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#because i remembered to add the paper effect
mrs-azriel · 26 days
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A Pair of Spies - Azriel x Reader
Pairing: Azriel x female!reader
Warnings: Angst to fluff. Kinda oblivious reader and Az. Jealousy. Changing yourself for a man (don’t do this y’all).
Synopsis: You decide to change how you dress and act to get his attention, but when your plan works, you realize that it doesn’t feel as good as you thought it would.
Word Count: 3.7k
Based off of this request! Changed some stuff to make it work, hopefully you all still enjoy <3
She was everything you weren't. Sweet, soft, and beautiful in a way that had never suited you. Bright colors washed you out, flowy dresses didn't compliment your figure, and being approachable to everyone wasn't easy for you.
You didn't dislike these things, it was just that they were so far from being you.
You had a rough exterior. Honed from years of spywork, of seducing men just enough to gain intel - and looking good while doing it. You were comfortable this way.
Dark skin tight dresses, high heels that you still managed to keep functional, sharp red nails, a red lip, and dark kohl lining your eyes was your look. It was what you loved and it was what looked best.
Unfortunately for you, however, it never attracted the people you wanted it to.
Planning to meet the Inner Circle at Rita's, you strutted down the cobblestone streets while you felt the gaze of several curious onlookers - some envious, some hungry, others impassive. None of them mattered to you. There was only one person's gaze that you cared about.
The Shadowsinger.
The Spymaster.
Not technically your boss, as you worked directly under Rhysand, but more of a superior co worker of sorts. You didn't care about any of that. You just . . . loved him for him.
Unfortunately.
You had worked side by side for decades, completed countless missions, saved each other's lives. The Shadow of Death and his Deceptive Seductress.
It looked perfect on paper, however, it seemed that the Shadow of Death was looking for someone to balance his darkness, not add to it.
You felt the floor rumble beneath your feet from the loud music as you entered the doors to Rita's, eyes scanning the crowd for the familiar faces of your chosen family. Heat-filled gazes followed you as you made your way through the crowd and you were sure to give a few of the fae a sultry smile and others a wink.
"If it isn't the Silent Killer!" Cassian's voice boomed clearly even above the music and crowd noise.
"What did I say about calling me that? You know exactly how it sounds."
He laughed boisterously, "And that's exactly why I will continue to use it." You responded simply with a sharp middle finger in his direction.
As you sat in your usual seat, you found yourself unable to relax. Not with Azriel directly next to you. Especially when he had not once looked in your direction to greet you because his eyes were glued to the beautiful Archeron sister next to him.
As the drinks kept coming and you felt the effects more and more, you allowed Nesta to pull you up and onto the dancefloor. You wished you could fully enjoy your time - allow the alcohol to take over and lose yourself in a stranger for the night if only to relieve your stress.
And when a tall, strong, and objectively handsome male offered to take you home after dancing to a few songs, you realized that you wouldn't be granted that luxury tonight. While you had been in love with Azriel for longer than you could remember, you had always been able to date and have casual partners.
You weren't sure what changed in the past couple months, but suddenly, you couldn't stomach the idea of being with anyone but the Shadowsinger.
You were embarrassed, truly, at the depths your love went when he had never given you any hints of reciprocation. You had thought that you had made your intentions obvious. To you, it went deeper than your flirty mannerisms and sultry gazes. Never once had you shared more intimate moments with a male than you had Azriel.
On more than one occasion you had spent nights together simply talking about life, your goals and aspirations, your regrets. You had patched each other's wounds up numerous times and grounded each other when your emotions got the best of you.
But he only saw you as a friend. Perhaps taking your flirting as simply a part of who you were, not something sincere that he could interpret as reality. You had hoped that he would notice that when you flirted with him, it wasn't superficial like it was for your job.
Or maybe, he just wasn't interested. How could you blame him? You had done bad things - using your looks and nearly every male's inability to keep it in their pants to lure them into traps.
He saw these dark things due to his job all the time - no wonder he might want a break from it in his personal life. A break from someone like you.
As you rejected the advances of this beautiful male in front of you, you turned back to where you last saw Nesta - only to witness her and Cassian grinding on each other. Stifling a giggle, you went to return to the table that was reserved for the High Lord's Inner Circle, only to find it empty besides Azriel and Elain.
They spoke in hushed whispers, her with a flush on her cheeks and him with an adoring look in his eyes. A pang of jealousy erupted in your chest and you wondered why you were destined to be in love with a male who could never love you back.
You looked at her soft purple gown and the bow that held her hair up. Her minimal makeup and girly manicure. She was so soft around the edges and her eyes were so inviting. You looked down at your pointed red nails and skin tight black dress. You remembered the dark kohl lining your eyes and the red tint that adorned your lips.
You were rough around the edges, wary of everyone, and unapproachable - the complete opposite of what Elain was. She appeared friendly, kind hearted, and everything that you were not.
Maybe he would like you if you were like her.
You knew it was a horrible idea, but even that knowledge couldn’t stop you.
The first thing that you changed were your nails. Your regular tech looked at you like you had grown eight heads when you asked for short nude nails.
"Alright, who are you and what have you done to Y/N?"
"Ha-ha, real funny," but you felt embarrassed that the change was being pointed out so quickly. "I just think it's time for something different."
Thankfully none of the Inner Circle mentioned anything that night at dinner, if they even noticed the change at all. You knew Azriel would have noted the difference - his shadows missing nothing - however not even he said a word.
If you wanted him to notice, you would likely have to make other changes. Even if this small one made you feel like an imposter.
The next thing that changed was your makeup. Once again meeting your family at Rita's, you felt exposed - almost naked - without the usual heavy kohl lining your eyes and the dark lip. You resorted to a clear balm and simply curled your lashes.
This caught the attention of your family.
“Trying something new, Y/N?” Rhysand smirked. One glance at the High Lord and you knew that he was aware of exactly what you were trying to do - even though the walls in your mind were impenetrable.
“Perhaps.” Unable to control the grin from appearing on your face, a defence mechanism against the embarrassment that you felt so deeply. You simply sat in your usual seat and allowed the regular banter to distract you from the heat of the Shadowsinger to your right. He had yet to utter a single word to you, let alone meet your gaze, still turned towards Elain.
This was stupid. Why did you think this would work? No matter how you portray yourself he -
“You look different.”
That voice you had been yearning for weeks for finally spoke to you. You did your best to mask your shock and looked towards him with soft eyes, rather than with the dark gleam they normally held.
“Astute observation, Spymaster.”
He laughed, and you felt the sound deep in your chest, needing to hear it again.
"I mean to say, you look nice." He assured, eyes open and honest.
You thought it would feel better, his attention, his compliments. But knowing that he was complimenting this false portrayal of yourself simply left a gaping emptiness in your heart. Is it worth it? To be someone you're not simply to have him near?
"Thank you, Az," you found it hard to speak sincerely, but you were used to putting on an act. "I could say the same about you."
There was that laugh again, and you thought you might have caught a nervous glint in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
And the two of you spoke, more in a few hours than you had in the past three weeks, but you accepted it all in earnest. Any attention he was willing to appoint to you was worth it.
Right?
Azriel had continued to grace you with his presence over the next few days, eyes meeting yours whenever you entered a room, offering you help during training (even though you were both aware that you didn't need any), and walking you home from Rita's.
You felt guilty, because you were taking up his time with Elain, however, whenever you met her gaze while Azriel was speaking with you, it held no resentment or jealousy. It almost seemed . . . happy?
You knew deep down that this could never last. This wasn't you. But having the male you have loved for so long finally seem to notice you - it keeps you from backing down.
You looked in the mirror at the pink dress you had just slipped into, and you grimaced at how bright it was. You admitted it was a pretty color, one that looked amazing on Elain’s complexion, however you found no joy in how it looked on you.
You hadn't even owned anything pink, going out of your way to buy it earlier that day. The shop owner said nothing to you, however you didn't miss the intentional glance she gave to the other worker - likely confused by your choice in wardrobe.
You built up the courage to start your walk to dinner, trying to look completely confident in your attire - the dress, the nails, and the makeup in all. Even though you felt so wrong.
After a deep breath, you pushed the doors open to the dining room, reminding yourself to place a small smile on your lips.
Mor was the first to see you, and she openly gaped at your appearance. Nesta saw you next and simply smirked, likely aware of your schemes as well. She always seemed to know everything.
Azriel and Elain were sitting next to each other as usual these days, both facing the wall opposite to where you were, and therefore had not yet seen you.
When you realized Cassian had seen you and you watched his mouth open to say something, you raised an eyebrow and gave him a familiar deathly glare. A silent warning to shut his mouth before he regretted it. His mouth closed just as promptly.
You sat down just as everyone began to eat, and you thanked the Mother that no one had commented on your appearance. You weren't sure what you would say had they done so.
Dinner went on without a hitch. Azriel spoke to you just as much as he had over the past few days, not ignoring Elain of course (and you wouldn't expect or want that from him).
As you said your goodbyes before you returned home, you wished the Shadowsinger farewell and walked onto the balcony alone.
Before you made it too far, you heard quick footsteps approaching from where you had just been. You turned around to see a breathless Azriel in front of you.
He breathed out your name, and you looked at him in concern as he seemed so rattled. So unlike the stoic temperament that he normally exhibited.
"Is everything alright, Azriel?"
"Yes, yes, of course," he averted his hazel eyes from yours, "I need to ask you a question."
Your heart rate increased and you hoped he could not hear it. "Ask away."
He gulped audibly, and you wondered what could possibly have him so nervous.
"I . . . I was wondering if you would want-" he fumbled with his words, and your concern only grew at the out-of-character behavior. He started again, more composed this time, "I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to dinner sometime?"
You simply stared at the male in front of you.
"Or - simply go out with me sometime."
He was asking you out. He was asking you out.
It was what you wanted for so long - something you dreamt of. You had imagined what this moment would feel like.
And now that it was happening, it felt all wrong. He had finally noticed you, but he noticed a false portrayal of you. You felt uncomfortable dressing this way, looking this way, acting this way.
He didn't want you. Not the real you.
His hopeful gaze turned panicked when he noticed your eyes water up. 
“Oh Azriel,” you sighed in defeat, “I can’t. I’m sorry.” And with that you turned around once more.
“Y/N-” he started, but you were already gone.
When you arrived home, you ripped the dress off your body so quickly that you heard a tear. You stared at your reflection in the mirror and hardly recognized the face looking back at you. 
“Gods, I’m so stupid. So, so stupid!” you grunted and kicked at a box that was resting on your floor. You felt numb, humiliated, and so shameful.
It was all your fault anyway - if you had never tried to be someone else, your friendship with Azriel wouldn’t be ruined, and you wouldn’t feel so inadequate. Of course he only wants you when you’re not yourself. Why would he want you?
Azriel was still standing in the place where you left him. He thought he had been heartbroken before, but your saddened rejection had shattered him in a way he had never imagined possible. It wasn’t until a soft hand touched his shoulder that he moved from his statue-like position.
He turned to face a concerned Elain. He could feel the beginnings of the familiar emotional numbness that typically followed bouts of strong feelings.
“Azriel? What happened?”
“She said no.” The words were barely audible, but the middle Archeron sister heard them. Her eyes grew so sad that the heartbreak threatened to overthrow the protective numbness that had spread through him. 
“Oh, Azriel. I’m so sorry.” She truly thought that you would say yes. She had seen how you looked at him. “Why don’t we go inside? Some sleep might help.”
As she led him inside, all he could think about was you. He thought you both had always had something between you, but perhaps it had been all one-sided. He had fallen in love with you decades ago, when you had first begun working under Rhysand as one of his spies. 
While helping Elain adapt to her new environment, they had formed a friendship - an understanding. He had confessed to her about his love for you, and she helped him figure out how he could overcome his fear of ruining your friendship and finally ask you to dinner. 
He was embarrassed that he had dragged Elain into his delusional thinking. As he laid in bed after Elain had left him on his own at the entrance to his room, he tossed and turned at the thought of your future together. He had ruined everything. 
He had wanted too much from you. He should had known that all he deserved from you was the closest friendship he had ever had.
And now that was gone. 
He had nothing. 
A week went by without encountering the Shadowsinger. You weren’t sure if it was coincidental, or intentional on his behalf, but nevertheless, you didn’t complain. You had completely thrown away the soft act that you had been putting on and reverted back to how you normally dress and behave. 
You decided to rummage through Rhysand’s cabinets for food since he had so much that he never noticed anything missing (and if he did he never said anything). As you turned the corner into the kitchen you came face to face with the male you had been dreading seeing again after your rejection of his advances. 
He looked up at you and as experienced as he was at hiding his emotions, you could tell he was feeling awkward at the impending interaction. You took note of the dark circles under his eyes, an indication of a lack of sleep, and your chest filled with pain at the thought of you being the cause of it. 
“Azriel.”
“Y/N.”
“I’m sorry, I was just gonna-” you stopped yourself. “Nevermind, I’ll leave you to it.” You muttered as you turned around.
“No! You don’t have to leave.” He called after you. Not wanting to hurt him anymore, you faced him once more and gave him a small smile in acknowledgement, before opening one of many cupboards of food. 
The silence in the room was palpable, and you could feel his gaze on you. After a few minutes, he finally spoke up again.
“How did your mission go?” 
At first you didn’t believe he was even speaking to you, thinking that you had missed someone else entering the room, but when no one answered him you realized it was indeed you who he asked the question to. But, you hadn’t been on a mission in nearly a month. 
You whipped around and frowned in confusion. 
“What are you talking about?”
It was his turn to look confused. “The mission you had been preparing for?”
You were truly at a loss for words. For a pair of spies, you both seemed to be completely unaware of much information. 
“I have no idea what you mean, Azriel.”
“You know, the pink and purple dresses? The different makeup you were doing? The nails? You were preparing for a mission, right? Like you’ve done hundreds of times before.”
A million thoughts raced through your head, and you started making connections between everything that had happened in the past few weeks.
“So, you think I went on a mission?” You asked carefully.
“Yes, I did. I’m assuming now that that was not the case?”
“You’d be correct in that assumption.” You spoke quietly and shook your head in an attempt to clear it.
“Why were you dressing like that then? And acting like that?” He asked, looking even more confused.
You avoided answering that question for the time being, needing more clarification before admitting to what you had tried. “So, let me get this straight - you didn’t ask me on a date because of how I was dressing?”
“What?” he almost looked hurt, and he made his way closer to you. “Is that what you thought? That I only asked you because you suddenly had a change in wardrobe?”
Well when he said it like that . . . 
“Yes,” you looked away sheepishly.
“Is that why you said no?” he asked slowly, as if testing the waters. 
You looked up into his hazel eyes, and built up the courage to tell the truth, “Yes.” You watched as a wave of relief filled his gaze, before hardening again in confusion.
“I didn’t ask you because of that, Y/N. I love the way you dress, and I love your personality the way it is. Why were you dressing like that if not for a mission?”
“I- I thought that if I changed how I looked you would finally notice me.” You winced at how your words sounded. “I noticed how close you had gotten with Elain, and I thought that if I was more like her, that your would like me too.”
“Oh, Y/N-”
“I know it was stupid, and selfish!” you were mortified, “I shouldn’t have done it and I regret it. If you’re happy with Elain then what right do I have to try and take you from her?”
When you finally met his eyes again they were soft, and had amusement sprinkled in. “Are you forgetting the part where I asked you out on a date?”
Heat rose to your cheeks. Clearly your emotions were hindering your typical awareness that was necessary for your job. “Right.”
And he laughed. And you laughed with him.
“Can I ask why you have spent so much time with Elain? Not that you shouldn’t have, I just- could’ve sworn you were in love with her.”
“I guess I can see why it would look like that. But Rhys had asked me to help her adjust to her new life as a fae, and we became friends. She’s actually been helping me build up the courage to ask you out.”
You stared at him for a few seconds, mouth agape, before covering your face with both hands. “I completely screwed this up, didn’t I? How am I a spy and I read this so wrong?”
You felt scarred hands pry your own away from your face before the male pulled you into his arms in a hug. “Don’t be embarrassed. Not around me.” 
Your heart melted, and you calmed a bit in the safety of his arms.
“I’m sorry for reading things all wrong, and trying to manipulate you into liking me.” Your words were muffled against the fabric of his shirt. You felt the vibration of his chest as he laughed. 
“There was no manipulation needed. And while I’m sure just talking to me would have made things easier, we would never have this ridiculous story to tell.” You groaned dramatically at the thought of telling the rest of your family about what you had tried to do. He pulled away from the hug but kept you close. “I think I’ve done this completely wrong too. You thought me to be in love with Elain? I can’t believe I made you think that when I love you. And I have for a while now.”
Tears threatened to spill from your eyes as you smiled brighter than you had in a long time. “I love you too, Azriel. So much.”
His lips crashed into yours, and at once, you both felt the golden string pull on your chests, tugging you towards one other. You gasped and reached a hand up to feel the new sensation.
"Were mates" he said, voice thick, but the smile on his face told you everything you needed to know.
"Were mates!" you whispered in shock and excitement.
You saw tears line Azriel’s eyes in happiness as he asked,
“So . . . how about that date?”
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fursasaida · 5 months
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In just one month, approximately 462 hectares (4.6 million m²) of woodland, "notably pines and oaks, as well as around 20 hectares of centuries-old olive groves," have been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, said Georges Mitri, Director of the Land and Natural Resources Programme at Balamand University. Since the escalation of tensions between Hezbollah and the Israeli army on Oct. 8, the latter has used white phosphorus to set fire to forests and fields in border areas. The 1980 Geneva Convention, which Israel has not signed, prohibits the use of white phosphorous on civilians and in civilian areas due to its devastating effects on humans, animals and the environment.
[...]
Amid the ongoing economic crisis, the attacks targeting olive groves ahead of harvest season have a major negative impact on the local economy in the area. "Traditionally, people gather around the olive trees, harvest their crops, press their oil together... A big part of their lives is being lost," lamented Younes. “The olive trees being burned are centuries old," he pointed out. “If we were to replant them today, how long would it be before these fields became productive?” Giving an estimate of the economic losses attributed to the daily fires in the South, Mitri put the figure at nearly 20 million dollars. In the long term, Younes is particularly concerned about the environmental impact of the phosphorus bombs. "We have no choice but to wait until the end of hostilities before assessing the situation on the ground," he said. In Younes’ view, the greater the rate of absorption of phosphorus into the soil and water, the greater the risk of dramatic long-term consequences on Lebanon’s environment.
I'll add here that southern Lebanon has never fully recovered from 2006. There are still unexploded cluster bombs in the ground, killing and maiming people. There is still chemical contamination. The economic impact on agriculture has never been fully recouped. The cancer rates are still elevated and unaddressed. The labor structure and which crops are grown changed after 2006 and have never reverted. I remember weeping watching the bombing of Gaza in 2021 as I was in the middle of writing a paper about the long term legacies of the July War in Lebanon, with these additional long-term violences of the bombing at the forefront of my mind along with the immediate deaths and tragedies. This is a horrifying compounding of an existing injury, at a time when Lebanon is in economic free fall and (as the article also explains) in the middle of fire season, and with firefighters unable to do much because the area is. being bombed.
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spockandawe · 11 months
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Here we go! I have some smaller books to share as well, but I've been absolutely VIBRATING with excitement to share a BIG one, and I'm going to indulge myself and post that today, then figure out words for the rest. Because I bound a new cnovel. Check it out, guys, I bound jwqs/clear and muddy loss of love :D
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Let me indulge myself and backtrack a little! First, these are quarto books, so they're short. But I think these average a little under 500 pages each, and jwqs is a LONG book (my beloved), and this adds up to a total eleven inches of lesbians. More like twelve once they're in their cases. It's over a million characters in Chinese and I think the English translation comes in somewhere around 890k, it's HUGE
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Making these books was SO FUN, I hadn't read jwqs and still haven't, and will probably read on my phone when I do. I don't have any exciting photos of the typesetting, but I knew this was an imperial succession story, and that made me nervous, those stories don't always click for me. Well, the process of typesetting and adding footnotes for this beast definitely confirmed that I'm going to have a good time with this thing when I have the time to read it, but there was also so much going on that only the vaguest of spoilers sank in. I went into an absolute FRENZY of typesetting, and after I printed, cut and folded it, well. That was one afternoon of sewing. You're looking at the reason I'm scrambling to make up a few hours of missed work, hahaha
After that, I needed cases. At the very beginning of march, I received a shipment of some FASCINATING bookcloth. It's called Duo, and it's made by layering a thin gauzy fabric of one color over paper of a different color. Depending on the combos, you get a really cool range of color-shifting effects. And they've gone out of production! But I was part of a group order to get some of the goods, and hadn't yet finished a new project. Reader, I went for it.
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That purple and green is bananas!!!! It's so hard to photograph, this midnight picture of a few cases is one of my most successful attempts to capture the full range up close. Originally I'd been thinking of trying to evoke imperial gold, but I figured this was still the kind of drama and luxury suited the book, and also something something the hidden colors suited Qi Yan's character. I tied it back a little to the imperial gold with the endpapers, then titled them in silver foil, since the endpapers had silver in them.
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But once the books were made, I felt like it wanted something... more. Something like a BOX!
And me, I chase novelty. A set this large would be tricky for anything clamshell, but a slipcase for all seven would leave books tipping all over if it was wide open, but putting walls between slots would be demanding in terms of precision and would risk similarly-sized books getting stuck in the wrong slots. Then I remembered learning about slipcases where you could put in a little insert to support the weight of the text block, and the concept SNAPPED into place.
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Colors aren't going to photograph well at midnight, but I made the supports using the scraps and off-cuts from my endpapers, to tie it back into the bindings. The back of the case is lined in more of the duo, and the walls are lined with a faux leather bookcloth I like a lot, it feels buttery smooth and seemed like a good neutral material to tie the papers and bookcloth together. I listened to some of the DEEPEST layers from the nine-hour conspiracy theory iceberg video while I was working on this, haha, it was a TRIP.
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And in the end, each of the supports is sized to comfortably sit in the smallest of the volumes, and evenly spaced, so I believe it will take the books in any order with no problems. It's easy to grab the books without having to cut notches into the walls to grab them from. And even though weight is less of an issue for quarto sizing, the books in here have their weight supported no matter what angle the box is at! I'm so, so pleased with how this concept worked out and definitely plan to do more with it in the future.
So there we are! Jing Wei Qing Shang! I had such a fabulous time with this project, and I'm so excited to get to share it with all of you. The story was fun to work with, the bindings and box were fun to make, and everything here came together just as well as I could possibly have hoped. I'm so proud of this, and incredibly, incredibly excited to show it to you!
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salemoleander · 1 year
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"My teeth hurt," Martyn says.
He and Scott are on the deck, enjoying the morning sun before it has the chance to get humid; Scott is busy crafting sugarcane into paper while Martyn is (ostensibly) trying to carve a bowl.
"What, like- cavities? We've only been here for a few days, and I know you're eating the same fish and dried kelp as me." Scott pauses, holding a fresh sheaf of paper. "-and if you're not, and you've been holding sweets out on me, I'll be pissed."
Martyn huffs a laugh, then grimaces when pain shoots up through his sinuses. Ambling over to the table, he half-sits, half-leans on the back of one of their deck chairs.
"Nah, same food as you. Man, I don't know what I did. TNT to the face carry over, d'you reckon?"
He grins, and Scott blanches. Well, shit.
"Alright, what's wrong with my mouth?" Martyn asks, stress rising when Scott doesn't answer. "I've still got teeth, right?"
Scott nods sharply. He wavers on an answer for a moment before sighing. "Yeah. You've just got some new ones, seems like."
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The hard part of suddenly having shark teeth, Martyn quickly discovers, is that they are not particularly designed for beings with lips, and certainly not ones that talk.
He tells Scott this, nursing several sore spots on his lips and tongue.
"Have you considered talking less?"
"Oh, screw you."
Scott rolls his eyes, and they go back to sorting through chests in companionable silence. Waves gently lap against the edge of their island, while bamboo canes creak and shift. After a few minutes Scott says, "In the- last time. I remember being relieved, a bit, that even though Cleo and I chose each other-"
"Exactly the conversation I wanted to have," Martyn deadpans.
"Would you shut up? Honestly." Scott smiles, but his jaw flexes as he does and Martyn resolves to shut up and let him say this, whatever it is. At least for the next ten or fifteen seconds. Probably.
"Anyways. I was a tiny bit relieved that I was paired with Pearl, because she was human. And I'd seen how it was for BigB getting canine features and Joel getting whatever the hell from Etho, and you, y'know..."
"Rotting?"
"Eugh. Yeah." Scott looks through their fence-lattice walls and out to the water. "But Pearl didn't stay human."
Martyn raises an eyebrow. (For effect. If Scott is doing a dramatic monologue towards the ocean, Martyn at least gets to make faces, whether or not Scott sees him. Them's the rules.)
"She got kind of... wolf-y? Or more accurately, the game made her wolfy. Not like Ren, not nearly that elegant a combination."
Scott's voice is bitter, an edge to it that Martyn associates with fireworks going off too-close by. "I woke up one morning and my teeth were sharp and there were too many for my mouth. And it hurt, and the worst part was knowing this wouldn't be happening if we'd just done what the game wanted."
Blinking, Martyn says, "Oh." Brilliant. Nailed the response, there.
"I just wanted to tell you. That it might- those might be my fault, because it seems like whatever runs this game doesn't like me very much. There's a reason I set up alone out here."
Martyn- ignoring the ache from his jaw and the kernel of self-interest that tells him to get while the getting is good- scoffs. "None of that, thank you! I don't care if bloody Herobrine has it out for you, we're sticking together."
Relief washes over Scott's face. Martyn adds, "If whoever runs this circus thinks unlimited knives for teeth is a punishment, they're mad."
"Clearly! You were already enough of a menace." Released from whatever tension kept him still, Scott reaches over to flip another chest lid up and starts rifling through. "It's like trying to annoy Joel by giving him too many TNT minecarts."
Martyn snorts. "Right! Once my mouth gets the memo about where everything is now I'll be doing fine- probably better than I was before! A supernatural entity trying to tell me who I can be friends with? C'mon, nothing that stupid is busting the Mean Gills up."
He almost believes it.
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dognonsense · 1 month
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Question...how do you make your patches? They seem so fuckin cool. I'm working on a vest and a jacket atm, and I'd like for them to be done by the time a pride fest rolls around next month.
Main technique I use for making patches nowadays is linocut. Its best suited for mass production of patches.
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Make sure to remember your carving the mirror image so you have to flip all the text. Using tracing paper to flip the design is a good trick, as well as leaving graphite marks on side, then pressing that to the lino to leave the marks in the same spot. Another trick with pencil is to view what ur carving in negative space quickly, put a paper over your design and shade over it with pencil, darker marks will be where you haven't carved yet.
I use speedball fabric ink, it takes 1 week to set then will be fine to be washed. I have magenta, violet, turqouise, and white. They have a limited range of fabric colors at the store. I have seen gold and silver fabric paint for sale and I will investigate it one day.
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I use a speedball roller, i find the smaller one to be better than the big one as I can be more precise and waste less ink.
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I got a fancy handle for $40 but the screws fallen out so its broken now so just get some heavy books. I used to use a mug. Whats important is pushing your whole body weight into it.
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I got a speedball carving tool with different heads I can swap out so I can cut into the lino at different deepness and widths. The heads are stored inside the tool since its hollow and has a screwable removable bottom. I use linocut or dollar store erasers for my carvings. Make sure to wash the ink off your linocuts after your done using them.
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A thing to increase the lifespan of you're linocuts is to use wood glue, some cork or wood pieces, and glued the lino stamps onto them. I dont do that yet so my stamps fall appart from overuse sometime and because I cut way too deep into the lino since I hate chatter.
Chatter is the term for in linocutting when theres little messy lines and stuff. It makes the art more recognisably to be linocut. My work is very clean with no chatter which is why people don't notice its linocut usually. This is a stylistic choice, with diy styles having a lot of chatter can look really cool so experiment with leaving bits of extra uncarvered lino sticking out in ur stamp. I need to experiment and buy some more lino.
You can also use multiple linocut stamps together to make a patch. Some patches ive made have like 8 different stamps. Ive made a dog nonsense patch where each letter was their own eraser stamp. You can also use different colors between the different lino stamps on the same patch to add more color. An effect I like to do is first stamp it in color, then the next day I stamp it in white over the same spot but shifted to the right and down slightly. It makes the text have a cool border 3D effect I love doing.
If making a more detailed picture with colors, i reccomend hand painting patches. I use white fabric paint mixed with acrylics for color to get all the shades i need. Acrylic paint mixed with fabric softener works too.
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If doing words and you dont want a unique font reccomend using letter stamps. If you want a unique font for that i recommend hand paint for individual or linocut for mass produce.
The positive of letter stamps is the font is neat and can be done quickly. I know from lending them to my roommate that they are very helpful if you have dyslexia and have trouble getting letters right.
A visual effect of the letter stamps is that have a nice boxy edge effect, its an imperfection that adds a personally touch to it. I have both lower and upper case stamps that I got from michaels. You can use a hair band or elastic to hold a bunch of letter stamps together to make a word stamp.
You can use other stamps than letters that you find at craft stores for example my racoon print is a craftstore stamp.
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You can also find big plastic letter stencils at the dollar store that you can use to do lettering by filling in gaps with a sponge or or paintbrush. They make special paintbrushes just for using stencils.
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You can also get plastic stencils in the shapes of things, i got some for children and use a horse stencil for my horse smoking weed patch. Easier than drawing a horse myself.
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Another technique I use for more unique clean patches is gel plating. I haven't tried printing laserprint images with it as ive seen online a lot but I will try one day. What i personally do is use it to make imprints with chains and physical objects.
Another thing i use with gelplates are any stamps or linocuts that dont have words, or words ones that i fucked up with and forgot to mirror when carving. It flips mirror image twice with the gel plate so it goes back to being right again on the patch.
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Another patch making technique is using foamboard cut into shapes glued onto cardboard. This is good for a quick test of a design and is very cheap to make. It will not hold under water so is more difficult to clean.
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I'm a student about to start my second year, and me and all my friends are really nervous. It feels like first year was really rough for everyone all over the place and we're all really hoping for a better second year this year! Have lecturers been noticing that too? Do you think it's because of COVID?
Oh my god yes. Jesus yes. It's absolutely the covid effect, and we're expecting to see the disruption for the next five or so years, tbh - the current 18-21 year old undergrads went through the most important years of high school during a lockdown. That not only interrupted academic development (home schooling during a time of stress, massive disruption to exams and exam-taking skills, etc), it also enormously hit emotional development (mid to late teens have the highest socialising needs of the human lifespan, and no one could meet and interact with each other.) And that latter point is having a much bigger effect than the former.
Current undergrads haven't been able to develop the same resilience, the same approach to andragogic education, the same interpersonal skills for dealing with lecturers/fellow students. University is not like school; in school teachers are giving you the knowledge, and gradually encouraging you to try and use it to formulate your own opinions. In university, we're supposed to give you the framework to then go out and do you own research. The bulk of your education comes from you, not us; we're more like facilitators.
But, we're noticing that there's a far bigger skew now towards needing to get the answer right. Anxiety is higher, and so the fear of being wrong is much more crippling for these students, and that in turn means they're less willing/able to take charge of their own education and are more passive with it, wanting to just be fed the right answers so they can rote learn them and get the Good mark. And the disconnect between that and the reality of what lecturers are expecting is pretty big, it turns out, and is causing even more anxiety and stress. Record numbers of my students have started asking me to give their assignment drafts a quick look over, just to see if they're on the right track. Which, you know, I'm more than happy to do; but I do think it's a notable pattern change from three or four years ago.
If you're worrying on a personal level though, Anon, I have some Handy Tips if they're any use!
Remember: the idea of uni is that you are doing your own research and learning on the topics your lecturers describe. They're giving you the basics, but they're expecting you to look up examples, case studies, other research papers, etc. They want to see analysis. That's what gets you the good marks. If you simply describe the information you got in lectures and don't add anything, you'll struggle to rise out of a basic pass.
What's the fundamental point of your particular course? It's important to know this, because it'll tell you how to focus your assessments and exam answers. Just within the environmental sector, you could have Environmental Science (focus: academic exploration and research), Environmental Conservation (focus: applying the academic research to actual management and solutions), Environmental Impacts (focus: philosophy and ethics), etc. In all three, you might be given a paper about the latest IPCC report, but in the first you would focus on exploring all the research papers that formed the conclusion on climate change, in the second you'd focus on case studies around the world and the applicability/feasibility of the shared economic pathways that are going to fix the problem, and in the third you'd focus on the human impacts of both the problem and the proposed solutions. You may of course include elements of all of those, but your main focus should be chosen appropriately.
Keep your notes with copies of the lecture slides in nice ordered folders. Keep a bulleted list of the topics covered in each. This makes it far easier to go and double check the right info when you're stressed out
On that note, the best note-taking system is to add notes/comments to the lecture slides where you record clarifications and things the lecturer said (INCLUDING CASE STUDIES). Don't bother duplicating effort by writing what's on the slide.
I truly do know this is easier said than done, but don't leave your assignments until the last minute. Are you struggling with motivation? You need a study group. You need to body double.
And finally, the biggest: CONTACT STUDENT SUPPORT IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING. Every time I go to an exam board and we get to a student who has failed stuff, the first question the Academic Office asks is "Has this student been working with Student Support?" Even if they aren't that helpful in your uni, working with them means they know about the things you're struggling with, and that you've clearly been trying to work around the problems. That makes the Academic Office far, far more likely to take a lenient view of a student, rather than going "Well, clearly they just don't care then, withdraw them from the program." Your Student Support should be able to help you with counselling, study buddies, a support worker that can help you organise your time and interpret your assignment briefs correctly and give you interim deadlines, etc.
Oh, and remember to schedule in rest and downtime, just as much as study time.
And... honestly, you learned a lot in your first year. The learning curve is less steep in second year, even accounting for the academic rigour increasing. By now, you're basically used to things like referencing, routines, assignment formatting, etc. There are no more surprises, really. Now's the point you can get the bit between your teeth and run.
Anyway: good luck! And enjoy it as much as you can. University is hard, no doubt about that, but it can and should be fun as well.
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literaryavenger · 4 months
Text
Love Is A Battlefield
Summary: Bucky gets hurt during a mission and you can't help but blame yourself.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader
Warnings: Minimal use of Y/N. Language cause why not. Mentions of Bucky's past. Injuries. Overprotective reader. Description of violence. Fluff. My poor attempts at being funny.
Word Count: 4.5K
A/N: This was inspired by this post and a dream I had lol. I couldn't help by start writing and this is what came out. Enjoy.
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-Who the fuck do you think you’re calling a bitch, you ass?- you sneered at the guy to your left right before kicking him in the stomach and then bringing his head down on your knee when he doubled over, effectively knocking him out.
-Language!- you hear in you earpiece and roll your eyes -why don’t you shut the fuck up, Rogers.- you tell him while making your way through the corridor, taking Hydra agents down as you go.
-can’t you do this without cursing so much?!- he sounds more exasperated at you than at the agents he’s supposed to keep distracted outside.
-can’t you stop bitching in my ear? I’m a little busy here!- all he answers with is a groan and you know you won this round. You hear Sam crackling before he says -1-0 to Y/N- which makes you laugh.
-Thanks, Sammy-
-Anytime, baby- you roll your eyes at his nickname, the small distraction allowing an agent to get too close to you. You feel a sharp pain in your forearm and almost drop your gun.
-Shit- you hiss at the pain and zero in on the idiot that cut you. You can hear the concerned voices in your ear, but don’t allow yourself to get distracted again as you take care of the last few agents on your side of the building.
-Y/N, are you okay? What’s happening? Can someone get to her?- you hear Bucky’s voice for the first time since the mission started and you can’t help the warm feeling it brings, the concern in his voice making you answer almost immediately. -Just give me a minute- you say as you battle the last guy standing. Once you’ve successfully knocked him out, you take a second to breathe before addressing the voices still coming to your ear while you make your way through the maze of corridors in this Hydra base.
-I’m okay guys, but apparently all these people have some sort of collective knife kink.- you say while checking out your cut, not too deep you think, and you can hear Steve’s annoyed groan and the rest of the team’s laughter. You think you hear a relieved sigh, but almost instantly forget about it as you finally come to the door you’ve been looking for.
-Clint, status?- you ask him as he’s on the roof, being the eyes on the whole operation.
-Everyone’s thoroughly distracted out here.- he answers.
-Good. James, Sam, are you done with the explosives?- you can hear Sam grunting as you enter the room, locating the computer you need and turning it on.
-Just a second- Sam says, you hear a couple of punches landing and then -done. This place is ready to blow as soon as you have the files.-
-and hurry, we can’t hold them off forever- Steve adds.
-Inserting the USB now, I need at least 5 minutes for the download to finish. Friday, remember to copy Hill at Shield HQ and to save the files in the Avengers private server.- you tell the AI as you make your way through the office, grabbing files that seem important as the digital ones download.
-Really? Why the private server?- Steve asks between punches.
-Because, Captain Dumbass, these files could contain sensitive information about one of our own. We have to be careful with them.- you say while still looking through the cabinets of papers.
-Do you have to be so mean to me?- he almost whines.
-Hey, it’s your best friend that I’m looking out for.- you say almost laughing.
-Yeah, I’m sure it’s me you’re doing this for.- You can basically hear the smirk in Steve’s voice but before you can answer, Natasha cuts in.
-Are you two done bickering?- she says annoyed.
-Oh no, please, let them keep going, this is so entertaining- Tony comments, but you get distracted from the conversation when you find a black box in one of the desk drawers that was previously locked, you open it and can’t help the gasp that escapes you. Bucky’s dog tags.
-Guys… do we have to blow up this base?- you ask, quieter than you’d like, leaving everyone else confused. Between all of the “what”s you hear Steve say your name.
-You know the drill, we download the digital files, save as much of the paper ones as we can and then blow the building up. This one’s no different.- he tells you, but you can’t help but disagree.
-I think it is…- you can hear them asking you to explain, so you do, trying to find the right way to say this -I think… I think this is the first base they took James to.- you say, still talking quietly but loud enough for them to hear. The comms go silent, everyone processing what you just say, only the sound of battling going on, but you’re only worried about one person.
-James?- nothing. -James, are you okay?- you can’t help but worry, his silence snapping you out of the trance you were in, you close the box you were still staring at and put it in your pocket, your hand going to your ear instinctively. -Bucky?!- He still doesn’t answer. You hear a bip behind you and Friday lets you know the download is complete, you take the drive and make your way out, your worry only increasing with every step.
-Does anyone have eyes on Barnes?- you ask the rest of the team.
-Oh no.- Clint says, and you stop immediately, your heart beating out of your chest.
-What? You can’t just say ‘oh no’ and not elaborate, Barton!- your mind is going into overdrive, not knowing what to expect.
-I have eyes on him, but you’re not gonna like it.-
-What do you mean, Clint, just say it!- this time Steve is the one to snap at him.
-He’s getting surrounded, it looks like he’s passed out.- you swear you can actually feel your heart stopping.
-Can anybody get to him?- you say.
-He’s got maybe 2 minutes before he’s surrounded, everybody’s too far or too busy.- yeah, Clint’s really not giving you any good news today.
-Can’t you help him out?!- you almost yell at him.
-Not without hurting him, there are just too many!- he sounds more worried with every word and you know it’s bad. -Technically you’re the closest, Y/N.-
-What do you mean, technically?- You look out the window of the corridor you found yourself in, looking towards the roof and find Clint already looking down at you while he speaks without stopping his aid of the others with his arrows.
-the second window to your left. He’s right under it.- you go to said window and try to open it, but it’s closed shut.
-these windows are bulletproof, Clint can you break it somehow?- 
-I can, but you could get hu-
-Just do it!- you yell, cutting him off. You can see him aim an arrow to the window, it hits its target and you can hear Clint counting down from 3 before it shatters. You take no time to be careful of the glass as you take a little disk from your belt and press the button while pointing it at the ground. A rope shoots out of it and, while attaching the other end to the back of your suit, you make a mental note to thank Tony for always updating your tactical suits with new useful gadgets. You leap out the window, landing with your feet on the wall, basically running down on it as you take out your guns and start shooting down at the now dumbfounded agents. Before they could even figure out where the shooting was coming from, you were on the ground next to Bucky, cutting the rope with a knife, then stabbing the agent closest to you.
You’re punching, kicking, shooting, trying your best not to get too far away from Bucky, basically shielding him with your body. You hear a faint ‘holy shit’ from Clint and the other’s voices come through but you can’t follow the conversation, your whole focus on keeping Bucky safe. You stray a little too far away from him as you do the take down move Natasha taught you on one of the agents, your legs around his neck as you bring him down to the ground, when you turn around you see one guy getting dangerously close to Bucky’s unconscious body and you feel a sudden burst of possessiveness throughout your own body.
-He’s mine- you basically growl, taking a knife from the body of the guy you just took down and throwing it. It lodges perfectly in his throat and he goes down right away, blood pouring out of him. You had no time to be disgusted as you kept taking down agents and, one after the other, they all dropped. The second the last one touched the ground you were kneeling next to Bucky.
-Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead- you kept repeating, looking for the button on his tactical suit that monitors his health, again, thanks Tony. You find it and press it -Friday, vitals.-
-Heartbeat detected- the AI says and you immediately let out a breath of relief, not even knowing when you started holding your breath. -Head injury detected, possible concussion. Various cuts throughout his body. No other injuries detected.- it could be worse.
You give yourself a second to breathe while looking at Bucky, then talk into your comm, not taking your eyes off of him.
-Ok, guys, Bucky’s ass may be cute but it’s heavy, I’m gonna need a hand here.- you hear some snickers and then Clint’s voice. -Cap and Sam are on their way.-
You’re still looking at Bucky, almost worried that the second you take your eyes off of him his heartbeat is gonna stop, when you hear footsteps behind you and, almost automatically, you grab a knife next to your foot and throw it. You hear it before you see it, the metal of the knife hitting Cap’s shield before he lowers it and, almost shocked and glad for his fast reflexes, says -relax, it’s just us-
-sorry, I’m a little jumpy-
-Gee, wonder why- Sam says sarcastically as you turn back to Bucky.
-Just take James to the jet, Sam-
-Why do I have to carry his ass?- he whines like a child.
-Because you can fly, birdbrain, you’ll get there before we make it to the front gate- you’re almost irritated at this point, but when you turn to the duo and Sam gives you an unimpressed look, you sigh and try to calm down. -Sorry, just… take him to safety. Please.- Your voice is soft now, Bucky’s well-being the only thing on your mind. Sam picks up on your concern and gets serious, moving towards Bucky to pick him up.
-I’ll take him to the jet. See you guys there.- and with that, he takes off. You watch him go for a second before you feel a hand on your shoulder, turning around to see Steve’s equally concerned face.
-Relax, you heard Friday, he’s gonna be fine, even if he does have a concussion the serum will heal him in an instant.- you knew he was right, thanks to the serum his bones heal overnight, a concussion is nothing, but still you can’t help the worry you felt.
-I’ll relax when he’s awake and I can see he’s fine.- he’s about to say something before you hear Tony’s voice in your ear.
-If you two are done making out about it, we really should be getting out of here.- you roll your eyes and smile a little at the pink color Steve’s cheeks were turning while you start making your way to the front courtyard of the base where Natasha and Tony were still holding off the remaining Hydra agents that just seemed to keep coming. The second he sees you both giving them a hand, Tony takes off towards the roof. -Incoming, Robin Hood, get ready for take off.-
This was your cue to get to the jet, Steve, Natasha and you making your way to the front gate while still fighting, the remaining agents scrambling away the second the explosions inside the building started. You get to the jet and, after making sure everyone’s inside, Steve turns to Clint. -Take us home, Barton- he merely nods and makes his way to the pilot's seat, immediately taking off.
You make a beeline to where Bucky’s lying on a gurney, still unconscious. -How is he?- you ask Bruce without taking your eyes away from the super soldier’s face.
-he’s okay, his cuts are already starting to heal themselves, so should be his head injury. He should wake up maybe within the hour, two tops.- you nod and make your way to the chair beside his bed, taking his right hand in both of yours. 
You don’t know why you do that, now that you think about it you’ve probably not even touched Bucky in general more than a handful of times. You’re not the closest of friends, you work well together in the field and get along outside of it, you hang out in group settings such as game and movie nights, team trainings and the team-building outings Tony forces everybody to go on, but that’s about it. The lack of one on one interactions, though, didn’t help you escape your growing crush for the long-haired super soldier. You just can’t help the warm feeling you get everytime he’s even in the same room, let alone when he looks at you. You can hide it when you’re in mission mode, always being professional, but the second it happens in a normal setting like the living room or the kitchen or the gym you turn into a flustered schoolgirl, stumbling over your words and blushing everytime you have his attention. You’ve convinced yourself he doesn’t notice, if he has he hasn’t said anything, but for your own piece of mind you pretend he just doesn’t. Sometimes it seems like he does it on purpose, though. He’d get close enough that you can smell his cologne and basically feel his body heat, sometimes his hands hover on your waist while he passes by you, never actually touching you but just close enough to make you almost pass out at the feeling, and you can swear you can see a smirk on his face, but it always disappears so fast it’s just easier to convince yourself you’re imagining it. He’d have the most innocent face while asking you if something’s wrong, and all you can answer with is a small ‘I’m fine’ before basically running away, never once seeing the smug look on his face at the flustered state only he manages to put you in.
You’re brought out of your head by Steve’s hand on your shoulder, again, as he says -he’s gonna be fine-
-It’s my fault…- you say very quietly, ignoring his attempt at comforting you.
-It’s not y- you interrupt him before he can finish.
-Yes, it is. I distracted him. They were so close to getting him, Steve - You can’t take your eyes off of Bucky, almost willing him to wake up, so you could apologize. -Do you have any idea what would’ve happened if they got to him? What they could’ve done to him…- you trail off, not wanting to voice all the possibilities out loud. Of course you know Steve knows. He worries more than you for Bucky, his best friend, basically his brother, the only family he has left from his past life. But Steve was having none of it.
-You wanna play the blame game? He wasn’t even supposed to be on this mission, but I couldn’t stop him. He knew what it entailed, he knew it was a hydra base full of hydra agents, but he didn’t back down because it was the right thing to do. He wants to do good and help us take down Hydra for good, he knows the risks but it was his choice. You can’t take that on you.- Logically you know he's annoyingly right, again, but looking at Bucky laying motionless you can’t help the guilt that creeps up on you. 
-Friday- you say quietly, ignoring Steve’s confused look -play the footage of Bucky before he passed out coupled with the audio from our comms-
The hologram on the table in the middle of the jet lights up and Bucky’s figure can be seen fighting, then you can hear your own voice telling your theory to the group and Bucky halts for a second, he almost gets punched but avoids it at the last second, hitting the guy with his metal arm. Steve turns to you with a smug look, knowing he was right, but you raise your hand before he can say anything and keep watching. You see Bucky fighting and hear yourself calling his name, you can see his eyes rolling when you call him James. He’s asked you countless times to call him Bucky, but you always refuse, not sure why. All you know it’s that it kind of annoys him but in a different way than when Sam or Peter annoy him, you can tell he’s not actually upset, it’s kind of your own little thing with him seeing as he doesn’t allow anyone else call him by his first name.
You can see Bucky still fighting and ignoring you, but when he hears you call him “Bucky” for the first time he stops, right as an agent is throwing a punch. You see Bucky get hit in the jaw, stumble and fall, his head hitting the wall behind him pretty hard. He doesn’t get up, but you see the last agent standing get taken out by an arrow, Clint you assume. You can hear your alarmed conversation with Clint as more agents slowly creep up on Bucky, probably being cautious, worried he could wake up any second, then there’s the sound of bullets flying and agents getting hit. Suddenly you’re there. You take your eyes off the screen, about to tell Steve that even he can’t deny now that it was your fault, but the whole team's attention was on the footage of you mercilessly taking out man after man, even Clint’s there watching after putting the jet on autopilot, the look on your face frightening to the point where you almost don’t recognize yourself. You don’t want to relive the moment, so you shift your attention back on Bucky, your hands still holding onto his. You can hear Clint’s “holy shit” and then your “he’ mine” and you feel yourself heat up at the possessiveness in your voice. The video gets paused and you can hear Tony asking -what the hell was that?- his voice clearly amused, and you know what he’s asking you. Before you can answer though, you feel Bucky’s hand squeeze yours softly, your head snaps down to it and then to his face while getting up from your chair.
He’s mumbling something that sounds very similar to your name but his eyes are still closed.
-James?- he slowly opens his eyes and they instantly find yours, a smile forming on his face that you can’t but mirror.
-How do you feel, Buck?- Steve asks him from beside you.
-Like I got hit really hard in the head- he groans while he tries to sit up, his hand still holding onto yours while you help him.
-Take it easy- Bruce tells him while stopping next to him on his other side -you probably don’t have a concussion, but I’d put some ice on your head to help with the headache.-
-I’ll get it- you let go of Bucky, and move to the mini freezer to get the ice pack. Bucky takes a moment to look around him, his eyes landing on the screen where you’re frozen mid-fight.
-Friday, unpause the video- he says, curiosity taking over. He watches you fight, protecting him with your life and he swears he’s never been more in awe in his life. He sees you get on your knees next to him and hears your whispers, praying for him to be okay, over and over. He sees the relief in your face when Friday tells you he’s alive and he hears you call his ass “cute” as you ask the others for help, making him smile again.
-Friday, stop the footage.- you say, ice in your hands but maintaining a safe distance from Bucky, embarrassed that he saw how worried you were for him. You stand there in silence for a second while Bucky turns to look at you, the smirk on his face definitely real. You blush, cursing your body for how it reacts to his gaze, and Steve clears his throat.
-Why don’t we give you guys a minute- he ushers everyone to the front of the jet, almost having to wrestle Tony to take him away from what he called “his new favorite show”.
Bucky extends his right hand for you to take and you do as you get closer, your left hand going to carefully place the ice on the back of his head. He hisses a little at the contact and you wince, giving him an apologetic smile, but his eyes never leave yours and his hand squeezes yours, letting you know he’s okay.
-I’m sorry- is all you can say and, whatever you were expecting him to answer, it was definitely not what he said next.
-You should be- you bite your lip to stop it from trembling, your emotions getting the best of you, your guilt only growing, but he keeps going -You distracted me. You’ve never said my name before, and it was the sweetest sound to ever come out of your mouth. Shame on you for keeping it from me for so long, doll.- he brings you closer to him, taking your hand in his left, his right going around your waist while he rests his chin on your stomach while looking up at you, your left hand still holding the ice to the back of his head. You giggle at the puppy look he’s giving you, trying to resist the urge of leaning down and kissing him.
-Smooth, Barnes- he laughs with you, before growing more serious.
-You looked really worried.- you feel your emotions bubbling up again.
-I was…- you say, your voice small -I’m sorry you got hurt because of me- you were basically whispering, afraid that if you raised your voice any louder the tears you’d been trying so hard to hold off would start coming out.
-It’s not your fault, doll- before you could protest, he kept going -and I’m fine. We’re all fine. I just took a little nap.- you roll your eyes at his attempt at a joke but can’t hide the smile starting to form on your face while he gives you a grin of his own.
You were so lost in his eyes that you almost forgot about the reason all of this happened. You let go of his hand and he gave you a confused look, a slight pout on his lips that just made you smile more.
-Bucky- you started, taking the box out of your pocket, but he interrupted you with an exaggerated gasp.
-Are you asking me to marry you, doll? Because, don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered, but maybe we should go on a date first.- you couldn’t help but laugh as you gave him a little shove, careful not to hurt him more.
-I’m not asking you to marry me, you jackass.- you got a little more serious as you looked at the box in your hand, you didn’t even realize you were biting your lip until Bucky reached up and tugged it out. You looked back at him and felt weirdly nervous, not knowing how he would react. -I found this at the base, and I’m pretty sure it belongs to you- you laughed a little out of nerves as he let go of you to take the box and opened it. He let out a real gasp this time, fishing out the tags and holding them in his flesh hand, his face unreadable. He looked back up at you and for a second your brain went to the worst case scenario in which there was a lot of blood and screaming, but that image was quickly forgotten as Bucky gave you the biggest smile you’ve ever seen on his face. He placed his hands behind your thighs and moved you to straddle him, his movements so fast that you dropped the ice pack out of surprise, but you didn’t have time to do much as Bucky started peppering kisses all over your face. Your surprise turned into giggles and he slowly stopped his assault, the smile never living his face, the look on his eyes that of pure adoration.
-Thank you, doll… You don’t know what this means to me.- you don’t know if you’re imagining it, but you think Bucky’s starting to lean up and you think he’s about to kiss you when you hear a whistle followed by a slapping sound and an “ow”. You both turned towards the sound to find the whole team looking at you two, Steve has a smirk on his face, Tony’s next to him, rubbing the back of his head and the rest of them are snickering.
-Seriously?!- your irritation does nothing to hide your blush, Bucky’s own embarrassment clear as he hides his face in your chest. 
-What? Capsicle said a minute, we gave you a minute!- Tony said, earning another slap on the back of his head from Steve.
-Just go away- you say laughing and they all go back to the front of the jet but you can hear their little laughs while they whisper, making you roll your eyes before looking down at Bucky who’s already looking up at you.
-Can you do me a favor, doll?- you nod. -anything-
-I’d hate to lose these. Hold on to them for me?- he says, holding up his dog tags.
-Are you sure?- you say uncertainly as he puts them around your neck.
-I’m more than sure.- he says while looking at them on your chest and then looking back into your eyes, his smile impossibly big and you’re sure yours looks the same. He wraps his arms around your waist, bringing you closer and you wrap one arm around his neck, your other hand going to play with the tags around your neck. You’re looking down at them when Bucky speaks again.
-So- He starts, his smile becoming a teasing smirk -you think my ass is cute, huh?-
You groan, hiding your face in the crook of his neck while he laughs at your reaction. You can hear the others laughing too and can’t help the laugh that comes out of you, more sure now than ever that everything’s gonna be okay.
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spaceagebachelormann · 9 months
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peter with a reader who always forgets things??!?!
like she forgets where she put her sword and to drink water and he has to constantly chase after her and remind her??
that's so cute
ty babe <3
peter pevensie with a gf who forgets things.
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♬ fandom: chronicles of narnia
♯ genre: fluff
♪ mars thoughts: AJAJAJAJJA I LOVE HIM SM <33 this is perfect because he’s the loml and i suck at remembering stuff 😭 also i put it as hcs cause that’s how i first imagined it in my head!! dividers by @/benkeibear
♮nav - masterlist
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hes so <3
like you’re just walking around minding your own business and then you’re like “hey. wait where’s my water???”
and then your pretty bf is beside you holding it like “you forgot it AGAIN”
and then he lovingly makes fun of you for forgetting you put your water bottle in his hands before walking away and not saying anything
other than the fact he’s constantly chasing you to remind you where you put something (and this can be fairly annoying to him) he finds it cute <3
he’d try to find a way to help you remember when you put them but you forgot how to remember it 😭
you tried dw
he also. kinda hoped you didn’t because he liked being the person you came to when you needed help finding stuff
he seems like one of those people who gets rlly happy knowing he helped another person
so it’s like a huge ego/energy boost for him
BUT if he’s leaving for somewhere and won’t be back for awhile he starts writing down where you put things and gives you the paper so you can look and add to it <3
would def say “don’t forget you have the paper” to be a lovingly boyfriend bitch
ALSO ALSO if you forgot your sword it’d be the funniest thing ever to him
cause like you’re this rlly strong and talented and very pretty sword wielding girlboss
and nobody knows that seconds before you wielded the sword you couldn’t even remember where you put it
and if you forget things like drinking water or even eating cause your busy
he’s a little upset cause like. you’ll die?? if you don’t?? but he doesn’t ever like chastise you cause he knows you’re busy
so he just reminds you or brings you water and food and is kinda just like “eat”
also. he didn’t cook that food. man can’t cook for shit
but if you forget it because you’re just forgetful and not busy hed def scold you a little
it’s not that like. effective 😭 cause he’s just standing there like “you can’t not eat y/n!! >:(”
AND if it takes place in the normal world instead of narnia and y’all go to the same school i have some thoughts
you’ll be like sitting in the cafeteria kinda upset cause you forgot your lunch
and he comes up and sits with you and has like a whole extra lunch prepared
hes so <3
and if you forget to do your homework or some shit like that right before the teacher comes to collect it he slides his hw onto your desk and tells you to write your name and gets in trouble for you
and then susan gets mad at him and everytime she knows you have homework she makes you come over and helps you with it <3
and he also helps!! i feel like he’s english/history smart and susan is geography/math smart so they like choose certain subjects to help with
it gets to the point where they have a whole detailed schedule
edmund is horrified with it because it hangs on the wall and is extremely visible
hes known for trying to destroy it with lucy’s help but that’s not important
MOVINGGGGG ONNNNNN
he’s overbearing. and he knows it.
at first he tries to like not immediately think you’re leaving after forgetting something
BUT HE CANT HELP IT
he asks what you forgot and when you run back inside to get it he probably starts laughing
i’ve officially run out of ideas for this <3 but tysm for requesting it
it made my brain itch /pos
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pockwashereart · 1 year
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Flaming Gavle Goat Ornament Tutorial
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You Will Need:
Craft felt in light brown or 'straw' color of choice, red, yellow and orange
Red ribbon in 2 widths
Thread- I used red and yellow; brown, orange or white would give different effects
scissors
Needle for hand sewing
pins or quilter's clips
polyfill stuffing or fabric scraps
a poking implement
a lighter or Fray check glue
paper and pencil
patience / approx 2 hours to waste making a meme for the holidays
To start, I drew a rectangle approx 3.25 in wide by 4 in high and sketched out a geometric goat shape. You could go a bit larger, but if you go much smaller it will be difficult to stuff. Remember that the sewing and stuffing will eat up some of your edges.
Cut out your goat template and trace it on your light brown felt. I used chalk, marker may work depending on how neatly you cut.
(I'll add a nice vectored template to this tutorial later, but I'll have to fight with the scanner first. )
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Cut 2 of your goat. It doesn't matter if they're not exactly the same, as you can fudge the edges a little when you sew. If your felt has a front and back you can tell apart, you'll need to pick a "right" side of the fabric and mirror one of the goat base pieces.
I cut my ribbon decorations in advance, wrapping it around the stacked bases to check the length - remember you'll be stuffing this later so you may need to add a tiny bit more to accomodate.
Out of the wider ribbon, you'll need one for each leg, one for the tummy and one for the bridle. The thin ribbon will be to hang the ornament with and to wrap the horns- I did not pre-measure the horn wrapping because I wasn't sure how long it would need to be. Finish the cut edges of the ribbon as you like- I used a lighter to heat seal them but fray check or white glue will work. Glue will be more difficult to sew through.
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Start sewing the goat bases together. I used red thread and a basic whip stitch, but you could get a couple different effects by using white or brown thread, or by sewing a blanket stitch.
Here's where I made life difficult for myself- stop when you get to the legs and wrap the ribbon in place, tucking the ends in between the layers. This secures them and hides the edges but is fiddly to pin and sew. You can also wait until you have sewn most of the way around and tack or glue the ribbons on top if you're less fussy about the ends showing.
Continue sewing around the legs and body, catching the ribbons in your stitches and repeating for the bridle ribbon. Stop at the base of the horns so you have room to stuff.
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I'm working with modern plastic materials, so sadly (or not) this goat isn't terribly flammable, just meltable. If you want to be eco friendly you can stuff him with scrap fabrics. I'm using polyfill.
Use a chopstick, paintbrush handle or empty mechanical pencil to poke your stuffing into place. Smaller lumps of fluff are better and more maneuverable.
For firmer limbs stuff chopped up bits of your felt into the legs and head and follow it up with the polyfill.
My original plan for the removable flame was to do clever things with magnets, so if you want to give that a try this would be the point to toss one in before you close up the body. I was on a roll and didn't remember until I was working on the horns. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Remember you still need to put the tummy ribbon on and curse your clumsy giant fingers!! Getting everything situated and laying nicely may take a couple attempts. Once you've stabbed yourself with the pins a couple times, sew up the inner curve from the base of the horns on the neck to where the horns meet up again on the butt.
Be careful of where your thread tail goes and the direction of your stitches, it's easy to accidentally loop around the whole body or catch the horns.
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There should still be a bitty opening at the base of the horns and at the butt (giggle here), if you flattened your stuffing during the last step and need to poke a teensy bit more in.
Tie your length of hanging ribbon into a loop and set aside.
This is another step where my need to hide the edges made life stupid and fiddly. Tuck the edge of a length of the thin ribbon between the layers on the bottom of the horns and wrap it around, and tack in place with a couple stitches. Loop it a couple of times until you get to the point you want to hang the ornament: I chose dead center, you may want him at a jaunty angle.
Fiddle with bendy felt, slippery ribbon and pins until your hanging ribbon's knot is sandwiched between the 2 layers of the horns and continue wrapping with the loose long piece, securing with pins or clips as needed and hopefully not making a big tangled mess of ribbon.
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When you get to the end wrap it around a couple times and cut off any extra length, seal your ribbon and pin or clip into place.
Sew along remaining curves of the horn, making sure not to yank the hanging ribbon out of place and to catch the wrapping ribbon as you go. Accept there's no good way to tuck in this !$@!%%^$ slippery 1/8th BS ribbon and tack the butt end down with a few extra stitches.
Alternately, tack the hanging ribbon in place between the layers, sew the edges and then wrap and secure the horn ribbon with stitches or glue at either end. You could also skip sewing the edges of the horns together before wrapping them, but it will be more sturdy and secure with them sewn.
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The fun part! fold some paper in half and draw your flames on the fold. Mine were a little over 2 in tall, and they should be a little smaller than the back of your goat at the base in order to fit in place. Cut out your fire and use it as a template for your felt.
The base layer will need to be on cut on the fold but the rest can be separate. Use as many or as few layers and colors as you like, it doesn't have to match exactly on both sides. You'll be folding this up so that you have 2 decorative sides facing out and a plain inside, so you'll be making two mirrored flames while it's still flat: one pointing up and one pointing down. Sew or glue the layers together.
I used a hidden stitch about a third of the way up from the bottom on the inside of the flame to pinch the sides together and pull it up into a V shape. This can be tucked up into the gap between the body and the horns and will hold itself in place pretty well if you have thick felt.
For more security/ shaping you could sew a loop of craft wire or an opened paperclip to the back side of the flame, or as previously mentioned do clever things with magnets.
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Hang him on the tree with or without flames and enjoy!
Options for enjoying your handcrafted goat:
Pin the Flame on the Goat: Hide goat ornament on tree and give your participant (s) the flame (s), first to put them together wins.
Art Imitates Goat: Keep the flames to the side until/ if the real goat burns, and then apply to ornament. Celebrate with hot cocoa or warm winter drink of choice.
Voodoo Goat: Real Gavlebocken hasn't burned yet? Summon the flames by setting your ornament on felt fire! Celebrate with hot cocoa or warm winter drink of choice.
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jackalopesao3 · 3 months
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The Real Real Cocytus Hall Collapsed:
This actually gave me real insight as to why Solomon is culinary challenged. Fair warning: Solomon roast ahead! It’s all in good fun and this WW gave me a laugh! I do enjoy Solomon’s character a lot!
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A plastic bag? In the oven?! You know what happens to plastic bags in the oven?! I feel like I can’t say anything because I mistook wax paper for cooking sheets and made my house super smoky once.
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(They were melting chocolate.)
You set the chocolate on fire?! Chocolate isn’t hard to melt! I can’t bake very well but I help my mother and melting chocolate and butter is something even I can do. There are several different ways you can do it too. With the microwave, it’s pretty self-explanatory.
Now, you have likely burnt chocolate with your melted chocolate. Why can’t you just follow the directions?
But wait…this gets so much worse!
(Read More due to length)
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Shadow newt intestines?! Muddy spice?! Did Barbatos say to add any of those? No!
In all fairness they could be legit Devildom food but they could also be alchemy ingredients (or, most likely, both).
Sir, this isn’t your science experiment!
We all know alchemy ingredients can have unwanted effects. Also, assuming muddy spice tastes…muddy? That with the newt intestines is not going to be a pleasant flavor for the dessert.
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Isn’t it easier and quicker just to sift it than to recite a whole ass spell?! This is just arrogance. Magic isn’t always better. We already know some lingering magic gets mixed into whatever the old man cooks when he pulls stunts like this.
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Delicious?!
Delicious?!
Get out of here with your deadass tastebuds, grandpa!
Magic can be an absolute must for sorcerers in their careers and yet be separated from cooking and baking. It doesn’t need to be in every aspect of your life, especially when proven time after time to cause disastrous results. Remember when your cooking sent MC back in time?!
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Pics taken moments before disaster strikes.
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Oh Luke, what was that noise indeed? I believe it was the death cry of any hope that MC had for a relaxing afternoon. No wait, that’s just the poor oven finally succumbing to probably centuries (I mean he’s stayed there before) of Solomon’s torture.
RIP Good Soldier - You fought bravely
Barbatos has the tired mom look. He didn’t need to use his powers to know this would happen. Someone please give this man a vacation.
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Funny that you think there’s a kitchen left to check on, Barb. MC is probably trying to scramble out of the sinkhole that was once Cocytus Hall. The oven exploding probably opened up a rift in space/time.
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(un)Fortunately, Luke, Solomon is immortal. He will live to torture us yet again with his cooking. 🤣
Conclusion: It’s not that he can’t cook, or that he’s clueless. Solomon’s hubris from being a sorcerer (magic will make it better!) and dependence on magic (I strongly believe he’s dependent on it at this point) are the reason for his disastrous dishes.
Solomon, you silly old man, I love you but you gotta get with the times and stop using magic for everything!
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infriga · 4 months
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To add to the discussion about plagiarization and misinformation, one thing I know that can contribute to complacency is how much time and effort it can take to fact check everything you watch. That's daunting for most people, let alone people who don't have as much experience with it or who deal with disabilities and executive dysfunction.
But there are some things you can do to minimize damages that are easier to manage on a more individual basis.
You don't have to necessarily fact check every single thing every creator says in every video in order to make sure they're 100% legit every time. I know not everyone has the mental bandwidth to do that sort of thing constantly. Generally it's okay to just practice some mindfulness and not blindly trust someone if you haven't vetted their claims personally.
What you can do is fact check yourself. Don't repeat stuff you hear from a video as if it is a fact unless you have looked into it yourself first to confirm that what the video said about it is true and that their sources are good. And if you source someone make sure you've vetted them specifically and checked their own sources on that particular topic or bit of information (and check that they even HAVE sources to begin with and aren't just copying their sources verbatim). You can't source every video essay you ever watch or check every single one for plagiarism, but you can source yourself and what you say, and make sure you're not spreading bullshit or citing the wrong person. If you find that you don't have the energy to do even that much in a given moment, then just keep the information in question to yourself for the time being until you do have the energy to verify it.
And some stuff that's generally just good practice: if it's a topic that you're particularly interested in, it's a good idea to seek out more than one video about it from more than one creator. The more diverse your sources of info on the topic the better, especially if you seek out more than just the popular stuff. Get a broader picture of it from a wide variety of people from a wide variety of demographics. It's a lot easier to spot stuff like plagiarism if you're looking at more than just one or two channels, and even if you don't spot it, because they're often good at hiding it, you at least can make sure that you're giving more obscure creators the same attention as well instead of only defaulting to the most popular wide-spread creators and content.
Seeking out more than one type of medium is usually a good idea as well. I know reading stuff like written papers or essays or books on a topic can be difficult for some people, but if you can manage it even just occasionally then branching out every once in a while is still worth doing because it gets you out of one particular information sphere and into another, reducing the chances of an echo chamber effect. If you can't bring yourself to do that much homework on a topic, then again remember to keep in mind that your knowledge about it is limited and could be wrong, and don't spread that info without doing your own research first. Videos are not inherently a bad way to learn about stuff, papers or books can be wrong, and plagiarized, and badly sourced, and can spread misinformation too, my main point is that it's good to avoid having your information come to you through a single choke point if you can help it.
It can be exhausting trying to hold every online creator accountable on an individual basis, I get that, so I don't expect everyone to extensively peer review every channel they ever watch, but at the end of the day you can at least make sure to try and hold yourself accountable first and foremost.
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markrosewater · 28 days
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Echoing what that other guy said, I have felt a rise in complexity recently. With so many new cards that not only make you read and remember what they do, but what the tokens they make do, then what the tokens that that token makes does, it really adds to the mental load. Some examples would be Ring Tempts You, daybound/nightbound, initiative, Venture into the dungeon, stickers, attractions, and many more.
For instance, had a vindicate, and was debating between killing Frodo, sauron’s bane and Nahar, selfless paladin, I would have to read a total of 6 cards. Each of the original creatures, plus the 3 dungeons and the Ring card. And this problem gets worse the more effects you add on, many of which don’t go away as the game continues. If someone introduces the initiative, I now have to worry about nahar exploring the underdark. This scaling complexity as the game continues now means there’s an insane amount layers of the game, which while fun, is also very daunting, and somewhat of a headache.
If nothing else, I’d really like if “reading the card explains the card” was true, not “reading the card, then the three different extra cards that it makes explains the card”
I do appreciate your listening, and generally a lot of the new stuff has been cool. However, this push for many “outside the game” mechanics is not great for paper play, and I would prefer less of it.
Here's the core problem. A huge part of Magic is that we keep making new cards. When we do that, the audience wants new mechanics. (Market research shows again and again that one of the biggest draws to new sets is new mechanics.) We're thirty years in. We've made a *lot* of mechanics, so we have to go to new spaces to make new things. It's not as if there's lots of simple, elegant, non-complex design space that we're actively choosing not to do.
What this means is if you want to play constructed formats that don't rotate, complexity will rise with time. There's literally no way around this. Every new card we create, every new mechanic we make, every set we put out adds complexity to the system.
So if you're finding the mental load too much, there are ways to play Magic where this isn't an issue. Limited formats and rotating constructed formats limit complexity. Or you can choose to build your decks such that you focus on less mechanics you have to track.
That said, I don't think there's a way for me to do my job (aka keep designing new things) that isn't going to raise complexity. We can look at how many things we add to any one set. Maybe slow down the rise in complexity a little. But can we do so in a way that the audience is getting what they want? I'm not sure.
One of the mechanics I get asked most to bring back is mutate, and that's confusing even without the rest of Magic, so there are many forces pulling in different directions.
I do like hearing the specific things that cause you all problems, because it's possible I can figure out the style of designs that cause people problems. But the idea that we just stop making mechanics that reference things not on the card is a tough one given where Magic design technology is currently at.
I do appreciate all the input, and I hope the dialogue helps me better understand what specific things are causing problems.
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keystonepublishing · 10 months
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There Will Come Soft Rains by @tunastime
Wedding Bands only need Three Gold Pieces by wisteriaworlds / @percivex
Where and How our Fires Burn by @plumelagoon
After a week of printing, cutting, and gluing, I have finally finished a long-held goal of mine to bind these three fanfics!
After the last mammoth bookbinding project, I wanted to do something simple for a change. So, I decided to bind some Rancher Duo fics for my personal enjoyment while using some of the cheapest materials and leftover stuff that I can find. While the overall binding process was comparatively simpler, there were also a few new tricks I use in the making of these ficbooks.
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If I could sum it up, I would say that these ficbinds are a sort-of "working experiment". As in, experimenting in making, gluing, and putting what goes where at which sections of the book.
For starters, the endpapers of various feathers are just cut sections of present-wrapping paper I found at a store. I intended to use a different paper pattern for the inside cover/endpaper, but ran out of that and bought the feather one instead. Given how Jimmy is head-cannoned and written as a canary of death, it's serendipitously fitting.
I also went for simplicity at the spine; just a long piece of cardstock. Simple and effective, yet somehow it went wonky for one book when it came to gluing. Why? How? I don't know!
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Experimentation was afoot from the title page alone. The first two fics are titled plainly, but I decided to place a semi-transparent visual of a feather at the last ficbind, just to test the visual look. I'd say it looks a lot more interesting and fits the fic's vibe, though I also like the simplicity of the last two title pages.
The front matter (or information page/s) was also a place where slight experiments were done, namely at keeping all the information contained to one page. If there is just too much info, can I make it a two-page spread without it looking like a boring wall of text? And lastly: is there enough room to add the AO3 logo and my own?
The second and third ficbinds use symbols as dividers between different sections of info, and the third ficbind has no logo - more on that later.
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I then experimented on the first page: could I use pictures or visuals to set the mood for the fic? Each picture was taken from the internet and edited to fit the page, though it look me literal hours to find the right pictures to use in the first place.
The titles have a pop of red color to make for an interesting visual effect. Soft Rains and How Our Fires Burn also have drop caps at their opening paragraphs to see if it fits with the visual look and layout.
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There Will Come Soft Rains was also the first time I did some fancy editing in regards to the letter-writing sections of the fic. The paper background was easy, but it took some time to find the exact fonts that could fit Tango and Jimmy's writing vibe. I also divided Tango and Jimmy's perspectives with thematic dividers - a cowboy hat and redstone block, naturally.
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I then repeated the visual vibe at the opening pages for the ending. As Wedding Bells ended at the left page, the opposite right page was a singular photo that conveys the vibe of the fic's ending. Since the other two ficbinds ended at the right page, I tried to come up with a way of conveying the emotional touchstone of their endings and settled on a double-page spread of photos.
Setting the photos to that they seem to meet at the center was a bit finicky, and it ultimately did not print as a seamless whole. Still, I like the effect those photos give to the ending(s).
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Same concept, but simplified at the End Notes. I ultimately feel the simplified visuals of the latter ficbinds ended up better than the complete picture of my first attempt.
Also, remember how one ficbind, Where and How Our Fires Burn, did not have the logos at the front matter / information page? That's because that fic was when I experimented with a colophon and placed the logos of AO3 and my own there. Thinking about it, I may not use this method if I want to make a simple bookbind that saves pages, but definitely will for bigger projects.
Full credits for all these fics to their writers!
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art-of-mathematics · 7 months
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The task I wanted to do:
- task 1: Visualize the fourth dedekind number
What I needed to do in order to do task 1:
- task 1.1: Draw a hypercube and
- task 1.2: then give each of the 16 vertices a name - which is the 16 different "cells" (I dunno which word to use, sorry) of a venn diagram with 4 overlapping sets plus a circle around that 4-venn diagram.
- - -- ---
//additional info: For the 3rd dedekind number visualization I already posted I needed to use 20 cubes. Each of the 8 vertices of a cube was related to 3 sets - A, B and C - and the intersections of these sets. (AB, AC, BC, ABC)
You remember this post:
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... and these details:
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...and now back to the 4th dedekind number, which follows the same principle, - but in 4 dimensions.
- So we need a hypercube - and a 4th set/letter:
Now we have 4 letters - alias 4 sets
- and 11 combinations of these sets:
AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD, (6)
ABC, ABD, ACD, BCD, (4)
ABCD (1)
=> 11 different intersections + 4 "pure" sets. (sorry for ignorant wording)
So, we have 15 of these now. What is with the 16th (as the hypercube has 16 vertices)? Yeah, that one is the circle you imagine around the 4-set venn diagram.
- - -- ---
This is a 4-set venn diagramm btw:
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--- -- - -
So, back to me attempting to do the 4th dedekind-number visualization:
So I started to draw that venn diagram using ellipses, but I slightly altered it, because I wanted to use my isometric grid paper. (The angles of my drawing are different than in the picture depicted above.)
I started to draw the 4 ellipses, and I somehow started to see two intertwined/interlocked tubes due to the additional helplines I used for drawing.
Then I started to use my thicker black pen to make this effect of these two interlocked tubes more visible:
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Now I plan to write the sets/letters at the backside of that piece of paper - in mirrored, so I can hold this piece of paper (with the tube drawing in front) against the light - and see the letters of the set names shining through.
i might also add some details to the tubes.
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dushman-e-jaan · 3 months
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Climate Change is the Great Filter, whether people like it not. Practice intensive de-growth, material poverty, and limited consumption; if you don't, we'd all just be...filtered. All of us. The whole "cold, cruel universe that doesn't care" adage? It's just the reality of the world, not an "edgy meme", especially since, the system about you is working as intended; and what we're experiencing is simply the deterministic effect of our lifestyles; and regardless of the class divides, inequality, and relentless wars, which add to this existential threat, the planet is being run into the ground; and you're not going anywhere to live out your sci-fi fantasies with your buddy Elon Musk. You. Are. Fucked!
In fact, this is what "fuck around and find out" looks like at its best.
(More links after the cut.)
This is happening. We've, for the lack of the better word, transformed earth to be nearly inhospitable; and we've yet to experience the good returns of the pollution we've introduced into the system in the last 2 decades or so (we're already warming up twice as fast; a marvel of our collective "brilliance"). Aren't you all excited? As according to some papers, we'd looking at 70 degrees Celsius somewhere down the line (there isn't a good consensus on this one, but at the rate things are going? A fairly predictable outcome when ocean temperatures have broken every record, that's just the beginning of this fun-time!; and remember, oxygen absorption is inversely proportional to temperature; so the hotter the water's surface, the less oxygen it can absorb; basically, your oceans will start dying from the bottom up; are you ready for mass-extinction?)! There would be no "return to monke" when all the food-chains go through total collapse, which many seem to fantasize about in their dystopian power-fantasies; and after that, we'd just be another pointless part of earth's vast history. (God, human exceptionalism is infuriating, especially when even the shit we eject out of our hindquarters massively pollutes everything about us; our dead-bodies do the same; so we as species don't add much of anything to the eco-system about us; just pollution.)
We overshot the sustainable population number some several billion people ago; yet you hardly see anyone talk about the elephant in the room. Most people go for the most obnoxious, low-hanging fruit of "eco-fascism"; in that we can feed 10 billion people, apparently; I'd love for them to bring out a single evidence that we can a) feed all these people without fossil fuels (bet none of you fuckers ever thought of that little detail); b) somehow, magically fix the pesticides run-off problems that have created forever chemicals (they're found in everything you find convenient, by the way, and have contaminated just about everything; yes, including yours truly), polluted our water-sources, and basically, feed all these people without pesticides; and c) feed all of them equally without the aforementioned two. (All the fools talking about "fossil-fuel industry is destroying our planet" conveniently leave this one out; or perhaps they're just that stupid, because no alternative out there is viable enough to be used as a replacement for fossil fuels and pesticides...just to feed an endless number of mouths; but hey, according to these highly intelligent thinkers we can actually push this to 10 billion, and somehow, survive!)
The fossil-fuels and pesticides feed us, but they also create massive pollution and pollutants that don't seem to be going anywhere for hundreds of years, possibly more; and I haven't even touched on what microplastics and factory-farming are doing to you and the planet; but that's something you can research on your own; but sociopathic mother-fuckers still won't reduce their meat and needless consumption. It's almost as if, if our population was around 2 billion, none of this would be happening. It's almost as if we pollute, destroy, and exploit the environment...just by existing; and don't even fucking bother with coming at me with "geo-engineering" to solve the problem; aerosol mask is an excuse to keep burning fossil fuels, a method that'd just result in Termination Shock (source; its part 2 can be found through this list; I can't seem to link it for some reason). You're not getting out of this. There's no "techno-hopium" to save you, nothing to bail you out of mass-extinction, and no method to blunt the fall. It's happening. Billions will die. It's inevitable.
The only thing you can do is to not make it even worse. Reduce the population, which will plummet all on its own, anyway, because the temperatures will keep rising for another 100 years down the line; water wars will happen as we're a cruel species that simply know how to plunder, exploit, and take, and because more than 40% of our water sources are polluted already; and no, no "carbon-capture tech" exists to draw what we've released into the environment. Not even a fraction of it as it, surprise-surprise!, can't seem to work efficiently without fossil fuels!
You don't have much of any choice or time to do anything else. Adapt or die horribly along with billions? Choices-choices!
Additional Links:
The differences between 1.5C and 2.0C warming (just in case you through this was fun and games).
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snek-panini · 6 months
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It's been a few weeks since I had new books to share, but I finally got photos taken of the newest ones so today's the day. Here, have a book:
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This is Across Tides and Currents, a Good Omens siren AU by Sodium_Azide and @doorwaytoparadise (hi. I hope I tagged you right). My favorite thing about this AU is that, at its heart, it's about learning to communicate with someone who is so different from you that you can't even physically speak each other's language, and yet you've still got so much common ground that you find a way. It's way lighter and more fun than that description makes it sound, though, so go read it if that's your thing.
The cover on this is Lineco book cloth, scrapbook paper printed to look like leather, and blue foil htv. The foil was actually a nightmare to do. The first time I applied it, it wouldn't stick no matter what I did, and the bits that did stick peeled off as soon as I touched them. I had to peel them up very carefully, cut a new image, and try again. Thankfully it worked the second time but I don't know that I'll be using the foil type again unless there's no other way to get the color I want. The non-foil metallic was so much easier to work with.
More book photos under the cut!
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I went with a coptic bind for this one for a few reasons. The first was that I wanted to try one on a quarto-size book to see if I could. I also wanted to try the mitered corners thing I did when I bound Strange Moons, and see if I could have the same effect on the interior. (That bit didn't work out so well; the front is fine but I mismeasured the inside and the lines didn't match up, so I trimmed some pieces of cardstock to cover that up. I really like the layered look though, so that's fine. It's quirky.) The third reason is that not long before I decided to bind this one, the authors published a new chapter after two years of no updates. That's the best possible reason to have to change plans, and the glueless bind means that if they ever do that again I can just redo the stitching to add more pages. Win-win.
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Getting whimsical with title pages here. This took way longer than I thought it would, probably because I don't like graphic design and I did it in Word where I do the rest of my typesetting. Usually what I do is grab an image and put text around it or on top of it and then just play with fonts and sizes, but this time I drew the lines and then made the text follow them. This is the first time I've used the word art feature since...probably 2009? I'd forgotten how. I have no doubt there are better ways to do this but if I'd had to learn a new program at that point I'd have quit. And I do think it was worth it--it's cute and fun and looks about how I imagined it.
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Couple of photos of the inside. Sorry the first one's blurry, I had someone trying to get my attention when I took these. The section break image came from rawpixel, I just made it gray instead of black so it's more subtle. The fic has very nice illustrations that I specifically got the artist's permission to print and then I failed to get any photos of them when I did my little photo shoot. They look very nice, though. I swear.
The last image is something I've started including in my latest books. I'm calling them "A Note from the Bookbinder" and it's basically just me talking about why I chose that story, the experience of reading it for the first time, stuff that's going on in the fandom, stuff about the process like the new chapter coming out as I was preparing to print. It's kind of...like marginalia? Part of fanbinding is preservation and that's linked to archival work, and something I know archivists love is marginalia and diaries. I don't like writing in my books and I've never found any fun in journaling, but sometimes that kind of context is important so I'm trying to add it. Someday, decades from now, I may not remember all the details, so I'm trying to preserve them. IDK, this got philosophical on me. Go read about mermaids now. Promise it's a good time.
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