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#the second photo is of a lot that i revamped

wonryllis · 4 months

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ENHYPEN MEETING THEIR LONG DISTANCE S/O FOR THE FIRST TIME.

────𝖺𝗅𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗒, 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝗍𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅.

( NOTES. ) enhypen as eager ducklings. fluff. fem!centered. revamp. lowercase intended. 1036wc. from my old acct. 𓈃 ๋ 𝐍𝐄𝐖 峠

𝒢𝓁𝒸 ─ LEE HEE-SEUNG. 이희승 spends the entire time after you tell him you’re coming in writing a perfect song for you. barely gets a blink of sleep the night before, keeps tossing and turning every second quite literally. re-reads your text conversations, and looks at the photos and videos of you that you shared. at the airport he has a board with your name in case you don’t recognize him with his mask on, his doe eyes are all wide to spot you from far away. honestly has probably learned half of the whole of your language to impress you. when you reach and he sees you, boy doesn’t even wait already rushing to hug you. cries as he rocks your body side to side and on the way back home keeps looking at you.

"you mean so much to me, i don't think i can stay away from you anymore,"

𝒢𝓁𝒸 ─ PARK JONG-SEONG. 박종성 gets and gives himself countless peptalks on how to not have an embarrassing episode. chooses his outfit, perfume, shoes, accessories everything he will have on very very carefully. is nervous to the point of pissing his pants, but forcefully keeps on a calm composure. he just wants to look perfect for you. definitely buys a sweet gift, and has it covered in a pretty wrapper with a handwritten letter inside. looks like a model waiting for you, hands in his pocket as he stands all tall with a cold expression. but the image is gone the moment you arrive, as he melts and gives you a big long kiss. holds onto your hand- has your fingers intertwined the whole ride back home.

"having you by my side is like the greatest gift ever, i hope i always have it,"

𝒢𝓁𝒸 ─ SIM JAE-YUN. 심재윤 is nervous since day one after he got to know you’re coming to meet him. calls you every night to talk about what you’re gonna do when you’re here. flirts a lot saying now that you’ll be together in real life for some time, he’s going to take full advantage of it. updates you on his every action on the day of your arrival even though he knows you can’t check your phone. takes out time to learn his favorite endearment terms in your language so that he can make you feel special. also please he’s not waiting, as soon as you’re in his line of sight, he’s sprinting to you, picking you up and twirling you in a hug like in the movies. attached at the hip to you the whole entire time. gives tons & all types of kisses until the day of your return.

"you're so much prettier in person, so beautiful and all mine,"

𝒢𝓁𝒸 ─ PARK SUNG-HOON. 박성훈 wakes up early to stand in the line and buy your favourite food from your favorite place. has all the members gathered to help him decide what he should wear, nitpicks on every detail. practices everyday what all he wants to say to you face to face, probably changes the wordings a lot. yet forgets everything when he lays his eyes on you as you come running to him. stumbles back a little before holding you tight against him. whispers how he missed you, almost cries, eyes brimming with tears and shuttering when trying to speak. stealing glances, and looking away smiling all shy now that you’re going to be next to him for a while. cannot for the love of god make eye contact, he malfunctions.

"you have no idea how much i love this right now and how much i love you,"

𝒢𝓁𝒸 ─ KIM SUN-WOO. 김선우 excited from the very beginning, prepares something handmade to give you. almost everyone he knows closely, knows that you’re coming, he just can’t stop talking about it. everyone at the airport can already guess that he’s waiting for someone special. practically screams your name before you run to each other and he’s squishing you a bone tight hug. showers your entire face with kisses, while squealing and asking if this real and you’re actually here. for sure you both cry saying how much you wanted to meet and now, finally. he absolutely cannot stop giggling and smiling with his eyes the entire time of your stay. does not bother acknowledging anyone that's not you.

"your smile is so cute, i feel so lucky to be the one you smile at,"

𝒢𝓁𝒸 ─ YANG JUNG-WON. 양정원 spends the entire morning at the flowershop picking out the perfect bouquet to show his love for you. also buys these little couple bracelet set he came across on the way to the airport. probably has a serious talk with heeseung or jake the night before. you bet jungwon's secretly learnt your language, has a big speech prepared in it. waits at the airport terminal looking like a soft bunny, breathing calm but exploding inside. noticing your figure, excitedly walks to the other side of the barrier, calling out your name with a smile. gives you the flowers then holds both of your hands as he speaks, small tears dropping. kisses your eyes when you start crying too.

"you're beyond precious to me, it feels like i'm addicted to you,"

𝒢𝓁𝒸 ─ NISHIMURA RI-KI. 西村力 so nervous he thinks he'll pass out any moment. asks for all kind of advice from everyone he knows and notes it down on his notes app. acts out a fake scenario in his head of how he's going to jump you, hug the hell out of you, pepper you with kisses and absolutely make it so cute without crying. but the moment he sees you, poor baby starts sobbing like anything. it's so overwhelming, walks up to you in quick steps and pulls you into a tight hug. nuzzles his head into the crook of your neck, apologizing for 'ruining' this but he just so happy that you're here. after he's calm down it's just a shy boy. takes you both a while to get rid of the shyness but it's all really cute honestly.

"no one has ever made me feel the way you do, you're really my special person,"

TAGLIST ( open. ) @kangseulgithegreat . .

#enhypen imagines #enhypen headcanons #enhypen fluff #enhypen reactions #enhypen drabbles #enhypen soft hours #enhypen soft thoughts #enhypen heeseung imagines #enhypen jake imagines #enhypen jay imagines #enhypen sunghoon imagines #enhypen sunoo imagines #enhypen jungwon imagines #enhypen riki #enhypen oneshots #enhypen series #enhypen angst #wonryllis

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ethicaltreatmentofcowplants · 28 days

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Interior & Ground Revamp: Von Windenburg Estate

SIZE: 64x64 BEDROOM: 5 BATHROOM: 4.5 COST: §413,392 (yeah just ye average starter home) PACKS: I own all but DINE OUT. No cc. PLAYTESTED: No GALLERY ID: hayley247

Surprisingly I had a lot of fun with this! I actually really liked this house and just wanted to see what would happen if more that the base game and GET TOGETHER were used (seriously, all the packs). As per usual, I didn't go for a 'perfect' build, just wanted to capture the personalities of the inhabitants and throw in a few Easter Eggs every now and then.

Main contribution was the butler's quarters on the second floor. Ideally they'd have the room adjoining the kitchen, but Jacques doesn't want any of his children on the same floor as him.

(Also the Villareals themselves kind of hit that sweet spot of having a tragic backstory administered in the silly whimsical manner of the Sims but still having some heart to it. I actually felt sad when I was doing Luna's room lol)

Below the cut: more photos (seriously I took 30+ detail shots). They're more to get a closer look at the place than for aesthetics, as you will see by the screencap quality 😅

(There is that tree plant from the PARANORMAL pack next to Jacques' desk, but for some reason it doesn't show up in the picture)

Finally, if you're wondering why I put something where it is, I probably had a reason for it. I just didn't go into the details as this post is already very long and I'm a little light headed with this cold. So if you're curious, just ama ❤️

#my builds #well 'build' is putting it generously #von windenburg estate #jacques villareal #hugo villareal #luna villareal #max villareal #windenburg #sims 4 get together #sims 4 builds #okay more of a revamp but shh

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x--daughters-of-darkness--x · 6 months

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NIGHTWISH Singer And SABATON Drummer Welcome Their Second Child

NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen and SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl have welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lucy.

Jansen and Van Dahl already have a six-year-old daughter named Freja, who was born on March 15, 2017.

The Dutch-born vocalist revealed the news in a social media post earlier today (Friday, October 20). She shared a photo of her, Hannes, Freja and Lucy holding hands, and she wrote: "There she is! With great happiness we can announce the birth of our second daughter Lucy! Big sister Freja is delighted with our dark haired little girl too!

"Health is not a given fact, and so it's humbling to report that both our baby girl as mom are in a great one! We are enjoying these special moments to the fullest and ask for understanding of our privacy in this intimate time! Big thanks for all the love and support we received during the pregnancy! We have now welcomed our dear Lucy into this beautiful world".

Shortly before Freja was born, Hannes was asked by Spain's Metal Journal whether his family situation would have an impact on his ability to tour with SABATON. Hannes said: "Well, you know, as far as I'm concerned, nothing will really change, 'cause this is what I do, an this is… this is what I do to make a living. People have had kids before in this business. So, to stop any worries — 'cause I know a lot of people are worried [about me] quitting the band — I will stay in the band. And as far as I can say, when it's time, I need to go and be there with my family. But when I've done that, I'm going back to touring. So I won't leave. I will be there."

Jansen herself had spoken about the challenges of raising a child while being in a touring band like NIGHTWISH. She told Finland's Radio Rock in 2016: "Of course, it's a very challenging combination, and I was very happy that the way [NIGHTWISH is] today — or, actually, have always been — it's a very open group; we can talk about things. And the guys, actually, were curious. A few months ago, we started talking about it, like, 'So, 2017… How about kids? Yeah?' So it's great to think about things together: how can we combine it? Also 'cause my partner is in a successful band, touring a lot. Yeah, then you need the cooperation of the people that you are family with also. So I am not afraid that won't work. It will be a challenge, for sure, but, yeah, a little SABATON or NIGHTWISH daycare program sounds lovely, doesn't it? [Laughs]"

Jansen also dismissed rumors that she would leave the band after welcoming her first child. She told Mariskal Rock TV: "No, I won't [quit NIGHTWISH]. I love this way too much; don't worry. You don't even have negative speculations one way or another. Things are great, and let's keep on doing this forever."

NIGHTWISH played its last concert before its current break from touring on June 17 at Lemonsoft Stadion in Vaasa.

In November 2022, Floor revealed that she was "cancer free" after undergoing surgery to have a tumor removed following a breast cancer diagnosis.

In April, NIGHTWISH surprised fans by announcing that the band was not going to be playing any live shows for the foreseeable future and would be not be touring in support of the group's next studio album, which is tentatively due in 2024.

Floor's debut solo album "Paragon", arrived in March.

As part of NIGHTWISH, Jansen has landed two number one albums in Finland, and Top Five albums in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Born in the Netherlands, Jansen joined her first band, one of the world's first symphonic metal bands, AFTER FOREVER, when she was only 16 years old. The group went on to release five albums from 2000 to 2007, before they broke up in 2009.

Jansen's next band, REVAMP, released two albums in 2010 and 2013, before she joined NIGHTWISH as a full-time member. NIGHTWISH's first album with Jansen as the lead singer was 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", which landed in Top 10s around the world. This was followed by 2020's "Human. :II: Nature." , which was also an international success.

Jansen has toured extensively with the band and appeared on three of NIGHTWISH's live albums "Showtime, Storytime", "Vehicle Of Spirit" and "Decades: Live In Buenos Aires".

In 2019, Jansen participated in the popular Dutch TV show "Beste Zangers" where she scored a big hit with "Phantom Of The Opera" together with Henk Poort. She was recognized with a Dutch Popprijs award — a prestigious accolade for artists that has made important contributions to Dutch music. In the same year, her first solo tour sold out in less than 24 hours.

Jansen performed live with NIGHTWISH for the first time on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon. Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013.

#floor jansen #nightwish #Hannes Van Dahl #sabaton #2023 news

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fruit-salad-ship · 3 months

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BNHA 2.0

Ok I’ve been revamping BNHA au. I don’t like the story I’d made, fun but not my speed. So this second attempt ignores all the canon characters in the show, and probably happens way after whatever the show is doing now, in a totally different country. This is literally just me playing with world building blocks, not the story we know.

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A child is born to an unfit family, too busy for their daughter, ignorant to her quickly developing quirk. She is alone for so long until one day she becomes aware of her requests for time and attention becoming heard. It’s hard for her to tell why there’s been a sudden change, but she sleeps well when she gets days with her parents, blind to the fact that her deep sleep is from using up all her energy activating her quirk. She grows up realising that her family only love her at times, she eventually understands that she’s using her power to get their attention. The second she can’t keep it up, they go back to ignoring her, disliking her. The parents become wise to her power, scold her, are adamant that she must leave the house, she’s manipulative, she’s making them do things they don’t want to do which is the simple act of giving their child love, time, and attention. She is resented. She is removed from her family home.

Now you have a young girl with a quirk that can get any truth, anyone to say anything, it can get an item, food, money, shelter, even moments of strong emotion, it can provide so much with little to no trace. She is deemed too dangerous, she is removed from society, taken to a maximum security prison at a young age, isolated from the world until she hit her teens. Escape is easy once she figures out how. A touch of the hand, brush of the elbow, that’s all it takes for her to be in your head directing you. Plum is smart enough to know she’s on her own from here on out. She is quick to gain work, villains mostly, she runs with petty criminals, thieves, pick pockets, people who teach her that trust is not a luxury they can afford. Some try to take advantage of her, she’s young, they’re not, but plum learns her quirk can end people just as easily as any strength based power. In fact, easier. She kills. A lot of people. All who stand to threaten her in any way, it was self defence at first but eventually she developed a habit of tying up loose ends.

Plum at age 20 is cut throat, she’s been left to figure out her own path in life, a path that is lonely, but to her, lonely is ordinary. She’s always felt like that, like something huge was missing. By 25, she’s figured out how to remove anyone and anything from her life that scares her. She hasn’t run with petty criminals in years, instead mixing with politicians, leaders, CEOs, the top 1% who need her work to secure their ideal outcomes. Plums living a luxurious life, a nice car, a house, all the nice clothes and expensive jewels she could want, yet still she feels alone. By 30 she has messed with one too many high flying business man, crossed a few too many more. She’s hired home security, has guards, but seems they can’t quite hack it when faced with real powerful quirks. Not just grunts, she’s being hunted by actual hitmen now. Her money has to be invested more intelligently, she needs to be safe. Plum asks around, snoops and digs until one of her informants suggest a known wanted criminal who’s recently entered the system looking for employment. Plums fascinated, the file on this one is wide spread destruction, photos of craters in concrete, in steel, news articles showing the sheer power of this individual. It’s noted that no one knows their identity, and they seem to have an incredibly adaptive quirk that allows for evasion and escape too.

A meeting is set, and soon plum gets to stand in the same room as this individual. They’re masked up, dark gear, not talkative, simple yes-no answers. It’s a woman’s voice under there, but the build of her is powerful, tall, broad. Code name: Kingslayer, plum makes an offhand comment that she’s thankful she’s a queen then, and the pair agree mutually to a price, a schedule, and a few ground rules, notably that plums word is law, and fighting that is pointless. She explains her quirk briefly as a suggestion one, and asks of the woman’s. She says it’s a gravity quirk, plain and simple. Both women are lying to a high degree, it’s a lot more complicated than that. Explaining it is pointless however, all Kingslayer has to do, is keep her boss alive and well, and she gets paid in cash. Perfect. Only drawback is her boss is a clear asshole, but she supposed she’s worked for worse, least the pays good, who cares.

Peach, aka, the hired killer, has done this work for far too long, a child born of a volatile quirk marriage, after trying and failing to keep several children prior to her alive, bad genetics leading to quirks the kids bodies could not handle, her parents finally got lucky with peach. Her abilities manifested in what seemed like mundane gravity effects at first, but the more she grew, the more it was apparent that this was anything but. She was swiftly shipped away and trained, her family happy to sell her off to the highest bidder as a temporary rental. She was valuable, and as soon as she could prove it with a density quirk, as it grew and took shape, her work began. High demand for someone who can do what she did. It didn’t come without mistake, without injury. She learnt fast that her quirk had severe repercussions if done incorrectly. But peach trudged on, no option to get out, simply to climb the ranks. So climb she did. Past others, past her peers and cousins, past everyone in her way. Keeping her mask on was the only way to separate her work from her life, and thanks to keeping that habit up, peach was able to live a relatively normal life when she wasn’t working.

No matter what way you look at it, both women had found their way through immeasurable trauma brought on by a set of skills they’d not had a choice over, things they’d been simply “gifted” at birth. One was never left alone, pushed so hard by others that she became unstoppable. The other completely abandoned, pushed so hard by herself that she became ungovernable. Plum has the ability to gain anything she wants for limited time, but is always abandoned, she’s become fearful of making connections that don’t require her quirk to keep the other person happy and occupied, her trust is fleeting, so sure no one will stay if she doesn’t make them. She’s fine with peach’s few rules when working, accepts that the mask is a safety thing and will NOT come off, and hears her when she says to listen during an emergency situation.

Their relationship is tense, plum has all the control normally, and eventually ends up using her quirk to find out more about the woman she’s hired. It can extract truths, and when her bodyguard is cagey about things she’s coaxed to talk more, to give away details. It takes no time at all for the truths to come out, it’s little things at first, things that make this masked figure human to her, and if it’s human, it’s vulnerable in plums mind. Trivial questions like her hired hands favourite flavour, or what movies she likes best seem like nothing, but this is plum testing the water, pushing her luck. Peach let’s it slide, it’s harmless, until that is the girls collide, confront each other, and plum gets in with her quirk quickly, calms peach down and reiterates who the boss is. She peels back a glove ever so slightly to get a glimpse of this woman’s skin, so pale against such dark clothes. Nothing stops plum sitting in her guards lap and asking questions, getting answers, she’s holding all the power. Peach is fully aware of what’s happening, and could technically stop it, but it’d involve hurting her boss, a bad move for any employee looking to keep their record relatively clean. This is not the first person to push her, and it wouldn’t be the last, she puts up with it.

Plum feels rather fascinated by peach, the truths she’s extracted from her lead her to believe they’ve had to endure a lot, she feels kinship here, though she hardly recognises that feeling, doesn’t pay it any attention, too afraid that like everyone else, her guard will leave, she’s only here for money. The isolation is hard on her, plum never wants it, and peach eternally seeks it after being obsessively groomed to kill from a young age. She never had free time, so now her days off are sacred, giving that time up is not preferable. The girls have insane sexual tension, something that gives way to plum 100% using her quirk to get this woman to touch her, to make it so peach is not in control, that she remembers she does not hold the power in this dynamic, no matter how strong she is. Peach still does not break free, is grouchy about it, sasses plum a bit, tells her this is not a wise decision as her boss peels her mask up JUST enough to see the bottom half of her face, the scar on her lip, the complete contrast of her pale skin. They share a lot of hostile moments of passion, volatile, toxic, loaded confrontations that are just power plays, situations peach always loses. Brain over brawn seems to triumph here, so long as peach isn’t really trying to negate her boss’ quirk, so long as she doesn’t use her ult.

Plum is so afraid to NOT use her quirk because people won’t like the person she is, she knows what she does is bad, but being alone is scary, terrifying even. She hates it. No one is ever there for her without a reason, money, blackmail, manipulation, personal gain. Even this guard, this woman she’s come to rather enjoy, is only temporary. Plum is surrounded by people, but totally isolated.

There comes a time where plum’s life is endangered, she wrongs someone and they send killers after her. Her guard is tested, and she passes with flying colours. This happens repeatedly, over a long period of time, months of attempts on her boss’ life, and peach handles it. Her quirk is anything BUT a gravity quirk, plum comes to realise this seeing it in action first hand. With each failed attempt on plums life, the foe get tougher, people hire bigger, meaner assassins, until one day there is actually a viable threat that Kingslayer just can’t seem to slay. Peach tells her boss to hide, and not move from this spot no matter what, she’ll be back. Plum does as she’s told, but after a few minutes alone, she starts to panic. What if she’s been lied to? What if her guard just ran away and let her for dead. Plum leaves the hiding spot, starts to try to sneak out of the area, only to get nearly killed in one hit. Peach manages to step in just in time, but the fight is harder, instead of just going up against an enemy, now the guard has to attack them and defend plum. Her quirk is not built well for group tactics. They get out of this tense showdown alive, plums untouched, peach is hurt but fine, it’s nothing too serious. Their escape to a safe house is followed up by a moment to breathe.

Peach shouts at her boss, finally snapped, that she should have stayed hidden like she said, what she did was reckless and stupid, she could have died! Their arguing gets so heated, plum hasn’t been confronted like this before, not so accurately at least because peach has sat and watched her. She’s good at her job because she watches. Predicts quite accurately how someone will act, what makes them tick, their nature. She’s done this to her boss too habitually. Plums an insecure, lonely, untrusting woman with too much power and no use for it other than herself, and today she put both their lives at risk because she couldn’t trust. Plum hates it, hates being called out. Normally she’d get rid of someone who did this, just kill them, but she can’t, peach is all she’s got. Cornered, plum gets defensive, they argue more, and peach cant see the row going anywhere, so frustrated with how her boss is acting, how stubborn and blind she’d being. Peach grabs her arm and pulls her, hard, directly into her, this little woman’s gone through a lot today, she needs this. This lady who’s spent forever alone, who cant seem to even understand companionship of any kind, is suddenly engulfed in this hug. It’s all consuming, she instinctively activated her quirk upon being grabbed, a defensive reaction, peach felt it take hold, but if Plum doesn’t say any directions or commands, it doesn’t take effect…And plum in her shock of being held doesn’t say a word, arms around her surround in a way that feels like a shield. It’s so painfully obvious that this woman has never been held in a way that wasn’t initiated by her own wants. Plum can smell this woman’s perfume? Buried up in all the dark layers, swimming in just how full on this cuddle is, never had this before, not like this. The tears come, and they can’t seem to stop.

After that moment of weakness and a second to collect herself, Plum can’t even begin to fathom what peach is staying around for, she can’t give her the agreed money right now, she can’t offer her much of anything in this safe house, there’s no incentive for peach to stay and protect her. Imagine the boss’ surprise, not forcing an answer with her quirk from the only person who’s not run, when peach expresses that it’s simply the right thing to do, that even killers can have morals. That big woman is surprisingly well adjusted considering the upbringing she had. She has a keen eye and an observant mind. She sees plum and can only truly notice the scared lonely woman who has no real support, no one around to keep her grounded and comfortable. When she’s hurt she doesn’t tell anyone, when she’s stressed it never comes out, when she’s afraid she puts a brave face on. It’s all a front, there’s no two ways about it. All the months working for her and she never saw loved ones or friends, nothing. Peach can’t be unnecessarily unkind to someone who’s had enough of that for one lifetime. Perhaps she’s going soft, or she’s grown attached to this little woman and her awful behaviour, but theres something compelling in there, and its not her quirk telling her that.

Not a day goes by where plum doesn’t question her guards sincerity, they’re held up in this safe house making sure its ok to emerge again, and each moment that ticks by she’s wondering who’s bought Peach out, who’s managed to pull the rug from under her, people don’t just ‘do the right thing’. So finally, at her wits end with Plum’s caution, peach sits her down and holds her hand out. Her quirk can get any truth from someone right? So get the truth from her right now. Ask anything, and see that some people cannot be bought, or swayed, and do just tell the truth on occasion. Peach is so aware of how much this woman is still just a frightened child on the inside, she knows, she was there emotionally too, still is some days… so plum and her sit at a little breakfast table and plum goes to take her hand, asks her to tell truths, why she’s there, why help, why not leave? And the responses she gets are all real answers. She hears someone say that they actually enjoy her, even if she’s a brat and awful at times, certainly complex and toxic, but theres something strangely compelling about her.

Peach just wants to help her shed some of that fear she’s carrying around. The moments of physical contact, of sex, be it initiated by plum or not, has given way to tiny glimpses of plum as she really is, afraid, longing, lonely in a big world that was cruel to her. It left her reliant on whatever tools she had at her disposal. Theres no way Peach could ignore the way she would stay so close during those moments she was in control, where she could let her guard down a little, Plum would always hold her tight, even if it’s just hooking her finger around one of peach’s, or running a hand back to touch her. This woman who could get anything she wanted, was truly touch starved, not at all as calm and composed as she made out to be. There were enough occasions where Plum had gotten her quirk under Peach’s skin and immediately asked her to come closer, to hold her, be physical with her in numerous ways that while masked with an imbalanced power dynamic were actually all lined with gentle intimacy.No amount of money or power can make up for an empty heart, for her isolation. Peach saw right through her trying to hide behind the casual sex plum would demand, it was just a front.

Kingslayer is a notoriously hard person to find out about. No one knows her identity, and she likes to keep it that way. But when no one sees, and she’s out of the gear, she’d just a regular old citizen. Her free time spent feeding stray dogs, tending to plants, taking in the world around her with an appreciation that comes when you spend so much time destroying things, killing people. She’s surprisingly calm and jolly when she’s not working, people like her, she’s not at all as unkind and distant as you’d expect compared to the stoic front she has up for work. Plum has never seen this, hell, she’s never seen more than fragments of this woman’s body, little peaks. She has threatened to get peach to take the mask off on a number of occasions, but honestly? Plum would be lying if she said she wasn’t a little afraid of this woman. When she first saw her file, the destruction peach left behind, there were craters in photos, aftermaths of her fights. And yet plum’s not seen her do that yet, has no idea what kind of power she’s got. If she pushes peach too hard, will she lash out at her? A risk not worth taking, so far she’s been nothing but agreeable during work, kept her safe, better to not ruin it.

An opportunity comes up at a masquerade ball situation, Plum needs to get in there and infiltrate, charm, rub elbows with a powerful man, convince him to make a little phone call to tell his guards at his office to just go home, then to forget about it. Just lose that memory. But it’s a rather raunchy gathering, and plum is required to bring a guest, someone too ‘offer up’ into what is essentially a trade raffle, one night where people swap their guests and get a little freaky in this huge mansion where the party is held. She considers an escort, but then she’s going in without a guard. Brings this up with Peach who’s completely covered up all the time, says that its a masquerade-like event, she could still keep her face covered, no one would know. Peach worries about being exposed, her hair colour is a little odd sure, and theres no way she can expose skin, too many scars that are very telling. Thats a whole lot of people to kill if she’s revealed. No one sees her face and lives, it’s how she’s stayed safe this long. Plum says she wont even be there more than a few minutes, it’s just to get security called off elsewhere, they can leave as soon as she’s done. Through gritted teeth Peach agrees, if plum gets in trouble and dies, finding another job is effort she doesn’t really want to expend.

The pair end up dressed to kill, Peach does the full 3 piece suit, keeps gloves on, a black and white mask much like an old court jester, just glittery and elaborate, something plum picked out, but it did cover everything, hair included. She feels better about this. Not like her quirk requires weapons or gear, she doesn’t have to carry anything. Plums killing it in this regal looking dress, mask covering just the top of her face, gems and feathers, she’s making sure she’s noticed by her target. They show up, plum on the arm of her guard, staff walking around in barely anything, drinks offered, peach turns it down, plum takes one up. They seem to draw attention, this is the opposite of what peach is use to, but plum is thriving in this, it’s her thing, she fits in here amongst the arrogant and rich, blending in to take advantage of them. Honestly though? Her eye keeps wandering back to her guard, who’s really quite something to see dressed smart, she drags out the night just to see the raffle through, walk up on that stage and present her darling guest, her offering, and watch Peach play it very cool after whispering to her that they need to hurry up and get the hell out of here, she’s not being locked in a room with any of these people.

Plum sneaks off and does what she came to do, charms her way into the inner circle, gets to her mark, uses her quirk to call security off, and gets out casually. It’s all done, Peach watching her closely the whole time, trying not to give too much time to the people fascinated with her, and more so, the one man and his wife who’d purchased her time in the raffle. She’s quietly nervous, killing them would be such a pain. The girls regroup and go to leave, stopped by security, easily bypassed as plum touches their arm gently and smiles, tells them to let her and peach go, a sudden emergency has come up, this party can wait. They very nearly get out, but it’s been seen on the security cameras that they’re going, and someones paid for peach tonight, they can’t just let them leave now. Fine. They stay. Peach is irritated, getting chatted to by the couple who’d invested in her, plum watching on, amused, with a twinge of jealousy that she can’t place. Time comes, peach leaves with the couple, goes up to a room, they start to try to charm her into losing the suit, but she simply places a hand on each one of them calmly, and they fall. Grasping at their chests, trying to fight what’s happening, they feel their hearts heavy in their chests. Peach made their vital organs so dense they ceased to work. To most it would look like a heart attack, her quirk would wear off and they’d be untouched, no bruises no poison, no fighting. She places them in the bed making them light as feathers so she hardly has to touch them, after getting them out most of their clothes to throw around the room, making sure this scene looks like they’ve just overdone it, opened a bottle of Champagne, drank some of it to kill time, three glasses knocked or placed in natural ways. To anyone looking at this, the scene feels normal. The two bodies in the bed just look like they’re sleeping. Peach waits a couple hours, exits, leaving the ‘do not disturb’ tab on the door handle, retuning to the party.

The girls get to leave, unbothered by the security this time, and Plum wonders what happened in that room Peach wont tell her, says it doesn’t matter. She was in there a while though, and came out looking untouched give or take. It doesn’t matter, the job tonight was completed, they get home, peach back to her gear, far more comfortable now. Things play out smoothly, but plum HAS to know what happened, finally confronting peach with her one special brand of brat, saying if she doesn’t tell her what happened, she’ll use her quirk on her and get the truth anyway. A fair point, and not at all an empty threat. Peach explains she gave them heart attacks and leaves it at that. The ‘you can’t be that good’ comment that comes after gets the first ever genuine laugh from the guard. Plum didn’t expect to hear that, watching her composure crack and shake as she chuckles away at her comment. Plum’s heart jumps. She didn’t know she wanted this woman’s laughter in her life until that exact moment. The situation is explained clearer, another little branch of this woman’s horrifying quirk uncovered. It is so painfully adaptable, but only because Peach was trained ruthlessly her whole life. There was no breaks, no days off, no time to yourself, every waking moment was a drill, a test, a fight for your life, and she fought HARD. Plum didn’t have to coax her to answer her questions, seemed Peach was happy to oblige this one.

———————————————

I don’t know where Plum would finally see her guards face, like in its entirety, but it’d have to be dramatic as all hell! Be it Plum forcing her to take the mask off for some reason during an argument, or Peach ripping it off due to no other choice, injury, a quirk making it the only option, frustration. Maybe it’s even a moment of ‘I trust you, I’m letting you in, you have to see that trust is a two way street.’ MAYBE plum does something very thoughtful and open, which is not in her nature so she gets the only thing peach can give her, total transparency. Plum getting so hurt Peach as to give CPR? The mask HAS to come off, she’s not usually one to save people but this is different, she’s come to like this little shit of a boss. Comes around and sees the relief in a person face that she’s ok.

Idk yet guys, im just playing with ideas to avoid life stress rn.

I was thinking bout Grey being the personal trainer peach hires as a civilian, his quirk is a great counter to hers and she likes to train against that kind of a skill to gain tolerance. Drinking buddies. Maybe he’s got a t hing for her, and she don’t see it, or feel the same, but they just stick it out? Unsure, he was honestly an afterthought.

He could also very well be a cop trying to catch the girl out, always missing. But it leaves little to work with, not that id focus on him much haha, soz grey.

#bnha au #revamp #fruit salad

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copperbadge · 2 years

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I’m so out of practice I took a photo of my run and then forgot to post it, which is fine because when I looked later, it’s got such bad screen-patterning (my phone camera never used to do that) that I’m worried it would trigger seizures. So you all will have to take it on faith that I did half a mile in 8:11 at an average speed of 3.7mph for a 16:12/mi average pace. Shaved off a whole 13 seconds, but it’s something.

Playlist:

Toren Atkinson - See You Later Robbie Williams - Hot Fudge TMBG - Doing Things Tom Lehrer - The Vatican Rag Toren Atkinson - What The Ninja Do You Suck At Cooking - Fighter Jet

And then I did some lifting to:

Toren Atkinson - Too High Up Here Robbie Williams - Handsome Man Justin and Sydnee McElroy - Pliny The Elder Spencer Bohren - Wake Me Shake Me

Clearly I’ve frontloaded Toren and Robbie a bit, gonna revamp later, although Toren pops up a lot because the songs are like 30 seconds long, and Hot Fudge really is a good one to start with after the warmup. Queen bitch, eat the rich! I’m on the second course today...

#sam runs

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jungfamilysims · 6 months

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A new beginning

I decided to repost this since I wanted to revamp this blog. This post will be more information than photos, since I lost a lot of them... Let me just start by saying this: Was Sims 1 always this hard to play? I played Sims for the first time when I was around eight years old. I remember bits of it, but not enough to remember exactly what I did. After spending all these hours playing it, I came to realize how I must have cheated my way to success in this game.

The first thing we need to do is to create our sims. I made one of my usual starter couples - Lisa & Christopher Jung.

Building a house in Sims 1 is interesting (read: painful) when you are used to the mechanics in the later games. But I managed to do it. This is what the house looks like while I'm writing this!

Beautiful, right? Hey, at least give me an A for effort.

So, we're starting off with the base game. The goals are as follows:

Reach the top of a career

Have as many friends as possible

Max all skills with one sim

Have one child

...so here's the thing. I spent 6 hours grinding my way up to max out Christopher's career as a hacker. There are two main struggles with careers:

There are no days in this game. Your sim will work every... single... day. Because of this, you have limited time to build your skills which are mandatory to get a promotion.

For each level, you need to have x amount of friends. And let me tell you, keeping friends in this game is IMPOSSIBLE. I can't even count all the times these idiots have "broken up" with me throughout the game. Thankfully, the first and second things can be "fixed" by staying at home every other day. For some reason, this is totally fine. The game will just give you a small warning saying that you can't stay home another day. Therefore, you may have time to build your skills.

Another good thing is that friends of other family members counts too. Therefore, I used Lisa to build relationships. And now she has 8 friends. Christopher got zero. Poor bastard.

So... now what? I figured since Christopher already got a lot of skills almost maxed out, he could be the one finishing the "Max all skills" challenge. At some point. In the future. No more grinding, please... So now it's time to have a child! During these 6 hours of gameplay, I got maybe 10 calls about adopting a child. But I didn't want to do that this "early" in the game. Therefore, I thought it would be fine to do it as soon as Christopher reached the top of the career. But more about that later.

#sims #the sims #sims 1 #sims1 #thesims1 #simblr #sims challenge #gen 1 #lisa #christopher

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walking--daydream · 10 months

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Sims 4 Barbie Dream House

PeaA

1 Bedroom // 3 Bathroom Barbie Dream House!

Lot Size: 50 x 40

World Lot: Twin Orcale Point - Newcrest

Link

ID Name: Sarahtonen24

About the lot:

This lot is created for the r/thesims bi-weekly challenge and this week’s theme is Barbie Inspired. Since Barbie and The Sims are both part of my childhood I thought I would give it a shot.

The house is pretty much inspired by Barbie: Life in the Dream House and Margot Robbie Takes You Inside The Barbie Dreamhouse along with the revamped Barbie Airbnb. I really wanted to incorporate a bunch of things that were included in barbie houses/sets such as slides, pet stuff, clothes, etc. I spent a good two days on it after researching and looking at a ton of pics on Pinterest (Here’s my board for the inspo). I know its not aesthetic ~ but I really did have a fun time building this.

FIRST FLOOR:

The first floor is just the basics - living room, bathroom, kitchen, etc. I mostly went with the pink and purples since pink is Barbies signature color. You may notice some cat and dogs decal in the kitchen and that’s because I remember in my Barbie houses and in the Margot Robbie Video she mentions the 2D art within the set design so I thought incorporating that would be perfect and add some magic touch to the house lol.

The backyard consists of a pool, outdoor kitchen, dance floor, and dog park (you may change this for horses when the pack is released). The slide is fake and cannot be used. I saw a video of the Barbie Airbnb and in the Barbie movie where there is a fake pool so I thought it would be cool to add that by the real pool. The garage has a karaoke area so your barbies can sing and dance!

SECOND FLOOR:

The second floor is the patio and Barbies room. For some reason, I can’t find the rest of the photos so I’m sorry about that. Basically, Barbie’s room is split in half. One side with her bed and the other is a bathroom. In the set design video, I saw the fake shower and I thought it would be cool to add to her room. I know I added a real shower but I couldn’t figure out a way to make a “fake shower” without people being confused if they download it so I added a real shower. barbie does have a private balcony with couches and a TV. Finally, she has a patio with tables, a fridge, and stove so barbie and her friends can make food and then “slide” down to the pool. It’s my favorite part of the build :)

THIRD FLOOR:

Barbies Closet! This was my favorite to build :) I tried to incorporate so much from the movie, sets, and TV shows! There is also a vanity that isn’t shown in the pictures.

BASEMENT:

Here is the basement! The basement consists of a dance club, a movie theater, bathroom number 3 (not shown), gym (not shown) and a ballet studio (not shown). I did not add any barre to the ballet studio. There is a Sims 4 barre mod you may add to your sims 4 game. If not, you may change that to another room if you wish.

There’s my Sims 4 Barbie Inspired house! PLEASE DO NOT STEAL. Thank you and I hope you enjoy :)

#the sims 4 #barbie

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doll-collecting-aerialist · 2 years

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Truly Mes I’d Bring Back for the Revamp!!

I’m vibing with the leaks, but there is a bit of an issue when it comes to colourism. Honestly, I feel like this could have been rectified if they brought back more of the old dolls (especially considering one of those “new” dolls looks like #33).

(And obviously making more new dolls with dark features, but I don’t feel like opening up photoshop right now. Maybe another post with those theoretical dolls?)

JLY #5

JLY #5 is such a unique doll in the Truly Me line!! If they brought her back, I feel like she’d be pretty popular. Even if they tweaked her and gave her a Joss or MG mold? Anyway, #5 is super underrated and I love her.

JLY #26

You know I had to put #26 on this list. She’s iconic, and would fit right in with the revamp!!

JLY #40

AG has been focusing a lot on hair play in recent years, and that’s fine, but what about the girls who hate hair play? Julie’s hair made me want to cry, and I preferred to play with Ivy and Kit.

JLY #47

WHEN AND WHY DID THEY RETIRE HER?? She’s adorable and looks like a lot of girls!! I see her so much on the second hand market.

JLY #57

All my comments about hair play still stand for #57. I’d tweak her to get rid of those weird bangs though, they kind of look like some kid cut her hair.

JLY #58

Another doll they should have NEVER retired. She is angelic, she is beautiful, she is kind. She one of my faves.

JLY #66

There’s not a lot of cool toned medium skin tones in the new line, and #66 would fill that void!!

JLY #67

This stock photo doesn’t do her justice!! She is beauty, she is grace, she should be in your face (and not retired).

JLY #80

She just barely missed the cutoff for Truly Mes still available after the new release, and I’m mad.

JLY #53

Is she a discount Julie? Maybe. But maybe you’re just a hater.

(Adding one more girl)

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caeboa · 1 year

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Welcome to my blog!

Hello! I was overdue for a pinned post so I am putting one up. Most importantly if you're just here to see my art and would like to skip updates and text posts, please check my tag my art. My other Frequently used tags can be found here! My asks are open and I am happy to talk to people through there. If you'd like something replied to privately make it clear in the message. Anonymous asks are on, I reserve the right not to reply to any that make me uncomfortable or to turn them off if people are being weird. @alerane is my reblog tumblr, where I share art and things I like that are not mine! @detectivesplotslies is my Danganronpa sideblog, which I both reblog and post on. I do tag spoilers still on there, but I keep it separate because I'd rather not spoil some friends of mine on accident if they don't filter tags. It has spoilers for All Games so warning, I contained them for a reason. All my main links to other platforms are on my Carrd here but I'll go through the main ones under the read more.

Twitter - I have a twitter, and the shakiness of the platform aside I do still intend to post art there. On twitter I mostly post art and share projects like zines I'm on. Instagram - On instagram I post both art and cosplay stuff, and some holiday & trip photos, so if that interests you head over. Tiktok - On Tikok I post timelapses of both digital & traditional art as well as cosplay videos! There are spoilers on this account, labeled in the thumbnails and first 3 ish seconds so watch out. Patreon - I have a Patreon! It's... not much but it's a place you can support me if you'd like. You get access to a discord server where I spam share my Works in Progress that don't get posted elsewhere! I also share inspiration art from all sorts of platforms & post smaller announcements for upcoming stuff there first. I have plans for new reward tiers and bonuses in 2023 so stay tuned. Ko-fi - I have a ko-fi for tips! Every bit is appreciated. Bigcartel - the shop where I have charms, stickers and prints. It will be fully open again after convention season. Teepublic - an apparel shop with my mosaic designs up for print on demand for T-shirts, mugs, hoodies, pillows, phone cases, etc. I try to put things I think will look nice on these items here with lots of background colour options! If something is not on here there's usually a reason, the main three being 1) the design was hard to cutout from the background for a graphic 2) it was previously and was taken down by the IP holding company 3) it is a design based on an indie game/series which the creator has set limits on creation and distribution of fanart pieces. Feel free to ask though if you have a specific one you're wondering about. Otherwise there's a link to my portfolio & email on my carrd for those seeking freelance illustration & commission quotes! I do have a commissions example post but I am revamping it, so I will edit this post with the new one when it is here. Thanks for reading!

#info #update #Those both work right ahahha #now to figure out how to pin this #GOT IT

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dancingqueen0019 · 1 year

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Saving Grace Ch. 10

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Author’s Note: Hello again everyone! I’ve got a few chapters typed up this time so prepare for plenty of content to come out. Some chapters are longer, other’s shorter...but they all have our favorite man :)

Warnings: There is a decent amount of death talk, however I bunched it into one spot. That is designated between a series of lines. If car crashes and death are not your thing, scroll past the series of solid lines (you don’t miss anything of great importance).

On Tuesday morning I gingerly slid myself into my packed car and waved goodbye to my family as I pulled out from the long driveway. Lewis and I had mostly broken in Dipshit and the cows were ready to go for the Fall.

Grandma sent me home with a cooler full of frozen meats, breads, and cookies so I wouldn’t miss her cooking for too long. I promised I would be out soon to help around the house and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Murphy enjoyed his time by chasing the goats all weekend and even learned what a cow looked like and what a cow hoof to the head felt like. His fault for trying to go near her calf though. He quickly ducked back under the fence and ran straight for me to cuddle him and tell him that he would be okay.

At this point, I had enough time to get home, unload the cooler, put Murphy away, and change clothes for my lunch date. I was looking forward to meeting up with Lindsey, but even more so for getting all the chunky baby cuddles in with her little one Mavery. Until I have kids of my own, I relish any opportunity to hold, play with, or even babysit my friend’s kids. I’ve become the “Aunt” of my coworkers and a couple of them have already booked me to watch their kids for a much needed date night with their spouses/partners.

Murphy settled in on the passenger seat and let out a high pitched yawn. I rubbed his ears and went to turn up the radio. My phone buzzed in the cup holder and when I got to a stopsign I picked it up to notice a message from Aaron.

Aaron: Good morning. Are you on the road yet?

Me: Yes, already left. I can’t wait to see you tonight :)

Aaron: Drive safe darling

My breath caught in my throat for a second and an ooey gooey feeling spread across my chest, he called me darling. He’s never done that before and that makes me pretty darn happy.

The drive home felt much quicker than normal and I managed to get everything inside with time to spare. It was a bit warm today so I changed into jean shorts, grey short sleeved shirt, and a rust colored cardigan. When I told Aaron what cafe we were meeting up at, he mentioned how that was one that he and his team would frequent for lunch. They would also apparently send someone out before their flights take off to grab a series of snacks and sandwiches for the plane ride so they could have the comfort of home despite where their flight took them. I thought that was pretty sweet that they tried so hard to keep a sense of normal in their abnormal lives.

Lindsey was there already with a table held by the time I pulled into the parking lot. Mavery was sleeping in her car seat and her toddler Myatt was coloring on the paper menu. “Hii! Sorry, I know I’m a bit late.” I said as I gave her a quick side hug and then sat down next to her. The cafe was newly redecorated in light wooden tones with bright shiplap walls and lots of pastel flowers and thick greenery. The original owners sold it and the much younger new owners wanted to revamp the space in hopes of drawing in more customers.

“Oh please, you are right on time. These squirrels were becoming impatient so we left early. I ordered you a drink, it should be here any minute.” She said with a wave of her hand before helping Myatt pick up the spilled crayons from the floor. I looked over the menu and settled on a pesto chicken parm sandwich with fries of course. After our drinks arrived and we placed our orders, Lindsey and I got to talking while I helped Myatt color in his photo. We went on to gossip about our students and the other teachers for a bit. Myatt’s food came out first, so his mom started cutting up his food for him and Mavery woke up crying for her food. I unbuckled her from her carseat and placed her on my lap facing sideways.

Lindsey handed me her small jar of pureed apples with a ‘thank you’ and a small spoon. I opened the jar and dipped the spoon into the liquid so she could get a taste of it. She only started eating baby food recently so I didn’t want to overwhelm her. Her mouth smacked together happily and the little noises made me smile big. She is quite a character when it comes to food, and her animated features just make her seem like a living cartoon character. When mine and Lindsey’s food came out, she offered to take Mavery so I could eat but I waved her off and said that she didn’t need to do that. I wanted her to have a break and be able to eat her food while it was still hot.

As Mavery smacked her hands together in a clumsy clap while she gummed on the apples I looked up and saw a big black SUV pull into the parking lot. For a moment I smiled to myself and thought about Aaron being the one driving that car.

To my surprise, he was the exact person who left the driver’s seat in jeans and a college shirt, and opened the back seat door to let Jack jump out of the car. The shocked gasp that left my lips caught Lindsey’s reaction and with a piece of lettuce hanging out of her mouth she asked “What?” and followed my gaze to the parking lot. “Him? Do you know him?” She asked as she wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

“Uh yeah, sorry. That’s just one of my students and their Dad. I have always thought about how weird it would be to see my students in public and this is the first time it’s happened.” I said with a light laugh and turned my attention back to Mavery. I was sitting so that the main entrance was in front of me, so if Aaron came in looking for a table, then he would be able to see me clearly. The first set of doors opened up and Jack quickly raced to open the second set of doors for his Dad. I picked the spoon up from the apple jar and continued to feed Mavery a couple more small bites and dabbed the corner of her mouth with the napkin. I felt eyes on me so I glanced up slightly to see Aaron staring at me with a small smile on his face, his dimples slightly showing. I returned the smile and he continued to stare at me with joy, but also a hint of something else I couldn’t make out because his attention was shifted away due to Jack pulling on his arm.

They walked to the other side of the Cafe and waited for their waitress to come by. “Is he a good student of yours or is he a little you-know-what.” Lindsey asked as she ate the last of her sandwich. I smiled and shook my head, “If I had to be a bit biased, I would say that he’s the best student I’ve had all year. Couldn’t say enough good things about that kid.”

Lindsey pushed her plate to the side and said that she would take Mavery so I could eat my food. I lifted her up high and she started giggling really loud. Bringing her back down to my face, she placed her hands on my face and babbled a bit before I lifted her back up in the air again and made loud kissy noises so she would laugh more. She jammed a hand into her mouth and laughed around it, I scrunched up my nose and spoke in a baby voice, “Whatcha got in your mouth Mavery? You got your hand? Ohhhhh, that looks like a yummy hand. Come here pretty girl!” I brought her down one last time and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

Mavery kept babbling as I handed her over and Lindsey kept talking to her. Myatt and I got deep into conversation about race cars and Lightning McQueen while I ate my sandwich and fries. Every so often I would look behind him to catch a glimpse of Aaron and Jack now chowing down on their food before returning to my table. We sat for a bit longer after I finished eating to just enjoy the company, but I knew that the kids would dictate soon enough that it was time for this party to be over. The waitress came over with our bills and Lindsey handed Mavery back over to me so she could take Myatt to the bathroom one last time. Once she left, I noticed Jack and Aaron were making their way over to me.

Jack got excited once he saw me lock eyes with him and he quickly dodged between tables to reach me. A huge smile was planted on his face and I couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“Hi Ms. Y/N!” He said as he gave me a side hug. I slipped my arm around his back and gave him a hug back.

“Hi Jack! Did you enjoy your lunch?” I asked and he nodded enthusiastically. He went into great detail on what he got for lunch and how this is one of the best Cafes he’s been to. Aaron finally made it to the table at this point and greeted me. He rested his hands on the back of the chair Myatt had been sitting in previously.

“Ms. Y/N I didn’t know you had a baby.” Jack said and that caught me off guard completely. I coughed a couple times from choking on some spit and I shook my head, “Oh uh, no Jack. Ms. Y/N did not have a baby. Maybe one day she will have one though.” Aaron said adamantly and gave me a pointed look.

His lips formed a smirk and I mimicked it before turning to Jack, “This is another teacher’s baby. Would you like to say hi to Mavery though?” He said ‘hi’ and waved to her and I grabbed her little balled up fist and waved it to say hi. “Are you excited to be going to camp this week? You’ve been talking about it in class a lot.”

He blushed at that a bit, “Yes I am! Dad and I wanted to get lunch before he dropped me off. It’s going to be sooo much fun.” His smile matched his father’s to a t. He leaned more into me when talking so I wrapped my arm closer around him as he whispered to me, “Can I share about camp during Circle Time next week? I really want to tell everyone how it went.” He fidgeted with his fingers while he waited for my response.

I hummed a bit before saying, “I have an even better idea. Why don’t we have everyone make a poster explaining what they did on Fall break. I think the majority of our class had something planned.” His mouth dropped open a bit and he bounced up and down in excitement.

“That means we get to do a really big show and tell and then, and then I can hear what Zach did. I forgot to get his mom’s number so we could hang out over break so now I have to wait for class to start again.” Jack rambled on excitingly and I couldn’t help but nod along and hang onto every word he said. Lindsey and Myatt came back to our little group and Lindsey introduced herself to Aaron. Jack briefly talked to Myatt about the coloring page that Myatt had colored in while waiting for food earlier, and Mavery kept herself occupied by chewing on my clean fingers.

“Uh Jack buddy, we have to get going in just a minute so we aren’t late. Say your goodbyes.” Aaron said carefully to Jack and he took that as his que to wrap up his conversation with Myatt.

I looked up to Aaron and his eyes darted between me and Mavery before he smiled warmly and softly said, “It was good seeing you again Ms. Y/N. Have a good afternoon.” Jack gave me one last hug before departing with his dad. Lindsey took Mavery from me and buckled her into her carseat before leaning across the table to me.

“He’s not that bad looking. A bit older, but still a solid man.” I rolled my eyes at her jokingly, “And,” she continued, “did you see that he didn’t have a ring on?!” This time I hit her forearm lightly and urged her to quit it. We said our final goodbyes in the parking lot and I made my lonely drive back home. After I fed Murphy an early dinner I got to work on laundry and sorting through bills so that I wouldn’t have to worry about that while Aaron was here.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket and unsurprisingly it was Aaron asking for my dinner order from whatever sounded good. I shot back my Chinese takeout and headed up to my room to make sure that it and the bathroom were cleaned and organized. I lit the giant sandalwood candle on my bedside table and moved a couple things around so the flame had nothing to catch fire on. Aaron should be at my place in the next twenty minutes, so I just took my time watching a TV show waiting for the doorbell to ring.

When the doorbell finally did ring I raced Murphy to the door and swung it open wide to see a beaming Aaron holding his overnight bag in one hand and food in the other, “You know,” I started as I opened the door, “it seems like everytime you come over you have food with you. I think that is one thing I can always count on now.” He chuckled as he removed his shoes and I took the Chinese bag from him.

“Well, I’m glad that I can be useful for one thing at least.” He joked as he pulled me in by the waist and gave me a kiss on the cheek. There was a playful glint in his eyes, something I haven’t seen before. He almost looked ten years younger with that look and I wanted to keep that look on his face for as long as possible. He seemed relaxed and calm.

“Ohh, I can probably figure out at least two more ways for you to be useful.” I patted his chest with my hand twice as I walked to the kitchen island. Aaron took the food out while I grabbed two glasses and filled them with ice water. I sat down sideways on the barstool so I could face Aaron face on and he turned a bit so his left knee knocked into mine. We started eating pretty quickly and fell into easy conversation of how our breaks have been. His was pretty quiet and mundane, which for Aaron is something he wants, but he felt out of place with not having much to do.

I suggested that he find a hobby he can stop and start whenever or TV show he can binge watch when he has enough downtime to help combat that restlessness. That of course led into a whole discussion of what shows and movies are more superior and even if he did have enough time for a hobby, what would he even be interested in doing. “Well, what about collecting things? You go to so many states, maybe you could bring back something like a postcard from them?” I suggested.

He immediately shook his head, “Nuh uh. That would be way too similar in my head to serial killers keeping trophies. Wouldn’t want to mimic that too much incase I bring back more than just a postcard.” He said quickly as his eyes avoided mine. I knew what he meant. He didn’t want to look at the postcards and be reminded of the people he either saved or didn’t.

I sucked in a quick breath, “Okay, no postcards then. Got it. Uhh, let's run down the list of usual collectors things. You’ve got stamps, rocks, art pieces, figurines, coins..”

“Coins!” His eyes shot up to mine again and a light look took over his face.

“Coins?” I reciprocated with raised eyebrows. That didn’t take long to find a possibility.

He sat his fork down momentarily, “Yes, coins. When I was younger I was getting into collecting them and I became obsessive over finding a rare 1944 coin that was worth thousands of dollars. Never found it and started growing out of it I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders and gave me a small smile.

“Huh.”

“What?” He asked sheepishly and fidgeted in his seat a bit.

“Nothing, I just wouldn’t have thought you to be a coin guy. If I had to pick a collectors item for you I would have said something like model planes or cars.” I shrugged and turned back down to stab my fork into the chinese food once more.

“What about you? Did you collect anything as a kid?” Aaron asked as his knee knocked into mine a bit. He took a long drink of water and grabbed another crab rangoon.

“Yes, actually I did. It’s a bit nerdy, but it makes sense for me. You know, grandparents owning a ranch, being around horses all my life, riding at rodeos…” I led on and he caught what I was saying.

“Horse models?”

“Ohh yeah. I would convince my Dad to buy them and my Grandpa to build the shelves for my room. For a time I wanted to get rid of them, until I learned how valuable the collection was. Truly I think that my mother just wants to keep them for any grandkids she may have.” I said with a small smile on my face. It was a happy memory to have of my Dad, him adamantly saying that he wouldn’t buy me any more, but anytime we went into the tractor supply store I would refuse to leave until I had a new horse. Eventually he tried to go to the store without me, but when I would stand pouting with my arms crossed in front of his truck, he had to give in.

We finished dinner and moved to the couch upstairs. I put on some background TV but we mainly just sat there talking. Wrapped up in each other’s arms. He extended his legs to stretch out onto the ottoman, and I laid perpendicular to him so that our bodies made an L shape. My head and hair was splayed out onto his lap and every so often he would run his palm over my hair. I tried keeping a neutral look on my face, but my inner thoughts were eating at me.

I really want to know about his wife. I know it's personal and he probably doesn’t want to talk about it, but I’m nosey. As much as Aaron tries to maintain a calm exterior, there have been moments where he has slipped up. Just tonight even he broke a little. We were starting to walk up the stairs, with me in front, and there was a loud bang from outside. I wasn’t too phased by it, figuring my neighbors dropped something, or something broke, but Aaron’s spooked look in his eyes told me he was phased by it. He whipped his body around to look behind him on the stairs. He startled me by barking out a “Stay here” before slinking back down the steps and out to the main floor.

I heard doors opening, shutting, and locks locking. I swore I heard the dull clicking of the window locks before a deep sigh sounded out. Aaron gave a tight smile and said that it was nothing and urged me to go upstairs.

“Something is weighing on your mind.” Aaron observed, and I blinked a couple of times to clear my head.

Releasing my lip from my teeth I meekly looked up, “Sorry, just kept thinking about something.”

“What is it?” He asked as his fingers gently traced my cheek. I closed my eyes briefly and gathered my two seconds of courage.

“I was just thinking about earlier, when you went to check the house. Is that something you normally do because of your job or is there another reason?” I whispered out and for a moment I thought he didn’t hear me. That is until his hand paused heavily on my hairline.

“It..it has to deal a lot with work. There was a time when my work carried over to my home life and it still affects me.” He spoke out with a faraway glance in his eyes.

I pushed my luck even further and asked the big question, “Was it related to your wife?”

His eyes closed and he took a long breath in, “Yes.”

A thick sour taste was in my mouth now and I became a bit afraid to ask for more context, but I headed into this wanting to know so there was no going back now. I reached behind me and grabbed his hand, “May I ask what happened?”

His hand clenched under mine and his head turned to the side, the tension in the air becoming thick, “I can share my story first if it helps any.” I offered up and he nodded, still not looking at me.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I swallowed the lump in my throat before speaking, “Technically speaking, the whole thing was ruled as an accident, however it was natural once you break it down.”

“We were heading out to my Grandparents for the weekend and Mom went a couple hours ahead with Lucas while Dad and I stayed behind to finish a couple errands. There’s many things I don’t remember so some of this story is my personal recollection and the rest is what I’ve been told over the years. I remember sitting behind my dad with my stuffed dog. We were actually almost to the house according to my Mom when all of a sudden the car started spinning and then I blacked out from the impact.

“My father had a spontaneous brain aneurysm burst and it killed him immediately, which is where natural death comes in. When he passed, the car spun and it threw us off of the road. When I finally woke up, I was hanging out of the window facing the ground. The car was pinned against a tree and I couldn’t move. By the time the ambulance got to us, I wasn’t really alert.

“What I was told was that I was in an upside down V position with my lower chest hanging over the bent metal of the door frame. According to the doctors, I would have bled out if it hadn’t been for my stuffed dog wedged between me and the bent metal. It didn’t stop it from cutting into me completely, but it stopped it enough so I could hang on for a few hours. I spent 18 months in the hospital recovering from surgeries to my chest and abdomen, reconstructing my ankle, and repairing my femur. They had to keep me in a coma for a couple months and the doctors weren’t sure I was going to pull out of it.

“Once I did get out of the hospital I went right into physical therapy and my Grandfather managed to befriend a couple of college students who were doing equine therapy. I wanted to be back on a horse so bad so once the doctor cleared me, I started my therapy on horses. That lasted at least a couple of years. I had my mobility back, but my Mom still wanted me enrolled just in case I needed a bit longer. It took a huge toll on my family though. My Mom lost her husband and bestfriend, Lucas and I lost our Dad, and my Grandparents lost their bonus son. We really weren’t a family for awhile, my Mom was hyper focused on me for a long time so my Grandparents were raising Lucas. Even though Mom was by my side for everything, I could sense that she wasn’t really with me though mentally once the day was coming to an end. She didn’t sleep much and I could hear her cry throughout the night. It changed all of us, sometimes it was a good change, but for a long time it was just a bad change.” Finishing up the more abbreviated version of my story I looked back up to Aaron to find him finally looking back at me.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

His lips were turned down into a frown and his dark eyes looked even darker somehow, “I’m sorry.” He whispered out and I looked at him puzzled.

“For what?” I asked and he smoothed my hair out once more.

“That all of that happened to you. It's one thing to lose a parent that young, but it's another to be heavily involved in it like you were. Do you still deal with any physical trauma from it? I know it was a long time ago, but are you okay?” He asked worriedly and a warm feeling spread across my chest.

“Just a couple of scars. Some of them healed over time, others I got surgically lightened, but I left the rest as a reminder to what happened. It is a part of me that I can move on from, but can’t remove from my life. As sad as it was, I don’t want to forget what happened.” I shifted myself up so I can now sit on my feet next to Aaron and he slipped an arm around me to pull me in close.

I laid my head on his shoulder softly and played with the hem of my shirt.

“My job killed my wife.” Aaron said after a minute of silence and I froze up at the statement he just made. He continued talking, “There was a mad man, a monster, that wanted revenge and he chose my family. Even after placing them in witness protection he still found them and he shot her. I found him and I..” He paused and I lifted my head up to look at him. Aaron was staring ahead with another faraway look in his eyes so I placed my hand on his cheek. He startled a bit at my touch and I peered into his eyes, understanding what he was trying to get at.

“You did what you had to do.” I said in a firm voice.

He pulled me over to sit on his lap and he buried his head into my shoulder. It took a moment before I wrapped my arms around him and ran one set of fingers through his hair. A sudden sob halted me though and my heart clenched at the sound. “Let it all out honey.” I cooed softly in his ear and his grip became tighter on me. I had to hold back from wincing and pulling out from his embrace.

We sat there for a couple of minutes as he cried into my shoulder, his tears soaking my shirt. “I miss her so much. She was the first woman I ever loved and she was the mother of my child.”

I pressed my lips into his hair, “I’m so sorry Aaron. I’m so sorry that you were put through that. I’m sorry that she was taken from you and Jack.” He nodded against my shoulder and he stayed quiet.

I went to shift myself backwards but Aaron pulled me back to my original spot, “Please stay” He whispered. He went on to speak softly about how he hasn’t been able to really mourn since he has to be strong for Jack and continue with his job. He turned his head so that his ear was smooshed up against my breast, I’m confident he could hear my heart beating loudly in his ear though.

“Thank you for sharing about her though. I hope I didn’t push you to say something too soon.” I said and he lifted his head back up to me.

“No, you didn’t. Thank you for getting me to share. I needed to get it off my chest.” He reached up and kissed my cheek. He pulled back and asked with brows furrowed, “Do you know how great you are?” I smiled and scrunched up my nose at him. My head shook slightly side to side and his lips turned upwards, “Well then,” He quietly started, “let me show you.”

His hands grabbed my cheek and the back of my neck to pull my face to his and his lips bruised themselves against mine in a firm kiss. A numb feeling was spreading itself over my brain, making it go hazy until he released the hand on my cheek and pressed it against my back. Before I could hold it in I let out a yelp in pain and before I could process what happened, Aaron had yanked backwards and let go of my back.

“What’s wrong?” He yelled out in shock, his eyebrows immediately furrowing together. My hands reached around my backside to apply the smallest amount of pressure to stabilize myself. Aaron’s focused eyes followed my movements and grabbed the bottom of my shirt.

I pushed myself up and off of Aaron before he could lift my shirt up, taking a couple steps back to create some space. “It’s not your fault, I promise I’m okay.” I tried soothing him but it didn't appear to do anything. His mouth was silent but his body wasn’t. Any person would be able to tell that he didn’t believe a word I said as he sat there rigid and on edge.

“Let me see.” He said in a low tone.

“No, it’s okay Aaron. It’s nothing really, it was just an accident.” I said in hopes that he would just drop the conversation. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of what happened, just more so embarrassed.

He rolled his eyes and stood up, taking a giant step forward so that he was towering over me. “I said,” He grabbed the bottom of my shirt again, “let me see.”

My shirt was pulled up several inches until it bunched up under my bra. The breath that left Aaron’s lips told me that he saw the deep purple bruises that blossomed over my back. At first I didn’t want to look up into his eyes, afraid of him seeing the embarrassed blush that creeped over my cheeks.

“Who did this?” He rasped out in a gruff tone. When I didn’t answer him right away two fingers hooked under my chin to force my gaze upon him. His eyes were dark and hard, a long way from the playful glint at dinner. I suddenly wished to myself that we were back at dinner again, almost scared of his reaction to my bruises.

I brought myself back to the moment and a quiet, “It was no one..” started to slip past my lips but I couldn’t finish as Aaron cut me off.

“I promise you, Y/N, I will deal with whoever did this to you. Just, please tell me their name, darling.” His voice kept its gruff tone until it became pleading at the end. My lips pursed together and I shook my head slightly.

“It was no one Aaron, it was an animal. A horse. I..I was thrown off yesterday.” I explained quickly and he still didn’t look convinced so I reached into my back pocket, “Here! I’ll prove it to you. There was a video taken.”

I held the phone out for Aaron to watch. My mom was filming on my phone so that we could keep a record of how far Dipshit has come since the beginning. Lewis and Grandpa were standing next to her commenting on my form and how it looks from their perspective. In the video Dip and I were trotting around in large circles and I got a bit cocky and urged him into a faster gait.

Dip didn’t like that and threw his head downwards so that he could start bucking his back legs into the air. I held my own for the first several bucks and tried my hardest to pull his head back up so that he couldn’t continue bucking. That ended up not working and soon I found myself debating if I should get off or not or if I should ride my way through this.

Lewis and Grandpa were giving conflicting shouts of what to do. Mom’s voice could be heard somewhere on the video between the both of them, telling me to ‘just hang on’ and that ‘you’ve got this’. That didn’t last long as Dip reared up and when he came back down, I was flung over the front of him, landing on my stomach. The air was knocked out of my lungs from the impact and whatever air had started seeping back in was pushed back out as Dip trampled over me.

Mom’s horrified gasp was accompanied by a lot of ‘Oh shit, fuck’ s from Lewis and Grandpa. Lewis had ducked between the fence and started sprinting to me as did Mom while Grandpa went after Dipshit. Lewis had turned me over onto my back so that my airway wasn’t blocked. He started running his hands over my shirt to check for any blood or broken or swollen joints. The raspy inhale of air sounded over the camera that Mom was still holding. I don’t think she knew she was still recording at this point.

“Oh honey! Honey, you’re going to be okay. Lewis help her.” She shrieked out and Lewis knelt down next to me, taking my face in his hands.

“Y/N, breathe. I need you to calm down and get air back in you.” Lewis said as he lightly tapped my cheek. My eyes were wild in the video and my arms were flailing around, knocking into Lewis’ legs. After a couple more breaths I managed to get my breathing under control and I coughed to get the tight feeling out of my throat.

Mom must have noticed that the camera was still recording so she fumbled around for a couple seconds before figuring out how to stop the video feed.

Aaron took a ragged breath in and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and looking back down at me. “Are you okay? Did you get checked out?” He said in a hard but quiet voice.

I placed a small smile on my face to tell him that I was okay, “Yes, I’m okay. Incredibly sore, but I’m okay. Mom took me to the hospital, nothing was broken, just really bruised.” He leaned his forehead down onto mine and took another deep breath in. I closed my eyes and relished the moment with him. His hands dropped from my back, the shirt following too and replaced themselves on both sides of my cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” He whispered and kissed my forehead, “I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I’m glad you are safe now. It’s been a full night for both of us now.” I wrapped my arms around his side and pulled him closer to me.

“Want to go shower? Maybe cool down a bit?” I suggested and he hummed in response. We pulled away and made our way into the bedroom.

I turned the water on hot in the shower so that the bathroom could start steaming up. Aaron sat on the bed, looking into the bathroom as I moved around and grabbed a second set of towels for him. I grabbed my makeup remover and wiped off as much as I could before I released my hair from its hold and scratched my scalp to ease the roots of my hair.

I could feel Aaron’s eyes on me as I started to discard my clothes, one-by-one and put them into the laundry hamper. First was my shirt, putting my bruises on display, along with the rest of my scars from my accident. Next was pulling my pants down, leaving me in just my bra and underwear. I slowly slid my pants down my legs and stepped out of them, tossing them into the hamper. I glanced over to Aaron and he was intently watching me, with firm dark eyes. I inwardly smirked to myself and slipped my arms out from the bra straps.

My heartbeat was rapid in my chest, mentally preparing myself to remove one of my last pieces of dignity. I peeled the cups of my bra down and gently laid it on top of the rest of the clothes. I turned towards the shower, my backside fully showing to Aaron, and opened the shower door to turn the water on to hot. As I stood there waiting I took a deep breath and reached my arms above my head to stretch. My hair fell backwards as I arched my back and pushed my chest up to the ceiling. Bringing my arms back down I let out my deep breath and tested the water temperature with my hand, making sure it was warm enough for me to step into.

Stepping in, I was enveloped in the hot water. At least it matched how I was feeling on the inside. My eyes peered through the open shower door to see Aaron sitting on the bed still. He was hunched over with his elbows on his knees, his hands somewhat clenched together. It looked like he was struggling to stay composed, and the small chewing on his bottom lip only confirmed that for me. We bore into each other’s eyes for a beat before I soothed out, “Come join me.”

#aaron hotch x reader #Criminal Minds #teacher #thomas gibson #love #jack hotchner #fbi

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kaatiba · 1 year

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Original photo by Valerie Blanchett on Unsplash

2022: A Year In Review

I made a post like this for 2021 and I thought it would be nice to do the same this year too. I have a hard time remembering and/or focusing on the positives rather than the negatives, and an overview is usually pretty uplifting. So let's get into it!

✧.* January

made several writing related intentions

wrote 18k of CofM; in this draft a prophecy took more precedent, there was a Nameless Queen, magical books, and Halah becoming the granddaughter of a Keeper of the Great Library. Halah was also able to hear a mysterious, unknown being (a hatif) that had a vested interest in the safety of Qusaiy and was the driving force behind her involvement in his rescue

brainstormed some more about a Muslim writers network, but eventually shelved the idea

started writing a second draft of Rivener, where Wren is more of an anti-hero, has a redemption arc, and had a history with Kai and Cormac (the villain). It was my first time working on revamping a completed draft!

began an A to Z glossary of creatures, places, and notable people for the world of CofM

decided the world of CofM would have two moons

✧.* February

completed the aforementioned glossary

wrote a book review for Frederica by Georgette Heyer

experimented with writing a mute Wren and verbal Kai, a reverse of the original draft

✧.* March

contemplated removing the existence of two character in CofM that I didn't feel needed to be there, as their absence had no impact on the plot; I just liked them

wrote out the entire plot of CofM on flashcards, which helped iron out some kinks and give me a better view of it all

took a hiatus from writing

✧.* April

on hiatus from writing

learned about discovery/gardener writers (term via Brandon Sanderson) and felt it resonated with me!

✧.* May

travelled, and on my way home was struck by an idea that completely and totally restructured the entirety of CofM, which led to it being rebranded into Legends of Mourra to reflect this change!

✧.* June

further reflected on the types of stories I like to actually write vs. just imagine

went forward with Legends of Mourra with a lot of brainstorming and chatting about it and finding new joy in what had become a very tired story over the past decade

shifted my Alice in Wonderland retelling into my Oracle wip

decided to put rewriting Rivener and writing Glitch on hold for now

released a re-introduction to Legends of Mourra

released an intoduction to Oracle

✧.* July

started a mini blog series for work called ‘Type Talk’, the first installment was on non-linear narratives

began writing Oracle from Ro's pov

tried writing Oracle from Sage's pov, giving him a more fractured mindset

✧.* August

second installment of ‘Type Talk’ published, about gameified reads

continued the draft for Oracle that was in Ro's pov, with added snarky footnotes from the omniscient 3rd person narrator

✧.* September

started learning Korean, for fun!

started another draft for Oracle, this time experimenting with writing Sage's pov using 2nd person

wrote the start of a prompt fill that eventually became my first fictober entry

✧.* October

revived my writeblr account

started Fictober 22 using prompts from the wonderful deepwaterwritingprompts, wrote for fourteen days

wrote a fragment of a poem

wrote another poem titled 'hamartia'

wrote my final entry for the ‘Type Talk’ series, on fanfiction

✧.* November

decided to do my own version of NaNoWriMo, only I would aim to write content for LofM for 20 mins a day

wrote for 19/30 days (so I only missed 11 days total!)

✧.* December

picked up a fragment of a Lord of the Rings fanfiction that I'd started last year, and expanded upon it

started to learn crochet

wrote 10k of LofM

wrote a review for The Last Battle, the final book of the Narnia series, which I haven't read since I was a child

read (or listened to) 20 books, when my initial goal was 15!

wrote this post!

Wow. I'm genuinely flabbergasted that I did all this! I worried I'd have so many empty months, or barely anything to say for this year's creative endeavours but—look! I'm so glad I made this post, I feel a lot better about how I handled this year. I encourage you to do a similar recap of your year if you're also a writer or creative (or even if you're not!). You may surprise yourself too.

Here's to 2023! Happy reading and writing!

#kaatibawrites #a year in review #writeblr year in review

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saccharinesalinity · 19 days

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𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬: 𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞?

If there was such a thing as a tier for viennoiserie, almond croissants would be at the TOP of that tier because how could they not be? You get all that flakey-ness you'd get from a regular croissant with an additional nuttiness from the almond cream slathered on the inside and top, along with crunchy flaked almonds. What's not to love?

I think I can safely say that the amount of cafes/bakeries in KL and PJ are endless. You've got this whole list of them and right after crossing one off, you've already got a new one to try out. Now of course not every one of these shops serve up viennoiserie, while even fewer offer in-house-made ones. My infatuation for this delightful breakfast pastry has given me the motivation to scour around for the best that KL/PJ has to offer and if I'd go back for seconds. And of course, I'll be dragging my lovely partner along with me!

In this piece, we'll be looking at two of the most well-known bakeries out there, which are: Croisserie and Universal Bakehouse. The former being known for their extensive array of baked goods and desserts, accommodating both sweet and savoury palates while the latter having one of (if not, the) the best loaves of sourdough I've ever had.

First up, Croisserie in Damansara Heights. They boast of a double storey shop lot with the main seating located on the upper floor and a few spots just outside. Aside from the croissant aux amande, we had to get ourselves on some savoury action because admittedly, we're both not at all sweet breakfast people; hence, a triangle cheese, and a mushroom eggplant tartine for later, which are both highly recommended by the way but that's a story for another day.

They warm the pastries for you before you take them upstairs to a table of your choice. By the window is always preferred for good photos.

Now, onto the star of the show.

Visually, it's of a pretty standard size, nothing too big or small. Lines of snow powder sit atop deep golden almond flakes with a noticeable split in the centre. Almond croissants are usually day old croissants revamped because who wants to waste a good croissant? But I guess it's also a way to turn an eh croissant into an ooooh croissant (because that's how I exclaim when something tastes good). This one, however, slightly deviated from traditions. Vanilla-speckled pastry cream lined its interiors rather than creme d'amande. This took me by surprise having expected to be hit with the familiar gritty nuttiness but was greeted instead by smooth lusciousness.

I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't convinced on the first bite; I guess the different filling really threw me for a loop. But by the crunch of the last little nugget, it finally clicked. Everything just made sense. Nothing about the pastry was superlative—it wasn't too rich, too sweet, too nauseating. It was just right and I think I might've been baptized by it.

Fast forward to a half-hour or so later, we're at Universal Bakehouse in Damansara Kim. It was at this time the sun decided to come out from behind the clouds and scream fire at our skin. The fact that this little shop had limited indoor seating didn't help either, thus we were nestled into a corner outdoors by the storefront window.

They graciously heat up the pastry and bring it to the table for us.

And it arrived as marvellous as ever; prominent layers that you could count one by one if you could spare a minute more, golden-brown-to-perfection exterior, and a light snow powder finish on well-toasted almond flakes. The heating up took quite a while but I'll admit it was pretty worth it. The pastry was incredibly flaky and crisp, shattering upon first contact with the buttery-ness coating the entirety of your mouth as the warm almond cream oozes along. It couldn't get more indulgent than this.

This croissant abided traditions with its classic almond centre albeit a little sweet for my liking. A handful more of almond flakes on its crown or a steamy cup of coffee or plain tea (sans sugar and milk) would've offset the sweetness and lent the perfect balance. Overall, if I were to introduce someone to their first almond croissant, Universal Bakehouse's would be it; it's definitely a textbook classic.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if it's fair to pit the two against each other. They're clearly bringing two varying intentions to the table through the same form, or in more modern terms: they're the same letters, just in different fonts. They both sell at similar prices with the former at around RM12 and the latter at RM13.6 (both prices inclusive of tax).

Would I purchase them again? Yes, but each with very specific cravings to complement them.

But the hunt is far from over, there are still a few highly-rated bakeries awaiting my visit.

Until next time then!

* Croisserie storefront photo * Universal Bakehouse storefront photo * croissant photos by LTW and yours truly

#croissant #pastry #breakfast #viennoserie #writing #food #sweet food #food blogs #pastries #foodphotography #foodblog #foodpics #almond croissants

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news4usonline · 5 months

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Aaron Donald remains a dominant force

Sometimes statistics don’t tell the whole truth. Numbers are just one part of the equation when it comes to measuring productivity. In the case of Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald, statistics belie the true impact that the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year awardee has on a football game. Donald changes a game just by showing up. Because he is such a disruptive force, offenses have to double and sometimes triple-team Donald just to keep the star defensive lineman from getting into the backfield. Just how great is the nine-time Pro Bowler? Well, in 2022, Donald played in only 11 games. He totaled 49 tackles and five sacks. And yet he was voted to the Pro Bowl for the ninth time in his career and came in at the No. 11 spot in the NFL Top 100 player’s list. Fast forward to this season. Donald continues to prove he is that unstoppable force.

Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald (99) chased down Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore (4) during an NFL game played at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 15, 2023. Photo credit: Sammy Saludo/News4usonline Let’s look back at the Rams’ 17-16 comeback win against the Seattle Seahawks. Donald produced just one tackle during the game. But he may have saved the opportunity for the Rams to win their fourth game of the season when he came up the middle, got up in Geno Smith's face, and tagged the Seahawks quarterback with a nice little hit. Well, that one play temporarily knocked Smith out of the game. Smith’s absence was long enough for the Rams to overcome a 16-7 deficit to take a 17-16 lead which they held until the clock ran down to zero. This a good example of why numbers don’t tell the entire of how Donald impacts an entire game. During the Thanksgiving week leading up to the Rams going to Arizona to play the Cardinals, head coach Sean McVay talked about the imprint that Donald had on the Seattle game. “It was huge. He dictates a lot of attention as always,” McVay said. “Obviously came clean on that inside move when we ended up bringing him and (OLB) Ochaun (Mathis) and Quentin Lake and was able to put a lot of pressure on (Seahawks QB) Geno (Smith). “It might not always show up on the stat sheet, but the way that he affects and influences every single game with his effort. Thought the red area stop that he had on second down to be able to knock (Seahawks RB) (Zach) Charbonnet out of bounds for a negative was big. Just his leadership, his consistent work ethic, his consistent game day demeanor, and then the production, it's all a huge part of it.” Thus far, for the season, Donald has recorded 5.5 sacks in 10 games. That’s a far distance from the 20.5 sacks that he registered during the 2018 season. But he is still effective both as a leader and defensive playmaker. With his undeniable presence in the middle of the defensive line, Donald has created other players like rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young to shine. “He's having a lot of fun,” said McVay. “I know this team is at their best when they're enjoying playing. They're bringing that type of energy that we want to be able to see and I thought that was on display throughout the course of the day. And really the defense and Aaron's leadership is what kind of kept us in the fight and allowed us to be able to capitalize when those opportunities presented as a team.”

Aaron Donald (99) of the Los Angeles Rams puts the squeeze on a Pittsburgh Steelers ballcarrier during an NFL inter-conference matchup at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 22, 2023. Photo by Mark Hammond/News4usonline The defense of the Rams went through a serious revamping in the offseason. A lot of new faces like Turner, Young and second-year player Cobie Durant are now at the core of the new-look defense for the Rams. Donald, however, is still the one constant that opposing offenses know and are familiar with. Leading up to their matchup against the Cardinals in Week 12, Donald said the Rams' defense has been spotty this season. The unit has played well at times and then there are moments where the defense does not play as well as it should. “We just got to be more consistent at times,” Donald said. “Obviously, we had a good performance last week. We just got to build off that. I feel like we had some sparks where we looked like a dominant defense in a time where we let up and don't look how we are supposed to look or how we should look. So just playing consistent and doing what we need to do. “I think Raheem did a good job of putting us in positions to have success, trying to find matchups and do things like that to help the players around us to have success. So we just got to go up there as the players and capitalize and just fly around and make plays.” Top Image Caption: Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald (99) comes for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock during an NFL game played on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. Donald and the Rams came away with a 17-16 win at SoFi Stadium. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usonline Read the full article

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thatrickmcginnis · 6 months

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BANDS: Redd Kross and Dinosaur Jr. 1987

Occasionally I found myself working with a band or an artist before they achieved fame or success. Dinosaur Jr. had been together roughly since 1984 but their breakthrough record You're Living All Over Me was still unreleased when I was assigned to photograph them at the backroom at the Cameron House, a venerable but tiny bar frequented by artists on the Queen West strip. They shared the bill with neo-psychedelic band Plan 9, and I'm guessing either their debut record or an advance copy of You're Living All Over Me had found a fan at Nerve, the little underground music mag where I was working. I arrived for soundcheck and photographed what was (and is, once again) the classic lineup of J. Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph, leaning on a stack of Marshall heads. The shoot - half of which is dangerously underexposed - was less than a dozen frames long and shared a roll with my backstage candid portraits of John Lee Hooker, for whom I was probably more excited, as I hadn't heard the band yet. In a few months, however, "Little Fury Things" and the band's grouchy yet thrilling cover of Peter Frampton's "Show Me The Way" had become two of my favorite songs.

Redd Kross were a Los Angeles bad, that much I knew for sure, from the same L.A. suburb that produced the Beach Boys. They were also considered scene darlings in the U.S. - the band everybody seemed to know and like as they transformed themselves from a sloppy teenage hardcore group into a glam outfit with an obvious affection for the stylistic and lifestyle excesses of their hometown. I have no record whatsoever of who assigned me to shoot the band, but I clearly put a lot of effort into it, bringing my Mamiya C330 and light stand to shoot the band at the Silver Dollar Room, a former show bar turned strip joint that had recently been revamped as a music venue for indie bands. They were touring to promote Neurotica, their second LP and major label debut, which was a college radio hit and one of my then-girlfriend's favorite records at the time, which meant I heard it a lot.

I showed up to photograph Redd Kross at the Silver Dollar after their soundcheck, and the band - or more particularly brothers Steve and Jeff MacDonald - took charge of the photo shoot with more enthusiasm than had come from any band I'd shot at the time. I spotted a fan on a floor stand sitting in the room where I'd set up my light and umbrella and my band shoot was suddenly a fashion shoot, as the group whipped their hair around and posed up a storm, as if I was Scavullo or Avedon. Years later I heard an anecdote that the very early Nirvana complained to Buzzo from the Melvins that Redd Kross looked like they were having too much fun onstage. They were definitely more fun than nearly any other band I'd photograph at the time, and like Dinosaur Jr. would end up being a massive influence on the grunge explosion that burst out of the struggling indie scene I was documenting for magazines like Nerve. They're still around, and were the subjects of Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story, a documentary that was released this year.

#portrait #portrait photography #black and white #film photography #dinosaur jr #redd kross #indie rock #1987 #early work #some old pictures i took #musicians #j mascis #lou barlow

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