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gomzwrites · 11 months

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The taskforce 141 reactions to your display of jealousy

a/n: I’ve seen a fair amount of fics and writings that show them being jealous, but what if we are the ones that get jealous then? ;)

In this fic, the reader is more like in denial sort of jealousy + first time feeling jealous kind of thing. I decided to do a mix of displays from reader, Price and Ghost are subtle, Soap and Gaz are more direct!

I might do another one where it's more action-based and possessive like reader beating the strangers up or something

also the relationship between reader and tf141 is not exactly publicly known :) Notes:

dividers drawn by @gomzdraws (click for better resolution!)

reader's texts are in purple

Tags: xgn!reader, established relationship(basically already dating), incorrect military terms, implied nsfw but its sfw I swear, cursing

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Captain John Price

Captain Price has been going around giving meetings and distributing tasks as you follow along and help him carry the essential documents all day. In the last meeting, he will meet one of the operators to explain the upcoming missions. You decide to wait on the other side of the room as you watch the captain carry out his duty.

Everything was fine as the conversation went on. You may be standing at a distance, but you can faintly hear the discussion. You can tell he is quite impressed with the soldier’s skill, and the exchange was beginning to be less serious as they started talking about things that were out of topic. You watch from the corner of your eyes as the person starts leaning closer, even cracking jokes as they pat John’s shoulder.

Well, whoever that is, they sure know how to butter the captain up.

You thought for a moment before internal cursing as you shook your head.

Get a grip; he is the captain; surely he knows what he’s do-

Your thoughts stop as you watch the person lean in and whisper something to John’s ears, and you notice how the Captain shifted slightly and cleared his throat. The soldier proceeded to shuffle something into his back pants pocket before leaving, even winking at him before the door was closed.

What the fuck?

You furrow your brows as you watch Captain sigh, walk back to his desk, and take his seat. You waited until he gestured for you to come to him with his hand, and you decided to act naturally as you organised the messy papers and reports on his table.

This is not something you should be worried about in the first place, so don’t even bring it up. You say this to yourself internally as you take a seat next to him and read through the documents. But your mind keeps racing, and there's a burning feeling inside you, clouding your thoughts as you tap your finger softly on the table repeatedly.

"Y/N", the Captain said as he lifted your chin up. You followed his hand and slowly glanced up and stared at him with a hint of embarrassment. Did he find out what I was thinking already?

Yes, sir?

You answer back with the most steady voice you can muster at the moment. You watch as he softens his gaze and brushes your hair away. You recognise that look.

You’re not talking to the captain now; you’re talking to John.

He doesn't say a word as he takes out the paper from his back pocket and places it on the table. You try to maintain your composure and remain as calm as you can when you see a number scribbled on the paper, but you can't help but let out a cold glare at the paper for a second.

That piece of shi-

He taps your chin twice lightly as he grabs your attention again before running his hand down to your neck and resting it there. You know this signal, so you promptly hold out his favourite lighter that you carry around and light up his cigar. He hums appreciatively as he takes a drag and puffs out the smoke.

He looks back at you, silently telling you to keep your eyes on his as he takes the cigar out of his lips, twisting it between his fingers before he rolls and holds the cigar vertically, the evenly burned red-orange cherry side at the end facing downward. You follow curiously before watching him plant it firmly on the paper, twisting it until a hole appears as he smiles and kisses your cheek.

"You know I’ll only look at you, sweetheart," he whispers with his deep, husky tone as you blush and glance away.

You knew? You say it softly as he leans in and brushes your neck in slow circles as he nods and chuckles.

"Course I do, I know everything about you," he said before taking another drag from his cigar as he smirked and leaned in closer.

"You look like you were about to punch that person in the face; it’s pretty hot, actually," he says as he watches you shake your head and roll your eyes lightly.

Hot? Woah, who knew you liked me being violent?

You joke back as he kisses your ears softly, feeling his beard tickling you as you sigh. He gives you a dark look, dipping his voice another octave lower as he moves his hand from your neck slowly down to your hip.

Oh, I love it when you get all rowdy and rough, especially if you’re doing it because of me, like last night, hm?

That instantly makes you go red as you give a nervous laugh and squirm in your seat at the memory. He gives you an amused look as he puts his hand on your waist and pulls you in closer.

Well, it looks like tonight will be the same.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

John Soap MacTavish

You were idling around the base after just finishing healing from a previous mission. Technically, you’re not supposed to move around so much, but you were already getting bored as you stared up at the same ceiling for days. You know Soap has been helping you out immensely by practically moving into your room and keeping you company. But he went on a mission and won’t return until today, so you decided to sneak out of the room and brew yourself a cup of tea. You hum as you take in the smell and sigh.

This is certainly better than water, that’s for sure

you think to yourself before deciding to walk around and explore the base. Well, just glancing around to see if there’s anything new that has happened. That’s when you spotted a few jeeps with a group of people and a few regular faces you recognised: Ghost, Gaz, Price, and your boyfriend Soap getting down from the vehicle. You wanted to wave and call out to Soap before noticing someone else beside him, but what really caught your attention was the jacket the person was wearing; it was his jacket. Your favourite jacket of his.

You stop dead in your tracks from a distance as your grip on the tea mug tightens. You observe as Soap and the gang talk and laugh, you know like they always do post-mission, and yet something just doesn’t seem right for you as you fixate your gaze on the person that has been clinging to Soap, wrapping their hands around his arm as they also joke along. You can see Soap politely patting their arms away as he bumps their shoulder.

Right, he’s doing something about it. You thought to yourself before you quickly went back to your room. You knew Soap wouldn't do anything that would upset you, but yet you couldn’t shake that thought away—the thought of someone else whirling him away. You hate it; whatever it is that you’re feeling, it feels wrong, even toxic, but you just can’t help it. You know it's not his fault, and you’re well aware that he can’t control everyone’s actions. You decided to lie on your bed and pull the blanket over yourself as you tried to sleep it away.

Not long after, Soap knocks gently at your door and enters your room. He notices how you are facing the wall and bundled in a blanket, breathing normally, which indicates that you aren't sleeping despite your eyes being closed.

Heeeeeyyyy, how’s ma favourite cutie feeling, hm?

He asked in his usual light tone as he sat on your bed and petted your blanket. He stared at you as he leaned in and kissed your shoulder softly.

Ya awrite?

He asked as he noticed how you were quieter than usual. Your heart broke slightly as you noted how his tone became worried, so you turned around and gently brushed his cheek as you shook your head.

I'm okay, dear. Just tired. You lied as you smiled and watched as he took your hand and cupped his own face. “Anything ah can do for ye?”, He asks again with puppy eyes as you chuckle, pulls his face close to you, and kiss his lips softly. Cuddles. You whisper softly as he smiles and hugs you close. Ayeee, then it's cuddles you're gettin’

He says as he lays down beside you, nuzzles his neck on your shoulder, and pulls you close to him. You sigh happily as you let the jealous thoughts slowly dissolve away, but that doesn’t mean you forget about the incident.

A few days later, when you were doing laundry, you spotted his jacket again—the one that fuc—you mean, the other person—was wearing that time. You stared at it as you lifted it up from the basket, and instantly a whiff of perfume or cologne that you did not recognise got picked up by your nose. You frowned and glared at the jacket for a moment, seething in anger as you decided to toss it into the washer. After washing and drying it, you had an idea and opted to wear and keep it. Naw, this is my jacket now. You thought to yourself as you walked around the base with the jacket, a proud look clearly showing on your face as the jacket had a clearly huge "Soap" behind it.

Soap notices as he smirks and walks towards you, crossing his arm as he stands beside you. “Oi? Is that ma jacket?”, he says as he takes a good look at you, grinning ear to ear as he glances you up and down. He won’t lie, he never knew how good you looked wearing his stuff.

Your jacket? I have no idea what you’re talking about; it's mine now.

You replied back nonchalantly when you noticed that same person who was with Soap the other day staring at you from across the hall. You gave them a death glare as you turned and pulled Soap down by his collar, making him jolt forward as he gasped slightly at the sudden motion. You kept eye contact as you whispered to Soap.

Not only the jacket, but you’re mine as well

Your lips barely brush his ears slightly as Soap blushes and gives out a surprised laugh.

Well, well, well.

He replied back in a shocked tone as he watched the direction you were looking at before he gave an "ah" sound as he made the connection. He giggled as he stared back at you with a loving stare. “Hmm, didnae take yer a jealous one”, he says before holding you closer to him by the waist and kissing your forehead. Mmm, you give a grunt as you feign annoyance and glance away. He laughs as he nuzzles you close and gives you a hug. “Aw~ dun get mad at me, yer know I love ya, and only ya”, he kisses you on the neck softly to tickle you as you drop your frown and giggle at him to push him away playfully,

Oh fuck off, don't go all sappy on me now.

You roll your eyes as you try to wiggle your way out. “Nuh uh, I will show yer how much I love ya”, he says before he picks you up and tosses you over his shoulder. You let out a yelp as you move around and let out a whine. MacTavish! Put me down this instant! You say it with a laugh as he smacks your ass and shakes his head as he walks towards his room.

“Nope, ah won't, you're going to get all the love you missed.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Kyle Gaz Garrick

You wake up early after preparing yourself, walking slowly to the kitchen to carry out your routine. You like to start your day off with coffee, and on the other hand, Kyle likes to have tea in the morning. Jasmine tea with two teaspoons of sugar and some milk, just the way he likes it. So every morning for the past few months of dating, you always make sure to brew him his tea as well when you make coffee. You shuffle around the shelves as you look for his mug, being confused when you don't see it at the usual spot. You glance around before you hear Kyle speaking to someone on the other side of the place. You follow the voices and take a peek behind a wall as you watch him talk to someone with his mug in his hands already.

Hm, so he brewed it himself today? That’s odd, maybe because he woke up earlier.

You didn’t think much of it as you went back to the kitchen to make yourself a coffee and go on with your day.

The next day, you walk to the kitchen and find his mug, only to find it not there again. You frown as you try to rationalise your thoughts.

Okay, maybe he was in a hurry.

You think again as you shake those thoughts away and carry out your duties. But then it starts to bother you when the same thing happens again the next day and again for the following two days.

He never brought it up and neither one of you talked about it. You assume maybe you messed up the way you make his tea or maybe he changed his preference. But it still confuses you, and it hurts a little too; he could’ve told you if that's the case. However, something else is notable: he has been getting more headaches recently, and you’ve asked him about it.

Are you sure it's not something serious? How about going to the medical bay to check if everything’s alright?

No, no, it's fine; it's just stress.

You decided enough was enough as you woke up extra early today to question him in the kitchen about why he started making tea for himself. But then that's when you saw it—a figure that opened the top shelf and took his mug out. You recognise that person; it was one of the recruits Kyle has been speaking to lately. You immediately stepped forward and grabbed their hand as you spoke calmly.

What do you think you’re doing?

“Huh?”, The person gets caught off guard as they glance back at you, a frown forming on their face as they continue; it's almost as if they’re annoyed that they were stopped by you.

Erm, making coffee for my superior? Why? Because I can? So you’ve been doing this for the past few days? Yeah.

The recruit replied back with a proud look as they rested their hands on their hips, not hiding the fact that they were doing Gaz this favour for obvious reasons when the blush on their cheeks was prominent.

That’s when it clicked: he hasn’t been making tea himself, and the source of his headaches is because of this dumbass. Kyle can’t hold his caffeine; it always gives him a splitting headache. You also know how he has trouble rejecting kindness from others and has always kept silent about his actions. You sigh as you take the mug from the person.

Hey! What’s your problem? Give it ba-

You watch your tone.

Your sharp voice cuts through the air as you turn and stare down at them, leaning closer to the recruit as venom seeps out of your mouth.

Sergeant Gaz doesn’t take coffee; if you wanted to flirt with someone, at least be smart about it. Oh, wait, never mind about that... (You trail off as you firmly press your hand on their shoulder, gazing down as the recruit gulps and shivers nervously under your scrutiny.) You probably don’t even know he’s taken already; poor you. How did you end up here with such an empty head anyway? I thought everyone here was smart and observant; clearly, you’re not.

The recruit gasps as tears prick up in their corner, and they immediately falter and shamefully run away as you sigh.

Okay, maybe that was too far.

You mumbled before hearing something shuffling behind you. You felt your back warm up as Kyle hugged your shoulder from behind. You smile as you kiss his arm and stare up at him.

“I'm sorry; I should’ve told you about it.” His voice is a low whisper as you softly caress his arm soothingly. You know, you could’ve poured the coffee away or let me drink it. You speak gently as you slowly turn around to face him.

“I know, but I didn’t want to waste it or deny the coffee when someone had made it for me.” You sigh as you brush your hand on his cheek and continue.

Well, they won’t anymore, and only I will be the one making you tea from this day on. You give a smile when Kyle chuckles and kisses your forehead. “I’ll have to admit that watching you speak like that was pretty cool”, He said it with a smirk as you shook your head. Ah, so I wasn’t cool before? You tease him back as he quickly shakes his head and kisses your hands. “I didn’t say that.” He giggles as he sighs and rests his head on your shoulder. “Can you make me tea again? Just the way I like it?”, He whispers with a smile as you nod and kiss his cheek.

Always.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Simon Ghost Riley

It was one of the sparring sessions where Ghost and Soap were tasked with providing training and demonstrations to the new recruits. You decided to join and watch from the side and provide any needed assistance, but truthfully, you just wanted to watch Ghost. It's moments like these where you get to see him roll up his sleeves and flex his muscles. Sure, you get to see all of him whenever you’re in his bedroom, but watching him display himself confidently in public? That’s a different kind of look you will never get tired of.

The session went on normally, and most recruits were obedient and managed to replicate what Ghost and Soap have been demonstrating, with just a few slower soldiers that require more attention, which they supervise and guide on a one-to-one basis.

And there was this one recruit that Ghost has been teaching for some time now. You note how the recruit was standing slightly closer to him, and the way they looked at Ghost made you uneasy—not in a way that you think that person is going to hurt him, but in a way that you feel that the person has an ulterior motive. You don't miss the way the recruit brushed their hand across his arm, or how they were pressing their body against his in a way that was definitely unnecessary in the training, or how they deliberately messed up a step and let out that annoying giggle-

I'm overthinking.

You thought to yourself when you realised you were frowning and your hands were balled into a fist. You decided to step outside and take a breather as you tried to calm yourself. You sat on the bench alone as you breathed out and ran through your mind again.

Stop overthinking. They’re just training; Ghost is literally an adult. I don't have to fret over something like this, do I? Okay, what was that question? Of course I don't. Right, but why the hell did they stick so close anyway-

You drown in your own inner monologue as your eyebrows furrow, and you sigh again as you rest your head on your knees, all the while Ghost has been watching you at the corner.

He saw and noticed when you were staring just now. Well, you always do stare, and he likes it, but this time he felt your gaze was different, and from the way you stand with that tense shoulder and the way your hands were forming a fist, It didn't sit right with him, so he told Soap to take over the recruit, not even answering the "why" from the person as he quickly followed you when you left.

"Love…?" Ghost said as he cautiously stood behind you and looked down with a concerned expression, he watched as you glanced up and smiled at him.

That’s not a smile he knows.

Oh, hey Ghost! I'm just resting, don’t mind me.

"No, you’re not; I can see you thinking." Ghost replies back instantly as he takes a seat next to you and rubs your hands, softening his gaze as he leans in and rests his forehead on yours. "What is it, love?", Ghost asks as he takes in your demeanour. He watches as you clench your jaw and hold your breath, then glances away as you sigh, and then you look back at him again as you frown. He always likes observing you, and he can tell that you’re contemplating, so he gave your hand a squeeze to urge you to continue.

I just… I just didn't like how the recruit was acting around you; I don't know why.

You finally spit it out as you nervously grab his fingers and fiddle with them as you try to calm down. After saying it out loud, you do feel a little childish, and you don't know what his response will be either.

Ghost remained silent for a moment as he processed your words and thought back about the training. He did find the recruit slightly annoying because they’ve been deliberately repeating the same mistake over and over again, but he has not realised why they did so. Until now.

His thoughts click as he tilts his head slightly and looks back at you, now with a smirk growing as his mask shifts slightly.

"You’re jea-" No.

You cut him off as you turn away from him and face your back at him. He watches as redness forms at the tip of your ear. He chuckles as he leans in and rests his head on your head, kissing your hair slightly as he watches your pout which makes your cheeks get puffy.

Cute. So this is what you’re like when you’re jealous. He thought to himself before he raised his hand and pulled your cheek, causing you to gasp as you thrashed around.

What the-hey! Get off!

You complain back angrily as he does not stop and squishes your face after he pulls it a few more times. You protest more as you grab his hand until you can't help but giggle at him when you know he won’t stop.

Stop it! You’re going to make me have wrinkles!

He gives a soft huff of air as he shakes his head and grabs your right cheek with his thumb and index finger and bites it gently,

“I don't mind wrinkles”, he whispers as you let out a "hmph", grabbing his sleeve as you glare at him. He laughs again as he plants a kiss on the cheek he bit earlier.

I hate you.

I love you too.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

a/n: this is for all the Ghostie lovers out there to make up for the last fic <3 Im a firm believer that Ghost is silly in relationships, like come on man was putting out puns and jokes during the mission in the game! also bonus from my friends' reactions to Gaz's part:

Likes, reblogs and feedbacks are appreciated Have a good day/night! :D

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rheya28 · 4 months

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Frost Point Ski Resort [ Rental ] ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC

Welcome to Frost Point, a ski resort nestled in the peak of Mt. Komorebi, where the chilly winter air is infused with the warmth of hospitality. Frost Point is not just a destination for winter enthusiasts; it's a haven for those seeking a cozy and inviting atmosphere.

The resort boasts charming, rustic architecture, with snug lodges that feature crackling fireplaces and plush furnishings. Picture yourself sipping hot cocoa by the fire after a thrilling day on the slopes, surrounded by the laughter of fellow guests sharing tales of their adventures.

Additional Notes: ● Obviously we do not have a hotel lot, however you can set this lot to a rental or a residential rental to make it somewhat function like one. You can also just set this as a generic lot for storytelling purposes.

● Please make sure to turn bb.moveobjects on! ● Please DO NOT reupload or claim as your own. ● Feel free to tag me if you are using it, I love seeing my build in other peoples save file ● Feel free to edit/tweak my builds, but please make sure to credit me as the original creator! ● Thank you to all CC Creators ● Please let me know if there's any problem with the build

➽ SPEED BUILD VIDEO

00:00 Beginning 00:02 Intro 1:10 Speed Build 16:16 Photos

➽ LOT DETAILS

Lot Name: Frost Point Ski Resort Lot type: Rental, Residential Rental, Generic Lot size: 50x50 Location: Mt. Komorebi

➽ MODS

● Tool Mod by Twisted Mexi

➽ CC LIST:

Note: I reuse a lot of the same cc in all my builds, specifically cc's from felixandre, HeyHarrie, Tuds, and Pierisim so if you're interested in downloading past, present, future build from me i suggest getting all their cc sets to make downloading a little easier! other creators include Sooky, Charlypancakes, Sixam, Thecluttercat, Myshunosun, awingedllama, Peacemaker, kiwisim4. This will also ensure that the lots are complete and are not missing any items upon downloading ! Harrie ● Baysic Bathroom ● Country ● Brownstone ● Klean ● Octave pt [2] (Door), pt [4] (bed) ● Shop the Look pt [1][2] ● Spoons pt[2][3] ●Stockholm (Floor lamp) ● Orjanic (Windows) The Clutter Cat ● Busy Bee pt [2] (Ceiling Light ) ● Dandy Diary pt [2] ( Chess table) ● Sunny Sundae (rug) Bbygyal123 ● Abstract Prints FelixAndre ● Berlin (Office Chair) ● Kyoto pt [2] ● Chateau pt [5] (books), pt [4] (small plant) ● Florence pt [4] (Floor pattern) ● Grove pt [2] (coffee cups), pt [3] (Cushion) Charly Pancakes ● Maple & S Construction pt [3] ● Dinna (Small plant) ● Soho pt [1] ( Rug) House of Harlix ● Harluxe ● Jardane LittleDica ● CountrySide Cabin ● Rise & Grind Rustic Sims ● Mayaken Cozy Kitchen (Ceiling Lamp) ● Modular Life (Wall art) Myshunosun ● Garden Stories (String lights) ● Lottie ● Tranquil bedroom (Ceiling light) Peacemaker ● Coba (Ottoman) ● Gently Draping ● Pointless Renovation ● Wood Slat Flooring (Vertical and horizontal) Pierisim ● Calderone (mirror) ● Coldbrew ● David Apartment pt [1] ● Domaine Du Close pt [2][3] ● MCM ● Oak House pt [5] (Pillow bedding), pt [4] ● Unfold ● Winter Garden pt [1] ● Woodland Ranch Sixam ● Cozy Family (decorative rug) ● Home Office ( Tablet keyboard) ● Hotel Bedroom (desk) Syboulette ● Ratatouille (Simlish sign's) MycupofCC ● The modernist Dining (wall art) The Townie Architect ● The Moderno Living Room (wall art) Tuds ● Cross (wall divider) ● Ind

● Tray File: Patreon Page ● Origin ID: Applez ● Twitter: Rheya28__ ● Tiktok: Rheya28__ ● Patreon: Rheya28 ● Youtube: Rheya28__

#ts4 #sims 4 #thesims4 #sims #thesims #showusyourbuilds #sims 4 cc #sims 4 screenshots #sims 4 builds #builds #the sims 4 cc build #the sims 4 hotel #the sims 4 ski resort #simblr

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leonaquitaine · 11 months

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Virtual Photography Guide: Composition (Part 2)

Let's continue exploring composition with a few more guidelines used in real-life photography, together with some FFXIV examples!

Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds involves dividing the viewport into a 3x3 grid by drawing two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, resulting in nine equally sized rectangles. According to the rule, placing key elements of interest along these gridlines or at their intersections create harmonious compositions and draws the viewer's eye in a visually pleasing and balanced way:

Rule of Odds

The Rule of Odds suggests that using an odd number of elements, such as three or five, tends to be more visually interesting and engaging compared to an even number. The Rule of Odds can be used to create a sense of asymmetry, tension, and visual flow:

Rule of Space

The Rule of Space emphasizes leaving empty space or room within the frame, specifically in the direction that the subject or elements are moving or looking towards. It adds a sense of direction or movement and allows the viewer to engage with the image more effectively:

Golden Ratio

The Golden Ratio, also known as the Divine Proportion or Phi (Φ), is a mathematical concept and compositional guideline used in various art forms. It is a ratio of approximately 1.618:1 and is considered aesthetically pleasing to the human eye. In photography, dividing the frame into sections based on the Golden Ratio and positioning important subjects or focal points along these divisions creates a visually appealing and balanced composition. That way, compositions that feel harmonious and naturally pleasing:

So there you have it! while not comprehensive, these guidelines may help create shots that are engaging and pleasing to the eye.

You can now find this and all the previous guides and reference materials in our Discord server, Sights of Eorzea. Come check it out!

#ffxiv #gpose #aquitaine studio #Sights of Eorzea #gpose guide #ffxiv tutorial

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finleycannotdraw · 4 days

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yo, hi,

please rant about the use of colours/shots in dead boy detectives (if you want to), that would be amazing to read!

omg hell yeah i would love to. <3 buckle up everybody!

(there were some other people in the comments who wanted to hear more as well. for convenience's sake i'm going to keep it all in one post.)

I'm not going to talk about every single frame in the last post, because there are a lot, but I'll be sure to touch on all of the ones that have a good amount of depth beyond the dramatic lighting. (sorry, Angie shot.)

...this is going to get long.

so first, this one:

With Edwin's brown coat, Niko's green coat, the brown bushes in between them, and the trees behind Edwin, this shot is cohesive and satisfying. I drew the orange lines to sort of illustrate how your eye moves across the frame; the line of eye contact, the tree branch (dashed lines) almost parallel to that, the sidewalk/grass line, and the lapels/shadows/folds of their jackets all form a general diagonal streamlined snapshot. Then the black post behind Niko, the tree between them, and the tree trunk behind Edwin continue to divide the frame vertically and add to the additional invisible "line" created by their height difference. Finally, the sky behind Niko, as well as her hair, contrast heavily and very well with the darker colors of the tree behind Edwin, though there is still white on his side (the building) and brown on hers (tree branches). If you were to take a single diagonal line from the bottom left corner to the top right, you would get two incredibly distinctly colored sections, but they complement each other so well.

This whole scene is gorgeous because of the pale sky and water up against Niko's hair and the brown tree trunks with Edwin's jacket, but I also love it because it's so simply colored. We have the classic blue+orange color dynamic, but diluted down to very pale blue and very dark brown. This shot specifically features Edwin focused at the center (the blue lines show that he is standing mostly straight up, while the trees on the borders of the frame are all leaning inwards), with Niko crouched down to fit with the shape of the hillside (orange) AND the silhouetted rocks in the foreground. Then the hillside, the shadow on the water, the general cutoff of the tree branches, and the island in the distance (purple) frame the two of them in the middle without making a Point of it. It looks very natural, especially with the dark shadows around the border of the frame. (personally sort of brings to mind Wanderer Above The Sea of Fog).

I don't think I need to add any annotations to this one. The lighting is sharp and so are the shadows. The fog and the shine on the water, his hair, and the collar of his coat are starkly lit, while everything else, including his face, is deeply shadowed. Plus it's all an ominous, murky green. It's almost the opposite of Lilith coming out of her blood-red ocean. 10/10 frame, I have no words.

I gasped the first time I saw this shot. There are so many vertical lines (orange), which make the space feel thinner: the spike, the bulletin board(?) on the far left, both doorframes, the edges of the table and boxes, the tile on the wall on the right, Maxine herself... and then there are the diagonal lines, all sort of spreading out from Maxine, which includes the table edge, the shadows, and the wall tiles again. Then there's the fact that it's all so dark, but not quite pitch black. Once again we have a green/orange combo, and the light behind Maxine being so small in the whole frame makes it very effectively claustrophobic. We also never saw her enter this room from behind, which elevates her as threatening, because the camera work makes it seem as though we, the audience, are backing away from her as she enters, and then hiding from her as well. While I am devastated by the lack of a sapphic romance arc, I have to say I was blown away by the production of this scene.

I love this one because they're arranged so neatly around the book. I didn't draw a curve over their heads, but it's easy to visualize by following Monty's hairline up to Edwin's, and then Edwin's down to Charles' down to Crystal's. The height order is perfect. Then there's the black-brown-black-brown of Monty's jacket, Edwin's jacket, Charles' jacket, and Crystal's hair. The book itself helps frame their faces (diagonal blue lines), and their clothes fall into uniform with the vertical trees behind them, creating a satisfying, natural, unobtrusive background. This is definitely more visually appealing than a shot of them leaning over and looking down at the book/camera. It's also broken up very nicely by the greenery. Plus, none of their faces are shown from the same angle! Refreshing!

Poor Monty :( but hey, he gets a really awesome shot here! We're back to orange+blue, and the angle of this shot makes it look like the vertical trees behind him are positioned diagonally (orange) to follow the dark blue shadow behind his head. We also get two light sources: one of them is the moon, and the other one comes from the same place as the music. The moonlight (blue) sort of encircles his head and cuts off at the line of trees about halfway across the frame. Both the back of his hair and the far side of his face are illuminated, which is very effective in terms of bringing him into the foreground and making him the focus of the shot even though he's not in the middle of the frame. It's also balanced nicely by having background detail on the left, with the orange trees, but not on the right, where there's nothing but dark blue behind Monty. This is also a great shot when it comes to his hair and jacket, because the jacket is used to add to the framing of his face with the dark blue background, and his dark brown hair is lit sparingly, which ties in the left side of the frame.

Like the frame with Maxine, this one has a lot of shadow and a little bit of light, and again works with an orange/blue (or teal, really) color scheme, but this one is much friendlier. The windows are larger than the doorframe and Charles isn't actually blocking the light the way Maxine did. Instead, he's illuminated from the right by Edwin's orange lantern, and the shot is balanced by highlights (blue) that stop it from becoming cramped and stressful. There are stable vertical lines (purple) and rafters and shadows spreading out from the center (orange). Charles, though he is blocking the window, is wearing a white tank top, and his skin takes on the warmth from the lantern, so he's not in silhouette and he blends very nicely with the scene. I love that he's not at the center of the shot, but instead framed almost perfectly in the right window. (Another thing I love about this show is that the characters almost always interrupt the continuity of the background even when they're positioned to be framed by it. It makes the scenes feel much more natural even while they continue to be gorgeously directed from an artistic/stylistic point of view.)

This is one of the simpler ones, but it's perfect. The Night Nurse's hair and vest are the same brownish orange, and her shirt is the same as the walls, sticking with our tried and true brown/green (easy variation on orange/blue) color scheme. She is framed in the blackness of the doorway, but once again interrupts the white doorframe on the left side. Even the lamp and the board (?) on either side of the frame fill the negative space in a natural way. Also, the vertical lines of the board, doorframe, door, and lamp aren't perfectly spaced apart, which makes the whole shot feel more down-to-earth.

There is so much going on in this shot. The beams of light (orange) are emanating from behind Edwin in a shape sort of reminiscent of wings. The angles of light/shadow and the immediately obvious position of some of the mirrors (blue) also spreads out from behind him, reinforcing the wing imagery and focus. The background is lighter than the floor, and Edwin's clothes blend in with the floor and the reflecting highlights (green) in the mirrors. It's all balanced by shadows (purple), which aren't so much shadows as they are dark-colored mirrors and the blood on Edwin's face. This shot is an unsettling combination of chaos and order, increased by the strange phenomena of mirrors endlessly reflecting into each other, especially since Edwin doesn't show up in any of them. You'd expect him to look out of place, and he mostly does, but there's just enough immediate immersion with the color scheme and light angles to make him fit perfectly. And he wouldn't fit in this shot nearly as well if he were wearing his usual clothes. It's such a good way to introduce Despair. I love this scene.

Now I needed to include these two next to each other, because they're. They're the same scene. Maren is on the porch looking down at Crystal and the boys, but the color schemes and blocking are so starkly different. Maren is wearing black, and the house is washed-out yellow and maroon, both unfriendly colors in this scene. The windows all show the gray reflections of the dead tree instead of even a glimpse inside the house, immediately showing that Maren is hiding something. Then in the shot with Crystal and the boys, they're positioned behind her on the path. Edwin is next to the brown gate and gray stones, and Charles is sort of shadowing Crystal and framed by the green bushes. Crystal's shirt is flower-patterned to match the pink petals on the ground, and her red hair and purple jacket make the whole shot more vibrant and friendly-looking than Maren's, even though Maren is supposedly the one being helpful/friendly/hospitable. The first time I watched this episode I knew I couldn't trust Maren as soon as I saw her standing on her front porch. This scene is, as Charles would say, brills.

Okay, last one, I have to stop somewhere. (I have so many more. I have. SO many more. that i could talk about. but this post is so long already). There are three windows, evenly spaced, white light and curtains framed in them. Charles is in nearly full silhouette as he opens that chest; his head and the lid of the chest intersect with the vertical window frame, and his arm runs parallel to the middle bar. He also blocks a good portion of the leftmost window, while Edwin stands in front of the one on the right. He's fully framed by the window and standing farther back than Charles, not quite silhouetted but still very dark compared to the background. When he ducks down to inspect the cabinet, his head ends up in front of the wall between the two windows. This whole scene is an excellent display of blocking/framing/lighting, just in terms of where they end up holding any given position while they talk. Once again, there's nothing artificial or manufactured about their blocking. These aren't statement shots (all film projects have a few Really Good Shots, but they're often at extremely important, pivotal, or emotional times, instead of spread out through the storyline.), which makes them even better.

I might have to make another post and include shots with Jenny, the sprites, the Cat King, Esther, and more landscape shots. There is no shortage of stunning frames and scenes, and there's no reason not to dive into the production and hidden meanings.

TL;DR: this show is an ARTISTIC MASTERPIECE. Please watch it. :)

#dead boy detectives #edwin payne #charles rowland #crystal palace #niko sasaki #monty finch #monty the crow #film stills #cinematography #this. got away from me.#appreciation post #color schemes #film techniques #analysis #symbolism

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runninguplenorahills · 1 year

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A couple of things I’ve only just noticed….

During the championship game after Jason misses the basket Lucas takes the ball and wins the game for the team. But just before Lucas throws the ball we get a close up of the digital clock saying 001 and afterwards we get a close up of Lucas lifting off of the ground!!

Either this was simply foreshadowing for Chrissy dying shortly after the game and every other death that followed, or my boy Lucas is in danger in s5……

—

During the basketball/hellfire sequence we get a lot of close up character shots and amongst those close ups we also get Steve and the girl he took to the game who is actually wearing triangle earrings and we know that triangles were used this season to symbolize queerness. Another girl that is standing behind them is also wearing a rainbow heart necklace:

Now, his could of course simply apply to the girl but I think it’s rather interesting that the next character we get a close up of is actually Mike:

There is a dice roll in between those shots though which features cans of Mountain Dew which is a brand by Pepsi and there’s also generally a lot of rainbow lighting stuff going on in the hellfire room:

—

In the airport scene when they’re walking out of the airport and El talks about her plans for the day, there‘s actually a guy wearing a shirt with rainbows on it in the background:

I‘m pretty sure I‘ve found the shirt on the internet though even though it might not be an exact match it is still very obvious that the shirt in the show does feature rainbows.

The guy also stands by the telephones which is…. interesting (phonegate).

—

These scenes are parallels:

It’s their first and their last heart-to-heart of the season.

the scenes have the same color scheme and every color appears almost in the exact same spot [the green dresser and the green curtains on the left, the green chair and the green trees peaking through the hole on the right. The yellow light and the yellow bits of the tapestry in the middle, Will with his yellow shirt on the right. The blue picture on top of the dresser and the blue kit/tank whatever that is on the left, Mike with his blue shirt on the left as well].

In their first heart-to-heart they’re divided by the vertical line on the tapestry and in their last heart-to-heart there’s a big stream of light between them.

In both scenes Mike’s arrow pocket points at Will.

In the bedroom we have the upside down tapestry and in the cabin we have the upside down sofa.

Will is talking about second chances: Mike getting a second chance to tell El what he didn’t tell her and El getting a second chance to win against Vecna [funny enough Mike’s reaction to the former is a fake smile, reluctantly accepting the advice he doesn’t wanna take, and his reaction to the latter is: “let’s hope not”….. interesting].

They’re talking about how it’s up to them to defeat Vecna in both scenes.

In the bedroom scene they’re talking about Owens and in the cabin scene they’re talking about Brenner.

#byler #will byers #mike wheeler #mike wheeler queer coding #phonegate #pepsigate #lucas sinclair #vecna #001 stranger things #stranger things analysis

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theboywithburninghands · 12 days

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Hello! I have brought to you today what is perhaps the sweetest and pile-of-sugariest Jesterbunnydoll chapter I have ever written. I spent all of today working on it. And I think it came out good! Definitely pure fluff and fun, no horror or heavy themes this time (apart from Pomni being a little upset she's short). Also features an important milestone in these stories that I won't spoil. Hope you like it, I had a blast writing it. T/W: None :D Lake Hair, Don't Care

Pomni was never thrilled with her appearance in the Circus. Sure, everyone around here looked ridiculous, it was a cartoon after all… But it was a lot easier to notice how dumb she looked when she was in a swimsuit.

It wasn’t anything revealing, just a one piece swimsuit, neatly divided into red and blue vertically (of course), but… ugh, it just highlighted everything wrong with her proportions. Her arms were gangly and a size too long, and her bulbous head shouldn’t have been supported by her stick of a body.

Pomni observed these things as she looked in the mirror in her room. She supposed it was a little entitled of her to complain about how she looked when Caine had actually let her wear a different outfit other than her little jester costume (sans her coxcomb hat, but that was now removable as well, and her shoes, which were swapped with a pair of aquadynamic ones). This was his way of apologizing after the whole House of Tricks fiasco.

There was a knock on the door.

Ragatha: Hey Pomni, you ready? Jax is already down at the beach.

Pomni: *swallows* Yeah, here I come…

The jester took another moment to look herself over, blowing a raspberry through her lips before traipsing to the door and opening it up.

Ragatha: Hey, there she is! Oh my gosh, look at you..! Ragatha put her hands together and beamed down at Pomni’s new outfit. The doll woman was in a one-piece swimsuit as well, the same indigo as the darker cloth patches on her usual dress. She was missing her hair bow and her shoes and socks, her feet unsurprisingly ending with no toes. Pomni thought she wore the swimsuit better, given her more humanoid proportions.

Pomni: *weak smile* You look nice.

Ragatha: So do you, hun! *tilts her head* Are you keeping the hat on in the lake?

Pomni: Oh. No, I can take it off now.

Pomni removed her cap. Her black hair stuck out in a few places, but overall kept to its bob-cut shape. Ragatha’s eye glimmered at the sight, and her mouth was open in a silent gasp of delight.

Pomni: I know, I know… I look cute. I was hoping this outfit made me look… I dunno. Prettier?

Ragatha crouched down to Pomni’s level with a gentle smile. Before the jester could utter another word, Ragatha planted a soft kiss on her lips, her cheeks dusted with pink.

Ragatha: You’re the prettiest girl in the circus.

Pomni: *red-faced but smiling* Funny. I only see one pretty girl around here.

Ragatha: Is that what you say to the mirror every morning?

Pomni laughed sheepishly at the doll’s compliments and buried her face in her shoulder to hide her scorching blush, Ragatha scooping her girlfriend up in a hug.

Ragatha: I mean it, you look incredibly pretty. Jax is gonna flip when he sees you.

Pomni: Ha. He’ll probably say I belong in The Lollipop Guild.

Ragatha: If he does, tease him right back. Have you seen what Caine gave him to wear? He looks like a candy cane.

Pomni: *giggles* Really?

Ragatha: Trust me babe, just wait. Anyway, you know he loves you. He’s just shy about it. Come on!

Ragatha led her girlfriend out of the hallway into the stage area.

Pomni: You know, he feels the same way about you.

Ragatha: Psssh, come on, he and I have been bickering with each other for years now.

Pomni: Yeah, I know. I remember how he acted when I first got here. But… I dunno, I think something is different.

Ragatha: You sure he’s not just trying to stay out of trouble for your sake?

Pomni: Well, maybe at first… I don’t know. I feel like… You ever look at someone you know really well, and you can just… tell something’s changed? Not necessarily in a bad way, but… ugh, it’s-it’s hard to explain.

Ragatha: No, no, I totally get it. It’s a really valuable skill.

The two women left the tent and headed out onto the grounds.

Pomni: I don’t remember much of anything about outside, but I feel like this is sort of normal for me. It’s really fuzzy, but I think I had a lot of trouble with that. Back in uh… reality. Unless I was really close to someone I couldn’t… tell what they were thinking? But if I knew someone, like, knew knew someone, I was really in tune with how they felt. Almost to a fault…

Ragatha: *she thinks for a little while* Hm. I don’t know what I would call that. I know I like to help with people’s problems, but I’m not a qualified shrink. Maybe it’s like a hyperfixation?

Pomni: Huh?

Ragatha: A hyperfixation. Like I said, I’m not a professional, but… Oh, hold that thought. Hey Jax! Ragatha waved eagerly at the beach by the lake. Jax had already set up three lounge chairs for them under a large, cerulean umbrella. The rabbit crouched down, out of sight behind the chairs save for his long purple ears.

Jax: Yeah, hey, what’s up. Where did I put that stupid thing..?

Jax climbed to his feet, hands on his hips. Pomni bit hard on her lower lip. Ragatha’s comparison to a candy cane was right on the money. Jax was in a one piece swimsuit like the girls, but one of those old fashioned ones with polo stripes. Pinkish-red and white horizontal stripes went from his hips to his shoulders.

Ragatha: Did you lose something? Jax: Nah, I musta put it- *he turns, sees Pomni and looks at her silently for moment* …Weeell, look at you, Pompom.~

Jax’s usual half-lidded grin spread across his face. Pomni felt her face scorch again and she looked away, suddenly very interested in counting grains of sand.

Pomni: Don’t call me Pompom…

Jax: You look great. *he snaps his fingers* Oh! I remember where I put it.

Jax knelt down beside one of the lounge chairs and groped about under it. Ragatha beamed and gave Pomni a quick “told-you-so” elbow, the jester smiling and mouthing for her to be quiet.

Ragatha: So how’s the water, Jax?

Jax: *stands up and dusts off his bathing suit, turning to the girls* I dunno. You tell me.

Ragatha was doused with a vaporous jet of water, letting out an alarmed shriek. Pomni jolted and took a few steps back, looking from Ragatha to Jax. The rabbit held a bulky plastic water gun, orange with steely gray trim, in his left hand, his right on the gun’s pneumatic pump. His grin almost reached his ears as he pumped the gun a few times and took aim at Pomni.

Pomni: JaaaAAAX! The jester made a clumsy but effective attempt at a dodge roll behind the lounge chairs, the plastic gun’s cone of water mostly ending spraying all over the chairs.

Jax: Aww, Pomni! Look what you made me do!

Jax began to pump again, but his follow-up volley was stopped by a pair of damp ragdoll arms seizing him about the torso and hoisting him up off his feet.

Ragatha: So you wanna play like that, little man?~

Ragatha marched into the water, holding Jax like a squirming, six foot toddler.

Jax: Hey Rags, c’mon, I was gonna give you a turn too, hey, WAIT, RAGATHA-!

Pomni peered out from over the lounge chairs, just in time to see Ragatha flash a grin of mock malice and toss Jax into the lake, the rabbit hitting the water like a bag of rocks and sending a geyser of water up into the air. Ragatha then held her nose and hopped into the deeper water, sinking under the surface. Her mane of red yarn hair vanished into the blue water in a hiss of bubbles, resurfacing in about three or four seconds.

Ragatha: Phew! It’s actually so much better when you’re already a little wet. It feels great!

Jax resurfaced not long after Ragatha, his demeanor more like a wet cat than a wet rabbit.

Jax: Oh yeah, I sure wish I had that luxury.

Ragatha smirked, picking up the squirt gun floating in the water and aiming it one-handed at Jax, spraying him point blank with a cone of mist.

Jax: ACK-! Hey!

Ragatha: Whoopsie-daisy, how did that happen?~ *turning to Pomni* Hey, jump in, Pomni! It’s super refreshing!

Jax: Yeah, it’s only freezing until your nerves go into shock…

Pomni gulped. She put her coxcomb hat on one of the lounge chairs. Nothing to be afraid of, just a little… water. Very cold water. She clenched her teeth and ran across the sand, making a steady groan of anticipation as her water shoes splashed in the shallow water. Her groan crescendoed into a squeal as she took a flying leap at the deep water, Ragatha and Jax both covering their faces to avoid getting drenched further.There was a splash and a whirlwind of bubbles. The deep blue lakewater engulfed her and she felt its chill set in. It was cold! But juuust teetering on the edge of too cold, a pleasant middle ground between brisk and comfortable. She resurfaced and spouted some water.

Pomni: Oh-! Oh, this… this is… nice! It’s cold but… it hits the spot!

Ragatha: Right? I forgot how good this feels! Ragatha sank backwards into the water and closed her eye with a content sigh, her braids of yarn drifting lazily on the surface. Pomni felt an unpleasant pang of self-consciousness when she realized that her boyfriend and girlfriend had no issue standing in this part of the lake while she still needed to tread water… although it was immediately quashed when she felt a blast of water vapor gush against the back of her head.

Pomni: JAX!

Jax: *holding the water gun* Whaaaat? You’re already wet.

Pomni: Grrr… gimme that thing! Pomni dove for the water gun, Jax holding it over his head like an older student dangling a younger student’s milk money just out of reach.

Jax: Oops, gotta be quicker than that. *winks*

Pomni furrowed her brow and sank into the water until she felt her feet touch the lakebed, pushing off of it with enough momentum to leap up and lock her legs around Jax’s torso.

Jax: Woah-ho! *sways due to the extra weight* Easy there, slothgirl!

Pomni: Give me the gun, Jax! Pomni reached her hand up towards the gun Jax still held out of reach, her fingers just barely able to brush the wet plastic. Jax, realizing the jester’s face was just about flush with his, grinned deviously. In a blink, he pressed his wet lips to hers.

Pomni: MNN-! …Mmm.

Pomni’s squeak of protest became a warm hum as she gladly accepted this little surprise. She wrapped her arms around Jax’s neck and deepened the kiss, the rabbit lowering his arms to support his girlfriend better. Ragatha put a hand to her mouth, laughing and turning slightly pink.

Ragatha: No complaints here.

Pomni, opening one eye to check if Jax was fully immersed in their kiss. Upon seeing both of his eyes were closed, a tiny smirk crept to the corners of her mouth and she sprung her trap. Using her full weight, she suddenly pulled backwards towards the lake, yanking Jax, whose eyes shot open, face first under the water. Pomni wriggled free of his arms and weight and grabbed the water gun, giving it a few hasty pumps once she resurfaced and taking aim at Jax as he re-emerged from the lake, wiping blue water out of his eyes. He realized that he had been cornered and sighed, rolling his eyes and holding up his hands in surrender.

Jax: Alright, alright, shoot your shot. Just don’t go for the face, yeah?

Pomni leveled the water gun, squinting one eye for a better shot…

Pomni: Nah. *tosses the gun aside# I’ve got hands. *she rears back and pushes the water forward, sending a small wave right at Jax’s face*

Jax: Gah-! Oh, you just made a huge mistake.. *he makes a fist, covers it with the other hand and gives a mighty slam to the lake in front of him, causing a massive burst of water to soak both Pomni and Ragatha* Pomni: ACK-! Ragatha: HEY, you got me with that one! Jax: Oh, I’m sooo sorry, my aim is just terrible… *he blinks innocently*

Pomni and Ragatha shared looks of annoyance, then turned to leer at Jax.

Jax: Uh. Cr@%.

Jax was promptly beset with a torrent of water from both Pomni and Ragatha. Sheet after sheet of blue lakewater hit the rabbit as he held his hands out in a feeble attempt to stop the deluge of splashes.

Jax: Come ooon, two on one ain’t fair!

Jax took one of the arms currently blocking his face and held it out lengthwise beside him, dipping his hand into the water. With a grunt of effort, he spun in a full circle, water flying out in a crescent moon in front of him and hitting both girls, who cried out with delight as they were doused in water.

Jax: Free for all rules. No more alliances. Fair?

Ragatha: Fair. *she promptly splashes Pomni*

Pomni: HEY- why you-!

Jax: Ahhhh, I love the smell of anarchy in the morning… *hit in the face by a rogue splash# EGH- pbbbbt…

—

The splash war ended up only being about a half hour of the three performers’ time in the lake. The rest of the time was spent in a pleasant cycle of air-drying on the lounge chairs, then getting back in the water once they were completely dry so they could feel the refreshing embrace of the lake in full once again. They repeated this routine until the sky had turned cotton-candy pink in the sunset. They toweled off, packed up their things, and headed back to the tent. They were tired yet merry, and ready to spend the rest of the evening relaxing.

Pomni: …That was great. Thank you so so much, you guys.This is the happiest I’ve felt in… well… I think it might be the happiest I’ve ever been here.

Ragatha: Aw, Pomni… I had a great time too. We should do something like this again sometime soon.

Jax: I’m with Rags. In between the LARPing, we should find time for just… us. Doesn’t have to be at the lake.

Pomni: I don’t really have a way to repay you guys, but…

Pomni stood on her tiptoes and pecked Jax on the cheek, then Ragatha.

Pomni: …I’ll remember today for the rest of my life.

Pomni’s voice wavered ever so slightly before she went into her bedroom. Jax rubbed the spot where Pomni kissed him reverently. His chest felt tight, but it ached in a good way.

Ragatha: So, what are you gonna do the rest of tonight?

Jax: Eh. Who knows. I feel like I could go straight to sleep.

Ragatha: Yeah… end today now while it’s still perfect, right?

Jax: …You know? I think I’m willing to take one more risk.

Ragatha: Is that right? *she smirks, raising an eyebrow* What kind of risk? Jax: Yeah. I dunno. Something like this?

Jax closed the distance between them. He kept a calm expression, but internally his heart pounded like a broken washing machine. He slowly but deliberately reached out a hand towards Ragatha’s cheek. She could tell him to stop whenever she wanted and he would. But she didn’t tell him to stop.

Her cheek was plush, her fabric-like skin a little rough from the lakewater. It was… warm. Ragatha gently leaned her cheek into his touch. His composure began to slip.

Jax: Didn’t- Didn’t think I’d get this far… eheh…

Ragatha: So now that you have gotten this far. What are you going to do?

Jax: Uh… wh-what did you want me to do..?

Ragatha: Hmm. *she smiled and took Jax’s hand off of her cheek* I dunno. I guess next time you should plan further ahead. Ragatha turned to walk away, leaving Jax standing in the middle of the hall, his hand still half-raised. The doll paused, then turned back to the rabbit.

Ragatha: But, just a suggestion? She pressed her lips to his, popping her foot out girlishly, ending the kiss with a short and chaste “chu~” sound Ragatha: For next time, something like that might be good.

Ragatha trotted back to her room, this time actually leaving Jax standing in the middle of the hallway. He licked his lips, stood staring for a moment longer, then walked back to his room.

#the amazing digital circus #funnybunny #buttonblossom #bunnydoll #tadc jax #tadc pomni #tadc ragatha #jax x pomni #pomni x ragatha #jax x ragatha #oh no cringe #fluff #autistic pomni

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oakandgumtrees · 1 year

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The Lady in the Library, Part 1

It was a dreary November Thursday that the call came in. I was the only one in the office at the time, since the others were out sick or doing inspections, so I was the one who answered the phone.

“Berkshire Library Effect Professionals, how can I help you?”

At first, I assumed it was another fucking bookshop owner trying to organise their annual certification - it seemed like that was all I’d been doing for a month and a half. (When the phone rang, I’d been writing up the assessment of a shop with twelve shelf metres per square metre. Twelve.) So maybe I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have been.

I was opening up a booking form for an estate assessment when the words “twenty thousand” lodged in my brain.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”

The fancy lawyer on the other end did not seem impressed. “The late Mr Stockton’s collection contains an estimated twenty thousand volumes,” he repeated primly. “It has been built up by several generations of Stocktons, in the library at their family home.”

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh fuck.

-----

John and I went out that same afternoon to do a preliminary assessment. It was already four when we left, but the solicitor hadn’t cared about paying for overtime, and had cared about getting things started quickly, so we loaded up our kits and set out for Alderford Manor.

John had been doing this job for nearly forty years, and had gone through cynicism and out the other side. It didn’t surprise him that we were going to a country house where the library was probably going to have spatial, temporal, and eccentric distortions. He’d seen it all before.

I, on the other hand, had been a library effect professional for about eight years, and was at the peak of my cynicism. “Twenty thousand, he said, and it’s never been assessed!”

“Mind the tractor.”

I slowed down so the aforesaid tractor could squeeze between us and the hedge. “Bloody self-important, over-confident bastards,” I muttered. “It’s probably all crammed in there, too. Private owners never give a shit about book density.” Not that density would make much of a difference with that many books. Mild library effects started kicking in around a thousand books per room, usually. Twenty thousand almost guaranteed trouble, especially with pre-Edwardian architecture.

“Does that mean you want to be site manager while I do the walkthrough?” John teased. “Next left now.”

If I hadn’t been driving, I’d have glared at him. (Which he definitely knew.) “Of course I want to do the walkthrough!” I snapped. Pacing out large libraries was the riskiest part of our job, but it was also the most exciting, and the chance didn’t come around every day. Who knew what we’d find? “...I just want to be able to bitch about stupid clients when we’re out of earshot.”

He smirked at me.

I checked the mirrors and pretended I couldn’t see him.

-----

Alderford Manor was the sort of eighteenth century country house that was scattered all over England, and like many of them, it was starting to look a little shabby. Nothing drastic, but the curtains were a little worn, the upholstery faded, and I could tell whatever staff worked here, they were falling behind with the dusting and polishing. In short, exactly what you’d expect from a house that was going to be sold because it was too much trouble to whatever distant relative had inherited it.

Its library was anything but ordinary.

Long aisles of shelving stretched from the entrance into shadow, dividing a seemingly cavernous room into narrow passages. There were no windows to relieve the gloom, and the inbuilt lights illuminated little but shadows and the occasional gilded label. Every vertical surface was packed with books, some as old as the house, some purchased in the last few decades.

I exchanged looks with John, and began to pack my vest and kit bag.

Phone. Spare phone battery. Notebook. Pencils. Chalk. Voice recorder. Film camera. Mechanical stopwatch. Digital stopwatch. Compass. Plumbline. Light meter. Altimeter. Water. Emergency food rations. First aid kit. Emergency blanket. Radio. If I was lucky, I wouldn’t need most of it. If I was unlucky, it might not be enough.

Anchor rope hooked to my belt, radio around my neck, and surveyor’s wheel in hand, I ventured into the library. “From the door, ninety degrees left, following the wall,” I reported quietly. My footsteps were nearly silent on the rug, and the space had the deadened atmosphere of noise cancellation. Who knew, if there had been bells like a monastic library, if I would have even heard them?

Deeper and deeper I followed the wall, calling out measurements to John as I went. His voice was steady on the other end, if a little crackly, anchoring me as much as the rope did.

And then I turned a corner, and saw a silhouette that definitely shouldn’t have been there.

“John?” I asked carefully. “Didn’t Mrs Jones say everyone was accounted for?”

The figure in the shadows stood, and moved towards the light. “Good afternoon,” she said warily - definitely a woman’s voice, low and refined. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of making your acquaintance.”

She stepped into the light, revealing an outfit straight out of an Austen novel.

“N-No,” I stammered, dipping into an utterly mangled half-curtesy out of some bizarre instinct that the gesture would help. “I don’t imagine you have.”

Part 2

#the lady in the library #original #inspired by discworld L-space

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cuppajj · 1 year

Text

Guy who can't draw environments does their best to describe what the colony and cities look like

So I can't draw landscapes for the life of me (yet) so it would be back breakingly hard to draw what this place looks like, but I'll do my best to explain and also compile a set of pictures that gives you a good idea!

TL;DR: the planet the colony is in is lifeless, rocky, and dry, but deep underneath are caverns filled with plant life where the civilization lies. Towns and cities are a fusion of traditional cybertronian and fantasy elements, with the capital being the fanciest and most fantastical.

There's little to no life on the surface of the planet. It's dry, dusty, and almost entirely flat, save for a few mountain ranges. You'd be forgiven for trusting your radar and believing that there's nothing of interest on this planet at all, but if you were to ignore it and take a closer look, land your ship and explore, then you'd find that situated among the sparse hills and ravines are entrances into deep and intricate cave systems, some marked by a ring of stones.

The caves stretch down and out for miles, and they look how they typically do on a place like Earth. Dark rocks, tight spaces, stalagmites and stalagtites. It's almost enough to deter a regular cave explorer from venturing further. However, The further down you go, the more you begin to see streams, glowing rocks, and eventually, plant life. Moss, ivy, mushrooms, and curiously pretty flowers. Soon the caves are filled with flora, thick trees and fresh air, luminescent rocks placed along the ceiling to illuminate like sunlight through the leaves. There are no longer cramped and tight rooms and tunnels as everything opens up, and when you reach different clearings, you can sometimes hardly tell you're underground at all. You've officially entered the colony; and from there on, the lush caverns will only increase in pure spectacle and beauty. It's like stepping into another world.

Here are ideas of what the lush caves look like:

The towns and cities themselves vary, some fancier, some simpler, some horizontal and some vertical. The colony's architecture resembles cybertronian design, but is also uniquely fantasy-like. Homes can be modeled after flowers, mushrooms, and rocks, and some inhabitants even carve their homes into the cavern walls themselves. Cities similarly have a fantasy-sci-fi fusion, with architecture that blends cybertronian and fantastical elements. Their plans are like the plans of any normal city, divided into districts, with certain sectors having a common category for their businesses. There's an arts district, a textiles and jewelry district, and a science district in the capital, for example. Interspersed are residential buildings and homes, and streets paved with stone in a leaf or floral pattern. Markets and small businesses are everywhere. The main forms of transportation are monorails that run through (and/or up) the city, and canals of groundwater that eventually lead out of cities and into large lakes, which are popular places for residents to visit.

The capital is the largest and fanciest. While its more outer sections have traditional colonial architecture, the closer you get to the heart of the city, the titan herself, the more ornate the buildings become. Colored windows, fancy lampposts, homes and businesses constructed from smooth light stone, covered roof to base in flora. Titan's Guard patrol the corner of every street, and it's here where you'll see the aristocratic class strutting about in fancy silks and ununtrium jewelry. Venture far into this district, and you'll eventually reach a giant, heavily guarded gate that no one is allowed to pass through; because through there are the Sacred Grounds, home to the Titan and her cityspeaker.

Lastly, it’s advised you don’t try to squeeze into any dark or suspicious-looking cracks, though; they’re just out of your sight as you traverse the lush outskirts of the cities, but they’re there. Those ever-changing entrances lead you into what’s known as the Darklands, where the shady, criminal, and deplorable fester in secret, waiting to strike any unfortunate passerby who didn’t stick to the main path.

(some of these aren't underground but imagine that they are)

Cities/Towns: x x x x x

#all this worldbuilding and still no name for anything LOL #unnamed colony world #cjj sayeth #maccadam #transformers #transformers oc #sorry if this doesn’t give you an idea of what this place looks like lol

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