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brittle-doughie · 1 year

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🥀 anon again! I hope your staying safe and chill during the Christmas season♡

I gotta cute scenario request with the cacao kingdom cookies: dark cacao, caramel arrow, affogato, and crunchy chip♡

The scenario has the cookies returning from a mission with y/n when they notice crunchy chip limping beside his creme wolf, with their loot on the beasts back. Taking pity on the smaller cookie, they decide to pick him up and carry him back to the kingdom, bridal style! How does this affect crunchy chip and the other cookies?♡

My guess is glaring. Lots of glaring and backhanded comments (mostly from affogato)🤭

No Deed Goes Unnoticed (Dark Cacao Kingdom)

A fish among cookies, Affogato is.

You’ve been summoned by the Dark Cacao Kingdom to provide aid to their surrounding villages, you’ve made haste over there from the Cookie Kingdom at the ready with your own gear and weapons for the climate. You left Pure Vanilla in charge of the kingdom while you are away, it was an easy decision for him if it meant cuddling you before you left.

Your presence was a welcomed one from the Dark Cacao Kingdom, especially from 4 particular cookies.

Dark Cacao Cookie himself had respect for you and your capabilities the last time you were here in the frozen tundras. He knew he could count on your help to take the pressure off others by assisting with bandits or the wildlife wreaking havoc to the nearby villages.

Caramel Arrow was the warmest cookie to welcome you back to the kingdom, going in for a hug right off the bat from seeing you. Your efforts from your last outings leaving an impact on her that made her wish to see you again and getting to fight alongside you for your return made her enthusiastic!

Affogato Cookie was always butting heads with the First Watcher, but when it came to your visit, he was willing to stop bothering her and started hogging you. He’ll commit to the flatteries and compliment the hell of you, you looked simply wonderful in your winter outfit!

For Crunchy Chip Cookie, it was cool to see a comrade in arms make a return to the kingdom! He witnessed you hold your own in combat and fighting alongside him was enough to earn his trust and friendship! His cream wolf seemed to like you too, so that was a bonus!

Again, your presence needed as the workload of the Dark Cacao warriors started to get hectic and they could use your help after your assistance last time you were here. This particular request for help had you, Caramel Arrow, Affogato, and Crunchy Chip handle a large group of bandits taking over a settlement and holding the villagers hostage.

It went swimmingly until the bandits pulled a surprise card and lured in a snow lion to your position, your shield was strong but it couldn’t endure the sustaining and oppressing attacks from the creature. Affogato tried to cast a curse, but the attacks from bandit archers had him distracted and Caramel was trying her best to whittle them down as fast as she could, forced to watch you try to fight back against the large beast.

Crunchy Chip Cookie and his cream wolf just got done dealing with the bandits threatening the hostages when he heard a pained yell from the distance, the instinct to hurry over to you was immediate. He got a good view of you laying on the ground, clutching your head as strawberry jam seeped down from the side. The beast had gotten a good swipe in, the force was enough to send you backwards into the snow.

Caramel and Affogato took brief glances at you in horror, having heard your pained yell too.

“Y/N COOKIE! I GOT YOU!”

Before the snow lion could get the opportunity to turn you into crumbs, Crunchy and his wolf were able to jump onto its back as it roared in anger. It was a good effort, but the snow lion proved its might once more by getting them off with a good buck from its back. Crunchy landed particularly hard enough to feel a sting of pain to his leg as he grunted in pain. It was now his turn to be facing the snow lion as it loomed over him, raising its claw as it readied swipe him down, Crunchy only giving it a hard glare as he was ready to face his doom…

You yelled out “SHOOT!” before an arrow struck the lion in the leg, it roared as it leaped backward from Crunchy.

However, it didn’t cover much distance before a purple mist surrounded the lion, weakening it enough for you to get on its back and bring down your club on its head.

The snow lion must’ve realized that it wasn’t worth getting hurt any further as it jerked you off its back and ran into the forest…

You fretted over Crunchy about his leg, but he tried to reassure you that he was fine, he’s felt worse then just a simple pain to his leg! Affogato only rolling his eyes at the wolf captain’s attempt to appear tough to you, his limping was too obvious.

And while Caramel didn’t believe that he was completely fine, she was busy tending to you and your head injury, making sure to bandage the area pretty good to prevent jam loss. Caramel Arrow would constantly ask if you were okay and needed anything from her every few minutes until you all made it back.

You barely made it inside before Crunchy cringed in pain as the stinging pain in his leg returned with a vengeance. He was starting to lag behind the rest of you so you had an idea…

You slowed down enough to get behind him, Affogato and Caramel watching curiously…

…until you suddenly swooped Crunchy into your arms in a bridal carry! This resulted in startling him at first before he realized what was happening as he started to stutter in protest. Until he realized that it was actually pretty comfortable in your arms as he settled in with a sigh.

Affogato was thankful that Crunchy had such a caring soldier with him that he would get a carry when he’s injured…but his personal thoughts say that Crunchy could be exaggerating his injury…

Caramel was once again touched by your thoughtfulness to help out your fellow cookies who were very clearly injured. Not gonna lie, she felt greedy in wanting to be in your arms too..

Dark Cacao greeted you all in the throne room and thanked you for your aid in this particularly monumental task of taking care of a large bandit group, the snow lion lure was quite the surprise to him, but he made sure to let you know that your help was…certainly…appreciated….ok yeah, Crunchy being nestled in your arms was bugging him.

This only made the glares from both Caramel and Affogato even harder on the wolf captain, but he didn’t pay them any mind. He’s worked hard and so gets to have his reward!

They would try and insist that Crunchy can walk himself to the infirmary, but his position made him more confident as he chose to just have you carry him there.

Yeah, no. The three cookies weren’t having it anymore and tried to pry him off, with little effect as Crunchy started loudly protesting. “Hey! My leg is injured here!”

The other Dark Cacao warriors took notice of the commotion and asked what was all this noise about…until they see Crunchy in a bridal hold in your arms.

“Hey, Crunchy Chip is being carried by Y/N Cookie!”

“Come on, I’ve worked hard this week and Crunchy gets to be held, but not me?”

“I wouldn’t mind being held like that…”

“Y/N Cookie, you’re not against holding more cookies, right?”

It was a race to the infirmary as Crunchy shot back at the protesting cookies right on your tail. You had to carry a bunch of other cookies after this, but hey, at least it made them happy.

#cookie run x reader #cookie run x you #cr x reader #crk x reader #cookie run kingdom x reader #cookie run #cookie run kingdom #dark cacao cookie #affogato cookie #caramel arrow cookie #crunchy chip cookie #dark cacao kingdom #cr kingdom

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tealin · 10 months

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Antarctic Food

Below you will find my account of eating at McMurdo, but PBS did a whole special on it which has more privileged access and, like, moving pictures and stuff. I highly recommend watching that if you're at all interested in the food question.

As other pleasures in life are restricted or eliminated, food gains significance beyond mere nutrition. When removed from the comforts and diversions of civilisation for months or years at a time, polar explorers had to pay particular attention to the culinary side of their enterprise. Scott learned this the hard way on the Discovery, when their cook was so bad he was sent home after the first year and others took over his job in shifts. Shackleton, on his second visit to Antarctica, brought all sorts of tinned delicacies, and left a lot of them behind in his hut at Cape Royds, which the Terra Nova men would raid on day trips from Cape Evans. Scott was much more careful with his choice of cook on his second expedition, and in his journal he continually praises Clissold's cooking – though Atkinson, writing for a publication he knew no one would read, says that Archer (the ship's cook, who filled in after Clissold was invalided home) was a far superior chef, and made the miserable second winter that much more bearable.

The expeditions of the early 20th Century brought down crates and crates of imperishables – tinned vegetables, powdered milk and eggs, and dry goods like flour, sugar, and tea. These were necessary, of course, but were ultimately supplemental to the core of their diet, which was the produce of Antarctica itself. In fact, in a letter laying out contingency plans if the Terra Nova Expedition were stranded in Antarctica, Scott says not to worry for their safety because the continent provides enough food to keep a party happily fed; they would only be wanting the comforts of a civilised menu. Mostly what the continent provided was seals, whose meat (especially livers) contained enough Vitamin C to stave off scurvy, but penguins and their eggs also regularly passed through the kitchen, and the contents of the marine biologist's net – once properly enumerated and dissected, of course – would often end up in the frying pan. The Notothenia fish was commonly eaten at breakfast, appreciated for its 'sweet' and 'nutty' flavour. Notothenia’s claim to fame is the sugar in its blood that acts as an antifreeze, so this is hardly a surprise.

Thanks to the Antarctic Treaty forbidding the killing of animals for consumption, modern Antarctic larders are not stocked with local wildlife, and as far as I know, no one down there now has tasted the sweetness of Notothenia. They do, however, have the advantage of modern transport and food storage, not to mention a century's worth of advances in the study of nutrition, so the diet of the present-day Antarctican is fresher, healthier, and much more diverse.

McMurdo Station's annual food supply arrives in one lump delivery, every January, on a big cargo ship from California. From the harbour where the Discovery berthed, it goes into climate-controlled storage, either to the dry goods store or to the freezer, which is a whole building off the cafeteria in the main station hub. A freezer, in Antarctica? Why, yes, because food safety regulations require frozen food to be kept at a constant temperature, and the only way to ensure that is to build an enormous manmade freezer in the land of ice and snow. In the summer, temperatures at McMurdo will wander around freezing, so this is entirely practical, but for much of the year, it's actually warmer inside the freezer than outside.

The modern Antarctic commissariat is not entirely divorced from its Edwardian predecessor, though – frozen vegetables taste fresher than tinned, and are more nutritious and palatable, but they are not fresh; powdered milk and powdered eggs are still the status quo. During the summer, perishable groceries – called 'freshies' – come down on the flights from New Zealand, if there is room after the passengers and equipment are loaded. After a month of flight cancellations, fresh apples and oranges are greeted with as much delight as they were on the arrival of relief ships in the Heroic Age, and the appearance of a salad bar in the Galley prompts general rejoicing.

The US Antarctic Program has its roots in the Navy, and McMurdo is still provisioned by one of the big firms that supplies the US military. Having had experience with industrial-scale American catering in California, I had moderate expectations of the quality of food at McMurdo, but it was surprisingly good. One might argue that the excitement of being there and the daily energy expenditure would be a good sauce for anything, and this may be true, but against this I would argue that dry air impedes one's ability to taste – that fact it was so flavourful at all is significant. People kept apologising for the food in the Galley and I kept telling them, earnestly, that it was better than the food in the Disney commissary. They didn't believe me, but I firmly attest this; I ate at Disney on my return journey and have confirmed it by direct comparison. I know they were working with roughly the same quality of ingredients, but the chefs at McMurdo reliably made things delightful to eat, which is more than I can say for the other place. Why this should be is anyone's guess ... Working as a Galley Rat is one of the few ways enthusiasts can get down to the Ice, so it's full of keen, intelligent, and curious cooks, and maybe that rubs off on the food. There are people who come back to tackle the unique challenges of Antarctic cuisine year after year, so maybe they're more experienced and invested in the job. My personal theory is that because they have to eat the food, too, of course they're invested in making it tasty – I suspect the folks behind the counter in LA have much better meals waiting for them when they get home.

Mealtimes follow a strict schedule:

5:30-7:30 Breakfast (many a time I missed the cutoff, woe)

11:00-13:00 Lunch

17:00 to 19:30 Dinner. There was always a portion of the cafeteria serving breakfast food at this time; this was reserved for the night shift workers, who got a reprise of the day shift's dinner for their lunch. If you really liked whatever was served for dinner, nothing could stop you coming around again for another go at midnight.

The one exception to this was Sunday, when a brunch would be served from 10 to 12. The service in the chapel started at 10 as well, and was very weak competition. Brunch was always excellent, and being the single day off, was often where one would meet up with people who were too busy during the week.

If you failed to make a mealtime for any reason, there was always something on offer. A fridge would be stocked with packaged leftovers, sandwiches, and other food-to-go – when I had a day out, I would eat breakfast and then grab my lunch from this fridge. On one occasion, dinner included fried okra (one of my faves, rarely had outside the States) and after stuffing myself with it, I nabbed two or three extra portions and cached them in my dorm room mini-fridge to enjoy later.

In a challenging environment, with a lot of people doing energy-intensive jobs, calories are important. There was only one rule regulating portions: Take what you want, but eat what you take. With a finite amount of food on hand, and delivery only once a year, food waste is anathema – if you need it, then eat it, but do not throw any away.

The menu seemed to originate with whatever presented itself in the enormous freezer, though perhaps in November and December it was dictated more by what remained in it, prior to the new shipment. We didn't suffer for want of variety, though: if anything, we benefited from a surfeit of prawns, including great bowls of them at Sunday brunch. I found myself wondering if the US military had a contract for most of the catch from the Gulf, and how much of their famously inflated budget went into that; I suspect, in reality, the kitchen just hit a seam of prawn in the recesses of the freezer and had to use it up. As a devotee of all shapes of sea bug, I was in seventh heaven, and did my level best to help McMurdo clear the surplus.

Once new food was defrosted and cooked up, it would cascade through various dishes down the week, as leftovers were repurposed to minimise waste. Usually this was successful, but sometimes they had to try a little harder ...

A variety of cuisines were offered, some of which were more successful than others. They seemed to reflect the makeup of the US military, for whom the rations would have been designed. The best dishes were the meat-and-potatoes variety (my minder said that if she were on Death Row, she'd ask for McMurdo Pot Roast for her last meal), Italian, Southern (see above re: okra), and what I assume was Tex Mex – the only misstep on the last count was an almost inedibly hot 'taco soup' which may have been more of a delivery vehicle for leftovers than an intentional dish. The only disappointments were anything attempting to be Asian, and the fish, which, due to the circumstances, was always overcooked. Provision was always made for vegetarians and even vegans, but I can't say I noticed many people adhering strictly to those diets. I suppose if the animals are already dead and in the freezer, there's little difference whether you eat them or not.

There was also, always, pizza. It was left in one of those tiered heated racks like you get at a buck-a-slice takeaway pizzeria, but this was no buck-a-slice pizza, this was McMurdo pizza, and McMurdo pizza is AMAZING. My brother-in-law's cousin went to super legit pizza school in Naples, and gets queues down the street wherever he opens a pizzeria. He makes the best pizza I have ever had anywhere; McMurdo’s wasn't quite as good as his, but it was pretty darn close. It's a testament to how good the rest of the food was that I didn't just have pizza for every meal. The pizza kitchen runs 24 hours a day, and takes orders for pickup from all across the base. If you're flying out to a field camp, it's good manners to take their pizza order and deliver it to them hot and fresh. For all the advances in food technology since the Heroic Age, surely the greatest has to be the McMurdo Pizza.

We were reminded constantly how important hydration was, and the Galley offered a range of liquids at all hours. To my surprise, what looked like a soda fountain offered not pop but fruit juice – grapefruit, orange, cranberry, and apple, though one or more often ran out before the end of breakfast. There were enormous urns of extremely weak coffee – a provision, I supposed, for its diuretic effects – though with 10-hour workdays and very early starts, a little more oomph would have gone a long way. Experienced hands, and those of discerning tastes, brought their own coffee or sourced it somehow from the stores. The kitchenette in the Crary library was full of people's personal coffee-making supplies as they sought a more effective brew.

I had been warned that if I liked tea, I should bring my own; this was a sound warning, as the black tea on offer looked and smelled as though it had been on a shelf for about a decade. What I had not been warned about was that the only 'milk' on hand for one's coffee or tea was, in most places, 'coffee whitener', a ubiquitous Americanism which I'd completely forgotten about (or supressed?) since moving away. For those who've not had the privilege of its acquaintance, this is a blend of margarine, sugar, synthetic vanilla, and titanium dioxide, rendered into a powder by some unknown chemical process and packaged up to pass for milk. (I think it might be illegal in Europe. I've certainly not seen it around.) The Galley had the base's only dispenser of actual mammalian lactation – reconstituted from powdered, of course. If I were to go again, I would bring a small bottle to fill there with 'real' milk, which I could take away for tea purposes elsewhere. There were boxes of UHT milk available for purchase in the shop, and had I been staying longer I might have invested in some, but for just a splash per cuppa, it hardly seemed worthwhile.

The undisputed star of the Galley was the soft serve ice cream dispenser, named Frosty Boy (or Boi), an ancient beast that was such an institution that it was rumoured the USAP had bought another one from a junkyard just for parts. The Thing to Do was, instead of putting milk or coffee whitener in your coffee, to use a dollop of Frosty Boy instead – I'm not sure which end of the dairy/non-dairy spectrum his product was nearest, but it did go well in the coffee, such as it was. More often than not while I was there, Frosty Boy exuded only a watery splutter rather than creamy delight – even when he was working, the product was rather gritty – but I was assured he was just going through a phase, and would be right again soon. I got the impression that if anyone tried replacing the machine with something more reliable, or which produced something more resembling ice cream, there'd be a protest. We shall see if Frosty Boy survives the station revamp, as the NSF seems keen to scrub out any vestiges of character ...

I have brought two things back from the McMurdo Galley, and they're things that go right back to the beginning: powdered milk and powdered egg. Even when I'm near a shop with both in fresh form, it's convenient to have the powdered on hand for recipes. I really only use milk to splash in my tea and coffee, so don't keep a large amount in my fridge, but recipes often call for far more than I have – so instead of making a trip for the extra, I can just mix it up on demand. I've also taken on the Perpetual Yoghurt: McMurdo makes its own yoghurt from its vast reserves of powdered milk, using a bit of the last batch to inoculate the next, and it turns out this is perfectly doable at home, too. Eggs eaten as eggs are better fresh, of course, but when providing structure in a recipe, no one's going to notice if they've been reconstituted, and then I can save my 'real' eggs for when they'll be appreciated. It's a good system, and economical, too. Alas, the pizza isn't as easy to replicate at home ...

For more information on McMurdo food – The Antarctic Sun newsletter put out this podcast: https://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/4329/ I didn't mention how good the desserts were; I was lucky enough to share my time at McMurdo with Rose McAdoo, who was featured in this story on NPR: https://text.npr.org/779463164

#antarctica #food #mcmurdo station #cuisine #resourcefulness #powdered milk #frosty boi #pizza

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dukeofriven · 8 months

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A couple days ago that post was going around about that scene in TOS where Spock breaks down and cries after being hit with a virus that limits his ability to control his emotions in The Naked Time. It's a famous performance, one that I think works even better on a rewatch with a stronger understanding of Spock's character (or, rather, what his character will become). The rarity of those tears, the rawness of the performance, the power of it all makes it stand out as something really powerful. I cordially dislike many of the choices Strange New Worlds makes for a variety of reasons, but perhaps one of the most potent is how often Spock cries, how often Spock is emotional, and more than anything its unspoken belief that the human side of Spock is the only valid side. This has long been a tension in Trek: more than any other race besides the Borg, Vulcans are often presented not as different but wrong. Humans needle Vulcans to' be emotional' in a way they don't, say, needle Klingons to be pacifists, or needle Benzites to breathe oxygen. Star Trek Enterprise was really the original sinner here, especially given that—due to clumsy writing and a particular beefy American arrogance on the part of one J. Archer—the Vulcans are repeatedly shown to be completely correct that humans are not ready for space travel. And yet their entire philosophy is sneered at, treated as an aberration of values. The Abrams movies picked up this baton: Spock could only show he loved Kirk by screaming with rage and trying to beat a man to death with his bare hands. Vulcans as Vulcans, as an alexithymia-adjacent species, were always in the wrong, always assholes, the very idea of being un- or under- emotional presented as contemptuous. Freakish. Discovery continued this trend: raised-by-Vulacans Michael Burnham is unrecognizable within a few seasons as she has seemly disposed of the entirety of any Vulcan nature she once possessed. Discovery has to do this because much (not all, but much) of modern Trek relies heavily on pure, unrestrained emotional catharsis for its story beats. Many episodes lack much internal logic or clever plotting:the act breaks all lead to emotive moments and then swing to the next, so that by the end of an episode you're ready to tweet about all the emotions you and the character had—regardless of whether or not those emotions made any sense, or actively undermined the characterization. Perhaps no one is more damaged by this in modern Trek than Spock, who—like my anxious cat—is permanently a single overheard harsh syllable away from some kind of openly emotive reaction. Vulcans have emotions, Spock has emotions, but their central conceit is the way in which they are not ruled by them. In a storytelling world, however, in which being ruled by emotion is equated with being relatable to an audience, Vulcans aren't just different from humans, they're wrong. And so Spock's Vulcan side must constantly be rejected, first Discovery and then SNW: if he's not emoting, then he's not relatable, then he's being wrong, so Spock must sigh, Spock must cry, Spock must constantly wander around looking like a kicked puppy. It doesn't drain the power of Nimoy and that scene for the Naked Time. But it does fail, utterly, to comprehend it.

#Spock #Leonard Nimoy #Strange New Worlds #Vulcans #alexithymia #STD #Star Trek Discovery #michael burnham #SNW #Star Trek

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vigilskeep · 5 days

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Which builds are u using for urself and the companions on wotr :0 ive been meaning to try out the game and ur posting gave me motivations

crpgbro on youtube has an insane number of build videos and while i have watched more than i’ve actually tried out, i’m immediately having so much fun with my druid that i won’t hesitate to recommend them. and just the sheer number gives you a lot of cool ideas to start from, including a couple variants for most companions

my only caveats would be that each build for the main character is designed for a particular mythic path, which if you’re not familiar, is a route your character takes throughout the game gaining the abilities of a mythic creature like an angel, demon, lich, trickster, etc. it’s a big part of the storytelling as well as the gameplay, so it doesn’t necessarily leave you the most rp versatility especially if you’re new to the game and don’t know what direction you’re going to want to head. the builds are also a little min-maxy so there’s an overall preference among the builds for, i don’t know, humans with the pickpocket background, and a lot of strength-based damage dealers no matter the class, and having access to an animal companion, etc. etc. just because certain things happen to do well in the game. which can feel restrictive, for character building

however he’s building for the stupidly high difficulties so if you’re a regular person playing normal or lower difficulty like me, tweaking it for what you want to play seems absolutely fine. i didn’t play a human for my druid so i totally lost out on a bonus feat that would’ve been really helpful for the first couple of levels and you know what? it was literally fine. and as far as i can tell the mythic paths will have a little something for everyone, even if the synergy isn’t perfect to get the Best Build Ever if you go off the road

but he’s not the only one, there are plenty of builds and build advice givers online if you just start looking. not as vast resources as for something a little less niche, but plenty. it helps the wild variety in the character creator feel a little less overwhelming!

if you don’t want to stick tightly to a build, the most important thing i’ve learned about pathfinder compared to the dnd system in bg3 is that in bg3, feats are a fun little occasional flavouring, whereas in pathfinder you get way more feats but the correct feats are fundamentally necessary to being a good caster or archer or dual wielder or whatever. so the important thing is figuring out the feats that are necessary for your play style. which is easy enough to figure out if you look at a few builds. and honestly i kind of like that because it feels... more real? like for example your archers need a bunch of highly specific skills to be functional in a fight, like a feat that stops them from having a penalty picking out a target who’s in the middle of a melee scrum, and nobody without those skills could just pick up a bow and do what they do. it feels more earned, somehow? but that’s just me putting more storytelling weight on it than there is as always haha

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gotafewtricks · 7 months

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It is I, the silly animal anon. I come bearing more requests such as a centaur!reader with hanzo. I just thought it'd be goofy as hell. I IMAGINE THE VOICE LINE WHERE ORISA TALKS TO HANZO ABOUT HIM RIDING HER INTO BATTLE AND LIKE TRANSFERRING THAT TO READER? 😭😭

Have a nice day. I hope you're doing well in school!

★ "I- What a preposterous thought!"

Glad to see you swing by again :3 I like the animal theme going on; and I hope I did well, especially since I am not very knowledgeable in Greek mythos !! & I'm well, hope you are, too! I'm just stuffy rn due to allergies; and mhm! School's well !!

With how first impressions would go, he'd probably have to blink twice to fully believe what was in front of his eyes. Even if his family sought forth the dragon, and Hanzo's extensive knowledge of his culture's mythos, it'd feel natural for him to think of this as normal—whenever you'll have to call him out on his staring.

So many thoughts would race through the archer's mind right now. Who are you? What are you? Why are you mentioning how his jaw's dropped?

Hanzo would have to compose himself with a quick "ahem"; as he'd clear his throat before he could advance any further. His knowledge on centaurs felt elementary, as he thought about such a topic even more. The marksman would glance over your body, a particular thought humoured him as he'd break into a smirk; before coming to the realization you have your bow firmly in hand, as you'd trot toward him.

He never was one into equestrian sports, as most of his free time during his servitude towards his family included wielding the blade. Now, that is not relevant to him; considering his promise to never even dare touch such a weapon. His bow was his safest option to hone his skills, and to also keep up his job as a mercenary.

"I know what you're thinking," you'd say, breaking him out of his thoughts. "You wish to ride me into battle?"

Prepare for a flustered Hanzo, shaking his head out of pure humiliation that you'd want to point him out like that. Even with his experiences prior did not revolve around the idea of cavalry, he couldn't help but entertain those thoughts his mind was plagued with! Considering he trusted that, due to your heritage, you were also a skilled hunter with the bow, then-

"No, why would you think that? Do I come off as that shallow?" Hanzo would then interject, making up a lie to make himself look as if he wasn't the one red-handed here. "I'd have more respect for..."

With just one knowing grin from you, he'd have to scowl. You won.

You didn't want to just leave him hanging there, though. You did offer your assistance for his idea, of which he tried to make it sound as if you were "doing it out of pity"; but, in reality, you could tell that his eagerness through his body language told you otherwise.

I feel as if Hanzo would know proper etiquette with riding on horseback; I'd say that during his trips throughout Japan, and the world, too, he'd understand a few concepts. You'd really need to teach him and be patient.

He's never really gotten... this excited for a rather childish concept. Do be gentle, if you were to muse your comments with Hanzo and tease him, as it'd make his a bit discouraged on acting more upon these little scenarios. Let him have his fun! Though, please do humble him if he ever gets too high and mighty on his high-horse... aha.

He'd somehow revere your untamed nature, if you exhibited one; being free, and guided by your own motivations and wills. Hanzo would see himself in you, and in a way, there was a beauty of it.

Whenever the two of you got closer, Hanzo would love to do nothing other than run his hands through the course hide of yours; you and him would normally then meet up during the night, the stars blanketing the dark skies.

I'd feel like he'd have a basic understanding of astronomy and astrology respectively, though, once you start talking the alignment of stars and planets, you cannot help but laugh at his confused expression—explaining the different relationships between those bodies.

You'd laugh at how he'd get confused with the different constellations, mumbling to himself about how you got an image of an air pump out of spotted dots. You would then correct him that it was actually "Antila"; but he'd digress. Hanzo would have genuine interest if you were to act so enthusiastic about the study; matching the energy lovingly, being more comfortable with expressing his newfound interest.

Whilst the two of you would train, as much as he would prefer the comfort of solitude, Hanzo would love to gauge at your ability; your specialty as an archer.

He'd hint and hint at wanting to practice his abilities on horseback; making his request subtle; even if you did allow him to ride on you, or if you didn't care. Hanzo still was trying to make sure that you were comfortable, whilst also wanting to fulfill his own curiosities.

You'd make fun of him, calling him a cat with how he'd just tilt his head at you. If you didn't mind the staring, you'd further joke along with him; causing him to always shake his head in embarrassment. Every. Single. Time.

#overwatch x reader #ow x reader #hanzo x reader #hanzo shimada x reader #centaur reader #x reader #silly animal anon #req #reqs open #gn reader

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cerame · 9 months

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Asdhfkldajfkldajfdlkajfda I just want to say I love the designs you made for your Links in Echos of Courage! (Especially Artisan and Archer!)

:DD thanks!! I really do enjoy character design, so I’m happy to hear that these guys are just as appealing to others as they are to me. Artisan and Archer in particular had some more fun and creative inspirations, compared to the other boys. I might post a dissection on their designs at some point, actually.

#my art #loz au #legend of zelda #links meet au #echoes of courage #asks #EoC Artisan #EoC Archer

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paganimagevault · 1 year

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Scythian gold knight 4th C. BCE. length cm 2,4; gr. 13,41; Swiss private collection, 1970s-1980s.

"It is difficult to reconstruct the organization of the Scythian army. Written sources confirm its division into cavalry and infantry, and this is not contradicted by archaeological data. Cavalry was the principle arm of the Scythians, as was typically the case among nomadic societies. Herodotus and Thucydides put it in a clear-cut way, stating that each Scythian warrior was a mounted archer. On the other hand, Diodorus Siculus wrote that in one particular battle the Scythians fielded twice as many foot as horse. This is not surprising, in fact; for Diodorus was dealing with events of the late 4th century, when the gradual transition from nomadic to sedentary life among the Scythians was becoming marked; and it should also be noted that the majority of the combatants in the battle he describes were drawn from areas where this process was especially advanced.

Throughout early Scythian history the overwhelming majority of the men were mounted; infantry consisted of the poorer Scythians, and levies from those settled tribes whose territory was nom dominated by the Scythians. Commoners from these vassal tribes, which were obliged to provide military service, served on foot, and their more well-to-do leaders in the cavalry.

The bulk of the cavalry was probably made up of lightly-armed warriors, protected by no more than fur or hide jackets and headgear. The shock force of the Scythian host was the professional, heavily-armed cavalry commanded by local princes. Both horses and riders were well protected. They fought in formation, under discipline, and brought to the battlefield considerable experience of warfare. The engagement opened with a shower of arrows and sling-stones, followed at closer range by darts and javelins. The heavy cavalry then charged in close formation, delivering the main blow on the center of the enemy's array. They were certainly capable of maneuver in battle, breaking through the enemy ranks, regrouping in the thick of the action, and changing direction to strike at the right place at the right time. When the enemy had been broken the lightly-armed mass of the Scythian horse closed in to finish them off."

-The Scythians 700-300 BC: Dr. E.V. Cernenko, Angus McBride, & Dr. M.V. Gorelik

#scythian #scythian gold #antiquities #artifacts #statue #sculpture #art #ancient art #history #ancient history #pagan #4th century bce

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ilooklikeaburntchickenugget · 3 months

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Hey! I'm just in love with your Gerard fanfics. could you make one based on "the archer"? I love the angst of your fics. fem!reader please 🥺

Love this prompt!- coming from someone with anxiety lol

Title: The Archer

Word count: 2,233 words Pairing: Gerard Way x F!Reader Warnings: Anxiety, stress, throwing up (does that count as a warning?)

The internal chemical cocktail of anxiety, perfectionism, and pleasing other people had taken you long ways in your life. You had been outrageously successful for your age, the internal voice always yelling at you to do better. It constantly made sure you never got more than a second of happiness with accomplishments so you would long for the drug of endless accomplishments more and more.

You kept venerability hidden deep in the crevices of your veins and far beyond where the eye could see. You made sure you weaknesses were targeted and bullied by yourself first before someone could jump on the wound and pour more salt. You had already done that yourself. You had constantly ensured things were done way ahead of time even if that meant jumping out of bed at 3 am in an anxiety spiraling and working until the sun came up. You didn’t want to be a workaholic, or obsess over your image, or worry about your success. It was just an inherent part of who you were as a person.

It should have never been shocking that this led to tumultuous relationships that seemed to sink under the thunderstorm of your mind when the inevitable harsh waves of self-destruction settled beneath the ship. It was like clockwork, the way that relationships wouldn’t last longer than a year when those deep dark parts of you made themselves known and snaked their way around their body to cover you in a their effortless black ink. The only people that ever stayed were the ones who were aware of your imperfections and deep flaws, and took you as you were not questioning your continuous habits that led to explosions.

You were on letter 46 now to Gerard explaining you wanted to break up. Not because you didn’t love him or because he had done anything wrong. It was quite the opposite, you just knew you were too much of a danger and a liability to be standing next to him and take him down with you when you fell. Your leg feverously bounced up and down to no particular rhythm as you attempted to formulate every feeling you had without outrightly telling him what they were. This would probably end up shredded in your trash can anyways, as the other 45 had.

“I want to let you in” was the last thing you were able to write, “But I can’t trust anyone in there.”

You were in a funk, something that you usually found yourself in maybe once a month. The biggest problem with this funk, is it happened to fall on a date with Gerard. Not just any date, but your one year anniversary. It was clearly a celebration to anyone looking into the little house of a relationship you had built, but to you it was a funeral.

Your anxiety felt like it was up to your throat today, and you couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from. But doing your makeup was the biggest pain in your ass right now, especially on try number 11 for eyeliner that kept coming off too blotchy. “Fuck!” You whisper yelled as you messed it up again, throwing the pen into the bathtub and aggressively scrubbing the already throbbing red skin with another makeup wipe as it stung with each rub.

You wanted to cry, but that would have made your mascara fuck up and then your entire face ruined. But looking at yourself in the mirror right now, all you noticed was the slight discoloration of all the things you did wrong today on your face. The pimple you tried to cover up with layers of concealer after a stress-induced break out. The ever so slightly different shades of blush since your brush stroked weren’t perfect on both sides.

There were only 20 minutes left until Gerard was here, and knowing him he would actually be a bit early. You decided to bail on the mascara and just try to fix your makeup without overdoing it or completely wiping it off. You would have to live with feeling out of place and self-conscious tonight, because at this point you didn’t have an option.

A subtle knock came on your door. You took a deep, strong breath in and out before putting your game face on, putting on the best fake smile you could (which was pretty damn believable) and grabbed your bag. You opened the door to a dressed up Gerard (a relatively rare occurrence) with a sly smile on his face and flowers in his hand. “Hey, sweetheart.” He opened up with as you forced yourself to smile wider.

“Hey, Gee.” You said back, letting him give you a small kiss on the lips. You took the flowers from his graciously, thanking him and putting them on your counter before leaving and closing the door behind you. The small typical formalities were exchanged, trying to start conversation, but you had always hated the question, “Are you alright?” Which of course he had to ask.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” You smiled up at him although deep inside you were screaming you weren’t. “Just a long day, that’s all.” You were thankful he didn’t push more, but that always opened up the negative part of the entire thing, which was the sneaking intuition that he knew it was much more than “just a long day”. As you got into his car he quickly plugged in directions to get you to the restaurant, and as much as you wanted to talk and say something you found no motivation or driver in you to do so.

He seemed to respect that boundary, but within five minutes of the drive had quickly realized that going out to a fancy restaurant with lots of people was not a good idea. First it was your inability to look at him and just outside the window. Then your leg that began bouncing up and down shockingly fast. Finally it was fiddling with your finger tips and clearly being lost in your thoughts while doing so.

“Ya know, we don’t need to go to a fancy restaurant to celebrate this.” He began at a red light, you looked up at him for the first time the entire ride and for the first time since seeing you today, your eyes seemed to light up just a bit. “I mean, that’s so unlike us.” He further explained, “Why don’t we just like, go home, and order take out.” You nodded your head. “I mean, if it’s not a problem-““Not at all.” He softly smiled, ending the directions and turning the car around.

You were still a bit standoffish and generally distant throughout the night. It didn’t take a genius to realize your mind was running 100 miles a minute and it definitely didn’t take longer than a few minutes for Gerard to figure that out either. Especially with your favorite dish sitting in front of you as you forced small bites that you clearly did not enjoy. He hated to see you like this, and wondered why, but tried not to make a scene as you were clearly trying your best to act normal and not cause anything either.

You eventually stopped eating and sat there for a few moments as if trying to focus on something, “Baby?” He finally asked, realizing your face was shading over a bit pale and eyes wide, “What’s wrong?”

“I think I’m gonna throw up.” Was all you said, bolting up and speed walking to the bathroom with your mouth covered. He was close behind you, finally reaching the bathroom only to see you over the toilet seat and belching everything you had eaten that day out. He sighed, kneeling down beside you and holding your hair firmly in his hand, rubbing your back. When you were finally done, your body slouching against the wall and chest heaving, he ran his fingers through your hair to soothe you. As soon as you had calmed down a bit more, he brought a cool, wet towel to your face placing it against your forehead.

“Honey,” He said, giving you a kiss on the top of your head, “What’re you stressing about?” You huffed and closed your eyes knowing he would see right through you.

“How come you just- you’re too good at this.” You responded as he gave a sympathetic smile, “You’re not supposed to worry about my stress.”“I am supposed to worry about it when you’re throwing up your entire day, practically shaking, and your eyes are unable to focus on one thing.” He sighed, “Is it work? Friends? Family? I can try to help-““No, it’s none of that.” You explained with groan as your head got shot through with a rough ache. You took another moment to compose yourself. “It’s all of this.”“All of this?”“Yes, this.” You replied, “I’m being vulnerable and as soon as that happens the relationship starts dying.” He wanted to scoff at that but kept it to himself.

“Pretty sure the entire point of a relationship is to be with each other through good and bad.” He explained. “Baby, it may be easy to hide anxiety from other people, but you’re dating someone who also has anxiety. It doesn’t slide that easy.”“I’m supposed to be put together though,” You rebutted, “Like- shit always goes downhill from here.”“It’s not going to with me,” He assured, “If anything, I’m glad we’re talking through this so I can help you in the future.”“You sound like my parents,” You rolled your eyes which he smiled at, “Or like a therapist. Maybe both.”

“Baby, just tell me what’s on your mind.” He pleaded, “Please?” You took a small sigh, collecting yourself for the continuous waterworks of emotions that were bound to start erupting as soon as you began your explanation.

“Just- a lot is happening right now in life and on top of the amount of worry I already have I’m worried this is going to end. They all do, every relationship has, so this one’s bound to. And it feels like I’m drowning here in constant worry and like waters in my throat and like I-“ You took a small moment to catch your shaky breath, “Like I can’t do this.”

He sat across from you on the tile bathroom floor with a look of sympathy of his face. He didn’t respond for a few seconds. You wondered if it was because he wanted to give you time and space to breathe, or if he was formulating and unsure what to say. Maybe both.

“Thank you for sharing that with me,” Was how he started. “What can I do to help life some of this off of you? Especially the relationship part?”“I don’t know and that’s what’s so damn frustrating.” You sighed out, still holding the now drying washcloth on your forehead and closing your eyes for a few seconds. “You do everything right already. Literally fucking perfectly. And my mind still won’t let me be convinced you’re gonna stay.”

“I know this isn’t going to help much, but I will never leave you.” He began, “Even if you don’t believe me, I just need to put it out there. And if for whatever reason, I did, I would talk to you first about why and looking at how we could fix stuff.” You sat for a few moments just staring at him. “Do you trust me?”

You nodded.

“Then know that I promise you that much. Okay?” You nodded again. “Why don’t I draw you a bath, hm?”

“Yes, please.” You said lightly, now removing the towel from your head as your lightheadedness began to slip away. “Can you join me?” You asked a moment later as he was already up, reaching over the tub and starting the water. He looked back at you with a small smile.

“Of course,” He replied.

It was not sensual or sexual, it was peaceful. You needed the skin to skin with him to feel grounded, to remind yourself that it was real, what he said was true. You knew deep down he was right: he would never leave you, and if he was thinking about it he would talk to you first. He knew too much about you and your worried and psyche to just break up with you. He knew it would hurt you, and you knew he would never hurt you.

“Happy anniversary, baby.” He whispered into your ear from where he sat behind you, your back flush against his chest. You smiled.

“Happy anniversary to you too,” You said back, grabbing one of his hands to toys with his fingers. You did this whenever you became a bit nervous as a method to calm yourself down. “This really has been the best year of my life.” You could feel the smile growing on his lips that grazed your shoulder.

“Gonna give you a lifetime of best years ever.” He told you with a level of confidence in his voice that rebutted all the conflicting anxieties stirring in your mind. You let your muscles go, all the tension relating and melting into him.

“You’re so sure about me?” You asked, craning your next a bit to make eye contact with him.

“I don’t think I’ve been more sure about anything in my life.”

#my chemical romance #gerard way #my chem #my chemical gee #my chemical gerard #gerard way x reader #gerard way x y/n #gerard way fanfiction #mcr gerard #gerard way x you

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paladin-of-nerd-fandom65 · 2 months

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DC Comics Superhero OC: Quiver

(Artwork Made by @eerilyhollow )

Co Created by @confusedhummingbird and yours truly

Civilian Name: Camila Rodriguez Garcia

Age: 10 1/2 years

Height: 5’ 1”

Weight: 62 lbs

Personality: Ambitious, Adventurous, Kindhearted, Innovative, Willing to Learn From those She Trusts, Loving to her Parents and Generally Forgiving despite some Disagreements with them, Filled with Bravery, Unafraid to Stand Up for What’s Right, Outgoing, Friendly and Genuine With Her Words and Actions

Bio:

Born in Star City, Connecticut to firefighter Tomas Garcia and his wife Rosa who works as Nurse, Camila was raised more or less under their stern yet loving care without any major incidents during the first few years of her life. Early though, she began a small liking to the art of archery, inspired by some cartoons and movies her family would sit down to watch together, among them Robin Hood.

However her first foray into the world of superheroes and villains which turbo charged her interest in archery came when one day, at seven years old, Her family where visiting a nearby bank. All of the sudden, armed crooks and thieves held the staff and patrons visiting hostage as they made their way to the vaults with hopes to clear them out with the money for themselves. When Tomas attempts trying to stand up to ringleader of these thieves, he had said ringleader’s six barrel revolver aimed directly at his face. Just as little Camila was about to rush to save her Dad, suddenly an arrow knocks the pistol out of the leader’s hand, quickly letting everyone present to look and sure enough, Green Arrow, Red Arrow Black Canary and finally the blonde haired, yellow and red suited Speedy II had arrived, beginning to make quick work of these thieves.

Their amazing feats and skills as they dodged each and every bullet fired at them while firing back with arrows of all sorts from the traditional to the Boxing Glove and Exploding Trick ones were all a joy and wonder to behold for little Camila as her family held her close. Especially prominent of which were both Red Arrow and Speedy, most getting her attention with quippy back and forth banter and compliments to one another in the face of these odds. As the battle wraps to a close with the ringleader being taken down by Green Arrow’s boxing glove arrow, the Arrows checked everyone of the patrons for their safety and seeing if any were hurt, Speedy in particular walking to the Garcias. During which, Camila, with wonder in her eyes, reaches out to shake Speedy’s hand which she gladly and proudly accepts

Since then, Camila has attended numerous archery classes and clubs to improve her skills and hobby into new heights. This all comes for the as she secretly also begins sewing up her own suit, inspired by both the Speedy that rescued her family but also of another archer based hero, Arrowette from Young Just Us. However, in the midst of probably living up to a dream of being a small scale superhero of her own, a major bombshell in her life drops. Her parents had divorced; while cordial and respectful as they both have an understanding with each other and for certain beyond doubt they love their daughter, this was far more than what Camila can grasp at first. Even to the present day, the longer effects of this sudden divorce and its aftermath linger in her headspace when discussing with her parents.

As Rosa has primary custody of Camila, the two later moved from Star City to the environmentally progressive yet rather radically grim Bludhaven, New Jersey, renting out an apartment in a complex run by none other than Richard Grayson-Wayne, who’s own family of Kory, Mar’i and prominent for our story Jake, all reside within. Initial greeting with the Graysons were slow as per moving troubles and the like, but overtime within the months after doing so and first attending Bludhaven Academy, which has her attending many of the classes as Jake does, Camila starts adjusting accordingly and with confidence

Finally her big break came as she put the final touches on her suit. One day, local heroes Nightstar and Skybird were engaged in a massive brawl against resident local super criminals the HIVE Five but at first were hopelessly outmatched. Seeing these heroes in danger and wanting to prove herself, Camila puts on her finished suit, takes her bow and arrow and set and sticks to the shadows for a chance to strike on the side of the heroes. As a fist from Manmoth was about to pound into Skybird, she fires the arrow right to armored gauntlet around his fist, stunning him in shock and giving Skybird the chance for a knockout blow, finishing the fight with a victory for the good guys. It’s there Nightstar spots this archer clad in blue and white and the latter makes a run for it, afraid of their attention to her.

By the time she reaches her window to her bedroom and takes off her domino mask, she only needs to look behind to see both Nightstar and Skybird right outside, lightly tapping the window to let her know she can have her arrow back. Realizing there’s no use hiding it, Camila lets the two in, revealing herself as that archer who helped out against the HIVE; she only had a desire to help out and didn’t meant to get in their way. She almost starts pleading with the two not to tell her mother about this.

Thankfully at that moment, Nightstar and Skybird reveal themselves as her neighbors Mar’i and Jake, perfectly understanding her and promising not to tell either Rosa nor Tomas. After some talk about what inspired her and what she wants to do as an archer crime fighter, both Mar’i and Jake later take her to visit one particular other junior archer crime fighter who can vouch for her to receive some advanced training: Lian Harper, daughter of Red Arrow himself Roy. After some introductions are made and offers for her being trained by her hero Speedy herself, Mia Dearden, all that’s left now is her codename. That one was too easy for her.

By day she’s regular student and almost average girl Camila Garcia; at late afternoon, you can call her Quiver

Primary Teacher(s): Mia Dearden aka Speedy II and Cissie King Jones aka Arrowette

Occupation: Student at Bludhaven Academy, Member of numerous Junior Olympic Archery Development clubs, and Trainee for CPR Classes for Youths at Bludhaven General Hospital

Superhero Outfit: Blue Hood, Cape, Calve High Boots, Gauntlets, Domino Mask and Skirt with White undershirts and Calve high socks. Equipped with a Blue Bow and White Quiver Set

Physical Appearance:

Brown Hair and Brown Eyes when Unamsked

Hairstyle is Medium Length and Curly

Freckles Present on her Face

Trivia:

- Like Lian and Roy, Camila and her mother Rosa have strong taste buds able to withstand the spiciness of Ollie’s infamous Chili Recipe. Rosa goes as far as to make additions and spin offs to said recipe with her own ingredients. They prove more popular than Ollie’s only because more flavor comes in exchange for Spice

- While never wining any medals or trophies in previous archery competitions, Camila has come pretty close to them on several occasions, usually landing her in between Second and Third places frequently. It’s something she and Arrowette aka Cissie King Jones can be relate to

- While not an outright member as of yet, similar also to Penelope Troy, Camila is indeed a close ally of both the Titans of Tomorrow and Team StarKnights due to her friendship with Mar’i and Jake. And yes like the many members on both teams, she’s well aware of Jake’s hidden crush for his classmate Meredith Robinson though unlike the others, she’s the one mostly likely to let Jake and Meredith have their personal space from each other out of respect for their feelings.

- Speaking of Penny, both Camila and her are both very close with each other as friends as well, Penny even offering Camila Amazon based Archery techniques she knows by heart to which Camila gladly accepts and slumber parties between them are common as well

#Camila Garcia #dc comics #oc #oc superhero #jake grayson #team StarKnights #mia dearden #cissie king jones #lian harper #roy harper #arrow family

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tired-reader-writer · 4 months

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Aaaaand here it is, fellas! Finally! Gieve's character design sheet!

This took quite a while as I immediately tried to jump in after uploading Farangis' sheet— I was caught up in that high of creation that I forgot. I legit forgot. That I was a human being with a very limited amount of energy to spare.

So I crashed. For a long time. So long that I forgot some of the ideas I initially had for his designs, and my creative process working on this again could be summarized as Mayhem™.

For the first design, let's start with junipers, shall we?

Junipers can represent hope, faith, healing, regeneration, cleansing, and protection.

“Juniper berries are believed to be a staple during winters. This is especially true for birds and mammals that feed on juniper berries during tough winter months. This has led people to associate juniper berries with hope, comparable to someone clinging to hope during the darkest of winters.”

“Since junipers can easily grow in places where other plants can’t survive, it also symbolizes a sense of healing. It was also used to protect people from plagues and negative energies during ancient times, making it a perfect reflection of its healing qualities.”

“Junipers are also recognized as symbols of purification and protection. Juniper berries are used in cleansing rituals that are meant to protect people from evil forces. They have been traditionally used in ancient medicine to ward off infections and in ceremonies that involve putting someone under another’s protection.”

The way I interpret Gieve, and this is definitely canon to Wolfpack, is that for all his cynic exterior he does want to believe there's good in the world, something worth fighting for, something worth believing in. He's quite the secret romantic, if I say so myself, and I don't use the word romantic to refer to his flirtiness, lol. I think something that symbolizes hope would be quite fitting for that.

Also, do keep an eye on the “protecting from evil” aspect. It'll tie in with another plant I'm planning to include.

Aside from the symbolism above though:

“Junipers are tough yet flexible, making them a perfect material for bows and arrows. Native American tribes in the Great Basic region used their wood to create bows and arrows for hunting. In addition, they have been used in Gaelic Polytheist rites, where people blessed households and protected their people by burning juniper and using its smoke to perform customary rites.”

He's a very good archer, among the best in Pars, and isn't it just perfect for him to be associated with something that's used to make bows and arrows?

And what's that dangling from his ear? Oh, a squirrel tail! He doesn't have a squirrel familiar, no, but maybe his housecat brought a dead squirrel to him one day and he just went, “ah, might as well” 😂

It's a reference to how he wore some animal's paw as an earring? We literally don't know what animal it's from or anything, and at first I tried doing the same, only to find that... It just wasn't working in my eyes. So I replaced it with a fuzzy squirrel tail fur... thing.

Oh well.

But wait! I do actually have reasons for choosing squirrels in particular!

Squirrels can represent resourcefulness, adaptability, and playfulness. Gieve is very good at using what he has available to him, turning his environment to his advantage in sticky situations, is pretty casual and likes to fool around and live in the present. He's someone you can stick pretty much anywhere and he'd adapt pretty damn fast.

“In its joyful leaps and bounds, the squirrel becomes a symbol of embracing the present moment and finding delight in life's spontaneous expressions.”

That just sounds a lot like Gieve, doesn't it?

“One of their most notable traits is their agility and acrobatic skills, as they effortlessly leap from tree to tree and navigate through branches with precision.”

Gieve is one of the most acrobatic characters in this whole manga, lol. Along with Farangis and Jaswant (and kinda Alfarīd).

“Their keen sense of observation helps them detect potential dangers and quickly respond to any threats. Their playful nature and curious spirit make them endearing and captivating creatures, symbolizing adaptability, quick thinking, and an unwavering pursuit of survival and success.”

Living as a travelling musician must've honed his survival instincts quite a lot methinks.

“Within the realm of symbolism, squirrels are commonly associated with attributes such as joy, light-heartedness, and detachment.”

He's... he cares, he does, but even in canon he never had a sense of attachment or obligation to the ruling class and the royal line, he cares about who he cares about, social norms be damned. He's one of those people who wholeheartedly care about a very limited pool of people in my opinion, and his nomadic lifestyle in canon (and his disillusionment with the world) would've meant there's some measure of lackadaisical detachment from the rest of the world.

In Wolfpack as well, while his earnest side comes out a lot more, he still steers pretty clear from the rest of Parsian society outside of Gorgan's bounds— he doesn't care about the larger politics, he doesn't care about what the royal family or whatever is doing, he's just chilling in his own corner. So I think this is quite fitting!

The little charm on his bracelet is supposed to be, uh, a cat, but I don't know how visible it is anymore. I'm afraid I shrank it too small. I'll deal with what the cat represents once I get to his ceremonial attire (the third one). You'll see.

Looking at the way he wears his clothes, it's quite loose and casual and I think embodies air/wind quite well, which is something I associate with him for lightness, freedom, that sort of stuff. The little details on his shirt could be wind or water, because both of them are “shapeless” elements unlike say, rigid earth.

Moving on from that, here we arrive at the second outfit! It's warmer, a little more elaborate than the first, but nothing too crazy.

I gave him soft spring colours— spring just feels right for him— colours that perhaps bring out his softer core. Although there aren't many actual flowers I tried to invoke the feeling of a meadow full of blossoms with these colours.

The arrow-tail designs on his clothes are taken from his canonical crest, and they're the same ones on Areyan's second design!

The tiny little flowers in-between are plum blossoms (or what I hope come across as plum blossoms, Buddha knows I'm not very great with plants—) for a number of reasons:

“In Chinese philosophy, the Plum tree’s blossom is a symbol of winter ending and a herald of spring. The tree’s pale pink blossoms are cherished because they bloom vibrantly and so bravely amidst the winter chill. They symbolise perseverance and hope, as well as, beauty thriving in adverse circumstances.”

“Japanese tradition holds that the Plum (or ‘ume’) is celebrated as a protective charm against evil, so the ume is traditionally planted in the northeast of the garden, the direction from which evil is believed to come.”

“Plums grow in tough environments and that is why they can be viewed as a symbol of hope. Despite facing many hardships, the fruit still manages to survive.”

“You see plums growing in a range of environments. They are seen growing in city backyards as well as high, frosty mountains.”

The end of winter and the arrival of spring sounds quite hopeful, doesn't it? And beauty in adversity paints quite the romantic picture.

Recall the “protection against evil” thing juniper had going on, turns out plums also have that! It is fitting, in a way, since he (and his family) are opposed against Zahhak and his sorcerers, who are undoubtedly evil.

I do find it quite funny how it says “evil comes from northeast” considering Gorgan's location (northeastern corner of Pars) and how I placed the clan's old, old, old, mythical homeland in the faaaar northeast. Oops?

Perseverance in this instance, in my opinion, can also tie into adaptability!

This is also why, despite not having the actual flowers in the design, his first outfit is kinda meant to invoke the feeling of plums anyways through its color. There's a lot of purple-red going on, after all! And those are the colours I primarily associate him with.

I also, of course, gave him his signature arm-bandages in this one. How could I not?

Also, fun fact, I based his clothes slightly on the clothes of the Saka people, it's not an exact thing but:

You see it too, right? The bands on the upper arm portion of the sleeve, the cut of the garment...

I refrained from giving him a cap, though.

Why the Saka, though? Well, there's this theory/speculation we had about his origins since we know next to nothing about in canon, and I decided to take that and run with it.

And quite coincidentally, it kinda ended up resembling the Marda clan's attire anyways! Like Areyan's second design again, and also two of Kazai's.

And now we move onto his third and ceremonial garb, and I'm quite pleased with the outcome. To get right to it, his earring has an oleander flower and... a feline... thing.

Okay, hear me out.

The feline thing? Based off of this thing:

An actual archaeological find of the Saka people! They labeled it feline, so I thought, why the hell not? (Though in my opinion it looks like a weasel—)

What is that, though? Truth be told, I don't know, all I know for sure is that it wasn't an earring, lol 😂

Oh, and I did say I would get into the cat thing. Cats can represent grace, intelligence, cunning, and independence.

“The cat is a fascinating animal that cultures around the world have long revered. They are agile and nimble, able to move with silence and stealth. At the same time, they are also fiercely independent, choosing to live on their own terms.”

That's quite Gieve, isn't it? In the earlier versions of the AU when it was still in a cradle, I contemplated giving Gieve crow/raven familiars and Farangis a cat, but ended up reversing them in the end and let me tell ya, I'm really glad I made the switch.

As for the oleanders:

“Oleander symbolizes desire and destiny, but it can also mean caution. It is also associated with romance, charm and everlasting love.”

“A beautiful Greek maiden was wooed by Leander who swam the Hellespont every night to see his beloved. One night he was drowned in a Tempest. Wild waves dashed his body against sharp rocks and left him lifeless on the white sands. Here his lover found him as she walked the shores calling "Oh Leander, Oh Leander." The beautiful flower was clutched in his hand. She removed it and kept it has a symbol of their love. Magically it continued to grow and from this symbol of everlasting love came the beautiful and abundant oleander.”

The tale doesn't have much to do with Gieve, I'll admit, but the vibes of such a beautifully tragic tale may very well be something he sings about. He's a bard, after all, and quite the romantic one.

“Oleanders may symbolize caution, potential threat, or risk. They can also be used to symbolize attraction, passion, love, but may also signify death. They can also represent elegance, beauty, cleansing, and healing powers, as well as inner strength, bravery, and resilience support.”

Despite his casual and loose demeanor, Gieve is a cautious person in my opinion. He doesn't trust easily.

The colors on his necklace represent the aurora borealis that was said to have been visible from the clan's ancient mythical homeland, though of course they haven't been there in several millennia at this point. The necklace reflects Kazai's, signifying their close relationship as mentor-protege and even almost parental, despite there only being nine years between them. In any case, though, they share a deep familial bond as Kazai stepped up to care for him after Kashi and Ayunnen died.

The little plant in the pendant also mirrors the pine tree symbol in Areyan and Kazai's! It's not quite the same but it echoes it.

And now the tassels! Boy did I overthink the colours on that one. So each tassel represents someone he holds dear. From left to right it goes: Kazai, Farangis, Areyan, Isfan, and Shapur.

The way he wears his clothes in all three of these designs reflects his nature!

Oh, wait, we're not done yet.

It's time for the scarf!!

Would it be Gieve without his scarf? I omitted them in the main sheet because I'd spent a lot of time and effort on the embroidery details on the neckline area, and I really wanted to show them off. The embellishments on this scarf does not match his canon one, I'm aware, but I was too tired to hunt down a decent reference image from the manga and I thought this was a golden opportunity to cram in even more symbolism.

What? It's me you're dealing with. You'll always get more symbolism.

“A dragonfly is a symbol of change, transformation and self-realization. It teaches us to love life, to rejoice and have faith even amidst difficulties.”

“A dragonfly symbolizes love, growth, new development and adaptability. Though they are small, they emerge as messengers of rebirth and renewal—bridging the gap between earthly and spiritual realms.”

Not much but see my post about the magic system I made for Wolfpack— where music is thought to be the bridge between worlds, the language of all languages.

“Dragonflies have long been associated with new beginnings (rebirth and transformation). During their life span, dragonflies grow in the water before taking to air and flying. Dragonflies undergo a metamorphosis and transformation within themselves. From being unseen to spreading their wings above ground and showcasing their beauty, dragonflies symbolize new beginnings on the horizon.”

“Dragonflies only fly around in their crazy manner for a short period of their lives. But they certainly make their presence known with the way they joyfully dart and seemingly dance around. Dragonflies symbolize joy and happiness. They serve as a testament to the importance of living in the moment and enjoying each day as it comes.”

So that's pretty much it! Gieve's design sheet! Chaotic and hectic though it was, I immensely enjoyed making this one as well.

I'm not gonna start another one for a long time, though. I've learnt my lesson.

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #heroic legend of arslan #wolfpack au #winds of wolfsong #gieve #rotten egg's shitty art #the character design sheet saga #y'all I've been typing this post for upwards of an hour #I am SO TIRED #I was gonna leave this for later but I couldn't resist #god how do I unclench my jaw??????

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wanda-little-baby · 1 year

Text

Twin Surprises - Wanda Maximoff x romanoff!Reader

Summary (pt. 2) : The second half of a particular day, you have a party to prepare and probably perhaps you will succeed

Warnings: very light swearing, culinary messes, alcohol and what follows, maybe there's more?

A/N: There you go, it took me longer than expected, because among other things a week ago my laptop died and this moron that I am was unable to access the account, so here it is with some delay <3

Words: <6K

(⬆️*spoiler*⬆️)

Honestly, the only reason why you took today as a day off is because today is Wanda's birthday, also Pietro's, calculating that they are twins, but in any case she doesn't know that you know this vital information and until tonight you would prefer her to stay Like this.

In fact, if you hadn't seen the date on the files at the time of Ultron, and then subsequently asked Pietro for confirmation, most likely you wouldn't even know when your girlfriend and her brother was born.

The curious case of the strange family bartender never seen who probably (surely, by now a fact) could have super speed now no longer pushes the strings of your curiosity, you could ask advice from Vision later for a guess you would have made, but still Wanda's birthday is more important.

You have start with your little group of friends, Pietro would have had to keep Wanda away from the compound for at least two hours, just long enough to put the decorations, the cake and everything else, and you and Kate would have taken care of that everything else plus decorations and cake. Exceptional case you did it with Natasha, you texted her in her absence about everything you were putting together and luckily she's back just in time.

Trembling with excitement you had a hard time masking your incoherent happiness which suddenly appeared out of nowhere, especially when dealing with a telepathic girlfriend, but still you made it, finally Pietro and Wanda are officially away from home for the next two hours (hopefully). Now all you need is your team.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

You and Kate walked around the compound, abruptly interrupted everyone from what they were doing and as if nothing was there you both dragged everyone into the kitchen/lounge.

In addition to the thousand questions, which both you and the archer will rightly answer in right time, time plays his part. "So, you're all wondering why Kate and I dragged you here..." with dangling hands, you push to get to where you want them

"Nah I'm more terrified of that crazy smile Kate has"

"I might have an idea" Vision as always, try to express, an idea about everything could almost say. "No Vis trust me you don't have it" absolutely certain, Kate denies any idea, the secret information for weeks only you, Kate and Pietro knew.

"thus... we gathered you here because... it's the birthday of the twins" in the end you blurt out the fact. "and we are planning a surprise party!!!" with so much enthusiasm, much more than you, Kate almost bursts with happiness.

"We need your help, basically only you are not involved, yet" you ask very kindly, gesturing as usual in a very hurried way.

Through shared looks, brief moments of non-verbal (not even mental) communication, you could say that if these here don't accept, Kate would most likely make them accept so much that she trembles to organize this party.

"they are setting us up" silently, not quite, Sam whispers to the poor synthezoid next to him. "it's called team spirit!!!" Kate, which unfortunately overheard, exclaims indignantly.

"I think it could be a bonding activity, it wouldn't hurt to try" so as not to miss, this time in your favor (yeah <3), from its crammed corner in the kitchen, the ai in an almost indestructible body makes one of his comments. "thanks Vis" happy, you thank him.

Thank god, as a good gentleman of the 40's Steve is always available to help where possible. "so what should we do?"

Following another nod of glances between you and the archer you begin to give the tasks. "Okay. Cap, you take care of the decorations, you are a super soldier use these powers" you turn to Steve, explaining to him in detail what he has to do.

Once you're done with the super soldier, you move on to the person who at the same time knows how to be the most annoying and supportive in this huge building, better known as Sam Wilson. "Second, Birdman, you have the drinks, no booze, I don't want it to end like most of Tony's parties, it's a party birthday" you communicate passing over the grimace that comes to you at the mere sound of the word 'Birdman', obviously from the birdman himself.

And third but not third, you pass to the dear synthezoid willing to understand human emotions. "Lastly, Vis, I need some help in the kitchen, you'll be my assistant cook. All clear?" you conclude, looking for further doubts, mostly clarifications because you were very specific.

"And what is the archer up to here?" very pretentious, almost as if he wanted to insinuate something, Sam beckoned to the brunette across the room, a sigh escaped your lips. "Kate will take care of the music, in short, general entertainment, we don't want it to be a funeral home, and if you have any doubts, ask her, she's in charge while I'm in the kitchen" you reiterate, also pointing to the friend in question right next to you, a succession of looks and confirmations between you and her, while you overlook the 'little' puff you heard.

Full of charged emotions as well as tasks to do, you are ready to start this operation, or rather to finish it because it started already weeks ago. "Good. Avengers, let's start the birthday party operation in less than two hours" with folded hands you finish your speech, thrilled by the final result.

"It's terrible name" and "Shut up Sam!" it could be the phrases that followed the name of the operation, and you might even have rolled your eyes at the bickering between Kate and Sam, but surely in the end you know that everything will work out.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

"Vision, how much do you know about Sokovian cooking?" taking quite a few ingredients out of the fridge and various pantries, ask more for general knowledge, to the synthezoid in the role of assistant chef.

"In the Sokovian cuisine as in most of the Slavic peoples there is an abundant use of spices" following you like a dog with its master from one end of the kitchen to the other, it provides data that one cannot fail to notice its robotic nature.

You nod and as you get some bowls and a whisk and the eggs, you mumble. "Hmm it's useless anyway, we need the sweet side of the kitchen. Sokovian pastry that's what we'll do today" placing the objects from your clumsy hands on the island in the center of the room, you begin the plan for the next two intense hours of preparation.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

Meanwhile in evening New York

Convincing Wanda to go out on her birthday was complicated enough even for her twin. The fact that no one, or at least Wanda believed so, knew that today was in fact the birthday of the Maximoff twins, especially the girlfriend of a certain green-eyed brunette, only gave her more weight, and now it was never too late to say something like "Hey it's my birthday today, sorry I didn't tell you sooner but I didn't want to rehash all my destroyed childhood", but really Wanda wants nothing more than to be not intrusive.

The more or less complex key was getting a short loan of Lucky, the golden retriever that Kate had found on the street during a cold December night, before meeting all your merry gang. Of course, Kate loves Wanda very much but his pride put a lot of pressure on the speedster, but in the end Pietro gave in and took courage, after all she is his sister.

Having a dog running around in a billion dollar facility is (probably) not a good thing but hey at least Lucky is quiet, plus he likes pizza and that's a big plus. That's why under the guise of a walk with the literal Avengers mascot, just to de-stress, there were now twins and a dog on the loose on the streets of New York.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

There have been many attempts, really many. So many cakes and various desserts that came out wrong, it would be the fourth time you'd be trying to redo the dough.

You were throwing in the trash with a funeral face when you turned to see an atrocity in progress (yet another of the day). "No no no. Stop!" quickly you run trying to stop the massacre, yet another almost failed attempt, then you remember that you have powers and forcibly remove the spatula from the hands of the cake-killer synthezoid.

"Want to tell me what the hell you were going to do?!" taking the bowl out of your hands, and removing this still undamaged dough as far as possible, you scold Vision for the umpteenth time. "At this point the recipe called for mixing and I was doing it" he replies confused, if the recipe calls for this why are you angry? Human emotions are still a partial mystery to him.

You sigh at his statement, indeed it's true, he had to mix, only that's exactly what he did the other three wrong times, so maybe that's where the mistake is. "You're right. But what do you say if we put a little more flour and maybe this time I'll check if we put sugar instead of salt?" you propose exhausted, placing the bowl on the counter again, with your hands on your hips and already all covered in flour on your arms and bits of your face. "It is a mistake not to be repeated, perhaps adding some more flour could give the required result" comments the red robot thoughtfully, surely inside his mind full of vibranium circuits and the strange gem he has set on his forehead he will be calculating the variable billions possible from this choice, he always does.

"You flour, I sugar. Do you think you can do it?" handing him the bowl, you nod questioningly. "I can try," he replies, optimistic as a human would say, given his previous failures.

While you make sure you have taken the sugar and not the salt, not like the first cake which was practically perfect, just one small detail, it is salty to die for, you hear a thud and then a kind of poof, and when you turn around what you see is exhilarating.

Vision covered head to toe in flour, green and yellow clothes, red skin and everything else completely whitened, only the luminous gem stands out among all the rest. Such a show gives you what out of three failed attempts in the kitchen you deserve, a good laugh. The fact that Vision then looks at you curious as to why you're bursting with laughter only adds to the hilarity of the moment.

"I-if… if you're going to say 'do I have something on my face?' I swear I may never stop laughing" holding back more laughter just so I can talk, you warn him, you really may not stop laughing. Just at this moment, between laughter and another, your best archer enters the chaotic kitchen, who is also amazed by the condition of the synthezoid.

"Oh my god Vision! Did you by any chance give the body a whitewash?" jokingly, Kate makes fun of the white condition covering a Vision quite confused by your reactions. "No no it snowed a few seconds ago!" you join the line of jokes, really in need of this kind of rest. "Miss Bishop, Miss Romanoff, I don't understand the reason for these laughs" naked and raw, as only he knows how to be, in his confusion, still covered in flour to make him look like a vibranium Everest, the synthezoid observes. "It doesn't matter Vis, i-it was fun anyway" still recovering, between a few muffled giggles you wipe some flour off the robot's shoulders.

"Alright, I didn't come here to laugh but anyway... there's a problem there" Kate too with a roll of eyes tries to go on, underlining the problem. As if you felt a ghost pierce your body you turn and your eyes go wide, not ready to know what went wrong.

"I found my favorite pair of 'missing' shoes all gnawed away in the recesses of my closet" pulling the pair of shoes now only to be trashed from behind her back, she says again bewildered that she has been betrayed by her furry pizza-loving dog. "And then, and this is the worst part, from there I think Sam really didn't respect the no alcohol fact and Steve doesn't seem to understand that he has to do the exact opposite of what he's doing" with an air of just exhausted, Kate puts her hand to her forehead, this party hasn't even started and it's already a catastrophe.

You dramatically bangs her head on Vision's chest several times, desperate from the situation, the kitchen sucks, ditto over there... it would take a miracle.

"News from Clint? Tony? Someone, tell me at least something is going according to plan" you complain, continuing to bang your head on Vision's vibranium chest, some lumps of flour fall on you. Kate sighs "Clint is out, the little one is sick, and the whole family is basically in quarantine. Rhodey, as I was telling you he is still on a mission... while, yes Stark he is actually coming soon, nay he should be here considering you know 'him' " one by one she fills you with bad news, the air gets more and more depressing with everything in pieces, but at least there is still Tony left... yeah Tony, you aren't thrilled with what might happen as they're not yet in good shape relationships, but hope dies last.

"Ура! Could you please go over there and fix it, Katie?" almost pleading-eyed, amidst the mess in the kitchen, you speak to your friend. "I would have already gone to lend a hand but, anyway, if you don't mind I need Vision, could you lend it to me?" coquettishly, approaching your position, from the entrance, she puts her arm in arm with the synthezoid looking between you two and with a brief exchange of glances absolutely without even thinking about it you mutter a 'yeah, no problem at all'.

Surely it's not that he really needs Vision, she needs him to stay away from you that's all, the kitchen is an example and Vision really doesn't know how to cook, it's not his fault it's just that he's a robot and has literally never cooked nor eaten before, and then surely to keep him busy it won't hurt them to listen to human relationships, after all he wants to understand us.

As Kate literally drags Vision away from the battlefield that has become the poor kitchen, you lip a 'thanks' directed at her so she can get the message. Now with the free kitchen, you literally have to do it all over again in much less time and you probably also have to write to Pietro to keep Wanda away a little longer, even if she might get suspicious.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

With a flick of the wrist you change your clothes to some less floury ones, tie a quick knot in the apron around your waist and roll up the sleeves. Give your floury hair a good clean with a few shakes, and style it into a bun so it doesn't get in front of your face, and you're ready to go.

Not knowing literally how much or what specifically should be consumed at a birthday party, and with time running out, you improvise.

From what you have understood in recent years, anything, whatever power you have, is greatly influenced by emotions, the stronger they are and the greater the power they release, in short, you have had examples of it.

With a huge din, with a flick of the wrists, all the pots, ladles, spoons, loads of other objects come out of their closets and in an orderly dance on a reddish river they float through the kitchen. One by one, commanded by the co-pilot, they are set aside in sections, various pastries being prepared at the same time, while only the cake remains for you, the fifth one this time to be made again.

As you predicted, or as Kate had told you, Tony arrived shortly after your accelerated preparation starts and almost gave you a heart attack, causing a culinary catastrophe, so you dismissed him with a red-eyed gaze that could rival those of an angry Natasha.

Speaking of the redhead, your mother didn't fail to arrive quite later, but this time it will have been for feeling or because you are practically almost coded to hear even the smallest detail that makes you feel the presence of her you were prepared.

She'd asked you if you'd like a hand in the kitchen, seeing four different groups of reddish flying things plus you all sweaty and busy, but you literally begged her to go check the living room and how the party preparations were because you weren't going to make Natasha "I can burn even water" Romanoff cook for no one reason at all, especially not now.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

Finally, after about an hour and three quarters, according to someone *cough* Vision *cough*, you were done.

Three trays of pastries, various sweets and all particular stuff, mixed from international and Sokovian cuisine. Your greatest pride is the cake, this time it's a masterpiece, finely decorated with the symbolic colors of the celebrated, a typical Sokovia recipe was the background.

It's also true that you trashed your initial project and took something else but you still have the corpses of past havoc laid on the counter, there were four deaths on this day, all newborns died, and sooner or later you'll have to get rid of them unfortunately.

You've just finished taking everything out of the stove and you should go to the living room to see how to place the food, before coming back and plating everything, and the anxiety is a lot.

You were ready for something, definitely not what you found when you came out of the kitchen and went looking for the rest of the team. The living room is breathtaking, all lit up, streamers hang from the lights, the sofas moved to make room for some tables with paper plates and cutlery on them in a row and plastic cups next to them, there are also chips and various crap, things that absolutely they had slipped your mind, the decorations scattered throughout the room that recall a little sokovia everything is great and you are... you are simply speechless.

It didn't take long for y'all to put the finishing touches, sure, you don't know who did the magic but flush wire you did it. Throwing a party may not have been one of the skills you would have expected to have to get the job done, but when you're dealing with someone like Tony Stark, you see a lot of parties and you know what to do and what not to do to avoid inconvenience (yes, you know about that party at Malibu :-| ). As luck would have it, just shortly after you've just finished everything, the robotic female voice of FRIDAY warns you of the imminent arrival of the twins, this was the time to disappear.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

In a deep silence, the lights at least not too much "help something abnormal is going on", dimmed to preserve the surprise effect. Seven of the mightiest heroes on earth have hidden themselves in the most disparate places in one of the relax room which has officially become (under your "acute observation") the living room of the compound, shortly waiting for the speedster and his beautiful sister, the celebrated.

"- yes anyway I don't believe you, surely you're plotting something" in the lobby of the floor, just outside the lift, the two Sokovians argue. "Сестра (Sestra) I would never allow myself" with his hand on his chest, as if offended, Pietro teases his sister.

A small meteorite, wearing some rings, hits the shoulder of the speedster, apparently not too fast to dodge his sister's punches. "Глупо" she murmurs at the same time as the blow, followed by a not at all serious ouch, in practice it's always the same Pietro, with his usual behavior.

Crossing the hallway, the atmosphere absolutely still if it weren't for the few lights deliberately left on, Wanda is starting to believe that something has happened, it's never so silent in here. And most of all she misses her nocturnal koala, it was a crappy day for her and she just wants to be with her favorite person, maybe this birthday mess of hers can fix it next year.

"Wait Lucky!" Wanda exclaims suddenly when the golden retriever she was holding on her leash snaps and escapes from her hands running towards the dark living room. "Why is this room so dark..." the girl gropes into the open space, looking for the light switch, the pitch dark doesn't help with the fact that Pietro suddenly seems to have disappeared, when only a few seconds ago Wanda was sure he was behind her.

All the lights in the room come on revealing the magnificent sight. "Surprise!" all the voices of the team, even Pietro, exclaim together, surrounding Wanda.

Quickly her eyes become bright with emotion. Seeing the room decorated, this group of people, with some of her she bonded more than others, all this they organized for her and her brother's birthday, she just didn't expect it.

It's pure madness that you've somehow managed to keep someone you've been plotting for so long on the back burner, considering you literally live together, but it has to be a testament that someone up there loves you.

The disbelief she feels when she finishes looking around the room and she stops right in front of you is such that even with her mouth closed in her hands she can't concentrate and speak. "Would you like to say something, Wands?" you look into her eyes that she tries to hide with her hands. In order not to show her, seized with shame, she closes the short distance between you two and hides her face against your chest.

"How did you know that?" she mumbles against your chest, sheltered a little from the outer ears.

I may have had some tips

You look towards Pietro and Wanda also follows your gaze up to her brother, several unsaid speeches you exchange. "Happy Birthday девушка из ситкома" you kiss her hairline, the last part elicits a few giggles from a certain redheaded russian, and an awww from someone corny and a close friend of yours when your mom told her what were you saying. "Well how about we start this party? Or get a room because we don't want to see this all night" pointing between you two, Tony broke that bubble you had created. And so it was that an elbow hit the side of the genius, all for a little joke about her daughter.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

Before long, the party was in full swing. If there's anything we're good at besides saving the world, most of the time, it's rocking a party. As you predicted, the polite no-alcohol request, completely trampled upon. Did you expect it? Of course. If there is Tony Stark at a party it's impossible that there isn't alcohol.

Between various chats, light music in the background and Lucky wandering from one person to another, a good part of the evening is already passing. It's right here that between a talk about uranium decomposition (I don't have a clue how we got to this) and how fast Tony's armor can go just to keep up with Pietro that Kate brings an avalanche of board games and stuff like that.

After the umpteenth game of scrabble, interrupted because you really can't play against a living dictionary, Sam's words, you have given fruit to your improvisation skills with the game of mimes.

To say it was exhilarating is an understatement, you had to guess among other things which team member one of you was imitating. Obviously there were the classics, the robot for Vision, the slightly more creative one, the right hand to the chest as if to sing the national anthem, obviously for Steve. Couldn't miss a bird, it was hilarious, it always is when it's dealing with Sam, tying the shoes is a clear tip for the team sprinter according to Steve, yet he had to give another hint.

Sam played it hard miming Natasha, he got on his knees and stayed that way until y'all understood and burst into laughter, well at least not all of you. Then it was your turn, or at least someone had to imitate you. She took revenge, your mother took revenge for laughter by imitating when you sit down you take a book in your hand and absolutely angry you start leafing through it without even reading and lightning with deadly looks anyone who approaches you even by mistake, needless to say that among all those laughing you were a little ashamed.

Wanda had a classic from her twin, the usual hand gestures and go, Tony too did it quite well of course only people who are quite night owls remember his lightning naps. Vision's imitation of Kate in one word: "pure gold". Okay maybe there are two but this is the gist, robots don't know how to mimic people and when they do it's too funny.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

In a brief moment of pause, you went to the kitchen to get more glasses and napkins, and Wanda followed. When she saw the mess in the kitchen her heart melted, she lingered on the savory pie, you had decorated it out of depression, she was almost successful and since it was salty you just put a "who cares?" because nobody would care about the pie. Instead she put her foot down and wanted you to take a picture of her holding the cake.

"Seriously?! Do you want a photo with this cake... this cake here?" amazed you look at Wanda holding the plate of cake in her hand.

The girl sighs, she will have to fight for this maybe. "Come on, it's a very good cake even if it's salty! Take this picture come on..." with two big sweet eyes, plate held in front of her, she want to bribe you with sweetness.

You raise your eyebrows, you know too well what she's doing, and she's winning... as always. "Like always, we end up doing what you want" you raise your hands theatrically along with your eyes.

Initially she doesn't seem to react to your answer but when you pick up your early 2000s instant camera and snap the picture she raises an eyebrow and satisfied, after the shoot she sticks her tongue out.

"Thank you that you're pretty" you make a fake face, when the photo is developed you shake it and look at the result.

Cute even when you make faces, or make fun of me

As a teenager, Wanda blushes from cheeks to ears, and as you look at the photo she takes your arm. "Come on cakes girl let's go enjoy the amazing party you threw for me"

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

Head back to the party, Lucky nearly knocked you over as hard as he lunged at you. "Hey puppy, you almost showed me the stars" you scratch him behind the ear, he wags his tail happily.

Having a pet isn't something you've ever done, but since Lucky's been here you've become a dog lover in a snap of your fingers. Although the first time, he peed on Vision's leg.

"Oh girls, we've been waiting for you" sitting on one of the sofas, Steve greets us. Well yes, in the few fifteen minutes perhaps, Pietro had decided to do karaoke, he had arbitrarily taken and brought a microphone with all the rest of the equipment in a flash, and there was a discussion between him and Sam about who should start.

"OH MY GOD. Like OH MY GOD. Where did you get this from!" when you turn around and see all the equipment in plain sight and Pietro handling it, you're too excited.

"Apparently someone here is full of surprises" Tony refers to the boy, surprised you might say.

After the whole Sokovia incident, even before, he feels responsible for everything that happened to the twins, if only he had realized sooner. Relationships are almost always electric between those three, he tries, you try, but it's simply too early; they spent their whole lives hating the big bad Tony Stark for killing their parents, some things are not easy to forget forgive and move on.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

After a couple of minutes you decided who started first and unfortunately few participate.

"You can't stay there and let just humiliate the four of us..." you complain talking to the four sitting on sofas, more with the three humans, for Vision it can be enough with ridiculous acts to do. "five!" Sam corrects you, he's the only one besides the four of you who wants to sing.

"Yeah, though... that's not right!" you huff angrily, if you have to fall at least they have to fall with you. "Life isn't fair" Tony retorts loudly, now you can only glare at him.

"Well I haven't sung since 1944, I wouldn't mind trying" a little joy ignites at Steve's words, even if Kate's stifled giggle makes you think it's going to end badly, but anyway you thank him. "Thanks Steve"

In a last ditch effort, you cast a questioning glance at the billionaire, so much is the question in the air. "I pay for the house, food, water, electricity and all the technological gadgets, basically I'm more of a mother than this one, isn't that enough for you?" giving a futile future to your efforts, he liquidates you by putting your mother in the middle as well.

It's normal that you pay for everything here! Who among us is a billionaire?! Literally, I don't know which of us has income in our bank accounts! Then we've got a robot, one guy that's supposed to be old and death, and a lot of other people that I don't think people would want to hire. Paying is your job

"Ты была бы очень плохой матерью в этом случае, так как мы справляемся сами" arms crossed, you grumble sulkily, he doesn't understand you anyway, so he has no reason to hear. "Ты же знаешь, что он подумает, что мы плохо о нем говорим?" Natasha answers your words with curiosity, mostly with amusement.

"Вот почему я учу языки, мама" you smirk, and slowly knowing you've got everyone's full attention basically, you spell out. Your mother rolls her eyes, gives you a smile and slowly shakes her head, she could be your accomplice "Ах да, верно, Тони Старк - негодяй" finally she says, only to alarm the interested party's ears

During the short conversation in Russian, a matter of less than a minute, you had everyone's eyes on you. And when you're done, Tony's face is almost indecipherable.

"I have no idea what you said thus in advance I feel deeply offended, so I will stay here, enjoy this delicious cocktail and your performance" obviously finding an excuse, he settles down on the sofa and sips from the glass. You give him one last look and then roll your eyes

A cough gets your attention. "Can we start?" Pietro nods to you, and you shrug.

"Kate, the stage is yours" you sit down and Kate scrolls through the song list.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

If Kate hadn't thrown herself into sports, technically into being a superhero but sport was a means, yes, however, she could devote herself to singing. Of course, the song she chose was completely wrong, but the voice is there, at least you hope.

Running away from the stage of shame, you relieved her, and after a bit of searching you found the perfect song. You dedicated it to Wanda, after all it's her birthday, and you might have gone a little too far with the saccharine stuff because you made her cry, in fact, after your performance, complete with applause, you reached her and you probably won't move from there because Wanda has no intention of letting you go from her arms.

The performance plus, something, is that of Pietro, with his behavior you could not expect otherwise, at least he made the atmosphere even lighter.

Strangely Sam's went well, no one laughed, everything perfectly. In your nerdy searches you may have found old footage from WWII, and some may even have been on Steve (*cough*A Star Spangled Man with a Plan *cough*) , but you were definitely not expecting what you got, an excellent performance.

You: Wow this went better than I expected. Hmm... Wanda?

Wanda: Yes?

You: You know it's your turn right?

Wanda: I don't want to go... come on you know I'm shy about these things. Isn't it better if I'm here with you?

You: Come on!!! At least if you don't want to make a random song take your guitar and play something with it... please?

Wanda: Don't even talk about it! I have no intention of playing... and... and then who was it that said we always do what I want?

You: I warn you, your guitar is arriving in your hands in a few seconds

Wanda: Now I hate loving you

While your girlfriend muttered to herself, and sincerely even when she pouts you want to kiss her nose, you still announce her entrance.

"Guys, you will never believe it, but now Wanda will delight us with a sweet melody played by her" absolutely convinced you announce, Wanda would like to sink into the sofa in a while and not re-emerge so as not to do it.

Wanda: Ugh... God... please bury me now

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

In the end, between grimaces and some not very serious threats, you managed to get Wanda to stand up, the guitar in your hand, and lots of love (also teasing) in her eyes.

Well if she sings like the first time I heard her then... wow

You are walking quietly in the hallway, thought you were going to the library, or maybe you were walking down to go to training, when a sweet melody caught the attention of your ears, it was Wanda. You stood for a couple of minutes at the door jamb, enchanted by the way Wanda was singing, almost angelic.

Lying on her back, on the edge of the bed, when she looked up and saw your shape, a wave of shame and embarrassment hit her.

She almost threw a pillow at your face if you didn't dodge, and then you might have apologized for scaring her.

The fact is that in the end while Wanda was singing you were there for her. And at the end of the performance, there were whistle and applause, you basically cheered Wanda.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

There was the cake after, candles and all, and the compliments you might have gotten might have boosted your foodie ego even more, but hey if you're making the cake for your girlfriend birthday it makes sense you put all your effort into it yourself.

But now, from that precise moment on, your memories are fuzzy, it must surely have been the alcohol you ingested and it didn't help the challenge between you and Pietro to see who gets the most shots; and you already a little tipsy you overlooked the fact that his accelerated metabolism makes it literally impossible for him to get drunk, obliviously like a dumbass that you are you accepted.

For some reason you're shooting yourself a shot one moment, then you go dancing for some weird reason with *hazy mist*, but you think it's Wanda, and then you don't know how but you're watching a dance competition and your mom and Steve are dancing great, and for some reason you're rooting for them.

On top of that you believe, in the drunken haze you've blown a hole in someone's foot with Kate's arrows, and you definitely need to check that tomorrow, if you ever get over that giant hangover.

After the memory of dragging each other, perhaps in threes, with Wanda, between giggles and drunken conversations, down a hallway, you hope that of the bedrooms, you have a gigantic scary darkness, the most scary thing after a party... the day after.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

The blinding light from the window, that thing so painful it hurts your ears. The head that feels like it's about to explode, and you probably don't think you can get out of bed, maybe you wouldn't even be able to raise a hand let alone all of yourself.

Too much light, too loud, too drunk

At sloth speed, you turn face down in bed, and with what little energy you have you close the curtain with a few red threads.

You don't feel like moving, or doing anything else, especially talking or seeing, you could fall into depression if you do.

Screams suffocated in the pillow, even if there is very little to suffocate, you complain.

"I will never drink again"

A bad hangover awaits you to deal with today

#wanda x fem!reader #wanda x reader #wanda x romanoff!reader #wanda x y/n #wanda maximoff x romanoff!reader #wanda maximoff x female reader #natasha x daughter!reader #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff x teen!reader #natasha romanoff #wanda maximoff #pietro maximoff x platonic!reader #wanda x pietro #pietro maximoff x romanoff!reader #kate bishop x platonic!reader #kate bishop x romanoff!reader #avengers x platonic reader #avengers x reader

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