#no thanks we'd rather be here being silly

[familyvideostevie]

Omg James idea, so rich boy James, that’s it, THAT is the idea, please go mad and mental with it pls pls pls

ok i know you probably wanted him to be cocky or maybe something filthy but this just HAPPENED so i'm SORRY!!!! i think he's too nice here. but what can i say, i need a nice boy atm. maybe i need to try something filthy and flirty with rich boy james later... | rich!james always pays for you. it's getting on your nerves. angst to fluff, 1.4k

You talk it through in your mind before you and James enter the restaurant. You're here to pick up takeaway and bring it back to his place for a movie night -- and you are determined to pay. You have cash in your pocket, ready to produce before he can even whip out his wallet.

It's silly, sure. But James always pays for you. And you know the reason why -- he's rich. You've always known that, even before you were together. Weekends at the country club with his parents, stories of holidays to places you've only dreamed of. His clothes are always a brand you've never heard of, beautiful shirts and creased trousers. Leather shoes and bags, a nice watch, and gold signet ring on one pinky. His flat is beautiful and far too big and you're not sure who pays the rent.

Sure, you thought he was an asshole at first. Most people do. But as you got to know him you found that he's always generous. He picks up the tab most nights out, always offers to get dinner for the boys when everyone is too busy to go to the shops, buys nice but personal presents for holidays and birthdays and just because. And you? Sometimes you think he's trying to buy you the world. And they're not empty, hollow gestures. He's loving in every way possible -- picking you up out of the blue and leaving you notes to find after he's left your apartment. His touches are free yet priceless, his hand on your elbow or your back or in yours worth a thousand dinners. James Potter was born to love, he's exploding with it everywhere he goes, and you feel incredibly lucky to be on the receiving end of it.

But the git won't let you pay for dinner. Ever. And you don't know how to bring it up with him. Is it because he thinks you can't? No, that's not James. Is it because he thinks you don't want to? Also stupid, also no. But it feels like you have something to prove, to show him that you want to do this, too.

But James being James, he finds a way to thwart your attempt.

"Pickup for Potter?" he says to the counter, one hand firmly in yours. You reach into your pocket, primed and ready. But before you can, he's handed a large paper bag and waved off.

"Don't we need to pay?" you say. James looks at you with mild interest.

"Did it when I ordered," he says. "Thought we'd want to get home fast as possible." You blink at him as your plan dies a slow death.

"Oh," you say.

"Thank you!" James calls to the restaurant, pulling you out the door and down the street back to his place. He doesn't try to chat with you, happy to stroll through the evening, swinging your hands as you walk. You, on the other hand, are trying to sort through the frustration you're feeling. Is it fair to be mad at him for this? In the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal. Right?

But your mood remains in flux when you get back, as James unloads the food you've ordered onto his cozy kitchen table. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" he asks you. You realize you haven't said a word to him.

"James," you say, sucking in a big breath. "Can I ask you something?" He stills at your tone then runs a hang through his hair.

"Course," he says. "Anything." You sit and he follows, choosing the chair next to yours rather than across, the food forgotten for now. You cross your arms and your knee bounces up and down.

"Why don't you let me pay for anything?" You look at your hands as you say it. "I know you're rich, James, and that's fine, but it's making me feel like you think I can't, or that I shouldn't, or that I don't want to--"

James's hand is heavy on your knee, stilling it. You look up and find him staring at you, looking a few shades away from heartbroken. Like he can't believe he's made you think any of that.

"No," he says, breathily. "No, that's not it at all." You wait. He seems to be searching desperately for the words. "I know that you can, but I don't want you to waste money on me--"

"It's not a waste," you interrupt. "If mine's a waste on you then yours is a waste on me."

"I mean, what kind of a boyfriend would I be if I let you pay?" he tries. "That's not how you should be treated--"

"I think I can discern how I should be treated just fine, James," you say tightly. "Money doesn't mean anything." James scrubs his face with his free hand before flipping the palm on your knee up, begging for your touch. You grant it, though you don't totally want to continue this conversation. You're not sure that it's a fight worth having to begin with, but you're still frustrated.

"I'm not doing this right," he mutters. His shoulders go back as he sits up straight and he circles your hand in both of his, thumb stroking the top. "Look," he says, his dark brow furrowed. "I've got more money than I know what to do with. You know that. I didn't earn it, I don't need it, but I have it. I like to spend it on the people in my life that I love -- the people in my life that matter to me." He brings one big, wam palm to your cheek. You lean into the touch. "And that's you, darling," he finishes softly. "You're right that it doesn't mean anything. I know you'd be with me if I lived out of my car. I'd do everything I could to make you happy no matter my circumstances."

You sigh, turning your head so your lips brush the edge of his hand. He knows that, at least. That you'd love him with or without the money. "But, you're not going to let me pay for things, still?" James shakes his head, scoots his chair closer to yours. His knees slot between yours in a way that must be uncomfortable for him, but he doesn't seem to case so long as he's close.

"You can pay for whatever you want." The thumb on your face swipes under your eye. James touches you with tenderness you didn't know existed. "It's not that I don't think you can, or want to. I'm sorry that I made you think that. I know you want to..." He tucks his chin into his chest just a little bit.

"I want to take care of you, James," you murmur. "Partners take care of each other."

"I know," he says, looking at you again. "And you do. You take such good care of me. You remind me to bring my keys, you have my favorite tea in your cabinet, you run those magic fingers through my hair when I'm being a right asshole." He squeezes your face gently and you smile.

"Those are easy, James," you tell him. You mean it. Loving him is easy, always has been.

"And paying for your meals, or clothes, or anything you want is easier," he says firmly. "You know, one time Remus said to me that love isn't something that needs to be repaid. And he's right. But if I can use my stupid fortune to make you happy and comfortable then I will."

You pull his hand from your face and lean in so that your foreheads touch. "I'm getting dinner next week," you tell him. He huffs a breath and you feel it on your mouth.

"Whatever you want." He kisses you a little harder than you expected, his hand moving to the back of your head to keep you from falling back in your chair. You consider climbing into his lap right there, your worries assuaged for now, but then the kiss is over before you can move.

"Was this a fight?" James asks, turning to the cooling food. He remains in the chair next to you rather than moving across from you like a normal person. "If it was, does that mean we get to have make-up sex?"

You laugh, digging your knee into his thigh. "Let me eat the pasta my rich boyfriend bought for me first." He sighs dramatically, but he's smiling.

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, masterlist here!

#james potter x reader #james potter x y/n #james potter x you #james potter fanfiction #the marauders #marauders fanfiction

[animehouse-moe]

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 8: Shibuya Incident 3

This is what I was worried about, what I thought was arguably the worst case scenario for what we'd get for season 2. Thankfully, only a single battle falls to this effort, but we have no telling what the future may hold. Not entirely devoid of good, the episode is overwhelmingly still, but also oddly flashy. A brutal balance to strike, worsened by the ghosting and dimming imposed on it, I don't think it'll take long for me to explain what's going on with this episode.

So, first things first, the praise. This episode takes Geto's explanation of Domain Amplification and how to handle Gojo, and shapes it into something rather appealing compared to the manga. I think it's a good change, but one that I'm still curious about. The real fight between Gojo, and Hanami, Jogo, and Choso starts next episode. I'm unsure of the reasoning behind splitting up the explanation into parts that are stippled throughout. It would work equally well as a closer to prep the tension for the ensuing fight.

Gojo, the all powerful sorcerer, has a "weakness" that's being exploited, and so he rises to the challenge. Now, I'll state once more that it's not a critique of the anime's exposition, but just a question of why they chose to split it up instead of keeping it in line with the manga.

Anyways, here's Hanami, Dagon, and Mahito playing with the kids while Geto explains things.

Similarly, I think them condensing the respective fights was a good decision. With the pacing of them, consolidating them works much better to preserve pace and engagement.

Also, there's a good few ambitious scenes in the episode, that are arguably well done. I think disappointingly though, very few have to do with actual combat, and arguably fewer that are specifically animated.

Let's start with Yuji's reaction to Mahito being in Shibuya. Not quite the manga, but it's pretty comparable to his reactions from season 1. Because of the lack of animation though, you don't really feel that oomph like you did with S1 Yuji, which is somewhat saddening. Still, far from the worst.

You know, I think I might just speed things along. The very core of this episode is good layouts. Animation doesn't really follow, nor does it keep up with said LOs. Here's a few examples though, like Yuji's running cycle paired with his character acting. Solid and smooth, it's well done even though it's different from the first season.

Similarly, but arguably worse, is Choso's Slicing Exorcism. Solid idea, good boards, surprisingly good animation. Terrible composition and art. Which is a shame, it's a really solid approach to Choso's style of combat, and it's squandered by negative effort in its surroundings. Better than a blurred background, but still far from good.

But that's really as far as my praise can go. As I said to open, the episode is painfully still, but attempts to be incredibly flashy. Some boards work well, but they're largely limited to stills and non-combat sequences.

Grasshopper vs Yuji was nearly a complete letdown in that regard. Drawing out the comical/silly moments, quickening its pace while completely changing its scale, and offer a total lack of impact and weight. By all means, its a flunking score that even makes you doubt if what transpired in the previous episode was at all associated to the execution of today's.

And that doesn't even mention the weirdness of trying to mimic a JJK 0 fight scene of Yuta & Rika vs Geto. Choppy, sluggish, and the animation/choreography makes no sense. Completely changes the scale of Grasshopper as well as the limit of their abilities, as well as Yuji. Essentially what I said with the prior episode, the scale of combat has grown to an unreasonable scale that misrepresents their ability.

And then there's the whole rapid fire punching that takes place. Bad choreography in the first place (though a bit more forgivable in manga format) that's made completely unwatchable thanks to ghosting and dimming. No real words, so just watch this clip from an account on Twitter.

And I think that pretty well sums it up. Not a good episode, not a good fight. Praying for better times, and for that matter pacing. With the Kyoto Exchange Event as the benchmark for group battling as well as exposition, Shibuya is already struggle to keep on reasonable pacing. I think Shibuya moves fast in the first place, but I still believe that said pace has been quickened with the anime. For reference, this episode adapts "about" 5 chapters (some contents are piecemealed from other chapters and re-organized, so tough to perfectly gauge), while Kyoto Exchange averaged about 3 chapters an episode.

I refuse to say I'm ringing alarm bells, as I'd already done that before this season, let alone this part of it, began. This is just stating the facts of what unfolds in front of viewers now. I'm just disappointed that following the impressive work of the previous episode that we fall so far. Hopefully the following episode of next week can pick up the pieces once more.

#jujutsu kaisen #呪術廻戦 #jjk #sorcery fight #gojo satoru #geto suguru #anime review #anime and manga #anime #yuji itadori #yuji #fushiguro megumi #megumi fushiguro #nobara kugisaki #nanami kento #kento nanami #maki zenin #naobito zenin #shibuya #shibuya arc #jjk shibuya arc #jjk season 2 #mei mei #mahito

[johnslittlespoon]

It just makes so much sense that you were writing in 2013, you have the unhinged vibe that the golden fics from that era had.

I'm just here to compliment you really lol, mostly because I am giving a try to write a lil something for the first time and god I can only dream of ever being able to write as good as you. I've been writing poems and music for years now but i find writing actual coherent storys with characters and dialogue so so hard.

I was wondering if you have any tips, or like little rules you follow when you write.

all the love, xxx

🌷

I'M GONNA CRYYYY this was the sweetest thing in the world to wake up to wtf wtf <333 thank you SO much, i really appreciate this wahh my heart :'))) but also you are SILLY. don't compare yourself to others!! if we all did that constantly we'd never get anything written!! there are SO many authors i adore on here that will always have me chasing the "i wish i could write like that" feeling and it's a great motivator but alsooo at the end of the day. you gotta fall in love with your own words and characters and stories <33

and i feel that so much!! we are twinsss, i also started out writing poems and music and then realized i had stories i wanted to tell that wouldn't fit in shorter form, then discovered fanfic in middle school in the early '10s and it was all downhill from there LOL. truly such a golden era tho oh my god. growing up reading the hat fic and borderline illegible wattpad stories was certainly... formative!

yapping ahead vv (i don't have much advice bc i'm still just learning as i go but hopefully some stuff i picked up on can be a bit helpful!)

i have zero method to the madness when writing so it's a relief to know it doesn't come off that way LOL but i do have a few little things that i follow and i always look for them when beta–ing as well! they're pretty small technical things and they're generally up to personal preference, but some of them come from authors i admire and i think they can really take anyone's writing up a notch <3

i don't feel qualified to give advice because i'm just raw–dogging everything lmao i've never taken classes or anything, so take all this yapping with a grain of salt bc it's just what's worked for me!

– i try to use descriptors like "the man" or "the blond" or "his friend" etc sparingly. i wish i could remember the source, but i read a great piece about why it's better to just go with the character's name 99% of the time, and then i went through so many of my works to edit them and i felt so much more confident in my writing afterwards– it made a big difference in readability (imo).

ofc there are exceptions, like if the name of a character is unknown, or if there are too many names being thrown around in one sentence and a "the man" or "the soldier" etc just sits nicer. i definitely still use them occasionally! but it does sometimes put some distance between the reader and the story when those descriptors are used too often instead of names, so it's a good thing to keep an eye out for when it comes to flow. sometimes less or more or whateva ??

– sorta on the topic of less is more, i love challenging myself to show vs tell when i can! whether it's by keeping dialogue short and letting actions speak instead (can add to intimacy/realism– we communicate so much through body language yk), through metaphors (literally how my whole '#john egan is dog coded' fic was born LOL), or describing feelings rather than spelling them out (his heart ached vs he was sad, his pulse raced vs he was scared, you get the gist). you said you've been writing poems so i feel like stuff like that would already probably come easily to you tho! <3

– this guide on ao3 is great for smut writers! whether someone's a beginner or just looking for ways to elevate the filth, i found it really helpful, it's a fun read as well lol. it calls out stereotypes/cliches and teaches you how to reword them, gives lists of slang and reactionary words, do's and don't's, etc. i don't follow everything in it but that's the beauty of writing; we all have things that work for us and things that don't and that's so okay. :-)

– in the same way that artists use references to practice and find their style, you can do that with writing too! i know a lot of writers have a doc or note where they jot down stylistic things they find while reading that they'd like to emanate, or words they want to use, specific phrases, descriptors, etc. if i'm reading a fic and find an auditory descriptor i like, i might take note of it, stuff like that. sorta like a text document version of a pinterest board!

– thesaurus.com is my best friend truly. often going with the 'simplest' version of a word makes for smoothest reading so someone isn't taken out of the story being like wtf does that word mean lol but sometimes things can feel repetitive, or like there just needs to be a little bit more spice; i probs go back and forth btwn my doc and thesaurus a dozen times an hour tbh.

that's all i can think of rn and ik those are pretty basic so i'm sorry about that!! i really do just kinda write what evokes emotions in myself, and then i hit post and hope it translates over to whoever is reading too :') drawing from your own experiences if you can/really sitting with what the characters would be feeling in whatever scenario you're writing is probably the most powerful way to present what you see in your mind.

i have a hard time writing about emotions/things i haven't personally experienced, so i usually stray away from it out of fear of not getting across what i want to, but some people are great at winging it and putting themselves in unfamiliar shoes so!! it's again just personal preference really.

and alsooo be kind to yourself! i'm an anxious wreck every time i post any of my writing, i am very much not confident when posting new fics and i agonize over my docs so much and trash a lot of works, but i know at the end of the day i can't grow or learn if i don't get the words down, and i can't get feedback or gain confidence if i don't post. becoming your own hype man and giving yourself the opportunity to improve is essential <33

sooo much love and best of luck!!! lmk if you end up writing smth, i'd love to read it (◠‿◠✿)

#also tentatively offering beta services to mota/sb moots bc i love helping w fics <33 hmu #if i am not super busy i am SAT #this got so long WHOOPS so sorry anon #johnslittlespoon asks #johnslittlespoon yaps

[warrior-cats-rewritten]

So Duskfur is from the early Po3 generation. A bit older than Lion Jay and Holly. She is the daughter of Hawkfrost and Primroseheart, granddaughter of Tigerstar and Mistystar.

She was trained by Leopardstar personally. After her failure to make Hawkfrost Tigerstar's successor, she figures to do it with the much more malleable Duskpaw, since Sasha joining Riverclan and Tadpole surviving means that Hawkfrost was safer with a support system, not to mention Primroseheart being a shoulder to lean on when his intrusive, violent thoughts got unbearable.

Their firstborn, Duskpaw, was sharp edged. She was fiercely independent even as a small kitten. Primroseheart and Hawkfrost loved her deeply, they gave her what she wanted. Primmy even helped her start learning Glyphs and recipes before she was apprenticed, she had such a thirst for learning. Hawkfrost let her help with Weaving and drying out minnows.

And then... Leopardstar got her claws in. She fed Duskpaw ideas about her father's "failure" and how "soft" he had grown. Domestic. Happy to settle with a cat that wasn't even born in Riverclan, to a cat who was not pure Riverclan. (Never minding the fact that Hawkfrost isn't even partially Riverclan, the blame is falling squarely on Primmy. Double standards and bigotry don't make sense.)

"Does that make me bad?"

"No, Duskpaw, of course not. You were born and raised here. You're special. You understand Riverclan, and you can see the value of... Other ideals."

"Other ideals?"

"Indeed. I'm not going to force you to think things, Duskpaw, I'd never do that! But, don't you think there's value in hearing every opinion?"

"Yeah! Mama says everybody in Riverclan is important!"

"... Of course she does. Did she ever tell you about Tigerclan? Sure, it had its flaws, and faults, nothing is perfect... But I think there is importance in seeing some of the good that came out of it, too."

"Uh, no, I-"

"It showed the other Clans just how ferocious Riverclan warriors can be. We focused on strengthening the Clan, rather than trying to bargain with traitors and weak cats... We tried to make new traditions, but... I guess they weren't around long enough to stick."

"Wait, wait... You can MAKE new traditions?"

"Of course, silly! How do you think they start?"

"Oh, yeah! I guess I never thought about it."

"I see... One such tradition was to focus on finding out which cats would betray us. Which cats were not Purely for Riverclan... Goodness, that sun sure is getting high in the sky, we'd better get back to camp now if you want to meet up with the other apprentices! And, since you worked so hard, why don't you pick a big fish from the fresh-kill pile first?"

"Wow! Thanks, Leopardstar!"

"Of course. Just... Do me a favour?"

"Yes?"

"Don't tell your parents what we spoke about. Talk of True, Pure, Riverclan Strength makes some cats... Uncomfortable."

"Hm... Okay, I'll keep it a secret! See you later!"

This went on throughout Duskpaw's apprenticeship. She was curious to learn, Leopardstar was more than happy to fill her head with ideas she would later tell her were her own. She destroyed her own relationship with her parents, hardly speaking to them once she became a warrior, only wanting to talk to the cats who would remind her of what Leopardstar spoke about.

The cats who grieved the hardest when Leopardstar turned up dead during the Drought.

Her status as a good mentor is made clear, as she had already mentored Copperpaw/Copperfur, along with Shadenose (Formerly Shadepelt AVoS). Her third apprentice, Dappletuft, has been moved down to be Curlfeather's apprentice.

Duskfur would later go on to have Curlkit and Podkit, calling Queen's Rights. She disagreed with its existence, but when she and her Riverclan Honour Sire got into a fight, she refused to name him out of spite. He never spoke out against it, leaving the father of the 2 unknown. Their father will never be named.

Curlkit and Podkit were spoiled. Duskfur demanded of her own grandmother, Mistystar, give them the best mentors, while Riverclan was still recovering from the damage that the Flood had caused. Her son and daughter were very different, and where Podpaw was outspoken and rude, his mentor Mallownose only encouraging andenabling his behavior.

The more quiet and watchful Curlpaw was assigned to Reedwhisker. Curlpaw was left out of things as her mother and brother grew close, their views very similar, but Reedwhisker made sure that his apprentice was always cared for and looked after. He was her great-uncle, but might as well have been a father to her. At least... From his point of view.

Curlfeather always seemed distant with him... Like she knew something she wouldn't talk about...

Duskfur was actually quite overjoyed when Curlfeather announced her pregnancy. Though she preferred Podlight, she knew Podlight had no interest in having kits, and she wanted grandchildren. Unfortunately, she did not particularly like Curlfeather's choice of mate, the soft-spoken, gentle Jayclaw.

It hurt, of course, knowing that it would break her daughter's heart, but Duskfur knew what was best for her. A soft mate would make her daughter soft, and Duskfur never liked him much to begin with, not to mention his grandfather, Rainstorm, so clearly half-Thunderclan that Jayclaw himself looked like he belonged in the dense forest. He wasn't Purely for Riverclan. She would be doing Curlfeather a favour, after all...

Jayclaw was never a good swimmer anyways.

#duskfur #leopardstar #curlfeather #podlight #jayclaw #hawkfrost #primeroseheart #primrosepaw #warrior cats #warrior cats rewrite #wcr #warriors

[memento-morri-writes]

Happy World Building Wednesday!

We're approaching that time, so does your work have any kind of solstice festival? Or New Year's festival? What are the traditions?

Hi TC! Thanks for the ask! This is actually a really good question!!

So, in the world of ATQH, there are a few different festivals that take place every year. The ones that I mention in the story are:

Midsummer / Summer Solstice (relatively similar to Midsummer in the real world), which happens on a date equivalent to June 21st.

Harvest Festival (somewhat analogous to "OctoberFest"if your location has such a thing. But also has some elements of Halloween and Thanksgiving mixed in.) which happens on a date equivalent to October 31st.

Winter Solstice (somewhat equivalent to a combo Christmas and New Year's, but doesn't have religious origins), which happens on a date equivalent to December 21st.

Midwinter, which happens on a date equivalent to February 21st.

I'll talk about the traditions for each under the cut, since I worry this is going to get rather long. (I'm focusing on Anvia and Anvia's traditions and celebrations, since that is where the story takes place, and if I were to talk about traditions and holidays in Oraine and Oryn, we'd be here til next year.)

Midsummer / Summer Solstice

Most commonly referred to as just "Midsummer", this is generally a very cheerful and happy festival, held to celebrate the longest day of the year. The celebration involves feasting and dancing. Small towns or villages will have one massive town feast where they put tables outside and everyone is invited. Larger towns will have more concentrated or divided celebrations, kind of like block parties, I guess. In rural areas, it's traditional to light a bonfire when it gets dark out. Music and dancing is a huge part of the tradition, and there's usually nonstop music from the time the party starts until it's end.

Floral decorations are very common, as well as bright and colorful fabrics. It's common to see houses with colorful ribbons hanging from their eaves, or wrapped around fences. It's generally considered a bad idea to wear dark and dour clothing to a Midsummer celebration, since it is a celebration of life and growth. Colors like yellow, green, as well as floral colors like light pinks, purples, or blues are most common.

At the Palace, there's always a ball held on Midsummer, with a feast held before it. The general air is a bit more formal, as it always is when royalty and nobles are involved, but the air of joy and celebration remains.

Harvest Festival

Harvest festival happens at the very end of the harvest season, once every crop has been harvested. It is also celebrated with a feast, with every farmer in a village donating a portion of their harvest to the meal. Ale is also a common part of the celebration, as well as perhaps wine among the more "upper class" folks. Less dancing for the common folk for this one, and more of just a celebration of being together. (Though dancing is still likely to happen.) A person is liable to have at least one drunk relative crashing at your place by the end of the day, which can be good or bad, depending on the relative.

It's a celebration of being thankful that the harvest has been successful, and marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of preparations for winter. Decorations include taking down your scarecrows and dressing them up in silly clothing, as well as using excess produce you are unable to preserve as decorations. (Some things like gourds, pumpkins, etc. will be carved for decorations.) Extra animals that might not survive the winter or would be too expensive to feed are killed and prepared as food for the feast. The idea is that as little should go to waste as possible. If it cannot be saved or preserved for winter, then it will be used for for the harvest festival in some way.

Every year, the Palace holds a masquerade ball for the Harvest festival. The exact origins of the reasoning for the masquerade are uncertain, but this tradition has been ongoing for at least a century at this point, and it's a beloved tradition.

Winter Solstice

Winter solstice takes place near the end of the year, on the shortest day of the year, and is somewhat of a combination between Christmas and New Years in our world, I suppose. It is traditional to exchange gifts with loved ones on the Solstice. It is also traditional to light candles as the sun begins to set, and at the end of the night, around midnight, each person blows out their candle and makes a wish.

It's a celebration of looking back at the year, reflecting on what has happened, and having hopes for the future. It's also general a more cozy and relaxed holiday, in comparison to the potentially raucous or overwhelming celebrations of Midsummer or Harvest.

Aside from the candles, traditional decorations include winter-growing plants. Another tradition is the making and eating of Solstice Cookies, which come in many shapes, and are usually elaborately decorated. (However one of the most common shapes is that of a stylized sun.)

Midwinter

Midwinter happens early in the new year, at the point when the worst of winter is supposed to have passed. It's a celebration of having made it through the worst of it, and that spring will soon be here. (Its origins are among farmers, relieved to have had enough stores for the winter, and that their animals have survived, etc.) It's one of the smaller celebrations of the bunch, with the least defined traditions. But it's generally a very happy and positive celebration.

While each individual family might celebrate it in their own way, the Palace traditionally holds a ball on Midwinter. In rural areas, people might pull out the best of the food they have, or splurge and bake a cake or other fancy dessert.

(Side note: While Midwinter isn't a very defined holiday in terms of traditions, it's probably the most important one in my story, seeing as it's the night that Lavinia attacks Fallon...)

#tc-doherty #morrigan replies #wbw #wbw asks #worldbuilding wednesday #worldbuilding #wip: atqh #atqh: worldbuilding

[threadsun]

Ooorrr maybe I just suck at lying so AHA! GOT YOU THERE! Gotta use those breathing exercises to make sure I can focus typing so I don’t think I COULD lie if I wanted to. I’m just THAT confident that’d I’d win~ Or maybe I am lying and don’t want to admit that your words are affecting a lot more than I say. That I’d rather just submit because it would feel so nice to be used and manhandled like you said, to let my mind break~ But then again, you’d never know it because I’m just that good at hiding it~ ;P Oh well, such a shame! I feel like pain and pleasure go hand-in-hand the same way that praise and degradation do, so of course it’d make sense that if I actually WANTED to submit, then I’d try to withstand as much pain as possible. I easily bruise and my pain tolerance is super low so it’s not hard to make me yelp, but that’s only if you can get me down. I guess I’ll just have to get closer, won’t I~? 😜

In any case, I’m going to just add that punishment to the VERY small list of punishments that actually work so thank you for enlightening not only that, but for me being a brat too. Taking notes here lol.

!!! I’M LOVING YOUR THEORY!!! See, I just FINALLY started looking at the other characters more deeply (ghost tiddies were distracting me for a long while) so I haven’t been able to put anything cohesive together yet. Your theory on Ian’s mother planting seeds of doubt in his head seems like the most realistic reason as to why he may have cheated. Like you said, she’s not above sending people to stalk him just to gain leverage over his emotional and mental state so if she disapproves of M/C, then I can see her trying to split them apart. Definitely a lot more in character for Ian than what I said! I swear this is why I love discussing theories with others instead of trying to figure it out all on my own. I definitely don’t see him cheating just cause, so having a more solid foundation to build off of is nice.

Hey! I like Joesph in uniform too, no shame here! But like, fireman Joesph getting you a collar that you must wear at ALL times, no exceptions. Having to walk around on all fours while Joesph parades you through the firehouse leash in hand. “Good puppies don’t speak for their treats, they bark for them. Don’t you want a treat, doll?” Joesph slowly starts to unbuckle his belt, his form intimidating from this angle. He bites his lip as he peers down at you.

“Then beg for it~”

AHHHH! Listen, I’m not super into petplay but I’d bark repeatedly at this man, I swear! 🥴 But holy shoot, going for a fireman AU overall for all of them? Can I buy one of those pin-up charity calendars from their firehouse?

YUS! Imma be like a hawk and lazer focus on that bad boi when it drops. 😂 Oh! I think I remember reading about the herbal cigarettes on your page! But ooooo, what do they usually smell like? 😗 I’m all about those scents and perfumes which speaking of, I imagine that Joesph would smell like the cologne Obsession and Jack would be more of fresh, gourmand smell, maybe even citrus, but I can’t pinpoint an exact fragrance.

Also, waxplay? Holy hell that sounds extremely hot from how you described it (no pun intended)!

-🎃

Awwww so cute~ It's okay, I'd let you have your fun before I broke you. I'd let you believe you're a true brat, only to show you that deep down you're really just a needy little masochist. And then we'd have plenty of fun seeing just how nicely you bruise! But as you said, you'll have to get closer first. I'll tease anyone, but I'll only put real effort in for money or friends~ Can't just go around giving away the goods for free, you know. No matter how tempting it is to take my sadistic urges out on a silly little vocal brat...

I've been thinking about it for a long time now because the cheating just seemed so... out of left field? I guess? But then I realised it's only surprising if you assume he did it for fun. A lot of people seem to think he takes mc for granted, but throughout the Afterlife we see him over and over again being thankful for their presence and not considering himself worthy of them. But what we also see is some of the lengths to which his mother will go to make him be who she wants him to be. And given that we know mc is the one who's helping Ian cut her out of his life, it's no surprise she'd want to break them up. idk I just think it makes more sense with Ian's character than just like... he felt like cheating and assumed they'd forgive him?

😳 Joseph introducing you to all of the guys as the stations new pet, making you greet them on all fours and letting them know you're free for any of them to use when they need to blow off a little steam~

Ooooh yesssss they absolutely make those firefighter pin up calendars and I would order a hundred of them!! The real question is would they do "sexy firefighters with kittens/puppies" calendars as well? Cause those would be hot and cute!!

>:3c Joseph is gonna get his whole life ruined and it'll be beautiful~ Yeah, herbal cigarettes are cool cause they just smell kinda like burning herbs/flowers. So like floral or herby and smoky too! Like when people burn lavender and stuff! But yeah, I can imagine Ian smelling like them because I feel like there's a lot of pressure for actors to smoke but he wouldn't want nicotine or weed. Joseph definitely smells like Obsession!! And yeah, I could see Jack smelling of grapefruit tbh.

Waxplay is very fun!! And hot, it's fun to watch someone squirm while hot wax drips on them >:3c

#sunshine #asks #🎃 anon

[juniperhillpatient]

Sozin's Comet Part 3: Into the Inferno Re-Watch

Wow, I'll be honest I forgot how many parts this finale had (& thank goodness because it's way too much to cover in one post.) While I've randomly re-watched various episodes of this show a lot, this is my first time doing a full re-watch & only my second time re-watching these finale episodes. That's because....well, this finale doesn't fuck around!

Let's get right into it. I gotta be petty & say it's kinda funny this show is so disdainful of its own main "romance" (& calling it that is a stretch) that they have Katara & Zuko go together on a ride or die life or death journey to the Fire Nation after baiting their noncanon romance quite a bit in the last few episodes. Fun! I'll briefly address that I know a lot of you guys don't like the setup for the Zuko Vs. Azula fight, & it's certainly a little flawed but...& this might be a hot take - Zuko showing up during Azula's coronation to claim the throne & the two of them having an Agni Kai does make a certain amount of narrative sense. It's just that a few details about the setup itself (the time it takes to get from Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation, Iroh knowing that Azula would be crowned Firelord, in general, the buildup to Zuko's decision to become Firelord) could have been executed a little better. But I still love the beautiful tragedy of the final Agni Kai & I still think it was overall set up well save for a few details.

Zuko Vs. Ozai I would argue is pretty perfectly set up by the previous episode. Aang is ready for this fight. And Ozai is ready for genocide - & showing off his abs! I'm sorry if this upsets some of you but Ozai is getting +1000 iconic behavior points for stripping off his shirt for this fight & generally acting like a dramatic king. Yes trying to burn the world to the ground is pretty bad, but Ozai sure does manage to be a fun-to-watch villain while he does it. I only wish we'd gotten more scenes showcasing Ozai's personality & badassery throughout Book 3 to really set him up as the Final Boss.

[id: Ozai about to fire-bend Aang. end id]

I can really appreciate that Aang is out of his comfort zone here. Throughout this entire show, Aang has been an evasive fighter. He's not aggressive. He prefers to deftly outmaneuver his opponents & cause them to wear themselves out rather than attacking directly himself. Aang doesn't have that option this time. First of all, Ozai is just a very aggressive fighter who is determined to take Aang down. Second of all, this is the big battle - Aang needs to do something to take Ozai down, & he knows it. I have to appreciate that Aang offers Ozai the chance to back down. Obviously, it seems silly - of course Ozai won't take this chance. But it means something that Aang offers it anyway.

Sokka, Suki, & Toph's mission feels so desperate & scary. Toph gets +1000 iconic behavior points for her badass metal bending. Then Sokka comes up with a plan that will help protect the earth-kingdom but also might just kill them & shit gets real when they're separated from Suki. My heart dropped during that scene. Sokka protectively crouching over Toph just makes me so emotional. +1000 iconic behavior points to Sokka for this insane & potentially suicidal but brave plan.

[id: Sokka crouching protectively over Toph. end id]

Yeah, this part just makes me emotional.

Speaking of being emotional.....Let's get into the beginning of the end for my favorite emotionally damaged war criminal. Azula's downfall is heartbreaking. I didn't understand what was happening the first time that I watched this show, & I was just confused about why Azula was banishing everyone until it slowly crept up on me that she was paranoid after Mai & Ty Lee's betrayal. This show is incredibly well-written & as I'm re-watching again having put a completely normal & not at all insane amount of thought into Azula's characterization, I realize that it's so much more complicated than that. Azula was abandoned as a small child by her mother, who she believed never cared about her. Later, her brother is banished & after she finally gets him back, he abandons her too - for reasons she cannot understand. Then Mai & Ty Lee too. No wonder she can't trust anyone.

And even if it weren't for all of these people turning on Azula for reasons she doesn't get, Azula was taught that "trust is for fools, fear is the only reliable way" by her genocidal egomaniac father who burned her brother in front of her when she was eleven. The same father who just abandoned her (just like everyone else does) to fulfill a rather pointless role (now that he's the Phoenix King). I'm not sorry but what the actual fuck is wrong with people who can't sympathize with --- nope, I'm just. I'm....moving on, let's continue the analysis.

[id: Azula standing in front of her mirror throwing a hairbrush at a hallucination of her mother, who is reflected in the mirror. end id]

Let's talk about the mirror scene for a second. This is another scene that's been highly analyzed & discussed already but I want to talk about it a little anyway. It's important to remember that this is a hallucination, meaning that what we're seeing is what some part of Azula's mind is conjuring up. Ursa doesn't call Azula a monster, interestingly. She says "I love you, Azula, I do." Is this what Azula remembers her mother saying? What she wants to believe her mother is saying? We just don't know because we are simply not given enough information, but I think it could be a mix of both.

I also think it's very interesting that Ursa says "I think you're confused." Again, this is some part of Azula's own mind manifesting. I think this is pretty strong evidence that Azula knows that she's wrong - this as well as the comment in 'The Beach' about believing herself to be a monster - but I don't think she has the context to really understand how or why she's wrong. How could she? She's never had the opportunity to learn from sources outside the Fire Nation, or adults other than her father, the way that Zuko did.

And then of course....we have the showdown that breaks my heart the most. Zuko & Azula's Final Agni Kai. When Azula says "I'm sorry it had to end this way, brother," & Zuko says "No, you're not," that truly is the culmination of their entire relationship, isn't it? And it's so devastatingly tragic because it didn't have to be this way - they could have been normal siblings, in another life - but at the same time, it did always have to be this way, because of generations of toxicity, because of Ozai & his choices. +1000 iconic behavior points to each of the fire siblings for being dramatic fucked-up bitches.

I think that Azula really is sorry it has to end this way, she does not understand Zuko's reasons for abandoning her or their nation after she did everything she could to put him back in his rightful place at their father's side. And Zuko doesn't believe her, not for a second, because their father has always made him feel like the mental, emotional & physical abuse he's been put through is all because he can't measure up to Azula & he sees her as an enemy & believes that she hates him even though she doesn't. It's all just incredibly fucking sad.

And I want to be super clear, I sympathize with both siblings here a lot, but Zuko is right to challenge Azula. Ozai & Azula need to be taken out of positions of power at this point in time. Whether Zuko or Iroh or whoever "should" have the throne, it definitely shouldn't be Azula, & Zuko & Katara are doing what they have to do here.

[id: Azula generating lightning. end id]

The music, the animation, & voice acting during the final Agni Kai is beautiful. It's just an incredible scene. It's haunting, honestly. One of the most intense & emotionally charged battle scenes in any show that I've ever seen.

And of course...Zuko taunts Azula until she shoots lightning. I think it's worth noting that Azula was avoiding doing so up until now. Almost like she didn't really want to kill Zuko. And then Azula goes for Katara. This is a coldhearted & calculated move, in a way. Azula is manipulative even in the midst of her breakdown. She knows that going for Katara is the way to disarm Zuko. But I also think that it's because she didn't want to kill Zuko. Sorry Azutara besties, but Azula didn't know Katara at all on a personal level, so I think she made the quick decision in a desperate moment that if she had to kill someone, she didn't want it to be her brother & that this would be a great way to get Zuko distracted so she could burn him & win. But like...I also think this was all whizzing through her brain in chaos because she's also mid-breakdown & had to think fast.

Anyway, Zuko takes a heroic & brave dive & saves Katara. This moment just gets me every time. However, you interpret the relationship between Zuko & Katara (for me personally, I see it as a deep friendship) this is an act of love. +1000 iconic behavior points for Zuko. Pretty sure Zuzu is already taking the lead, but I can't not award him points for saving Katara's life.

I'll end this review by saying that Aang redirecting lightning against Ozai (but still not killing him) was a really amazing moment & I loved it. +1000 iconic behavior points for Aang.

[id: Aang redirecting lightning. end id]

This show really is epic, & its conclusion is proving to be just as intense, emotional, & beautiful as I remember it.

#atla book 3 #sozin's comet part 3 #sozin's comet part 3: into the inferno #atla re watch

[stitch1830]

Stitch! It's been a while since we've chatted lol, I hope you've been doing awesome <3

For the 50 Random Character Asks, 20 and 32 for Toph and 35 and 49 for Kanto? :D

Mooney! Hi Mooney, I'm doing well, and hope you are too! :D Happy to answer some character asks for Toph and Kanto <3

20. Scars

I think Toph has fewer scars than we'd probably expect... She can be reckless and loves a good fight, but she's smart. Her moves are calculated and precise, and she knows how to handle herself for sure. But, I'd say she does have a handful of scars, and they likely mean the most to her.

I can see her having a burn from the war. The war balloons were made of metal, and there was a lot of fire wielding happening. Maybe she got a little burn on her leg or arm? If it's on her arm, I see her absentmindedly tracing it when she's thinking or a little nervous.

I feel like she has a scar or two from protecting her friends/family. Yes, she keeps her cool while in a fight for herself, but if you bring in her babies or her loved ones, things get a lil wild. Maybe a scar or two on her shoulder and back?

Her hands always have scrapes on them, too. They never hurt, but earthbending and using her hands a lot has led to calloused hands and some scars that will never fade. She doesn't mind, though. The scars are to show how much she's worked to get where she's at.

32. Something guaranteed to make them smile/laugh

If I can be self-indulgent here (and to stray a lil away from the answer twinkles gave in an ask lol), I think she'd smile and laugh at hearing Kanto and their babies playing around. No matter the situation, Kanto sounds rather silly, and the babies will be giggling or totally entranced by his words, and she just can't help but crack a smile. For such a big, strong man, he really is the goofiest for their kids.

35. Their idea of a perfect day

For Kanto, I think that he likes simple, ordinary days. He starts work early (but gets to have breakfast/coffee with Toph and the kids), he gets off work early, picks up the kids, and then immediately starts cooking dinner for the family. During his free time, he loves planting new plants in his garden and teaching the kiddos about them, and he loves it when they ask questions or want to help plant.

Kanto loves alone time with Toph, too. Even after all these years, he just craves her presence and can't help but smile when she enters a room. They don't have to talk, really, but being together is what makes the day so special.

If you asked the man, he'd probably say that every day is a perfect day, and I may have to agree with him on that <3 LOL.

49. Favorite toy as a child

Ooo yes! Kanto's favorite toy as a lil bubba Kanto...

I think he loved stuffed animals. His favorite was of a badgermole, and he carried that toy with him everywhere. One time, he ran off with his badgie and even found a badgermole cage! His mother was worried sick about lil Kanto, but he was just playing with real badgermoles while he talked about his stuffed badgermole.

And then if we add angst... I think the stuffed badgermole was probably the only toy that made it out of the fire that burned his family's house down. So it holds a lot of meaning for him, and he clings to it quite a bit.

Okay! I think that's all this lil blue alien has for these questions. Thanks again for the ask, Mooney! Feel free to send in more if you'd like, always love seeing your name in my ask box <3 Hope you have a great day!

Send me a number for character asks!

#kantoph #toph #toph beifong #kanto #atla #lok #ask game #headcanons #my asks #thanks for the ask! #recycledmoon #mooney <3 #these are such good questions #especially for toph and kanto—

[metalheadmickey]

Love your tags! when we say we like s10 or s11 people think it means we agree with all the writers choices and what not. Like NO some of the stuff they did was uncanny and I will never take it seriously but that’s the thing about those seasons it doesn’t have to be serious. You don’t have to accept everything. I rather watch Gallavich be dumb and silly than go through heartbreak. Anything i didn’t like doesn’t exist to me lol. I wouldn’t change seeing them getting married for anything.

Oh hey thanks!! So I know that post and your ask aren't necessarily completely about Ian and Mickey, but that's the direction I took this answer in and I'm not gonna go back and change all that, so here we go:

That's the thing, it's not like I liked everything about those seasons. I was cringing along with everyone else sometimes. But in regards to Ian and Mickey, we had so many seasons of them hardly ever being able to catch a break, and then tptb brought them back to us just to show them getting married and learning how to navigate a relationship that's suddenly got a stable foundation. Like??? Shit isn't crumbling out from under them anymore! And their story gets so lighthearted compared to what we'd seen them go through before. We finally got to have real fun with them in a way that wasn't as available in canon before. Their problems became so small in relation to the problems they were dealing with before, besides maybe Terry presenting a good amount of conflict periodically (in a way that I found really fucking compelling, I might add. 11x06 still makes my brain feel like it's being microwaved). I love the early seasons. They wouldn't be who they are without that background. But holy shit is it nice to watch them worry about way smaller shit.

And you're right, you can ignore the shit you didn't like, but I think all the dumb shit in there paints an interesting and complicated picture! They're not perfect. They're idiots a good amount of the time. But in the end they always come back to each other and choose their relationship over all else. Even if they're going to be pains in the ass about it first.

I also wouldn't change seeing them getting married for anything. I still can't believe they gave that to us. And then season 11 is full of moments of them being so painfully married. It's incredible!

Please don't take this as me defending Shameless as a flawless piece of media. That's not what I'm saying. But sometimes people talk about these last seasons like they ruined the show, and to me they just fucking didn't? Ian and Mickey are still one of the most interesting queer couples I've seen on television, and that is in large part because of those last two seasons.

Anyway, I literally wouldn't be here in this space if it weren't for seasons 10 and 11. They got a happy ending, and that's what I wanted for them.

#those bitches got married! those bitches got an apartment! those bitches started a business and work for themselves! those bitches #are talking about starting a family! good for them #hi anon!! thanks for this! i hope you're having a nice day! #asks

[olddirtybadfic]

Toxic Rocketshipping: But What Are James's Thoughts On Yaoi? (part two of three)

It might seem like the fic has calmed down, but it's just trying to lull you into a false sense of security.

Part one is here.

Content Warning: First-person mixed points-of-view; gross misunderstanding of slavery; possibly uncomfortable discussions of romance; Pokémon/Human romantic relationship; found family to lovers firebomb; Jessie freckle-shames James; silly, middle-school romance writing; out-of-character behavior for James and Meowth; absolute character assassination of Jessie; Jesus Hades Christ twelve!me tortured James a lot in fic (so much James whumpage)

-O-o-O-o-O-

(Meowth's point of view)

James was in the sun, working on our plan.

It didn't work.

James gets freckles when he stays in the sun for a long time. I thought it was cute, but Jessie didn't.

"Get rid of those hideous spots," she said.

"I can't," James said.

"Then you'll just have to be uglier than usual." Jessie sounded like she didn't care about James's feelings.

James just stared at her. Then he ran into our room and closed the door.

"What's his problem?" Jessie said.

"His problem?! What's your problem? Why are you trying to hurt James like this? He never did anything to you. He cared for you all the time. You never even said 'thank you' once to him," I said.

"Thank him? That little bitch? I'd rather marry that twerp. At least he's not as ugly as James," Jessie said.

"I don't believe you," I yelled.

I went into our room. James was lying down. His hair was messy, his eyes were swollen from crying, and he had dark circles under his eyes. Tears ran down his face, over his freckles.

"What's wrong, James?" I knew he could be upset because of what Jessie said, but there might be a deep-seated reason for all this crying.

"I heard the whole conversation. Jessie hates me." James's voice shook as he spoke.

I didn't want to tell him the truth. But lying only makes things worse. So I just didn't say anything.

"I knew it," he said.

"I just don't know what's with Jessie. First, she buys you, now she abuses you," I said. "I don't know what to do to comfort or protect you."

"It's okay," James said.

We sat in an awkward silence for a long while.

Then James asked the question.

"Would you mind if I liked Pokémon?"

"You mean, 'like them' like them?"

"Yes. It's called Pokébestial."

"No. I wouldn't mind. Actually, I think I'd like you—I mean, like it, too."

Why?

"Okay," James said.

Like you? Why did I say that? I wasn't ready for James to know that. The only way he didn't hear that is if he couldn't think clearly.

Wait a minute—I just kinda mumbled it. That meant it was likely he didn't hear it.

Good, I thought.

-O-o-O-

(James's point of view)

I was out of love with Jessie, but I think my orientation got a little "off."

I think I'm Pokébestial.

The closer I got to Meowth, the more I liked him. At first, he was like an older brother, then he was like a twin brother, then we were like good friends, as in playmates. Then we started becoming like best friends.

Suddenly, I had a crush on Meowth.

What if he had a crush on me?! We'd be boyfriend and—

Hold up. Wait a minute. This'll have some yaoi in it.

That just didn't seem right, but I couldn't do what Jessie or anyone else would think is right. I had to tell Meowth.

But what would Meowth think? What if he was like everyone else? What if he didn't like it?

I was in for a real surprise.

-O-o-O-

Later that afternoon, we were sitting in our room, all alone.

Just us boys. No Jessie. She wouldn't want me until nighttime.

"James? I need to talk to you," Meowth said.

"Okay," I said. But I noticed something about his voice. It was soft, almost shy-sounding. He was also blushing a little, I could see it through his fur.

"Did you hear what I said about you being Pokébestial?" he asked.

"No. What did you say?" I asked. I started to get just a bit suspicious.

"I said that….I'd like it," Meowth said.

"Why?" I asked. I kind of knew why, but I just couldn't think clearly because of what it was.

"I like you."

"Like me, like me?"

"Yes."

Right then. I just found out my crush likes me too. What did I do? I did the only thing that was in my character to do.

I passed out.

-O-o-O-o-O-

Moral of the story: Being Pokébestial is probably better than being a sex slave for your coworker, though neither is recommended.

#old fic #pokefic #fanfic #james team rocket #jessie team rocket #meowth team rocket #whump fic #fanfiction #dark fic #pokemon fanfiction #interspecies love #blueshipping #james x meowth #tw whump

[afieldinengland]

Truest one, putting into words what you are and what you need is never simple - we are complex creatures, certainly you are one. There is some madness in wanting a right lover, but it's a madness everyone should allow themselves to let flourish - otherwise we'd settle for relationships that are not right for us, but only reasonable in the superficial way (and often harmful after some time).

The tiredness and the need to have someone else see that in you without having to spell it out for them - it's something a weary boyfaun is expected to need and want, and deserves to receive. And to be equals, even when you are not at the same point of your lives - it is not an unreasonable desire, but rather something everyone should hope for. Your musings are nothing to apologise for, whether you share them or keep them to yourself. You were hurt and a part of you thinks you are not allowed to feel hurt - you guard the old wounds to stop them from hurting and to keep people from attacking them - HWA (apologies if this doesn't make much sense or if I misunderstood things, it's very early here and I am not at my best)

oh, hello, heart, it’s good to hear from you again— i hope you’re well, thank you for writing at such an early time. and thank you for being so kind, too, your understanding means so much to me. you’re right, i suppose those are rational things to want and expect in a relationship. if i deserve them, well, i don’t know…. but you’re very gentle to say so, lover 💓 yes, i’m afraid i’m tired when it comes to things like this, as silly as that sounds at my age and level of experience, and considering how little i’ve been wounded compared to other people. and you see right through me, that’s exactly it. i’m afraid i can’t be truly vulnerable, as i know all too well what happens if you let your guard down. in fact, the last time i came out with details of an upsetting truth was to my ex, who then went on to do what they did to me— so i don’t think i can trust anyone to come near the wounds, now. that’s an animal instinct, after all, and it’s enabled me to survive. there’s no telling what people’ll do if you allow them too close, unfortunately. yes, sunlit one, you make sense, i promise, you didn’t misunderstand me. thank you for not thinking me totally mad

#answered #herb wine anon

[satyrsdontwearboots]

21 de abril

GENU VARUM

During most of my twenties and my journey through fitness I've always had something in the back of my mind. Like a little mosquito flying near my ear that I've never really been able to swat away. Bzzzz bzzzz. That mosquito is the underlying thought that I have genetically fucked up legs. This may or not be true, although I mostly feel that it isn't. Here's the story.

I was born bow legged. During my mom's pregnancy, the position I was in the uterus caused my legs to grow in an arch. It's one of those supposedly "common" things where they say it's 1 in 1000 babies (I don't know the statistic but you know what I mean) but you actually never meet anyone who has experienced it. I'm not quite sure what to believe when it comes to family stories, because everyone tends to exaggerate the truth to get you to express that shock factor, but I've been told that some doctors said the only way to correct my messed up legs was through surgery. My mom eventually went to this one doctor who literally prescribed walks on the beach as the solution. Apparently the way your feet can adjust to an uneven surface like sand tends to help to straighten everything out. So every morning my grandma would take me to the beach which luckily is right across from where I used to live and we'd walk for a long time.

According to my family, I was already walking before I was a year old. Not because I was some prodigy child who's weirdly good at being bipedal, but rather because I was forced to talk on the beach every day for months before I could even walk. So before I was even 1 year old, my bow legs were already cured. If all of this is true, I'm eternally thankful to that orthopedic doctor and my grandma for taking me on all of those walks.

I've also been told that when I was a young kid (between 3 and 6), whenever I'd go anywhere that I had to walk for a long time (like when they'd take me to swimming classes, the mall, the market, etc.) I would pretty much always complain that my legs would start to hurt and had to sit for a while before I could keep going. Not because I was a whiny kid or anything, or so they say. It was just the genuine inability to keep walking. That one I definitely believe. I was a fairly active kid, and when I had days where I was walking a lot, or riding my bike a lot I always felt a lot of soreness in my legs, unlike the other kids that were with me.

I always knew the way I was walking was kinda weird. Not my stride or anything with my legs, though. I was stepping inwards. I'm not sure how to explain it, except that it wasn't right. I didn't think much of it, 'til one day when I was in 8th grade and I swapped shoes with one of the kids in my class before recess (I don't know if we were just being silly or if there was a reason). After recess we met up to swap our shoes back and he looked and me and said "Hey, do you walk weird? Your shoes don't feel right". I think I got kind of embarrassed and said it was probably his imagination. When I had his shoes on, I also noticed how much better it felt. My feet were forced to step the right way. Something I also noticed whenever I got new shoes, although they eventually settled and that feeling went away.

After a while, I started taking notice of how everyone walked. And I started pushing the edges of my feet outward, to fix my fucked up walk. To this day, it's still not 100% corrected but I feel like it's a lot better than what it used to be. To the point where I forget about it most of the time. In fact, it's been a loooooong time since I last thought about it. With time, that pain from long walks started to go away, and I wonder if it's because I was just walking wrong.

In my mid twenties I had a bit of a knee scare. I got up one morning and one of my knees popped as I swept my legs out and to the side of the bed onto the floor. I was a very anxious person back then. Seeing black spots and having headaches? Brain cancer. Panic attack? Nah, there's probably something wrong with your heart and lungs. Knee pain? You probably fucked up your knee beyond repair and you're going to need surgery. Yeah, that's where my mind was at the time. So I got really in my head about it. A week went by and that pain wasn't going away. I was hyperfocused on it. I didn't like feeling it. I started walking with a limp so I wouldn't feel it. Looking back now it seems absurd. After a couple of weeks my mom made an appointment with a sports orthopedic doctor who specializes in knees. So I went and he asked for an x-ray and a CT scan of my knee. I remember how terrified I was. "Fuck, they're gonna see how it's broken and awful and I'm not gonna be able to walk and I'm gonna need crutches and wheelchairs and surgeries and...". I could barely breathe during the CT scan. When the nurse asked me if I was ok, I think I just nodded because I was so scared I couldn't talk. It's good to realize I'm not that person anymore. A few days after the CT scan, the doctor asked me to come in. My mom drove me to the hospital/clinic and I was limping the whole way to his office. "So, I looked at the exams..." he said, as I felt enormous pressure on my chest. It felt like he couldn't possibly talk slower than he was talking at the time. "And uh... there's nothing wrong with your knee. You're totally fine". Oh? Oh. Okay. As soon as he said that the pain went away. Like magic. I walked normally out his office. What in the actual fuck. I was such a slave of my own mind. I'm not saying the initial injury in my bed didn't happen, but what happened for weeks on end was me hyperfocusing on that one spot in my body where the pain was and my brain just didn't let go.

And now that you know the history of my knee paranoia, my dear diary, you understand why that little bow-legged mosquito sometimes likes to fly around me. Mockingly. As I'm doing my squats, my lunges, or whatever it is. "Bzzzz", it says. "Your bow legs will never be fully ok". But they are though, I think. At the very least, they will be.

30 DAYS OF YOGA (day 21)

I've been eyeing up this lesson in the playlist for a while. 12 minutes. The shortest one so far.

Adriene has such a way of making things sound hippie. What's that you say? Ab workout routine? Nah, we don't say that around here. Have a comfortable seat and get ready, because today we're going to find a connection with our center.

At first I thought I had this one in the bag. First exercise was easy. I got this. Second one went from 0 to 100 pretty fast. I already had to take a break. My abs were on fire. It's good though. My abs have been neglected for a couple years so it's nice to fire them up every once in a while, and today certainly did the job.

Namaste.

[electronicdelusionstarlight]

A thing not many people ever mention about Narnia is that the neighbouring countries around Narnia (And I mean Country-Country, not the wild No-Man-Land where Caspian's Simp son is from the sixth book, the one with the OTHER witch) are, like... Completely normal hard fantasy medieval countries.

The Calormen, for example, are a completely normal, hard fantasy kingdom, Arab coded because of course they are, and they think Narnia is just a silly place, complete wack, since while they are there doing Hard Fantasy scheming shit with dynastic succession struggles and slavery and other normal, fantasy human stuff, Narnia was a frozen Wasteland inhabited by monsters and talking animals ruled by a Ice Witch and they just think it's wack.

This is ESPECIALLY true when the siblings show up since then the other human countries just go "Damn, I see 4 potential new players in this game of thrones, and just now they opened back their borders to the world after rebuilding from their coup and war against the previous ruler, wonder what they'll do now, maybe I should have one of them marry my son for political ties" and then we have, like, now 20 something Susan going "We're actually just here for the Weed and the Nymph orgies, don't ever come talk to us again you sick fucks."

Which you think it's a joke but this is actually something that happens in the books.

#narnia #this to say: trying to put Narnia in a Hard Fantasy setting ala GOT would be pointless because it already is #and under the 4 rulers reign it would just go #no thanks we'd rather be here being silly

[m-jelly]

Hi jelly hope you are doing great

Can I request a levi/ teacher reader who goes out of her way and teaches homeless children because she believes that knowledge is for everyone so everyday after training she would sneak out and since our man is head overheels for her he would secretly follow her to see what is doing and he's all soft for her since he didn't get the best education and stuff you know it's silly but I know you'll make it work

And by the way I always go back and reread your writings and the make me feel like the first time 😊

Hiiiii! I'm good! I do hope you are well. Aww, thank you! <3 honestly, I read over them as well a few times. I love what you all suggest to me and it's made some very interesting shorts. There are a lot of shorts I'd love to turn into long stories in the future <3 Also, friggin adorable suggestion.

My smart little cookie.

Pairing: Levi x Reader

Genre and tags: falling in love, secret love, Levi is a cute stalker, Levi is deeply in love, the reader is cute, future AU (because I love the future), Levi is a cutie, Levi is needy for the reader.

Concept: Levi has had feelings for you for a while now, but he hasn't acted on it and just admires you from a safe distance. As he watches and admires you, he notices that you've been running off after training. Levi begins to worry that you're dating someone, so he follows you only to find you've been teaching homeless kids at a homeless centre. Levi is caught, then welcomed to teach with you. After working together one day, Levi asks you to give him some lessons about English, because his motive is to write you some romantic letters and poetry. Levi finally manages to write you a romantic letter to confess his feelings to you.

If Levi was asked to explain his feelings for you, he'd struggle to do so. No one in this world couple possibly describe how much he loved you. You were his everything, there was just one problem. You weren't his. Levi longed to be with you, he just struggled to get his feelings across. He was thankful you were around him so much, even though you were in Hange's research team.

Levi knew everything about you, but he made sure he went about it in a non-creepy way. He just spent time with you and listened to you and paid attention to you, so he knew every single thing about you and loved it all. You were this wonderful light in his life and he wanted to keep you around for the rest of his light.

Something changed.

You'd been running off at the end of training for two months and Levi was growing suspicious. He thought that maybe you had a boyfriend that you weren't telling anyone about. He decided to follow you one day after you ran off from training. He followed you in a car and saw you went into the lower levels of the city. Levi began to worry about you. He started thinking you were doing what his mother did.

He watched you pull up to a homeless shelter, then go inside after paying the taxi driver. Levi parked his car, then slipped inside the shelter. He stopped a worker and showed him your picture. "Have you seen this woman?"

The attendant nodded and smiled brightly when they said your name. "Yes! She is our teacher. She's been coming in and teaching the kids. It's rather sweet really. We've had a lot of kids running around without parents and crime is tempting for them. However, her teaching them has stopped them from going out and doing things. They sit and listen to her and more and more kids have turned up."

Levi gulped hard. "Could I go watch?"

They nodded. "Yes. Actually, could you talk to the kids as well? You're very well known. People know all about Levi Ackerman. The kids heard about you because you used to be one of them."

Levi blushed a little knowing if he did, you'd know he followed you. "Oh, I don't know."

He ushered Levi into the room. "Please Levi, we'd appreciate it. The kids would love the amazing Captain being here."

You looked to the door in the middle of teaching to see Levi there with a bright blush on his face. "Levi?"

Levi groaned a little. "Hey."

You hurried over to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I umm." He winced a little. "Followed you?"

You stared at him for a while, then smiled. "You know, I was wondering when someone was going to catch on to me running off. So, you come to teach the kids too?"

Levi rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, well."

You hugged his arm and pulled him along. "If you do this I'll forgive you for following me."

Levi sighed. "Hi kids! I'm Levi."

You smiled at him, then whispered. "Thank you." You worked with Levi to teach the kids a few things, then you said your goodbyes. "Thanks for that. The kids need an authority figure to talk to them."

Levi walked you to his car. "Well, I'm glad I could help. You came in a taxi, right?"

You nodded. "I did."

He cleared his throat. "Can I give you a lift?"

"Sure."

Levi opened the car door for you, then closed it. He went to his side, then drove off. "You're good with kids."

You smiled a little. "So are you."

He gripped the wheel of his car. "You're doing something amazing. I didn't have much as a kid. I lost my mother, as you know. I didn't go to school, so I became streetwise. I can read and write, but I'm not educated. So." He cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you could possibly teach me?"

You shifted in your seat to look over at Levi. "What lesson would you like? History, maths, English, science or something else?"

"Bit of everything, but mainly English. I want to talk less like a criminal and more like a gentleman."

You smiled and looked ahead. "Sure. I'm happy to teach you, but I don't think you should change the way you speak. I like you just the way you are."

Levi blushed, then looked over at you to see you'd closed your eyes and were napping. "Thanks. Let me know when our first lesson is."

You opened your eyes and looked over at him. "How about weekends are just for me and you?"

Levi couldn't believe that he had you during the week for training, but now he had you for the weekend as well. "Yes. Perfect."

"Great! Also, you're coming with me from now on to teach the kids. Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. I wish I could do Tuesdays and Thursdays, but we work way too much those days."

"Sure I'll help." It was a win-win situation for Levi, so of course, he was going to help. He would get to see you working with children and spend time with you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Levi loved his lessons with you, because you'd come over to his place and spend all day with him. You'd sleepover, then spend sunday with him and teach him a little. You'd even stay over on Sunday as well. Levi was just in a ball of pure happiness, but the problem was his feelings for you were still not out in the open and he was struggling to hold back. He would let his feelings sleep physically, but hugging you hello and goodbye, as well as hugs for thank yous. He'd leave lingering touches on you as well, but he needed to confess in a romantic way.

Levi loved it when you taught him, because you'd lean close and over him. He'd be embraced by your wonderful scent and feel your warmth. He gazed at you as you spoke and noted down different words he could use to mean something. He was half taking it in, because he was so lost in your pretty eyes and your soothing voice.

You looked to Levi and smiled. "Leviiii." You poked his nose. "You're staring."

He blushed a little. "Sorry. So, can I write you something?"

You hummed a laugh. "Like an assessment?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

You smiled and thought he was adorable. "Sure. I'll make some tea and you do what you want." You got up from the table and went into his kitchen and made a pot of tea. You walked back over and hummed a laugh when Levi covered his work up. "I'm not going to look."

Levi kept writing, but there were some parts he didn't like. He scribbled parts out, then started writing again. "Tch, damn it."

You looked over the work the kids did for you, then you glanced at Levi and stopped marking. "You okay?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah." He frowned a little, then finished off his work. "Okay, done."

You took it from him, then read through it and felt your heart melting at his sweet romantic words. The way he wrote about his feelings for you moved you to tears. You covered your mouth with your hand. "Oh Levi." You looked up at him. "The whole time?"

Levi blushed and nodded. "The whole time. I can't get my feelings out verbally, but I can on paper. Your lessons helped me. Basically, I love you and I have for a very long time and I want to be with you."

You smiled, then folded the letter up. "I will keep this close to my heart and let no one else see this. Next is this." You grabbed Levi's shirt, then yanked him close and crashed your lips against his. You both sighed at finally kissing at last. You pulled back and smiled. "I love you too. I have had the same feelings for a long time, but I didn't think you'd love someone like me."

Levi grabbed the part of your chair that was right between your legs, then yanked you closer making you blush hard and your heart race. "How can I not? You are a sweet and wonderful person. You're beautiful on the inside and out. I must warn you though. If we choose to turn us into a couple I will be possessive, a bit needy and very loving. I will hold you when we're at home and not want to let you go."

You hummed a laugh, then shifted over and sat on his lap. "You better hold on tight."

He growled at you as he nipped your neck. "Promise."

#aot levi #levi #fanfic #levi x y/n #levi ackerman #levi x you #aot fanfiction #levi fanfiction #snk levi #aot x you #captain levi #levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman x you #aot fluff #levi fluff

[h2ojustaddmako]

WE INTERVIEWED JONATHAN! (CREATOR OF H2O AND MAKO)

Hello earthlings!

I bring cool news upon you all :)

A while ago, our Discord server (lead by yours truly) reached out to JMS productions hoping to have Jonathan answering some unanswered questions regarding the shows and our beloved mermaid characters - and to our surprise, he was more than thrilled to do it! We sent in 13 question (we were limited not to overwhelm him with too many questions)

i wanted to give more people chance to read all the interesting answers...

so here it is, unedited:

Jonathan’s words:

“Hi,

Firstly, thank you guys SO MUCH for being fans of H2O.  It’s great you ask questions and I’ll try to answer.  There are not always easy answers - I sometimes think it’s better to answer in a story that the audience fills in the missing bits from their imagination

1. In the mermaid world, is it normal for mermen offspring to be left in foster care?

I think that there are some cases where they remain with family and some where they are raised by foster parents.  I like the idea that it’s similar to the “human” world.  But the mermaid world is a matriarchy - female led - so mermen do not have the same power they do in our human world.

2. When developing the concept for Mako Mermaids, did the question of how mermaids reproduce without mermen ever been a problem you needed to write around?

No, because this is a kid’s show and there are some subjects better not to dive into.  Also, we are in nearly 200 countries around the world with hundreds of millions of fans from many different cultural backgrounds and this subject would be too hard to explain to everyone.

3. Why was there never a soundtrack release for Mako Mermaids? Was there ever one planned?We'd love to hear all of Amy's and Brooke's tracks!

I think this is a lovely idea.  I recently developed the idea for a soundtrack for MAKO MERMAIDS so I hope you can hear that soon.  Amy is a wonderful singer and super nice person with whom I chat often on her DM.

4. In the history of mermaids, were there any babies born to a mermaid mother and a human father, or vice versa?

Yes, I’m sure there were.  Watch that space because you might meet one soon on screen.

5. We've got a little hint of reference to what happened to the H2O squad after the ending of the show in Mako Mermaids. Is there anything more that you could share about the life of our four girls after the show ended?

This is a question I deliberately left open in case we ever wish to meet our characters again in a future show.  Again, that would be a wonderful idea, wouldn’t it?!

6. How did the creative process of H2O season 3 went? The show took a big direction turn, what was creating it like?

It’s always both super fun and incredibly difficult to develop a new show, and even harder to develop a sequel when you feel the last season was already pretty good!  I wanted to experiment more with CGI and so the water tentacles seemed like a new “character”.  They start off a villain, but they later reveal a higher purpose when we learn of the comet approaching.

7. Following that question, season 3 seemed to take a turn to look at the show from a more scientific point of view, to explain more of the logic of the show rather than just "magic". Do you wish you could've explored that idea further?

Yes, always.  But perhaps I can explore that on a new mermaid show. 

8. Why did the moon pool look so different in Mako Mermaids, compared to its design in H2O? Was that intentional?

Well, I’d like to say it was a genius design idea but that’s not true.  It’s more boring than that!  We had different production designers for each series and they had different ideas about the moon pool design.  Plus, we had different studios - spaces to build the pool and film in.  After each series, sadly we were forced to destroy the moon pool and all the sets, including the café, as we couldn’t keep them intact or store them.  When we start a new series, we must redesign and rebuild each time.  It’s silly but it’s a reality because we are a small production company, not a Hollywood Studio.

9. In the final season, Cleo seemed to develop an interest in science, and became the brain of the group. Was that a character arch that was planned for her earlier, or was that due to Claire and Angus' departures?

It was actually because Phoebe, the actress, is a super smart, super clever person who almost read a book a day!  I thought it would be nice that the least confident of the group would end up dux of the school.

10. Are all JMS productions shows share the same universe, and do you wish to create more crossover episodes in the future?

YES!!!  This is a brilliant idea and I would love to do this.

11. Do you have a solid idea of how the characters’ personalities and mannerisms will be before casting, or do you give lots of room for each actor to contribute traits for their character? Any examples you can share? 

I have a pretty clear idea of the characters when I brainstorm the original idea and premise for the show, but when casting is successful the actor brings in heaps of new furniture to place in the house I built.  Sometimes there are surprising additions that are wonderful.  For instance, Angus brought heaps of lovely comedy to his role that I never saw before.  When I realised how great he was I started to write more comedy for his character.  That’s the advantage of having a few seasons as you can improve each time, like having a Formula 1 race car that must always go faster and improve.  Not many people know this, but H2O JUST ADD WATER, one of the most successful kid’s series ever made, could not get more finance from the Australian government after season 3 as the government only finance 3 seasons. That’s why I created MAKO MERMAIDS - because it was a spin off rather than another sequel. The government then financed 3 seasons of those.  It’s a silly system of rules that punishes success instead of supporting it.

12. Have you or your team at JMS Productions considered the idea of having an H2O exhibition on the Gold Coast where you display props from the show, behind the scenes photos, and stories? I mention this because I noticed that a few years ago, after the final premiere of Pretty Little Liars, Warner Bros created an exhibition about the show in Los Angeles. I thought it was so fun to experience and the Gold Coast might benefit from an H2O/Mako exhibition.

I would love to do this, but no one has ever asked.  I do have to find a home for the original H2O tails soon because they are all in storage and would be better donated to a charity or public display.

13. Final one: Given Cariba's return to her tail on the finalé of Mako Mermaids, have you ever had the wish to do a reunion special of the original four, especially given the recent trend of similarly popular shows from those times?

YES!!!  But I wonder if the cast would agree to return?  Everyone has grown older and some of the cast are now married with kids!  It would be amazing to see all our mermaids, mermen and humans reunite.

Thanks for all the great questions.

I hope you will keep in touch as I’m hoping to bring more mermaids soon.

Best wishes

Jonathan M. Shiff”

If you needed another proof our Discord server was the best, there you have it. Join us for fun discussions and maybe more of these in the future, who knows who’s next 👀👀👀

Well fam, that was verrrrry interesting! Mako soundtrack? I’m down for that!

Invite link to our Discord - H2O Makoposting: https://discord.gg/HVC9Hu3p

#h2o just add water #mako mermaids #mako: island of secrets #interview #jonathan m. shiff #Discord Server

[aro-culture-is]

intro and rules

hi! this is a submission based blog centered around aromanticism as both a specific identity and an umbrella of identities. due to chronic illnesses, we post somewhat inconsistently, and would recommend not sending urgent questions our way. That said, you can send questions about being aro, though we would like to suggest checking out our tags #question (for general questions), #am-i-aro (for questions about if the asker is aromantic), and #advice (for aro-focused advice) first. Please be patient if you would like an individualized response to a situation.

submissions can be silly or serious. aromantic people are not a monolith, and your mileage may vary for each and every submission - know that even if you don't relate to many posts about your identity, that's okay. we don't relate to a lot of this either.

we will probably block you if you're rude about how "everyone can experience this, not just aros!" there are no "purely" aro experiences, and we hate to tell you, but we'd rather not just post increasingly niche definitions of aromanticism.

this is open for any aro-spec people (including questioning folks)! if you don’t see much for your particular aro identity here, feel free to send more :)

for those interested in a playlist of the submitted "music recs", @felixisaprince has made one here for Spotify.

Submission Rules - if you do not follow these, your submission will be deleted. If you submit via an account, I will attempt to contact you for re-submission.

Submit via the ask box or submit tab. Anonymous and user submissions are allowed. If you'd like to modify / not submit it, please dm @just-aro rather than sending a second ask that will not be seen in time.

Begin each submission with the phrase “aro culture is”, or something more specific like disabled aro culture, demiro culture, or whatever you’d like.

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Use of the terms “opposite gender/sex” will result in deletion of the submission. If needed, “other binary gender” or things like that can be used. You can also say that people have expectations of boys and girls, for example. Fight the genderqueer/agender mods by telling us our opposite genders if you think this is so awful, and listen to intersex folks as well.

NO IMAGE SUBMISSIONS unless they are credited and have an image description (link to guide on writing them, additional link for an image to text generator, discord help here). Credit your artists and/or photographers, don't steal their work. Provide alt text and/or image descriptions for those who are blind, low-vision, have other accessibility needs, and who are suffering from Tumblr's poor loading speed.

Thank you :)

last edit: 4/19/23. Notes on edit: Rewording, removed rule about "hating" media to replace with rule on replying outside of post. Added submit tab as option for submissions. Added description of cringe culture.

#text #blog maintenance #not aro culture #rules