#still prefer this new production to the old one BY FAR

[enchanted-keys]

(Im feeling dumb because i remembered to check the place™️ after sending you the ask) but now that i watched it i have a few notes

-fumi fucking kaneko. Ily ma'am i would be lying if i said i didnt cry with her appearing on stage

-i loved how the pointe shoes for the fairies were matte bc from far away it truly looked like they were floating

-gary avis spinning the necklace thing 10/10

-now i understand why i saw comments about how difficult the choreography is

Now some "negative" comments altho they are light

-that wig on vadream. Who did that deserves jail

-i liked the fairies' ball tutus better than the dresses from the first act

-the gloves on both the winter fairy and cinderella's ball outfit. Why. It looked cheap idk why

Overall that was 10000000/10 it's sure one of my favorite ballets now

Well, while definitely enjoy Cinderella I'm not sure I'll ever be able to call it a favorite. There's not enough Prince and too much, way too much, of the sisters. Although Gary Avis doing that thing with his necklace honestly had me laughing my ass off...that part was funny for real. The choreo is stunning, though. Surprisingly enough, my favorite fairy was O'Sullivan, followed by Choe as Autumn. I always love Fumi and she was stunning as usual, but Nela and Vadim were the real stars of the show for me: they were the real magic on that stage and I had eyes for them only. Not sure what you're referring to when you talk about a wig, though...that was Vadim's hair and I thought he looked very dashing. The act 1 fairy costumes are the only ones I don't like that much, except for spring, maybe, but do really like the act 2 tutus: the details from up close of those tutus are incredibly pretty.

#still prefer this new production to the old one BY FAR #the old one looked incredibly old dusty and had atrocious costumes for the corps and especially the sisters #also...moving the ball in the garden? A+++++ decision #asks

[sunboki]

🎥 NEXT TUESDAY ┆ part one of "My Shirt"

boxer!lee minho x gn. reader

warnings — cursing

genre — boxer au, enemies to lovers, hinted strangers to lovers

word count — 1.2k

aug’s notes — got reminded of how leeknow used to do boxing, wanted to write something i might follow up on with a part two? this is kinda like a test product :)

“You should take a self defense class since you live alone now dear.”

No Mrs. Kathy, you don’t need a self defense class. You don’t want to go to a self defense class, and living alone does not make you a weak and vulnerable person. In fact, you’re thriving with your own company.

But that’s not what you said. Of course not, Mrs. Kathy was simply a nosy old woman doing her nosy old job, it felt pathetic to let her words get under your skin.

“I might do that! Thank you for the suggestion.” You lied, lips pulled into a tight smile.

As much as you would’ve preferred to disregard the interaction and proudly admit what she said was long forgotten, it wasn’t. Instead, it bugged and bugged. Until you simply couldn’t bear to repeat that god-forsaken phrase for the 100th time and had to confess.

“Don’t get me wrong, Mrs. Kathy is a nice woman but this is really, really getting to me.” You deflate, arms stretched out on the wooden table. Sitting across from you Chris, your coworker, cocks a brow. He’s impressed. It’s been a while since you’ve had an itch like this.

“Look at you, dealing with your first problem in the big scary adult world.” God, even if you went deaf you’d still hear the teasing in his voice.

Except you’re used to this, used to his antics despite the sweetness you know him for personally. Chris was an older brother to you, an undeniably attractive and charismatic brother that was being an ass at the moment.

You mutter a “I’ve been in the adult world” under your breath, assuming he heard the remark from the knowing smirk sent your way. Great help dude. You’re a savior.

“‘Just playing, I can hook you up.” There’s a certain lilt to his voice you can’t quite translate as he stares down at his drink, dissolving the salt covering the rim of his margarita into the cocktail.

“Hook me up? This isn’t arranging my marriage so I can make sure to get married before thirty asshole.” He scoffs at your bitterness, warm brown eyes flickering back at you with mischief glittering beneath hardly visible irises.

“I mean you wouldn’t be living alone anymore-OKAY okay. But on a serious note. I can arrange something. I have a friend. His name’s Minho, I think he’d be the perfect person to help you out.”

There’s that lilt in the voice again, and somehow, perhaps in the midst of your desperation, you agree.

2 pm, Tuesday. In front of the real sketchy looking building. You have to walk into the place and go down the stairs to your left, from there you’ll figure it out.

If GTA was real, you think one of the buildings would look like the one in front of you.

Graffiti covered the walls, and you couldn’t feel more out of place in the foreign downtown surroundings. Minho. His name was Minho. That’s all you need to remember. Oh, and the stairs to your left. That too.

When you first stepped in, you were pleasantly surprised to find the space not occupied with greasy men and the smell of cigarette smoke, but a diner. Light blue hues here and there, and dimmed lights placed above each booth. A few glances here and there, but the atmosphere wasn’t all too bad.

Almost immediately you caught sight of the stairs hidden in a far corner, your step forward increasing the sound of bass seeping through the walls—getting louder as you approached the door at the bottom. And whatever had earlier crossed your mind was now completely gone without a trace upon turning the knob.

Inside was a boxing ring. Not a self defense class or a gym, but a nicely sized room with a boxing ring on one side and punching bags scattered on the other. Even with the new surroundings, the revelation of what you’d gotten yourself into hadn’t quite registered yet. Especially not when the one man appearing to be around your age in the middle of the ring pulled off his helmet and boxing gloves and turned to face you.

He was painstakingly beautiful. Dyed grey hair tousled in bizarre directions due to the helmets jostling, dark chestnut eyes similar to that of Chris’ yet the strangers’ were more soulful.

“I think I came to the wrong place, sorry I’ll be leaving..” You hurriedly reach for the door before he speaks, effectively stopping you in your tracks.

“If you’re the one Chris mentioned you’re in the right place. Either come or go, don’t waste my time.”

Initially he seemed passive, his tone then distorting into impatience. To say his bluntness surprised you underestimated the situation. With these circumstances though you found yourself more enticed than offended.

“You really suck at introductions.” One step forward, one step closer to this stranger you had no idea about. He could’ve been a mass killer for all you knew. It didn’t matter right now because his attitude was the only thing determining your next move.

“Oh? Wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings sweetheart,”

He leaned forward, a conniving tilt of his head used to address you.

“Lee Minho. It’s a pleasure.”

One fact about Lee Minho. He has a shit-eating smile when he gets his way. It pisses you off.

“I could say the same.” You basically spat, watching him collect additional gear.

He threw the items your way, leading you into the ring. The more you considered it the funnier it became, realizing you were surely not dressed in proper boxing attire compared to this noticeable veteran.

“Ever boxed before?”

“Nope, I do want to beat that look off your face though.” His shit-eating smile returned, giving you a once over.

Opening his arms, it’s almost like he’s daring you to give it your all. Another part of Lee Minho that pisses you off. His arrogance.

Somehow, it’s kind of hot.

You wait for his move, dodging narrowly and attempting to land hits yourself till you notice a glove placed on your shoulder. Holding there, not going through with the move.

“There.”

“And there.” This cycle goes on, pointing out open spots. Your frustration bubbles furiously, blindly swinging before being swiped off your feet to pummel on the ground in exhaustion. Minho squats down from above you, index tapping your chest that causes you to squeak out in surprise.

“I’d recommend wearing a thicker shirt next time, but I don’t mind the view.” Embarrassingly enough, due to the sweat clinging to your skin your bra was very much visible through your shirt. The man only shrugging and hopping to his feet.

Wait.

“Next time?” Your lips pull at the corners, following not far behind him putting equipment away. He doesn’t reply, earning a satisfied hum from you. Bingo.

Out of nowhere, a t-shirt is thrown your direction.

“Put it on. You can give it to me next Tuesday. You better come back.”

You somewhat wish you would’ve said thank you of a sort, maybe bothered him about his red ears. Except all you did was wave a goodbye and watch him disappear upstairs. Apparently marking the end of this uniquely strange.. boxing class? Something like that.

. ..

FaceTiming Chris the next morning before work, you listened to him talk until the line quieted and you found him squinting at your shirt.

"Whose shirt is that?"

all rights reserved by @sunboki. repost and plagiarism will not be tolerated.

#straykids x reader #skz x reader #skz x y/n #skz x you #stray kids x gender neutral reader #stray kids x y/n #stray kids x reader #stray kids x you #skz leeknow #skz lee minho #skz lee know #stray kids angst #stray kids fluff #lee know x y/n #lee know x you #lee know x reader #lee minho x y/n #lee minho fluff #lee know angst #lee know fluff #lee minho x you #lee minho angst #lee minho x reader

[octuscle]

Going back in time would be great but I was never into sports like the guys you've already transformed. I was in high school and in college a musician but left this track when I began working for my dad's firm to become the boss one day. I activated Chronivac to change the reality transforming into a young musician never working for my dad

Okay. Also with you: I can't guarantee with changes in your past exactly how you will change. You are 38 years old now, your father is still the absolute patriarch of the company, and when you will ever take the helm of the company is written in the stars.

Is 30 a good new age? And I'll adjust the eight years before that. No life with balance sheets and financial planning. A life of pure rock'n roll!

09:00 a.m. You roll into the company parking lot in your company car. You still don't have a parking space with the directors. You're still parking with the department heads. You curse your old man! But you finally have to free yourself from his dominance. As you walk across the asphalt of the parking lot, your footsteps become louder and heavier. Your penny loafers become heavy biker boots.

In the department head meeting at 10:00 a.m., one of your colleagues asks you how your concert was yesterday in the sports bar. For a year now, you've been performing there occasionally in the evenings with a few pals. You cover old songs from your college days. You answer that it was more crowded than it has been in a long time. You had your fun. And so did the audience, obviously.

When the meeting is over at about 11:00, you run into your father on the way to your office. He can't help but make disparaging remarks about your appearance. Boots, jeans, wallet chain. He says that one could be grateful that your shirt is white, clean and ironed. Otherwise, you would probably be assigned to the janitorial team rather than the management. You ask if he has taken a look at the figures for your department. Since you've finally given your creativity free rein, sales have also been running much better. Your father grumbles that he actually has to admit that, but that he still dislikes your appearance and your strange hobbies.

You have to get out during your lunch break. Sitting in the cafeteria with your colleagues and talking about sales figures would be a punishment for you. You get in your truck and drive to the diner. There you like to meet the other guys from your band and from other musicians who occasionally give concerts in the area. Plus, there's a damn good burger there….

At 2:00 p.m. you have to go back to your old man's company. As a sales representative in the field, you have a free hand as long as your figures are good. And your figures are among the best in the whole group. But your father simply doesn't trust creative people. He would have preferred it if you had started in controlling or production. But labs and offices crush you. You are at home on the stage and on the street. Some of your clients are amazed when they see you for the first time. They wouldn't have expected to see someone in leather pants on a Harley rolling into the yard when they made the appointment with the machine tool representative. But with your open manner, you usually manage to break the ice in no time. And it's usually only a matter of time before the contract is signed.

Your father's secretary grins when you sit down at her desk. She knows that your flirting is just an act. She knows your husband, the drummer in your band, far too well. But you know that it does her good when a real man shows up in her luxurious air-conditioned anteroom. And damn, you look hot in that black company T-shirt and leather pants. You've been trying to enforce sleeveless shirts as clothing. Would show off your hard-earned muscles better. But as tolerant as your father has become in the last six years, he couldn't accept that.

At 16:00 you are out of your father's office again. It makes you proud that he has a poster of one of your concerts framed above his desk. And he respects your career as a musician. Even though you work quite successfully as a sales representative for your father's company, your heart beats for your band. Nevertheless, you now sit down for another hour, write your reports and take care of your correspondence. And at 5:00 p.m. you roll out of the company parking lot.

You are 30 and have been the frontman of your band for eight years. It all started in your parents' garage. And now you are one of the greats of hard rock. Maybe not nationwide. But at least in your state. That's all you can do with the balancing act between your dad's company and the band. But hell, you and your band have fun. And your dad is happy. What more do you want!

Found your pic @dustyraider

#male tf #muscle tf #reality change #chronivac #inked man #male transformation #muscle transformation #age reduction

[ellaelsinore]

Corroded Coffin gets asked to be the house band for the local Hedwig production, clearly the only musicians skilled enough for a rock opera. Eddie didn’t think the show would be fun, but the music clearly rocks, the show is entertaining, it pays and it gives him more opportunities to perform. Costume even lets him wear mostly his own clothes, embellishing his battle vest further, not budging on the obscene amount of eyeliner they insist is “necessary to the plot”. Both Eddie and Steve kinda love it, even when Eddie looks like a raccoon the next morning. It takes all of his time for months, but by the end the boys are pretty proud of what they’ve accomplished and have learned a lot from the director and production staff about putting on a real show.

Steve comes to multiple shows, in the audience and backstage. He prefers being backstage, watching from the wings. He alternates between stage right and stage left, either able to watch Eddie from afar as he plays and dances and sings harmony, or right next to him so he can tell him how pretty he looks every break for the whole show. Eddie basks in the attention he gets from the community, the snobby theater crowd impressed by the skill of four heathens with guitars and a drum kit. The actor playing Hedwig tells them that they’re by far the most talented pit band he has worked with and will keep them in mind the next time he does a rock musical.

Eddie plays Wicked Little Town (reprise) every night like it’s the last time he’s going to play it. He studied the music for weeks, pouring over that particular song, first, because it’s the climax of the musical and second, it reminds him of Steve. Steve who is so much more than the stuck-up, pretty-boy jock he saw in high school. Steve who kept the party and himself alive and safe in the Upside Down, who picked up the pieces of a life that broke around him and built a new family with them. Who changed so completely that anyone from his old life would never recognize the man he had become, who sometimes didn’t recognize himself. Eddie wanted to be the voice Steve could follow, to rebuild this new life together.

Next Corroded Coffin show, Eddie plays a viciously emotional rendition of Wicked Little Town (Reprise), shirtless, black jeans low on his hips, jewelry shining in the stage lights. Robin and Nance made sure that Steve was front and center, Eddie dedicates the song to “his cosmic lover,” and plays to Steve like he’s the only one in the bar. Steve cries into Robin’s shoulder until Eddie slings his guitar over his back and hops off the stage, taking Steve’s face in his hands, kissing away the tears on his cheeks.

“You make this wicked little town worth every minute, Stevie.” Eddie kisses his forehead. “And you will never be alone again, never be a stranger, not if I can help it.” He pulls the ring box out of his pocket, not caring that they’re still in the middle of the Hideout and some asshole (Gareth) got them to adjust the spotlight to where the two men are standing in the pit. Not caring that the whole club has pulled back and is watching two men in desperate love, sharing in a moment that they should be grateful to see.

Steve laughs wetly as Eddie presents the ring, a woven silver band set with three sunshine-yellow stones, nodding before Eddie can even ask the question. “Steve Harrington, will you..” Steve crushes Eddie into a hug, whispering “yes” against his neck over and over. “You didn’t let me finish, Stevie,” Eddie laughs. Steve pulls back to look at his boyfriend, fuck, fiancé, and sees Eddie’s doe eyes misty and rimmed with red, but he’s smiling at Steve and god, Steve could look at him for the rest of his life. “Steve,” Eddie takes a deep breath, takes Steve’s hands in his. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes, a million times yes.” Steve lets Eddie put the ring on him, before finally kissing Eddie. However wicked this town was, Eddie was his home, and together they would pick up the pieces and make a beautiful life for themselves.

#steddie #steddie fluff #eddie munson #steve harrington #this is the first thing I've finished in literal years #i love these idiots so much

[jadedwolf18-blog]

Mini Phantom Invasion

<<Chapters One - Six | << Chapters Seven - Twelve

^^^^^

*****

These chapters were inspired by this post by @blackfoxsposts

*****

Here’s two chapters! The first is a recap of the two years we skipped over and the second is Danny interact with some of the BatFam

🤍🖤💚💙💚🖤🤍

Chapter 13

Danny sighed as they stared out into the dark purple foliage of the forrest. They and Elle had been exploring the far reaches of the Zone for the last week, bonding and spending time together before things got busy again. 

They would be returning tomorrow, to Phantoms Keep, as their eighteenth birthday was the day after. It was also the day of their coronation and the day they would officially claim Elle as their daughter. It was crazy to think that it had already been two years since they’d fled their old dimension. 

*****

Danny and Dan had become the protectors of Japan, as a whole, during those two years. They had even trained with Katana every now and then, that had been an interesting meeting that lead to Dan working part-time with the justice league. 

Danny themself preferred to remain in Japan and had only met the main members of the JL once, during their initial introduction. They and Dan had set up their head quarters in the village they had first started out in. It had now bloomed from a simple farming village into a small town that rivalled Amity Park in size. Though its main focus was still farming and the production of grains and fruit.

The area that housed the hot spring, their cave and both the big shrine and the smaller shrine had been left undisturbed and was still surrounded by forest, as it was declared the Holy Hunting Grounds and home to Japan’s protector spirits.

The small town had expanded in the opposite direction and its’ architecture and atmosphere kept to a historic aesthetic, their were no modern glass structure or tall buildings. Not that the interiors were devoid of modern facilities but, if one were to visit, it would seem as if you had stepped into the past. The Shrine stood as the tallest building and had been expanded to resemble a historic Shiro or castle. Their new symbol displayed proudly on its Tori Gate and above its entrance.

Danny and Dan had come up with a new symbol in their first month of actively protecting the town and before they started to include the whole of Japan as their haunts territory. It was now a circle with a white, up right triangle in the centre and a stylised version of the Kanji 幻 (maboroshi), meaning Phantom/vision/illusion/dream/phantasm. The Kanji and circle that adorned Dan’s suit were red to match the bracelet on his wrist, while Danny’s circle was red and the Kanji was Ecto-green. 

Even Elle’s wore the new symbol, both the circle and Kanji were a slightly paler green. It had become their family insignia, similar to the Bats and Birds of Gotham. They still went by Phantom when operating outside of Japan but were now mainly known as Maboroshi to the people of Japan.

Over the last two years Danny had gone back to their old dimension a few times, at first it was to check in with Jazz, Sam and Tucker but they had started to grow distant the more he refused to return. Jazz understood, encouraged it even but Sam and Tucker didn’t understand, Sam viewed it as abandoning their duty and Tucker thought they were just over reacting, that they could just live somewhere else and things would be fine. It had all come to an end the last time the had seen them. The other reason they had returned, with Dan, was to look for clues about their mother.

They had spoken more with Pandora and the ghost they had learned was their aunt, she went by Rina, she had told them that their mother was the Mother of Merfolk in her home dimension and was known as Aqua Rigina, a goddess to those who live in the see. She had passed her title to her daughter, their older sister, before fading from her dimension to travel and explore with her new found freedom. 

She had found a home in a new dimension, amongst a different pantheon and it was while traveling the dimensions, connected to the greek pantheon, that she came to care for a human. She new she would not be able to stay but she had hoped to be able to visit often. She never got the chance to tell him once she found out she was pregnant and well… they knew the rest. 

They and Dan had made no progress on finding out who their father was nor what dimension he was in. They only knew that the dimension was connected to the Greek pantheon but that was hardly helpful when there were so many. Short of entering their DNA into every universes data base, which they did not want to do, they could only hope they bumped into someone who knew. Danny knew there was a chance that their father would want nothing to do with them but they still hoped, that small part of them that had never grown up, craved to be accepted by their family.

On the brighter side, they had met with their older sister and her husband, though they brought sad news about her mother. She had accepted and welcomed both of them. They had spent some time with them, getting to know them and the other Mermaids of The Seven Seas, they even learned about their mer powers. It had been fun to meet their sister, brother-in-law and niece. 

*****

Danny had only just fallen asleep when they heard twig snap, they opened their eyes and slowly sat up, coiling their tail tighter around Elle, who had shifted to her creature form in her sleep. They kept their focus in the direction the sound had come from, pupils blown wide to peer into the unnatural darkness of the Ghost Zone forest. 

Chapter 14

Danny continued to watch and listen, even as they slowly roused Elle from her sleep, making a low growling purr and and a short series of quiet clicks, warning her of the potential threat and to stay in her creature form. She was quick to go on alert, ears twitching, trying to find what had put them on edge. 

They listened to the near silent footsteps, there were two, one significantly heavier than the other. As the two figures drew closer and they could just make out their forms, Danny released a long, low warning hiss. The figures paused, for a moment, at the edge of the forest, just out of sight. Danny stopped their hiss and watched, waited, for their response.

Minutes ticked by before the larger figure moved, slowly, forward and into the small clearing. The beginnings of a hiss was cut short when Danny recognised who was currently standing before them. Bruised and battered, cracks in their armour and an unconscious blue bird slung over their back. The smaller figure stepped forward soon after, revealing the hard to miss combination of red, yellow and red. 

“Batman?” Danny was shocked and confused as to why Batman and two of his birds would be in the Infinite Realms, let alone how they had gotten in and so far from any of the main haunts. “Do you need help?”

The smaller bird shifted into a defensive stance but Batman placed a calming hand on his shoulder. “Phantom. Do you know where we are?”

Straight to business it is then, they thought wryly as the corner of their lips twitched in amusement, they motioned them forward and ignited the campfire. They watched as the three drew closer, Batman gently lay Nightwing on the ground and checked him over before taking a seat across from them, on the other side of the fire. Robin was hesitant but soon followed Batman’s lead and took his own seat.

Danny relaxed, leaning back, using their tail as a back rest. They pulled Elle onto their lap and held her close, letting out a calming purr as they silently let her know who the new comers were and that they weren’t a threat… to them anyway.

“You are currently in the Infinite Realms or the Ghost Zone to pit it frankly. It’s where those who died violent deaths, have unfinished business, a strong attachment to the living ream or were created by the culmination of a belief go when the die. You, though, are not dead.” Danny looked them over, they were definitely in rough shape but they were alive. 

“So how, may I ask, did you end up here?” Danny started running their claws through Elles hair as they waited for a response. They knew Batman was weighing his options, they hadn’t worked together often, Dan was the one who had the most interaction with the JL. 

“We were fighting against the League of assassins, you’ve had run ins with them before according to Maboroshi. Nightwing was knocked unconscious, Robin went to catch him before he fell into the Lazarus Pit but their line was cu by an assassin. I went after them, instead of being submerged in Pit water, we were transported here.”

“Hmm, how long have you been here? Maboroshi hasn’t made contact, so he must not have been informed of your disappearance yet. You are lucky I had been close by, I don’t normally venture out this far.” Elle chirped and repositioned herself, seeing as they were safe, she was quick to go back to sleep.

“Hnn.” Batman looked into the fire, no doubt processing the fact that they were in the land of the dead.

“Who is that?” Robin asked, demanded.

“Robin!” Batman was quick to give his version of admonishment.

“What, it is a perfectly valid point of questioning, they are an unknown.” Batman sighed as he turned back to Phantom.

“To answer your question, Robin, this is my daughter. We are on a bonding trip, though we will be returning home tomorrow.” He watched as Batman physically perked up at the mention of a child, Danny found it amusing that such a large and intimidating figure had such a soft spot for children. “Back to the reason you are here and how long has it been, since you entered the Realms?”

“It has only been a few hours but Nightwing needs medical attention, as does Robin.” Batman ignored Robins pointed gaze.

“And you, I assume, by the looks of your suit. Rest for now and do what you can to field dress your wounds. I’ve got extra food you can eat, its human safe. Once you’re rested and fed, I’ll bring you to the Far Frozen to get a proper medical check. I’ll also send out a message to Maboroshi, get him to let the other Bats and Birds you’re ok.” Danny slowly set Elle into the cradle of their tail, as the reached for their travel pack that contained their food. They had snacks and junk food mostly but they also had pre-made meals they could heat on a fire. Setting up the rack to hold the fire safe containers, they made sure the food wouldn’t fall before turning their attention to their accidental guests. “Once you’re cleared by Frostbite, I’ll bring you to Phantoms Keep and get you through a portal home.”

“Thank you, Phantom.” Batman turned his attention to tending to Nightwing as Robin continued to stare at them.

“How do you know we can trust them?” Batman sighed and answered before Danny could say anything.

“Phantom is a protector spirit, Robin, it is in their nature to protect those they deem as theirs and help those that need it. It is more complex than that but that is the gist of it.” Robin huffed but seamed to be satisfied, for now, with the answer.

*****

The clearing had been silent as the Gotham vigilantes ate, Batman continued to check on Nightwing, though you wouldn’t know it by just looking at his expression, Danny could feel the worry, guilt and pain, coming off the big bad bat, as they fussed over Nightwing and Robin. Much to the young boys annoyance but Danny could tell he felt comfort in knowing that Batman cared for him, along with his own worry for Nightwing. 

Once the two vigilantes had finished their meals and everything had been packed away, Danny carefully picked up Elle and their travel pack. They floated up and shifted their tail to legs, before putting out the fire and upping their own natural glow to provide light for Batman and Robin. Batman picked up Nightwing, resettling them on his back and waited for Robin to join him before following after Phantom.

🤍🖤💚💙💚🖤🤍

@akikoyuii

@emeraudesfateandfandoms

@cryinginthevoid

@gay-and-random-shit-i-can-find

@alinmenttreasure

@blackroserelina

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🌸🦊🌸🦊🖤

@blackfoxsposts

@busterkeel

@fisticuffsatapplebees

@time-travel-toke-up

@phoenixdemonqueen

@aconitewolfsbane

@crazydoughnutlady

#Mini Phantom Invasion #dp x dc #dp x dc au #dp x dc prompt #dc x dp #dc x dp prompt #dc x dp au #brain dead #tim drake #red robin #danny phantom #let danny say fuck #Siren!Danny #mer!danny #mermaid!danny #merman!danny #tim x danny #red robin x phantom #Phantom x Red Robin #Danny x Tim #fanfiction prompts #prompts #danny fenton #Nightwing #dick grayson #duck candle #duck candles dressed as vigilantes #and heros #this song is so dramatic #Mini Dannyo Invasion

[fablepaint]

Hello! I wanted to ask what brands you like to buy traditional art supplies from. I've been buying Winsor & Newton products along with some Faber Castell stuff and I wanna see what you use and recommend.

Thank you and have a great day! :)

I mix and match depending on needs. People will swear by one brand, and an equal amount of people think it's mid at best.

For example: Windsor and Newton never behaves nicely for me. I live in a primarily hot, dry climate and so working wet consistently is a non-starter. If I'm doing plein air, the paints WILL dry out. And I've found M Graham to be the best quality paint I can purchase in a tube that won't crack when dry, and rewets good as new. It owes this quality to its honey binder. I also love me Beam Paints, an indigenous paint company in Canada that, like M Graham, uses honey binder. It's pricey but one set goes a LONNG way.

I tend to seek out brands beyond Windsor and Newton too because WnN is so common, I just want to see what else there is. And I've been rewarded for that search.

Faber and Castell served me well for an initial set of ink liners (similar to micron), but I'm more in favor of Japanese brands nowadays. Their scripting techniques mean a wide array of accessible drawing tools with the kind of flex and bounce far superior quality to felt tip pens in Western media. They last too. I have 10+ yr old Pentel Pocket Brushes that I continue to use.

I've been having fun watching a lot of Youtube videos by artists describing their preferred materials. Do note: for actual shopping suggestions take them from the ones who draw or paint like you want to. I've seen people recommend Himi gouache all over Youtube, but most gouache painters would give you a litany of reasons why it's not a good investment beyond "fun to play with". Thing is, Himi sends gouache sets all over art-Youtube and whenver you get free stuff, you're gonna want to say nice things in return. Keep that in mind.

But it's still the same advice: get what you need based on your needs. Don't get super expensive stuff if you're just trying out, but don't get stuff that's such subpar quality that you want to chuck the media at the wall in frustration (You want to make that wannabe Jackson Pollock on purpose at least). There's plenty of cheaper and mid-tier media that's perfectly find for long term use.

But an all-around solid recommendation is Canson paper. Canson is imo way better than Strathmore and at about the same price point and just as common. It can take a beating. Get a Canson sketchbook. Any of them are good. I love Canson.

#question #answer #art supplies #art

[nekoastral]

Sparkling Siblings WTFIYS: The Great Cake Fiasco

Most bots would take a few minutes or even a few nano-kliks to make themselves look presentable. Just a quick wash of the faceplate, apply some wax, polish the paint-job, maybe add some freshener if one is so worried about their smell, and then walk out of the bathroom. A routine that would not take very long. Heck it would be no time at all if one did not care about their appearance to begin with.

Unless you were Alpha Trion.

Who takes a mega-cycle and a half to get ready in the morning.

The old judge never strayed far from his morning beauty routine. It begins with washing his face vigorously to wash off the saliva and dirt build up from sleeping. The sheets has not been washed in a deca-cycle so there is a good chance there is some dirt in there. Those need to be washed sometime this cycle. Preferably before the evening so Ultra Magnus and him can enjoy soft, warm sheets. This will minimize the dirt and grime that can clean onto metal and armor. Of course, showering can help get rid of such filth too. Unless the day has been too taxing on a bot and they just want to plop onto the bed and recharge.

Then comes the moisturizers. Alpha has two of them: one to deep clean and the other to exfoliate his faceplate and help him wake up. It usually made his metal tingle from the tiny bits of crystal inside moisturizers. The old councilmen reached into one of the drawers to grab one of his many buffers. This mech owned about nine and each served a different purpose. Or at least in his processor. Ultra Magnus believes they have the same function which lead to him being banned from using his conjunx's buffers for eternity. Or if he has his permission to do so. This particular buffer helps the deep clean moisturizer go further into the metal. Yes, the stuff already does this. However, it can reach further into the metal by using the buffer versus using just his digits. It used to scare his youngest son Optimus whenever he turned on any of his buffers. When Optimus was just a new bitty, it scared the spark out of the poor sparkling and Alpha had to stop using buffers until he was a little older. It was maddening to the old mech since he wanted to be thorough with his beauty routine but not at the expense of scaring his little prince.

Now that Optimus was no longer afraid of his carriers buffers. Alpha Trion could now use his buffers to his sparks content. The sound of the buffer against the faceplate metal echoed in the bathroom and partly into the bedroom. Ultra Magnus had been up since Alpha Trion started his routine. It wasn't hard to wake up since his conjunx struggled to break free from the blankets and his arm. Alpha Trion spent a good twenty minutes trying to untangle himself and escape his husbands' grip. The leader of Cybertron had a hard time trying not to laugh at his love's antics and maintain faking recharge. If his queen found out he had been up during that moment of foolishness, Ultra Magnus would be sentenced to the couch for a thousand years. Not really. Just a few days.

“As much as I like the view, I would like to use the mirror.” Ultra Magnus said from the doorway.

“You have to wait your turn, dear. I am still using it at the moment.” Alpha replied, massaging the second moisturizer onto his faceplate. The crystals inside left a tingly feeling against his metal.

“But there is enough room for another bot. Among the sea of cosmetics on the sink.” The taller mech gestured to bottles and tubes of cosmetics, polish, wax, fresheners, and self care products that took up the entire sink. Ultra called it the cosmetic graveyard. There was barely any room for his denta brush and his dark blue “Best sire ever” cup. That was precariously near the edge because of the anti wrinkle cream and the jar of makeup brushes pressed against it.

There was clearly enough for room for him to at least stand and use the mirror. All he needed was to wash his faceplate with water and maybe a little bit of freshener. However, Alpha Trion was not easy to reason with during his beauty routine. The mirror is for him and him alone.

“It's not easy being the best thing that's happened to you.” Alpha Trion retorted. He reached for the anti-wrinkle cream and started to apply it around his optics.

'And yet the wrinkles remain.' Ultra Magnus thought to himself.

He does not have the spark to say this to Alpha Trion's face. The older mech has grown in confidence since the time they started dating all those years ago. And it also resulted in a slight ego. Alpha Trion would not say something so snarky unless it was his younger brother Maccadam back in the old days. Now he will share the same snark with his husband and a few close friends. Whether they asked for it or not. The 'lack' of space did not stop Ultra Magnus from strutting over to give his queen a quick kiss. Of course he had to wait until Alpha Trion finished applying the cream. He didn't want to get smacked for smearing it. Although he deserved it. Anti-wrinkle cream is somewhat oily and it tastes bad if he decides to kiss right where it was applied. Plus the substance matches the color of Alpha Trion's faceplate so it would look off on Ultra's lips. Bots thought he was coming down with a weird case of the pox and tried to wheel him to a medic the last time he had that cream on him.

Before Alpha Trion had a change to put on a little polish, Ultra Magnus leaned down to sneak a quick kiss. They have been married for many, many years and his kisses never failed to make the old judge blush as bright as a dwarf red sun. Each kiss feels like it was the first time he gotten one. It didn't matter if it was a quick one or a long passionate one. Ultra Magnus' kisses sent Alpha Trions spark asunder. This tender moment was soon interrupted when they heard a tapping noise. Followed by the screech of a thousand annoyances. It was a noise that was too familiar to the duo. They looked down to see three sparklings standing on their creators pedes. The biggest of them was smacking his servo on his sire's leg. That was their eldest son, Sentinel. The smaller mech was trying to climb up his carriers leg with his sister trying to do the same above him. However, she had no grip whatsoever so she would slide on her brother's face. She didn't weigh much, but it was enough to make him slide down as well. An undignified squeak escaped her brother's mouth. These were their youngest son and only daughter, Optimus and Elita.

It wasn't a surprise that their little angels had been getting crafty with escaping their beds. After so many escape attempts at the daycare, they have learned to escape at home just to get to whatever room their creators were in. It was amazing at first and even cute. Another milestone could be checked off the list, despite Sentinel used to sneak into their room and stare from the closet. His creators still wondered where he got that from and neither one is willing to take the blame. Unless some bot asks Maccadam then he will gladly say both Ultra Magnus and Alpha Trion have done some.....questionable things to escape the eye of the public for a quick 'meeting.'

“Your children are awake.” Alpha Trion chuckled.

“Before lunch, they are your children.” Ultra Magnus remarked. Elita tugged on her carrier's cape in an attempt to get his attention back onto her.

Alpha Trion was relieved that they could not climb up the bathroom sink's rails or else chaos would ensue on his perfect 'arrangement' in front of him. He knows how his children are; this poor carrier could only imagine what kind of damage his little angels can do to his beauty products. Sentinel will shove everything and anything off of the sink because they were in his way. A lot of the creams and polish are in fancy glass containers that will shatter on impact. And if he dares to knock over a few spray cans of freshener, that thing can turn into a projectile weapon if it dents a certain way. Optimus would 'battle' with his buffers to defend his broken honor all those mega cycles ago. And to protect his carrier from their evil. No amount of explanation can derail this precious mech's mission. Primus knows Alpha Trion has tried. And sweet, little Elita would hog EVERYTHING. She does not have wrinkles yet she will insist on using the cream. She will demand to be buffered. And the fresheners must smell sweet and not of dank old bot. If not, she will allow her big brother Sentinel to yeet it. There is already a lot of damage in his make up kits thanks to that femme. In conclusion, the day the trio can climb up the rails perfectly, is the day Alpha needs to start locking the bathroom door.

“Good morning, sweetsparks. Did you recharge well?” Alpha Trion said, picking up his daughter and youngest son.

“I believe they did since they're alert.” Ultra Magnus replied as he picked up Sentinel.

“I wasn't talking to you, dear.”

Sentinel and his siblings could not speak yet so Alpha Trion was not expecting an answer. Ultra Magnus just liked to talk to his beloved. Even if he speaks on the kids' behalf. The three sparklings were just happy to finally have their creators' attention.

But alas, it would be short lived.

“I'm sorry, my darlings. But we have an important engagement today. There is a wedding today and I have to be there to officiate the couple. Your sire is going because it is a friend's daughter getting married. You cannot come with us.”

“WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!” The trio screamed.

It wasn't the first time they had to be dropped off somewhere. But it was the weekend! The daycare is closed on the weekend! It was one of the happiest days of their lives when they learned that because they did not want to part with their creators. It was supposed to be just the five of them! Why are they being sent back?! Are they going to be the only ones at the daycare with Longarm!? Primus, no! They rather try their carriers horrible cooking than be left with Longarm for another day longer! Actually, that's a lie. Optimus would rather endure that. Sentinel would rather he be put into time out for a million years and Elita be in drab armor for an hour.

“I know the daycare is closed, but you aren't going there. Longarm does not watch over sparklings on his days off. Your cousin Garth is willing to watch over you until we come back.” Alpha Trion tried to talk over the screaming.

It suddenly became deafening quiet. Ultra Magnus thought he finally gone deaf. Out of everything this mech has gone through in his life! He has gone through so many battles, an entire war, a bad breakup, and his queen screaming his vocals out while delivering their angels. Has he finally lost all hearing just from his sparkling's screaming? It seems not because he could hear the pitter-patter of little servos and pedes across the bathroom floor and out into the bedroom. Alpha Trion and him peeked from the bathroom door to see their sparklings trying to crawl out of the room.

...What just happened to them????

Not even a nano-kliks ago, the trio was screaming their little helms off.

Alpha Trion used the sacred word: Garth.

Their big cousin Garth.

This meant carrier needed to hurry up with the fancy make up or they will go without him. They can't open the doors yet, but they will try if he doesn't hurry up. It kind of scared Alpha Trion. Normally, Sentinel and his siblings would cry and scream when they have to be handed off while their creators go somewhere. They would also plan their escape to reunite with them later on. This is the first time that they were actively trying to leave the house. Ultra Magnus wheezed when Sentinel looked back at Alpha Trion and gave him the frown of a thousand suns.

“I hope you are ready, love.” Ultra Magnus said, trying not to let his voice break. If he laughs now, he will surely be a offline mech.

“I was only halfway done..” Alpha Trion sighed.

“I'm afraid you are outnumbered.” The taller mech pointed at the three smaller beings.

“My dears, we will be going after I finish my-”

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” The sparklings wailed.

It looks like his beauty routine has to be shortened. Much to the old judges dismay. There are routines and guidelines he follows to get that perfect glossy, smooth look. That is now cut in half thanks to three tiny terrors. Ultra Magnus thought his conjunx was still beautiful without all that fancy stuff in their bathroom, but he knows it's not a good time to tell him that. So with a heavy spark, Alpha Trion strutted back to the bathroom so he could put on a few spritz of the fancy freshener that Botanica recommended. It just about the only thing he could do before his children start screaming for him to hurry downstairs.

Once that quick task was done, the two older bots made their way out of their shared room and toward the stairs. Sentinel was halfway down the stairs though he was a little slow. He was easing himself down each step one at a time by climbing. Elita was still too tiny to attempt in this feat so she was still at the top of the stairs. And poor Optimus was stuck between the top and the middle of the staircase because he got cold pedes about the task and just waited for his creators to come rescue him. So it looks like neither of them made it very far from their creators bedroom. No surprise in that.

Ultra Magnus scooped up their only daughter. Alpha Trion picked up their youngest son. And then Ultra Magnus got their eldest son. Sentinel didn't protest as much since it was his sire that got him instead of his carrier. Or perhaps he just wanted to hurry up and get to their destination before his siblings can. It was a change of routine to Ultra Magnus and his conjunx. Neither of bitty was crying.

Maybe once they make it to Maccadam's it will change.

Alpha Trion swore that old oil house keeps inching closer to the Autobot Headquarters. That thought was going through his processor as him and his small family walked out of their home. That bar has been around for as long as he could remember. And he can remember a lot of things. When his younger brother Maccadam got the chance, the chunky mech opened a oil house while Alpha Trion became the judge here on Cybertron. At the time, Alpha didn't think it was a good idea since his brother could do so much better than run a bar. Maccadam was smart; he could lead others into battle should there need to be a bot in need. He was also crafty; Maccadam would be great at mixing complex chemicals in a lab. But, no. Maccadam found it better to be owning a bar and make drinks for thirsty patrons. To this day, Alpha Trion still does not understand his little brother for this.

It still didn't help the fact that the bar was so close to the headquarters.

There was a rumor that the bar has pedes under the foundation to help move across the city. Another rumor indicated the bartender had a portable space bridge in the basement before it was even constructed around Cybertron! A different hearsay says the bar itself is alive. But no bot actually knows the reason. Honestly, it was rather silly hearing all of these stories from drunk civilians, bored house-carriers, and lazy office workers.

And it was also very tiring when Alpha Trion can't find most of the workers until he goes to the bar to find them having a drink. Even his friends on the council goes over to wet their whistle without him! The nerve.

'Every stellar cycle this place seems to be closer than it should be.' Alpha Trion frowned to himself.

It did not take long for him and the others to reach the oil house. They didn't even need to transform and drive over since it wasn't too far to walk. That was one of the perks of having your brothers establishment nearby. However, it was still too far for the old judge's legs despite it was only three block away. The thought of having his magnus princess carry him did cross his processor, but he did not want him to do that in public. Or Primus forbid, his own brother seeing such a scene.

“We are here.” Ultra Magnus said, opening the door for his queen.

“Such a gentle-mech.” Alpha Trion swooned slightly before going inside.

It was....uncharacteristically empty. There were not a bot in sight. It seemed like no bot has been inside of the oil house in quite a bit since the chairs and bar stools were tucked away and there was no sign of snack trays on the table. Normally, it would be very loud from the rowdy customers, the sound of flowing energon going into cups, and obnoxious smacking of denta as they bite on crunchy snacks. Maccadam was nowhere to be seen. He would always be behind the counter while mixing drinks for his customers. It wasn't exactly common for an owner to be at the center of the action, but Maccadam was a welcomed distraction for the patrons and the perfect bot to lead a audio to if one needed to vent.

Ultra Magus and Alpha Trion could not see their nephew Garth either. He would usually be with his sire behind the counter unless he needed to fix up a small meal for a patron or keeping his little sister Corona occupied. Then again, neither the magnus or the judge tried to look into the kitchen yet. They needed to do something quick before their bitties start a tantrum. Well, Sentinel was mostly likely to start one. Optimus and Elita will fuss though.

“Hello? Maccadam? Garth?” Ultra Magnus finally called into the silence.

“Hi, uncle! I'm in the kitchen so come on back!” A voice called from the kitchen window.

Sentinel and his siblings immediately perked up when they heard the voice. They knew who it was. The three smaller beings began to squirm. They wanted to hurry up and get to their big cousin. Ultra Magnus had the hardest time trying to keep a hold on Sentinel. The bigger sparkling was trying to squirm out of his sire's grip so he can be the first one to his cousin. Elita was following her big brother's example and since she was the smallest out of her brothers, she could easily escape her sire's big servos. And he was struggling the most with his daughter. Ultra Magnus kept fumbling his daughter as she tried to free fall to the floor until he finally got a grip on her. Optimus, despite wanting to his cousin, was being a good bean. Alpha Trion did not have to struggle with his youngest son so he just had to sit back and watch his husband attempt in handling their other son and daughter. He could take one of them and give him a break. But it would be ruin the fun.

Alpha Trion and Ultra Magnus walked past the bar counter and through the kitchen doors. It has been a long time since Alpha Trion last came into the kitchen. Nothing has changed in his opinion. Minus what looks like a crate covered by a large orange blanket and four high chairs with small name tags. Each of them had a different name: Sentinel, Optimus, Elita, and Corona. How cute! A little bit of fancy treatment for his three little angels and demonic niece. Before Alpha Trion could call his nephew's name again, the bot of the hour finally made an appearance. The chonky chief-bot was trying squeeze himself out of the walk-in cupboard. He had a large jar of mixed spices in his right servo, a small bottle of vanilla energon extract in his left servo, and many boxes of ingredients sandwiched between his person and arms. They couldn't tell what exactly it was since the covers were pressed against Garth's arms.

“Hey, sorry I wasn't able to come greet you at the door. I have been busy with cooking.” Garth said, slowly setting the boxes near a large mixing bowl and a lot of messy spoons.

“Oh don't worry about it. It's so good to see you again.” Alpha Trion replied, walking over to give him a quick hug.

“Hey little guy.” The large bot cooed at his little cousin.

“Bwaah.” Optimus smiled.

“Where's your sire? I never thought I'd see the day he would not be here.” The old judge scratched the side of his face with his free servo.

“Oh, he was asked to make the drinks at my friends wedding so he's already over there.”

It was infuriating to know his brother beat him at being early. Normally, Alpha Trion would be the one to nag on his brother to arrive early and most of the time Maccadam would still be late. The latter would wave it off saying “I arrived at the right moment.” Not that it was any help in his case. The bartender was never good at making excuses. So would it be different this time? He just assumed it was because this was his son's friends big day. Maccadam will make a huge effort for his children and their friends so that was probably it. Plus, it will take him a moment to get his station ready in another location. He didn't need to do this at his own oil house since he knows where everything is. It was a different story at another location; he has to be aware of his surroundings and set up his system before any bot else gets there.

Regardless, it was still infuriating to the judge.

“Where is your sister?” Ultra Magnus finally spoke up, looking around the kitchen.

“She's under the blanket over there.” Garth replied. He slowly walked over to what looked like a covered crate and slowly pulled the blanket off.

Turns out the 'crate' was just a playpen. The blanket was just to protect the little treasure that was sleeping inside. There was a small femme in a copper colored onesie. This was the tiny demon child known as Corona. Also known as the daughter of Maccadam, little sister of Garth, and the niece of Alpha Trion. She has earned the title of spawn of Unicron because she is able to pull tricks despite being a bitty and give others spark attacks. She is adorable yet evil! She always got into trouble and she would be punished accordingly. Most of the time she got put into time-out since Corona is still small.

Sentinel frowned deeply seeing his little cousin. He is still not on good terms with her and probably never will. Optimus just smiled seeing her and Elita was a little jealous because Corona had fluffy pillows to sleep on. Well, two out of three is good enough.

Despite that, she was still a member of this family. Right now, she was dreaming away in her playpen. Alpha Trion had to admit, she looked so innocent in her sleep. That is until he saw Corona wearing a hanger tied on her helm.

“Uh....why is there a hanger tied around her helm??” The bearded bot asked.

“We think she tried to play catch the lightning.” Garth blinked.

“....Catch the lightning?? What kind of a game is that??” Ultra Magnus looked so confused.

“It's a game that's been around even before I emerged. You know how the generators around here sometimes lets loose a large amount of electricity. But the biggest jolt comes from the top of the Ministry of Science labs. Most of the bots around here can take a shock like that, but those who can't gets fried. The gist of the game is you tie a piece of metal on your armor to act as a lightning rod and try not to get hit.”

“But it's called catch the lightning. Why would you avoid it????” The magnus was confused at this. He never hard of such a game and doesn't know how it actually works.

“That would be be too easy. It's supposed to test your speed and toughness. I never played it, but I have seen some friends try it and had to drag them to medical.”

“Again. Why is there a hanger tied around her helm?” Alpha Trion asked again.

“Sire and I didn't tie it. We were too busy with our food prep this morning so we didn't do it. One of our patrons helped her when she crawled over to him. Both of us didn't know she got out of the bar until one of the regulars screamed there's a sparkling playing with the lightning.” The chief-bot looked away.

This is not a surprise to Alpha Trion. It definitely sounds like something his niece would do. He could only imagine the shock on his brother and nephew once they realized who that 'adventurous' sparkling was. He knew about the lightning problem since a few of the ministry's workers had been sent to a medic after getting their circuits fried due to the overload. The council has been trying to figure out how to deal with that problem because it had been going on longer than it should've. However, they haven't come to a conclusion since Perceptor does not see the trouble in this. He thinks the excess energy is good for the building and is trying to figure out how to contain it rather than replace the generators that's causing them. If some bot gets hit, it should be recorded for science. And it doesn't help that Wheeljack sides with the emotionless bot.

Honestly, they need to come up with a solution soon...

“Who was she competing against???” Alpha Trion asks with a sigh. He was afraid of asking.

“Primus.” Garth said, bluntly.

Alpha Trion facepalmed. He shouldn't have asked. Of course his chaotic niece wants to fight GOD. Why does she even want to challenge him?! She's younger than Elita! Alpha Trion didn't notice his husband was on the verge of crying from laughing so hard. It took a lot not to fall to the floor. Sentinel gave a wicked giggle. He didn't know what his baby cousin did, but from the sounds of it, he would have been rid of her if that game had worked. Optimus didn't quite understand what was going on. But he figured Corona would have been hurt badly if the game worked. He didn't want to lose a playmate. Elita could kind of understand what was going on. She thought maybe Corona would act more like her if she did get struck by lightning. All the while, Corona was waking up from her nap.

“I am not going to say anything else. I have a very long day...” Alpha Trion told his nephew, before handing Optimus to him. “Are you sure you don't mind watching over Sentinel, Optimus, and Elita?”

“I don't mind. Corona can use the company and I can use a few taste testers in the kitchen.” Garth replied.

Sentinel and his siblings got really excited at the sound of that. They love their cousin's food. Garth placed Optimus into his high chair and strapped him in before going over to help his Uncle Magnus with the other two. Sentinel was now screaming to be set free from his sire's grasp.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

“I hear you, commander. I hear you. You want to sit at the high table.” Garth told the big helmed sparkling. It didn't take long for Sentinel to calm down once he was taken away and set in the high-chair next to his brother. His was a foot away from Optimus so he can't try and steal his food.

“WAAAAHHH!!!” Elita cried when she didn't get picked up fast enough.

“I'm sorry, your highness. I'm sorry!”

Garth went back to retrieve Elita from her sire. She doesn't let just ANY bot pick her up. She refuses to be picked up by what she deemed peasants. However, it did not exempt him from punishment. The tiny femme grabbed Garth's mustache and yanked it hard. Elita can't really do much damage since she is still a sparkling so she just grabbed what she could. She remembered it hurt her cousin if she pulled on his mustache so this was a good punishment. For not picking her up first before her brothers.

“Owowowowowow!”

Corona was now wide awake. The sound of her big brother in pain woke her up fast. Normally it takes her a while to wake up. She still looked quite silly with the hanger tied on her helm, but she didn't care. The feisty femme looked up to see her cousin Elita yanking the weird facial iron on her brothers face and she let out a warrior screech. She can't do much from her time out playpen. But let her demands be known that no bot should harm her big brother except her. Her battle cry scared Elita enough to make her stop and Garth was able to have her let go. He set her down in her own high-chair then made his way to the playpen to pick up his sister.

“Ready to come out of there, sleepy helm? Let's take that off you finally.”

Corona didn't put up a fight when her brother untied the hanger off her. Him or their sire should have taken it off before they put her in time out. It was actually starting to itch. Corona rubbed her itchy helm against her brother's chest as he hoisted her up in his arms. He has been promoted from big brother to helm scratcher. Sentinel glared when he saw Corona. They do not have a good relationship and no bot thinks it will get any better in the near future.

“We will come back for them after the ceremony. Though if I'm asked to dance, it might be a while before we pick them up.” Alpha Trion explained, glancing at Ultra Magnus with a flirty look in his optics.

A slight pink hue formed on the magnus' faceplate when he saw that look. Alpha Trion is a goddess on the dance floor when it came to elegant forms of dancing. No bot will catch him do the swing or something so....uncouth. The waltz and tango were Alpha Trion's style. And Ultra Magnus had to practice for HOURS trying to perfect his dancing just so he wouldn't embarrass him.

“Should you even be dancing that vigorously? You might throw out your hip.” Garth voiced his concern.

“I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I AM IN PHENOMENAL SHAPE FOR MY AGE!!!” Alpha Trion screeched at his nephew.

It was enough to make Ultra Magnus snort. Garth wasn't trying to insinuate his uncle was too ancient to dance. He was genuinely worried Alpha Trion could break a hip from dancing too much. Honestly, every bot on Cybertron is surprised he hasn't broken anything just by STANDING. Even his own brother sees it as a miracle and he is not that much younger than him! If the judge didn't love his nephew very much, he would have yeet him into the streets just like he would do to Maccadam. But no matter how much rage fit in that slender old frame, Alpha Trion would never yeet his precious nephew.

His husband is a different story.

The towering mech was coughing up a storm and leaning against the end of the kitchen counter for dear life. He had been laughing so much that he was losing breath and on the verge of crying. At the expense of his queen's indignant comment. Garth was surprised the counter has not gave out from his uncle's weight and his strength. Alpha Trion was surprised his husband is not offlined already for laughing at him. Two different point of views. One out of genuine bewilderment. The other out of pure spite.

“We will be back very soon, my dears. Be good for your cousin.” Alpha Trion cooed at his children, giving them a kiss on their cheeks.

“We'll be back before you know it.” Ultra Magnus added. He rubbed their helms.

Sentinel barely reacted when his sire did that. He had tried to smack him away but his reaction time was delayed by a couple of seconds after Ultra Magnus moved his servo away. Normally, the three bitties would be screaming and crying their helms off to make their creators rethink leaving them behind. Cunningly planning their escape once their backs were turn. This time...

They didn't even notice them.

They did not cry.

They did not scream.

They just sat in their highchairs and stared at their big cousin. Sentinel slammed his servos on the tray in frustration. He was getting hungry. And he wasn't the only one. His little brother, sister, and menace of a cousin were also hungry so they joined in the noise.

“They....aren't crying...?” Alpha Trion sniffled.

“Now, go do your job and don't worry about a thing.” Garth said, scooting the two mechs out of the kitchen.

“B-B-But what about the bitties???” Ultra stuttered, looking back at the kitchen.

“They'll be fine. After a meal, they won't notice you're even there.”

This broke their sparks. Their bitties won't notice they even left?! That would have been a relief back at the day care when Ultra Magnus and Alpha Trion have work to do. But when they have a small job today? It was a little different. They weren't going to be gone long...

“Be careful going to the wedding venue.” Garth replied.

“Wait, wait, we don't have to be there that quickly. We can stay for a little bit longer.” Alpha Trion whimpered.

“Nah, Sire said you would want to get there before every bot arrives. We will see you later.”

Once Ultra Magnus and Alpha Trion were out of the oil house, Garth closed the door behind them. Their nephew wasn't trying to be rude about this. Alpha Trion would complain about not arriving early or not being able to prepare before his daily tasks. Maccadam would listen to these complaints or one of his council friends. So it was a shock to the old judge that his beloved nephew knows about this. The couple waited until Garth went away and then slowly opened the door. Neither him or Maccadam locks the door unless they were not in the building so Ultra Magnus didn't have to try and pick the lock. Why does the Magnus know how to pick a lock? That is a story for another cycle. They poked their helms through the door and to their shock, they did not hear crying. All they could hear was their little angels squealing away in the kitchen. They didn't even notice their sire and carrier weren't in the same room as them.

“My darlings....” Their creators whimpered.

They could not stay much longer or else they will be late being early at the venue. Many passerby's witnessed their leader and his husband looking pitiful with swollen optics. There must have been a horrible event going on at headquarters. It was nice to know this power couple still showed emotion.

But if only they knew the truth.

Meanwhile, in the oil house's kitchen. The four bitties were still waiting for Garth to finish his cooking. The chonky bot was stirring a small pot on the stove. They could tell it was going to be tasty from the aroma coming from his direction. Sentinel was extra excited because he was going to be the first one to receive the food. He is the oldest of the four and he WAS the first taste tester Garth had. Sentinel used to be an only child before his brother and sister came into the picture. When his creators were trying to get him to eat solid energon for the first time, he did not want any of that and threw the bowl and spoon at his creators. It was hard to wean him off the sparkling grade energon his carrier made. The big helmed sparkling did not break until his cousin made something that looked like his carrier's energon. After that, it was hard for his own creators to get him to drink out of the bottle without a fuss.

And his troubles only grew when Sentinel became a big brother to Optimus. He tried to fend off being the main taste tester for as long as he can before his little brother was ready for solid foods. Then their sister arrived. She was super picky so there was a chance she may not even want what she's given. But nothing prepared Sentinel for an unexpected and chaotic surprise. That surprise is called Corona. No bot was expecting Maccadam to have another sparkling after Garth grew up. Sentinel remembered his carrier being extremely mad at his uncle and zooming out of the door to get to the medical building. When they met Corona, she was hissing away from her blanket. It boils his energon to know this gremlin of a cousin gets to be a taste tester all the time since she lives here.

“Who's ready for the first course?” Garth glanced over his shoulder.

“AAAAAH!” Sentinel screamed, slamming his servos on the tray. The other three joined in by slamming their servos too.

“Alright, alright, here we are. The first course is a noodle soup just for hungry bitties.”

Garth set four small bowls in front of his cousins and sister. Each bowl had a pale creamy broth with thick, energon noodles. It wasn't just noodles in the broth; there was thinly sliced scallion, a little bit of sweet mercury corn, and a hint of simmered beef. Each ingredient was chopped into manageable pieces for sparklings to eat. Sentinel was the only one who didn't get the scallions. He did not like those. Optimus liked extra mercury corn in his. Nothing changed in Elita or Corona's bowl. Of course, Sentinel got his bowl first. This pleased him greatly. After all, he is older than the other three. Not that it meant anything since he was only the second oldest in the kitchen. Optimus and the girls did not care about getting their food first since they knew they would not be waiting for very long. Elita was excited to see what came with the noodle meal.

Garth had prepared a side dish to go with the first course. A side of tamagoyaki or what other bots call them small rolled omelets. It isn't something big yet it was something hard to make. The process is whipping some eggs with some seasonings and then straining the eggs. This helps pouring into the pan easier. Then it's just cooking the egg little by little and then adding more of the strained egg on the other side of a pan and rolling it carefully while it's still partly half cooked. That's when it gets tricky. The cook cannot let the egg overcook or rip during the folding process or else it's ruined. When it's cooked properly, tamagoyaki has a custardy texture to them. Garth had to learn from Master Yoketron to get the folding done right. It took a lot of practice. Garth likes to put a little bit of cheese inside the tamagoyaki before he starts folding. It's a nice surprise for the bitties when they take a bite out of the sweet egg and to find gooey, stringy cheese in the bite.

This side dish goes well with broth and it's very easy to eat. However, three out of four of the sparklings got the same thing. Elita was one of the pickiest sparklings on Cybertron and that is a feat that is hard to beat. And also hard to please. It didn't help that she got such a trait from her carrier Alpha Trion. Elita was still quite small and has already made over a dozen chiefs cry just because she refuses to try anything that came to her family's table at restaurants. They thought Alpha Trion was horrible. They soon realized his sparkling daughter was even worse.

Elita may not be able to talk yet, but Garth can tell what her standards are: something not stinky. Something not spicy. Something not sour. Something not bitter. Something not hard. Something not bread, not tubers, not porridge, not eggs, and not stew, but something tasty. This isn't easy to do; so many meals have to include some of these things. Now it doesn't mean Elita doesn't like bread or eggs. She has to be in a certain mood for those things. And it was kind of easy to tell on eggs today. Elita was glaring at her brothers' side dish.

“Don't worry, Elita. You won't be having the same thing as them. I got something very special for princess.” Garth told her, setting something in her bowl.

Elita looked down to see a small, light brown pouch in the broth. She tilted her helm confused. What was this thing??? Garth got her fork and poked a hole in the middle of the pouch and her optics grew big seeing what was inside. The pouch was just fried energon tofu that was cut and molded into the shape of a bag. Inside was sweet energon mochi cakes! It's easy to accidentally rip fried tofu when trying to turn it into a small pouch, but it would still be very tasty in broth. Elita squealed seeing the sweet energon mochi cake and took the fork from her cousin so she could dig into her treat. The mochi cake stretched from the bowl as she put a piece into her mouth. It was just as stretchy as the cheese her brothers and cousin got in their tamagoyaki. And just as tasty.

Sentinel was nomming on the stringy cheese that oozed out of his tamagoyaki. Optimus got the idea of putting a few of his side dish into the broth and slurp the pieces in his meal. Corona was already done with her eggy treat and was trying to nom on the thick energon noodles. And Elita was taking her time with her mochi cake. The princess of Cybertron was pleased with her substitute side dish. No punishment to the cook today. While the sparklings finished their meal, Garth had been working on the second course. It wasn't big like the first one, but it was still just as tasty.

“Who's ready for the next one?” Garth called to the small bots.

“Baaaahhh!!!” Corona spoke out.

Corona was a little younger than Elita. And neither the girls or the boys can talk very well. So Garth has to guess what they are saying. He thinks his little sister is saying they are ready for the next bit of food. Sentinel pouted at the fact he didn't voice his opinion first. His is more superior than hers. Optimus and Elita didn't seem to care about who got to say it first. They just wanted more to eat. Garth didn't waste time bringing a large plate over and setting the next course on the bitties' trays. Optimus was the first to get this treat. Something that would make his big brother's energon boil since he wasn't the eldest. He didn't get the chance to scream his lungs out in frustration because Garth put something in his mouth. It tasted very sweet and a little tart. It was enough to leave him stunned. Optimus looked down at the food and then began to clap his servos excitedly. The second course was tiny fruit sandwiches. This made Optimus very excited.

His carrier liked to have tea parties with his friends. Sometimes, he would bring Optimus and his siblings along. And sometimes, it was just one of them. Sentinel did not like the tea parties as much as the next bitty. He thought his carrier and his friends' conversations were boring and meaningless. It was only worth it if his friend Jazz was there or if his sire joined the group. Other than that, Sentinel would just be fussing away until he was taken out of the room. Optimus and Elita loved the tea parties because of the food. Except for one teeny, tiny detail. They usually had cucumber sandwiches. That was the only downside to the party in his opinion.

To Optimus' relief, this wasn't cucumber sandwiches.

This was something much tastier. So much better. The little snack food Alpha Trion had at his socials were always dry and scratchy when swallowed. The cucumbers were the only moist thing in it and they usually tasted nasty to Optimus. He didn't know if the older bots made it on purpose or not. It just seemed like whoever made them just picked the most overripe cucumber in the fridge and doused it into the chunky cream cheese. That was another ingredient in those nasty things. Optimus hated it when his carrier had those nearby.

Garth used soft bread and he even cuts the crust off them. The crusts are saved for a different recipe that Optimus has yet to try. He remembered his sire talking about it one time. That memory is a little hazy since Ultra Magnus was talking about it while Optimus was feeding. Garth also makes the whipped cream by servo. He makes it extra fluffy and a little sweet. Not too much to make any bots' denta hurt and just sweet enough to enjoy. The fruit Garth uses are very juicy. He uses different ones; tangy tangerines, semi-sweet kiwi, tangy-sweet strawberries, bananas, or peaches. Optimus loves the peach and kiwi sandwiches the best. Sentinel preferred the banana and tangerine ones. Elita liked the strawberry and Corona liked the ones that had different kinds in it. These were the best to them.

“Let's not forget the third course. It goes well with this.” Garth interrupted their little snack and set a small bowl near their plate of sandwiches.

“BAAAAAH!” Sentinel screamed. Normally it would be a scream of indifference, spite, or out of rage. This time it was out of excitement.

It's not easy to get a positive squeal from him. It takes a lot of trial and error and a lot of praying. Lots and lots of praying. Because this is one bitty that will hold a grudge for all eternity and possibly even longer than that. And it can be over something so minuscule! Elita may be a stickler with her tastes and the little details, but her oldest brother is the WORST.

Their creators went through war trying to wean Sentinel off the sparkling grade energon. Their first son would not give anything a try. He would sit there with his little arms crossed, pouty lip, and the most deadpan look in his optics. It seemed like they couldn't get him to at least nibble solid energon. It just ended up with a mess to clean up, a shower to get the energon off their armor, and a crying Sentinel. That was until Garth made this dish.

It was nothing special. Inside the bowls was pureed energex strawberry. Something that was so simple to make. Just put fresh energex strawberries into a blender, add some sugar and a squeeze of lemon and blend. Whether it's soupy or have small chunks of strawberry left intact, it was quite tasty. It was considered peasant food by the high class bots and sometimes it can be used as a sauce for desserts. But to Sentinel, it was the first solid food he ate. He actually got a bigger bowl of it than his siblings and cousin.

Pretty pink puree with tiny bits of strawberry chunks. Just the way he likes it. But there was something else that was missing. Garth knew what Sentinel was thinking; he came over to drop a dollop of whip cream on top.

“There you go, little buddy. Enjoy.” Garth said.

It was quite the mess. Sentinel was slurping the strawberry puree up after he ate his fruit sandwich fast. Whip cream spread over his mouth from his sandwich and his whole face was soon buried in the dollop in the puree. He was definitely enjoying this part of the meal. Optimus was taking his time with his own food. He alternated between dipping his sandwiches into the puree and eating without it. His face was also covered with whip cream, but it wasn't as bad as his big brother. Elita had to be careful when she slurped her own bowl. She didn't want the contents to spill on her. But she loved the food regardless. Corona was going to town on her food. She was getting puree and crumbs all over her bib. Her older brother held his laugh at the sight of his messy baby sister and cousins. He got a damp clothe and wiped their mouths clean then replaced Corona's bib with a cleaner one.

“I'm glad you lot like the food, but that doesn't mean you wear it. This next one is a little different from what you guys have eaten before. But it's just as good.” Garth explained, taking the plates and bowls.

The bitties were excited to try the next tasty meal. They already had three courses and it was just getting better. They love their job as Garth's taste testers. There's always something good coming from him. With that mindset, the four bitties waited eagerly for him to come back. The chef bot bought over four small plates then set them in front of the still hungry taste testers. This next one was definitely different. It looked like small black cauldrons sitting on a candied reddish yellow fire. Those cauldrons had bubbled over from the looks of it. There was green substance around the brim and had ran down the sides. That part was hard now so maybe Garth didn't know he added a lot until it was too late. Sitting in the center of the cauldron was a big, luscious red apple.

Sentinel was the only bitty that wasn't pleased. In fact, he had a heavy scowl on his faceplate.

Apples were not a ally to him.

It all started when he wanted to steal his sires' snack. Ultra Magnus always had apples nearby. Green ones to be exact. When he set his snack down to go into the next room, Sentinel took that chance. That bitty has the mindset that if anything is good for the Magnus, then it must be good for him too. He didn't know how sour green apples were until he took a nibble. Ultra Magnus came back into the room with a drink. He found sparkling nibbles on his apple and a very distraught son. Ultra Magnus was sentenced to a sleeping on the couch for a thousand stellar cycles. At least that's what Sentinel still thinks. That punishment only lasted an hour because Alpha Trion can't stand sleeping without his king near him.

But it didn't stop the rage he had toward apples.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!” Sentinel screams, slamming his tiny fists into the apple.

“Wait, Sentinel! That's not-” Garth tried to warn him.

But it was too late.

Cake pieces splattered around the highchair tray. Pieces fell onto the floor. Some landed on the walls. That was impressive since the small group wasn't near the walls. There was also pieces hanging on Sentinels' chin.

“That wasn't a real apple.” The chonky bot spoke.

The big chinned bitty glanced back down on the food. Garth was right. It wasn't a real apple. It was a light apple spice cake that was molded into the shape of a apple and covered in a glossy fondant. Must have been very convincing to fool Sentinel. The cauldron wasn't even real. It was a chocolate cauldron filled with a apple mouse, caramel buttercream, and apple filling. The filling had small diced apples so it would be easier for the sparklings to eat. So maybe Sentinel was half right. There was apples in there. He took a diced apple and gave it a nibble. It was...sweet! It wasn't sour like the apples Ultra Magnus eats! It didn't take long for him to eat the rest of the filling and started to eat the rest of his dessert with a huge smile.

His siblings wished he didn't cause a scene over a misunderstanding. Corona was just glaring at her cousin. He ruined her big brother's presentation. How rude. She was going to smack him later on. Despite the sudden theatrics, the fourth course went without a hitch. Optimus liked the apple spice cake and was currently nibbling away the chocolate cauldron. Elita was eating away the caramel buttercream and taking pieces of the cake to dip it in. Corona had already eaten everything except for the buttercream. She doesn't like overly sweet things. Something Garth made a note of for her future construction day cake.

“I see you lot are liking the food so far?”

“Bwaaah!” All the sparklings said in unison.

“I'm glad I haven't served anything you don't like so far. The taste testing is coming to a close. I have one more tasty treat for you to try out.”

This excited the little ones. Garth has been feeding them since Sentinel and his siblings arrived. So far they have eaten four courses. And he catered to their tastes. Minus Sentinels Apple Smash move and making a separate side dish for Elita. Other than that, everything was been smooth sailing. Unknown to the sparklings, the food Garth had them eat is what he made for his friend's wedding. He's known these two since they were really small and it didn't surprise him when they announced their engagement at the bar last solar cycle. They wanted their good friend to cook the food and have his sire make the drinks at the ceremony because they know it would be delicious. Garth spent half a solar cycle trying to figure out what to make. And it seems like his choices were good enough since his cousins and baby sister are enjoying their food.

Garth had made enough food for the big event and one of his other friends has been going back and forth between the venue and the oil house to pick up the food. So Garth has been making a large batch of food while feeding Corona and their cousins. The bitties didn't notice another bot coming from the back to pick up the food after each course. Honestly, most sparklings have a one track processor when it comes to something. Food was definitely a big factor for these four little ones. Sentinel, Optimus, and Elita's creators can't really cook so they would have already prepared meals or go to their grand creators house where their grand-sire makes the best pancakes on Cybertron. Corona has a chef for a big brother and her sire also cooks as well. She didn't have to go far just to get a meal. Though she needs to stop giving her brother a spark attack every time she decides to do something reckless.

Garth took the moment to wheel something out of the freezer. The squeaky wheels echoed in the kitchen and caught Optimus' attention. Always the observant one; he looked up from his food to see a glorious sight. He reached to his right to poke his big brother who gave him a slight whine. Sentinel didn't want to be bothered especially from his little brother. But Optimus kept going until Sentinel finally looked up so he could scream for Garth's attention to make his annoying brother stop. However, he saw what Optimus wanted to show him and his jaw dropped. Then Optimus reached to his left to get his sister's attention. She was easier than Sentinel. The princess glanced up from her food and her optics sparkled. She didn't even get Coronas attention. That devilish bitty was still nomming on apple chunks when she heard the squeaky wheels stop and she looked up.

A five tier cake was sitting on a trolley. But not just any cake. This was the most beautiful cake the four has ever seen. A white vanilla energon cake with white marble icing. Each tier's icing was different; the bottom had loop de loops. The other had fancy swirls going from big to small and big again. The third tier had the frosting in heart form. The fourth was just simple lines going around the middle. And the top tier housed the figures of the bride and groom. A slightly curvy femme and stocky mech stood beside each other at the top. Sentinel frowned at this. Who are these bots? They aren't important. There should be a figure of himself on there! While he was glaring with disdain, the other three was excited to see such a cake. It was all for them!?

“This isn't for you. It's for my friends wedding.” Garth said, seemingly knowing what they're thinking.

“Baaaah!!” Corona called out.

“This is for the wedding.” Garth repeated. “I been working on this cake for days. I just need to finish the final touches and it'll be wheeled away.”

“Waaaaah!!!” Elita wailed.

“Don't worry. I didn't leave you guys out of the loop.”

Garth grabbed their mostly empty and messy plates and went to drop them into the sink. He gathered four small plates that had a slice of cake each. It was the same cake as the wedding cake. Garth had made a small one tier version so Corona and their cousins could still enjoy it. Those four were preoccupied with pouting. Sentinel had a pout and a glare at the figures on the tall cake. He doesn't even know the bots and he already doesn't like them. They can pout all they want, but they aren't getting the big cake.

“Last course before I put you guys down for a nap.”

Despite one of them already had a nap prior to the meal, every tiny bot was kinda sleepy. They always got sleepy after eating their cousins good food. They eyed the slice of cake in front of them and then gave each other the side optic. Well, mostly at Elita and Sentinel. Optimus and Corona immediately dove into their own slices and ate fast. Elita and Sentinel has a habit of sneaking a big chunk of someone else's dessert if one wasn't fast enough. Elita didn't seem phased by it and thought her brother and cousin were just being messy. Sentinel frowned at this. So much for getting extra. The cake was very fluffy and airy while the frosting was quite dense and slightly sweet. This wasn't like any ordinary energon cake the four has had before. It was so much better!! Why can't they have this every day??

“I just have to finish the last tidbits to the cake and it can be wheeled off.” Garth said to himself, slowly pushing the trolley toward the front door of the oil house.

There was one thing he needed to get: the chocolate ganache sign. It was going to be placed in in front of the figures on the top tier. Garth had made several different signs prior to his cousins coming in. He had to stop when his baby sister decided to challenge Primus with a game of catch the lightning. It gave the chocolate time to cool before he was finished pouring it into the sign molds. So he had to work with what he had. He couldn't reheat the chocolate because he was afraid of it burning. So Garth was going to use the cooled ganache for something else.

Once the bitties were done, Garth picked them up one by one and set them in the main room. It was safer in there than it would be in the kitchen. The bar counter was gated so they can't get through. Maccadam made sure his part of the oil house was protected just in case his nephews and niece tries to crawl between the bottles of energon. He has learned from the last accident. His daughter doesn't mess with the bottles so there was some relief in that. The chairs and tables were not going to be trouble; they didn't have any food or any object the foursome would want. The stairway leading to housing area of the oil house was also gated. Corona hasn't tried to climb the stairs just yet, but if there was something tasty upstairs, there is a good chance the others will try. Garth can keep an optic on the four from the kitchen window while he fixes the sign.

“I'll be right in the kitchen. I'm keeping my optic on you. Play nice.” Garth told his cousins and sister as he set them on the floor.

He could move the playpen in the room and put them in. But Sentinel hates being in confined in a pen with his siblings and cousin. He will fight someone and either win or scream when he loses. So it's best to let them crawl around. They can't get into any trouble. As Garth went back to the kitchen, Optimus and the others looked up at the cake trolley. The wedding cake was far from their grasp. They were just bitties. They can't reach for the prize like big bots.

Then they got an idea.

An awful idea.

The sparklings got a wonderful, awful idea.

After Garth took a quick peek from the kitchen window, the chief bot went back to his task. Garth decided to to gather up the ganache signs he already made and slowly cut parts of it off and plaster it one full chocolate ganache sign. This is to give it a little bit of depth. Unknownst to him, his cousins and sister was currently trying to scale up the trolley.

It was not easy to do. Sentinel did not get very far in climbing one trolley leg. Optimus kept sliding down and Elita was still very small so she didn't get very far off the ground. Corona was the only one that was able to make it to the top. She was a little younger than Elita, but she knew how to get past the smooth surfaces of the trolley legs. It wasn't the first time she had climbed it. It was an unexpected surprise for Maccadam when he first found out his daughter could do this. This made Sentinel upset. Why should SHE be first to the cake?! He was ready to whine until Corona grabbed him by the back of his onesie and yanked him up. She was quite strong for her age.

Sentinel was now close to his goal. But he still needed to get his brother and sister up here. He really didn't want to share. He was tempted to shove his cousin off the side and have the cake all to himself. But if he did, she can scream and alert Garth. So, maybe not a good idea. Corona held Sentinel by his pedes as he dangled to grab Optimus' left servo. Elita was also grabbed when Optimus got her by the back of her onesie as they were quickly hoisted up.

Corona was a bit rough bringing the trio back up because it made the trolley start to move. There was more weight going to the front so it began to wheel that way. Sentinel climbed up the tiers to get to the very top of the cake. Elita climbed over Optimus to get to the second tier to the top. Optimus stayed in the third tier while Corona went to the fourth tier. The delicating frosting was ruined from the climbing, but they didn't care.

Garth heard the squeaky wheels from the trolley and his energon froze when he saw the sparklings on the cake as the trolley went through the front doors and into the streets!!!!

“WAIT! STOP! GUYS WAIT!!!” Garth yelled, dropping the chocolate ganache sign in his servo and sprinting after the runaway cake.

The streets were straight until a bot reaches one of the steep inclines. And that alone gave the cake trolley more than enough speed. Garth was not a fast bot to begin with. He was already tired, but he needed to hurry and get Sentinel and the others off the trolley. He did not want his cousins and sister to get her. And he also needed to deliver the wedding cake to his friends! When Garth realized he wasn't going to make it in time, he had only one option: scream out a warning. The trolley wasn't going to severely damage a bot. But it would still cause a nasty dent in the armor. And if they were hit, the bitties will be catapulted away.

“GET OUT OF THE WAY! RUNAWAY CAKE! SOME BOT STOP THOSE SPARKLINGS!!!!”

Many of the passerby's didn't even do that. They didn't know what exactly was speeding down the road! They just know they did not want to be hit by it. It was after getting out of the way or throwing themselves onto the sidewalk that they realized what the object was. Wasn't that the Magnus' sparklings???? And being followed by the bartender's son!?

Meanwhile, at the venue....

The wedding was actually a big hit.

Maccadam was in the middle of mixing drinks when the guests were finishing up on the food. The bride and groom had decided to wait on seeing their wedding cake. No bot seem to object to that since they too wanted to eat the buffet that was waiting on each table. Alpha Trion, on the other hand, wasn't exactly too pleased with it. By tradition, the newly wed couple would cut the cake before the guests even get to sit down and eat. That's what him and Ultra Magnus did on their wedding day. The old judge wished these young bots would just follow the tradition. Prior to this, Maccadam did inform him of what was happening. After Alpha Trion had to fix his makeup.

The bartender was the only bot at the venue who saw the Magnus and judge looking so pitful. It took Maccadam a bit to get the full story from the two sad bots, but he got the gist of it. They were just sad their children did not react to their creators leaving. It did not surprise him since they normally wail and scream when they are dropped off at daycare. He should know; Maccadam drops Corona off at the same place. When the power couple came in a while ago, Maccadam had to tell his brother that his mascara was running. That snapped him out of his depressing stupor enough to rush to the nearest bathroom. Nothing snaps Alpha Trion out of a gloomy rut than telling him his makeup was running.

Now it was time to present the cake to the new couple. Garth was supposed to wheel it down from the oil house. His friend group has offered to come over to pick it up since he had to sparkling-sit his cousins and baby sister, but the chonky bot insisted on delivering the cake himself while the others nap. He would have the bitties sleeping in a comfy wagon while he pushes the trolley. It would be a cute sight for Ultra Magnus and Alpha Trion. But it sure was taking awhile...

One of the guests opened the door to see if there was any sight of the cake when they heard Garth screaming at the top of his vocals. They didn't quite catch what he was saying. But they did see a slightly ruined cake with four bitties riding on the same trolley. It sounded like theose four was having the time of their lives.

But at the expense of going a hundred miles an hour on a busy street!!

“MY SPARKLINGS!!!!” Alpha Trion screamed in horror.

It was a moment no bot was going to forget. The great judge Alpha Trion and their leader Ultra Magnus rushing out of a wedding and down the street to rescue their children. The old bartender Maccadam was not far behind in an attempt to rescue his little daughter. Garth was able to catch up to his sire, but neither of them was fast enough to keep up with Alpha Trion and his husband. Ultra Magnus ran past the trolley to get in front. The towering mech dug his pedes into the ground and grabbed the front of the trolley. Making it come to a halt. Alpha Trion immediately picked up each of his sparklings to check if they were hurt.

They were just sticky and covered in pieces of cake and frosting. Alpha Trion had a hard time prying Sentinel away from the top tier because he was too busy pounding the figures into the pastry. But, despite that, all three of his sparklings was just fine. Maccadam soon caught up with his son and scooped up his little spitfire of a daughter. She was happy to see him. Sticky as well.

The bottom of the cake was just big enough for the guests to eat a piece and whatever parts of the cake that was not touched by the bitties. One would think the four would whine over having to share the cake, but that was not the case. Sentinel, Optimus, Elita, and Corona were sound asleep. Sentinel and Elita napped in their sire's strong arms while Optimus was sleeping on their carriers shoulder. Corona curled up in her sire's left arm while he made drinks with his right. He can move her around if he needed to use his other servo. At first, Garth was going to be scolded for this fiasco. But Alpha Trion knew his nephew didn't do this on purpose.

If anything, Alpha Trion should've realized what his own children were capable of....

#sparkling siblings au #Sparkling Siblings WTFIYS #alpha trion #maccadam #tfa ultra magnus #transformers animated

[arc-misadventures]

Rebirth AU:

Could we get a Jaune POV version on how Jaune "took care" of Alyx in his new life

It Was A Simple Endeavour

Six.

He had managed to skip a stone six times.

Jaune smiled to himself as he watched the the ripples cover the still lake. He was about to reach down for another stone when he her the stones shift behind him where he then grab his sword was about to turn around, and draw it when he saw his twin sister recoil in shock.

Jeanne: Were you about to draw that on me?!

Jaune: You were sneaking up behind me, thought it was a, Grimm, or Dad with another surprise training session.

Jeanne: Ahh… Well, there are rarely any, Grimm about here. And, Dad’s too busy getting chewed out by, Mom for dropping that tree on me.

Jaune: Oh yeah… That… Dad really needs to learn some restraint.

Jeanne: Why he gets into the mood, and there’s no way of stopping him. Short of brunt force, and an enrage mom.

Jaune: I prefer the former than the later in all honesty. So, do you need something, or do you wish to skip stones with me too?

Jeanne: …

Jeanne: I want to know!

Jaune: Know what?

Jeanne: How did you do it; How did you kill, Alyx?!

Jaune held his throwing arm up for a moment, before resuming his throw, he counted five times that the rock skipped across the surface before it stopped.

Jaune: Are you sure you want to know that?

Jeanne: Yes…

Jaune: You want to know how your brother killed someone?

Jeanne: Yes.

Jaune: Will you tell anyone if I tell you?

Jeanne: No.

Jaune: Arc’s promise?

Jeanne: Arc’s promise.

Jaune let loose a deep sigh before patting the open spot on the log next to him. He listened as he heard her walk over, and sit down besides him. He spared her a glance as she stared intently at him, waiting for his response.

Jaune: Now you must understand this wasn’t some spur of the moment plan, I have been working on this for years. So, if it seems far fetched, it isn’t, it was just well, well thought out.

Jeanne: And, what makes you say that?

Jaune: Needed to be the perfect crime, nothing that could trace it back to me. Even if I told you this was how I did, I could simply be spinning a talltale, and a telling you a lie.

Jeanne: True, however, considering it’s you, I’d be more incline to believe it.

Jaune: Very well. Our journey begins one year ago, when we had that family trip to, Vacuo.

Jeanne: Wait, you started this a plan a year ago? We were just twelve then! How long have you been planning this.

Jaune: Since I escaped the, Ever After.

Jeanne: Oh… Oh gods…

Jaune: Yes… So, remember when I left, saying I needed to get, Thiriana a present?

Jeanne: Partial lie I take it? I remember that you did get her that necklace.

Jaune: Correct. I got her necklace minutes after I left. What took me so long is because I went to a rather… Disputable place to get the poison I used to kill her. This shady bar, filled with cut throats, criminals and their likes.

Jeanne: Not really a place for a twelve year old to be.

Jaune: There were kids younger than me there. So, I went up to the bartender, and ordered a drink.

Jeanne: Aren’t you a bit young to drink?

Jaune: It was a password; Say the password, and you may pass, that kind of stuff. I had to tell it to him twice to take me to the guy, didn’t believe a me when he heard me say it the first time. Makes sense since I was a kid. and all. So he lead me to a room that has thus weird viper faunas who was good, damn good at making poisons. I told him I wanted a certain kind of poison, and well, I got it.

Jeanne: But, how did you get the poison?

Jaune: The, Alchemist as he likes to refer to himself as, has two ways you can pay for his products; in cash, or in purpose. The first one is self explanatory; mans gotta eat afterall. But; purpose… He has to judge whether, or not your actions justify him giving you the requested poison. And, he has high standards to pass. I went with the later, it would cost me a fortune otherwise.

Jeanne: So… What did you say to him then?

Jaune: …

Jaune: ‘I want the poison for revenge; Revenge against one that betrayed me. One that betrayed the innocent trust of a curious soul. A kin-slayer without remorse. One who has used her treachery, and vile crimes to erase the sins she committed to be seen as the true hero of the tale, for profit, and fame. I want revenge against this vile fiend, and above all, I don’t want her to know it is coming, until it was too late.’ This is what I said to him. He stared at me for a moment before he reached over, and found the poison I wanted, explain its properties, and then gave it to me.

Jeanne: Whoa… You really knew what you were doing… But, how did you know about any of this?

Jaune: Hmm? Oh, Neo took me there.

Jeanne: N-Neo… As in Neapolitan? That mute assassin that tried to kill you dozens of times before? That, Neo?!

Jaune: We fixed our differences after leaving the, Ever After. He became teammates. We worked pretty well together. Her semblance became such a beast after I amped it up.

Jeanne: But, Neo?!

Jaune: Hey, we got along really well together.

Jeanne: And, then what, you slept with her?!

Jaune: Only once. We were quite hammered at the time.

Jeanne: You two did what?!

Jaune: Actually we may have done it more than once… Three… Four times…? The way she used her semblance…

Jeanne: Oh gods… This can’t be real…?!

Jaune: Anyway, after that we went on our trip to, Vale a few months later. I learned she lived in vale, and when all of you were watching that movie in the theatre, I snuck off. I found out where she lived, and snuck in through an open window, slipped her the poison, and made it back to the movie before any of you realized I was gone.

Jeanne: But, you said you wanted to see that movie so bad! Why would you…?! You’ve seen it before haven’t you… In your past life, haven’t you?!

Jaune: Dozens of times; So I knew precisely when to leave without anyone noticing my absence.

Jeanne: Wait… We left months ago… How is she just now dead of you poisoned her months ago?

Jaune: That was the beauty of the poison I gave her: I coated one of her tea cups with the poison, its a clear liquid where if you apply an even enough coat, you would never notice it, even on a clear window pane. So, the poison waited there until she made her tea. And, once the hot tea is poured in, the poison mixes into the tea, eliminating any trace of the poison. And, as soon as you finish your afternoon cup of tea, you’re already dead.

Jeanne: Whoa… That’s… That’s a very effective poison… But… How did it… You know… Kill her?

Jaune: The poison seeps into the blood stream, lining itself across the many veins across the victums body. There it grows, slowly mixing with the blood until there is enough of it that it becomes incompatible with the victims original blood type resulting in a uncontrollable clotting cascade. And, when this happens, and if your are lucky, it will kill you… quickly.

Jeanne: How hell… That’s… Brutal…

Jaune: A slow killer, but once you’ve been affected, you are a dead man walking.

Jeanne: I see, Neo knows her poisons…

Jaune: You could say that.

Jeanne: Did you say anything to her, like sending, Alyx a goodbye note? No send off one liners?

Jaune: I wanted to, but I couldn’t think of anything clever to send to her.

Jeanne: ‘Lewis sends his regards. The Rusted Knight remembers.’ Anything?

Jaune: Jeanne… I will only reveal in her death in this one manner: I will reveal in the grim satisfaction of a job well done.

Jeanne: …

Jeanne: That’s… That’s probably for the best…

Jaune: …

Jeanne: So… About the poison…

Jaune: No I will not give it to you so you can kill, Triften.

Jeanne: WHY NOT?!

Jaune: Look…I know you hate him, and his terrible flirting techniques, but don’t you think killing him is a bit much?

Jeanne: But, he’s so annoying! And, I can’t just punch him, I could break his face if I did that!

Jaune: You could?

Jeanne: I’m a Huntress-in-training, he’s an aura-less civilian.

Jaune: Ahh, well then… Just… Just spike his drink with laxatives the next time he bothers you, and then threaten him that you will poison him again if he dares bother you. That should scare him off.

Jeanne: …

Jeanne: Damn… You’re an evil genius!

Jaune: Actually, I got that one from mom.

Jeanne: R-Really…?

Jaune: Yep.

Jeanne: Why did she do that?

Jaune: You don’t want to know. Trust me; You do not want to know.

Jeanne: …

Jeanne: Well that just makes me want to know even more now!

#rwby #jaune arc #jeanne arc #rwby neo #jaune x neo #neo x jaune #rwby silentknight

[in-pleasant-company]

Hello new friend,

I'm a 41-year-old white queer femme who has just recently retrieved my three AG dolls from the attic where I put them away before I went to college. I have Kirsten, and the original release Felicity and Addy. I brought them out to clean up and give to my daughter, but have found they have released a great deal of stored up energy, and I have been deep diving into the world of AG since I put it down in 2001. I have been working my way backwards in your Tumblr, and am in 2020 now. I want to thank you for your clear love of and dedication to American Girl, and I really appreciate your various thoughtful perspectives, especially as it relates to the historical PC and current Mattel relationship with race and ethnicity. As an Elder Millennial, I don't really know how to Tumblr, but you can find me on IG as quiltereina (my public account), so you can see that I'm not a total weirdo-in-a-bad-way - just a domesticated rebel with grandma hobbies living in a hippie suburb of my hometown of Washington, D.C.

I found my dolls, but not their clothes or accessories yet, which is a devastating. I received the dolls as gifts, but I earned all of their clothes through chores. I have already sewed more clothes for my girls (plus the three new ones I have purchased since Jan 1) than I had the entirety of my childhood, having leaned to sew in the intervening years. I am balancing the desire to recreate all of the clothes I had, using time-period appropriate prints and patterns, but in my own preferred color schemes (mostly pinks and purples), a sort of alternative history recreation for my own inner child, plus the desire to make fun and frilly costumes for my five-year-old's enjoyment. In these pursuits, I have not only saved the Pretty Dresses PDF from AGPlaythings, but have been searching for patterns that will as closely as possible replicate the Meet outfits for my girls; I have found Addy's from doll-princesse, and think I can wing Kirsten's from her school dress, but Felicity? Still searching.

So I have one very specific question - a woman in a 18" doll facebook sewing group claims that there was 1992 Pleasant Company book of patterns released, which included Felicity's Meet Dress. I have searched the ends of the internet; she is not referring to the PC Pretty Dresses Patterns; there is no record in the AG Wiki or in the Library of Congress for this book. She said someone on Etsy was selling copies of the book and the FB poster got blocked for harassing the Etsy seller for selling a book still under copyright, but I cannot find the like on Etsy or Ebay. Have you ever heard of such a book? Or is _someone_ -lying- on the internet? And if you have any other deep-dive pattern suggestions (I've seen everything on Etsy, PixieFaire, Pemberly, etc), I'd be grateful, and also happy to compensate pattern makers/recreators.

If you've made it this far, thanks for your time reading this, and again for your insightful and informative Tumblr-blog.

Best,

LaLa

Hi, welcome! It's wonderful that you're giving some love to these old dolls once again!

As for the book with Felicity's pattern, it sounds fascinating. I will keep a lookout for it. It's possible the book was an internal, company only creation that was meant for creating the mockups before the doll clothes went into production in West Germany (and later in China). I will say that there was a set of doll patterns (or possibly multiple sets?) that were briefly available from Colonial Williamsburg that the person may have been remembering as Felicity patterns. It could also have been a pattern that was made available for special events at places like the Madison Children's Museum. I know of a pattern for Felicity's Bedding that is associated with the Madison Children's Museum.

The patterns available from Colonial Williamsburg were from Past Crafts patterns (labelled Evoking Period Style for Dolls), and I'm almost positive that there was a set of doll clothes patterns designed by someone who worked in the textiles department of Colonial Williamsburg, but I haven't been successful in tracking them down.

Edit: Could it be they were talking about the GIRL sized pattern for Felicity's Meet Outfit? It wasn't in a book but a paper envelope like commercial patterns.

Edit 2: I reached out on the AG Playthings message board and got some answers. Yes, the pattern does exist but it was never available for sale from Pleasant Company. I imagine it was an internal document that was somehow leaked/stolen. Mystery solved!

#felicity merriman #answered asks #sewing patterns #by the way please don't feel worried about coming off as 'creepy' the note in my pinned post was for a very specific type of message

[such-justice-wow]

ur post about not wanting to change a fundamental part of yourself and that the world should change is very relatable. im appreciative of you putting it into words

for shoes, if youve got a thrift store id recommend trying to find pairs there. ive had some luck and even if they also only last 2 months its (for here anyway,) like $5 compared to brand new store ones of $40+

another way ive been lucky is just getting elderly peoples shoes (with permission). old stuff used to be made of actual nice material so if they took care of their shoes even just casually they can sometimes still have them survive till now and still be in great condition and made of nice quality material!

it really fucking sucks how much planned obsolescence is in everything :(

srry if this wasnt helpful at all, i hope your worries are someday mended

Thank you!

All the charity shops in my area kinda suck for things that aren't weird curios and clothes. One of them has actual rubbish on teh shelves that hasn't even been cleaned, its kinda gross.

My mum has tiny baby feet and so used to get shoes from sketchers because she was considered a kids size but she's gone off them a bit because their more recent lines just aren't as good quality. She also shops on ebay for shoes but I've had less luck there so far.

I'm aware some of it is my fault for hating trainers and preferring boots but I bought a £20 pair of boots which I busted within a month because the soles collapsed in on themselves and I think its insane they're allowed to sell a product that shit.

genuinely it's almost worth it for me to buy £7 primark shoes because they last a month and a half and my £80 vans lasted 3 months and that's insane

[run-me-through-but-not-like-that]

The Gift That Keeps On Giving Part 2

Part 1 Here

Summary: Maybe being taken hostage for ransom was the best thing that had happened to Izzy in decades. The Revenge finally catches up with your crew, ready to pay for the safe return of their first mate. The only problem? The precious cargo has decided he doesn't want to leave.

Word Count: 6074

A lot can change in a month, it turns out.

For just over a month, you had been giving Blackbeard the run around, bidding some time. Honestly, Izzy was a little impressed by your ability to keep your distance and out manoeuvre Blackbeard. Sure, your ship was faster than the Revenge but Blackbeard is a genius sailor and he had done more with lesser ships. It was just another piece of evidence of your skill.

Normally, it would have been three weeks at most before Blackbeard caught up with whatever crew had decided to hold his first mate captive. This time it had been just over a month before the Revenge caught up, probably a mix of your crew’s skill and the lack of the Revenge’s crew’s experience.

That month had allowed Izzy to become comfortable in the warmth you provided him, to develop a routine, and to get to know you. A whole month for this to become his new norm, for him to…enjoy himself.

Izzy woke up to the warmth of being surrounded by soft blankets and pillows, the morning sun spilling into the room but not quite reaching the little bed nook. It was a design choice that Izzy had criticised at first, insisting that the sun acted like a natural wakeup call, but now it was a choice he appreciated. He no longer had to be up with the sun, or before it, he could wait until his body woke naturally.

Instead of waking up to the morning chill, he woke up to a warm and comfortable cocoon, and the feeling of fingers in his hair.

“Morning, love,” you gently brought back to the land of the waking, unable to do much else but smile down at him. You couldn’t help but be overcome with fondness when you saw him like this, all soft and comfy. Buried in plump bedding and leaning into your touch. He had come so far in such little time, you were so proud of him.

Izzy had spent nearly his whole life waking up to the smell of salt and sea rot, but now he woke up to the faint aroma of tea and toast. Breakfast must already be on the table.

“Morning,” Izzy mumbled back sleepily.

He took a short moment to enjoy the feeling of you playing with his hair and the warmth of the bed, before finally stretching out and dragging himself up into a sitting position.

You brushed his hair out of his face, he had kept it the same length but had stopped putting so much product in it, letting it fall naturally. He let out a soft sigh when you pressed a kiss to his cheek before standing from the bed.

“You coming, pet?”

Izzy slipped from the bed, letting you drape his robe over his shoulders. He pulled it close around his body and tied the belt before joining you at the breakfast table.

You had tried to convince him into drinking your selections of teas and had won him over on most of them, a nice cup of fragrant tea often helped him relax. Still, in the mornings, he preferred a good old fashioned builders tea and you were dedicated to giving him whatever he pleased.

The two of you ate breakfast together just like you did every morning. He didn’t hold the same responsibilities aboard your ship that he did aboard the Queen Anne but you knew he liked to know about the ship’s condition, it helped him feel better. So, you told him about the state of the ship and the going ons of the crew, making sure he didn’t have to worry about anything going wrong, that everything was under control.

After eating, Izzy would go and wash up in the bathroom and get dressed. By that point, you were usually already ready and had done a lap of the ship. Izzy had only just started sleeping past sunrise and you didn’t want to disturb him, you wanted to encourage it.

While Izzy was busy with getting ready for the day, there was a knock on your cabin door. You pulled it open and saw your first mate, standing dutifully.

“The Revenge is tailing us, we can outrun them or we can engage,” they informed you.

You nodded, knowing this would happen soon. “Drop anchor. Blackbeard is relentless and we have something he wants, they’ll just keep chasing us. I think it’s time to engage with them.”

“Do we attack?”

“Is it just the Revenge?”

“We were expecting the Queen Anne but we can’t spot it, we think they’re alone.”

“Then they won’t attack, there’s no way they can win. Just drop anchor, we’ll host the captains.”

“Aye Captain,” your first mate nodded before taking their leave.

You closed the door with a small sigh before turning, seeing Izzy stood on the far side of the room looking panicked.

“Israel, darling, are you alright?” you asked, watching him carefully.

“Edward is here?”

You nodded, not about to lie to him, as you walked up to him. “The Revenge is approaching, we’re going to drop anchor and let the captains board,” you told him honestly.

“Edward won’t board the ship, he’ll attack you as soon as he gets close enough,” Izzy protested, clearly worried about your plan.

“No, he won’t. He only has the Revenge, we can’t see the Anne. He won’t attack because he knows he won’t be able to win. He’ll have to come and meet with us,” you assured him, soothingly stroking your hands up and down his arms.

Izzy was looking at you with those wide eyes, all open and vulnerable. He used to only give you that look when he was deep under in that floaty place in his mind, lately he’s been looking at you like that at any given moment. “...you’re sure?” 

“You know Edward better than anyone so surely you know he isn’t stupid enough to attack when he is so clearly outmanned,” you knew that if you could get Izzy to just breathe and look at it objectively, he would agree with you. And if he still didn’t, you would do what you could to fix it.

Izzy considered it for a moment before nodding. “You’re right, he’s not stupid, he won’t attack.”

“He’ll come aboard with Bonnet since they’re both the captains,” that part would probably happen no matter what, Stede would insist on being there if he shared captaincy with Edward. But there was still a choice that Izzy could make. “We’ll talk, you can choose if you want to be there for it or not.”

Izzy’s eyes widened slightly, something like surprise or fear flashing behind them before fading away just as quickly. You gave him a moment, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. 

“I want to be there, I should be there,” he decided.

“I’ve got you, yeah? Not going to let anything happen to you, okay?” you brought your hands up to his face, stroking your thumbs over his cheekbones.

“I know,” Izzy sighed, leaning into your touch, “thank you.”

You gave him a small, reassuring smile and a quick kiss to his cheek before beginning to pull away. It was probably best to prepare for the Revenge’s arrival.

However, before you could move too far away, Izzy grabbed your hand and made you turn back to him. You didn’t question him or try to pull out of his grip, you just waited for him to explain himself when he was ready.

“I…” Izzy began, the words getting caught in his throat. You waited patiently for him to continue. “Do I have to go back?” his question just broke your heart.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want, remember?” you reminded him, voice both firm and comforting. You wanted to be a source of reassurance for him, but you needed him to know, to understand, that he didn’t have to do a single thing he didn’t completely want to do anymore.

Izzy nodded, looking down at where you had taken his hand in yours. “I don’t want to go back,” he confessed.

“Then you don’t have too,” you gave his hand a gentle squeeze, bringing your other hand to cup his cheek. “If you don’t want to leave, I won’t let it happen, I promise.”

Izzy let out another soft sigh, pressing into your palm. Your heart just melted into a puddle when he pressed a kiss to the inside of your wrist. You had spent this whole month thanking the powers of the sea that Izzy Hands found himself aboard your ship, you could shower your crew in riches for bringing him to you. He was easily the best gift anyone had ever given you, only second to the gift he gave you, that vulnerable part of himself that he kept behind reinforced walls.

“Do you still want to be there for the meeting?” you asked.

“I’ve sailing with Ed for nearly my whole life…I should be there,” Izzy spoke quietly into your palm.

“I’ll be right there with you. If you need anything, you just let me know and I’ll make it happen,” you promised him.

Izzy smiled softly to himself as he lent into you. You welcomed him into your arms, burying one hand in his hair to hold him close. He released another little sigh, tension melting away from his shoulders, as he nuzzled his face into your neck.

You pressed a kiss to his temple. “When they arrive, how do you-” you didn’t even have to finish the question, something about your tone must have given you away.

“I just…I just want us to be us. I…I’m happy and I want them to see that. If Edward can’t let me have that then…then maybe Ed wasn’t who I thought he was.” He sounded sure of his answer but you didn’t miss the way he clung just a little bit tighter to you.

“It’s going to be a couple of hours before they catch up and the crews get everything ready for boarding,” you told him, assuring him that you both still had time to prepare yourselves. “How about we have some tea and relax for a little bit?” you suggested.

Izzy nodded, reluctantly removing himself from your embrace with a smile. You always knew how to soothe him, how to handle him in every way he didn’t know he wanted or needed but had craved all his life. He found it so easy to place himself in your hands and let you take care of him.

-

The crew of the Revenge isn’t nearly big enough or experienced enough to take on the crew of this enemy ship and Edward hadn’t thought to send word to the Queen Anne, so he only had one choice. He was kicking himself already, knowing he should have brought the Queen Anne to this fight. Maybe Izzy had been right about this crew not being efficient in their current condition.

Edward knew he wouldn’t be able to burn this ship to ashes and take back what belonged to him, if he tried it would be the remains of the Revenge sitting on the seabed. He would have to have a meeting with the captain that was demanding a ransom in the first place. At least he would have Stede by his side.

Once the ships were anchored beside each other, the gangplank was set up and the two captains of the Revenge were allowed to board the other ship. It had been made clear, by a hostile looking crew, that the rest of their crew would not be allowed to step foot aboard their ship.

Edward demanded to see their captain, but the apparent first mate just rolled their eyes and waved for the two men to follow them. They were escorted towards the captain’s cabin, where the first mate opened the door and let themselves in.

You looked up at the sound of the door opening, your first mate standing in the doorway and two figures standing behind them. “Captain,” they addressed you formally. “Captain Teach and Captain Bonnet are here.”

“Let them in,” you ordered, voice calm and steady. Like you didn’t even care that the legendary Blackbeard was aboard your vessel.

Your first mate nodded and excused themselves, letting the two captains enter before closing the door. You knew they would be positioned just outside of your cabin until the captains were escorted back to their ship, ready to step in if they had to.

Edward and Stede only made it a couple of steps into the cabin before freezing at the sight they were greeted with.

“Quiet now, don’t wake him,” you chastised them before they could even make a noise.

You were sat tall on a settee, one arm draped over the back of it. What surprised the captains was your companion, in fact Stede almost hadn’t even recognised him at first. Beside you lay Izzy Hands with his head in your lap while your other hand played with his hair. 

“He knew you were coming, so no need to disturb him,” you assured them.

Both captains had half expected Izzy to be beaten or at least roughened up, at the very least like he hadn’t washed. Instead, he looked perfectly clean. His hair trimmed to the length he preferred and his goatee perfectly neat.

He wasn’t wearing his usual leathers. Not only had he been provided a change of clothes, they were high quality clothes. He looked comfortable in a pair of black cotton trousers, shiny leather boots, and an emerald green shirt. It suited him well. They couldn’t help but notice how soft and content he looked, sleeping as you played with his hair.

“Please, take a seat,” you gestured to the settee opposite yours. As if nothing was out of place, as if Blackbeard’s infamous first mate wasn’t napping in your lap.

You truly did only want the best for Izzy, especially in this situation, but you wouldn’t lie to yourself. Getting to flaunt something that Blackbeard could never have right in front of him was appealing to you. To show the mighty Blackbeard that you could take something from him, not out of cruelty but out of care.

Stede politely accepted the offer and took a seat, but Edward remained standing. 

“What have you done to him?” Edward asked, low and threatening, his gaze never leaving the sleeping man.

“Nothing, he’s just sleeping,” you answered with mock confusion.

“No, there is no way Izzy would…be like this,” Edward turned his glare to you, angry and accusing. “What have you given him?”

“...camomile tea?” you raised an eyebrow with faux innocence. 

“Ah, lovely, very soothing,” Stede spoke up in some attempt to break the tension but sounding like he didn’t know what to say. He flushed a little and cleared his throat when you turned your attention onto him. “But surely you added a little something to get him…like this.”

“He also had a scone,” Of course you knew what the two of them were implying, what they were accusing you of, but they were fun to play with just a little.

“Stop fucking about. What did you give him?” Edward snapped, earning an unimpressed look from you. 

“I didn’t drug Israel,” you told them firmly, straight to the point.

The increasing tension in the room and the raised voices caused Izzy to stir. 

“Oh, look at what you’ve done,” you chastised them, gently scratching your nails over Izzy’s scalp and earning a pleased little hum.

Izzy woke up a little faster than he has been doing these days, blinking up at you. Looking all sleepy and curious. You tried not to sigh, knowing your trouble was only beginning.

“Sweetheart, Edward and Bonnet are here,” you informed him calmly.

Izzy tensed at the news but allowed you to continue stroking his hair until he relaxed a little again.

“Do I…do I have to go back?” Izzy asked quietly, voice cracking ever so slightly.

You weren’t sure if it was sleepiness or fear that had him asking that question again, when he knew that Edward was in the room with you both. But you did know it was another show of his trust in you. Edward wouldn’t be happy about it but he trusted you to protect him.

“Oh, darling, no. Of course not,” you answered immediately, hating the look of uncertainty on Izzy’s face.

“What the fuck?” Edward seethed, eyes dark and dangerous.

Izzy heaved a sigh but sat up, knowing that this couldn’t be avoided any longer. He knew this day would come, but maybe a part of him just always hoped it wouldn’t. Then again, maybe it would have hurt more to have known that Edward wasn’t even bothering to look for him.

“Edwar-” Izzy couldn’t even finish his first word.

“No. What the fuck, Izzy?” Edward demanded.

Anger simmered under your skin, that Edward was interrupting your precious Izzy, but you held yourself back. You would be there for Izzy, you wouldn’t take over just yet. 

“It’s complicated, I know, but-” 

“Izzy, shut up,” Edward huffed and you physically had to hold yourself back at the blatant disrespect. “We are leaving,” clearly, Ed wasn’t giving anyone a choice here, “now.” You supposed he was underestimating you.

Edward took a step forward and you were instantly on your feet, standing between Edward and Izzy with your hand on the hilt of your knife.

“Sit down, Teach. This will be your last warning. Raise a hand or your voice to him again and I’ll skin you where you stand.”

Edward’s strategy appeared to be just staring you down, which wouldn’t work, so Stede slowly got to his feet.

“Ah, well, alright. No need for that, I’m sure,” Stede placed a hand on Edward’s shoulder, soft but grounding. “Right, Ed?”

Edward bit back a huff and a threat before sitting down with Stede. Still glaring at you, of course.

“You turned my first mate into a lap dog,” Edward snarled. It took everything within yourself not to snarl right back.

“I didn’t turn him into anything,” you protested.

“Edward,” Izzy sighed, used to handling Edward’s moods.

“Look at him!” Edward shouted, earning a glare from you. “He’s wearing soft clothes, he’s sleeping in your lap. This isn’t Izzy. Izzy, this isn’t you,” he turned to his first mate, ex-first mate you suppose now.

“Let’s get one thing straight, I’ve never made him do anything. Have you considered that maybe I just provided an environment where he feels safe and comfortable. I don’t want him to be anything other than himself. Just himself, and happy,” you held Edward’s glare, feeling Izzy glance at you.

“Edward, they haven’t done anything,” Izzy attempted to convince or placate his old friend, his old captain. 

Edward scoffed, gesturing vaguely at the other man. “Look at yourself, Izzy.”

When you felt Izzy flinch slightly, you reached out and placed a hand on his knee, just to help ground him and remind him that you’re there. He steeled himself, squaring his shoulders slightly.

“Ed…”

“They kidnapped you. They’re holding you for ransom!” Edward snapped at him. 

“Voice,” you warned lowly. You had already been too lenient, in your opinion.

Edward was still glaring but bit his tongue. He was under no illusions that you held the power here. You could kill them both and their crew wouldn’t even know until it was far too late.

“And about that ransom deal….things have changed,” you informed them.

Edward gave another scoff. “Forget the ransom, I should kill you for laying a hand on my first mate.”

“The Queen Anne isn’t here and we all know the Revenge’s crew couldn’t take on mine, you’d lose and you know it,” you rolled your eyes.

“The ransom. We’re willing to pay it,” Stede assured, clearly knowing you were right.

“Well, like I said. The ransom is no longer on the table,” you reiterated.

“Then what do you want?” Edward asked, looking like he wanted to rip you limb from limb. You took a little bit of pride in that.

You just glanced over at Izzy, giving him the option to explain. He nodded and turned back to Edward, ignoring Stede’s presence completely.

“There’s no ransom because there is no deal anymore, Edward,” Izzy told him. “I’m not going back to the Revenge, I’m staying here.”

“What have they done to you, Izzy?” Edward asked, a little more steady this time, a little more sincere. “What are they threatening?” You managed not to roll your eyes again.

Izzy softened a little at that though. “Nothing, Ed. I know how this looks, but they aren’t threatening me. They haven’t harmed me once,” he promised.

“They are holding you captive,” Edward squinted at him.

“Yes…at first, technically. Like I said, it’s a little complicated. Definitely unprecedented,” Izzy rambled just a little before shrugging it off. “But I am free to leave whenever I want. I’m choosing to stay.”

You couldn’t help but feel proud of Izzy.

All month you had been training Izzy to voice his wants and needs, to make the best decisions for himself. 

Despite Izzy wanting to hand himself over to you time and time again, you were teaching him to be his own man. He could be possessed by somebody else but he would do it because he wanted it, not because he had too. He liked when you laid claim to him but he knew that you didn’t see him as just an object to toy with, you knew he was a fully formed person and would treat him as such.

Now here he was, denying Edward Teach. He was telling them what he wanted.

You couldn’t describe nor decipher the emotions that crossed over Edward’s expression.

“Izzy, this is ridiculous. Let’s go,” Edward insisted once again.

“Edward…I’ve made my decision, I’m staying,” Izzy put his foot down again.

In the blink of an eye, Edward was on his feet again. You moved just as quick, though, forcing yourself between Izzy and Edward. You knife in hand and pointed at Blackbeard’s chest. 

“Lash out one more time, see what happens,” you cock an eyebrow at him, inviting him to do something stupid. “My crew will tear you apart if I don’t get to you first.”

“Edward, please. Nobody needs to get hurt,” Izzy slowly got to his feet, standing beside you.

Stede was by Edward’s side a second later, placing a warm hand against his back. Edward scanned your face, then Izzy’s, then yours again, before nodding and backing off.

“Captain Teach, Izzy is perfectly capable of making his own choices. If he wishes to leave with you, I won’t stop him or stand in his way. If he chooses to stay here, I expect you to offer him the same respect,” you told him.

“I am choosing to stay here,” Izzy turned to you then, looking almost concerned.

“I know, pet,” you soothed him, taking one of his hands in yours. “I’m just explaining to the Captains.” Izzy relaxed a little, confident that you weren’t just going to hand him over.

“I mean…if this is truly what Izzy wants…” Stede considered, seeing the way Izzy responded to you. The way he looked at you was the same way he used to look at Edward.

Stede never liked Izzy, the two of them were always at each other’s throats, and that was no secret. However, Stede could never deny Izzy’s loyalty to Edward and the strength of it. To see that loyalty turned on to somebody else, manifesting in such a softer, more domestic way, had him wrongfooted. He didn’t think Izzy was capable of such softness, and yet here he was, looking like he would like nothing more than for the two of them to leave so he could curl back up on your lap and go back to sleep.

“Izzy…what have they done to you?” Edward asked quietly, dropping back down into his seat.

“They haven’t done anything to me,” Izzy glanced away, feeling tears of embarrassment burning his eyes. This was exactly why he hadn’t allowed himself anything, because he didn’t deserve it, because men like him don’t deserve it. He convinced himself he didn’t need it, that he wasn’t weak. At least now he could confess, “Edward, this…this is what I’ve always wanted, I think. What I needed.”

“You hated that I was getting soft, you hate everything about the way Stede does things,” Edward shook his head, unable to understand the change. 

“I hated that you were being unsafe! Bonnet is a terrible pirate, if it weren’t for us he’d be dead already. I hated that you were ‘going soft’ because you weren’t interested in surviving. We could have died but you just wanted to vacation with Bonnet,” Izzy raised his voice for the first time that day, throwing his hands up in frustration. “I don’t care about the robes and the tea and whatever the fuck else. I just didn’t want to fucking die over it!”

You moved closer instinctively, placing a hand against the small of Izzy’s back and rubbing in small circles.

“Izzy…” Edward looked at his old friend with wide eyes. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think they were a little watery.

“You didn’t care about surviving anymore…I just wanted us to stay alive but you didn’t seem to care,” Izzy whispered this time, glancing down at his feet.

The room was silent for a moment, both you and Stede knowing it wasn’t your turn to speak. 

“And it’s different here?” Edward asked, a hint of understanding behind the question.

“...we can…I can be soft and…held here but still safe. The crew is incredibly competent but not dangerous to fellow crewmates. The captain knows what they're doing and cares about the wellbeing of their crew above anything else. They allow all of this gentle shit without sacrificing safety and practicality,” Izzy explained, knowing he could talk about the differences all day long. “You said that you didn’t realise life could be like this, when we met Bonnet, right?” Edward nodded wordlessly. “Well, that’s how I feel here. I didn’t realise you could have both,” Izzy admitted.

Edward nodded faintly, eyes softening some more. “I get it, mate, but things are different aboard the Revenge now. Stede’s learning to be a captain and he’s really fucking good at it. The crew are learning, they want to be better. You can have all of this back with us,” Edward promised.

“No, Edward, I can’t. I hate the Revenge, what it stood for. I hate the crew and they hate me, they don’t respect me. This crew does, they’re good people and good pirates. I can’t go back there, I couldn’t stand it,” Izzy told him plainly. He had been miserable since they boarded the Revenge and now he knew real happiness for the first time in his life, at least for the first time in the last decade or two, and he wasn’t ready to give that up.

“Izzy, you vowed to be my first mate. You promised,” Edward was grasping at straws, that much was clear to you.

“We both made a lot of promises, Edward. I don’t think they hold up anymore…”

Edward made a little wounded sound, something familiar about it to you.

“I’m staying, Ed,” Izzy stated, soft but certain.

Stede frowned, seeing the hurt on Edward’s face. How could Izzy do this to him? Leave him behind when they spent the last month chasing him down! After everything they had been through, everything they had done to each other. Surely Izzy should come back and try to make amends.

“You’re really going to betray Edward again?” Stede asked sharply.

Your attention snapped to Stede in an instant, knuckles turning white around the handle of your knife. Beside you, Izzy flinched like he had been shot.

“I didn’t betray him…” Izzy’s voice cracked.

“You sold him-” 

“I sold you out!” Izzy snapped, correcting the blond, his hands shaking by his sides.

“I think the two of you should leave, I really won’t stand for anyone upsetting my precious Israel.” If looks could kill, your stare would have had Stede Bonnet at the bottom of the sea already.

“Precious?” Stede repeated with a small scoff.

“Stede…just leave it, yeah?” Edward glanced at him, enough of a warning to tell him to back down. Stede pouted but did as he was told. “This is really how it’s going to be, Izzy?”

Izzy shrugged slightly, perhaps apologetically. “It’s not about you. I’m just…happy here.”

“And I intend to ensure his happiness for a long time to come,” you promised. Promised Edward, Izzy, yourself, and the goddamn sea herself. “Now, I am sorry for having you sail all the way out here but, as you can see, Izzy has made his decision,” you dismissed the two men politely, earning a small eye roll from Stede.

“Izzy?” Edward looked to the other man pleadingly one more time.

“Goodbye, Edward,” Izzy gave him a sad little smile.

Of course he didn’t want to hurt Edward but it was obvious that they had come to a fork in the road and they were choosing different paths. There was no place for him on Edward’s route and that was alright, as long as he allowed Izzy to go his own way.

Your first mate greeted the four of you as you left the cabin and joined you in escorting the captains back to their ship.

Reaching the gangplank that connected the two ships, Edward turned back to the two of you, Stede frowning at the holdup.

“Goodbye, Iz,” Edward gave him a tightlipped smile before pulling him into a sudden crushing hug. Your hand went to your gun on instinct but relaxed as the two men embraced stiffly. Edward pulled away from Izzy, holding him by his shoulders. “Give ‘em hell, yeah?”

“Sure, Ed,” Izzy returned his fond little smile.

Even still, Edward found himself surprised as Izzy slipped from his grasp and returned to your side like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Edward and Stede returned to their ship and the gangplank was removed. They were welcomed back by a curious crew, surprised and confused that Izzy wasn’t with them. Even more surprised and confused when they saw the familiar man standing by your side, the lines in his face just a little less prominent than they were used too.

As the Revenge sailed away from your ship, Edward stood by the railing. Izzy gave him a small wave goodbye and he returned it. Then, apparently their goodbye was over.

Edward watched as you slipped an arm around Izzy’s waist, watched the way that Izzy just melted into your touch even in direct view of the two crews. All he could do was watch as Izzy let you give him the most gentle kiss he had ever witnessed.

Edward tried to remember the last time he saw Izzy genuinely happy, it must have been the early days of setting out on their own. 

They finally got their own ship, they were finally free of anyone else’s command, Izzy would still give those sweet smiles of joy and amusement, still let his eyes crinkle with fondness. It had been years since he’d seen Izzy happy, just like it had been years since he had felt happy himself.

He found the Revenge, he found Stede, he couldn’t quite bring himself to take away those things from his oldest and closest friend, even if it made something long forgotten in his chest ache.

-

You slipped your arm around Izzy’s waist, smiling as he lent into you, giving a small wave to Edward’s shrinking figure.

“Are you alright?” you asked gently, knowing how he can get overwhelmed.

“Yeah…yeah, I actually am,” he answered quietly, dropping his hand and giving you a sweet smile. You couldn’t help yourself, you had to press a gentle kiss to his lips, nothing but fond of his little smile and creeping blush.

“I’m really proud of you, pet,” you praised quietly. He was becoming more comfortable around the crew but not enough to accept such praise so publicly, so you kept it quiet. Izzy just shrugged. “I’m serious, you stood up for yourself, told us what you wanted. I’m proud,” you insisted, giving his waist a small squeeze.

Izzy was quiet for a moment but you could feel him thinking. “...it was a lot but…it feels good.”

“Good, that’s all I want for you,” you smiled, planting another kiss against his temple.

Before Izzy could respond, a member of your crew walked by mumbled “man, they were kinda dicks,” as they went about their work.

You laughed to yourself, glad that your crew’s loyalty couldn’t be overshadowed by Blackbeard’s legend.

“They are kinda dicks,” Izzy smiled to himself, perhaps just a little fond.

“Want to go back to the cabin for a little while? I’m sure the crew can handle things for a bit,” you asked.

Izzy let out a small relieved breath. “Yeah…yes, please.”

You nodded to your first mate, giving them the deck, as you guided Izzy back to your cabin.

As if you knew exactly what he needed, you headed straight for the settee and sat down comfortably. Izzy didn’t need any prompting to lower himself to his knees by your feet, only pausing when you pushed a small pillow into his hands. He tucked the pillow under his knees before settling down, resting his head against your knee.

You ran your fingers through his hair, gently cooing to him. You could see his shoulders relaxing, melting further into your touch and warmth.

You knew that this whole thing must have been pretty intense for him and that he would probably need this, need to go to that soft floaty place he goes to sometimes. Where he doesn’t have to think or worry, when he can just focus on you and everything you do for him.

Once he had spent some time in that place, you would then ground him. Bring him back to you to be properly comforted and doted on, down right spoiled but you always insisted that he deserved it.

The two of you sat like that for a little while, time not existing to Izzy in those moments, before he began to blink his eyes open. You welcomed him back with a small smile and soft words, letting him ease back into reality.

“How are you feeling, love?” you asked as he shifted a little closer, laying his cheek against your thigh.

“Good,” Izzy smiled up at you, open and loose. “Better now,” he admitted.

You raked your fingers through his hair again, loving how he pressed back against your fingertips.

“Wonderful. Is there anything I can do for you?” Izzy really was getting better at asking for things or making requests but sometimes he still needed a little prompting.

“Just…hold me?” Izzy asked, a familiar blush spreading up from his neck.

As if you could ever deny him anything, especially something like that.

“Come up here, pet,” you encouraged, patting the settee cushion beside you.

Izzy gave another smile before easing up from his kneeling position, not hesitating before joining you on the settee and letting you pull him into your arms.

Izzy Hands really could be the sweetest thing under the right circumstances, you had suspected such from the very moment you met him and he certainly did not disappoint. He tucked his face against your neck and you nuzzled into his hair, peppering fleeting kisses as you went.

It had been a long day and you knew just how to take care of your sweet man. You would let him spend the day relaxing while the crew got the ship back on course, then the two of you would have dinner, something he would like. After dinner you would spoil him with biscuits and cakes, knowing he had a sweet tooth. As the sun sets and the sea calms, you will prepare him a back which the two of you would soak in for a while. Finally you would take him to bed, bring him to at least one earth shattering release before falling asleep in each other’s arms. 

Safe and warm at the end of a trying day.

#israel hands x reader #izzy hands x reader #izzy hands #ofmd izzy #our flag means death izzy #ofmd x reader

[cromulentbookreview]

Fun with Fungi!

Huh, what's this? *cleans away dust* oh, yeah, this blog is still a thing. I probably should've written more reviews, but...

I mean, I could come up with an excuse, but I'm too lazy. Just as I am too lazy to continually update this book review blog that nobody reads. I mean, I just wrote a review *consults calendar* uh. In 2022. Dang, I have been lazy. Oh well.

I'm like a rug on valium, I'm talking lazy.

And by that, I mean: let's have a dual review of the Sworn Soldier series: What Moves the Dead and its sequel, What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher!

Those covers, man. They're awesome, but at the same time: poor bun bun. Poor horsie.

So technically, what I'm doing here is not one but two reviews. So I'm actually being really, really productive right now and not lazy in the slightest.

This is a legitimately true story, I swear. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away...by which I mean, four or five years back or so, I'd never heard of T. Kingfisher / Ursula Vernon in my life until I got into a fight with her on Twitter* on whether or not the fruit of the hazel tree should be referred to as Filberts or Hazelnuts.

For the record, I am firmly team hazelnut. I mean, they're nuts from a hazel tree. Hazel+nuts = hazelnuts. Who in their right mind wants to eat something called a filbert? But, terminology varies as T. Kingfisher is firmly on team filbert. My parents also call them filberts on occasion which is weird to me as we live in an area lousy with hazelnut farms.

Mmmm, Hazelnuts...

Anyway! I had no idea who this person was but I got into a tongue-in-cheek gif fight on Twitter with them regarding hazelnut v. filbert. Feeling bad that I got into a fight with a random person online on their hazel tree fruit name preferences, I went to their profile, saw they were an author, looked up their books and bought the two books of the Clocktaur Wars series. I tore through them, and continued on, reading all of the World of the White Rat series (I just saw that we're getting a new one in January and I might have let out a bit of a fangirl screech), and the absolutely delightful A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and Minor Mage. So far, every single one of T. Kingfisher's books that I've read has been awesome. Nettle & Bone? Amazing. Thornhedge? I'm a very slow reader, but I devoured it in an afternoon.

T. Kingfisher writes amazing fantasy novels and I absolutely love them. She also writes horror. Which is where I hit a brick wall because I'm a baby who doesn't handle horror well. I don't like horror movies. I don't often read horror books. Because the world is scary enough without ghosts and poltergeists and demons and jump scares. Also I watched The Ring when I was 12 and it scared the shit out of me. Anyway! Oddly enough, I've always found myself drawn to horror-type stories. I mean, horror fits so well in fantasy and sci-fi (looking at you, Doctor Who episodes that gave me nightmares). As an adult, I've found myself more and more willing to dip my toe into horror fiction. Season 1 of The Terror, one of my favorite-ever TV series is considered horror (maybe because it's not jump-scare scary, it's existentially scary. Also it's set in the past. Also it's got dudes-on-boats, my favorite genre). Part of me really, really likes horror stories set in the past - no horror like 18th/19th/Early 20th century horror, amirite?

Right?

Well, whatever, I just like horror to be ye olde timey horror, OK? Like Crimson Peak, The Witch, The Death of Jane Lawrence, Mexican Gothic, The Woman in Black, The Hacienda, Vampires of El Norte, The Hunger ... spooky-scary Gothic-y-Romantic-y-type stories that have a historical element to them. Those are awesome. I'm slowly - very slowly! - getting myself to read more contemporary horror stories. I understand that The Twisted Ones and A House With Good Bones are really, really good, but....what can I say, I'm a wuss. And contemporary stories aren't really my jam. I read to get away from the contemporary world, damn it!

(Me, too scared to read contemporary horror but not too scared to listen to 900,000 true crime podcasts).

Right, where were we?

Oh, yeah. The review(s). I'm starting to understand why no one ever read this blog and why I let myself be lazy.

-

In What Moves The Dead we meet Alex Easton, a Gallacian ex-soldier on their way to visit their old friends, the Ushers, at their delipidated estate in the rural countryside of Ruravia. Alex had word that Madeline Usher was dying, and they wanted to be there for Madeline and her brother, Roderick. Roderick had been a fellow soldier with Alex back in the day and -

Wait a minute, Roderick and Madeline Usher? Delipidated mansion? Unspecified 19th century middle of nowhere...

Yep, this story is, indeed, a retelling of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, and it does a much better job than certain series you might find on Netflix.

Moving on:

Alex, Roderick and Madeline were childhood friends, and Roderick and Alex even fought together back in the day. Alex is a "sworn soldier" - something unique to their home country of Gallacia, a small, backwater country located somewhere between Bulgaria, Hungaria and that other -Garia, a vaguely Central/Eastern European nation with a language somehow structurally worse than Finnish, Hungarian and Icelandic combined. The Gallacian language has seven sets of pronouns: there's one set used only when referring to God, a set used to refer to children before puberty, one set specifically for inanimate objects...and, as the Gallacians are a fierce warrior people (though they're not exactly great at it), there's a special pronoun set just for soldiers.

So, in Gallacia, anyone, regardless of gender, can waltz up to the nearest military recruitment post, declare themselves a soldier, and be given a sword and a new set of pronouns within the hour. Hence the term "sworn soldier."

Anyway!

Prior to arriving at the House of Usher, Alex encounters an Englishwoman, Miss Eugenia Potter, a mycologist studying the local mushrooms, and there are some gnarly-looking (and smelling!) mushrooms. In fact, the whole landscape around Usher House seems...off. Everything seems dead or dying. Random hares will stand up and just stare right at you.

And not in a cute way, either.

As if the landscape weren't bad enough, once Alex gets to the Usher House, Roderick himself barely resembles the soldier Alex once knew. His skin has gone bone-white and he's as thin as a skeleton. He seems terrified by something but can't quite articulate what. Madeline is still alive, but in bad shape. Not even Roderick's friend Denton, an American doctor, can say what is wrong with her and Roderick (Catalepsy? Anemia? Hysteria? Roomis Igloomis? Who knows?). Denton and Alex immediately figure it's something to do with their environment - the house is both rotting and falling apart around them - but Roderick insists that Madeline can't leave, and if she can't leave, he won't leave.

Determined to find out what's happening to their friends, Alex resolves to stay. But things in the House of Usher are starting to get weird. For one thing, Madeline sleepwalks far more than a dying woman should, speaking in a strange, child-like voice, there's a lake outside that seems to pulse and shine with odd lights, there's a legion of undead hares wandering around and, seriously, what is up with those mushrooms??? With the help of Denton, Miss Potter, and their trusty batman, Angus, Alex must figure out what the hell is going on with the House of Usher...before whatever it is starts to spread.

What Moves The Dead is short and sweet and the perfect book to read when it's cold and dreary outside - and definitely not one you want to read before eating a giant bowl of mushroom risotto. If you're looking for a fantastic, spooky-type read that reads like if Edgar Allan Poe and The Last of Us joined forces with an army of undead bunnies.

But!

Luckily for all of us, Alex Easton's adventures don't stop with the events at the House of Usher.

It's late in the autumn and poor Alex would much rather be in Paris. Unfortunately, Angus has successfully guilt-tripped them into a trip to Alex's family's old hunting lodge back in the Old Country, aka Gallacia. Nothing like good old Gallacia in the winter where everything is damp, cold, cold, and, you guessed it! Damp.

But the redoubtable British mycologist Miss Eugenia Potter wishes to study some Gallacian mushrooms, and Angus, who is absolutely sweet on her, pretty much voluntold Alex to come along to act as Miss Potter's translator and use their hunting lodge as a home base.

So instead of a beautiful late Autumn/Winter in Paris, Alex is stuck back home.

*Sigh* looks nice, doesn't it?

As much as Alex sulks at the thought of spending several weeks back home, it's not like they're going to say no to Angus and Miss Potter. Not after everything they went through with the Usher House *shudder*.

Unfortunately, when Angus and Alex arrive at the lodge to help get it ready for Miss Potter's arrival, the caretaker, Codrin, is nowhere to be found. A quick trip to the nearby village reveals that Codrin has been dead for the past two months. But the locals are being very cagey about what killed him - Codrin's daughter is very insistent that it was just a lung infection, nothing else, no further questions, goodbye.

Finding a replacement for Codrin proves difficult, as it seems none of the villagers want to go near the lodge because there's a rumor that Codrin wasn't killed by inflammation of the lungs, but by a creature called a Moroi - a woman who sits on your chest and quite literally steals your breath. And the rumor is, a Moroi has taken up residence at the Hunting Lodge.

Yikes.

After some effort, Alex manages to hire a new housekeeper: the ill-tempered Widow Botezatu, who brings her grandson Bors along with her. The Widow immediately hates Alex, thinking them a wastrel, but Bors is nice enough. Miss Potter arrives, complete with terrible Gallacian phrasebook, but it soon becomes clear things aren't quite right at the Lodge. Alex begins to experience strange dreams - dreams in which a woman is kneeling on their chest because, yep, the Moroi is very real, and it can get to you in your dreams, just like Groundskeeper Willie in Treehouse of Horror VI.

Which is to say like Freddie Kruger, but still.

When it becomes clear that the Moroi is after the residents of the lodge, it's up to Alex, Angus and Miss Potter to figure out how to defeat a creature that can infiltrate your dreams.

What Feasts at Night is just as creepy, eerie and atmospheric as What Moves the Dead - there is plenty of non-fungal body horror and, mercifully, no zombie bun buns. Kingfisher is fantastic at capturing the terror of having your ability to breathe taken from you, and of the dread of having to fight something you can't grasp while awake. How she manages to pack so much into two short novels, I have no idea.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone in the mood for some short, sweet spooky horror.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who gets easily queasy, someone in the middle of eating a nice mushroom risotto, someone who really, really, really loves bunnies being alive and living their best lives, anyone who might wake up in the middle of the night with their cat on their chest staring directly into their eyes...

RELEASE DATE FOR WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT: February 13, 2024

RATING FOR BOTH: 5/5

ANTICIPATION LEVEL FOR SWORN SOLDIER BOOKS: Chigori

*

#book review #horror #t. kingfisher #what moves the dead #what feasts at night #edgar allan poe #mushrooms #zombie bunnies #Gallacia #sworn soldier #Alex Easton #Angus #Miss Potter #Mycology #Moroi #Dream monster

[sirfrogsworth]

I said I would be posting more now that I have a laptop upstairs, and I will. I haven't posted much yet because I was still getting used to the keyboard and trying to get to a more comfortable typing speed that didn't frustrate me.

I actually bought a MacBook Air. I borrowed some money from my dad that I will be paying back over time. It's my first Apple product if you don't count the iPhone I got for my parents. It's a wonderful computer. The M1 chip is super zippy. Battery life is amazing. My former 12 year old laptop lasted about 2 hours per charge. This thing lasts me basically all day. The construction is very impressive. The aluminum body feels very sturdy. The screen is beautiful and gets way brighter than I need. And while they don't have any bass, I can't believe how good these tiny laptop speakers sound. My old laptop sounded like a super quiet AM radio. This thing hasn't gotten even mildly warm yet (though I am not rendering video or anything). It is very light. I feel comfortable taking it with me around the house if I need to. The old laptop was about 12 pounds and I think this is 2.75 or so.

Apple just makes good laptops. They always have, though they weren't always a great value. But I think the M1/M2 models are actually competitively priced as long as you don't get too many upgrades. The upgrade prices are still bonkers.

The OS has taken some getting used to. But for basic functions it's fine. I haven't had any trouble navigating. And the search function is much better than Windows. As is the aesthetics.

I don't really get into those technology pissing contests. I considered a Windows laptop, but there were just so many PC laptop choices and I was overwhelmed with the research required to find a good one. Not only can quality vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but it can also vary from model to model. There are shitty Dells and fantastic Dells. I just didn't have the energy to figure out which was which. But I knew the new M1 Macs were all well reviewed and would serve my needs. So, that's what I got.

One bonus is that all of my friends are on iPhones and so now I can use iMessage and not turn into a dreaded green bubble. I still think Apple should make texting with android not crappy, but I'm happy to have a less frustrating way to communicate with my friends until that happens. If it ever does. (C'mon Europe, force Apple to fix that!)

Choosing tech these days is just about your needs and preferences. Brand loyalty is bullshit. All of the companies basically suck as far as business practices. Google might even be eviler these days. Microsoft has always been shit. And Dell has some of the worst customer service around. In this particular instance, Apple was the least evil choice for my needs and preferences. And anytime I need to do something only a PC can handle, I can just pop downstairs and use my desktop machine.

My only complaint so far is that I don't like how the scroll wheel functions with my bluetooth mouse. I like to scroll 3 lines at a time and Apple has this weird scroll acceleration feature that scrolls really slow at first and then crazy fast the more you scroll. I think there is a workaround but I haven't had the time to figure it out yet.

I'm excited to test out Photoshop, as I've heard the M1 version is about 50% faster. I just haven't had the energy to edit any photos recently.

So, that's my Apple experience so far. It's a good computer that I hope will last for many years. I also like that they maintain decent resale value if I need something different down the line.

[swampgallows]

dragonflight is a masterpiece so far btw. it is so charming and beautiful, and im having so much fun. the world itself and the characters in it have always been my favorite part of wow, and dragonflight definitely delivers on the exploration theme of the xpac. so many wonderful little side quests make the world feel vibrant and alive and every npc, no matter how minor, feels like a unique character with a history and a family. i absolutely love the amount of props and doodads spread throughout that make habitats feel lived in, cities and towns populated, and add to the overall landscape. paintbrushes, teapots, baskets, rugs, cooking tools, books and letters, potted plants—these are some of the reasons suramar felt like a real lived-in city in legion, and why boralus and dazar’alor had so much color and life. the differences in architecture and all of these cultural assets further flesh out the races we meet in the dragon isles, and feel natural to their environments and lifestyles. further environmental details like all the flower clusters on the plains, the kelp and chunks of ice in the floes, the bright lichen and fungi in the zones with decay give the land itself even more identity and character. it’s all gorgeous, imbued with love, and most of all, alive.

it feels like wotlk in many ways, and not just because the tuskarr are here: the threat is formidable and present, but manageable, perceptible, domestic. the lich king was a threat, and his touch was felt everywhere, but there was still a visible and familiar world all around us worth saving. the land felt old and new at the same time. the dragon isles seem to borrow from this ethos and have rolled everything players loved about wotlk into the new zones. the azure span is by far the most “mini northrend” of all these: a pine forest that slopes from autumnal down to wintery lowlands and arctic shores, topped off with a nyckelharpa soundtrack. considering that the main antagonists of dragonflight are the primalists who want to throw the elements into chaos, it makes sense that there is so much focus on the beauty of the natural world and the order needed to maintain it. 

the story is cohesive and woven so well into preexisting lore. so many names and places are being dropped that haven’t been talked about since the original rts games and their books, and it’s nice to see the return of so many old faces. even the most minor npcs are someone’s favorite, and it’s been a blast seeing all the cameos of characters from previous expansions, some even as far back as tbc and vanilla. i’m not big on dragons or their lore, but as a longtime fan i can palpably feel the influence of other longtime fans on the development and structure of the story. terran gregory’s hype alone on twitter feels like the metzen days where he is genuinely excited for others to enjoy the expansion and “geek out” alongside him. 

mechanics-wise im really loving the expanded professions; professions are one of my original loves in wow, and it’s been a thrill to return to the days where being a tailor meant i could craft gear that was actually useful. i like the specializations too and their mini talent trees; it’s been fun coordinating with other people in the guild to see who will prioritize what so we can cover all the bases. this might be an unpopular opinion, but i love the explosion of reagents, especially things like meat and plant and animal parts; it feels better to craft something where you can trace it back to where it came from, versus the esoteric gold-sink reagents of shadowlands that called for things like “orboreal shards” and “progenitor essence”. it was more thematic for the xpac, yes, but as a matter of preference it feels more productive to skin an animal and be able to loot meat, skin, and fur or feathers from it. not to mention the profession equipment is a cute, immersive touch that adds more personality and identity to crafting, and it’s given major boosts to “secondary” professions of fishing and cooking (my favorites in any video game). my top priority, of course, is that the cooking recipes in dragon isles are cute and silly and sound delicious, which sold me on dragonflight from minute one.

anyway, i’m having fun. i hope the rest of you guys are too. i have both laughed out loud and cried during several different quests and i’m still not even finished with the main campaign storyline (i’m trying to get there though... i want world quests!!). this is wow that feels like wow without relying on the faction war to do so, which is new territory for me. the truce is tenuous, but not on the shores of the dragon isles. it feels amazing. i want to avoid saccharine words like “wholesome”, so all i can say is that the love is definitely there. there is love and hope in dragonflight, which is all i have ever wanted, and gotten, from wow.

#blathering #world of warcraft #dragonflight

[xardoth]

Decibels Of Storm (1990) | Pelle Ohlin

I know I've talked about posting a Euronymous interview but I haven't had time to type out anything new and I apologize. I'm taking all the Pelle interviews I've published on different social medias and posting them here until I find the time to sit down and search for other ones. As usual, Pelle's words are in italic and the interviewers are bold!

"Hi! What'sup after the release of your EP "Deathcrush"? Is it selling well?

- Deathcrush is sold out since nearly a year! But DC's demo wich is not limited is still available and we don't intend to stop selling it at 5$. The record was produced & pressed by us! If we would have had a commercial record label on us, the songs would have been different as they are, and they would never have allowed that front cover and everyone who got one knows why... After Deathcrush we had a long time of no release and no gigs. We got our actual rehearsal place in April '89, a great equipment and fount at last a place to live and so on.. Now we can really begin the hard work for realizing all our band's future plans!

Why did you change the line-up?

- Well, in fact we never changed it.... only Manheim (ex drummer) and Maniac (ex vocalist) left the band after Deathcrush's recording! I began in spring '88 and Hellhammer joined a few weeks later! Now we are: Dead: vocals; Hellhammer: drums; Necrobutcher: bass and Euroymous guitars. 

What do you think now of your first demo: "Pure fucking armaggeddon"?

- It's the same extremely bad sound quality now as it was before! In '86, when it came out and I first heard it (I didn't sing on that one). it was the rawest and noisiest crushing black metal I'heard till then. The songs we'll use from PFA live are carnage & PFA. We'll print carnage in tha same version as before, and PFA on vinyl, maybe on CD..... What I can say for sure is that Deathcrush will come out again on vinyl, with another cover. Unfortunately, we can't use the name "posercorpse" anymore, as we started our own record label called "Deathlike silence productions" and all our future records will be on DSP. We'll press not only our own records, but also those of some other bands. The first one will be "the awakening", an LP from Merciless from Sweden.

How is life in Norway? Tell me about your country.

- In almost every country you'll find people who would prefer to live elsewhere. I wanna live in Transylvania! I'm not norvegian, maybe another of us should answer this question. I think everything here is too far expensive and the Death Metal scene isn't big enough. There aren't so many satanic covens, the blasphemes in christian churches aren't grim enough and Scandinavia has also a rotten weather. I think that France is more human and nearer other european countries (compared to Norway). I've also heard all about those many ancient castles, I'll have to check that out some days.

What are you listening to now? Death metal I suppose!!

- The bands I prefer are: Mantas and Old Death/Necrovore, Azagthoth, Matricide, Immolation, Autopsy, Damnation, Merciless (SWE), Casbah, Necrophile, Deathspeed, Nausea, Imperator, Panic, Slashing Death, Mercilles death, Tormentor, Mutilated, Agressor and the new stuff on Loudblast.

So you know Mutilated!! Yeah! I think they're awful, shit with big head. Do u think this too?

- Mutilated is OK musically, but as I don't know those guys I can't say much about them, only that someone wrote to us once telling that Mutilated doesn't answer letters. So don't ask me what might go on between them and French public.

You plan an LP. Please Dead, talk to me 'bout it.

- We hope to get a studio in March '90 for the recording of "De Mysteris Dom Sathanas" LP. Exactly when it'll be out and the time for the recording depend of any possible new gigs appearing. We hope go to Russia for about 20-30 gigs at this year's end and if nothing appears after that then we can record in March. The title "De Misteriis.." comes from a book with ghost stories; ghosts made of human flesh with forced far beyond human imagination. Unfortunately this book seems to exist in only 1 examplary, but I still try to find another. Just now I can tell you which songs we'll use: carnage, the dark of the freezing moon, buried by time & dust, funeral fog, de mysteriis dom sathanas and  song we could call "when the vultures left" and one more without title yet! That makes 7 songs, but as we have 10 on the LP, we have to make 3 more. We still have 4 songs on DeathCrush and all those we composed for the russian tour! There's of course a difference in new track and that of DC, but to me they're in the same vein as our old stuff, maybe longer, with more solo parts! We did all improve technically since then; but it will be the same Death on it!

Are your lyrics funny, or do you speak about reality?

- Let's talk about the new lyrics... They're mostly done by me, and I take it very seriously! I'e been mad of horror since my birth and I'm insane of ancient, nearly forgotten... covens of pure evil!! Lonely castles in carpatians, in transylvania... vulture legends wich are so ancient but still alive in Transylvania! Black metal!!!!

Any future plans?

-I don't like future as I'm obsessed by the past! Hard to talk about it as everything goes so slowly! What will happen after the LP? We've got many plans for then but the biggest is our tour and the way we planned it: Eastern Europe (in its whole), many places in the west (I can't for sure it willbe France, but I would rather think so), southern and  central america and maybe Canada and Asia! My own idea would be to play in the places which invite us. We only wanna play in so "sick" as possible places, communist, with closed borders and impossible to see for tourists. That's all I can say now.

Any last words?

- If one of you, Satanic true evil horror Nosferatu insaniacs of immortality finds per chance the book "De Miteriis Dom. Satanas" and survives its contact, please contact me, so I can die in peace!!"

#pelle ohlin #øystein aarseth #euronymous #mayhem #lords of chaos #necrobutcher #hellhammer #jørn stubberud #jan axel blomberg #black metal #death metal #true norwegian black metal #swedish black metal #metalhead

[artist-issues]

Hi! I just started following your blog yesterday and have read a good portion of your Disney meta, and I have to say that you are 100% on point with all of it, specially when you are comparing and contrasting the original classic animated films and their live-action remakes. I can't stand those soulless, stiff cash-grabs and how they stain the legacy, message and characters of the original movies and get the point of the movies and characters's personalities and motivations so awfully wrong, it actually infuriates me in a way. People will say that we are way too attached to these movies and that we need to let the newer generations enjoy these new version, but why would you want to introduce the newer generation to a remake of a far superior movie that gets its message across much better and doesn't shoehorn agendas down people's throats? Most of the remakes have done a disservice to the original animated classics and have no grasp of what made them timeless and magical, but the key is in heart, which is what the remakes, for the most part, severely lack. I won't underappreciate all of the people that have worked hard in these movies and I do believe they want to make the best product they can get out, but the problem mainly lies on the people who are part of the story team and the executives at The Walt Disney Company. You made an good point about how the newer Disney Princesses, specifically the ones depicted in the remakes, are more about independence and freedom than love and sacrifice. Like, okay, independence and freedom have been part of their stories to an extent, but it was never the main aspect of it. The essence of Disney Princesses is their heart and soul, how they are willing to see the good in others, how they will sacrifice for those they love, how they will help those in need, how they inspire change in others. That is what a Disney Princess is at her core to me: Love. It's never been about how independent, tough and fierce they can be, even though that can be a part of their character, ofc, but it isn't the main selling point of them for me and many others who truly love and understand these characters. That's the reason, imo, they have always been the pillar and heart of Disney. They represent the ideal of femininity, love, compassion, hope, faith and selflessness; sure, they aren't "perfect", but they are still examples of what we could and should be. That's why it's annoying when people criticize and attack them. They aren't ditzy, useless and weak hot prizes for a prince; that's such a gross interpretation of them that's far from true; their external beauty accentuates their internal beauty. That's the whole point. The princes fight for them because of their love, their nurture, their kindness, their selflessness, etc., not simply because they are pretty or whatever. I know this has gotten too long, but given that you are used to writing long passionate posts on these topics just like me, I don't think my "mini-meta-rant" will bother you too much hahaha. Keep up doing your own thing <3

Thank you! This is very kind! I like a lot of your blog’s content, too!

Yeah, I work with kids, and one of them was telling me that her favorite movie is Live Action Aladdin. And I was floored. Then she said “and it’s so much better than the original!” And then I was mad.

Because what Disney is doing is changing the values that the stories and characters were invented to represent. So now I’ve got a kid who prefers the version of Jasmine who isn’t all about faith—she’s all about empowerment. So. Not only is she learning a completely different (and worse) life lesson from a character who used to teach a great lesson, but her tastes are getting developed toward cinematic junk food.

What Disney is doing is pasting over their old characters’ values. And they’re getting the newer generations used to a low standard for storytelling. Those are two major, culture-shaping parts of a kid’s development—what they value, and what they have a taste for. It’s just all-around bad, and everyone is right to be up in arms about it, including you!

Anyway, thank you very much for your kind words!

#Asked #answered #thank you #totally agree #Disney princesses #Disney princess meta #live action Aladdin #live action remake #live action remake hate #idiosyncraticnebula