms safety. You can look them up if you don’t already know them. Yes, we will discuss them at greater length in the future, I am sure. Having said that, the first thing I do when I make a new purchase, even if it is a duplicate model and caliber from something I already own, is sit down at my loading table and practice field stripping and re-assembling the weapon. I observe all internal features that I will need to clean and keep working in the future. Once I can strip and re-assemble the weapon in under 1 minute, not a hard task for most handguns, with  my eyes closed (that’s the hard part) I feel confident that I can proceed to more advanced training.

On the range I usually try to put at least 500 rounds thru the barrel before I feel like I am confident with the platform. By then, it is properly broken in and I have a good feel for it in my hands as far as muscle memory is concerned. Training at odd times making a draw from my holster helps to keep those skills sharp without firing a single shot. (yes I unload prior to practicing this drill and so should you). The amount of ten ring hits at the range that you feel qualifies you for your comfort level is up to you. Just remember that in an emergency situation, the things and people in your home will react significantly differently than the paper target at the range.

Lastly, consider hunting. It may sound a little odd, but if you are ever in a space where you are in front of an intruder, you need to know that you will be able to pull the trigger if necessary. If you have only ever “killed paper” at the range, the overwhelming likelihood is that you will hesitate in the most critical moment. Hunting is a great sporting activity for all members of the family that also improves your shooting skills when practiced properly. Personally I love taking out ground squirrels. They are a nuisance for ranchers and farmers and they are great target practice. In this situation the skillsets ARE transferrable. If you can kill with a rifle or shotgun then  the chances that you will not hesitate when confronted with an intruder in your home go down exponentially.  

Be safe and train hard.

Thomas S. Lindsley, CISEC, QSP Principle, BBM Construction and Consulting [phone]