#i think the challenge in these on ice photographs

[freebooter4ever]

I havent had any finished drawings lately, so have this breakdown instead ^_^ the first one is a quick color study i did a while ago where i was trying to figure out what direction all the light sources were coming from... and then set it aside. And weeks later picked it up again to do the line art, the flat colors, the shadows, the light, and finally all four of those merged into the final image.

#See this is the shit italianikisix does at work #he's the lighting expert so to speak #and i always sit on his desk and lean over his screen and try to pick his brain to learn #but he is so stubbornly humble hes just like shrug i dunno i just do what looks right #whereas im the technical type being all if you teach me the theory behind lighting maybe i can do better #ANYWAY tldr he is no help so i just have to learn through observation #i think the challenge in these on ice photographs #is that the light is so diffuse or whatever #that there isnt any strong shadows or highlights #but it makes it all kind of glow and thats the part i like about it #we all know how much i love snow #or well any older followers who remember how often i would go out taking snow photos when i lived in the burgh lol #wip

[pugh-bug]

Flashing Lights

Art Donaldson x reader

If people like this I’ll write a part 2 and possibly some sub Art fics in the future. Challengers is all I can think about at the moment and this blonde man is living rent free in my brain.

——————————————————————

‘Come on come on, they can never have too many pictures taken of them!’

Your friend dragged you and your mediocre camera, quite forcefully, to Tashi Duncan’s party. It wasn’t just that you hadn’t been invited and that you weren’t remotely a tennis player it was that Ashley’s lame excuse of ‘they need more photographers’ was patently untrue. Everywhere you looked there were photographers with cameras that cost more than your yearly rent.

‘I’ll get us a drink wait here.’

You watched her confidently insert herself into the queue for the bar, in between endless posters of Tashi Duncan hoodies and Tashi Duncan headbands. If you hadn’t been such a feminist you might have felt a little sick from all the masturbatory self promotion.

In your idleness you decided to people watch. There were no less than a hundred people there already, all dressed elegantly with hair and makeup that no doubt took longer to do than the night would even last. You pulled at your tight dress. Flattering? Definitely. Comfortable? Absolutely not. Ashley had the tennis body, the Tashi Duncan confidence and skill but without the praise or queue of fans. You had your camera.

You hadn’t touched a tennis racket since you were ten years old. These people weren’t your peers they were your betters, including the snobby photographers and perhaps even including Ashely. At least she knew what ‘down the line’ meant.

‘Can we go?’ Your voice sounded bitter as Ashley handed you a cocktail. ‘I’ve got two photoshoots to edit for tomorrow and I don’t even like tennis! Why am I even here?’ As your friend defended her plan to ‘sleep with as many rich tennis players as possible’ your eyes wandered once again, this time landing on a man who needed no introduction.

‘Is that … Art Donaldson?’

It was him, smoking a cigarette by Patrick Zweig dressed for Summer. Fire and ice in the flesh. You suddenly felt the need to readjust your dress, your hair, your earrings. To fidget. To fidget and prepare for the chance he might look in your direction and see what he wanted.

‘Fuck me it’s Zweig.’

As Ashley launched into a thesis on why Patrick was the hottest man she’d ever seen, your eyes bored into the side of Art’s head. His curls fell so perfectly on his forehead but all you could find yourself imagining was messing them up. As your staring breached the line of too far, Ashley tapped your arm. ‘Think I should go talk to him? Flirt a bit? He’s a bit of a man whore, I’m pretty sure I could get him.’ Just as you opened your mouth to speak, the recipient of your staring began to move closer.

It only took a few moments for Art to reach yours and Ashley’s corner of refuge but his eyes never strayed from you. Zweig had followed him like a puppy and whilst you couldn’t have cared less where the brunette chose to stand, you could practically feel Ashley screaming in her head.

‘Aaliyah right? You basically murdered my friend out there yesterday.’ As Ashley corrected Patrick’s memory, you forced your eyes to look at anything that wasn’t Art’s knowing smirk in your direction. It didn’t work, in fact your refusal to make eye contact with the future star had made your feelings glaringly obvious.

You’d watched him play many times, instead of doing your own work, and although you found tennis a little boring the man had you riveted. The ease at which he hit the ball with such force, the little hand movements he’d do during a tie break and his cruel habit of taking his shirt off on hot days … you were hooked.

As he eyed your dress you wondered if he’d seen you, made note of just how many matches you’d been front and centre at. Maybe he knew you were an amateur photographer and perhaps his smirk was intended as a mockery of your being there. Art knew you didn’t belong at thee Tashi Duncan’s after party. You both knew it. He looked at you, finally as you’d lifted your gaze, and cocked his head slightly to the side.

‘So, you don’t like tennis?’

Shit.

‘Oh. You heard that.’

‘Yep.’

His voice was glazed with amusement as he sipped his cold beer, daring you to defend yourself.

‘Ashley was invited,’ you lied with little ease. ‘I’m here as her friend- well I guess also photographer but you all seem to have that covered.’ Both yours and Art’s eyes glanced at the gang of professionals taking Tashi’s photo. She was holding the shimmering trophy as if it was nothing of real value, she had the humble but proud smile down. Art clocked your jealous expression and raised an eyebrow. ‘Tashi not your favourite?’

‘She’s pretty amazing and she looks fucking beautiful tonight I can’t lie. I just, I guess I wish I was that talented.’

Despite her successful flirting to Patrick, Ashley heard your little, sad admission. Mentally you scolded yourself for letting Art see your vulnerable side. Instead of judgement he smiled.

‘Are you not the best at getting front row seats?’

He left off ‘at my matches’ but the point had been made loud and clear. You chose not to react and to ignore him completely. ‘Ashley?’ But when you turned your head to your friend you saw her mouth was occupied. Oh.

Art laughed at his best friend. ‘Seriously? You couldn’t go one night?’ No, Patrick couldn’t and he couldn’t find it in his horny heart to feel guilty for stealing your one friend and escape route from you. The pair, still connected by their lips, hurried away from the party and to some poor fucker’s bedroom. You were alone with Art Donaldson and the party that engulfed the two of you had began to die down.

‘I should go too-‘

‘Wanna go down to the beach with me?’

You couldn’t help but scoff audibly at his request. ‘You don’t even know my name.’

Art’s eyes practically gleamed with cheekiness as he moved towards you. ‘Then tell me.’

‘It’s Y/N.’

With a charming smile he repeated his offer. ‘Y/N… wanna go down to the beach with me?’

If a mind reader had been in attendance you’d have been mortified as your first thought was: Oh god have I even shaved?

The decision to take your heels off had been an impulsive one and an instant regret as you felt the brittle sand rub against your toes. Avoiding the broken glass, you walked into Art’s shoulder and quickly apologised. ‘You’re like a baby deer.’

You perched on the rock overlooking the water that moonlight reached. Art’s eyes were transfixed on you as your hair blew from your shoulders. Surely he was just bored and flirting for fun. But you hadn’t seen him speak to anyone except Patrick before approaching you.

‘What is it about photography?’ Art gestured to the camera you almost forgot you were still wearing around your neck.

‘What is it about tennis?’

Art lit his second cigarette, took a drag and smirked.

‘I’ll let you answer that.’

Much to his elation, your dress had begun to ride up but you hadn’t noticed. You simply dug your toes in the sand and smiled coyly at the blonde. But how to best handle this?

‘Watching you play tennis isn’t like watching other people play tennis.’

Art grinned, only for a moment, but you caught the ego boost in real time. He moved backwards in his chair, outstretching his long legs and looking up at you with keen interest and quiet amusement. ‘Go on.’

Your mind flashed back to his most recent match. His opponent had purposefully coughed every time it was Art’s turn to serve and instead of letting it distract him or doing it back Art had fired the ball, with force, by his head. It had been a warning, not a greatly subtle one but certainly great to watch. The shock on the boys face as he narrowly missed receiving a black eye had made you laugh and you suddenly remembered Art had beamed at you when you had.

‘You’re just really good at it.’

‘Try again.’

He wasn’t making this easy for you but that didn’t mean you had to shower him in compliments, not when he hadn’t so much as asked you your name until prompted. You watched him, completely settled and comfortable in Tashi Duncan’s deck hair and wondered if someone this confident and talented (and knew as much) could possibly be single… unless?

‘Are you and Patrick just friends?’

He twitched ever so slightly at your question before covering his shock with a chuckle.

‘Umm.. yes. Sorry to disappoint.’

You smiled, suddenly feeling more confident now that you’d put him on the spot for the first time that night.

‘Not disappointed.’

Seeing you at ease, seemingly with any answer he had to offer, Art relaxed into his chair again. A moment of silence passed as the two of you listened to the very end of the party above and the seas tumbling waves. The water was just beginning to reach the rock you’d been safely perching on. A sign to leave.

‘I think I should go back to my ho-AAA!’

You’d barely taken two steps before buried broken glass assaulted your feet.

‘Jesus fuck!’

‘Y/N!’

The pain shot through you from toe to head, it settled in between your eyebrows as you frowned, trying not to scream. Art’s face was a picture of panic. He couldn’t help but notice how much pain you were in from putting weight on your foot, which had just begun to bleed as a thought entered his head.

‘I’ll carry you.’

‘I think I can walk.’

You took a hesitant step further but your foot ,in an act of betrayal, buckled under the pain. Giving Art a look of defeat you sighed. ‘Yeah, I think you’re gonna have to.’

You thought it would feel strange, the man whom you’d been watching almost obsessively for months play a sport you despised carrying you to safety. It didn’t. It felt right. His strong arms flexed under your weight as he took confident but cautious steps to Tashi’s party. There wasn’t much left of it. In fact the only people still there were two photographers packing up their lighting equipment and they didn’t give you so much as a second glance.

‘Any chance you secretly are friends with Tashi?’ Art asked, his voice hopeful, hoping he could drop you off to safety. He pursed his lips when you shook your head. Another moment of silence passed through the two of you but this one was different. You craned your neck out to gage the distance before suggesting:

‘My hotel really isn’t far. A mile at most.’

Art smirked for a moment, forgetting what the actual circumstances were. Your foot had stopped bleeding but you didn’t feel like walking. In fact you were rather enjoying Art Donaldson: the knight in shining armour. It was a good look on him.

‘Uber?’

‘Think of it as a workout.’

It wasn’t the recreational workout Art had been hoping for that night but he did it. He carried you and your shoes to your hotel room. The receptionist barely reacted to your new person but of course what did she care? She was probably only concerned with what mess you’d leave the cleaners.

‘67, this is it.’

Art put you down, keeping his arm around your waist for support. He was a little flushed from the exertion and you were flushed from the pain, or perhaps just his wandering hand.

‘Do you want me to st-‘

‘I want you to stay.’ You interrupted him hurriedly, desperate for him to stay. In that moment you didn’t mind if he stayed to read the complimentary bible next to you or if he wanted to fuck you mercilessly in front of the bathroom mirror. You just wanted him close.

At your eagerness, Art smiled following you in. Your hotel room was not too messy for visitors but it certainly hadn’t been expecting any. For a moment you wondered how Ashley was getting on in her room down the hall and if she too had embarrassed herself in front of her favourite tennis player. Somewhat likely.

‘I think seeing as you’ve carried me bleeding you can see me in pyjamas. Give me one se-‘

You gestured to the bathroom and your dress, looking forward to getting out of it but Art shook his head. You froze. His face was one of sheer determination and unwavering confidence, not unlike the look he gave cocky opponents who needed humbling. He closed the gap between you until his chest was inches from yours but blocked by your camera. You took it off, not breaking eye contact, and placed it slowly on the desk behind you.

Just as you thought the only way to break the silence would be with a kiss, Art broke eye contact. ‘Do you have any antiseptic wipes? Anything to clean it?’ You felt your stomach unclench. ‘Yeah.’ Limping slightly, you fetched a packet from the bathroom sink and placed them in Art’s open palm. He gestured to the bed.

‘Sit.’

His order was polite but you felt compelled. Sitting on your own bed as if it was alien, you looked up at him waiting for the next.

‘Foot.’

Art got down on his knees. Your stomach flipped. With careful hands, he held your injured foot and inspected it. You’d never felt so exposed before, the way his eyes engaged with your wound as if it were more fascinating than any match he’d won. There was an unspoken rule for neither of you to speak as he cleaned you. It stung like a bitch but you only let out minor hisses in pain, barely audible to Art but not unnoticeable.

As he took out a plaster, seemingly from thin air, and applied it to your foot he said: ‘Before tonight,’ Ouch. You winced from the pressure he applied. ‘I’d seen you watching me.’ He didn’t look at you, only concentrating on his handiwork and causing you as little pain as possible.

‘Yeah I gathered from all the teasing.’

His voice grew suddenly lower. ‘I’m not talking about tennis matches.’

You were suddenly reminded of a not so distant memory. Ashley had stood you up for lunch, she’d found a better hot date, and you had been in the cafeteria alone. Art had been queuing in front of you, waiting for Patrick and you’d been in awe. What you hadn’t noticed was that he’d sensed your eyes burning holes into the back of his head long before he turned around. He had given you a passing look of recognition and slight amusement before finding his seat next to Patrick.

You imagined alongside that memory were hundreds others. Hundreds of days you’d stared at Art, watched how he span his apples before eating them and the line of his jaw when he drank water in oppressive heat. All the time he had known, you just hadn’t been as subtle as you thought.

‘Oh.’

Art gave you your foot back and sat on the bed beside you. For a moment you couldn’t bare to look at him, incase he disappeared and decided it was funnier to leave you hanging. Your foot was the least of your worries. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d really kissed someone, with feverish need, but you wanted to.

Noticing your inward battle, Art raised his hands almost in defeat. ‘I can leave.’ He meant it, there was no judgement. You turned to him, your eyes meeting his clouded with lust, and recognised that this was a man who needed to be wanted. He wanted to give and receive pleasure, not out of boredom but out of a clawing need for it. If you wanted him to leave then he’d leave but if you wanted him to stay then he’d make the most of it.

Your hand settled atop of his.

‘Don’t.’

Part 2

#challengers #challengers fic #mike faist #art donaldson #art Donaldson x reader #art donaldson fan fic #art donaldson fanfic #challengers x reader #challengers art Donaldson #challengers 2024 #x reader

[my-castles-crumbling]

📝🦊Cas🏳‍🌈🎵 (New Pinned Post)

they/them/she/he - queer - married

This is a safe space- I'm always here to help <3

Age: Over 21

Fandoms: Marauders with a side of drarry.

Ships: Jegulus, Jegulily, wolfstar, rosekiller, pandalily, dorlene, drarry.

Music: Taylor Swift, Conan Gray, Olivia Rodrigo, Lana Del Ray. Hozier

AO3: my_castlescrumbling

Writing: Requests open!

Link to list of crisis hotlines for many different countries

Link to Marauders Knowledge Quiz

Link to list of requests (requests are open)

Please do not post any of my work on fanfiction.net/wattpad. I welcome collaboration and translation with permission. I do not support the use of AI in fanfiction/fanart.

Below the cut:

My ao3 Fics

My Microfics

Fic Recs

Request/reading boundaries

Advice/ask boundaries

LGBTQIA+ resources

Writing tips

Song covers

My ao3 Fics:

Note- I am writing all fic ratings. If you are a minor, please take heed.

Clandestine - Rated M - jegulus, background wolfstar - in progress but currently 70k words - AU-everyone lives/nobody dies/no Voldemort - mostly Regulus's POV as he attends Hogwarts - Trans reggie

Focus On Me - rated E - jegulus, background wolfstar - in progress but currently 13k words - photographer!James, model!regulus AU - trans Reggie

Long Story Short - Rated M - dorlene, wolfstar, jegulus, background rosekiller and pandalily - completed - 152k - AU-everyone lives/nobody dies/no Voldemort - A longfic with a long explanation? Basically how hurt/comfort leads to the three main pairings.

Three Hundred Takeout Coffees Later - Rated M - wolfstar - completed - 4.5k - AU-coffee shop/muggle - fluff, love, healing

The Plan - Rated G - wolfstar - completed - 1k - AU-everyone lives/nobody dies/no Voldemort - Wolfstar proposal

Of Firewhiskey and Stupid Speeches - Rated T - drarry - completed - 1.5k - Eighth Year - Hurt/comfort - Pre-Slash

Bad Press - Rated T - drarry - completed - 1k - Eighth year - mostly fluff

Stuck - Rated T - drarry - completed - 2k - Eighth year - hurt/comfort

You Asked For It - Rated G - completed - 1.5k - Marauders friendship mostly - Pre-Wolfstar - Sirius and James and nerf guns

The Deeply Threatening Physical Attributes of Werewolves - Rated T - Marauders friendship with some wolfstar - completed - 1k - James, Peter, and Sirius making Remus laugh

Slow Hands - Rated E - wolfstar - completed - 5k - Sirius realizing he loves Remus, smut ensues.

Whoops. - Rated T - jegulus - completed - 2k - AU-University/Muggle - Regulus is a TA for Professor Monty Potter. What happens when he goes to the Potter Christmas Party?

Mistletoe - Rated G - Jegulus - completed - 1k - James has a plan to finally kiss Regulus.

Warmth - Rated G - Jegulus - completed - 1k - Holiday fluff

Noises - Rated E - Jegulus - completed - 2k - it's just smut, guys

That's Different, Then - rated G - Jegulus and Wolfstar - completed - 2k - Sirius thinks James likes Remus. James does not, in fact, like Remus.

Of Toy Stores and Gag Gifts - rated E - wolfstar - completed - 6.6k - Remus works at a toy store and shows Sirius around

Imagine Being Loved By Me - Rated E - Jegulus - completed - 9.1k - Ice skaing AU!

Terrible at Friends With Benefits - Rated M - Jegulus - completed - 2.4k - Jegulus thinks they're FWB but obviously they catch feelings

Sure, but only if you watch - Rated E - Jegulus - completed - 1k - a challenge is given

Like in Your Stories - Rated E - Jegulus - completed - 1.6k - James catches Regulus reading smut

Show Me - rated E - Jegulus - completed - 1k - Regulus is usually quiet

Of boredom and overheard phone calls - rated E - Jegulus - completed - 1.5k - James overhears Regulus working

Idiots - rated M - wolfstar - 2.5k - completed - a wolfstar 5+1 fic

Dibs - rated E - starchaserkiller - .5k - completed - it's smut, guys

Prank Wars- rated T - wolfstar - .5k - completed - get-together

My Microfics:

Jegulus Microfic Archive

Wolfstar Microfic Archive

Rosekiller Microfic Archive

Explicit Microfic Archive

Fic Recommendations:

☆ = has at least some smut , 💔 = MCD, major triggers, or some sort of warning

I'm not putting anything that's pure smut...too many minors follow me. If you want pure smut recs and are over 18, message me.

💔All The Young Dudes - Rated M - wolfstar and jily - 526k - Canon compliant - Necessary read as a part of the fandom, a masterpiece

💔☆ Show Me Everything I Missed - no rating, but I'd give it E - wolfstar - completed - 153k- AU - Remus and Sirius working through trauma - So many trigger warnings, but I really liked it

☆ Sweater Weather - Rated E - wolfstar - 156k - AU - Okay I think hockey is stupid but when these boys play it <3

just lovers (like we were supposed to be) - Rated M - jegulus, background wolfstar, dorlene, and marylily - 321k - AU- no voldemort - fake dating trope - literally perfection

lessen my load - Rated T - wolfstar, dorlene, jily - 73k - AU- Muggle - one of my comfort fics

☆The PB to my J - rated E - wolfstar, background jily - 63k - AU-textfic - we love a good text fic

Across the Hall - rated T - wolfstar, background jily - 41k - AU-textfic - This made me kick and scream and giggle

quite like us - Rated T - jegulus, background wolfstar - 67k - AU-textfic - I just...it's wonderful, perfect, lovely

Best Friend's Brother - Rated M - jegulus and wolfstar - 330k - AU-muggle - such twists and turns I love them

☆ The Barista, the Burglar, and the Sofa - Rated E - wolfstar, background jily- 21k - AU-Muggle/Coffee shop - I just love the concept of this one

my almost lover - Rated T - jegulus - 28k - AU-no voldemort - miscommunication trope

Blue Sheets - Rated T - drarry - 4k - fluff/drunk Harry is an idiot

☆Falling for a Golden Boy - Rated E - drarry - 45k - eighth year- guys it's the weirdest concept but Harry and Draco as characters from Hercules works, okay?

Potter - Rated T - drarry - 9k - Eighth year - Draco's friends make fun of him and it gets adorably out of hand

touch starved - Rated M - jegulus - 4k - soft boys

Inevitable - Rated T - drarry - 11k - Draco and Harry make a "if we're not married by the rime we're 40" pact

💔Like Real People Do - rated T - wolfstar - 37k - AU-coffee shop/muggle - Sirius raises Harry and meets Remus in a coffee shop

☆💔Let's Play Pretend - rated E - wolfstar - 70k - AU-muggle - Sirius raises Harry, Remus raises Teddy, fake dating

Remus Lupin is the Number One James Potter Cosplayer - Rated T - wolfstar - 8k - AU-Muggle - miscommunication trope

playing it cool - Rated T - drarry - 4k - Harry thinks he's much smoother than he is

Yours - rated T - drarry - 4k - Harry had a bad day and makes a big decision.

So Kiss Me - Rated T - Jegulus - 4k - mutual pining!

Funnel cakes and peanut butter fudge - Rated T - wolfstar - 5.6k - AU, meet cute

If You Stayed - Rated G - Jegulus - 5k - AU, kidfic, getting together

I still don't like you, you know - rated T - drarry - 3k - Draco is in denial?

Six Firewhiskeys and Potter's Green Jumper - rated G - drarry - 2.6k - Draco is drunk and wants to cuddle.

Forget-me-not - rated T - jegulus - 13k - James forgets that he's not with Regulus.

Every Christmas from Now On - rated M - wolfstar - 86k - Wolfstar fake dating trope.

Slumbering Love - rated T - jegulus - 5k - James needs a kiss from his soulmate.

☆💔 Scenes of Surrender - Usually I don't put E-rated recs here but this one was exquisite. Rated E, Minors DNI - Drarry - 16k - Drarry coping after the War. Please read the tags on this one! It's a lot, but it was so good.

5 times James Potter was completely oblivious and 1 time he almost wasn't - rated M - wolfstar - 5k

Scar-Crossed Lovers - rated M - wolfstar - 11k - soulmarks fic

Our skin is on fire, and its not gonna stop burning- rated T - jegulus - 13k - sickfic

a goddamn miracle - rated t - jegulus - .5k - microfic

My Dad's Going to Kill Me - rated T - rosekiller - 1k

Request/Reading Boundaries:

A lot of people have asked to send me things to read or requests for writing. I LOVE when people send me these things, but just a few boundaries:

No MCD

No incest

No large age gaps

No noncon, in any sense

No EDs, SH, or SI

Advice/Ask Boundaries:

Advice about sex (how-to, positions, etc)

Personal topics like my own intimate life, my own personal information (IRL name, names of family members, etc)

Topics that I am not educated on, or do not have a right to give my opinion on. While I am happy to talk and give advice about LGBTQIA+ issues, I am uncomfortable sharing my opinion on issues that I am still working to learn about, because I don't want to spread false information or be unintentionally hurtful. Also, since I hold a lot of privilege, there are certain topics that I would rather amplify the voices of others about, rather than taking up my own space.

LGBTQIA+ Resources:

Here are the websites I often link to when giving people advice. I'll add to these as I find more!

Need help? The Trevor Project has Crisis Counselors

The genderbread person- (sexual attraction versus gender versus romantic attraction)

List of nonbinary identities and definitions

List of ace identities and definitions

A highly-reviewed chest binder that ships to like a hundred countries

Pronouns explained

LGBTQIA+ travel safety guide- world

LBGTQIA+ rights/safety by state in US

United States LGBTQIA+ student rights

The Trevor Project- Sexual Orientation Information

The Trevor Project- Gender Identity Information

Pronoun closet (try different pronouns)

Writing Tips:

Write a lot.

Don't worry about mistakes or editing. Just write a lot to get your ideas out. Practice makes better, and writing a lot will help you gain confidence. You don't have to post it anywhere of you don't want to!

2. Try microfics!

Microfics are a great way to practice writing certain ships, or just practice in general. They're also lovely for getting a feel of posting! They're low-pressure and low-commitment, which is lovely!

3. Find people to write with.

Whether it's people online or in person, find people to talk about writing and write with. It's very motivating and helps hold you accountable.

4. Be gentle with yourself!

This is supposed to be fun. Don't beat yourself up or be too hard on yourself.

5. Write down your ideas.

Ideas come at weird times. Write them down, because you'll forget them.

Song Covers

Sometimes I sing...

People Watching - Conan Gray

Gravity - Sara Bareilles

Blank Space- Taylor Swift

Idontwannabeyouanymore- Billie Eilish

Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift

So Long, London - Taylor Swift

#marauders #harry potter #marauders era #fanfic #marauders fandom #harry potter marauders #the marauders #marauders fanfiction #sirius black kinnie #wolfstar #lgbtq+ #lgbtq #lgbtqia #lgbtq community #introduction post #intro post #blog intro #introductory post #introduction #pinned intro #pinned post #james fleamont potter #james potter #james x regulus #regulus arcturus black #regulus black #james loves regulus #regulus deserved better #harry x draco #draco malfoy

[daggerspared]

jakes about an hour late to the latest iceman-maverick (icemav for short, as phoenix has coined) barbecue, so he’s just passing through the kitchen, not even thinking as he tosses out an easy “hey pops,” to the hosts on his way towards the doors to the backyard.

two voices call back in response. “hey kid.” “good to see you jake.”

he feels the pause. his hand hovers uncertainly over the door handle. slowly, he turns.

iceman and maverick, happily married couple, have suspended all kitchenly duties to glare at each other. “he was talking to me.”

“no, he was talking to me.”

“everyone calls me pops,” ice says, eyes narrowed. “bradley calls me pops. mickey calls me pops. even cyclone called me pops that one time that was embarrassing for all of us.”

maverick waves a hand at ice, the hand also wielding a knife he was using to chop watermelon. “yeah, but jake calls me pops. he called me pops before he knew you. that gives me pops rights.”

jakes debating just slipping out the door when they both turn towards him. in unison like good wingmen.

“jake, buddy, sport, slugger, who were you talking to?”

he offers a shrug. “uh, both of you, i guess.” it’s the truth, he wasn’t thinking too hard about it, his mind focused on getting to the backyard where he has it on good authority that his loving boyfriend is sweaty and shirtless and waiting for someone to share his lawn chair with.

ice purses his lips. “that won’t do.”

“we can’t both be pops,” maverick agrees. “that’s ridiculous.”

“right,” jake says, “that’s what’s ridiculous about this.”

“a challenge then,” ice forges on, ignoring him. “to determine who’s the better pops.”

solemn as their air boss, maverick sticks his hand out (sans knife) to shake on it. in some funhouse mirror reflection of that one photograph that seems to be everywhere, ice clasps his hand back.

and jake is somewhere between laughing, running, and bursting into tears. because no sane person has ever had this argument before and certainly not over him. nobody’s ever fought to be jake seresin’s pops before.

no one except these two ridiculous, crazy old men.

#top gun maverick #jake hangman seresin #tom iceman kazansky #pete maverick mitchell #icemav #hangster mentioned #again its the mavdad and icepops of it all im sorry #will i ever stop writing about jake seresins daddy issues probably not #they Would get competitive about something like this they would get competitive about anything given the chance #theyve never had this problem jake is the only one whos turned away the pun of icepops to call maverick pops #and maverick is clutching on to that with both of his gremlin hands #blu posts

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.05.01] GQ Japan x Yuzuru Hanyu - JUNE ISSUE

Yuzuru Hanyu’s Challenge

After winning two consecutive Olympic gold medals, Yuzuru Hanyu, who turned professional in 2022, is taking on a new form of expression: an ice show that the produced entirely on his own. The extraordinary figure skater danced in front of the cameras, dressed in items designed by Gucci’s new creative director, Sabato de Sarno.

Photographs by Taro Mizutani Styled by Tetsuro Nagase Hair styled by TAKU VOW-VOW FOR CUTTERS Makeup by COCO SEKIKAWA OFFICE Words by Kosuke Kawakami

The unique path that Yuzuru Hanyu walks After entering the studio and exchanging a few words with photographer Taro Mizutani, Yuzuru Hanyu operated his smartphone as if convinced of something. A gentle piano piece played from the speakers. It was ‘aqua’, a piece composed for his daughter by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who passed away last year. Moving his body flexibly, as if surrendering to the music, the studio had transformed into a beautiful, dignified and tense space that no one could step into.

“When I saw the lighting directly above me, I thought it looked like the sun, like light from heaven. Mr. Mizutani also said, ‘I want you to look up. I want you to look up and think about something’. I thought it feels like a prayer, so I chose ‘aqua’ because it fits the image".

As a figure skater, he was won all sorts of accolades, including two consecutive Olympic titles, two World Championships, and four consecutive Grand Prix Final titles. He has also received the People’s Honor Award. In 2022, he became a professional skater in order to ‘pursue the ideal of Yuzuru Hanyu’. Since then, he has held numerous self-produced ice shows and solo performances at Tokyo Dome, Saitama Super Arena, and other venues.

“Even though I turned professional, I don’t think my fundamentals have changed. The world I’ve always wanted to express, the artistic nature of figure skating and the athletic aspect of it has not changed. During competitions, there are always rules and there are times when I had to perform in a certain way. But in the world of shows, I have to satisfy the audience in 360-degree, I have to use my brain to create the videos that will be played at the venue and I have to think about the words that I want to convey. I am expanding and deepening my thoughts to areas that I have not considered before.”

Just as a musician plays music and an artist uses a paintbrush, Hanyu uses his body to express himself.

“What’s fun about it is that when everyone watches it, I get to see a lot of different opinions, people think about it in different ways and each person interprets it in their own way. What I'm doing, I believe that what I am creating is a ‘path’. The values, background, past, future, and so on become the path, and along the way, one may notice something or feel something. I want the audience to see it and share it. I’m really happy when people say that they enjoyed the journey and are glad that they walked the path. That makes me happy and that’s why I feel like I can continue on this path”.

When asked if he thinks it’s more fun now that he can express and create freely than in the competitive days when he was bound by rules and forced to compete, Hanyu thought for a while and then denied it.

“I don’t think it’s good enough just to feel fun. Ever since my competitive days, I’ve always believed that competitions aren’t about having fun, and I’ve never wavered from that philosophy of mine. There are some people who say you can only perform well if you enjoy it, and I understand why people think that’s the right answer. But for me, if I have fun, I feel like I’m not being serious enough. There is a certain kind of performance that comes out because of the tension, and that is what allows me to train hard every day. Even in the creative field, when it comes to creating something, it is not good just to have fun. Of course, it’s possible because there’s also fun in it, and I’m able to create because someone sees it and enjoys it, which brings me joy and happiness. But if I continue to only feel fun, I may end up with just empty words and a false worldview with no depth.

Hanyu says that he feels he lacks ‘vocabulary’ as an artist.

“Vocabulary is also necessary for physical expression. If I want to show a scene just by moving my hands a little, I need to know the techniques to do so. I have to learn how to move my hands in such a way that it looks beautiful, and engrave it in my body. Let my nerves learn it, let my brain study it, and eventually I will be able to do it. It’s not like I can dance like a professional dancer or ballerina, but I’ve been figure skating for more than 20 years. Because of this, I have the potential to create new expressions by learning their techniques. I believe that if I study hard and able to do it on the ice, I will become a unique presence”.

There is no goal, no rivals to compete with. Yet, without hesitation, he continues on his own path.

“Being on the ice is like my ‘native language’ (laughs), so if I move away from it, I am no longer Yuzuru Hanyu. The knowledge, experience and soul I’ve cultivated since I was four years old are there, a place where I can express myself from the bottom of my heart. Of course, I’ll probably start to decline as I age, but if I continue to use the language of figure skating for another 30 years, there may be a form of expression that can only be created at that particular time and age. I believe there is such a possibility, and I think I must continue to strive for that possibility”.

Yuzuru Hanyu, as the one and only Yuzuru Hanyu, continues to move forward focusing on expression on the ice.

GQ Japan - June 2024 issue, released on 2024.05.01

More: 1 https://twitter.com/GQJAPAN/status/1782938296944857402 2 https://twitter.com/GQJAPAN/status/1785448080340337135 3 https://twitter.com/GQJAPAN/status/1783692480782704746

Full article published online on 8th May 2024: https://www.gqjapan.jp/article/20240508-yuzuru-hanyu-cover-story

#hanyu yuzuru #yuzuru hanyu #羽生結弦 #figure skating #gucci #gq japan #interview #machine #translation

[jackhues]

im sorry i love delilah

imagine matthew putting her in little panthers gear for some event, and for some reason she wants to wear bobs jersey not matts and matthews like, sorry pickle you dont have a bob jersey and she goes on the ice all pouty, but then when she comes back theres a little bob jersey in mattys locker

do not apologize, i love lilah too! [takes place before the 23/24 season]

"c'mon, my del," matthew ushered her along, down the halls of amerant bank arena, and towards the locker room. "we gotta get you in your jersey if you want to be in the video."

"coming daddy," lilah gripped her stuffed panther 'kitty' in one hand, and held matthew's hand with her free one.

people rushed in and out of rooms, up and down the hallways, trying to get everything sorted for media day. delilah wanted to be in one of the challenge videos, but she was supposed to wear some sort of panthers gear if she wanted to be in it. although no one was going to enforce that rule with her, delilah wanted to wear her jersey and matthew was perfectly fine with it too.

"here, arms up please, let's get your jersey on," matthew held out the smaller 'tkachuk' jersey that hung in his stall, coming along with the other jerseys.

"can i have a bobby jersey?" she asked. "bobby played really good last time, and he gave me a chocolate today, did you know that? he's a goalie too, goalies are really cool. i think i want to wear a bobby jersey."

"aw, sorry pickle, but you don't have a bobby jersey," he reminded her. "you can wear the tkachuk jersey right now, and the bobby one when we can find one."

"aw, i wanted to wear it now," she pouted.

"matthew!" someone poked their head in the door. "matthew tkachuk, it's your turn for solo shots!"

"yeah, one second," he said to the assistant. he turned back to delilah, who'd taken a seat in his stall, and was kicking her feet dejectedly. "tell you what my del, why don't you go and help them take pictures and videos? maybe you'll convince one of the guys to give you their prize."

delilah continued to pout, but allowed matthew to lead her to where the other panthers were doing challenges and playing games as they waited their turn.

"i'll be back soon, pickle," matthew promised, kissing the top of her head.

he made his way to where his solo shots were going to take place, unable to get delilah's little pouty face out of his mind. the last thing he ever wanted to do was make her sad.

"and you're done," the photographer smiled, letting matthew leave.

his first thought was to stop by the waiting room where delilah would be, but then he remembered how sad she was... and so he took a little detour. not far, simply to the panthers' shop in the arena. luckily they had what he was looking for, and in the right size.

he stashed it in his locker, before stopping by the waiting room, where challenges and games were taking place. delilah was sitting on the floor, multiple drawings, and even more chocolates around her. apparently, she was giving out her drawings to her favourite players (all of them, but especially bob), and they all gave her chocolates and candies in return.

"hey del," matthew knelt next to her, a little surprised to see that she was still upset. usually, she got over things quickly.

"hi daddy," she responded, continuing her drawing.

"why don't you come with me to the locker room, huh? i got a surprise for you," he held out his hand.

delilah looked at him, but they both knew she'd never say no to matthew's outstretched hand.

"okay," she took his hand, allowing him to lead her to the locker room.

on the way there, matthew realized he never did anything special for her. there were no chocolates or candies or drawings in his locker waiting for her. just one simple thing, something he didn't even have to pay for.

but then delilah squeezed his hand as she followed him, and all of his nervousness flew away. this was his del, his little pickle: she'd be happy with a can of worms. this was better than that, at least.

as soon as her eyes landed on matthew's stall, she gasped. she couldn't read perfectly yet, but she'd seen that name on bob's jersey tens of times.

"is that a bobby jersey? for me?" she looked up at her dad.

"for you," matthew agreed. "you wanted one, so i got you one."

delilah tilted her head at him, unfamiliar with the idea of getting anything she ever wanted. even though matthew tried to spoil her, there wasn't much she wanted. and before matthew, there was no one giving her what she wanted. so it was still a little new to her.

but then she smiled, her toothy little grin that made matthew's heart melt every time, and she gave him the biggest hug she could. "thank you, daddy! you're the best!"

"even better than bobby?" he joked.

"hmmm, i don't know, but you're better than uncle brady," she decided.

matthew laughed, "alright, i'll take it. now, arms up, let's get your bobby jersey on."

#naqia's au's! #naqia writes! #delilah's world! au #matthew tkachuk #matthew tkachuk imagine #dad!matthew tkachuk

[jesslovesboats]

So You Want To Learn About Ada Blackjack

Interested in learning more about polar survivor and finalist in the Polar Explorer Showdown Ada Blackjack? You've come to the right place! I am not a professional academic, but I am a librarian and research professional who has been hyperfixating on the Wrangel Island expedition (and its spiritual predecessor, the Canadian Arctic Expedition or CAE) for a hot minute. My current research is more focused on the boys, but Ada is amazing and more people should know about her!

Here's some background info that will be helpful:

The Wrangel Island expedition was organized by Icelandic-Canadian explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson. Stefansson was a skilled survivalist and solo explorer, but also a terrible organizer, an attention seeker, and Not A Particularly Good Guy. In 1913, the Karluk, one of the ships associated with the CAE, was frozen in. Stefansson, a seasoned polar explorer, could have stayed and helped his inexperienced crew cope with the challenges of their situation. Instead, he abandoned them to go on a "hunting trip" with a small group that included his personal secretary and the expedition photographer. The Karluk crew made it to a desolate island between Alaska and Siberia named Wrangel Island, where the survivors lived for many months until their eventual rescue. You can read more about this story in The Ice Master by Jennifer Niven and Empire of Ice and Stone by Buddy Levy!

After abandoning the crew of the Karluk, Stefansson stayed in the Arctic until 1918. As soon as he returned to Canada, he immediately started plotting and scheming to get back in the spotlight. Somewhere along the way, he had the brilliant idea that Canada should claim Wrangel Island, the place where the Karluk survivors were marooned (and a known Russian territory). The Canadian government was not at all interested, and neither was the British government, but he didn't let that stop him!

He gathered a crew of 3 eager young Americans- Fred Maurer (28, a survivor of the Karluk disaster), E. Lorne Knight (28, a veteran of the CAE), and Milton Galle (19, had briefly served as Stefansson's secretary while he was on the lecture circuit, no polar experience), and told them that he wanted to claim Wrangel Island for Canada and set up a colony there. However, since all three were Americans, Stefansson needed to find a Canadian citizen willing to lead the expedition. Enter Allan Crawford (20, university student, no polar experience). These four men would claim Wrangel Island for Canada, a thing the Canadian government did not ask them to do, and set up a colony there, planning to stay for at least a year.

Stefansson promised the men that he would hire Indigenous hunters, cooks, and seamstresses to travel with them. However, only Ada Blackjack agreed to go. Ada was a petite 23 year old Iñupiat woman, a survivor of an abusive marriage, and a single mother with a sick son. She was uncomfortable being the only woman and the only Indigenous person in the group, but she needed the money to pay her son's medical expenses. She joined these 4 men (and a cat named Vic) and traveled to Wrangel Island in 1921.

And… you'll have to pick up a book to find out what happens next!

I highly, HIGHLY recommend the book Ada Blackjack by Jennifer Niven. It's meticulously researched and absolutely stunning! Please read it, fall in love with (some of) these people, and join me in Wrangel Island hell.

If you don't have time to read a book but still want the whole story, this Atlas Obscura article is excellent.

Want to read Ada's diary? It's digitized and available through Dartmouth Special Collections, along with a bunch of incredible photos!

Stefansson also wrote a book called The Adventure of Wrangel Island, and every time I think about it, it makes me want to throw up. He's an unreliable narrator, but there are some good pictures.

I hope you've enjoyed learning about Ada! PLEASE read the Niven book, I promise you won't regret it. If you have any questions I will do my best to answer them!

#polar exploration #ada blackjack #wrangel island #for you Marv... the devil works hard but I work harder!

[skz-streamer]

The First Date - Jeongin

Simptober First Dates M-List

Pairing: Jeongin (skz) x fem!reader

Genre: Fluff ;))))

Notes: personally I LOVE ESCAPE ROOMS so like imagine going to one as a first dateee-OH MY GOODDD🫠🤭

-please read responsibly, and remember that this work is fiction and meant strictly for imaginative fun. the idols used in fics are more accurately faceclaims and personality outlines for imaginary characters, and should not be interpreted as factual representations of existing people

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

As you entered the detective's office-themed escape room, the challenge ahead was daunting. The room was dimly lit, with an air of mystery hanging about. You both glanced at the various objects and documents scattered across the room, each potentially holding a clue.

Jeongin, ever the optimist, began to explore a vintage filing cabinet. "Hey, look at this!" he exclaimed, pulling out a dusty file. "I wonder if there's something important in here."

You couldn't resist playing along. "Maybe it's a secret agent's top-secret mission report," you mused, your eyes wide with curiosity. "Or perhaps just an old pizza delivery receipt."

He laughed, and you both started sorting through the papers, looking for any hidden hints or codes. However, a few moments later, you found yourselves engrossed in a small argument about which document was the most significant clue.

Jeongin insisted that a weathered photograph must hold the key, while you were certain it was the torn piece of paper with a cryptic message. Your disagreement sparked a playful argument, each of you trying to convince the other of your choice.

"Okay, fine," Jeongin finally conceded with a grin, "Let's try your idea first."

With the challenge of the room slowly unraveling, you continued to explore the intricacies of the detective's office. You deciphered hidden messages, pieced together puzzles, and unlocked hidden compartments. Along the way, the playful banter persisted, occasionally turning into laughter as you worked together to solve the various riddles.

As the final minutes of the escape room ticked away, you found the last piece of the puzzle, unlocking the door to freedom. The sense of accomplishment was palpable, and you both couldn't help but share a triumphant high-five.

you didn't want the date to end just yet. So, with a hopeful smile, you turned to Jeongin and asked, "Do you think we should continue our date? How about some ice cream?"

He grinned, clearly enjoying your company. "Ice cream sounds perfect!" he replied.

With that, you set off on the next part of your date, hand in hand, looking forward to enjoying sweet treats and extending the memorable day you had shared, as you walked to the nearby ice cream parlor.

Tag: @anny-bah@eee5533@mixtape-racha@weedforthoughtz@ren0325@felixvsp@hwangrimi @sanriiolino @painstakingly-juno@herarcadewasteland@dabiscrustyfeet@kai-jilee@sungiesoonie@slvtty4channiee@revelaffee @buckys-pillow, @staygirl86 @chlodavids@jinnie-ret@bbygrlhannie@rebecca-johnson-28@turtledove824@interstellarairwaves@yearofthetiger25@minhos4thkitty@fiqire@backintomykpopphaseagain@liknws@tinyelfperson@aaasia111@yangbbokari@hafsah-ali@sleepyleeji@skzhoes@yamaguchiwestad@leonswifesstuff@nappynapnaps

#skz i.n #i.n fluff #i.n fanfic #stray kids i.n #i.n skz #i.n x reader #i.n stray kids #i.n #i.n x you #i.n x y/n #jeongin x y/n #jeongin x you #skz jeongin #jeongin skz #jeongin fanfic #jeongin fic #jeongin x reader #jeongin fluff #stray kids jeongin #jeongin #skz fluff #skz fanfic #stray kids fluff

[princessphilly]

Soooo

My 40th Birthday is coming soon!!!!

So I decided I wanted to celebrate in a big way! Thus, a lyric blurb challenge.

So there are two ways to do this:

1. Pick out a song lyric and fandom and ask me to write or

2. Pick out a song lyric and fandom and write it yourself and post it!

Eep: edited to add, Please send me an ask with the lyric, fandom, and if you want me to write it or if you’re going to write it.

Please post anything related to this with #princesspbdaychallenge because I will be following that tag

Open fandoms: TGM, hockey (Sidney Crosby, Nate Mac, Jamie Oleksiak, Brandon Tanev, ask me about others), Marvel, CE characters, Seb Stan characters, Henry Cavill characters.

Tagging: @spine-buster @chara-hugs @starshine-hockey-girl @buckets-and-trees @biteofcherry @vonalyn @angryschnauzer @persephonepraxidikechthonios @hangmanapologist @hangmanssunnies @withahappyrefrain @yanna-banana @callsignspark @kreiderrider @gretagerwigsmuse @fineanddandy @syntheticavenger @sunshinexsin @navybrat817 @ginghampearlsnsweettea @himbos-on-ice @hiimana @whoeverineedtobe @hockeynshit @2-fast-2-curious @jobean12-blog @thebookofmags @fenixstar

Click to see lyric prompts:

Love

There is an indentation in the shape of you

Made your mark on me, a golden tattoo

Taylor Swift - Dress

Baby, won't you be my sweetheart

We could share a storybook romance

Mariah Carey - Sweetheart

How do you do it?

Make me feel like I do

How do you do it?

It's better than I ever knew

Incubus - Stellar

Forever my lady

I say just what i mean

Forever and ever

I pray is what i see

Jodeci - Forever My Lady

Walks by me every day

Her and love are the same

The woman that's stolen my heart

And beauty is her name

Dru Hill - Beauty 

When I trust you we'll make love until the morning

Let me tell you all my secrets and I'll whisper 'til the day's done

Fka Twigs - Lights On

Cupid doesn't lie

But you won't know unless you give it a try

Oh baby, true love

won't lie but we won't know unless we give it a try

give it a try

112 - Cupid

At night, I think of you

I want, to be your lady, maybe

Ghost Town DJ’s - My Boo

I don't ask for too many things

Only one thing I really need

That is you baby next to me

Mary J Blige - Give Me You

I wanna be the one who you believe

In your heart is sent from (sent from heaven)

Keyshia Cole - Heaven Sent

Angst

Tell me how does it feel

When your heart grows cold? 

New Order - Blue Monday

Talk to the wind, talk to the sky

Talk to the man with the reasons why

And let me know what you find

Taylor Swift - Come In With The Rain

You can never win or lose

If you don't run the race

The Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way

I didn't know nothing, I was stupid, I was foolish

I was lying to myself

Mariah Carey - We Belong Together

There's something kinda sad about

The way that things have come to be.

Desensitized to everything.

What became of subtlety?

Tool - Stinkfist

(Do I wanna know?)

If this feeling flows both ways?

(Sad to see you go)

Was sort of hoping that you'd stay

Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?

Collect the bad habits that you couldn't bear to keep

Fall Out Boy - I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)

The sun goes down

I feel the light betray me

Linkin Park - Papercut

See the stone set in your eyes

See the thorn twist in your side

I'll wait for you

U2 - With Or Without You

I come home early expecting your warm embrace

But something is wrong 'cuz its written all over your face

Dru Hill - In My Bed

Platonic

Like a shoebox of photographs

With sepia-toned loving

Jack Johnson -  Better Together

Yea, I've been workin' all week

And I'm tired and I don't wanna sleep

I wanna have fun

It's time for a good time

Alan Jackson - Good Time

Come on, baby, let's get away

Let's save our troubles for another day

Come go with me we've got it made

Let me take you on an escapade

Janet Jackson - Escapade

The grabbing hands grab all they can

All for themselves, after all

(It's a competitive world)

(Everything counts in large amounts)

Depeche Mode - Everything Counts

Wear the grudge like a crown. Desperate to control.

Unable to forgive. And sinking deeper.

Tool - The Grudge

And on I read until the day was gone

And I sat in regret of all the things I've done

For all that I've blessed, and all that I've wronged

In dreams until my death I will wander on

Audioslave - Like A Stone

It's so unreal, didn't look out below

Watch the time go right out the window

Linkin Park - In The End

And so we're told this is the golden age

And gold is the reason for the wars we wage

U2 - New Year’s Day

And the crashes are heaven for a sinner like me

But the arms of the ocean delivered me

Florence and the Machine - Never Let Me Go

And all I dreamed of, it can't get started

Time goes really slow and I need to let it out

Kelela - Bankhead

Smutty

We go deep and we don't get no sleep

'Cause we'll be up all night until the early light

Janet Jackson - Go Deep

I'm hanging on your words

Living on your breath

Feeling with your skin

Will I always be here?

Depeche Mode - In Your Room

You'd be calling out my name

Begging me to play my games

Depeche Mode - Corrupt

Fetish is a pleasure you cannot be faked, woho hoho

But when it feels this good then it just comes natural

Baby, arch your back and point your toes

Miguel - Arch & Point

I'm your pimp, I'm your pope, I'm your pastor babe

Confess your sins to me while you masturbate

Miguel - the valley

I got plans to put my hands in places

I never seen, girl, you know what I mean

Usher - Nice & Slow

Turned on by everything you say

I'm turned on by everything you do

Jodeci - Freek'n You

No rules to this game

Turn me out

Now I'm helpless

And I beg you

Do it again

Kelela - Do It Again

Grab hold of me

Gentle love but touch passionately

I'll give you my blessing

Take me person and objectively

Ex and internally

Sabrina Claudio

Give it to me like you need it, baby

Want you to hear me screaming, heavy breathing

Summer Walker - Girls Need Love

#song lyrics #song lyric challenge #birthday challenge #birthday celebration #princesspbdaychallenge

[claitea]

gonna talk about grusha more, expanding on my other grusha post

tl;dr on that other post: most ice specialists like candice and gaeric don't dress well for the cold, but grusha does, and that implies grusha feels out of his element in the cold, scared of those snowy conditions that ended his snowboarding career. i kind of think of it as ice trainers getting used to the cold because they train with ice types, but grusha got that huge setback and was starting over with a different skill.

this time i'm thinking about how he doesn't really want you to take his picture, but he used to be famous so he'd have to have been filmed constantly during his pro snowboarding days. why does he suddenly think it's uncool? i vaguely remember a book in the library that made him out to be a bit of a hothead so he probably used to enjoy the attention. i'm gonna have to look for that book again but in any case he should be used to photos and stuff.

everything about his career ending incident shattered his confidence not just in snowboarding but just. Everything. man is the "eighth" paldean gym leader (sort of, yes you can challenge everything in any order but grusha Is the strongest on that path so) but was still so afraid of losing his position despite geeta telling him inspections are just a formality. before i was just thinking he was scared because that job was all he had left, now i'm thinking he was also scared because he wasn't sure he was good enough to hold the position. he failed so miserably at one of his dreams because he let an accident happen, what if he did it again?

i'm thinking the media was hounding him about the incident after it happened while the wound was still fresh, figuratively AND literally. now he just hates being filmed or photographed at all. being constantly reminded of it wore him down and now he's what he is now.

in conclusion: Grusha Get Some Therapy!

#clai speaks #pokemon #pokemon sv spoilers #grusha #kinda makes me want to try a grusha redesign... #younger grusha who looks very illprepared for the cold like the other ice specialists #and an older grusha who's settled into the gym leader position and ditches the oversized coat

[michellemisfit]

A few months ago I casually said that the @gallacrafts Cinnamon Stargazer Lilies must be in my Top 10 Most Ridiculous Bakes I’ve ever done, which led to @tsuga-of-mars asking what else is on that list… oooooh, dangerous request my dude! hahahaha

It’s taken a while because I had to get together the photographs and make decision (wow am I bad at making decisions!!! haha) but here you are…

My Top 10 Most Ridiculous/Favourite Bakes

So when I first started baking in like… 2010? I figured that if I bake cake batter directly in the mixing bowl I could make ball cakes… so that led to some exciting ball shaped fun. This was also at the same time as I realised that if you bring people ridiculously over the top cakes for their birthday, it makes them really happy… who knew?

Ball cakes led on to foot and a half tall cakes consisting of stacked round cakes, ball cakes, and half ball cakes. For that is how you assemble a droid…. This is all very early in my cake making journey, before I’d really learnt about how important it is to fully cool cakes before stacking and decorating them. y’know, that stuff that keeps them from melting and sliding lol

And then for a minute I got really into chocolate, and clearly developed a dislike for crockery, deciding to make chocolate doilies and chocolate bowls, to serve my chocolate mousse in and on. Fuck plates! LOL This was also when I made Ruth the most indulgent chocolate cake covered in all manners of chocolate decorations, including spelling her name in chocolate lol

And then our friends got married and asked me whether I would make their wedding cake, because they loved my baking. Hell, yeah! Both their sets of parents are quite traditional, so while they did come to the wedding and the party afterwards, they said from the start they would only stick around for about an hour. So I thought it would be fun to have a traditional looking three tier wedding cake, for when the parents were at the party. And then when they left and it got cut, each tier turned out to be rainbow coloured! Oh, and the cake toppers are the brides made out of FIMO, in their wedding outfits, which I sourced for them, so I had the inside knowledge on that. Those little FIMO ladies have lived on their mantel piece for 11 years, which is how long they’ve been married <3

Most of my cakes have been inspired by Ruth’s birthday, and wanting to create something new and exciting every year! Ruth loves Afternoon Tea, and I thought it would be fun to create a traditional tea… entirely out of cake! Think this was the first time where the baking started with a full page of notes beforehand. Always a good sign… lol those cucumber sandwiches are cake, by the way. The clotted cream, jam, and sugar bowl, lid, and spoon are made of icing. The jam cookies… are just cookies haha

Then for about a minute and a half I got into mirror glaze. I watched too many YouTube video and thought it looked really cool. However I veeery quickly got over it due to a) it not actually being very difficult at all, so the challenge went out of it pretty quick, and b) how insanely wasteful it is. Not a big fan. What I was a big fan of was that 30th birthday surprise I did for my work colleague. Got into work at 6am to set it all up. Those balloons are sewn to her chair, by the way. And I’m pretty sure she still found confetti in her desk phone and drawers a week later hahaha

And then the farm tradition of Sorry You’re Leaving cakes started, two of which will be on every Top Mys Baking list, always. I learned how to make sugar glass so we could have a greenhouse in the middle of the vegetable beds with a cat on it, a sugar glass pond with ducks, and a sugar glass “stone” path. I free hand made a goat out of icing (with sugar glass horns) and an alpaca, a pig in mud, some bees to go on some flowers, a ton of vegetables, a growing frame… there was a LOT of stuff on this cake, and it was all awesome!

And then a year later another dear friend left the farm and I wasn’t sure how to top the previous cake… But hey! What’s better than one cake? Yes! TWO cakes lol So we have the large animal yard on one cake and the duck pond with its double fenced vegetation boarder on the other cake. This time a lot of work went into finding shop bought candy that would have the right look and texture, such as waver biscuits for animal stables, Daim bars for bark planks (for goat mountain), mikado for pond fences, twirls for wooden sleepers for raised beds, fudge for brick walls and so on, and so forth. I also free hand made cats, ducks, a turkey, goats, and marshmallow sheep FROM HELL!!! Sorry, those didn’t come out right… hahaha

In 2017 I was diagnosed with MS, like four days before my birthday party. And I didn’t really want to celebrate, I didn’t want to spend an entire day having to tell people about my diagnosis and answering questions about MS and listening to platitudes. And then Ruth asked me if there was anything I would like? We were both massively into All the Other Ghosts at the time (a Glee AU and one of the best stories I’ve ever read) and I said that what I wanted as a AtoG party and to not tell anyone about my diagnosis until after. So that’s what happened. And it was amazing! Which then started the annual tradition of over the top themed birthday parties I threw for myself and all my friends. We had a Shadowhunters one. We had a BBC Merlin one. However the Dragon one is still one of my favourites, as it was the first time I managed to make even the sandwiches themed!!! Hahaha Also those brownies are well up there with the best stuff I’ve ever come up with. Look how cute they are!!!! And my darling friend Sonja couldn’t make it to the party, but send me the Toothless cardboard pop up in her absence <3

And then, as I think many of you know, I got really into cookie decorating and sending decorated parcels of cookies to my friends and family during the pandemic. And that has definitely continued. Every birthday now has decorated cookies. I sent a huge bunch to my friend when she got engaged. I sent a box to my niece in Switzerland for her birthday. @f-f-podcast sent cookies out to our patrons for Christmas last year. Below is just a small selection of a truly insane number of cookies I have iced over the years!!

Wow. If you made it all the way to the bottom of this post… congrats! Hope you enjoyed the baking madness. If you’ve not had enough yet you can see more by hitting the ‘Mys in the Kitchen’ tag. Enjoy!

#Mys in the kitchen #baking #cookie decorating #Star Wars #wedding cakes #birthday cakes #🤷🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️ #tw: food

[my-insanity-is-an-artform]

And Wedding Bells Will Ring

So this hit me during work and once again figured, I have to have ~Feelings~ so do ya'll.

Sky felt stiff as she leaned against him, a drink in both of their hands and the low atmospheric murmur of the tavern's other patrons around them.

His hands felt sweaty and he could swear that his heart would beat right out of his chest. How she didn't hear it was beyond him.

They were all in Twilight's Hyrule and having been dropped near his Castle Town, Twilight had immediately brought them to be introduced to a group of friends previously known as the Resistance.

After the introductions had been given, Telma had offered the group a safe place to relax and a couple of drinks.

Some of their group had decided to head to the offered beds after a few drinks, leaving Twilight, Warriors, Sky, Time and their only female companion to share a few more rounds in a dim quiet corner.

Somehow the topic had gotten onto their love lives with Twilight waxing lyrical about a 'Princess as beautiful as the setting sun' and Warriors talking about a very nice lady he'd known in the army who 'tragically' had dumped him for another officer.

Time had only smiled mysteriously when asked and Sky himself had had to avidly deny any connection to his Zelda and then gone bright red when asked if there was anyone else.

He would rather face Demise again than confess that he had given away his heart, let alone in front of the one he'd given it to.

The atmosphere was relatively lighthearted.

And then she opened her mouth.

"Sorry, Warriors, but I think I may just have you beat."

Everyone paused and then narrowed in on her as she smiled into her drink.

Warriors leaned forwards. "Oh, really? Do tell. If you can beat my tale of love lost, I'll buy the next round."

She tilted her head and gave him a challenging look. "You sure?"

Warriors held out a hand and she shook it, then dug into her pouch.

Sky peered around curiously as she pulled out a small bound book he'd seen her scribbling in previously. He'd thought it was her journal.

She opened it and for a second, he thought he saw his face and a rough sketch of him before the pages flicked and found a picture, a photograph Wild had called it.

She held it up and passed it over to Warriors whose eyes went wide and his head whipped back to her.

"You...?"

Twilight and Time looked over and the former whistled. Even Time was staring at the picture with visible shock.

She smiled again then plucked the picture out of his grip to show it to Sky.

His heart plummeted and he felt his blood turn to ice.

In the picture were five beaming women. Four were in near-identical green dresses and in the middle was her.

Dressed in a beautiful white dress and veil with a bouquet of red roses and white tulips.

It was a wedding picture.

Her wedding picture.

Sky kept staring at the picture, barely hearing the question that Twilight asked.

"You're married?!"

She let out a small snort that Sky felt rather than heard and he whipped his own head back to stare at her even as she addressed the others.

"His name was Jasper. We'd known each other for two years before he asked me on a date. Two years of dating. Then a year of engagement because we wanted to save up for the wedding and a house together. Then the happy day came and that picture was taken an hour before we were about to say our vows."

It was only because Sky was so close that he could see the small tremble in her lip as she smiled. She licked her lips and then continued, making Sky's heart wrench itself out of his chest.

"I should've known something was up when he started crying when I entered. They weren't happy tears. I got to the altar and the priest started and when we asked to say our vows, Jasper stopped and apologised to me."

Her eyes were far away and Sky felt his whole body drop. This was worse than he thought.

So much worse.

"Apparently, his childhood friend had confessed the night before that she was in love with him and begged him not to marry me, but her instead. And he agreed."

Sky couldn't help himself as he pressed a shoulder against hers and felt her slump against him easily.

"So he told me, not in private but in front of all our family and friends and basically the entire village, that he'd realised he was in love with her and not me and that he wanted to marry her. She came out of the crowd and held his hand. It was like looking at two strangers."

She paused and Sky could feel the rage that had killed a god swell up in him and such great sorrow.

"I hope you punched him." Warriors murmured and Sky agreed silently.

She shook her head. "I was in such a state of shock that I didn't really do much. I ended up just... smiling...and... took off my veil, put it in her hair, gave her the bouquet and told them I wished them well. Honestly, it was a miracle I got out of the area without crying even if I did spend the next three hours sobbing in a nearby stable after I stole a horse."

Sky could envision it easily. The way she would slap on a small shaky smile to cover her hurt. Plucking the veil out and gently sliding it into the other faceless girl's hair. Pressing the flowers into her hands and the small gentle voice filled with sincerity. The tears swallowed until she was free from the crowd before streaming over her cheeks. Grasping that pretty white skirt and running until she could swing onto a horse and ride as far away as the horse could run.

It was heartbreaking.

She snorted bringing him back to the conversation. "That poor stablemaster had no idea what to do."

Sky leaned further into her, hoping she'd draw strength from his presence. He was furious at this man and he'd hope that he never meet Sky.

"I heard that they did get married, using my wedding. Jasper did pay me back my half of the costs for the wedding and our house. But they ended up leaving a few weeks later for a different village since a lot of people weren't happy. Even his mother, who liked her more than me, was angry on my behalf. She made me a lot of food."

She sighed and took a swig of her drink. "I left myself not long afterwards. I just... couldn't be that girl anymore. The poor pitiful girl who got left by her fiance at the altar. The girl who stepped aside gracefully even as her fiance married another woman at her wedding. I just couldn't be her anymore."

There was a silence as her words sunk in.

Sky fiddled with the photograph and then asked the question he was dreading. The happy smiling bride looked the same age as his friend.

"How long has it been?"

She titled her head and looked up at him with a sad smile. "Six months before I met you guys."

Not even a year ago. Sky wanted to punch something. He wanted to hold her close and swear he'd never hurt her like that. That he could never hurt her like that.

But judging from the barely healed look in her eye, it was too soon.

Sky wouldn't put that on her. He'd have to swallow his feelings for now, maybe forever so long as he wouldn't hurt her.

She bumped his shoulder and her smile turned happier. "Hey, I met you guys." She looked at the others and grinned at them. "I think it's a pretty good trade myself."

Time piped up, clearly unable to hold his own curiosity in. "Why keep the photograph?"

She shrugged. "I wanted a reminder. Of how easily things can change. Of who I was compared to now. That girl's world was so small compared to mine. She barely knew how the world worked. I have you guys and I've learned so much from travelling." She paused thoughtfully and grinned smugly. "Also I looked amazing."

Warriors saluted her with his own drink and a laugh. "Well said, my friend! And for that, I will concede defeat." He stood and left for the bar.

Twilight held up his drink. "Well, here's to a broken heart and the assholes who broke them."

She giggled and tapped her drink against his. "I thought you still liked her."

"Doesn't mean she wasn't an ass sometimes."

She laughed and slumped back into Sky's side easily. Time turned to Twilight and asked him to elaborate which turned into the story of how they couldn't stand each other at first when Sky spoke quietly into her ear.

"We've got your back. No matter what happens. You know that, right?"

She looked up at him with wide trusting eyes and leaned her cheek on his shoulder as she entwined her fingers in his.

"I know. I'm so very lucky to have such wonderful friends like you."

Sky swallowed before cautiously resting his own cheek on her head.

He knew he wouldn't confess to her, for a while or even at all. It was clear she still had issues, both with love and with trust and it would take a calmer time than what they had to work through those, but for now, he'd have this and pretend that wedding bells wouldn't haunt his dreams that night.

#linked universe x reader #linked universe #link x reader #lu sky #Lu Sky x Reader #Despite the title this is not happy #Reader has issues #and trauma #Sky has a LONG way to go #If someone wants to write a sequel go for it! just tag me #I am once again on my bullshit #I'd say im sorry but im not #I have two modes #Happy Fluffy #and PAIN #guess which one i am

[ultraviclence]

— VERA GAUTHIER , some say you’re a THIRTY-SIX year old lost soul among the neon lights. known for being both WILY and MANIPULATIVE, one can’t help but think of HOWLIN' FOR YOU by THE BLACK KEYS when you walk by. are you still a CFO for STONEAGE INDUSTRIES / ASSOCIATE for WHITE CROCODILES, even with your reputation as THE DECOY DAMSEL? i think we’ll be seeing more of you and INSOMNIA'S ACHE, THE BLUE MOON HIDDEN BEHIND A MELANCHOLY SKY, THE TEMPTINGLY UNAPPROACHABLE SILHOUETTE BECKONING YOU CLOSER although we can’t help but think of ODILE (BLACK SWAN) + KITTY COLLINS (THE KILLERS) + ALEX MUNDAY (CHARLIE'S ANGELS) whenever we see you down these rainy streets.

STATS —

FULL NAME: vera celeste gauthier

NICKNAMES: v

DOB: april 1, 1987

AGE: thirty-six

GENDER & PRONOUNS: cis woman, she/her

AFFILIATION: white crocodiles, associate

OCCUPATION: CFO, stoneage industries

EDUCATION: BA, economics (stanford, university); MA, economics (columbia university)

LANGUAGES: english, some french

VISUALS —

FC: anne hathaway

HEIGHT: 173cm / 5'8

HAIR: dark brown

EYES: deep brown

PIERCINGS: one in each ear

TATTOOS: a small seashell on her hip

PERSONALITY —

POSITIVE: curious, daring, outspoken, confident, clever

NEGATIVE: aloof, stubborn, finicky, secretive, vain (just a little ;))

MBTI: ENTJ-A– the commander

ENNEAGRAM: type eight – the challenger

MORAL ALIGNMENT: chaotic neutral

DEADLY SIN: lust/greed

HEAVENLY VIRTUE: diligence

ZODIAC: aries

CHARACTER INFLUENCES: jordan baker, the great gatsby / margaery tyrell, game of thrones / samantha jones, sex and the city/ witchita, zombieland / cassie thomas, promising young woman / holly golightly, breakfast at tiffany's / vesper lynd, casino royale

TW: mentions of death, grief, alcohol, smoking

LIFE —

this city is haunted...

being raised by a single mother isn’t always easy. in fact, it was never easy until vera’s mother began to work her way through the upper class of new york city. it was her mother’s job, after all. a last-ditch effort to keep little vera off the streets that soon afforded them a lavish lifestyle to which vera quickly grew accustomed.

still, watching men fall at her mother’s feet for the right price reason wasn't a genuine fairytale. behind the glitz of the champagne fountains, lavish jewellery adorning her mother's neck, the opera, and ballet, there was nothing but darkness when vera was forced to sit alone in her room for hours while her mother did whatever with whomever. she was lonely even when she wasn't alone.

the more vera saw her mother change from a man-swindling businesswoman to a swooning, fawning piece of arm candy to men who didn't care for her at all, the more she began to resent their lifestyle altogether. she felt guilt, at first, her emotions bold and fiery and unrelenting even when she was young, but as the years passed, and mother drifted further and further, vera turned hard and icy. she locked her heart away and swore never to rely on anyone else. least of all, a man.

vera was seventeen when her mother died, of circumstances vera still isn't clear on, and the whole world threatened to crumble around her. nothing could console her. nothing could offer her solace from the aching, desperate grief. not even the embrace of the white crocodiles, whom her mother was an associate of. nothing. so, vera fled. she packed what possessions mattered, photographs, a delicate pearl ring that belonged to her mother, and left new york city for good... or so she thought.

the irony was glaringly obvious when she moved back to the city five years after she left. everything felt different, and everything felt exactly the same. every street was tainted with memories that flashed behind her eyes whenever she dared to close them.

now, over a decade later, vera has remained behind the walls she built of ice and stone but found a way to mask those walls with florals and beautiful imagery. she clawed her way to her position at Stoneage Industries and cared little for the people she stepped on along the way. it's not that vera is heartless, though some (including she) may claim she is. she is like this because she has to be for survival. for vera knows what disappointment, loss, and pain feel like. she knows loneliness so well she swears it's etched into her bones. perhaps that is why vera feels so at home amongst the chaos, sitting on top of a pile of money brought in by robots and replicants. she envies their ability to feel nothing.

"mom, i am a rich man."

EXTRAS —

those she works with, and those who work for her, likely see her as professional and stoic. when she's at work, she is buried in it. CFO at Stoneage Industries is the perfect distraction from anything and everything else.

she likes to get what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it by any means necessary. scheming? she's a fan. when her plan doesn't succeed, and she's left without a prize, she can be found in her bathtub with a glass of scotch in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

despite her insistence to never rely on a man, she will use them and can be found doing so after hours when she's looking to blow off some steam.

aside from the ring, the only connection she still has to her mother is her association with the white crocodiles.

although she can be difficult to please and impossible to argue with, vera is also a little rascally. she likes a little mischief. in fact, sometimes she pushes people's buttons just for fun. she will swindle you out of twenty bucks she doesn't even need with a smile on her face.

there is (almost) nothing vera loves more than being underestimated. it gives her an upper hand she is more than willing to take.

there is a softness to her reserved for intimate moments that truly matter to her.

CONNECTIONS —

coming soon...

#lawlessintro #( intro )

[amysteryspot]

Borrowed Time | Three

Summary: Crystal enjoys whatever time she has with her father while trying to deal with the challenges of helping Maverick in the mission.

Warnings: mentions of terminal illness, mentions of death and grief.

Word Count: 2k

Author’s Note: And here we go again. This chapter was interesting to write considering how important Iceman is to Crystal and exploring their relationship felt really natural. I hope it feels that way for you too.

◄ PREVIOUS CHAPTER | SERIES MASTERLIST | NEXT CHAPTER ►

Home had a different meaning to Crystal than it had for most people. Home was not a house, it was the people she loved. Through her years working in the Navy she had lived in dozens of different places both overseas and stateside. Yet, home had always been wherever her parents were, it didn’t matter where it was.

That day when she arrived home, Crystal took a minute to observe her nephews playing around in the backyard, smiling to herself. She remembered being this young, playing around with her brother without a care in the world. Looking around she observed the furniture, the photographs, the things that made a house a home. She missed it, missed this, this certainty.

Crystal loves to fly, always had, always will. There’s not a thing in the world that would make her regret the decision of going to the academy and becoming a fighter pilot. It didn’t mean that she couldn’t want something different. A family of her own, a home to come to, stability.

She hears footsteps and turns around to see her mom. Sarah smiles at her and Crystal is quick to accept her mother’s embrace.

“How’s he today?” Crystal asks when the both of them drift apart.

“The same as yesterday.” Sarah answers with a sad half smile. “He was asking for you.”

Crystal nods. “I’ll go see him.”

Iceman’s office is much like the rest of the house—trophies, photographs and awards all over it. When she enters the first thing she sees is him, sitting at his desk working. Crystal smiles to herself. Watching him work almost makes her forget about his illness.

Almost.

He doesn’t notice her at first, but when he does a huge smile appears on his face, so contagious that makes Crystal smile grow as well. She walks to him, enjoying the warmth and safety he always provided to her. Crystal kisses his check as he points at the chair, a silent order for her to sit down.

Crystal did as he said, pulling a chair to sit down beside him while he tipped.

How was the first day?

“Well, considering that there was a fight in the middle of the class, it was as expected.”

He frowned. Fight?

“Yeah.” Crystal sighed. “One of the pilots brought up the fact that Mav used to fly with Goose and Rooster didn’t react well to that.”

It was Iceman’s time to sigh.

How's the kid?

Crystal laughed. “You know we both are adults now, right?”

He waved at her, shaking his head. You both will always be kids to me. As is your brother.

Crystal nodded, a playful smile on her face. “Okay, okay.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “He’s good, dad. Maybe a little too cautious, but good still.”

Maverick?

Sighing, Crystal said, “I talked to him. Think he’s being overprotective over Rooster. I understand where he comes from, but he needs to let him grow.”

Ice hummed, catching her hand in his.

“Maybe you should talk to him.” Crystal suggested. “I’m certain Cyclone will give him a hard time after what happened today.”

He nodded, observing her for a moment.

“What?” She asked.

I love you, you know that?

“I love you too, dad.” Crystal smiled back. “More than anything.”

He grinned, typing. Don’t let your mom hear that.

Crystal laughed. “Okay, I promise.”

The next day is tense. Crystal observes as Maverick commands the training, sharing thoughts with him when she thinks necessary, watching the interactions between the pilots.

Hangman seems to be cautious over her. A result of yesterday’s exercise, she guesses. There are groups between them, a mirror of previous deployments together, something that could be taken advantage of when choosing the ones that would fly this mission.

Crystal catches herself looking at Rooster more than she was comfortable with. He was a people’s person, it seemed. The other pilots got along well with him, with the exception of Hangman, making her curious about the reason why the two of them clashed against one another.

Maverick seems to have picked up where most of her attention was, but did nothing to address the matter.

She stays behind when the day ends, having to fill in some paperwork yet. Suddenly there’s a knock on the door.

“Enter.” She says, looking up from the documents. Crystal raises an eyebrow when she sees who it is.

Rooster enters the room, saluting her. “Lieutenant Commander.”

“Lieutenant,” she says. “Can I help you?”

“Just wanted to apologize, ma’am. I was out of line yesterday. It was never my intention to disrespect you, ma’am.”

She stays silent, observing him for a minute.

“No harm done,” Crystal says. “Just be careful who you question around here, not everybody will let it pass.”

He nods, looking up front, expecting to be dismissed.

She continues, “I know about your problems with Maverick but you have to move past it so you can grow without this ghost on your shoulder.”

Bradley looks at her with his brow furrowed.

“My father.” She explains. “He talks about you.”

“It’s been an honor having him in my life,” Bradley says.

“I’m sure he feels the same.” Crystal assures him. “Yesterday, watching you and Hangman… you reminded me of him.” She pauses, standing up. “Maybe that’s part of why I stepped up, but never because I thought you couldn’t handle yourself. You have to understand that I did what I did because I had to. Maverick and I, we’re both here to teach you all, making you understand that you need to learn to work with each other is part of that.”

He looks at her and blinks a couple of times before saying, “Yes, ma’am.”

“And I know it’s not my fault, but… I’m sorry that your father was brought up like that in class,” Crystal says.

“I appreciate that.”

“Good, good.” She says, the both of them staring at each other for a second too long. “Can I help you with anything else?”

“No… No, ma’am. That would be all.”

“Then you’re dismissed, Lieutenant,” Crystal says. “Have a good night.”

“Likewise, Lieutenant Commander.”

After he leaves Crystal decides that it is time to go home. She wouldn’t be able to do much more for the day. When she arrives home, the first thing that catches her eye is the bike parked in front of the house.

Maverick.

Sarah is in the kitchen when Crystal enters. She gives her mom a quick kiss, stealing a piece of carrot laying on the cutting board.

“He’s here?”

“Yeah, at the office with your father.”

Crystal sighs, leaning back against the cabinet. Sarah turns around to look at her.

“I told him.”

Most of the time they tried their best to ignore how ill Iceman was. It was easiest to deal with, it didn’t mean it was the healthier way. Crystal had filled in a request to be based in Fightertown, her brother had found a house nearby and they spent the most time they could with him. Nevertheless, they knew his time was limited.

Crystal fought back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes, letting out a deep breath as she concentrated her attention on the ceiling.

“Oh, darling.” Her mom said, coming up to hug her. “It will be okay.”

“No, it won’t.” She answered, making her mom give her a sad smile. Crystal sniffed, drying the tears from her face. “Can you send him to me when they’re done? I’ll be in the back.”

Sarah caresses her face and nods.

When Maverick finds her the sun is about to set. Crystal is slouching back in one of the chairs in the backyard, watching it. He takes the seat next to her and the both of them fall into a comfortable silence for a while.

“You mom told me.” He says,

Crystal hums in acknowledgment.

“Why haven’t you said anything?” Maverick asks, turning his head to look at her.

“He didn’t want anybody to know.” She takes a deep breath.

“How did you get to be stationed here?”

“Nepotism.” She half-smiles at him. It’s just a copying mechanism to escape, they both know that. “Filled in a request, they know he’s ill, just not the extent of it.”

“Are you sure you’re okay to work on this mission?” Maverick asks, worry evident in his question.

“He doesn’t want me to stop working because of him.” She grims. “Hell, you saw him, he is still working.”

Maverick nods, looking down.

“He told me to reconcile with Bradley.”

It is Crystal’s time to nod. “I think you both need that.”

They stay silent for a moment.

“You were observing him today.” Maverick says.

“I was observing everyone today.” Crystal defends herself. “Including you.”

Maverick furrows his brow. “You know what I mean.”

Crystal sighs. “He came to talk to me yesterday. After the exercise.” She says, pensive.

“What about?”

“Said he didn’t need defending.” Crystal hears Maverick scoff. “A little cocky, don’t you think? Reminds you of anyone?”

Maverick smiles.

“Before you let that get over your head, I was gonna say dad.” She cuts him off.

“Always sure of himself.” Maverick muses.

“And you’re not?” Crystal asks, raising an eyebrow at him.

“And now you’re defending your father.”

“That I am.” She confirms and they both laugh.

“He came to my office today, after you left,” Crystal says, making Maverick frown. “Rooster.”

“What did he want?”

“To apologize.” She explains. “Said he was out of line and that it wasn’t his intention to disrespect me.”

Maverick hummed. “He’s a good man.”

“I can see that.” Crystal pauses. “What’s with him and Hangman?”

“Ah, as far as I know they flew together some years ago, Rooster doesn’t like Hangman’s tactics, they don’t get along very well ever since.”

“Does anyone like Hangman’s tactics?” She asks. “Besides himself, that is.”

“He’s a good pilot.” Maverick says.

“He’s a good pilot that I would have grounded for insubordination for less than the stunt he pulled yesterday.”

“That bad, huh?!” He frowns.

“I’m strict.”

“Would’ve grounded me too?”

“Probably.” Crystal smiles.

They both laugh.

“What are you planning for tomorrow?”

Maverick sighs. “We need a team and we don’t have one.”

“Well, you get parts of it. There are some good interactions between some of them.” She pauses. “That includes Hangman, mind you.”

“Yeah, still doesn’t change the fact that we need them working well together so it won’t affect the team that will be chosen.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.

The devilish smile that appeared on his lips answered enough.

“Bring in a swimsuit with you tomorrow.”

It ends up that the answer to her question was dogfight football. Crystal shook her head in disbelief when he broke the news and Maverick only looked at her and shrugged.

“You good?” Maverick asked when they arrived at the beach.

“Yeah.” She gave him a half smile.

It was funny seeing them interact so in sync as teams after everything she has observed in the past few days. She smiled to herself when she spotted Rooster helping Maverick up after he was knocked to the ground.

“Watching the boyfriend?”

Crystal rolled her eyes before turning around to face Hangman.

“Why? Are you jealous?”

“No, ma’am. I’m fine.” He laughed. “More than fine, actually.”

Crystal scoffed, getting ready to reply when Maverick called her.

“Well, lucky you. Saved by the bell.” She said before heading to Maverick.

Pete offers her a bottle of water that she promptly opens.

“What do you think?”

“That you’re serving your own head on a silver platter to Cyclone.”

Maverick laughs.

Crystal observes the pilots laughing and cheering all together.

“It was a good idea, Mav.”

“See. I’m not all bad at this instructor thing.” He smiles, bringing her to a sideways hug.

“I’ll agree to disagree.” She said, wrinkling her nose.

“Why don’t you get a headstart to go back home?” Maverick asks her, a knowing look on his face.

“Thanks, Mav.”

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#bradley bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #bradley rooster bradshaw x oc #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley rooster bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley rooster bradshaw fic #top gun: maverick fanfic #amysteryspot #mystery writings

[againstthegrainphoto]

man, I've been so busy I've hardly had time to process that the Kraken season is over...so buckle up, this gon be a long one...I'm so grateful to have found hockey, which has taken the place as my main source of serotonin since the music scene has become such a shit show and my favorite bands have become accumulating disappointments. I'm so grateful to have met the people I have because of this team. I'm grateful that I have personally grown as a photographer because of this team. I've never photoed sports of any kind prior to this....aside from my mom making me photo my sister when she did collage basketball....and it's such a completely different monster from concert photog, but also super fulfilling. Plus, I am literally just a fan with a camera, I have no obligation to share anything, I owe no one any of the shots, I take these photos for 127% of my own enjoyment. If there is a shot of my Favorite™ I want to keep for me, I can and will keep it for me and my close friends only. Which is surprisingly freeing and a good feeling. That considered.....I took a few minutes to throw together a photo summary of my Kraken encounters this season. I've been hoarding photos all season to hopefully get me through the off season with minimal withdrawals....so you can expect more photos to trickle through this account as the offseason wears on.

11/8/22: kraken v predators. lars doing lars things. unfortunately geeks was clearly caught in friendly fire. W 5-1.

11/9/22: Tanev at practice.

12/17/22: Geekie and Burky at practice.

1/16/23: Kraken v lightning. kraken ice is so pretty. L 1-4.

1/21/23: Eberly and Jones at practice....jonesy says gtfo.

1/22/23: Kraken Skills Challenge: Lars & Dunner. I just think they're neat.

2/20/23: Sharks v Kraken: McCann. Being able to visit my best fren and have her take me to see her team play my team in her city was the highlight of my year. The score, however, was not. L 0-4.

3/9/23: kraken v senators. I absolutely would not want to be that guy. lol. but it was such a frustrating game. L 5-4.

3/29/23: Gourde having a good time at practice.

4/1/23: My favorite Dunner doing my favorite Dunner things at practice.

4/3/23: Kraken v coyotes. After a team celly I some how caught Matty tripping over his own skates....don't worry, in the next shot he was laughing so hard about this. W 8-1.

4/6/23: Kraken v coyotes. Being at this game was memories I will never forget. From the people in front of me lifting an infant in my line of view, to the row of girls behind me who were there for I'm not sure what reason, but clearly had no idea hockey was even a sport before this day, to the dude on my right man sitting next to me, to the fact I was sick af and snotting in my mask(not covid, I tested like 80 times that week)....none of that hindered my joy of seeing the squid squad clinch a playoff spot. So much happy. big W 4-2.

4/13/22: The last practice this season I was able to go to. so you get some love for Gru.

4/24/23: kraken v avalanche game 4: I didn't think I'd ever be able to be able to go to a playoff game, but my haunting of the apps plus the fact I got an alaska check in april allowed me to be able to see this game in person. It was a wild ride. Seeing Canner get hurt was one of the worst things ever. Seeing Ebs score the ot winner one of the best things ever. By this time in the season I acknowledge that Sprong's absolute madman, cryptid, gremlin energies have grown on me like mold and I've become overly fond of him. I will be very Sad™ if they don't keep him. (and I wonder where that gum ended up....) W 3-2.

5/13/23: Kraken v stars game 6. I thought my personal season had ended and I wouldn't get to see them until next season. But because they lost the game prior it caused ticket prices to plummet and I was able to scoop one up for an insanely low price. I'm so very very very glad I did. It was probably my favorite game I went to this year. It was the win that forced game 7. It also ended up being the last home game of the entire season. So special. W 6-3.

I'm so thankful to the Kraken for giving everyone...the fans, the city, the team, the game, THEMSELVES....the season they did. Seeing them the first year while not even knowing what a power play was....but also knowing that those passes should probably connect to other kraken players.....to seeing them fucking dominating like they did this year has been one of the funnest things I've taken part of in the city of seattle in the past decade. Being able to roll out of bed and drive down the street to see (and photo) them practice is one of my favorite things to do. And the game skates.....also one of my favorite things. And buoy....boy did I have some questions and concerns when they first unveiled him....but now, I'm completely smitten. I adore him. He's perfect. A perfect ball of high strung anxiety that is just right for seattle.

And I'm thankful for all you kraken/hockey fans who have followed and interacted with me here. It was an awesome season and I can't wait for the next.

#did I just do my own exit interview??? #lol #seattle kraken #kraken lb #squid squad #that's kraken hockey baby #againstthegrainphotography #🦑🦑🦑 #⚓️™️

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Saving a Forest of One When viewed from hundreds of kilometers above Earth, this patch of aspen foliage in south-central Utah looks somewhat ordinary. But the leaves belong to a colony that is actually quite extraordinary. More than 40,000 genetically identical trees are connected by a common root system, and are part of a single massive organism, a male quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), that scientists have named Pando, which means “I spread” in Latin. In this fall image (centre), acquired with the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) on Landsat 9, Pando’s yellow leaves are visible for about 200 meters on either side of State Route 25 just west of Fish Lake. The darker green forested areas surrounding it are dominated by evergreen trees, including spruce and fir. Many of the other yellow areas in the image are aspen stands that are not part of Pando. Pando’s trees and root system span 106 acres (43 hectares) and weigh 13 million pounds. That is roughly the size of 80 American football fields and the weight of 15 jumbo jets, making Pando among the largest and heaviest land organisms on the planet. (Offshore, sea grass and coral reefs also grow to vast sizes, but likely do not carry the immense weight of Pando.) The precise age of Pando’s root system is difficult to determine. But scientists think the aspen seed that started the plant sprouted several thousand years ago, perhaps even as long as 14,000 years ago as ice retreated from the Fish Lake Valley after the height of the last glacial maximum. Since sprouting, that seed has grown and spread by sending up new shoots every spring from its root system. These shoots—sometimes called suckers or ramets—are recognized as trees as they grow to maturity. They typically persist for about 100 to 150 years before dying back, even as Pando sends up more shoots and lives on. But Pando has not been well in recent decades. “It’s dying,” said ecologist Paul Rogers, the director of the Western Aspen Alliance at Utah State University. “Mule deer—and to a smaller degree cattle—frequent this area in such numbers that they are grazing on the young shoots and stopping them from getting established. If you think of Pando as a village, it’s a village full of old people with very few children growing up to take their place.” Rogers and a colleague from Utah State University first reported in 2018 that Pando was in trouble. Field measurements and a series of historical aerial photographs made clear that the forest has thinned considerably since the 1930s. In that study, and in an update published in 2022, Rogers reported that the only parts of Pando that were showing signs of regrowth were the parts that were fenced off from deer and cattle. The photograph below, taken by Rogers, shows more growth of young stems on the inside (left side) of one section of fencing. However, Rogers wonders about how large a role fences should play in trying to save Pando. “Is fencing Pando off like a zoo animal the right solution?” he asked. “We also need to look at things like predation and what can be done to keep deer populations at more sustainable levels to address the problem in a more comprehensive way.” For Rogers, the challenges and management questions don’t end at Pando’s edges. “Pando, though charismatic and fascinating, is a microcosm for much bigger, more global issues,” he said. “We have to think not just about Pando, but about how we keep aspens—forests more broadly—all over the world healthy and thriving as the climate changes and people put increasing pressure on ecosystems.” That is going to require a change in perspective that expands far beyond Pando or this one part of Utah, he added. “This Landsat image is a reminder of how small even one of the world’s largest organisms is from a planetary perspective. We’re going to need monitoring and conservation of aspen forests on a global scale.” NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Photo by Paul C. Rogers (Western Aspen Alliance). Story by Adam Voiland.

#space #science #earth observatory #nasa #news #Utah