#update: made this post an hour into the movie - I guess there is this one black guy who is a spectator at the game but then we're being nit

[use-your-telescope]

Together by this Christmas Tree

Summary: The Avengers have an annual tradition of a Secret Santa Gift Exchange, and Theo’s life becomes a real life Hallmark Movie when she draws Loki’s name and has to get him five days of gifts. Because shopping for a god and a prince, especially one that you have a massive crush on, is easy, right?!

Author's Notes: HELLO AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! This is a one-shot set in the WEMTBB world with our favorite sorcerers, however you do not need to be caught up on (or even have started) WEMTBB in order to enjoy this story! For those of you who are reading WEMTBB, this takes place in the future, when these two are in their “mutual pining idiots” stage; you will absolutely spot some easter eggs, but there are no major spoilers here.

This is for @sarahscribbles Christmas Collection, because I’m strolling in five minutes late with Starbucks for Christmas by posting this the day after Christmas. If you're a regular reader of WEMTBB, I am still planning to update it on Sunday (12/31).

Content: Absolute tooth-rotting fluff, Secret Santa, LOADS of mutual pining, Wanda being a very supportive friend, some pranks along the way, Loki in multiple sweaters, and lots of Loki getting the love, kindness, and attention he deserves.

Word Count: 8,104

Read on AO3 | When Everything's Made to be Broken Masterlist

—

When Steve first made the announcement, at the end of a mission debrief, Theo swore he was joking.

The idea of the Avengers making a point to celebrate Christmas seemed a bit strange - beyond the fact that there were two Norse Gods on the team, it seemed presumptuous to assume everyone else was Christian. 

Theo’s feelings about the winter holidays were, at best, ambivalent. Sure, she liked the holiday lights, and she was a sucker for a good holiday song. She enjoyed showering her niece, Katie, with presents - after all, what kind of auntie would Theo be if she didn’t absolutely spoil her niece? And any time Theo could visit Mémère for longer than an hour or two was a blessing in its own right.

But the holidays also reminded her of the family she lost, and being the single friend at every holiday party got tiring (especially when her well-intended friends kept trying to set Theo up with people that Theo had absolutely no interest in). It had reached a point that Theo often volunteered to work the holiday shifts, as chaotic as they were, just so she had the excuse to avoid awkward gatherings.

However, when the other Avengers lit up like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree at the announcement of the Secret Santa gift exchange, Theo kept her mouth shut. She was still relatively new to the team, and it wasn’t the first time she had been subjected to workplace celebrations for holidays she didn’t celebrate. 

But of course, this was a group of superheroes celebrating, so it wasn’t a basic Secret Santa; no, of course not, because nothing about them was basic. It was five days of secret Santa. 

At least the rules were simple: each person drew the name of another Avenger. Then, you had to give the person whose name you drew a series of gifts with clues about your identity leading up to the final day, when you would give them a gift and a final clue. Then, each person would try to guess who their Secret Santa was. Regardless of whether or not they figured it out, each person would receive one final gift, something a bit more special.

Steve closed the announcement by informing the group they would draw names the following Monday, and would have approximately a month to pick out gifts before they completed the exchange. A certain buzz filled the air as everyone left the conference room, with some reminiscing about funny moments from past exchanges, while others pondered over who they might end up with.

It wasn’t until after the meeting that Theo had the foresight to ask if the Secret Santa exchange was meant to replace getting everyone their own gifts, or if it was in addition to getting everyone their own gifts. Wanda, ever the MVP when it came to explaining unwritten Avengers’ rules to Theo, explained that it was in addition to getting everyone else gifts. 

Theo spent the next two days praying she would get someone easy to shop for - after all, she already had to get gifts for a dozen Avengers, plus her hospital colleagues, and her family. She wasn’t sure that she had enough mental capacity to figure out gifts for someone she wasn’t as familiar with.

Of course, some deity had it out for her, because she drew Loki’s name.

Loki, the prince and ‘most powerful sorcerer in the nine realms,’ who could buy or conjure pretty much anything he wanted in the snap of his fingers.

Loki, who, besides being Theo’s best friend among the Avengers, happened to be the person Theo had a massive fucking crush on.

It wasn’t like anything would ever come of the crush - Loki had a firm rule that he did not date. He had no interest in relationships whatsoever. It was a tidbit of information Theo learned early on in her tenure as an Avenger, amidst a conversation about the love lives of the Avengers as a whole. Loki would spend one night with someone, but never allow it to become an ongoing thing - in his words, “everyone has certain needs to satiate, but courting someone is no interest of mine.” 

So, despite Theo’s unbidden thoughts of channeling her inner hallmark movie to reveal her feelings to Loki, she needed to figure out how the hell to navigate getting him Secret Santa gifts, a normal gift… oh yeah, and his birthday gift, because that was a week before Christmas.

Inevitably, once they finished drawing names, Theo immediately dragged Wanda down the hall by the sleeve of her red hoodie and into Wanda’s suite, since it was closer than Theo’s.

“What’s going on?” Wanda half-laughed as she closed the door and glanced, worriedly, at Theo, who had started to pace the room. “Are you okay?”

“I need your help with Secret Santa — What the hell do you get someone who could have anything they want for Christmas?” Theo flopped on Wanda’s bed with a dramatic sigh, her mind reeling with how to handle her predicament.

“That depends –” Wanda answered slowly, eyes narrowed as she approached Theo. “Why do you think they have everything?” 

“Because he’s a prince and a God who can conjure anything he damn well pleases with the snap of his fingers!” Theo tossed her arms up in the air, gesturing exasperatingly at nothing. 

Nothing - just like the ideas she had for Loki’s gifts. 

Nothing.

“So you have Loki for your Secret Santa?” Wanda sat down beside Theo, smirking at her.

“Yes!” Theo buried her face with her hands. “I had a hard enough time figuring out a birthday present, and I still haven’t figured out what to get him for a normal Christmas gift! But now I also have to give him a Secret Santa gift?!”

“Gifts, plural.” Wanda reminded her, smirk widening into a rather evil-looking grin. “Remember, it’s a week of lead-up to the final gift, because the goal is to try and have them guess who it is.”

“FUCK.” Theo let her arms drop to her sides. “This isn’t fair—“ she whined, earning a poorly stifled laugh from Wanda. 

“Oh come on, it’s not like he’s the only one who is hard to shop for,” Wanda attempted to sympathize, but the giggles that slipped out as she replied did little to help. “Can you imagine having to buy gifts for Tony?”

“Simple, get him booze.” Theo scoffed, propping herself up on her elbows. 

Wanda rolled her eyes and adjusted her ponytail, one auburn lock falling aside to frame her face.

“Look, half the fun is writing the little cards that go with each gift to give the person clues about who the gifts are from, and then trying to figure out the identity of your Secret Santa,” Wanda pointed out. “Besides, other than Thor, I’m willing to bet that no one knows Loki as well as you do!”

“That only makes it worse,” Theo complained and flopped back a second time, rolling over to bury her face in Wanda’s burgundy comforter. “Because I know he’s a picky bitch and nothing will be good enough for him.”

The snort that came out of Wanda did nothing to ease Theo’s concern, but it sounded ridiculous enough that even Theo laughed. 

“I think that he’d like any gift you give him, simply because it’s from you.” 

“That’s cliché as hell.” Theo pressed herself up enough to look over at Wanda, who, despite Theo’s whining and dramatics, still wore a small, knowing smile.

“And true.” Wanda shrugged. “You are, without a doubt, his favorite person on the team, and probably on this planet.”

“Yeah, for all the good that does me.” Theo grumbled to herself, but sat up all the way. “It’s not like I can tell him on day one that I’m his Secret Santa, so the gifts have to be good. No, they have to be perfect.”

“You’re overthinking this.” Wanda chuckled softly, then rose to her feet and held out a hand for Theo to grab onto. “How about we go shopping and see what is out there? Maybe you’ll get some inspiration that way.”

The petulant child within Theo wanted to complain for a bit longer about her predicament, but deep down, Wanda had a good point. If nothing else, it would give her a chance to get out and clear her head before the inevitable descent into holiday madness.

“Right. That’s probably a good idea.” Theo accepted Wanda’s hand and allowed her to pull Theo onto her feet. “I need to get gifts for my family anyways, so maybe i’ll knock it all out at once.” 

“Only if I can help you pick out gifts for Katie,” Wanda winked at Theo as she opened the door. 

“Deal.” Theo didn’t have to think twice before answering. “Do you have plans for this afternoon? I’m not working, so we could go today…”

Wanda held up her purse and grinned. “Let’s go!”

—

Shopping with Wanda, unsurprisingly, proved to be a fruitful venture. 

Sure, the pair went absolutely wild with gifts for Theo’s niece. Would Max kill Theo when he saw just how much stuff Theo got? Absolutely. Did she care? Not a bit; after all, she had to maintain her reputation as the coolest aunt.

More importantly, Theo managed to put together a list of ideas for gifts that referenced inside jokes from the time that Theo and Loki had known each other. Even better - the conversation between Theo and Wanda as they shopped, though wide-ranging and lively, gave Theo the inspiration for her final gift.

In the end, the gifts required some careful planning, calling in some favors, and a lot of sneaking to make it happen - not to mention a few sleepless nights as Theo put the finishing touches on certain details - but she managed to pull everything together, just in time for the first day of gift-giving.

Pepper had really outdone herself with the holiday decorations. On a normal day, the common areas within the tower could be described as minimalist: clean lines, lots of metal and glass, neutral tones everywhere, no knick knacks or soft touches to be found. Not even a throw pillow or blanket could be found in the common areas - whenever Theo wanted a pillow or a blanket, she had to bring it from her suite.

Yet, when everyone filtered into the living room after going out for dinner, they may as well have walked into a luxury ski chalet at Tahoe. In one corner sat a massive, lush evergreen tree trimmed with glistening tinsel, soft white lights, and a collection of beautifully coordinated ornaments in burgundy, cream, gold, navy, emerald, and eggplant. 

The fireplace had a beautiful garland of eucalyptus, cypress, and cedar draped across the mantle; tucked among the greenery sat pillar candles of varying heights in burgundy, navy, emerald, eggplant, and gold. Elegant, cream-colored stockings with each Avenger’s name embroidered at the top hung in front of the crackling fire (plus stockings for Pepper and Happy, since they were pretty much unofficial Avengers). 

Blankets and accent pillows, some in plaids that incorporated the colors of the ornaments and candles, others in solid colors, all made of luxuriously plush fabrics, found homes on the various seating throughout the living room. 

Even the coffee tables had coordinating centerpieces.

Theo quickly found her usual seat, but continued to gawk at the living room’s transformation. When the hell did Pepper (or, Theo supposed, whoever Pepper hired) have the time to decorate the living room? Just that morning, when Theo left for work, the living room had been its usual, minimalist styling. Maybe if she had stopped back in her suite before meeting the others at the restaurant she would have seen the living room decoration in progress.

Hardly a moment later, Loki sat down beside her. Dressed in a forest-green crewneck sweater that perfectly framed the planes of his chest and black dress pants that highlighted his long legs, Loki somehow managed to look holiday appropriate without even trying. His raven curls, just slightly disheveled from the wind and snow outside, framed his elegant features so perfectly; combined with the warm glow of the fire and the soft light of the christmas tree he appeared downright radiant, particularly as he grinned at something Thor said. 

“Quite magnificent, is it not?” Loki leaned over and nudged Theo with his elbow, interrupting her train of thought. Theo had to stop for a moment and consider whether he was referring to the himself, or the living room.

“Yeah,” Theo agreed, her cheeks growing hot as she realized Loki caught her staring. “Compared to when I left this morning, it is a night and day difference.“

“I suspect Miss Potts takes great pleasure in decorating for the winter holidays.” Loki offered Theo a soft smile. His soft eyes caught the flicker of the candles atop the coffee table as he studied Theo, and for the second time in less than a couple minutes, she found herself speechless.

Luckily, Dum-E saved the day when he dropped a present on Theo’s lap, and in doing so brought both sorcerers’ attention to the larger group. As it turned out, Dum-E distributed everyone’s gifts - all wrapped in the same paper, to make sure that the gift wrap didn’t give anything away - and as soon as he finished, it was time to open the first day’s gift.

They started with Bruce, then worked their way through a randomly generated list that Steve put together. The soft lights of the Christmas tree, glow of the fire crackling in the hearth, and joyous laughter as each person read their clue and opened their gifts filled the room with such warmth. It was the kind of holiday scene you’d see on a postcard, especially since snowflakes drifted past the tall windows and into the city below.

As they drew closer to Loki’s turn, Theo’s hands began to sweat. What if he didn’t like her gift? Sure, it was kind of corny, but it was a fun reference to how they spent much of their time. He didn’t seem overly thrilled by the idea of Secret Santa in the first place; what if her silly little gifts only made him hate the game?

Well, she didn’t have to wait any longer to find out, because it finally reached Loki’s turn.

Loki picked up the small box, turning it over and inspecting it. He tossed it into the air and caught it in one hand, lithe fingers curling perfectly around the container. 

“It is quite light, and rather small,” he observed. “Whatever is in this box does not jostle when moved, so it either fills the box or it is carefully packed in place. Let us see what is inside.”

Loki methodically removed the ribbons, then carefully tore away the gift wrap. He removed the lid in a graceful motion and set it aside, all the while peering into the box. He hummed.

Seeing the fabric folded and coiled inside, he reached in and tugged on the cloth, pulling it from the box. The fabric unfolded as he lifted the gift into the air, revealing the first gift: a pair of crew-length socks - black, with an emerald green heel and toe. On one side of each sock, placed so it would be visible while wearing shoes, was the design of an apple car driven by a worm, as well as text which read: “I’m on my way to the bookstore!”

“Aw, those are cute!” Wanda winked at Theo as she said the words, to which Theo casually agreed. 

Loki maintained a relatively neutral expression, though he let out a rather amused hum. He set the socks in his lap, then opened the card. As his eyes scanned over the text, one side of his lips curled up, then the other, until he wore a sheepish smile. He read aloud: 

“I know you love the bookstore,

We’ve been there a time or two,

But since I can’t buy the whole store,

I got you a pair of Crew… socks!

Sorry, I know you like poetry, but your Secret Santa isn’t a poet.” Loki chuckled, shaking his head, then continued: “These socks are from Out of Print, which has donated over 5 million books to communities in need and supports a variety of literacy initiatives.” 

He looked up from the card and glanced around at the group. “Well, thank you to my mysterious Secret Santa. I quite enjoy a whimsical piece of attire, and I am certain these will be put to good use.”

Next to Loki, Theo let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. 

First day was not a failure.

Only… four more to go.

—

The second day of gift-giving arrived, and with it came another day of second-guessing whether or not Loki would like his gift.  

This time, the idea came from a conversation early in their friendship. After falling asleep in Theo’s suite, Loki joined her for coffee on her balcony, at which point Theo explained a sudoku to Loki. At the time, he commented that there were “some puzzles he was still learning to solve.”

From that morning on, Theo couldn’t help but notice the way Loki approached briefings and missions as puzzles to solve. So when Theo found a pair of rather clever puzzle books (many of which provided a formidable challenge, even for her), she knew that it would be a perfect gift.

Yet, as the day crept on and the gift exchange grew near, Theo felt the seeds of doubt taking root once again. What if he thought the puzzles were stupid? He was a god, after all, and insanely intelligent. The puzzles might have been a challenge for Theo, but they were probably child’s play for Loki. 

Still, it was too late to turn back, so by the time Theo sat down with the others and the gifts were distributed, she simply hid her sweaty palms in her sweater sleeves and acted like it was any other night in the tower.

Loki, for what it was worth, seemed perfectly relaxed when he took his usual seat beside Theo; this time, he opted for a plain gray t-shirt and a black cardigan, paired with what were (secretly) Theo’s favorite pair of dark, slim-fit jeans. When Loki crossed one ankle over his knee, Theo noticed his emerald green and black socks and her heart skipped a beat - he wore the socks she gave him.

That was a good sign, right?

Once again, Dum-E distributed the gifts, then each person took their turn opening their gift and reading the card; this time they started with Yelena, but otherwise the order was the same. After what felt like ages, Steve finally gave Loki the go-ahead to open his gift.

Like the first day, Loki went through the same routine of examining the box, then peeled away the wrapping paper. 

For the sake of maintaining a bit of mystery (and making it slightly less obvious that the gift was a pair of books), Theo put the set into a clothing box and padded the sides. It wasn’t that sneaky, since the box was heavier than it would have been with apparel inside, but at least Loki wouldn’t know until he opened the box.

He opened the box and removed the first book. 

“The Master Theorem - Book of Puzzles, Intrigue, and Wit,” he read the title, then held it up for all to see, then held up the second book and read off the title. “The Master Theorem: Elite - Book of Puzzles, Intrigue, and Wit.”

He returned the books to his lap, pausing for a moment to flip through the pages and glance at the contents. 

“You gonna open the card?” Tony nodded towards the card that came with the box, which barely poked out from beneath the pair of books.

“Ah, yes, apologies.” Loki offered a half-smile, then retrieved the card and read aloud:

“While the identity of your Secret Santa is, well, a secret, it’s no secret that you, Loki, are pretty smart - like, ridiculously smart. And you’re a quick learner… Plus you’ve got a knack for problem solving. With that in mind, you seem to be a master when it comes to puzzles; even though you once told me there are still some puzzles you are learning to solve, the way you light up when you encounter a good logic puzzle or mystery makes me think there are few things you enjoy more than a good challenge.

“This series of puzzle books is notorious for its difficult logic puzzles - the New York Times called the first Master Theorem book “Mensa’s evil twin,” and the Elite edition is supposed to be exponentially harder. But with your sharp wit and attention to detail, I’m sure you’ll have it figured out in no time… And by the time you finish, maybe you’ll figure out the identity of your Secret Santa as well!”

Loki grinned as he folded the card and set it aside. “Thank you, my mysterious benefactor - I imagine I will be entertained for quite some time.”

For the rest of the evening, whenever Theo snuck a glance at Loki, she caught him flipping through his new books with a subtle smile and a twinkle in his eye, only half-paying attention to the others as they opened their gifts.

Day two: rousing success. Only three more days to go.

—

For the third day of gift-giving, Theo took a bigger risk.

At one point in Theo and Wanda’s shopping adventure, they stopped at a bakery to grab a snack and some coffee. While they waited for their drinks, they got on the topic of how, earlier that morning, Thor offered Loki a frosted pop-tart. In response, Loki nearly disintegrated the thing on sight, calling it an abomination to pastries everywhere.

And that was from Loki, the guy who was notorious for his sweet tooth. 

The conversation gave Theo an idea.

Ever since Loki roped Theo into his pranks, Theo had wanted to find a way to turn the tables and prank him. And what better way to prank him than to bait-and switch some sweet treats?

With a call to Theo’s favorite Bodega cashier, Carlos (who still hadn’t gotten up the courage to ask out that girl, but had at least he learned her name was Liza), Theo managed to get her hands on one of the big cardboard boxes that they shipped pop-tarts in. Importantly, it said pop-tarts all along the outside, so when Loki saw the box he would initially think it was a whole case of pop-tarts.

Instead of filling it with pop-tarts, Theo convinced Mémère to bake up all sorts of traditional Aneterran holiday treats to fill the box. Given Mémère already planned to make the treats, it was easy for the family matriarch to accommodate the request. However, when Theo explained her plan, a knowing, almost devilish grin spread across Mémère’s face; the next thing Theo knew, there were treats that Theo hadn’t seen since she was a child. 

Packing the treats into the box required quite a bit of attention to detail - it had to have the weight and heft of a case of pop-tarts, and it had to be packed tightly enough to not move around, but she also didn’t want to crush the treats. 

There may have been some enchantments involved to make it work, but hopefully Loki wouldn’t notice.  

Not wanting to make the prank too convincing, Theo made sure to leave clues that the box had been altered somehow; knowing Loki, realizing the box had been tampered with would make him curious enough to look inside.

When everyone gathered for the third night of gift-giving, the laughter and merriment from the first two nights returned almost immediately. But when it came to Loki’s turn to open his gift, Theo’s confidence from the day prior collided with her nerves, to the point that she clutched her mug of spiked hot chocolate so her hands wouldn’t shake. 

Just like the first two nights, Loki inspected the wrapped gift, lifting it up and giving it a gentle shake. “Much larger, and rather heavy,” he noted. “Yet, there’s a card that indicates I ought to open it before the gift. I suppose I ought to follow my Secret Santa’s request.”

He set the gift back in his lap, and quickly opened the card. 

“Heard you have a sweet tooth…” Loki read aloud, then glanced down at the gift and hummed. “Well, let us see what is inside.”

Loki started to tear away the wrapping paper, but paused part-way through; his face twisted into something unreadable when he saw the writing on the box. 

Theo bit her lip to not give herself away.

“Pop-tarts?” Thor exclaimed, cocking his head to the side with curiosity. “Brother, I did not think you to be a fan of the Midgardian pastry.”

“I…” Loki trailed off, face falling as he unwrapped the rest of the box. “Interesting.”

Theo’s heart stuttered in her chest - what if he didn’t think to open the box? Would she give herself away if she said something? Oh god, he looked like a kicked puppy — she should have realized that he might take it wrong because Thor likes pop-tarts and he’s the popular brother, shitshitshit—

“Loki, maybe you should open the box,” Bruce suggested, “There’s a weird wrinkle by the cardboard seam that makes me think it was opened, then closed again.”

If it wouldn’t have given her away, Theo would have leapt to her feet and hugged the man for his suggestion.

“Yeah, that box looks like it has been messed with,” Sam agreed, “and I think everyone knows you hate pop-tarts.”

The kicked-puppy expression softened as Loki took a second look at the box and noticed the obvious tampering that Bruce and Sam pointed out. A hint of pink rose on Loki’s cheeks - if Theo didn’t know better, Loki looked almost embarrassed at the realization - but he went ahead and opened the box. 

Theo held her breath, all of her attention trained on Loki as she waited for his reaction. 

Peering into the box, Loki’s shoulders suddenly dropped and relief flooded his features; he reached in and retrieved a treat similar to a chocolate scone, as well as a second card.

“Pleased to report that I was mistaken; it appears the box is filled with a variety of homemade treats, as well as a second card.” He let out a soft, almost hesitant chuckle as he opened the note and read aloud: 

“HA! Nearly got you, didn’t I?!” Loki laughed a second time, this time a little louder, and nodded his head. “You’ve pulled off some of the best pranks, but your Secret Santa is known for a good prank or two. 

“Jokes aside, did you really think your Secret Santa would do that to you? Of course not - I know you have a discerning taste when it comes to sweet treats (far more discerning than your brother, of course)! These are some of my favorite holiday snacks from growing up; I think you’d like them too. If nothing else, I promise they taste better than pop-tarts.”  

Loki returned the note to the box, then unwrapped the treat in his other hand. He took a bite, and his face almost immediately lit up. He chewed for a moment, then swallowed, and cleared his throat to speak. 

“Well, mysterious Secret Santa,” he said, “I will confirm that this treat is quite divine. However, you best watch yourself– “ Looking around at their teammates, a dark, sinister grin curled over Loki’s face. “– I am known as the Trickster god for a reason, and you may very well have started a war.”

When Loki briefly locked eyes with Theo, her heart skipped a few beats; in just a few moments he went from beautiful to downright devilishly handsome, and his threat should not have been nearly as hot as it was. 

Sweet baby Jesus, she needed to get her shit together. 

“Any guesses on who it is?” Bucky asked, tapping his vibranium fingers along the side of his still-wrapped present. 

“I’ve a few contenders,” Loki smoothly answered, the earlier signs of discomfort completely gone, “but I will wait to put forth any claims.”

“Who cares! The real question is are you gonna share!?” Shuri pointed at the pastry in Loki’s hand, then held out her own hand. “That looks amazing!”

“Maybe once the Secret Santa is revealed, they can bring us all some treats.” Wanda replied, though she gave Theo a pointed glance, to which Theo glared back - after all, she didn’t want Wanda to give her away. “But for now, I think Loki should get to enjoy all of his gifts.”

Loki, who was busy searching through the rest of the box, didn’t seem to notice Wanda staring at Theo. 

Shuri glanced at Wanda, then at Theo, then grinned as she made the connection. 

“Fine, but they better bring me some extras,” Shuri relented. “That thing looks amazing.” 

Theo smiled and rolled her eyes, just in time for Steve to inform Wanda that it was her turn to open her gift.

Day three, though nearly a bust, worked out. 

Only two more to go. 

—

After the scare of the third day, Theo went into the fourth day feeling more comfortable about her gift. Sure, Loki may shrug at it, and there was a chance he wouldn’t use it. But at least she wouldn’t run the risk of upsetting him by making him believe his preferences were the same as his brother’s.

In some ways, the gift seemed particularly timely: a winter storm raged outside the tower, with howling winter winds and heavy snow that made sitting in the living room feel like they were inside a snowglobe. Even with the heat on and the fire roaring in the hearth, everyone bundled up in sweaters and plush blankets, sipping on mugs of cocoa and tea in between opening gifts. 

On the fourth night, Loki’s turn to open his gift came even earlier. Similar to the first three nights, he inspected the box - small, slender, almost like a fancy box for a fountain pen. 

After making quick work of the wrapping paper, he glanced at the lid of the box:

“Museum of Modern Art Design Store,” he read, then shrugged and removed the lid of the box.

Nestled among chic black packing material sat a stainless steel tea infuser. Its design was what drew Theo to the gift - long, slender, with a hook on the top for easy removal, it looked downright elegant. And with the amount of tea Loki drank, an upgrade to his usual steeping methods seemed like the perfect sort of gift - thoughtful and useful.

Loki hummed, carefully slipping the tea infuser out of its packaging and inspecting it. The stainless steel glowed beneath the Christmas lights and reflected the smile curling over Loki’s face. He twisted the cap off, then closed it again, nodding to himself as he set it aside and opened the card. Like the first three days, he read the message to the group:

“A tea infuser that combines form and function?! It’s almost as stylish as you are (almost)! As the resident tea expert on the team, it seemed only appropriate to give you something for making your favorite (non-alcoholic) drink - after all, you’ve brought me, your Secret Santa, more than a few drinks over the course of knowing each other!”

The hint, in Theo’s opinion, was almost painfully obvious; Loki brought Theo drinks all the time. Coffee at the hospital when he knew she had a long day. Whiskey or wine when she needed to unwind. Tea when it was late and neither of them could fall asleep. Water when Theo just used her inhaler and needed to rinse out her mouth. Throughout the entire time she had been an Avenger, Theo never saw Loki bring anyone else drinks quite so often - not Thor, not Wanda, not anyone. However, the clue made so much sense, and there was only one more day, so it wasn’t like she had to keep the secret for much longer. 

What Theo didn’t account for, however, was almost every other person in the room making the connection between the clue and the identity of Loki’s Secret Santa. Over a dozen pairs of eyes all trained in on Theo as Loki glanced down to set the card and gift aside; the heat of their stares nearly made Theo lose her composure.

When Steve asked if Loki knew who his Secret Santa was, he simply smirked and replied “I’ve my suspicions, but I find I rather enjoy the suspense and anticipation of the grand reveal.”

Somehow, she held it together, but just barely. Sure, Theo was grateful that Loki seemed to enjoy the gifts up to that point, but “suspense and anticipation of the grand reveal?” If Theo was under pressure before, now she was on the verge of being crushed under the weight of expectation, and the whole damn team knew it.

Theo shot a terrified look at Wanda, who only sent back an impish grin.

Shit.

One more day to go.

—

The final day of Secret Santa arrived, and with it, the grand reveal. Apprehension loomed over Theo’s head like a storm-cloud; after all, the pressure was on - not only to give the perfect gifts, but to set up the perfect reveal as Loki’s secret Santa.

Despite the overall success of the first four days, by the time the last exchange began, Theo was too nervous to sit down. Instead, she leaned against the kitchen island with her mug of hot chocolate and whiskey clutched in both hands, offering little more than one-word answers whenever someone tried to ask her something. The only time she even considered sitting down was when Loki asked if she would join him on the couch, but then all the potential ways she might make a fool of herself flooded her thoughts and she politely declined, claiming that she needed to stretch her legs a bit.

If Theo didn’t know better, Loki seemed disappointed that she didn’t want to sit by him, but it was probably her mind playing tricks on her; after all, Theo was the one with the crush, not Loki.

At least from across the room, Theo could easily admire Loki in his thick, fair isle sweater - seasonally appropriate, of course, but like all of his attire, it fit him perfectly and highlighted his long, lithe form in all the right ways. Between her nerves about the gift and how distractingly handsome Loki was, she barely noticed when the first two Avengers opened their gifts and found out who was assigned as their Secret Santa.

For the final night of the exchange, Loki was the third person to open his gifts.

While Loki focused on the large box in front of him, everyone else stared at Theo. If she could have, she would have melted into the floor; instead, she stood by the kitchen island with her mug of hot chocolate and whiskey in both hands, shooting dirty looks at the rest of the group so they wouldn’t give her away.

… Not like Loki hadn’t already figured out that Theo was his Secret Santa, because he likely knew. If he didn’t know, he was about to figure it out, but that was beside the point. 

Of all the gifts Theo chose, today’s were the most nerve-wracking because they were the most personal: the pre-reveal gift referenced something Loki gave her when she ended up in the hospital with an asthma exacerbation and pneumonia a few months prior. The post-reveal gift referenced the time all the Avengers visited New Asgard, and Loki took her on a late-night walking tour of the community.  

The note on the card was, well, maybe a bit too sentimental - in hindsight, maybe she should have saved the message for a later card that she could have given him in private. But by that point the card was taped to the box in Loki’s lap, and Theo couldn’t do a damn thing about it, other than brace herself for the inevitable fallout. 

At least she had the sense to write a disclaimer at the top of the note: “You might want to read this to yourself first, then decide if you want to read it out loud.”

After four days, Loki’s examination of the gift box had become a routine: turn it all around, lift it up in the air, give it a shake - and once he seemed satisfied, he peeled away the wrapping paper. 

“Well, I do not have any guesses as to what is inside this box, so I suppose I ought to open it.” Loki remarked, tugging away the last bit of wrapping paper. He conjured a dagger to cut the tape sealing the flaps at the top of the box, though he was careful not to cut deeply and risk damaging the contents inside (which was good, because that dagger would have sliced through the gift like hot butter). 

Unlike the previous days, where he immediately looked inside the container, this time he made a show of looking at the others as he reached inside. Theo watched Loki’s arm muscles tense through the wool of his sweater as he grabbed the gift, while his brows furrowed with confusion.

As he turned back toward the box, he slowly pulled out the present: a snake squishmallow, in green, of course - after all, green was his color.

“That’s cute!” Natasha commented, though Loki didn’t seem to notice. He held the plush toy in both hands, turning it side to side as he gave it a once-over. Theo swore she could spot the gears turning in Loki’s head as he tried to make the connection between the toy and his Secret Santa. 

“Yeah, but why? I don’t see the connection.” Yelena added, pointing at the card. “Open the card. I want to know what it says.”

Loki slowly set aside the snake, as if still thinking about the gift, and pulled out the note. 

Theo watched as Loki methodically scanned the note. At first, he read with heavy brows drawn tightly together; after a few moments, the light from the christmas tree reflected off his sea glass eyes, glittery and shining amidst the soft glow. A shaky, small smile grew as he made his way through the message until it practically took over his face.

“Well, what does it say?” Natasha asked, craning her neck to try and read what was written on the card.

Loki, however, ignored her. Without warning, he closed the card and rose to his feet. In a couple of long strides, he stood before Theo, who could no longer bite back her nervous smile as he drew near. 

Theo barely had a chance to set down her mug before Loki scooped her into his arms and crushed her in an embrace, the strength of which forced a small “oof!” out of Theo from the impact. She didn’t waste a moment before returning the embrace, selfishly nuzzling into his chest and drinking in the scent of cologne on his sweater - cedar, bergamot, and smoke - as they stood, arms wrapped around each other and swaying gently from side to side. 

Loki leaned down, his nose brushing gently along Theo’s hair, then drew a deep breath.

“Thank you,” he whispered in her ear. “Truly. Thank you.”

Theo’s heart damn near exploded. 

“Elsa, I really hope that Rapunzel’s your Secret Santa,” Tony, ever the troll, interrupted, “or this is going to get awkward.”

“Yeah, Tony, it’s me.” Theo laughed, her mind reeling as Loki shifted -  if Theo’s mind didn’t deceive her, his lips brushed against the crown of her hair. Still, he hadn’t let go, and as long as Loki held on, Theo had no plans of going anywhere.

“Now I wanna know what she wrote on that damn note,” Sam complained between shoving handfuls of caramel corn in his mouth. “Because damn, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Loki react like that.”

“Can we let him open the other gift first?” Theo asked, still hugging Loki as she looked over at Sam. “After all, there is a part of the message that won’t make sense without seeing the final gift.

“Fine, but afterwards I wanna read the damn note.” Sam grumbled and leaned back in his seat while Bucky leaned over and snatched some caramel corn from him. 

Theo begrudgingly pulled away from Loki, silently lamenting the lack of warmth that came with his touch. She rounded the Christmas tree and crouched down to where she hid the final box - a thin, rectangular box that was a bit larger than a poster - and brought it over to Loki, who had returned to his original seat. Theo sat down beside him, nervous but excited to see how he reacted to the last gift.

This time, Loki didn’t spend a moment examining the package - he went straight to tearing off the wrapping paper. With paper crumpled up and tossed aside, he carefully slid the lid off the box.

Centered on a bed of white tissue paper, was a painting - a canvas covered in thousands of small dashes of paint, the result of more than a few sleepless nights as Theo raced to finish the painting on a tight deadline. During the day, Theo hid it beneath a stack of other canvases so if Loki stopped by her suite, he wouldn’t notice; the moment night fell, Theo was elbows deep in oil paint as she added layer after layer of color.

“It’s New Asgard!” Thor exclaimed as he peered over Loki’s shoulder.

“Those are the gardens…” Loki breathed, one hand hovering over the canvas as if he wanted to touch it and prove to himself that it was real. 

“The gardens that you created, and that your people and countless tourists adore.” Theo added, her cheeks slightly pink. 

Loki’s focus went to the bottom corner, where Theo scrawled her name. It was tiny and borderline illegible because of the paint, but if someone had ever seen her handwriting, they would know instantly who it was. Loki traced his fingers over the letters almost meditatively.

“You made this?” When Loki looked up at Theo, she caught the slightest shine in the corners of his eyes, though his expression was nothing but pure awe. “Was this from memory?”

“God, my memory isn’t that good - I mean, yeah I painted it, but it wasn’t from memory,” Theo rubbed the back of her next, heat rising on her cheeks as Loki continued to gape at her. “I got Val to send me some pictures for reference, and then I worked on it every night after everyone was asleep. I wasn’t sure it would be done in time, if I’m honest, because oil paint takes forever to dry, but it dried just in time. The paint is still going to need some time to fully cure, so I’d be gentle with it.”

For the second time in minutes, Loki pulled Theo into another heartfelt embrace. 

“I am… I am speechless. I’ve no words, truly.” He laughed, a rumbling sound that Theo felt as much as she heard it. “Thank you.”

“Okay now we need to know what the hell was on that card.” This time it was Shuri, who looked like she was one step away from snatching the card and reading it out loud herself.

Loki unfurled his arms from around Theo so he could set the painting on the table in front of them, then retrieved the card.

“I think you ought to read it,” Loki held the card out to Theo, his cheeks now flushed with crimson. “I imagine it will sound better in your voice, since you wrote the message.”

Theo rolled her eyes, but accepted the card. She got the sense that Loki felt a bit sentimental himself, and was probably a bit out of his comfort zone; re-reading the message aloud might be more than he thought he could handle. So, despite her heart still fluttering like a goddamn school girl, Theo tried her best to steady her breathing, then cleared her throat and began:

One of Thor’s favorite stories to tell is when you were children and turned into a snake to trick him. One of my favorite things is watching the little smile you get every time he tells the story, like you know you shouldn’t think it’s funny and it makes the story even funnier. I bet you’re making that same smile right now as you think about the story!

This clue will probably give me away, but you once gave me a gift much like this - a plush toy of an unexpected creature, because you realized that the creature shared a connection to my sister. You didn’t make a big deal out of it - telling me you “happened to pass by a shop window and it just seemed like something I would like,” but it meant the world to me; to this day, it is easily the best gift I’ve ever received. 

In many ways, that gift is such a great example of why I am so lucky to have you as a friend - you are so incredibly thoughtful and kind, and when you sense that someone is having a tough time you go above and beyond to help, all without making a big deal about it… God knows you did that for me constantly when I first got here! There are, obviously, other reasons that you’re an amazing friend (your sense of humor, intelligence, and patience in putting up with me are also high on the list). 

I know none of my Secret Santa gifts have been big or flashy so far, and your final gift isn’t exactly big or flashy either. If I’m honest, I panicked when I drew your name because, well, what do you get someone who could have any gift they wanted? But the more I thought about it, the more I came back to just how lucky I was to have the gift of your friendship (yeah, corny as fuck, sorry - you’re the silvertongue, not me!). I can’t ever give you a gift that would compare, but I can at least make sure you know just how grateful I am for you and how much of a difference you make. Without a doubt, my life is better because you’re in it, as are the lives of many others. 

So, for your final gift, I made you something that I hope will remind you of not just the impact you’ve made on me, but the impact you’ve made on countless others, every time you see it. 

Merry Christmas Loki. 

Yours,

Secret Santa. 

P.S. I hope you can forgive my sentiment. Not all of us can be as cool as you.”

By the time Theo finished reading the message aloud, her entire body felt like it was on fire from the combination of her nerves and the others’ burning stares. With trembling hands, Theo slowly closed the card and set it on her lap, eyes focused downward the entire time.

“I didn’t realize it was possible to win at Secret Santa… ” Peter finally broke the silence, beaming as he looked at the pair. “... But I think Theo just won Secret Santa.”  

“I think everyone’s going to want you as their Secret Santa next year,” Steve chuckled, nodding along. “Still, we aren’t done with this year’s Secret Santa - I believe Wanda, you’re up next?”

With that, the attention shifted away from the two sorcerers sitting side-by-side on the couch, and onto the rest of the festivities. While Wanda made a scene trying to deduce clues about her gift, Loki casually slipped his hand over to Theo, interlacing his fingers with hers. In turn, Theo leaned her head on Loki’s shoulder and settled into his side.

By that point, she was only-half watching as Wanda opened one last gift. Frankly, Theo hadn’t heard who Wanda’s Secret Santa was, but she wasn’t that interested. 

“Merry Christmas, Loki,” Theo whispered, giving Loki’s hand a squeeze.

“Merry Christmas, Theo,” he murmured, turning so his lips brushed Theo’s temple. “I think this might be the first year that I’ve understood why one might enjoy Midgardians’ holiday festivities.”

Cozily tucked into Loki’s side, amidst the golden glow of the holiday lights and the spirited laughter of friends, Theo had to agree: maybe the holidays weren’t so bad after all.

#Loki #loki fanfiction #loki fluff #tooth-rotting fluff #tooth rotting fluff #holiday fic #christmas fic #christmas fluff #loki x ofc #mutually pining idiots

[ariesqueencobra]

what we used to be | Vl

Pairing: Eli Moskowitz x Fem!Reader

Summary: You're going on a first date! Queue training montage, you make Eli a get well soon card, and you're at the movies!

Warnings: kissing, dangerous activties, mentions of rabies, shots, and hospitals, injury

Word Count: 1.7k

A/N: I'm gonna hop on here and post this real quick. It's a cute chapter and I like it! I already know what direction I want this series to go, but the storyline I have in my head might change if this would be considered an insert fic. I'll probably ask for opinions in the future cause I really don't want it to not be an insert fic so be on the look out for that! I also want to stress the importance of reblogging fics, on mobile you can hold down the two arrows button and quick reblog this post so that other people can see my work! Just liking this story won't do anything to help me as a writer, if you really enjoyed reading it, just do the simple thing and reblog! It would also be appreciated if you commented! Doing those things tell me people want to read this story and want more, which will encourage me to keep writing!

Thank you to those who already reblog and comment, I see you and I love you all for it!

I don't consent to this work being copied, translated or reposted.

“Eli, where are we going?” You chuckled, holding onto his hand as he led you through the forest.

The leaves crunched under your feet and the breeze made you shiver so you were grateful you listened to him when he told you to bring a sweater for your first date. Though, you still weren’t sure where that would be or what it was. 

You hoped it was romantic, this being your first-ever date after all, but when you almost slipped on some mud, you weren’t too sure about it anymore.

“Trust me, you’re gonna love it,” he grinned, holding you tighter and closer. 

You smiled, watching him as he kept his eyes ahead until you turned to see what he was staring at, that’s when you noticed as well. The gasp you let out as you made it onto a dock, the beautiful lake expanding outward, and the trees with orange and yellow leaves made such a breathtaking view.

“You like it?” He asked.

“It’s beautiful,” you shook your head in disbelief, sitting on the edge and letting your feet dangle over the water. “We used to come here all the time, I forgot how amazing the view was.”

“I figured it’d be the perfect spot for our first date,” he smiled, sitting down next to you. “Like old times, but now we can make new memories.”

“So we’re having a picnic?” You beamed, realizing the plastic bag in his hand did hold some purpose.

He handed you the bag and you set it in your lap, rifling through the numerous snacks you loved.

“All your favorites. And your art supplies, I knew you would love to recreate that painting you have in your room,” he suggested.

The scenery was a notable piece in your room, a small collection you had of various locations in the Valley. It was the first collection you ever painted so it was sweet that Eli knew you’d appreciate an opportunity to update a piece.

“Did I ever tell you you’re the best boyfriend ever?” You reached over to kiss his cheek. You were about to reach for your art supplies in your bag when he stopped you, moving your head to kiss you on the lips. It was a long, heartfelt kiss, making you giddy. “Eli,” you giggled pulling away, unable to help your laughter.

“You know you can call me Hawk, right?” He pinched your chin lightly. 

You nodded. “But you’re Eli to me,” you explained, gaze softening. 

“Yeah but Hawk’s way more badass,” he shrugged. 

“I think Eli is just as badass,” you smirked, leaning into his space. 

“I guess just you then,” he gave in. “You can call me whatever you want, babe,” he chuckled, pecking your lips one more time.

You both stayed on that dock for hours until your dad was calling for you to come home. The date was simple and small but it was the most memorable night you’ve had with Eli, your boyfriend.

~

You were standing in the middle of a junkyard, unsure what the purpose of your being here was. But you stood next to Eli and Aisha as you watched as Sensei opened a beer can, chugging it before he wiped his mouth, glancing down at all of you. 

“You’ve trained hard. You’ve gotten stronger, tougher, faster. You’ve done your best. You’re ready for this tournament, am I right?”

“Yes, Sensei!” You shouted.

“Wrong!” He slammed the beer on the ground at your feet.

You flinched when the beverage splashed onto you.

“Your best ain’t shit, if you wanna win the tournament, you gotta give me better than your best, which is why from now on, you’re gonna get my worst. Do you understand?” He shouted.

“Yes, Sensei!”

You felt empowered at his pep talk, ready for whatever he was going to throw at you. While part of your mind was sounding alarms that this was dangerous, you ignored it.

“Are you losers?” 

“No, Sensei!”

“Are you nerds?”

“No, Sensei!”

“Are you sure?”

“No, Sensei!”

You caught your mistake, biting down on your lip to suppress your laugh. And you saw the way Sensei groaned in response before he commanded the group.

“Move those feet! Go!”

He pointed to where there were a bunch of tires lined up. 

Miguel led the way, moving his feet through the holes. Eli was next and you followed behind Eli, weaving your feet through the tires as fast as you could.

“Your enemies are all around you. Destroy them!” Sensei barked.

You began wreaking havoc, smashing the end of the wood plank into the car doors, it was fun and funneling so much anger and hate out of you.

After the short-lived destruction, you were led to a container filled with scrap metal and glass, something that uneased you. The feeling of fear bubbled in your stomach but you swallowed it, knowing fear did not exist.

Miguel made it without a scratch. Then it was Eli’s turn to walk the plank and your breath hitched when his foot slipped. Thankfully he made it and you were able to say you still had a boyfriend. When it was your turn, your legs shook, arms held at either side of you. You crossed, a smile on your face and your boyfriend waiting on the other side with a victory kiss.

Going back to the tires, you were already out of breath, the exhaustion coursing through you and it showed with the rest of the team when Aisha tripped, causing Miguel to fall, then you, then Eli—all on top of each other.

Groaning in pain, Eli’s elbow dug into your back and you tried to get off Miguel without hurting him as well. 

“Sorry,” you winced, pushing off your friend’s back once Eli was off you. “You alright?”

“Yeah, Aisha, you good?” Miguel asked to which she nodded, face contorted in pain.

Sensei ordered you all to stand in the middle of the scrap yard, something in his hand.

“If you wanna win, you gotta be hungry. Are you guys hungry?” He handed each of you a piece of jerky.

You grimaced at the smell, wondering if you had to eat it. 

“Yes, Sensei!”

“Good, 'cause so are they,” he smirked before blowing a whistle, barks following through.

Your eyes widened and you immediately bolted, jumping onto a car and finding the highest place. Your heart raced as you searched for your friends but as you scanned over the yard, all you could find was a terrified Eli as he attempted to escape a starving dog. 

~

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” You asked, hand tracing over the bandages. 

It was hours later now and you came over to see your boyfriend after he had to go to the hospital for a rabies shot. You wished you could go, but it was agreed among both your parents that you’d visit him after.

“Yeah, I got pain meds for the bite, the shot didn’t even hurt,” he smirked, lying in his bed. 

“I was scared to death,” you blew out a breath. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” you couldn’t help it and threw your arms around him.

He hugged you back, squeezing you tight as you held on. “I’ll live, nothing to worry about, babe,” he reassured.

“I know,” you pulled away, face down. “I spoke to my parents when you were in the hospital, this whole incident made them less happy about me being in Cobra Kai,” you admitted.

“My parents agree,” he sighed, glancing out into the hall where his mom and dad were downstairs. “But they don’t know how much better it’s made us,” he grabbed your hand, squeezing it. 

“I know,” you squeezed back. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

“Me too,” he met your gaze, smiling. 

“I made you this, by the way,” you reached behind you and grabbed the card you made him.

It read: “Damn, got bit by a dog? That’s ruff, hope you get better soon!” with a drawing of a dog with a mohawk.

“That’s amazing,” he laughed. “Thanks, you’re the best,” he reached over to kiss you on the cheek.

Warmth radiated before you spoke. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, goodnight,” you hugged him again, pulling away and giving him a generous peck on the lips. 

He watched as you left his room, hearing you go down the stairs, say bye to his parents, and shut the door.

~

Your gaze was on the movie but Eli’s constant flicking of candy at other moviegoers was distracting. On top of Aisha asking what was wrong with Miguel. Their conversation was anything but whispering. You began droning in on their conversation, Miguel saying why Sam’s dad would hate him and whatnot. 

You were eating some popcorn, taking a sip of your drink, and trying to watch the movie but the side conversation and Eli’s distracting movements were well, distracting.

“Jesus Christ, you’re such a nerd,” he insulted Miguel, stepping into the conversation.

You furrowed your brows, reaching for his hand, sending him a look he brushed off. You rolled your eyes, leaning to the side to rest your head on his shoulder. You smiled when you noticed he paused, staring at you with awe.

Aisha went on to comfort Miguel and you were enjoying the movie again but Eli still managed to throw the candy, pissing you off. 

You straightened, leaning on the other side of your seat, and rested your head on your arm, staring bored at the screen. 

“Dude, just go over there. It’s an alpha move,” your boyfriend responded to what Miguel was talking about. With another flick of his wrist, a candy hit the back of someone’s head, instantly, a built dude stood up asking who did that, you had to hide your smile at the look on Eli’s face.

After the movie finished, you and Aisha departed from the boys, deciding to go shopping.

“You seemed pretty pissed at Hawk, something going on?” She asked when you entered a store. 

“He was being annoying, like why throw candy? It’s wasteful, just watch the movie!” You scolded, rolling your eyes. “I love the dude, but, ugh, sometimes he’s just,” you huffed, unable to find the words.

“A boy?” She finished for you.

“Exactly,” you shook your head, a smile coming on your face.

“This is one of those moments where the saying “boys will be boys” is actually justified,” she raised a brow. 

“You get me,” you sighed. “I’m so glad I have a girl friend,” you wrapped your arm around her, walking further into the store.

“Tell me about it,” she agreed.

#eli moskowitz x reader #eli moskowitz #eli moskowitz imagine #hawk x reader #cobra kai

[simtleman]

Come get dazzled by the silver screen at the ORPHEUM THEATER!

So after updating all my freaking mods for the new Horse Ranch update (which I couldn't care less about, tbh... the only good thing that came with it for me was— you guessed it!— painted ceilings), here I am once again with a brand new building for the Vintage Save File I'm working on: let me take you on a tour through the stunning Orpheum Theater!

I OBVIOUSLY couldn't do a Vintage Save File set in Del Sol Valley without including a proper theater where your 1920s, '30s & '40s sims could go watch Golden Age films, get mesmerized by their favorite movie stars' glamour and perhaps even take their dates and get lucky while sitting in the back seats?

I have to say just building the front— mainly the marquee, which I did manually— took me about a solid 3 hours, so apologies if the rooms I decorated last seem a bit uncluttered... I was simply ready to move on to the next build by then lol

Below you can see the tickets window (somehow I always seem to find a way to implement @surely-sims's CC into my builds, I just can't help myself... it works too good around my aesthetic!)

And the main hall, in which you'll find @ravasheencc's Film Reaper Movie Theater posters that will allow your sims to watch actual movies through a rabbit hole. I don't know if you noticed, but I also finally found the courage to download and play around a little with @twistedmexi's TOOL mod (the lights frames are rotated) after getting inspired by some of the content by @come-hell-or-high-water. The way he/she (?) pays attention to the tiniest details in his/her screenshots made me want to take mine a step further, so thank you @come-hell-or-high-water!

There's only one movie room, but it has two stories and a beautiful balcony on the second floor you can access to if you go upstairs, through the main hall:

Upstairs is also where the toilets are located (look at those gorgeous red velvet carpeted ceilings... 9 freaking years I've waited to be able to do that, EA!):

And, of course, it wouldn't be a cinema without a projection room, would it?:

Next to the theater you'll find a kinda shabby parking lot, in which Dito Dalton (see my previous post) takes care of some of his businesses every now and then, if you know what I mean:

And last but not least, if you go through the back you'll find a very small yet cozy home that belongs to the household who owns the Orpheum Theater:

Who are the members of this household, you may ask? Ah, you little inquisitive mind! I'm afraid you'll have to wait for my next post to find out... but let me tell ya, they have a great background story and will be a great townie addition to this save file :)

Anyway, that's it for today! Hope you guys like this new building and we shall see where this crazy project that's taking most of my spare time lately takes me next lol

#ts4 screenshots #ts4 retro #ts4 vintage #ts4 save file #ts4 cinema #ts4 movie theater #sims4cc #ts4 1920s #ts4 1930s #ts4 1940s #ts4 simblr #ts4 decades challenge #ts4 legacy

[astupidweeb69]

Unrequited (Yandere! Ticci Toby x Reader) Part 2

Next Chapter: Part 3 

All Other Chapters: Part 1 , Part 4 , Part 5, Part 6, & Part 7

Author’s Note: Okay so I know I said this series would be written in Toby’s perspective, but this chapter is in the reader’s point of view. I think from now on I’ll do every other chapter in Toby’s perspective and switch from him to the reader. I feel like it’d make things more interesting to kind of get both sides perception of what’s going on.

This is also cross-posted on my Ao3 account which I update quicker.

Warnings: Swearing, Toby being weird, the reader is struggling with their mental health, people talk about horror movies idk. (2,966 words)

*********************

“You doing okay?”

The question seemed to come out of nowhere, almost startling you. You’d been listening to your friend Anne rant about some TV show she’d been watching lately, and admittedly you started to space out a bit. Something that has been happening more often these past couple of weeks.

Truth is, there was a lot going on in your head, and your thoughts started to race if you didn’t consciously make an effort to focus. A bad habit you thought you’d learned how to deal with better.

But isolation does that to a person. You hadn’t been communicating with your friends as frequently, using any excuse you could to stay indoors, with the blinds closed, and everything securely locked.

Anne, however, being your closest and longest friend you had, was the first person to notice that you were falling back into your old ways. And so, she showed up to your home unannounced, dragging you out to get coffee for “no more than an hour, tops”. You could see the concern on her face when you first opened the door to greet her. You hadn’t showered in quite some time, and your sleep schedule was almost non-existent. 

You were scared.

And now, after doing the bare minimum to get your hygiene back to an acceptable level to go out in public, you sat across the table from your friend. Outside at a local café you typically frequented. A cup of (favorite drink) in front of you, and Anne’s worried expression staring back.

You sighed, slouching in your seat. “Honestly? Not really.”

Anne perked up, more attentive now. The conversation was about to get serious. You hardly ever expressed to your friends when you were having a hard time. Anne was probably the only one you’d share this with, and she knew that.

“It’s been happening again? The whole paranoia thing I mean…” Your eyes looked down, suddenly invested in your fidgeting hands. “I just keep feeling like I’m being messed with. That someone’s watching me.”

You paused, glancing up at your friend to wait for her response. She was thinking. You knew she was worried about saying the wrong thing, which you respected. The fact that you trusted her enough to talk about your past was no small feat. And she didn’t want to break that trust now.

“I’m sorry, I wish I was better at giving advice. Was this brought on by anything you know… specific? Has your dad been acting difficult again?” She asked.

“No that’s the weird thing. I mean, I started losing stuff around my house. At first, I didn’t think it was a big deal.” You rubbed your eyes. God you were tired. “Then I kept finding my windows open. Especially the one in my bedroom. Anne… I don’t think I’ve ever opened my windows. So, I don’t know what that’s about. And then, it all just had a snowball effect. I start worrying about one small thing and it quickly turns into a fucking avalanche.”

She sipped her iced coffee. “Maybe my mom has been coming in to check on things? I know it would be out of character for her to do that without letting you know ahead of time. But I can ask her for you?” Anne smiled reassuringly.

You know she didn’t want to say ‘you were just imagining things’, that phrase always made you annoyed. You had joked to her before that people saying that in horror movies ended up getting people killed.

“Yeah I guess it couldn’t hurt.” It probably wouldn’t end up going anywhere. But you knew Anne wanted to feel like she made an attempt to help you. “I’m going to head back now. I’ll probably stop at a couple stores on my way home to get out a little bit more.”

As you began packing up your things, you felt Anne’s hand reach out and lightly grab your arm.

“How about I come stay over at your place for a couple of days? Like when we were younger? I don’t want you to cut yourself off from people again.” She squeezed your arm encouragingly. “I’ll even watch any movies you pick. Swear on my life. The goriest and bloodiest movies. I won’t even complain.”

You raised an eyebrow, a wicked grin spreading across your face. You could already tell Anne was regretting saying that.

“Fine… if you think you can handle that. But how about you come over in like a day? My house looks like total shit and I need to clean up.”

That was partly true. You also just needed time to mentally prepare yourself at having a person come stay over. It’s been a while.

Plus, it was Anne’s family that technically owned the place you were staying at. They had given you a deal on rent since you were a friend of the family and the house had been sitting empty before you arrived. And you promised to keep the place looking nice, lawn mowed, those types of things.

But you had kind of broken that promise since you’d recently decided to become a hermit. And now you were feeling guilty about it.

After saying your goodbyes, you parted ways with your friend and started your walk home. You did need to pick up a few things for dinner on the way and you had been meaning to check out the bookstore just a few blocks down. They typically had sales on DVDs, and you hadn’t been there in a long time.

*************

It didn’t take long for you to reach the place, appropriately called “The Book Spot”. Not the most creative name, but you doubt you’d be able to come up with something better.

Immediately upon entering, your eyes narrowed in on the bargain bin in the back. Not really paying attention to the tired teen behind the register giving you a half-hearted “Welcome back,” you made a beeline for your target.

Rummaging through various movie titles like ‘Paul Blart Mall Cop 2’, which you didn’t even know they made a sequel, and obscure romantic comedies from the early 2000s, you finally found something that caught your eye.

You reached out to pick it from the bin, glad your detour home wouldn’t be a total bust.

But then, without warning, a hand grabbed your own.

It was cold, yet somehow still drenched with sweat. It twitched a little bit, before you recoiled back in embarrassment. Your stomach doing flips as you braced yourself to make a run for it and never return to this store. This was about the last thing you needed today.

The owner of the hand looked down at you, arm still in the bin, like he was searching for a movie himself. Yet his eyes were fully fixed on you.

Messy dark brown hair that curled every which way, pale skin, dark brown eyes with heavy bags underneath, a black turtleneck and jeans.

What the hell.

You recognized this guy.

How could you have forgotten that trip to the gas station? Humiliating situations like that practically engraved themselves in your memory. Things that your brain would make sure to remind you of now and again as you tried to fall asleep at night. And this guy had been there to witness it all. You could only hope he didn’t remember.

God, you felt like you were going to throw up.

But hey, this wasn’t your fault, right? If you didn’t know any better, you would say the guy practically stuck his hand in the bin with the intent to grab yours. That’s what it had felt like anyways.

Despite this, the first thing to come out of your mouth was “Sorry.” As if you were to blame. Your brain’s hardwired response to always be polite taking over.

“Duh-don’t worry about it. It’s muh-my fault.” His faced stretched into a grin. Almost too wide in your opinion. There was a white bandage taped to the left side of his mouth that crinkled in protest.

His voice was raspy, like he hadn’t spoken in a while, before he attempted to clear his throat.

“I wasn’t puh-paying attention.” He looked at you expectantly. Eyes raking in your entire form to the point that you could almost feel it.

You didn’t like assuming a person was interested in you in that way… in fact your default was to assume you were just imagining things. The way you tended to carry yourself in public was carefully practiced to hopefully make yourself invisible. It wasn’t exactly a regular occurrence for you to be hit on. And if a stranger did try to flirt with you…. Well… your mind immediately went back to that notorious scene with the gas station cashier. Man, that had been fucking awful.

“No worries, I was just leaving anyways. Found what I was looking for…. And everything….” You trailed off, sticking your hand in the bin again to collect the DVD you had initially spotted. A collector’s edition of ‘The Evil Dead’. A fantastic find considering the rest of the trash in the pile.

“Oh! H-Hey! That’s a guh-good movie!” The man exclaimed. His voice’s sudden change in volume made you flinch a bit. It seemed like he was sort of clueless about how it came across, like he was desperately trying to find a way to keep you there. Unless that’s what he was doing? Again, you didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

Politeness once again taking over, you let a ghost of a smile grace your features. Nothing too major in case you ended up leading him on.

“Yeah, I love Sam Raimi films. He never shy’s away from using the most gruesome special effects. The guy has no fear of censorship.” At the topic of something you knew all about, you continued talking, finding yourself unable to stop your ramble. “You know he got in trouble for initially releasing it unrated? I think they eventually gave it an X rating and it’s still banned in some countries. Great movie if you like body horror.”

You wanted to smack yourself over the head. Why did you just encourage the weird guy to keep talking to you? Fuck. It’s been so long since you talked to someone about an interest of yours that you let yourself become too excited.

But the guy only stared at you, clearly fascinated. His body twitched every now and then. And he rolled his shoulder causing his joint to let out a loud crack in resistance. You couldn’t help but wonder if that hurt him.

Did he have Tourette’s? You’d heard of that before, and you did notice him stuttering earlier. At first you thought he might have just been nervous, but the way his eyes never seemed to leave yours made you think otherwise…

“Sss-so I take it you’re a big fan of scary shit, h-huh?” He mused. There was a weird tone in his voice you weren’t a fan of. “I’ve always liked a guh-good scare. Have any recommendations for me?”

It just occurred to you now how close he had gotten.

When did he invade your personal space? During your little rant? You need to pay more attention to your surroundings, you thought bitterly. Ironic considering the full-on paranoid episode you had been under these past few weeks.

You could practically feel his breath on you. “Sure… I could give you a few suggestions… What kind of horror do you typically like?” You took a couple steps back.

He lifted his hand, rubbing his chin, like it was something he really needed to put thought into. “I guess…” He glanced back down at you, his tone lowering slightly. “A-anything really gory and bloody. The muh-more brutal the better.” He licked his lips, eyes lidded as he gauged your reaction.

“O-oh… okay.” It was funny, normally you would be beaming if someone told you that. Excited at all the possibilities and movies you could share with them that you wouldn’t tell your other friends about. But this guy just gave off bad vibes. Like you wouldn’t be surprised if he watched snuff films or something. Hell, you wouldn’t be surprised if he MADE snuff films.

Again, you hoped you were just being overly cautious. Maybe he was just bad at flirting.

Painfully, woefully, bad at flirting.

“If you’re into body horror and special effects like that… you should take a look at ‘The Thing’, the John Carpenter 1982 version, or maybe ‘The Fly’? The one with Jeff Goldblum in it….” God, you hoped you could leave now. You gave him two good suggestions, surely that should satisfy him. Now you just wanted to get the fuck out of dodge.

“I’ve never been to this stuh-store before, could you shhh-show me where I can find those movies?”

Crap. Of course it couldn’t be that easy. He couldn’t have asked an employee, he had to ask you for some reason.

“Sure… follow me…” You must have looked so tense right now. “I come here a lot, so I pretty much know the place like the back of my hand.” You struggled to make light conversation as you led him a couple aisles over.

Shit, why did the store have to be so empty? It was just the two of you here. Not including the one employee all the way at the other side of the store, completely out of view.

“Sss-so why do you like body horror so much?” The guy asked nonchalantly, breaking the silence that had formed as you searched for the specific movies you promised to find.

Again, his body was dangerously close to yours, brushing against you every so often. You swore he even tried to smell you at one point.

You swallowed thickly. “Well, I guess it’s just cool to look at…” You were starting to sweat, fingers dancing over the titles of different movies, desperate to find what you were looking for quickly. “It’s kind of like, when does a person stop being a person?”

“I like that.” He interjected, a level of seriousness in his voice that didn’t match his earlier whimsical (if you could call it that) attitude.

You hesitantly turned to him, not quite understanding, “Like what?”

“The way you said thuh-that…” He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to find the right words. “The way you say things…” He seemed lost for a moment, eyes almost distant, before focusing on you again. “Buh-by the way… I didn’t catch your name?”

You blinked. It was difficult to figure out what this guy’s intentions were. The way he acted was all over the place.

“Well… that’s probably because I never gave it to you…” You chuckled. “My name’s (Y/N)… don’t uhhh… wear it out?”

Fuck that was bad. You should have just said your name like a normal human being instead of cracking some lame jokes. This always happened when you were uncomfortable. Which you were, immensely at the moment.

Still the guy practically beamed with delight watching you struggle through your response.

He reached out his hand. Did he want you to give him a handshake? How weirdly formal.

You hesitantly grabbed his hand to return the gesture.

He carefully wrapped his fingers around your smaller hand, reminding you how much bigger the man was in comparison. His grip was tight, like he didn’t want to let go, wanting to keep you forever trapped in a prison of socially awkward encounters.

“I’m Toby. It’s very nice to meet you (Y/N).” He practically purred out your name. If it was even possible for people to purr.

You shook his hand twice before attempting to release it. Toby slowly moved his hand from yours, but not before gliding a single finger across the palm of your hand, all while maintaining eye contact.

Your body involuntarily shivered. You prayed he didn’t notice and mistake it for meaning something else.

“Hey, I found the movie!” You exclaimed.

Relief washed over you like a tidal wave. It had caught your eye as soon as you looked away from Toby’s piercing stare.

You practically snapped him out of a trance. That seemed to happen if he looked at your face too long without either of you talking. Like he was hypnotized or something.

‘Hypnotized by your beauty perhaps?’ You joked to yourself. The guy was all sorts of strange, you doubt you’d ever be able to understand why he acted the way he did. Not that you wanted to.

You quickly handed off the movie to Toby, ‘The Thing’ was what you ended up finding. If he had wanted to watch the other movie you recommended, too bad. Next time he should ask a person who works there to show him.

You, however, were finally off the hook and could leave.

“Well, bye Toby, it was nice talking to you.” You lied.

About to turn around so you could pay for your things and go, a large hand quickly grabbed your shoulder.

You stopped.

He was gripping you too hard. It almost hurt.

What the fuck.

Probably noticing the way you started to shake, Toby loosened his hold.

“W-wait! Uh… I duh-don’t know how to…” You heard him curse under his breath. “Would it be possible for me to see you again?”

You looked over your shoulder, taken aback to see how his face watched you with a look of sheer anguish. Or was it hopelessness? You weren’t 100% certain. But he looked like a mess. Acting as if he just murdered a puppy.

And even though it went against your better judgement.

How your whole body screamed at you to backhand this man so hard his grandparents would feel it.

To run far away, maybe even change your name.

You found yourself saying, “Sure.”

#creepypasta #ticci toby #toby rogers #ticci toby x reader #x reader #yandere #toby rogers x reader #proxies #yandere creepypasta x reader #yandere ticci toby #fanfiction #yandere ticci toby x reader #yandere creepypasta #reader insert #my writing

[kissyck]

hiii besties!! it’s been a hot minute since i’ve been on/posted on here and i’ve missed y’all <3 i did some cc shopping and finally opened sims yesterday for the first time in months. made this lil simmie and did a quick edit to post! i’m going to start getting caught up on reblogging and replying to asks, sorry that it’s been such a delay! (also am currently working on some new nails *wink* *wink*) love and appreciate all you lovely humans so much <33

more in depth update below the cut for those interested :)

so i genuinely have no idea how to do quality update posts, but i guess i’ll just go in order of events.

i would say july was fairly eventful. i finished my infusion treatments at the hospital, which ended up making me feel SO much better (i had severe anemia). i genuinely didn’t realize how bad the physical and mental toll that it was taking on my body. i gamed a LOT, just had lost pretty much any interest in the sims. fall guys had become my fixation, and i had started a perfection save in stardew which also became the only thing i wanted to do. i bought more squishmallows. i got another piercing in my ears, and that same day i got fitted and met with a physical therapist so i can start the painfully long process of getting a new wheelchair. i saw a rainbow while driving home from my dad’s house. i took wayyyy too many pictures of my puppy who’s literally ginormous now, and taking all the pics of my kitties!! july ended with a mini road trip to see a comedy show, and i took pictures of clouds the whole way there.

the beginning of august was bittersweet, but was followed by one of the best days i’ve had all year. august 1st i hung out with my best friend in the whole universe before she moved 13 hours away. we’ve dealt with long distance before and talk every day, but this is definitely the farthest we’ve ever been from each other. i’m soo happy for her and am so excited to see all the amazing things she’s gonna do in the future. a few days later, i went on another road trip to nashville!! another bestie of mine was having a concert that i could not miss. plus i love nashville, so i will take any excuse to go. this trip was one of the trips EVER!! i got to see a lot of my internet friends too that i never get to see and i love them all so much. the concert was SOOO good <3 ugh i wish i could go backkkk. i also bought more squishmallows in nash lmaooo. they’re addicting. the rest of august was pretty much uneventful. i played stardew and fall guys with friends, animal snuggles bc they’re all terrified of storms and we had some bad ones, and i bought myself a fancy new mechanical keyboard (the new logitech one from the aurora collection!!) it’s so beautiful, i literally cried when i first opened it.

september was eh. i started a new animal crossing island, which i spent a lot a time playing. that and any animal snuggle i could get. the end of september was a bit rough, i was in pretty low spirits. i lost a close friend of mine earlier this year and it was her birthday. i couldn’t stop thinking about her, which was also making me think of my dog that i had also lost earlier this year (both happened on the same day). there was also some other family stuff, so i didn’t love the end of september. good things did happen though! my furbaby niece came to live with us again. i missed her so much. she’s the cutest lil peanut ever. and i went to the movie theater which was fun! also prepped for my birthday trip since we were leaving the first of october!

and now we’re in october. this month so far has been good! it started with another road trip for my birthday (i turned 23 on oct 4!) this was hands down one of the most fun trips i’ve ever been on. we went to austin for a concert two nights in a row and they were both just so magical. i dressed up fun and went shopping too (yes i bought more squishmallows) honestly that trip would have to be it’s own full post bc so much happened. have just been chilling ever since. was supposed to go on another mini road trip yesterday for a concert but pneumonia went through our house (i didn’t catch it thankfully) so that kind of threw a wrench in our plans. oh and dr. ms. taylor alison swift released an album and it has such a chokehold on me it’s not even funny. i literally cannot describe how much i love her. every time i’m listening to it, my puppy runs in and comes to listen too. she’s got TASTE :) oh and omg i almost forgot, i reached perfection in stardew!!!!!!! this is the first time i’ve ever done that and it was so fun.

#rambles #update #ts4 gif #gif tw #ts4 edit

[bleachbleachbleach]

10/2 - 10/8/2023

Welp, I've lost track of my dash entirely. I was looking at B3's Activity and thinking, "Man, people are liking really old reblogs?" but it turned out they just felt like old posts because our queue was posting a batch of things I happened to write the tags for, and so had initially encountered several months ago, LOL.

Last week's update, I was like "I'm going to try not to be bitter" and then immediately went off to be VERY BITTER so I made a new rule that if I have already worked 12 hours and it is before 10pm, then I am going to fuckkkkk ittttttt and write my damn fanfic, no matter what's not done. I am now in a much better mood!! And I am finally actually almost done with Renji's chapter. Like, finish-an-earlier-drafted-scene almost done.

In this week's scenes, Renji and Akon finally finishing talking about movies and Nemu and futsal; Renji talks about bones; Rukia expresses her desire that he stop talking about bones; I discovered that just because I cut 1500 words of bugs out of Matsumoto's chapter does not mean I will not then write (different) bugs into Renji's; and that inasmuch as my private subtitled for this chapter is "Renji Opens His Big Mouth," Matsumoto's chapter is still longer, and therefore "Matsumoto Opens Her Big Mouth Bigger."

Overall, the writing time was very enjoyable, though "enjoyable" and "good" are regrettably not mutually inclusive categories. The three top issues are, I think:

I don't think some of the descriptions of action and/or lore are actually coherent enough to be follow-able

The order information appears--or more specifically, the point at which it appears--will need to be re-worked. The perils of writing non-linearly.

As usual, I feel like I got a little magpie-brained with the THEMES and MEANINGS and got the narrative thrust muddled because I a) got carried away with a new, absurd extended metaphor I thought was cool and b) have not actually pinned down ~what I make of it all.

I'm pretty sure I said all of these things after I finished Kensei's chapter, which is the one that chronologically follows this Renji one, so I guess after I finish, it will be time to return to the Kensei trenches and see if I know what to do about the messes I left there.

I think finishing my one scene and revising Kensei's chapter feels doable for next week, though I also have a LOT of fanfic reading I want to catch up on, and am sorely overdue on!

#stories for the sea

[best-childhood-book]

Round 1 Day 1 Update

First of all, thank you so much for this crazy amount of support! I never thought this poll would get so big in a single day. Here are some major updates through this first 24 hours:

I am compiling a list of potential books to be included in future polls. Those polls will not start until this one is over. Anyone can submit, but please check the guidelines and what is currently on the list, which you can find in my pinned post.

I am getting a lot of asks with people submitting books. If you don't want to see those on your dash, block the tag 'submission', but also let me know if that isn't specific enough. I know it's a lot, and I'm sorry for spamming! I'm also going to be working on tagging more in-depth since things should be winding down.

Now, about the poll itself, I've got some fun number-related updates under the break!

Poll 1

In a crazy upset, Pegasus is leading against Harry Potter 75% to 25%! This is absolutely insane, considering their numbers when I decided these placements.

Poll 2

To no one's surprise, Narnia is beating Pixie Hollow by a whopping 50%. However, there's been a lot of support for the underdog, so we'll see where the next week takes us.

Poll 3

Matilda is demolishing The Unwanteds 80% to 20%. I thought Matilda would be leading, but not so extremely!

Poll 4

Artemis Fowl and Wings of Fire are in a very close race with a less than 2% difference. There's been fierce campaigning on both sides, and I can't wait to see the result.

Poll 5

Oz is beating Keys to the Kingdom, which I could've guessed, but there are more votes for Keys than I thought! It's great to see since it's a personal favorite of mine. This one also has some of the least votes overall, so go give it some love!

Poll 6

The Mysterious Benedict Society is going strong against Charlie Bone, but there's been some real effort on the CB side to try and pull things back.

Poll 7

Another one with fewer votes overall, but there's a lot of campaigning going on. Both Land of Stories and 39 Clues have some devoted fans!

Poll 8

In perhaps the most contentious poll, Redwall and Warriors are duking it out. Warriors is currently leading 55% to 45%, but it's been back and forth.

Poll 9

In a very pleasant surprise (for me) EFC is currently beating Gregor. It isn't neck-and-neck, but there's still plenty of time for either side to take it.

Poll 10

Perhaps the most intense poll so far is between KotLC and Ranger's Apprentice. There's been lots of support from both sides, though Ranger is leading by 20% right now.

Poll 11

The most surprising to me, Sisters Grimm has a hefty lead of 40% on SGE, completely unexpected considering SGE's recent movie and publicity.

Poll 12

WtMMtM is struggling against City of Ember right now, but I've seen some support for it spreading.

Poll 13

In an insane turn of events, the author of Young Wizards, Diane Duane, reblogged the poll, turning Ella Enchanted's hefty lead into one of a mere 4%.

Poll 14

As this is the We-Love-Howl-Pendragon website, Howl's Moving Castle is beating TotFP in the second-largest lead overall.

Poll 15

Dragon Slippers is losing sorely against A Wrinkle in Time, but the gap isn't as huge as before. They've made it to around a 25-75 split.

Poll 16

To no one's surprise but many people's chagrin, Percy Jackson is solidly in the lead against Guardians of Ga'Hoole. However, both sides are seeing significant support.

That's all for now! The next update will be on Day 4!

#best childhood book #update #info #asks #second competition #thank you #data

[lovestruckbear]

CATCH UP

thank u for the tag @mono-blogs-art 🫡 u a real one

last song: Phony by Nightcord at 25:00 (it is a banger)

currently watching: i just watched anatomy of a fall yesterday. incredible film. highly recommend if u got the focus for 2 and a half hours of court drama. Sandra Hüller is an incredible actress. tv show wise im rewatching rocket power. i rewatched as told by ginger and then i went ham on watching that animation studios shows

also follow my letterboxd

three ships: i actually havent thought about fandom ships lately, i just got nane and manju on the brain. i guess id choose poly bad squad (project sekai)(i need to draw them more), arilisa (bandori), nozoeli (love live)

favourite color: mustard yellow, babybey!!! such a good color. absolutely stunning

currently consuming: i made pizza from scratch earlier today

first ship: tween me made a self insert where he dates misty from pokemon so maybe that. if that doesnt count. idk... maybe.... cher and blue (wolf's rain) ???

place of birth: wouldnt u like to know

current location: WOULDNT U LIKE TO KNOW

relationship status: open and poly relationship with a twink, hes such a funky little guy i want to kiss his handsome little face all the time. dating a few ppl but its no official

movie: go look at my letterboxd 💥💥💥

currently working on: initially i wanted to do an animation of nane and manju, but so much is going on in my life atm that i physically and mentally cannot do anything, and i dont have enough money for my team since its coming directly out of my pocket and its unfair to make them work for free just because theyre friends. SO im turning it into a comic. stay tuned yall. i am restraining so hard from posting every single page as i draw them, i made that mistake with lunchbox and im not doing it again (so so sorry if u followed me from there and there hasnt been an update in yrs, i promise i WILL finish it, i just do not know when)

im also making plushies of nane and manju lol. that is also taking a while bc i do not have a sewing machine, so its all by hand

thank u for tagging me!! i want to hear about my friends so tagging a few, of course do only if you feel like it :) @stevetwisp @bevsi @master-thief-gray-shadow @birdiebrunch @cherryphobe @fairymascot @7d7m sry if i forgot anyone i know more ppl on twitter than tumblr :-(

[madphantom]

Ich habe 18.431 Mal im Jahr 2022 etwas gepostet

Das sind 3.133 more posts als 2021!

441 Einträge erstellt (2%)

17.990 Einträge gerebloggt (98%)

Blogs, die ich am häufigsten gerebloggt habe:

@infected

@museiums

@neckkiss

Ich habe 629 meiner Einträge im Jahr 2022 getaggt

#personal post – 266 Einträge

#posts about me – 61 Einträge

#melons – 54 Einträge

#tw unreality – 39 Einträge

#tw flashing – 26 Einträge

#madphantom – 22 Einträge

#maddie's face – 20 Einträge

#skulduggery pleasant – 19 Einträge

#phantom of the paradise – 14 Einträge

#goncharov – 13 Einträge

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#the only reason i am so patient with everyone is that if i didn't restrain myself at all times i would have become a serial killer by now

Meine Top-Einträge im Jahr 2022:

#5

Buckle up babes, I'm shooting a different film today and at a screen test for yet another film tomorrow but on the weekend I'll post my own Gonch screen test

312 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 24. November 2022

#4

Me texting a guy from my film club a question about a screen test at one in the morning because I just remembered it and don't want to forget it vs him replying ten minutes later

334 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 24. November 2022

#3

Guess who's on the bus to check out the location where I'm shooting Goncharov?

410 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 8. Dezember 2022

#2

Okay. Update.

I have not expected for the last 48 hours to be as they were.

I have over a thousand new followers. My inbox is full. I have received the information that I now have the entire local theatre company's prop department at my disposal, apparently. Members of my film club have apparently seen my post on Reddit. This is, for lack of a better word, fucking insane.

So here's what's gonna happen now: I am writing the script for the scene and it'll probably be done by next week. I'll most likely start filming in early December, depending on other stuff because I'm involved in a minimum of three other film projects, one of which has a deadline.

I am gonna film Katya's death scene, because tbh I don't have anyone who looks like Bob de Niro or Al Pacino at my disposal atm, but I do have someone blonde and someone willing to do Sofia.

In the meantime, thank you for your overwhelming support and I don't need any help in terms of script writing or anything anymore.

Toodles.

2.564 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 23. November 2022

Meine #1 des Jahres 2022

Anyway if this post reaches 30000 notes I'll sit down and professionally film a Goncharov movie scene you can send to people who claim it's not real. This is completely serious, I've made movies before and I'm willing to do it for the memes.

99.046 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 21. November 2022

Hol dir deinen Tumblr-Jahresrückblick 2022 →

#tumblr2022 #Jahresrückblick #Mein Tumblr-Jahresrückblick 2022 #Dein Tumblr-Jahresrückblick #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 11/22/22

yes of COURSE there is a cat update

listening

this portion sponsored once again by my sister, who keeps sending me tiktoks with good background music. this is Tezeta (Nostalgia) by Mulatu Astatke off the 1998 release Ethiopiques, Vol. 4 : Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale (1969-1974). super mellow and comforting, very closely tied with the other one i’ll drop below for my favorite off this album.

there are thirty of these volumes btw. very good to listen to while i work. the lead track off this fourth album, Yèkèrmo Sèw (A Man of Experience and Wisdom) sounds very like much, much later group The Black Keys for the first few seconds. in the cool-toned guitar and the reverb. in the production i guess? like sure there’s a discussion to be had about where jazz and blues and rock overlap and how much, but it did startle my brain. i don’t have music words in my brain, just some math words

-

reading

fallow week. have some mack: right on the fucking tit/fruit bat hours.

she's started doing this thing where she rubs BOTH sides of her gums along my hand when i drape it off the couch. i would like to think this is the cat version of a kiss on both cheeks

-

watching

look i tried really hard to rewatch Goncharov (1973, dir. Scorsese) but my cat wouldn't let me. like of COURSE ive seen it before, i have a dad who was home on federal holidays and watched scorsese marathons on spike tv. fun fact i didn't know there was a bisexual threesome or cucking involved until i watched it for a college film class on villains, bc of course that was not shown on american daytime marathon television!

anyway. my cat. we have watched so many spaghetti westerns together. much gunfire. several gatling guns. i don't know what it is about the Guncharov that woke her up out of a deep sleep and had her fleeing from the room. like okay, it was a partially handmade (the stock is from the actor's mother's wedding chest) AK-47 made specially for this film, further underscoring how time has passed goncharov by and the gas operation subtly foreshadowing the later flashback of the mustard gas in the tunnel attack, but i don't think that should have affected the relative loudness of the Guncharov, and i think the gatling gun in A Bullet For The General (which we rewatched last week) was MUCH louder. my cat is too interested in headphone cords, and i'm trying to teach her that cords are boring and uninteresting and extremely not for cats, and i didn't really have the heart to finish the movie on mute with subtitles still up. the lovely score is so integral to all the sofya scenes.

-

playing

i have never played a pokemon. i have been bullied into horking up sixty three american dollars, or just barely under three hours of post-tax work. i am having an all right time so far but my best friend and her husband are so fucking thrilled we finally have 1) a game in common and 2) a game we can play together. sixty three american dollars is a pretty small friendship maintenance price in the grand scheme of things and it's not like it's really going to make an impact in my overall debt HA HA.

this game has also given me personally a great many gifts in the form of SO many buff women just floating about.

why are so many pokemon Just Guys? a worrying number of bipedal twinks i can keep in a box. anyway look how cute i look!!! yes i named my starter after my cat. i am legally obliged to do so.

i wanted red hair to go with the school uniform bc at my heart i am a weak and vain woman. where the fuck does a bitch get new shirts and pants instead of just new accessories tho

-

making

now when i flipped this frame over to the right side at goodwill, i fully expected there to be a pic of jfk. instead it was jesus, and now it has thigh high johnny cash. ty @dvar-trek for the excellent suggestion.

this is the worst framing and matting job i’ve ever done using my favorite trick of “flip the art already in there around for a double mat" but it just needed to stay together long enough for a gif. every time I moved the cord the light flickered on and off independently of the switch in the cord so we will be replacing that. probably repainting it too.

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem

[kpodcast]

What makes a good concert setlist? I've been to three concerts this year, and watched the Eras tour movie, and I don't think there's a perfect formula. I saw Twice in Dallas this year, and I'm going to look at their setlist to see what patterns we can identify.

We're going to talk just about song choice, not the videos or chatting, and I'm going to exclude the encore songs since those changed every night, and the solo songs (except POP, see notes).

Here's the full set list:

SET ME FREE I CAN'T STOP ME GO HARD MORE & MORE MOONLIGHT SUNRISE BRAVE First Solo Set Feel Special Cry for Me FANCY The Feels Second Solo Set - including POP! Queen of Hearts YES or YES/What Is Love?/CHEER UP/LIKEY/KNOCK KNOCK/SCIENTIST/Heart Shaker Alcohol-Free Dance the Night Away Talk That Talk When We Were Kids CRAZY STUPID LOVE

As is becoming the norm, I decided to look at MV views and Spotify streams for every song at the concert.

I think any Kpop fan knows a few of these songs - Feel Special, The Feels, FANCY are the ones I would guess - and the average Twice fan probably knows most of them. But, there are some more deep cuts, ones that I didn't know, like BRAVE and GO HARD.

Some other things to note about the concert:

Feel Special, Cry for Me, FANCY, and The Feels were performed with a live band

YES or YES through Heart Shaker were performed as a medley, with only a verse or chorus from each song.

With all that in mind, what can we determine about setlists from Twice's concert?

Off the bat, I see that the graph shows some lulls - GO HARD and BRAVE at the start, Queen of Hearts before the medley, and both When We Were Young and CRAZY STUPID LOVE to finish off the show. I think lulls in the show are important, as someone who is pushing 30, I need time to rest. It also gave Twice time to rest! There were a few songs where the choreography was really designed around them sitting for a while, which is important when you're planning a 3 hour show.

Also, as previously mentioned, their most well known songs were all done with the live band. This took their most popular songs and gave them a new twist and made them exciting. I have never screamed Cry for Me like I did with the live band. It kept people engaged with songs that they've likely heard hundreds of times already. If you haven't seen it, check out Jihyo's incredible a cappella solo for Feel Special.

And then the medley. I loved the medley. I thought it was such a fun and smart way to incorporate some of their older songs. You can see on the graph those seven songs are among the most popular, and Twice has likely performed them hundreds of times in the years since their release. The medley was a way to, again, keep the audience engaged and give Twice a new way to interpret and perform these songs and play with the choreography as well.

I have so many thoughts about setlist choices! How venue and size makes a difference in song choices and interaction with the audience, how each song flows to the next, how recent releases and future teasers affect song choices, it's all so interesting.

How important do you think the order of the setlist is? Do agree that there should be lulls in the set? I've seen iKON and DKB as well and would love to share some thoughts on their setlists as well if anyone is interested!

As always - some notes:

Views and streams numbers were pulled in early November

I used the Cry for Me choreography video views in place of MV views, since there is no MV for Cry for Me

Just straight view/stream counts is not the clearest way to gauge popularity, since older songs will have more views due to age. I may release an updated version of this post with views/streams over time!

I left in POP! since it was released on the Twice channel, and as of writing this post I realize that I should have included Nightmare from Jihyo as well as it was released after the concert

#kpop #suji stats #admin suji #twice

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Guys. Guys. You’re not going to believe this. And I am honestly, so sorry. Anyone who found it strange and annoying that I filled up this website with a sudden focus on some shit that happened to a very specific group of comedians in the early 2000s and something about a cow, but then I found the answer to my question about what the name “Chocolate Milk Gang” meant so they were hoping I’d move on, and then just last night I finished going through the last of all the Daniel Kitson material I could possibly find online, so after that surely I would have to stop. I thought this had run its course and I could get back to other things. But you’re going to believe this. There’s another video.

Actually there are several other videos. A YouTube channel that is clearly just run by someone who went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and filmed bits of the Late ‘n Live show and put them up online, and hasn’t posted a video in the last ten years, and don’t worry about how I found this. I was pretty deep in the rabbit hole, where I’d been for long enough so I thought I’d already found it all, but then I came across these YouTube videos.

Okay, so. To start with, here’s one from 2005. Early on it gave me cause to Google when Stephen K. Amos officially came out, which was apparently 2006, so the year after this. But... I guess was a bit of a glass closet situation for some time before that? Or just a coincidence. It was 2005, and everyone did spend that entire year calling each other gay at every single opportunity. They were bound to be right at some point.

The title made me think this would be a rap battle like Daniel Kitson did with David O’Doherty in that other video, and like I have reason to believe may have happened multiple times. But it turned out to be not that, and the “v” for “versus” in the title means something more literal. So... click on this one if you want to see Daniel Kitson summarize The Karate Kid and then literally beat up Stephen K. Amos, predicting the events of 21 Jump Street eight years before that movie came out. That was not the direction I thought that was going. It’s really funny to watch this fewer than 24 hours after watching his 2005 theatre show for the first time, which is in fact about a boy who is lonely and how there’s optimism in that loneliness. He’s completely correct about that. Correct about the subtext of The Karate Kid, too.

Also, the disembodied voice of Russell Howard comes in unexpectedly at 7:24, and it’s so close to the camera that for a split second I thought Russell must be the one recording it. Obviously he wasn’t, I guess he was just in the crowd and happened to be standing near the person with the camera? I’m not really clear on where he was. His laugh just comes through like a ghost in the walls. Tim Minchin, meanwhile, is visible the entire time as he provides music, off in the corner of the stage in the way that it feels like he always is in YouTube videos, even when he’s the main star of the video.

This isn’t at all important and it’s definitely not a sentence I thought I’d ever type, but that was genuinely good technique at the end there when Stephen K. Amos picked up Daniel Kitson and threw him on the ground. He knew how to do it properly. Good job dude.

I’m going to be honest, I haven’t even watched the other videos yet. Aside from the video before this, which is a guy I think I’ve sort of heard of singing a song in which he makes fun of Oasis while using a term that I would not use for Inuit people but 2005, right? I watched this far and then had to stop and write this post. There are a few more so this will probably get updated. Anyone who was looking forward to me calming down about what some chocolate milk people may have been doing in the 00s will have to wait slightly longer to have that stop being all over this website.

Edit: I just thought of something, ran it back, and confirmed that that was Mark Olver running out at 1:16. I would like to apologize for not noticing that right away; I’m normally quite good at the game “spot Mark Olver”, as I play it every time I watch The Last Leg.

[wolf359transcripts]

Wolf 359 Season 1 Episode 7 - “The Sound and the Fury”

This episode features multiple sections where people talk over other conversations in the background, which made it... interesting to transcribe. I've transcribed the background conversations as best I could, and those are linked in the appropriate places on this post.

As always, corrections and additions are very welcome! Please send an ask if you can figure out the words that I left as "unclear"!

[intro music]

Welcome to Wolf 359.

Hera: [from a distance] You are being completely irrational, Commander. There’s no need to take that tone of voice with me.

Minkowski: [from a distance] I’m being irrational? You’re the one that’s been holding critical information –

[Hera and Minkowski continue arguing in the background]

Eiffel: God, they’re still at it.

Eiffel: This is the audio log of Communications Officer Eiffel, recording from the comms room of the Hephaestus Station. It’s day five hundred and twelve since mission launch. And, you’re all just in time for tonight’s entertainment. Holyfield/Tyson, the Leo Constellation match. I don’t know who threw the first punch, but it’s been going for the past two hours. And of course they decide to host The Sound and the Fury right outside my door. God forbid I need to go get anything to eat, or use the bathroom, or anything like that. They’ll have to stop for air sooner or later. Or uh... at least Minkowski will. In the meantime, that means we gotta make our own fun. So... um...

[soft beep]

Eiffel: Oh! Looks like the calendar for station events for next week just updated in the local server. Perfect.

[typing noises]

Eiffel: Alright... let’s see. On Monday evening, we’ll be going through the gravitational field of a passing comet! So, we’ll be spending most of the day securing the sensitive equipment. Expect localised interruptions... of power and water supplies, as well as mild to moderate turbulence throughout the day. Oh, won’t that be fun.

Eiffel: On Tuesday, we’ll be having another station chess tournament. Given Dr. Hilbert’s uninterrupted fifty-three week winning streak, he has agreed to play blindfolded, and without rooks, bishops, or queens. As always, participation is compulsory. [softly] Dangit.

Eiffel: On Wednesday, our orbital alignment will make it possible to view the solar system through our high-power telescope. If you would like to get a glimpse of home, report to the observatory deck during your off hours.

Eiffel: Thursday will be –

[door slams, Minkowski can be heard particularly loudly in the background]

Eiffel: [clears throat] Thursday will be movie night, if you would like to vote for what film we’ll be watching, submit your written choice to Commander Minkowski. Although since all we have is a VHS of Home Alone 2, the effect of your vote will be negligible.

Eiffel: On Friday, we’ll have mustard. [pause] Um. That’s all it says for Friday. Not sure what that means. I’ll have to ask Minkowski about that one.

Eiffel: On Saturday –

[open intercom buzz]

Eiffel: Hey Dr. Hilbert!

Hilbert: [urgently] Eiffel.

Eiffel: Don’t worry about the clashing titans. I don’t think they’d manage to kill each other just yet.

Hilbert: [alarmed] Eiffel!

Eiffel: Now I haven’t got the foggiest about what set them off. Maybe Hera put skim milk instead of two percent into the Commander’s seaweed this morning?

Hilbert: [drawn out choking] Eiffel!

Eiffel: Besides, you know how they can be. Minkowski does pig-headed obstinacy like it’s an Olympic sport, and Hera’s a grandmaster at the passive-aggressive slow burn. I guess it was just a matter of time before things got to a boil.

Hilbert: [monotonously] Eiffel.

Eiffel: Anyway. What’s going on with you, Doc? [gasp] Wait, how did your thing go? You were looking for that weird plant monster thing again, right? Were you finally able to kill it?

Hilbert: [monotonously] I would never harm specimen thirty-four, Eiffel. Specimen thirty-four is the most evolutionarily competitive life form on this station. The most deserving of life.

Eiffel: ...Right on. So, what can I do you for?

Hilbert: [monotonously] Fertiliser. The greenhouse needs more fertiliser. Where does Commander Minkowski keep the fertiliser?

Eiffel: Um... Down in the storage shed? By engineer – Wait. Did you say fertiliser? I thought you said some – thing else. Y-Yeah, no. Fertiliser is up on the... observatory deck. Yup, uh, way at the top of the station.

Hilbert: [monotonously] Thank you. Your cooperation has been noted. Soon you will be allowed to surrender your life to the growth of your biological superior.

[close intercom buzz]

Eiffel: Welp! Looks like Hilbert’s finally let go of that last shred of sanity! I’d better –

[Hera and Minkowski’s argument ends]

[door opens]

Minkowski: Eiffel! Can you believe this?

[door closes]

Eiffel: Hey Commander! I was just commenting – I think we might have a situation on our hands.

Minkowski: Of course we do. Our operating system is a tin-headed, insubordinate, feckless fool!

Eiffel: N-No, Commander, the thing is –

Minkowski: All I was saying, was that it would be a good idea if she started giving me reports, on all the systems she runs. Just in case there’s another emergency. Is that so unreasonable?

Eiffel: No, but –

Minkowski: Of course it’s not! It’s my ship! I’m responsible for the lives of everyone on board. I ought to know what’s happening behind the scenes.

Eiffel: ... Agreed, but –

Minkowski: And the other things is that –

Eiffel: Commander! [pauses] I hate to distract you from your little spat with our version of Clippy, but I think there’s something seriously wrong with Hilbert.

Minkowski: Little spat?

Eiffel: [irritated sigh]

Minkowski: This is a serious matter of station protocol. Not some teenage squabble. Whose side are you even on?

Eiffel: S-side?

Minkowski: Side.

Eiffel: Well... that’s a... a very complicated question, Commander. With many different... angles, and nuances to explore, and uh... consider. H-Have I ever mentioned that I’m a huge fan of Switzerland?

Minkowski: Oh, it doesn’t seem all that complicated to me. I think that you either agree with me that Hera is being unreasonable by not wanting to acquiesce to a very simple demand, or you think that a piece of buggy, malfunctioning software knows better than your commanding officer.

Eiffel: Gee, look at the time. I-I gotta go.

Minkowski: Sit your Swiss ass down and pick a side, Doug!

Eiffel: Well...

Minkowski: Oh of course. Fine. Take her side. You’re both utterly useless.

Eiffel: No no no. It’s not like that. I totally see your point. Hera’s made some mistakes since you got here, dangerous mistakes. I get that we can’t just trust her with all the systems that are keeping us alive.

Minkowski: [surprised] We can’t?

Eiffel: No, I’m a-absolutely of the opinion you can only trust artificial intelligences about as far as you can throw ‘em.

Minkowski: I didn’t know that.

Eiffel: You didn’t?

Minkowski: No, I didn’t.

Hera: Neither did I.

[silence]

Eiffel: ... Hera?

Hera: Hello, Officer Eiffel.

Eiffel: I [nervous chuckle] didn’t realise you were... with us, as it were.

Hera: Yes, I noticed.

Minkowski: Go away, Hera. This is a private conversation.

Hera: No. If I’m going to be the subject of this little têté-á-têté, I’d like to have my têté in the mix. I wanna hear what else Officer Eiffel has to say about me.

Eiffel: Now Hera, to be fair, you know how critical I am of Commander Minkowski.

Minkowski: You are?

Eiffel: ...No, of course not! I... only think the highest of you.

Hera: So you agree with her that I’m incompetent, is that it?

Eiffel: ...No, I think you’re doing a great job!

Minkowski: You do?

Eiffel: ...Well... most of the time.

Hera: Most of the time?

Eiffel: Almost all of the time.

Minkowski and Hera, at once: What does that even mean?

Eiffel: I... I... I... I-I think that Hera is an absolutely professional operating system, and... she does a great job and should... be trusted with our lives, except for a few times when... Commander Minkowski could maybe... help by... [irritated] For god’s sake, I can’t be honest with both of you here. Could one of you please step out of the room so I can say what I really think?

Minkowski: Hera, get out.

Hera: Make me.

Minkowski: Why, you cheeky little –

Eiffel: C’mon, Commander, you can’t really hold that against her. It’s just her programming.

Hera: Oh, stop. Stop it. Do you have any idea how condescending that is? Just chalking everything I do to my programming? What if I just went around blaming every stupid decision you make on biology?

Eiffel: Hera.

Hera: “Why are they doing that? Isn’t that a bit dangerous?” “Oh. Never mind, that’s just their... biology.” “That’s a terrible idea. Don’t they know any better?” “Just that pesky ol’ biology!” “We really should have sprang for the more expensive model.”

Eiffel: Hera.

Hera: “Good god! Why are they playing with that? They’re going to get us all blown up!” “Oh. It’s just their biology. We’ll just have God take a look under the hood the next time he comes by.”

Eiffel: Okay okay. I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean it like that.

Hera: Do I? Apparently you don’t trust artificial intelligences now.

Eiffel: Hey. You can’t hold that against me. You were practically wire-tapping.

Hera: So what?

Eiffel: So you... can’t go off on that! I-I was just lying to Commander Minkowski to get her off my back!

Minkowski: Still here, actually.

Eiffel: Oh god damn it. Look. I just meant that –

Hera: Of course you tried to intimidate Eiffel into siding with you. Why am I not surprised?

Minkowski: Please. Like you wouldn’t have done the same? You’re just annoyed that I beat you to the punch.

[open intercom buzz]

Hera: Oh, right. Like I actually care enough about what you do, to try and sabotage you.

[Hera and Minkowski continue arguing in the background]

[switch clicks]

Eiffel: Hey, Dr. Hilbert? Have you found any of those marbles yet?

Hilbert: [monotonously] I know what you tried to do. You tried to stop the Blessed Eternal’s growth. You tried to hide the seed of life.

Eiffel: [sighs] See? That’s exactly what I was afraid you were going to say.

Hilbert: You are no better than the oppressor. Your death shall be no quicker, no less painful, no less humiliating. You scream shall echo through –

Eiffel: Yup. [sighs] Death, plant monster, fertiliser. Got it. Talk to you later.

[close intercom buzz]

Hera: That’s right, Commander, just fall back on the military training. Don’t try solving your problems like a human being or anything.

Eiffel: Hey guys? Guys?

Minkowski: Where do you even get off saying that to me? You’re not even human!

Eiffel: Oi!

Minkowski and Hera, at once: What?

Eiffel: Look. Our rating on the peril-o-meter just went from “Spidey-sense is tingling”, to “Bat Signal in the sky”, so this argument is over, okay? It’s stupid fight to begin with, and your referee is throwing in the towel. So let’s all just stop, okay? I think you’re both great. I think you both do your jobs really, really, really well. I think that you’re both intelligent and have good judgement, and you can definitely find a way to compromise and work together. And just in case it wasn’t already obvious, I am absolutely terrified of both of you. But making me choose a side between the woman who has the military authority to shoot me, and the woman who makes my oxygen, is only gonna end in tears. Now. Something is seriously up with Dr. Hilbert. I don’t know if he’s under some kind of... hypnosis, or mind control, or if he’s just gone madder than he normally is, but he’s defecting to team mutant plant monster. Right now, he’s feeding his new boss all the fertiliser we have left in the supply shed. And the last thing we need is our deadly stowaway growing more teeth. The fact that I’m trying to get the two of you to do the responsible thing is scary enough. But I would really like to take care of the situation before we reach Audrey II territory! So what if I said that I don’t trust Hera? So what if I called Minkowski obstinate? Who the hell cares? Can we go deal with the emergency?

Minkowski: Wait. You never called me obstinate.

[silence]

Eiffel: Did I say obstinate? I meant... um...

Minkowski: Have you been talking about me behind my back?

Eiffel: I- I- I would never!

Hera: Yeah... he would.

Eiffel: [through gritted teeth] Hera.

Hera: You were doing it just earlier, when you were talking to Dr. Hilbert.

Eiffel: [hushed] No, don’t!

Minkowski: To Dr. Hilbert? You conniving little snake! What were you saying behind my back?

Eiffel: [nervous chuckle] You know... [nervous chuckle] I... don’t think I really remember now.

Hera: Oh, one moment.

[static burst]

Eiffel: [in recording] Besides, you know how they can be. Minkowski does pig-headed obstinacy like it’s an Olympic sport –

[static burst]

Minkowski: An Olympic sport?

Eiffel: [sarcastically] Gee. Thanks a lot, Hera!

Eiffel: Y...eah. An Olympic – So, in a certain way, I was... complimenting you?

Minkowski: Mhm? Nice try.

Eiffel: Hey wait a minute! That wasn’t all I said. Hera. Play the rest of that tape.

Hera: I’m... hm. I’m having difficulty finding the rest of that recording, Officer Eiffel. I may have accidentally deleted it.

Eiffel: Oh, you don’t say. Well isn’t that grand.

Hera: Don’t let Commander Minkowski get to you. She’s just afraid that the advent of artificial, highly efficient administrative intelligences are rendering middle managers and petty officers like herself obsolete. She’s just taking out her insecurities on you.

Minkowski: And again, I’m still here.

Hera: And, she’s just trying to micro-manage me because she’s feeling threatened.

Minkowski: Threatened? By you? Hah! Alright. I would maybe feel a tiny twinge of threat from your highly efficient intelligence, if, say, if everything on this station wasn’t breaking all the time. Or, if we could go a full week without any weird mechanical problems. Or – Oh, oh! Here’s a good one! If your voice box didn’t glitch every ten words.

Hera: Careful, Commander. Your biology is showing.

Eiffel: Can we please go deal with the crazy plant worshipper?

Minkowski: No. We’re going to have this out, right now. Do you really think I’m obstinate?

Hera: And do you really think I’m not trustworthy?

Eiffel: What the hell do you want me to say?

Minkowski: Just say what you really think!

Eiffel: What I really think? Okay. Fine. I think you’re both crazy. I think you’re both one hundred percent cuckoo bananas right now. You’ve spent the last two hours shouting at each other literally over nothing. And not even the prospect of losing the entire station to a crazy horticulture experiment has been able to get the two of you to snap out of it! You’ve been yelling at each other for the past five minutes over what? Me lying to you? Me saying something awful? Like that’s any kind of news! Why the hell do you even care what I think? I’m so far beneath both of you that I shouldn’t even register on your radars. So no. I don’t really think you’re obstinate. And no, I don’t really think you’re not trustworthy. I think what’s really the problem here, is that you’re both so childish, and so petty, that you’re literally putting our lives in danger, just so that you can win a stupid argument!

[announcement chime]

Hilbert: [monotonously] Crew of the Hephaestus. I am here to inform you that your spaceship is now the property of the Blessed Eternal. It is fruitful and plentiful. It is a light in the cold, and the dark, and the ash –

[Hilbert continues to monologue]

Minkowski: [sighs] Alright. Let’s go deal with this. Hera, do we still have those canisters of halothane knockout gas hooked up to the ventilation system?

Hera: Yep, they’re still armed.

Minkowski: Alright. Let’s start pumping those into the greenhouse, bridge, and the engineering section, and go from there. Let’s knock him out before he does any more damage, and then we’ll see about stopping whatever that thing is doing to control him.

Eiffel: Yeah, that sounds great, let’s –

Minkowski: Not. You.

Eiffel: What?

Minkowski: You stay here. I’ll deal with you later.

[door slams]

Eiffel: Ugh, awesome. Well. Guess I really screwed the pooch on this one huh, Hera.

[silence, apart from Hilbert’s monologue]

Eiffel: Oh great. Real mature, both of you.

[pause]

Eiffel: Shut up, plant Hilbert.

[switch clicks loudly, Hilbert’s monologue is cut off]

[outro music]

Eiffel: From the USS Hephaestus Station, this has been Officer Doug Eiffel. Let’s see if anyone ever talks to me again after this. Goodnight.

This has been Wolf 359, written and directed by Gabriel Urbina. The roles of Eiffel and Hilbert were played by Zach Valenti. The role of Minkowski was played by Emma Sherr-Ziarko. The role of Hera was played by Michaela Swee. Original music by Alan Rodi, and audio recording by Jared Paul. Ready to surrender your feeble human flesh to the Blessed Eternal? Then visit us online, at wolf359.fm, and follow us on Twitter at @Wolf359Radio for more information about our show.

Transcription by @saltssaumure

#wolf 359 #wolf 359 transcript #podcast transcript #s1e7 #the sound and the fury

[colorful-white-ideas]

I think he is building up his instagram posts so by the time he wants to go public and use his real name, new fans coming in from the anticipated movies will have a lot of content to go through on his instagram. Personally for celebrities, I don’t think it’s such a good idea to have a social media account. I think the route Tom Holland goes without any social media is the best route especially for mental health reasons. I think just doing a lot of press and attending the premieres of your films will attract fans without him having to go on social media. A list celebs such as Angelina and Robert Pattinson don’t need Instagram. He can be an A list celeb if he promotes his films. I am surprised if he reads Tumblr posts, I remember Valter once saying in his live he stays away from Tumblr. If he does, then he has got way too much time on his hands. Sorry for the long rant.

Don't worry cause you'll get an even longer answer XD

This Bobby acc had a rough start , it collected its first polemic within hours of the BKW post , its second post. Bill ( or whoever it's behind this) behaved like a child. And there are receipts of this so I doubt this gets to have a username change in the near future.

He ruined everything himself , he could've just erased the BKW post and let a few days pass.

Now I know some artists don't need social media and also for mental health reasons, being him a very sensitive guy as we just witnessed, staying out of SM and just working on public appearances would've been the appropriate. Yes.

But if he really wanted an IG acc this time why the fuck , if he can't face criticism, didn't he open one with a blue check and under the control of a community manager with him checking only from time to time and having all posts with the comment section closed?

We will never know.

And about him or his family reading Tumblr of course they do it. It's been proven today once more... But curiosity killed the cat.

Now as a latest update bobby tagged Adam lundgren in his last post (related to Clark ) and Adam is now following the acc and also left a like in the post ... So I guess more and more confirmation?

Anyway let's keep in mind one thing, we don't really know this man . We believe we know an aspect of his persona, the public one that made us follow him and it ends there. This Bobby side seems to be a more personal and shady one , kind of like an alter ego or his true self ( maybe) , so keep your mind open to whatever this side might show us and don't get too offended ...

Whatever consequences are his consequences, he is an adult. Let him be .

Unless this Is not bill but someone else trying to destroy him ? (Conspiracy theory) 🤨

Anyway I had my fair share of reactions in the morning, now I'm over it. Let's enjoy the shit show from a comfortable seat.

#bill skarsgård

[chickenandwafflesandtv]

Yuri!!! on Ice Season 1

I think I watched this show 6 times within the span of about 4 months, so PLEASE don't tell my friends I'm watching it again or they'll have to stage another intervention.

Welcome back! This show is flawless, amazing, wonderful, the all around best. I love it. And let me tell you why.

YURI!!! ON ICE SEASON 1

I first watched this show as it was airing in 2016. It was one of the only animes I had ever seen and it was getting major hype, here on Tumblr, so I thought I'd check it out. It's just such a wonderful show. I bought a subscription to the Peacock streaming service in January so I could watch Figure Skating at the Winter Olympics because Yuri! on Ice had festered such a love for skating in me.

BACKGROUND

Yuuri Katsuki decided to retire from Figure Skating after a spectacular failure at his Grand Prix Final performance. He returns home to Japan, where after his friend's children post a video of him skating to a routine made by his idol, he goes viral. Before he knows it, the idol in question Viktor Nikiforov, has appeared at Yuuri's door and decided to coach Yuuri back to success. Many people, including Viktor's feisty 15-year old rinkmate, Yuri Plisetsky, are immediately fueled with hatred towards Yuuri for stealing Viktor (but only partially, since Yuuri is Yuri's own secret idol) and the two Yuris, as well as other professional skaters in their circle, work towards finishing this season's competitions on an unforgettable note.

REVIEW

This show really is a different breed. The animation is absolutely beautiful. I've mentioned it before, but often times in sports-related animes, they'll rely on 3D rendering in order to animate the more movement-heavy scenes. With this show surrounding ice skating, you'd expect them to do the same, but no! Each graceful skate is hand-drawn and was actually choreographed by ice skater Kenji Miyamoto, who in the past had choreographed for 2x Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu and Olympic silver medalist Shoma Uno. The animation in this show is incredibly smooth and detailed, painting each character in their own unique way, making me one of my favorite animations in a show ever. The plot is insanely captivating as well. With Yuuri's past as well as his performance anxiety, it's hard to guess how he's going to perform and place in each competition. It has great comedic moments but is still guaranteed to have some heavy drama when necessary. And like usual, this show has an absolutely amazing cast, featuring almost all of my favorite voice actors (shout out to Howard Wang, Jerry Jewell, Ian Sinclair, and Josh Grelle). This seriously is probably one of the best animes, if not shows in general, that I have ever watched. I sincerely recommend this to everyone who wants to get started in the anime world.

SIGN OFF

I could talk about Yuri!!! on Ice for literal hours, but it's about time to wrap up that conversation here. A movie, titled Ice Adolescence, was announced to be made for the series, but after an extremely short teaser trailer was released, fans haven't heard any updates in about 5 years, besides a set of photos released earlier this year in celebration of the Olympics. The show is produced by what is arguably the most prolific anime production company (MAPPA) so it makes sense that things may be pushed back, but with the ending of MAPPA's famous show Attack on Titan nearing, fans (including me) remain ever hopeful for some good news.

Thank you for reading!

9/20/22 9:43am

#anime #manga #yuri on ice #mappa #tv series #review

[mikemcdougal-photo]

Cave City, KY - Part One

A trip close to two years in the making and a strange destination for a multitude of reasons, embarking on the four-hour drive to Cave City, KY was almost a bildungsroman of sorts for someone approaching middle age, if that’s even possible. Per my past post I am aware that I have no concept of elapsed time and constantly feel younger than I am so as I pulled out of the driveway, finally leaving for a trip I never thought I’d complete, I felt like a teenager. Almost like I was doing something wrong or leaving home for the first time for my first solo trip. There was excitement, but more than excitement was a sense of scripted freedom. Scripted in the sense that my stops were planned with a loose itinerary of stops to photograph along the way. This wasn’t a vacation by any means. This was an assignment.

In an attempt to capture as many roadside curiosities as I could, I navigated back roads through rural Tennessee into Kentucky. This usually proves to be beneficial as I normally find some good stops along the way, but this route ultimately gave way to 30mph curvy backroads with nowhere to pull over even if I wanted to. It did put me through the city of Carthage before crossing the state line. The highway I was on put me through what I believe to be their “downtown” area which was in complete disrepair. I would have stayed and explored more but I was on a schedule and couldn’t squeeze it in. I did however, come across the town of Red Boiling Springs, TN and that was a quick, easy stop to make.

Some of these towns don’t appear to have a single person living in them and when you do see someone, its automatic horror movie vibes like you’re being poached from behind someone’s screened in porch. I say this only in jest as most people I encounter while out shooting either leave me alone or are just curious as to what I’m doing. It’s not often that I run into anyone going out of their way to be a dick.

I saw exactly one passing car in Red Boiling Springs but had that feeling like I was being watched the entire time. I’d be curious too if some strange person rolled up and just jumped out of their car and started taking pictures of weird shit. You can ask me questions, it’s okay, but I’d honestly just rather we didn’t interact. I’m just here to document your town.

My next stop was my destination, the once booming town of Cave City, KY! The last time I was in Cave City was Thanksgiving weekend of 2001. My then two best friends and two others took off for a weekend at Mammoth Cave. We loaded up in his Chrysler minivan with bottles of blackberry brandy and peach schnapps and next to nothing else. I personally don’t even remember eating while we were gone. We were just dumb high school friends who got ahold of some liquor and wanted to get drunk and have fun. I don’t remember much about the town, just the motel we stayed at and visiting Mammoth Cave National Park the next day. I guess this was the beginning of my memories being muddled by alcohol.

A ghost town by definition, Cave City strives to thrive but the people who live and work there have adapted to some unconventional ways to generate cash flow while other areas which have been closed and reopened throughout the years are once again reopen with new and updated attractions.

My first stop in Cave City was the Mammoth Cave Wildlife Museum. A main point of personal interest as a campy stop that I really wanted to photograph. First opening its doors in 1969, the museum features more than 1,600 preserved animal specimens from all over the world. The tour begins with a massive, preserved butterfly room that includes moths, beetles and other insects and then leads to the Musk Ox, the only feature in the museum that can be viewed for free.  

After leaving the museum I haphazardly rushed over to Mammoth Cave National Park to try to jump on a tour, knowing that I can view tour departure times online but choosing to ignore this fact until cell service was nonexistent. I made a stop as I entered the park so I could take what would end up being one of my only “tourist” photos with the MCNP sign. A couple was struggling to setup their phone, so I asked them if they wanted to trade, I’ll take theirs and they take mine. From there it was straight to the visitor center to see what tours were available. The best tour for your time and money appears to be the Historic Tour, and from the standpoint that I set out to photograph it, was the perfect tour for me. It set off in 45 minutes which gave me time to check out the gift shop because I must buy stickers to show everyone the cool things I’ve done but then have a mild panic attack whenever I use that sticker and realize its permanent. It also gave me time to go to the car and use my vape pen to get nice and elevated before my tour began.

The Historic Tour comes in right at two hours and covers two miles. For $20 and being able to support the National Park Service, it’s an amazing deal and opportunity. The tour begins at the historic entrance, descending 160 stairs into the massive entrance. Once you’re inside you walk to the Rotunda, the sixth largest room discovered in the cave and begin and end your tour here. From here the tour weaves through passageways and landmarks while park rangers tell stories at stops.

The weather outside was in the high 90’s with the humidity not far behind and the cave consistently remains in the mid 50’s. As we made our way closer to the entrance the air become freezing at the hot air was pulling cold air out of the cave creating wind strong enough at some points to blow your hair.

Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system in the world and goddamn fascinating to walk through something so intricate that took millions of years to create. Places so cut off from the outside world that even for a national park, few have ventured to see. Places where early settlers used the cave for refuge; to survive. Evidence of humans in the cave dates back 5,000 years however most visible evidence now are names and dates candled and carved into the limestone and saltpeter vats from mining for the war of 1812. The lighting that’s been installed creates ethereal shadows that stretch along the walls and ceiling and the reddish hue is reminiscent of a Martian landscape.

After finishing the tour and taking time to watch and photograph a deer that was eating near the entrance, I made my way toward the city of Horse Cave where my motel was located. A lot of what drew me to Cave City was how bustling the town once was, hitting its prime in the 60’s and 70’s, the motel signage that litters the main highway every few miles is a true testament of the traffic that once came through here. A lot of motel signs that I wanted to photograph were located along the same 5 mile stretch between the turn to get to the park and my motel, so I was able to knock quite a few things from my list on my way to check in. One of my most looked forward to places to photograph was the Wigwam Village #2. The vision of Frank A. Redford and built in 1937 it was one of 7 Wigwam Villages spread across the country and one of only three remaining today, each wigwam features a bed and full bathroom. The main Wigwam is 52 feet tall and consists of 38 tons of concrete and 13 tons of steel. The structure used to contain a restaurant and gift shop but with the completion of Interstate 65 diverting traffic away from the town the restaurant closed in the mid 60’s. The gift shop remained open however when I visited it showed no signs of being open anytime recent. I tried to book a wigwam for my trip up, but they were booked out pretty far in advance. Regardless, I was able to stop and photograph the main wigwam and neon sign out front. This was a main stop, so I photographed this sign in the evening, morning and night to capture all different light.

#mike mcdougal #photography #cave #mammoth cave #kentucky #neon #canon