#and then had to do it via pan and zoom

[bardistraee]

a compilation of my son being the absolute worst at achery, featuring allen (@edgier-than-a-diamond) and lane (@ritens) being functional members of society

[kbs-and-fds]

Yo, Welcome to my photography blog!

This is a photography project with a focus on older digital cameras sold before the mid 2000s. I've been working with these sorts of cameras since 2022, which grew from my interest in retro computers that I have had since 2020 or so. Here, I'll introduce you to my cameras, my computer rig, and try to convince you that this is a cool hobby.

General Q & A:

Whats in the name? - Kb refers to Kilobyte, all of the photos I take with these cameras only take up a little over 100 Kilobytes of digital storage per photo. FD refers to the physical media the photos are stored in, currently one camera uses floppy disks (FD), the other two use compact flash (CF) and smart media (SM) cards. unfortunately, their shortened forms do not rhyme and so they do not matter.

What can I expect from this blog? - amateur photography using old cameras, I guess. I'll say some nonsense below each photo but you're free to ignore it. I don't plan on reblogging anything here, so don't expect that. I am the star of this blog. me me me. I tend towards finding weird buildings/architecture, "liminal spaces", sunsets, and generally trying to see how well I can make a photo look like a blender render in a Kane pixels video. don't expect any consistency, though. the medium will remain the same but the vibes will absolutely fluctuate with my mood. I'll try and tag things correctly if it's off putting.

Are you a cool person? - I tend to be! I don't want this place to be alienating for anybody but assholes who don't deserve to see the stuff I do. being a tumblr blog, I follow a lot of the standard stuff. jerks are not welcome and I'm not gonna give you the pleasure of an argument if you do turn your head round these parts.

who are you? - trans pan girl. takes pictures. listens to Femtanyl. much unlike Peter Parker.

My Cameras

Mavica FD-7

released in 1997, this was the second of Sony's "Digital Mavica" line of cameras. it records photos of around 50Kbs in size to a standard 3 1/2" floppy disk. it has some standard features like a manual focus wheel, 10x optical zoom, and exposure control. I haven't found a strict source but I believe this camera is less than one megapixel. I actually have a few different Mavica cameras (a fd-71/75/83/85/87 and a cd-1000) but they aren't different from the fd-7 enough to justify being used often. I'll make note on individual posts if I use 'em at all.

Kodak DC220

released in 1999, with a quality of exactly one megapixel the DC 220 is a weird little thing. it has custom software, connects to a computer via com ports with a transfer speed of ~11,000 bit/s. (roughly 30-60 seconds per photo in my experience) you can add custom text to your photos in the cameras built in software, and attach custom audio to each photo. it is a pain in the butt to get working, but it's quirks make it worth the frustration.

Olympus E-10

made in 2000 with a quality of a whopping four megapixels, the Olympus E-10 is the newest addition to my collection, and possibly the nicest camera I'll ever own. it's a fixed lens DSLR camera capable of 4x zoom, you can easily adjust the aperture and exposure on the fly, it's photos tend to be a whole 100kb in size (1/10th of a megabyte!) and to be entirely honest I have no idea how to use it. but I will eventually!

My Computer

I try to use all era-appropriate tech to transfer photos and do any edits, this is the computer I do all that processing on! its a Dell Optiplex gx1- the daddy of pretty much any computer used in public schools (Chromebooks don't count) It's got a Pentium 3 CPU clocking at 500MHz, 512mb ram, running windows ME. it has all the original Kodak DC220 software installed, and I can't really access the Kodak's photos any other way. I've also got a few other weird bits attached to it -an HP sketch pro cad tablet and an external data cartridge SCSI device. both work, but I don't really bother to use them, they just look neat.

that's about it. have a good one! thanks for reading this all, if you did.

[snackara]

Chapter One: Welcome to Rosas

We begin our story with Disney’s 100th anniversary logo.

It fades to black, before panning across a study and zooming onto a book sitting on a desk. The book has no title, instead having a large star on the cover.

The book flips open and shows a page depicting a night sky, filled with glowing people where the stars should be. A castle rests in the middle on a bed of clouds. A man begins to narrate.

Once upon a time, there was a realm far far away, known as the Celestial Realm. There lived stars, beings who possessed great magical power and could do amazing things.

The page flips showing some stars on one side of the page, while humans are on the other. One of each is in the middle of the page, shaking hands.

For a long time, the stars traveled between their realm and our realm, helping us achieve many great things and granting people their hearts desires.

We pan to the next page, showing the humans and stars again, but this time the humans look more like evil creatures, with black silhouettes that only show two green eyes and a mouth like a jack-o-lantern. The stars meanwhile are cowering away from the humans.

But it did not last. The humans became more and more greedy, and demanded more from the stars. Some even tried to take the magic of the stars for themselves

The page flips, showing the stars high in the sky and looking down at a city below. The humans look distraught, praying and begging to the stars. In the middle of the stars is a tall figure with a glowing dress and a wand.

The stars fled back to their realm and stayed there, using their magic to watch over the humans. The people below were understandably distraught, and begged the stars to come back. Their queen came down for the final time and told them “Listen well. Only when you have proven yourselves to be brave, true, and unselfish creatures will we come back to your aid.” And since that day, the stars remained in the sky, watching and waiting.

We fade to black, where a title appears: “Upon a Star”. •◌•◌•★•◌•◌•

We fade back in, panning across the city of Rosas.

The camera focuses in on a young woman dressed like a musketeer sitting on a rooftop. On one side of her there’s a large empty sack, and on the other a genet nibbles a berry. “Look at that Valentino. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and all is calm. The perfect day to steal stuff, wouldn’t you agree?” The girl asks the genet, who chitters and licks his paws. I thought so too.” She grabs the sack and slides down the roof, Valentino following her.

(via unknown) We cut to a different location, now at the docks. A young man paces, rubbing his temples. He has shoulder-length dark brown hair. His clothes are plain, apart from his dark blue tunic and cape.

“I can’t believe he put me on tour duty again! Just because I was a few minutes late to one of his lessons…” He sighs. “Let’s just get this over with.” He stops and straightens up as he see’s three adults, a couple teenagers, and a child disembarking a ship. He clears his throat and waves to them. “Ah, Hello! Hola, Shalom, Salam! Welcome to Rosas, where your all wishes can come true! I’m Flazino, and I’ll be your guide! Everyone ready?”

🎵 Welcome to Rosas 🎵

Flazino

Group

Citizens

Welcome to Rosas Come along, come this way Where the greatest creations are all on display There's no other place as full of surprise Where your dreams and your reality can collide

(Flazino guides the group through the city gates, making grand gestures around the city. They pass by a man operating a large machine similar to the one Belle’s father had in Beauty and the Beast, and stare in awe.)

You wanna touch the sky? Or to feel more spry? Make your dreams come true? Well, hey, do we have good news for you

(They pass by a man on stilts, then an older woman dancing with the grace and ease of someone much younger. More citizens start to appear as Flazino gives the group a wink. The stock characters other citizens start to dance)

'Cause here in the city of Rosas You can turn all your wanting to wishing No what-ifs and no wonders Oh, here in the city of Rosas  It's unlikely that you'll be unhappy With so much to discover

(Flazino dances in the center of it all as he sings. The group watch with delight, a couple even joining in. Flazino twirls the little girl, who giggles.)

A home for me (me) For you (you) And all of us (us) The city of Rosas

(Flazino points to people in the group and leads them over to a puppet show similar to the one in the movie)

So like, we have this king name Manuel And years ago he saved us with a spell

(A puppet that looks like the king holds up a scepter, warding off several evil-looking puppets.)

With lightning for hands and eyes that can glow No, no, no, I'm totally kidding! But he is powerful He’s just like us with a twist So much power, so much to list!

(He holds up his hands creepily at the little girl, who gasps in fear. He quickly stops and ruffles her hair playfully.)

A magic swish And there you have it, poof, there's your wish! Ooh and, hey did I mention when you turn eighteen? You get to give your wish in a ceremony And he keeps them safe, every wish he acquires  And once a month he grants someone's greatest desire  It could be you someday, or you, or even you Ooh, who could wait?

(A citizen puppet gives puppet Manuel a blue ball, then jumps around happily. Flazino points to three of the citizens on “you”. A couple glance at each other with doubt.)

(A man) Does it hurt? (The child) Do you cry? Oh, no, and you won't even miss it when you say "goodbye"

(Flazino looks a little hesitant at first as they ask, but brushes it off with a little wave and smile.)

'Cause here in the city of Rosas  You can turn all your wanting to wishing No what-ifs and no wonders Oh, here in the city of Rosas It's unlikely that you'll be unhappy With so much to discover

(The group, looking a little more reassured and confident, join in on the singing and dancing. Flazino looks relieved.)

A home for me (me) For you (you) And all of us (us) The city of Rosas

(Everyone dances until the end of the song, where Flazino and several citizens strike a pose on the steps outside the courtyard of the castle, similar to the movie.)

The citizens clap and cheer, chatting amongst themselves with delight. Flazino is used to it by now. He’s seen it all before, the sheer delight before the inevitable happens. His smile falters a little as he overhears some of the group.

“Wow, this place is amazing!”

“I wonder if the king would grant my wish?”

“This is such a magical place to live!”

The little girl smile and tugs at presumably her mother’s sleeve. “I can’t wait to give my wish to the king someday!” Flazino fakes a chuckle at this comment.

A loud commotion comes from a ways down the road, though it’s hard to see what’s going on through the crowd. The tour group perks up at this with alarm. “What was that?” One woman asks.

Flazino waves a hand dismissively. “Probably just a spooked horse or something. Why don’t we go see the artisan district?” He quickly ushers the group away to a different part of the city.

We cut back to the girl from earlier, who’s running across a roof and holding a small sack. She stops a the edge of the roof and turns around, where we see several guards stalking toward her. “Stop right their Alondra!”

The girl, who's name is really Asha, crosses her arms and chuckles. “Ah, hey there O’Donohue. Good to see you again, you look great. Is that a new helmet?”

“Your sweet-talking won’t save you now. You have committed crimes against Rosas and her people. Pay for your crimes or suffer the consequences.” The guard grumbles.

“Or I could do this.” Asha quickly grabs a clothesline and cuts it, swinging down to the street below. She lands seamlessly on her feet and looks up. “You won’t get away that easily, thief!” The guard shouts from above. “Ha, I already have!” Asha calls back before quickly running down the street. After a minute she stops and looks around, clutching the bag.

A couple other women are standing by washing clothes. One looks up at Asha and chuckles. “Getting into trouble a little early, aren’t we Alondra?”

Asha puts her hand to her chest in pretend shock. “Who, me? I would never.” There’s more shouting from up ahead, and we see around ten guards now barreling towards Asha. She clears her throat and draws a rapier from its hilt. “Excuse me ladies.”

Asha tucks the bag into her belt and rushes at the guards. The guards draw their swords as well. Asha takes on one guard at a time, dispatching each with ease. She parries their blows and sends one into a wall. Another trips and fall so into a wheelbarrow that Asha kicks away. Yet another is knocked down by a barrel Asha rolls at him. She smugly smiles as she faces the sixth guard in her path. Another grabs her. “I got her Simon! I’ll-“ he’s cut short as Valentino lands on his head, spinning his helmet.

“Good timing, Val.” Asha says, wriggling free. Valentino chitters and jumps onto her shoulder as they run off again. The remaining four guards pursue. Residents watch from the sides of the street or from their windows as Asha looks around for a quick escape. She notices a cart filled with bags of gold outside a wealthy-looking house. She bolts to it and tips it over, letting gold spill into the middle of the street.

Immediately citizens rush over to the gold, grabbing whatever they can. The guards try and push through, but once they make it to the front, Asha is nowhere to be found. Suddenly, her voice comes from above, on a rooftop. “Good citizens, accept this gift from the Alondra of Rosas!” She waves her hat and bows before making her escape. Valentino waves as well before following. The citizens cheer and clap. “I’ll get you one day, Alondra! I’ll get you if it’s the last thing I do!” The first guard, O’Donohue, calls.

We cut back to Asha, a little later in the day now. She’s in an abandoned house, carefully placing clothing and food in the large bag from earlier. “That should do it. Now, why don’t we watch a little show before we take this home?” She asks Valentino. He nods happily and skitters up a flight of stairs onto a balcony. Asha follows and leans against the railing, looking down at the courtyard of the castle below. The entire kingdom is gathered, talking quietly amongst themselves as the sun begins to set. The trumpets begin to play. There’s a huge flash of light and the crowd cheers loudly. King Manuel himself jumps out to the front of the stage.

“HELLOOOO ROSAS!”

The crowd whoops and hollers, though it sounds somewhat dry. Nevertheless, they continue to clap and cheer. Queen Amaya and steps out from the main door, making short curtsy’s before seating herself near the back of the stage. She looks perfectly content and even a little bored. We cut back briefly to Asha, who sneers and rolls her eyes at the king.

Manuel smiles, drinking in the attention, beaming and twirling his staff. “Thank you, thank you. You’re too kind.” He waves his hand for silence. The crowd immediately goes quiet. “Now, first things first, we have two new residents ready to give their wishes.” Two people from the earlier tour walk up the steps. “Elena and Stefan, welcome to Rosas. You’ll love it here.” Manuel holds his hands out. “Now make your wishes.” The two close their eyes right, and a glowing emanates from their chests. They take a deep breath and two wish bubbles appear. The new residents blink, suddenly looking deeply saddened, though they try to hide with smiles. “Don’t worry. They’ll be perfectly safe.” Manuel says. He waves his staff and sends the wishes up to his tower. The two nod and slowly walk back down the steps. “Forget without regret!” The crowd chants.

We cut again to Asha, who watches the king with a mixture of disgust and sadness. “Now, who is ready to have their wish granted?” Manuel shouts. The crowd cheers again with more sincerity. “Now, I have thought very hard about who’s wish will be granted tonight, and I have decided on someone who has waited long enough.” Murmurs ripple through he crowd. “So it is with great pleasure, that I announce Anya Ivanov will have her wish granted tonight.”

The crowd applauds, and Anya gasps. “Did- did I hear that correctly? I- Oh my goodness!” She bounds up the steps, her face filled with relief and joy.

Manuel chuckles. He waves his staff again. “Anya, it if my great pleasure to grant your wish to sow the most beautiful dresses in all the land.” A pair of scissors magically appears in front of Anya. She smiles and holds the scissors gently. She looks happy but also somewhat…underwhelmed. As though she hadn’t expected her wish to be that simple.

The crowd cheers for Anya as she leaves the stage. Manuel waves and twirls his staff one more time, sending more sparks out across the courtyard. “Thank you all for coming. Get home safely and have a good evening.”

Asha stretches. “Well, that’s our cue buddy.” Valentino hops onto her shoulders and the two make their way back down the stairs, grabbing the sack of goods. We cut to the edge of the kingdom, where Asha is loading the sack up onto a black horse. It snorts and paws the ground. “Oh, don’t be like that Maximus. If you behave this time, I might let you have an extra scoop of oats, or even a special treat.” The horse’s ears swivel at this and it straightens up. “That’s what I thought.” Asha chuckles. She climbs onto Maximus’s back and rides off into the woods.

Author’s Notes

I looked up. So much sword terminology. Only to use two or three specific words. *groans*

But anyways, it’s finally here! I hope you all enjoyed this first glimpse into Rosas. My main goal with this chapter was to mainly set up some characters, setting, and lore. As well as hint at later themes. I’m pretty happy with how everything turned out. Except for the action scene. It’s not my strong suit, and I think I bit off a little more then I could chew for the first chapter. But I’m relatively okay with it.

I originally planned to rewrite “Dream a Little Harder” from Twisted and use it as the opening song. Ultimately however, I wasn’t sure how to fit in all of the information needed, so I just stuck with a Welcome to Rosas rewrite. If anyone wants to use that idea for their rewrite however, I would really encourage it. Especially since Twisted is a parody musical of Aladdin (and a lot better then that movie in my opinion but I digress).

I had a lot of fun figuring out Flazino and Asha’s personalities. I can tell Asha is going to be fun to write. She does have that “cool guy” persona, but there’s still a glimpse at empathy for others that might emerge more. As for Flazino, he’s kind of just some guy, but that’s why I like him. He’s someone who obviously wants to do the right thing, but doesn’t know how or even if he could. He’s actually inspired a bit by Phineas Thatch from the podcast Midst, with less of a temper.

As for the king and queen…I’ll talk about them more when the time comes. Speaking of them though, with the wishing ceremony I wanted to give a feeling of unease. Everyone is putting up a front, the people who give up their wish are saddened by it, and the lady who gets her wish is underwhelmed. It makes the audience suspicious of Manuel’s intentions and brace themselves for him to be revealed as the villain. Though that’s a story for…two or three chapters from now.

Thanks for reading!

[websterss]

A/N: Hope you enjoy it! MASTERLIST

“Hey everyone, welcome back.” Charlie smiled into the camera. He blew a kiss at the lens.

“What’s going on today?” Paul laughed as Charlie began looking down at his phone.

“So the guys, Madi and I have decided to make a competition. The competition will be who can get the most pictures of Y/n sleeping…she’s actually sleeping right over there right now.” Charlie gestured with the point of his index finger. Paul panned the camera around. The camera zooming in on your sleeping figure curled up on the sofa prop used for scenes in the garage. Charlie’s fur jean coat draped over you as a blanket. He had put it over you earlier during the break of dawn. You and the guys worked on an all night shoot that led up until the morning. Kenny suggested letting you get some sleep in before continuing with scenes for later in the day. The camera went back onto Charlie who was pouting at you. “Yeah she’s pretty tired. Let’s let her sleep.” Charlie chuckled lightly. “But…not before I get a picture first.” Charlie bit his lip, opening his phone to the camera app. He walked over with light steps and angled his phone and snapped a picture. He then leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to your temple removing your hair from your face. He backed up slowly but almost tripped over the mini table prop, but gained his balance.

He held a hand to his chest, thanking the universe he didn’t make a noise. He smiled back at the camera and walked back over to Paul.

“Oh my god that was close!” He shook his head.

“Who do you think has the most photos?” Paul asked.

Charlie looked up at him. “Umm. I-I’m not sure. I think Mads and I are tied, but I caught Owen in here early so he might be catching up to us. As for Jeremy I honestly have no clue, I think Savannah and Tori are helping him though.”

“How many do you have now?”

Charlie opened his phone and went into his camera roll. “I now have 17…plus six polaroids of her, so 23? Yeah 23.” Charlie squinted his eyes counting up the numbers in his head. 

“That’s a lot!”

“I know.” Charlie laughed. “Madison has a couple polaroid ones too.” He smiled glancing over his shoulder at you. “Y/n sleeps a lot.” He whispered into the camera. “I could have had more, but they considered it cheating since we shared a trailer together.” He complained while shrugging. “So I can only take one when we’re on set…I’m totally winning though.” He threw a wink at the camera lens. “Alright let’s get out of here, she needs to rest.” He began walking out of the fake garage.

-

“Oh my gosh. She's sleeping! Me too Y/n, me too.” Madison awed as she saw you sleeping in the Molina living room. “She’s so amazing, guys. You guys don’t realize just how hardworking she is. I think she did an all night shoot again with no sleep. Charlie said she had barely gone to sleep like an hour ago.” She praised you. The sofa in there is occupied by your figure. She turned around to face the camera pouting. “Awe guys I’m so scared, I don’t want to wake her.” Madison whispered. “Oh gosh, okay, here I go guys.” She grinned, her teeth showing, implicating how nervous she was. She walked over to you and pulled out her phone, and turned it around so that the frame showed you.

She hit the white little circle, and right as she snapped the picture she scrambled to stop the flash from going off, but it was too late. She saw you shift in your sleep slightly and stood up immediately. The one rule about the competition was that no one could wake you up, via Charlie’s conditions. He wanted you to get your rest when you could, and if one of them did wake you then it’d be an automatic disqualification. Madison was not about to lose this competition. Madison ran off back to where Paul was with wide eyes.

“Abort, abort, abort!” She ushered him out of the house. Luckily you remained asleep and Madison got her 25th picture of you. She giggled as they were in the clear and away from the house set.

She turned to the camera and did the Debby Ryan hair gesture. “We do not speak of this.” She put her hands together. “We do not tell Charlie. Okay.”

“Oh mah gawd.” She closed her eyes and cupped a hand over her mouth. “That was so close, oh my gosh…From now on no more flash, too risky. Okay back to the scoreboard.” Madison pointed off in a random direction and started walking away. “Charlie doesn’t know this, but I’m actually winning. Jeremy barely has 20 and I’m pretty sure Owen is cheating soo…Next!” Madison did a swipe over the lens.

-

“Have you seen a girl sleeping…no you haven’t…okay thanks.” Owen walked away from one of the crew members. He turned to the camera. “We gotta find her guys. Where the hell could she be.” He let his arms flap as he circled around the set. “Hey, have you seen Charlie’s wifey!” Owen shouted at Kenny. Who chuckled at the grown man before him.

“They’re not engaged Owen, and have you tried Julie’s bedroom?” Kenny furrowed his brows. “Charlie had mentioned he was going to take a nap with her. They were shooting the confrontation scene last night, remember?”

“No Kenny I don’t know. I wasn’t on call yesterday.” He said sarcastically. “To Julie’s bedroom it is!” He side eyed the camera. “Hither this way folks.” Owen made his way over to the house set, and walked in. The lights were dimmed, which is why everyone liked to take naps in between takes here. He climbed up the stairs then made his way to the only bedroom that was built on the second floor. He opened and pushed the door open. Kenny’s words were confirmed as he saw you and Charlie cuddled up on top of the blankets. Charlie’s arm under your head. Your body turned into his chest. You two looked so peaceful. “Awe…” He faked his interest. “Okay let’s get this over with.” He gave the camera lens one more glance then walked over to your side of the bed. Not noticing a prop used to decorate the bedroom on the floor, Owen ended up tripping over it and fell with a thud. He immediately cringed and closed his eyes shut. As soon as he thought he was safe, he heard rustling on the bed. You groaned, rubbing your eyes. A big yawn coming out of your mouth as you slowly peaked over the bed. Charlie stirred slightly too as he felt you move.

“Owen…” You croaked out. You sounded exhausted

“No…it’s your conscience speaking. You’re dreaming, it’s a dream.” He hushed you.

“W-Why would I be dreaming of you?” You rub the side of your head.

“I don’t know Y/n, it’s your dream, you control it…now shut up and go back to sleep.” He whispered out harshly. Charlie this time stirring awake and sitting up next to you as you watched Owen with half opened eyes.

“Owen? What the hell man…” He lifted a hand in question and annoyance. Charlie looked over at you. “I specifically told you not to wake her up, dumbass.” He groaned and tilted his head to the side.

“It’s okay Char.” You reassured him. You rubbed the tired out of your eyes. Another big yawn escaping.

“Come on, get some more sleep.” Charlie tiredly gestured you over to his side. As he laid back down. You didn’t argue and fell into his side again. Charlie wrapping both his arms over you. “Sorry.” Owen called out pathetically and stood up. In a last attempt to redeem himself, Owen stopped at the foot of the bed snapping a picture. The flash and sound both on. He looked down at his phone and smiled at the picture.

“Out.” Charlie lifted his left hand in a sleepy manner and pointed to the door.

“Going.” Owen then walked out with Paul.

“Close the door!” Charlie called out. Owen then shut it completely. He then rushed down the steps. Once he was downstairs he paused and sighed looking off into the distance. “Well shit I guess I’m out…”

-

“There’s our star.” Jeremy exclaimed quietly as he watched you sleep. After hearing that Owen was out of the competition, Jeremy was doing everything to get as many pictures of you. “I’ve never been so happy to see someone sleep.” He chuckled. He looked at the camera getting his phone ready. “I promise you I have not seen her awake as much as I have been sleeping. It’s insane, it’s like she hibernates.” He shook his head. “Anyway here I go.” Jeremy stepped forward and snapped the picture. Only for the flash to give away. 

The sudden flash of light wakes you suddenly. Jeremy froze as you stirred and awake. You stared at him with half lidded eyes. Already aware of the competition that was going on. You had to thank Savannah and Tori for informing you, yet you could have cared less about it, you just wanted your sleep. 

“I won’t tell you if you won’t…” You croaked out.

“Sweet dreams, Y/n.” Jeremy waved you back to sleep. You slightly shook your head and turned around to face the back of the sofa from the garage set. You were about to doze off but not before saying. “Get my good side, please.” You said drowsy. Already feeling sleep takes over your body.

“Always.” Jeremy scoffed as he retook the picture of you sleeping. He had forgotten that the camera and Paul were there and slowly put his index finger up to his lips. “Shhh.” 

-

“Okay guys this is the moment you all have been waiting for. Drum roll please.” Madison exclaimed. “It was Jeremy. Jeremy won, guys.” She shook her head as the guys smiled and rolled their eyes. Owen was not having it.

“How is that fair!” Owen lifted a hand in question.

“Owen, not you talking? You woke her up, sit back down.” Madison fired back.

“I was this close!” Owen pinched his thumb and index finger together.

“No you weren’t.” Charlie, You and Madison said.

“Jeremy cheated!”

“He played by the rules.” You defended him.

“Only because you let him have a free pass.” Owen gave you a look.

You gasped at the accusation but then you squinted your eyes. “Who told you?” You questioned.

Savannah and Tori both averted their gazes as you gave them a playful glare.

“Wait, say how many pictures you all had.” Savannah pointed out the one thing this whole video was being made for.

“Okay so Madi had 31, Jeremy with 34, Charlie had 29, and Owen had…18.” You laughed reading off the scoreboard. “How did you only get 18?”

The camera panned to Owen who sat with an ‘I’m over it’ expression. He shrugged, not caring anymore. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I only had 29? I thought I had more?” Charlie frowned.

“Well, you clearly can’t count.” Madi jokes. “Okay but no seriously can we talk about Y/n being able to sleep for long periods of time.” Madison praised you for your sleeping talent. “She gets tired so quickly.”

“It’s a gift.” You played along.

“Tell us your secrets, Sensei.” Madi bowed down before you. Everyone laughed at her.

“Charlie after he works out.” You threw a playful wink at the camera. The insinuation behind your words not being missed by the cast.

“What?” Madi did not believe the words that just came out of your mouth.

“What?” Charlie laughed.

“What?” You deadpanned stared into the camera. “Anyway this has been the cast of Julie and the Phantoms, make sure to subscribe to Paul’s channel and stay tuned for more behind the scenes videos. See you later, I am going to be incredibly busy with sleeping.” You waved off the camera.

“Yeah with Char-” Owen said bluntly causing the cast to laugh out loud. Your eyes went wide.

“-K bye!” You placed your hand over the lens. The screen then went dark.

[ahogarmesll]

Xplicit Fate & Fortune Game This is available inworld at main store and on MP

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𝙂𝘼𝙈𝙀 𝙄𝙉𝙎𝙏𝙍𝙐𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎

𝙃𝙐𝘿

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𝙏𝙍𝘼𝘿𝙄𝙉𝙂

𝙎𝙀𝙇𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙂

𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙆𝙔 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙁𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙆𝙔 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝘿𝙎

𝘿𝙐𝙉𝙂𝙀𝙊𝙉

𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝙉𝙄𝙑𝘼𝙇 - Ⓙⓐⓒⓚ Ⓟⓞⓣ

𝘽𝘼𝙉𝙆𝙍𝙐𝙋𝙏𝘾𝙔

𝙈𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙀𝙇𝙇𝘼𝙉𝙀𝙊𝙐𝙎 𝙊𝙒𝙉𝙀𝙍𝙎

𝘼𝘾𝘾𝙀𝙎𝙎

𝙐𝙋𝘿𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙎

𝘾𝙐𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙈𝙀𝙍 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝙀

𝙊𝘽𝙅𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙑𝙀

The objective of the game is to become the wealthiest player through buying, renting and selling of properties. 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘙𝘐𝘊𝘏𝘌𝘚𝘛 𝘗𝘓𝘈𝘠𝘌𝘙 𝘞𝘐𝘕𝘚!

𝙂𝘼𝙈𝙀 𝙄𝙉𝙎𝙏𝙍𝙐𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎 Right click and sit on a chair. You can change the sitting pose anytime by touching the table and using the menu. To begin the game, click the ‘Touch to start’ button in the center of the board. When it is your turn, touch the spinner at the center of the table.

𝙃𝙐𝘿 The Hud attaches via the sit menu which you can access by touching the table. Hit ""Esc" on your keyboard to disable all manual camera viewer control that you may have already had activated. On the camera Hud, touch the "off/On" button to activate the camera hud. To change the where the camera is focused on the pre-set location on the game table top, touch any of the locations on the hud. You can also use the hud to get the game instructions.

𝘼𝙐𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 When you land on an un-owned property you are given the options to purchase, skip or auction. Once you hit auction, the bidding is open for 10 seconds and all the players hammers will turn red. Each player can touch their hammer to participate in the auction.

𝙏𝙍𝘼𝘿𝙄𝙉𝙂 When it is your turn to play, touch the property of the other player that you want. You will get a menu which allows you to add money to the trade (or not). Follow the menu instruction for the trade to be sent to player. The player will choose to accept or decline.

𝙎𝙀𝙇𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙂 When it is your turn to play, if you land on your own property, you are given the option to sell the property.

𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙆𝙔 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙁𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙆𝙔 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝘿𝙎 If you land on one of the risky or frisky locations on the game, you are given a variety of instructions. You may also be animated to do the assigned task.

𝘿𝙐𝙉𝙂𝙀𝙊𝙉 If you land in the dungeon, you automatically lose a turn and enter the game after your missed turn.

𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝙉𝙄𝙑𝘼𝙇 - Ⓙⓐⓒⓚ Ⓟⓞⓣ This Jackpot Amount is increased when you pay into the bank. It can be won when you land on 'free carnival'. The amount rolls over to another game until it is won.

𝘽𝘼𝙉𝙆𝙍𝙐𝙋𝙏𝘾𝙔 You are declared bankrupt if you owe more than you can pay either to another player or to the Bank. You are automatically kicked off the table and all your property returns to the bank.

𝙈𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙀𝙇𝙇𝘼𝙉𝙀𝙊𝙐𝙎 When you sit you are automatically given a token with your name hovering over the assigned token at the ‘Go’ position on the board. You are also automatically allocated three properties and 1200 Blindens (money). You can see your properties as the token symbol is displayed on the property square on the board. Each time a player's token lands on or passes over GO, they receive 100B salary. If you own the full strip of properties with the same colour, the rent increases for anyone who lands on these properties. The game is more immersive with sounds on.

-CAMERA control You will need to be able to use you camera to cam onto the board. Keyboard controls By using your keyboard and mouse to control the camera, you can view nearly any object or avatar from any angle or distance.

Alt + Left mouse button: Press and hold to zoom your view in when you move the mouse up or down. Orbits your view around the focal point when you move the mouse left or right. Ctrl + Alt + Left mouse button: Press and hold to orbit your view around the focal point when you move the mouse in any direction. Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Left mouse button: Press and hold to pan your view parallel to the plane of your screen. Mouse scroll wheel: Zooms in or out. Escape key: Resets your view to its default location behind your avatar. Moving your avatar also resets your view. Onscreen controls Access onscreen camera controls by clicking the View button on the bottom bar of the Viewer. For additional information about these controls, click the ? button at the top of the window where they appear.

𝙊𝙒𝙉𝙀𝙍'𝙎

𝘼𝘾𝘾𝙀𝙎𝙎 Security or [ACCESS] button is only available to the owner, this will limit who can use the table. It can be set to everyone or group only.

𝙐𝙋𝘿𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙎 Rezz the update box in the folder and if a new version is available, it will be sent to you immediately. You can also get a redelivery from the main store terminal.

𝘾𝙐𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙈𝙀𝙍 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝙀 Any comments, please feel free to feedback to any of the members of staff, whose information can be found on the staff board in the main store.

★𝙈𝘼𝙄𝙉 𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙀 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kona%20Island/224/194/667 ★𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙆𝙀𝙏𝙋𝙇𝘼𝘾𝙀 https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/24187 Be sure to join the Xplicit Furnishings group for updates and new products releases.

🅹🅾🅳🅸 🅼🅾🆁🅰🅽🅴

[envihellbender]

Moriarty absorbing Mycroft into his fat

Characters: Sherlock Holmes, Jim Moriarty, Sebastian Moran, Mycroft Holmes

Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (books)

Content: extreme weight gain, hyper fats, absorbing

—

Sherlock wasn’t usually one to be pushed to pause by anxiety, but as he sat at his laptop with a video entitled Morcroft.mp4 that had been sent to him via email that morning he found himself tensed and simply staring at his screen. His brother has been missing for a few months now, something which seemed odd to anyone who knew of him. “How the hell had a sixteen hundred pound man gone missing?” Was the question on every tabloid and being gossiped about in every pub. Sherlock had not been leading the investigation, he knew full well it would he unethical and he couldn’t say he was desperate for his brother to return. That being said, he still cared for the man and he knew any file sent to him by, presumably, James Moriarty would not be pleasant. He ran his pale thin fingers through his dark curls as he felt his lithe body shake. He closed his eyes, let out a sigh and decided to simply, eat the frog. He quickly pressed play and pressed his closed fist into his lips.

At first it seemed fairly unremarkable. There was a large pale, hairless pile of fat that belonged to Moriarty himself. Sherlock would recognise it anywhere, especially with those two piercing specs in the deep caverns of fat staring directly into the camera. The camera zoomed out further, showing that Moriarty, was not alone. There was another mass of fat rolls pressing into his, fighting for space. Sherlock’s spine straightened, there was something familiar about the thick ginger hair over some of the slightly smaller pale fat rolls…

“Hey there, baby Holmes,” a boorish voice said. Sherlock groaned, Sebastian Moran was the man behind the camera it seemed. “Say hello to big brother.” The camera panned and sure enough the next thing centred in the frame was a bloated head sinking into a neck roll, a patch of ginger hair on his head matching that which coated his adipose. The creature sucked on a tube dutifully, piggish green eyes glazed over. “We fattened him up, but I know you’d recognise him anywhere. Who d’ya think’s bigger? Well-” The camera cut to a screen showing both Jim Moriarty and Mycroft Holmes’ physical specifications. It seemed his brother was now 2412lbs, and his nemesis was 4182. Sherlock’s eyes widened in shock, it seemed impossible, horrifying, and fascinating all at once. “Now for the main event,” Sebastian ended before snorting with laughter.

The frame changed again, this time a handheld, shaky camera was filming and Sherlock could only assume that it was Moran doing the job. He was sat on a gigantic neck roll, a heavy wheezing filled the speakers to the point of causing an incomprehensible crackling that made Sherlock wince.

“You ready, Jimmy?” Moran asked, if Sherlock didn’t know any better he’d have thought it was concern. There were no ‘words’ in response, just a vague grunting sound that Sherlock thought sounded slightly affirmative. “You heard the man, let’s get started.” There was a large clunk! suggesting a switch had been turned on, followed by a loud whirring sound. The camera haphazardly showed the rest of the room, pipes rapidly filling with a yellow liquid and wires that pressed sparks and shocks into Mycroft’s fat. Sherlock clenched his teeth, it seemed so crude simply to show him a video of them torturing his brother. Either he’d overestimated them or there was something else to it, he thought. He furrowed his brow, trying to focus when suddenly he noticed it. He paused the video, he zoomed in on two rolls of fat and examined the frame. It looked as if the fat ginger rolls were merging with the hairless pale ones. He resumed the video and sure enough, Mycroft’s body was being absorbed by Moriarty’s. It was if there bodies were growing into each other, all Sherlock could do was watch in horror as Moriarty grew, and Mycroft… shrunk? Merged? It went on for a good thirty minutes. Until finally the whirring quietened, and the footage stopped, showing a massive fat roll that was once two, but now had a line showing where they’d merged made of thick ginger hair.

[pterribledinosaurdrawings]

I recently got an email from Spoonflower saying soon they will no longer require you to order proofs to make them available for sale! They said they've got a new tool where you can zoom in and move it around to check to make sure the edges are lining up. It won't come out until December, so I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds good. (Especially since sometimes the little swatches are so small they don't have the edges of the repeat in them at all.)

They also said they'll un-list old and stagnant designs for sale, but that the designers can re-list them for sale anytime they want. I think this is good too, as there are SO SO MANY designs on spoonflower, and a lot of them are honestly very bad to look at.

I'll copy/paste* the relevant part of the email under a readmore for anyone who wants more specifics.

"Important Updates to the Spoonflower Marketplace  Hi Spoonflower Artists! As we continue to listen to your feedback and listen to our shoppers’ feedback, we have a round of important upcoming site updates to share with you. These changes will go into effect starting in December 2023 and will apply to all designs as of that date.     New – Free Digital Proofing   Exciting news! Effective December 31, 2023, you will no longer be required to purchase proofs of your new designs to make them for sale. Instead, you will use our new digital proofing tool, which will allow you to pan, zoom and review design edges. As always, there will never be a substitute for sampling your designs on physical products to gauge true colour and feel, so we still strongly encourage this step. This is especially important prior to purchasing larger orders.      Weekly Listing Limits   While we are excited about digital proofing and the removal of the proof-purchasing requirement, we also want to meter an overload of newly made-for-sale designs to the marketplace. As there was no listing limit before, we have now set a limit of 25 made-for-sale designs per artist per week.      De-listing Stagnant Designs  We hear over and over from many shoppers that they feel overwhelmed by the number of search results, often receiving hundreds of pages and thousands of results to wade through.  To condense search results, make new designs more discoverable and encourage more design diversity, we will be de-listing (making private) older, stagnant designs starting in January 2024. Some important points to understand:   •The criteria for the possible de-listing of a design is that it is at least two years old, has not sold in the past two years and has less than 50 favourites.   •We will test this out slowly and evaluate at various intervals before conducting a full rollout. So, it is not guaranteed that all designs meeting the criteria will be de-listed. •A de-listed design will maintain all data associated with it (number of favourites, who favourited it, whose collections it was in, etc.). •You will maintain the ability to re-list (make for sale) a design again, no questions asked. •A re-listed design will return to the marketplace with all data previously associated with it (number of favourites, who favourited it, whose collections it was in, etc.). •A re-listed design will not be eligible for involuntary de-listing for two more years. •Before you re-list, however, we would suggest asking yourself: Do I think this is a strong design? Is there something I could improve about the design before re-listing? Can I better optimize my title, description and tags for improved findability? Here are some tips on optimizing for findability.  •You will be notified via your Spoonflower messages when you have designs that have been de-listed. •To see which designs have been de-listed, you will visit your Design Library and filter with a new “Previously for Sale” filter."

*copy/pasted BUT I admit I did change the spelling of colour and favourite because I hate seeing them without the u, and they had wiggly red lines under them because I am not American.

could you tell me more about spoonflower? i'm interested in uploading my own designs, but i'm not entirely sure how it works or how much it pays. thank you!

Sure! When you first upload your design, it'll look like this.

The standard DPI for printing on all the fabric sites I've seen is 150, and since I made this pattern at 200 DPI that means Spoonflower will print it bigger than I want it unless I change it here. So I click on the "change DPI" thing, type in "200" and click "change". Sometimes I find it doesn't save, so I always go back later to check and make sure it did save the right DPI.

(You can avoid this by just changing your image to the right DPI before uploading, but sometimes I want the option to make it a bit bigger, just in case.)

If you want to make multiple sizes of the same pattern available you'll have to upload a different version for each one and change the size individually. For example, I drew my Bathroom Dinosaurs pattern pretty large and at 150 DPI, and left that as is for the big version.

But I wanted a small version too, so for that one I changed it to 670 pixels per inch so it'd print much smaller.

You write in the title, tags, and description, and you can put any links to other pages or references in the "Additional Details" section.

(Leaving links isn't usually necessary, but sometimes it is, like how I wanted to leave a link to the original 1760's teapot for my crinoid fossil pattern.)

At this point, you can order things printed with your design, but nobody else can yet. You have the option to show the design publicly, but I like to keep it private until I've ordered my proofs and can sell it.

Now, to order proofs! DO NOT GET THE CUT SWATCHES!!! They are SO much more expensive than getting a fill-a-yard, because cutting and packaging all the little pieces is a lot of extra labour. Wether you have a few designs, or a lot, just get a fill-a-yard.

To make a fill-a-yard you first need to make a collection. Collections can be either public or private, so I keep a private collection called "new designs to proof", and I put all my new designs in there until I've ordered them. You can also add other people's patterns to a collection, so if you have extra space to fill up or you want little bits of a bunch of other people's patterns for a quilt or something, add whatever you want to your collection.

On the collections page when you hover your mouse over one you'll see a little patchwork symbol show up in the middle along the bottom edge, and you click on that.

That'll take you here, and you choose a layout and a fabric.

For some reason the fabric options here are a bit limited and vary depending on the layout. I like to get either the 1 yard/42 designs in cotton poplin, or the 2 yards/48 designs in cotton sateen, but there are plenty more you could try.

I'll click the latter for this example. (The squares in this one are the perfect size for pleated face masks, and I have a few made from mine and my friend's fabrics.)

Then you just click on a design and click on however many squares/rectangles you want it to fill. It usually takes a few seconds for them to show up.

You can have just one little sample of each, or you could make half the fabric be one design and fill up the rest with little samples. (That's what I did for my brown monster waistcoat - I printed juuuust enough of a fill-a-yard to cut out a waistcoat from, and the rest was other samples.)

You can change it around if you want. Once you're happy with it, put it in the cart and buy it!

I'm not going to order this one since it's an example with designs I've already proofed, but here's what my monster patterns looked like when they arrived.

Also, I want to point out that you could VERY easily make some really fun pride flags using the fill-a-yard! You might have to have it be only part of the fabric, depending on the number of stripes, but you could make it be any texture or pattern you want. Here's a quick example I did with other people's patterns by searching "(colour) marble texture".

With only 4 stripes I'd have to fill the rest of the space in with something else and cut it off, but it would still be pretty big! (The edge of that purple stripe looks jagged in the preview, but they print perfectly straight.)

I have not done this, but someone should! Just wash it, trim the blank edges off, hem it, and you've got a flag!

(Don't do this with the 2 yards/4 designs option though, it looks like nice stripes in the thumbnail but it's made for infinity scarves and there's a gap and dotted line down the middle for cutting. Bleh.)

Anyways, once your samples arrive you can make the designs available for sale! If you have any changes you'd like to make, to the size it prints at or the pattern itself, you can make them now.

I found the small version of the Bathroom Dinosaurs print was too small when I first got my proofs, so I just reduced the DPI a bit.

And you can replace the image with a new, edited version by clicking "upload revision".

So when my brown coffin pattern printed really washed out and grey, I replaced it with a more saturated version and was good to go, no need to order another proof.

Down at the bottom of the design editing page you can now click on the options to list it publicly, and to sell it on fabric and/or wallpaper. I make all of them available on fabric, and some on wallpaper if I deem them to be appropriately large.

They'll pay you 10% of the sales price of the fabric, or slightly more if you sell over a certain amount in a month. There's a whole page of questions and answers about it.

You also get a 10% discount if you order fabrics with your own designs. (Although, personally, if I'm ordering my own designs on fabrics for me then I'd prefer to get them from somewhere like ArtFabrics, since they use reactive dyes instead of inks, so their blacks actually print black and don't make the fabric stiffer like Spoonflower's do. And also because they're here in Canada so there's less shipping cost. Sadly they don't have an option to sell your designs though.)

Spoonflower also has weekly design contests which are announced a few weeks in advance and have pretty big store credit prizes (the first place one is 200 USD), and I've entered a few times, but I don't vote often because Spoonflower is such a huge site that there are frequently over a thousand entries and it's really time consuming to scroll through them all.

Ok, that's everything I can think of! I also put all my patterns on sone things on Redbubble, since they have options for repeating patterns on some things.

[569plm]

How to Choose the Right Hikvision Camera for Your Dubai Property

In a city like Dubai, protection is a pinnacle priority for both homeowners and companies. With its fast urban increase, valuable belongings, and numerous populace, it’s no marvel that putting in CCTV structures has become essential. One of the most depended on brands for CCTV systems is Hikvision, recognized for its best and advanced era. If you are looking to stable your property, choosing the right Hikvision digicam Dubai gives may be overwhelming because of the wide range of alternatives to be had.

This manual will stroll you via the key elements to consider whilst choosing the best Hikvision digicam for your house in Dubai. Whether you’re looking to protect a villa, an condo, or a business area, this text will help you are making an knowledgeable selection.

1. Identify Your Surveillance Needs

Before deciding on a Hikvision digicam in your Dubai property, it’s critical to determine your precise security needs. Ask your self the following questions:

What regions do you want to display? Is it simply the entryway, or do you need insurance for parking areas, backyards, or indoor areas as nicely?

Are cameras required for each interior and outside assets surveillance? Because of Dubai's intense heat and dirt, outside cameras should be long lasting and weatherproof.

What kind of footage exceptional do you require? High-resolution cameras are wonderful for unique tracking but can be needless for simple surveillance needs.

Do you want far off get entry to on your cameras? Many cutting-edge cameras allow you to monitor your property thru cell apps or computer systems.

By answering these questions, you could slim down your selections and recognition on locating a digicam that meets your precise desires.

2. Choose the Right Camera Type

Hikvision offers numerous varieties of cameras, every designed for special purposes. Understanding the kinds to be had will assist you pick out the pleasant Hikvision digital camera Dubai property owners can rely upon.

A. Dome Cameras

Because of their small length and potential to combo in with the surroundings, dome cameras are a famous choice for both indoor and outside tracking. They are regularly set up on ceilings and offer extensive-angle coverage.

Advantages:

Vandal-resistant layout.

Suitable for indoor and out of doors use.

Good for covering wide regions.

B. Bullet Cameras

Bullet cameras are extra sizeable due to their cylindrical form and are normally used for outdoor surveillance. They are superb for monitoring specific areas which include driveways, gates, and entrances.

Advantages:

Long-range viewing.

Highly visible, that could deter criminals.

Weatherproof for utilization interior or exterior.

C. PTZ (pan, tilt, and zoom) cameras

The pan, tilt, and zoom abilities of PTZ cameras provide versatility. These cameras are perfect for preserving an eye on enormous areas, consisting of parking lots or commercial districts.

Advantages:

Adjustable view for broader insurance.

Zoom-in functionality to capture precise photos.

Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

D. Turret Cameras

Turret cameras, additionally known as "eyeball" cameras, are just like dome cameras but lack the glass housing. They offer clear images in varying mild situations and are commonly used for each residential and business houses.

Advantages:

Great for low-mild conditions.

Less glare from direct lighting.

Compact layout, suitable for both indoor and out of doors use.

Three. Consider Resolution and Image Quality

Another important factor in deciding on the proper Hikvision digital camera Dubai offers is image decision. Hikvision cameras come in numerous resolutions, from 2MP (megapixels) to 8MP and beyond. The higher the decision, the extra detailed the photographs.

2MP (1080p): Suitable for fundamental domestic or small business surveillance.

4MP and 5MP: Offers a higher stage of element, great for medium-sized residences or regions with slight interest.

8MP (4K): Ideal for big homes or excessive-security regions in which certain photos is essential, including parking plenty or warehouses.

For Dubai residences, do not forget the place you're tracking. For small indoor spaces, a 2MP digicam might be sufficient, but for large outdoor regions, you may want to choose a better decision.

Four. Check for Night Vision and Low-Light Performance

Dubai’s scorching solar can be excessive all through the day, but the town’s nights can be simply as busy. Ensuring that your digicam can carry out nicely in low-light conditions is critical, especially if you want 24/7 surveillance.

Hikvision cameras come ready with Infrared (IR) night vision, allowing you to display your house even in whole darkness. Some fashions additionally encompass ColorVu era, which gives complete-coloration pix even at night time. When choosing a digital camera, look for functions together with:

IR Range: The distance your camera can capture inside the darkish.

Low-mild overall performance: Cameras with WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) assist balance out mild and dark regions, that's useful for residences that experience numerous lighting fixtures situations.

Five. Weatherproofing for Outdoor Cameras

Dubai’s weather may be harsh, with intense temperatures and sandstorms being not unusual. If you are installing cameras outside, you need to make sure they could resist the factors. Look for cameras with IP66 or IP67 rankings, which suggest the digital camera’s ability to resist dirt, sand, and rain.

Hikvision cameras are designed to endure Dubai’s climate, but it’s important to double-check that the model you pick out has the essential durability for lengthy-time period use outdoors.

6. Smart Features and Integration

In today’s digital age, many safety cameras include clever features that decorate their capability. Hikvision cameras regularly encompass superior features like:

Motion detection: The digital camera facts only whilst motion is detected, which saves garage space.

Mobile get right of entry to: View live pictures and get hold of indicators to your phone through an app.

AI-powered analytics: Some excessive-quit Hikvision cameras use artificial intelligence to come across uncommon activities, which include loitering or human beings counting, which can be beneficial for organizations.

For folks that want a extra advanced security setup, make certain your Hikvision digicam Dubai solution can integrate with your present home automation machine or security community.

7. Consider Your Budget

Lastly, whilst deciding on the right digicam, it's essential to balance your protection needs with your finances. Hikvision cameras come in a extensive range of prices, from low-priced options for small homes to excessive-give up fashions with superior capabilities for commercial areas. Think about what features are essential and wherein you can compromise without sacrificing protection.

Conclusion

Choosing the proper Hikvision digital camera Dubai belongings proprietors can depend on is all approximately information your specific needs and matching them with the proper capabilities. Whether you need a simple digital camera for domestic protection or a high-tech surveillance system for a business, Hikvision has some thing to provide. By considering factors like camera type, resolution, night time vision, weatherproofing, and clever functions, you may make an informed choice with a purpose to hold your home secure and stable for future years.

[tyhu963m842]

A Complete Guide to Selecting the Appropriate CCTV System for Your Dubai Home

One of the easiest answers for domestic safety in Dubai is to put in a honest CCTV machine. Regardless of whether you need to shield your enterprise or residence, picking an appropriate surveillance equipment can be the distinction among preserving trespassers at bay. Due to Dubai's rapid increase, homes and groups are extra stressful than ever about safety. However, with so many CCTV options available, how can you make the first-class desire?

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you thru the key elements to recollect for CCTV installation in Dubai, supporting you're making an knowledgeable choice that guarantees the safety of your private home.

1. Recognize the Particular Needs of Your Property

Knowing what you need is the first step in choosing the exceptional CCTV system. Every property has extraordinary needs in terms of safety.

Residential Properties: If you’re putting in CCTV for a domestic, you can handiest need coverage across the perimeter, entrances, and not unusual outside areas. Indoor surveillance can also be helpful when you have valuable assets in your private home.

Commercial Properties: Businesses, however, require greater great insurance. This may want to consist of monitoring coins registers, employee areas, storage rooms, and outside parking plenty.

Ask yourself: Do I want indoor, outside, or each varieties of cameras? Do I require 24/7 tracking or simply for the duration of sure hours? Answering these questions will assist slim down your options.

2. Recognize the Various CCTV Camera Types

There can be an awesome amount of CCTV digicam alternatives to be had available on the market. Here’s a breakdown of the principle sorts:

Dome Cameras: These cameras are commonly used indoors and are regarded for his or her glossy, inconspicuous design. They offer a extensive viewing perspective and are exceptional for protecting large regions like residing rooms or commercial spaces.

Bullet cameras: Because in their weatherproof construction, those are regularly applied outdoor. The long, cylindrical lens of a bullet digicam allows it to view into regions, including driveways, gates, and entrances.

Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras: These fantastic cameras permit you to zoom in on unique regions and modify the digital camera's path remotely. They’re exquisite for companies wanting more manage over surveillance.

IP Cameras: These cameras are recognised for their high-definition video best and the potential to transmit photos via the net. This function is especially beneficial in case you want far off get entry to to your CCTV device out of your smartphone or pc.

Each kind has its benefits, so it’s crucial to fit the digicam type along with your precise wishes for CCTV installation Dubai.

Three. Consider Image Quality and Resolution

One of the key elements to appearance out for whilst selecting a CCTV gadget is the best of the pictures. The better the decision, the clearer the photo. For residential residences, 720p or 1080p decision is probably sufficient, however for organizations or larger houses, opting for better resolutions which include 4K can be necessary.

Why does this depend? Clear photos permits you to better identify ability intruders or suspicious activities. In high-chance regions, having a clear image may want to mean the difference among catching a crook and missing critical info.

Four. Check for Night Vision Capabilities

Dubai’s bustling nightlife approach you may want round-the-clock security. It’s critical to pick a CCTV system with night time imaginative and prescient skills. Cameras equipped with infrared (IR) technology can capture clean pics even in low-mild situations, making sure your own home is blanketed day and night.

For out of doors cameras, night imaginative and prescient is vital as maximum incidents generally tend to take place for the duration of dark hours. Check the camera’s IR range to see how a long way it is able to capture clear photographs in complete darkness.

Five. Think About Storage Options

Once your cameras seize pictures, you’ll want a place to save it. CCTV systems offer unique garage alternatives:

Local Storage: Some cameras include memory card slots that permit footage to be stored without delay on the tool. This is usually extra appropriate for smaller-scale operations, like domestic protection.

Cloud Storage: This choice stores pictures within the cloud, which means you may get right of entry to it from everywhere, whenever, as long as you have got a web connection. Cloud garage is a first rate alternative for organizations with a couple of places or in case you want the brought safety of off-web site backup.

Network Video Recorders (NVR): These are ideal for larger properties or companies that need to save big quantities of pictures. NVRs can be connected to multiple cameras, permitting you to manipulate everything from one location.

It’s critical to do not forget the period of garage you want as nicely. Most companies choose as a minimum 30 days of garage, whilst owners can also only want a week’s worth.

6. Remote Access and Monitoring

For convenience and peace of thoughts, recollect putting in a CCTV system that lets in far flung access. With cellular apps and software program, you may screen your property in actual-time, regardless of wherein you are.

This characteristic is particularly useful if you journey frequently or need to keep a watch for your commercial enterprise after hours. For CCTV installation in Dubai, systems presenting faraway viewing are particularly popular among business proprietors who want steady updates on their belongings.

7. Weather Resistance and Durability

Dubai’s excessive temperatures and dusty situations can take a toll on out of doors surveillance device. When deciding on cameras for outdoor use, ensure they may be climate-resistant and sturdy sufficient to resist the tough Dubai climate.

Look for cameras with an IP66 or better score, this means that they're immune to water and dust. Additionally, a few out of doors cameras are geared up with cooling systems or unique substances to address the extreme heat.

Eight. Budget Considerations

Finally, it’s critical to set a budget before investing in a CCTV device. While it’s tempting to head for the maximum superior functions, make certain the device fits inside your economic plan. Fortunately, there are lots of CCTV alternatives to be had to match various budgets.

For homeowners, a modest device with some cameras and basic monitoring might be sufficient. For agencies, it’s well worth investing in greater advanced functions like 4K decision, far off access, and prolonged garage.

Conclusion

Choosing the right CCTV installation in Dubai doesn’t ought to be complicated. By know-how your home’s specific desires, considering digicam types, specializing in picture first-rate, and making sure your system offers the right garage and tracking features, you may protect your home efficiently.

Security is an funding, and with the right CCTV system, you’ll be giving your property or commercial enterprise the safety it merits. Whether you’re a homeowner or a business proprietor, taking the time to choose the right CCTV machine pays off in peace of thoughts and lengthy-term protection.

[lifeafterthelayoff]

Part II, Day 69.

Ordinary events of a job seeker on an extraordinary day. (The solar eclipse being the extraordinary part, of course.)

No interviews, coffee chats, or interviews scheduled today. That leaves the whole day up to me, mostly. What does that look like, even? LIKE THIS:

🌅 Rise at 5:55am to make my daughter breakfast and lunch.

📖 Eat breakfast, read an issue of National Geographic magazine. An actual printed magazine! Yay!

📱 Scroll through TikTok for three-quarters of an hour, far too long. Boo!

🚶 Walk on the treadmill while watching “The Man in the High Castle” because I like to consume popular media about 8 or 9 years after everyone else, apparently.

💻 Take a seat at my desk to finalize v2 of my portfolio presentation.

💸 Pay my 2023 taxes.

🍽️ Ate lunch: leftovers.

🤘 Put in my Airpods and queue up the entire discography of my favorite metalcore band, Spiritbox, to keep me entertained as I touch up my painted entryway floor with a fine paintbrush for two hours.

🌫️ Step outside to look at the clouds where the solar eclipse was supposed to be.

💿 Go to the thrift store to drop off some donations AND to flip through the records there because I simply cannot resist it.

🥹 Step into the regional home improvement store chain to look at lumber for a project. Hear John Mayer’s “Daughter” played as background music. Tear up a little bit, because that song always does me in.

😸 Have a fellow shopper say to me, “You’ve got the cat burglar get-up on today.” I was wearing a black beanie, black gloves, and a black windbreaker. He’s not wrong. I laughed.

🌌 Pick up the aforementioned daughter from track practice. Hear about her day on the way home. The space club she co-founded at school had a special meeting on solar eclipse day. They streamed it on YouTube.

🍝 Help make dinner, eat it as we watch 3 episodes of “Brooklyn 99.” We used to eat at the table, but we do this right now, and I’m very much okay with it. Going with the flow.

🎹 Pause dinner cleanup while my daughter has a piano lesson via Zoom. I know how pots and pans sound on the other end of a Zoom call. They can wait.

🎶 Resume dinner cleanup with an eclipse-themed record playing in the background.

🪚 Go back to the regional home improvement store location with my wife, decide what lumber to buy, buy it.

🍵 Make a cup of decaf green tea. Put on another eclipse-themed album (a CD, this time). Type these words.

THERE YOU HAVE IT. It’s not nearly as cool as witnessing a total solar eclipse, but it wasn’t all bad, either.

[returntosaturn271995]

Thursday, March 21st: Rock 'N Roll

It was a 1% better kind of day.

Movie watched: "Yesterday", very cute and I love British humor. Begs the question, if you could go back in time and invent or create any artwork, what would you rip off.

Podcast: History for Wierdos - The Joan of Arc episode

Cardio: 3 K run

Book: Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis, this guy and his ghostwriter are talented as hell. Of course, I'm listening to The Red Hot Chili Peppers as I do it in album order. So far some of the more wild moments include him losing his virginity at age 11 to one of his dad's girlfriends and the fact that he jumped off a 5 story building and missed the pool he was aiming for by ten inches and landed on his feet, and all men crave their father's approval. We just now are getting to the high school years.

Yoga: About to do 20 minutes of stretching

Cooking: Ribeye steak and gochujang pan sauce

with Sushi Rice, Cauliflower & Crispy Onions

Cleaning: The kitchen while listening to a daily meditation on leaving places better than you found them

Meditation: Also enjoyed some outdoor time, with a straight back, on the gift of being wrong. I think the goal is to eventually do non-guided meditations, but I also think it helps my staying in the moment longer in all other parts of life. I feel happier, lighter.

Work: Meetings with Carlye and Julia where we mostly just had water cooler talk (via zoom). Also, some actual productivity happened.

Outfit: Matching polo skort workout set, necklace with a pearl at the end (you can tell I'm avoiding saying pearl necklace), headband.

Now it's 7:30, I get paid at midnight- time to vibe.

[chorusfm]

Nick Woolford of Have Mercy

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Nick Woolford (bassist/backing vocals) of Have Mercy to discuss the band’s latest full length record called Numb, that releases today via Rude Records. In this interview, I asked Nick about the band’s process for crafting the songs on this LP, the chemistry with their new drummer, how Taylor Swift’s Midnights led the band to some creative discoveries, and their favorite bands/venues in the Maryland area. Numb is available today here. Thank you so much for connecting with me today, Nick. Can you tell me about what went into the writing and recording process of your new record called Numb? It was very laid back, compared to everything we’ve ever done. We didn’t have a label or anything, it was just kind of us. Just hanging out in the basement and writing. Kind of how it was 15 years ago. So, there was no pressure. It just came really naturally. We just took our time on it. And we did all the recording ourselves as well. What was the writing process like for those songs? Were there certain sections of songs you struggled with? For sure. I mean, there were definitely some songs that just came out in a couple of hours. And just was like, “Okay, we know exactly what’s going on.” There’s some songs that we changed, probably five times or so. I mean, because we didn’t have a drummer either, really, at that time. So we were all just kind of jumping drum parts into the computer. We really had to focus on how, if we had a real drummer, how this sounds, so it makes things a little difficult. But once we got the drummer situation figured out, everything really came in, and it all panned out really well.  So who is your current drummer? And how’s that band chemistry going? It’s good. It’s Steve Wooten, who was in a bunch of Victory Records bands back in the day. And he’s from the Annapolis area, so we all kind of grew up with him. And it was on a whim, we asked him if he would want it to record drums. And I mean, he has been the best. And everything has worked out really well with Steve. That’s great to hear. I reviewed your guys last EP, which was a self-titled effort. How did this process of adding the momentum gained from your last EP, which was a well-received effort, motivate your band to make more music right away? I think that’s basically what kind of motivated us to do it. During the pandemic, it just shifted away from music. I mean, we stopped in 2019. We went on that tour, that farewell tour, and then the pandemic hit. And I mean, everyone just had nothing to do. So we decided to focus on doing other things besides music. And eventually, I said, “Well, I got some songs. You guys want to come over and see what happens?” And we’re like, “Okay, well, maybe we can still do this!” And it got really positive views. And everyone was saying that should start doing more stuff. So we kind of buckled down and focused on seeing what we could come up with. That’s awesome. And I understand you also recently filmed a music video…? Yeah, last night.  Okay, what song was that for? And what is the general theme of that video? It’s for “Numb,” the title track. It won’t actually be released for a couple weeks, until when the album comes out. Naturally, I think we had a couple of different ideas. And just the lighting and the simple cinematography, we really just kind of focused on a live setting shot, but it was filmed in a really cool studio, a recording studio. The live room just has really cool colors. And I mean, it looks great. The director really did a really good job and got some really awesome shots. So I’m excited to see how he puts it all together… That’s awesome. Your latest single, called “Alive,” I think, is a great song, first of all for Have Mercy. Can you explain how the lyrics and the music came together for that particular track? Yeah, so it’s actually kind of funny. So me and Brian were sitting in the basement working on a couple ideas… https://chorus.fm/features/interviews/please-post-on-friday-12-8-nick-woolford-of-have-mercy/

[tyler-harris-htm-101-blog]

Tyler Harris HTM 101 Blog

Blog 1 - HTM & The World Tourism Organization

I learned a lot as we begin our semester. HTM is a rapidly growing industry with a significant impact on the global economy. In addition, The World Tourism Organization, after some research, is a specialized agency of the United Nations that plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable and responsible tourism worldwide. I am excited discuss the importance of HTM and the role of the UNWTO in supporting the industry.

Blog 2 - HTM & The Agencies

I think I would be interested in an HTM career related to the airline industry. This industry in particular has interested me from a young age. I love to travel and think a position in this industry would have a lot to offer and provide many opportunities. As mentioned in zoom class, HTM is a great industry that relates to many different majors and industries.

Blog 3 - Impacts of HTM at local, regional, national, and global levels

When traveling to various parts of the world, there are numerous factors that must be accounted for. For example, it is important to understand that natural disasters are always a possibility and occur in many parts around the globe. It is very important to understand the health care system in the country you are attending. By doing so, you and your family are able to understand accessible destinations that can assist in case of an emergency.

Blog 4 - Spiritual Pilgrimages & Adventure Travel

I personally found Nellie's blog to be very insightful and fascinating. Throughout the various places around the world that she has traveled and posted about have really inspired me to travel more. I also enjoyed how she traveled to so many different cultures to really get a taste of a little bit of everything and understand different ways of living. 

Blog 5 - Cruise Industry

I think working on a cruise would be an incredible experience. However, I do not think this experience is meant for everyone. I personally could probably only take a role on a cruise for a few years before deciding to change jobs. I like the idea of traveling via sea to many cool countries around the world. On the other hand, I think I would personally get sick and tired of it and start to miss my family and being stationary in a particular location. 

Blog 6 - Airline / Aviation Industry

Prior to this section I was completely unaware of the Pan Am flight 103 event that took place. It was very sad to learn about and it certainly had an impact on how the aviation safety guidelines have changed years following. With technological advancements, aviation disasters have been much more rare nowadays due to an increase in security.   

Blog 7 - Hotel Industry

After watching the film, I gained a much better understanding into the hotel industry. In particular, I learned a lot about the positives but also the difficulties that come with it in order to be successful from a business perspective. If I were to start a hotel chain, I would probably gear towards a target market similar to Marriot. I would want to target upper-middle class individulas and families in high-populated areas.

Blog 8 - Meetings & Events

I could see myself as an activities and event planner. I think I would enjoy this role because it has a large impact on the importance of company culture. By implementing activities and events for a company, it can help build connections within the company and others within the industry.

Blog 9 - Food & Beverage

The food and beverage industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, driven by evolving consumer preferences, technological advancements, and shifting industry dynamics. One notable trend is the increasing demand for healthier and more sustainable food options, as consumers become more conscious of the impact of their food choices on the environment and their health. This has led to higher demand for plant-based and organic food products. Additionally, the rise of e-commerce and online delivery platforms has transformed the way consumers order and receive food, making it more convenient and accessible. 

Blog 10 - Monetizing the Industry

Christian's video was certainly interesting to watch. Three takeaways that I could implement include traditional methods such as selling products and services, as well as newer approaches such as digital marketing and e-commerce. Since hospitality businesses must constantly innovate and adapt in order to remain competitive and profitable, it may involve implementing new revenue streams or optimizing existing ones. Additionally, effective cost management and pricing strategies are would be very important for long-term financial sustainability.

Blog 11 - Hospitality Franchises

There are many hospitality franchises that have proven to be very successful. However, one that certainly stands out to me is the Marriott. Marriott is one of the largest and most well-known hospitality franchises in the world, with a wide range of hotel brands under its umbrella. Their high quality rooms with excellent customer service intrigues me most about the franchise.

Blog 12 - HTM Speaker Series

The HTM speaker series by Courtney Stanley was very fascinating and was really influencial. Her ability to connect certain aspects and answers we provided together really got me thinking. It was certainly beneficial to participate throughout the entire event to better understand ourselves. I was also very impressed by her presentation that I decided to connect with her through a more professional manner on LinkedIn.

Blog 13 - Careers in HTM

I thought the video by Jeremy Nicholas was certainky very interesting. It was really interesting hearing about the impact the pandemic had on the job market. Many points were made, but one really stood out to me. I think it is extremely important to present yourself in a way that represents what you are aiming for. The saying "dress for the job you want" certainly applies here. In addition, it is imperative to maintain both hard and soft skills because your ability to talk about those skills may determine your overall ability to land a certain job.

Blog 14 - Final Reflection

Throughout the entire semester, all the cases, discussions, and new knowledge I gained was super interesting. My point of view on the industry as a whole has definitely changed over this time period. I never really did understand how large of an industry it is and how much it applies to. Therefore, it has been very beneficial to gain this new knowledge to then keep in mind as I transition into my professional career.

[pivsketch]

spared yall my rambling about process in the original post. u can see all that and the janky unedited scan in here tho:

used some neutral gray copics, some vermillion red watercolor i've had lying around for quite some time, on some ancient bristol paper that i've had for like. a decade. its not even cool smooth bristol! its got tooth! maybe i should be using pencil-y type stuff on it

loads of digital editing in csp to fix pretty much everything after the fact: the t-marker set was real handy for keeping things looking seamless. i also randomly picked one of the countless pencil-esque brushes i've downloaded to mimic the thin pen lines-- i think this time it was mameo pencil

ok so. i am so extremely not a traditional arts kinda guy. im flat out not patient enough for it. measure twice cut once? when i typically draw i don't measure and i cut endlessly. its my worst habit and probably why i get wrist problems 😔... working on paper, im constantly experiencing the consequences of my actions what the heck

theres no undo¹ and white gel pen/paint is not opaque enough² to take back mistakes. and you can't just keep putting down more markers and watercolors, it'll fuck it up! less is more! plan ahead of time! etc! the sheer permanence of pen ink and alcohol markers and, god forbid, watercolors is the total antithesis of how i usually work and requires figuring out a different approach to it. which is also why its useful to do. theres like, lessons and principles in there. maybe i can unlearn some bad habits while im at it. or just continue to drastically fix it in post <_< (no!!! i hate doing that!!)

anyway, heres the original scan w/o any edits to it so you can see how much i changed after the fact lol:

pretty early on i realized the head angle was completely off (oops) which affected the space between it and the arm, but, you know, whatever, i wasnt going to care it could just be bad. EXCEPT i also messed up his mouth and face and eyes and overall expression which i DID care about. moxley's got a very specific look to him in the original photo!!! i drew his eyes and brow wrong here, like hes gonna cry or wince or something. the giant eye shines dont help. anyway, the vibes were just off! the edited version gets closer to the emotions id want to depict, though i did editorialize like 7% more frustration in there just due to the nature of what ended up happening in the match. the big wild tough guy badass threw in the towel for his whole team just so the young protege wouldn't die big time! handcuffed to the corner, the only way he could do anything to stop anyone was by ending the match via surrender!! such a shame we didnt get to see that presented properly in the actual show. stop fucking it up with those camera cuts, camera operator!!!

anyway, i digress, wrestling is really cool and drawing on paper is very hard

¹ one time i pinched at my sketchbook because i wanted to pan and zoom in. very embarrassing ² i got gel pens and poscas, it aint ever enough! i could prolly just use a really thick glob of white gouache or something but application would be difficult. plus, you know, it changes the texture of the... everything.

did a traditional study of a photo from aew dynamite blood & guts (its the last image) over the weekend and then heavily fixed it up digitally. if im going to be out here buying art supplies i need to start using them 😑

[zuko-always-lies]

Unpopular Opinion: Zuko’s treatment of Mai is deeply toxic.

Mai is a character who is often maligned in the fandom, with it even occasionally being claimed that she was “abusive” toward Zuko. Any objective analysis of Mai’s behavior in her relationship with Zuko will instead find that she was, in fact, a shockingly good romantic partner, generally treating Zuko very well and being loyal to him far beyond reasonable expectation.  Claims that Mai behaved toxically toward Zuko seem to be instead founded in misogynistic expectations that women be perfect caretakers for the men in their lives.

That is not to say that the Zuko-Mai relationship isn’t still deeply toxic. However, its toxicity stems from the manner which Zuko badly mistreats Mai, often in ways which devalue her. Much more under the cut.

Our story begins in the first half of Book 3.  The vast majority of episodes there don’t show anything particularly toxic going on in the relationship. The most you can say is that they suggest that Zuko tends to dump his problems on others and doesn’t have best understanding of his girlfriend.

However, inevitably we must turn to “The Beach,” the episode which, by far, gets the most into the Zuko-Mai relationship. To say that Zuko doesn’t behave well toward Mai in this episode would be an understatement. I don’t speak here of Zuko’s unsuccessful attempts to please Mai early in the episode, but instead how badly he starts treating her beginning at the party:

Ruon Jian: Hey, first ones here, huh? Zuko: (cut to shot of Zuko and Mai walking side by side) Pft. He thinks he's so great. (to Mai) Well, what do you think of him? (they stop walking) Mai: I don't have any opinion about him. I hardly know him. Zuko: You like him, don't you? (Mai sighs and walks away, as Zuko looks angrily in the direction of Ruon Jian. The camera zooms in on Ruon Jian)

And

(Cut to shot of Ruon Jian leaning over Mai. Zuko rushes toward them angrily and pushes Ruon Jian away from her. Cut to shot of Ruon Jian straightening his hair.) Ruon Jian: Whoa. What are you doing? Zuko: (close-up shot of Zuko, angry) Stop talking to my girlfriend! Ruon Jian: (Ruon Jian approaches Zuko) Relax, it's just a party. (Zuko pushes Ruon Jian hard, sending him flying across the room, breaking a giant vase.) Mai: (Mai stands up and grabs Zuko's shoulder. He turns towards her.) Zuko, what is wrong with you?! Zuko: What's wrong with me?! Mai: (angrily) Your temper's out of control. You blow up over every little thing. You're so impatient and hot-headed and angry. Zuko: Well, at least I feel something...as opposed to you. You have no passion for anything. (raising his arms is the air) You're just a big "blah". Mai: (turning away from him) It's over, Zuko. We're done.

 And:

(Zuko follows her and the camera pans down to the handprint, left alone on the porch. Cut to wide view of the camera panning down Ember Island Beach. Zuko and Azula are walking side by side toward Mai and Ty Lee. Close shot of Zuko looking toward Mai and then looking away. Close shot of Mai looking angry and a bit sad.) Mai: Hey... (Interrupted) Zuko: (close shot of Zuko) Where's your new boyfriend? (Mai turns away angrily. Zuko comes and sits next to her) Are you cold? (he puts his arm around her, but she slaps it away)

Zuko is acting in a massively controlling fashion toward Mai, motivated by his violent and rage-filled jealously.  She literally can’t talk to a boy without Zuko flying into a jealous rage, trying to separate her from the person she’s talking to, and accusing her of emotional infidelity. In real life, this is considered a warning sign for an abusive relationship(although I don’t think Zuko has crossed the line into abusive yet).

“The Beach” also gives us this:

Mai: Oh, well, I'm sorry I can't be as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you. (Cut to over-head shot of the four teens. Zuko walks closer to the fire and Mai.) Zuko: I'm sorry, too. I wish you would be high-strung and crazy for once, (Close shot of Mai looking away and Zuko standing over her) instead of keeping all your feelings bottled up inside. She just called your aura dingy. Are you gonna take that?

Zuko tries to provoke Mai into having a fight with her best friend Ty Lee just so he can watch her express strong emotions.  Zuko very much wants to Mai to be and act like someone she’s not, which has its own issues.

Overall, Zuko treats Mai quite poorly in “The Beach.” The episode ends with this:

Mai: I know one thing I care about... (Cut to shot of Mai smiling at Zuko) I care about you. (Mai and Zuko kiss. Azula claps, causing them to separate and turn toward Azula. The camera pans left to include her.)

Mai forgives Zuko and accepts him back without him acknowledging his behavior was wrong, apologizing for it, or giving her any guarantee that he will treat her better in the future. That’s unfortunate, as Zuko soon ends up treating her far, far worse than he ever did in this episode.

Zuko’s disregard for Mai cumulates with the manner he commits treason on the Day of Black Sun. Let us start our understanding of what he did wrong from the beginning. Breaking up with Mai via a letter which didn’t give her a real explanation was a real asshole move, but it’s not at the core of what he did wrong.  For that, we need to turn to this conversation from “The Headband”:

Zuko: Can't you see we're busy? (He and Mai resume their "business".) Azula: (not to be put off) Oh, Mai... Ty Lee needs your help untangling her braid. Mai: (complaisantly) Sounds pretty serious. (She gets up and leaves. Walking past Azula, towards the camera, she shoots the princess a quick, poisonous glance behind her back.) Azula: So...I hear you've been to visit your Uncle Fatso in the prison tower. Zuko: (standing, incensed) That guard told you. Azula: (smugly) No, you did. Just now. Zuko: (sitting back down) Okay, you caught me. What is it that you want, Azula? Azula: (solicitiously) Actually, nothing. Believe it or not, I'm looking out for you. If people find out you've been to see Uncle, they'll think you're plotting with him. Just be careful, dum-dum.

Zuko has proven his loyalty to the Fire Nation beyond doubt, yet Azula is still very worried that him spending time with Iroh will get him accused of treason, because having a close association with traitors puts oneself under almost automatic suspicion of treason.

“Day of Black Sun, Part II”:

Zuko: First of all, in Ba Sing Se, it was Azula who took down the Avatar, not me. Fire Lord Ozai: Why would she lie to me about that? Zuko: Because the Avatar is not dead. He survived. Fire Lord Ozai: (alarmed) What?!

Zuko deliberately throws Azula under the bus, hurting her and reducing her status with Ozai as much possible while effectively accusing her of deliberately committing treason. He also deliberately pisses off Ozai as much as possible.

So where does this leave us? Mai is Zuko’s known girlfriend and extremely close associate. Automatically, the suspicion of knowing of Zuko’s treason ahead of time or being involved falls upon her. She’s in grave risk of being imprisoned, tortured, or executed, especially since Ozai seems not the type to be strictly concerned with ensuring those he punishes are guilty beyond reasonable doubt. The Fire Nation seems like a society which might have collective punishment(as historical East Asian societies, Nazi Germany, and the Stalinist Soviet Union did), and Mai might be under risk from that direction.  Finally, Ozai might hurt her simply as way of retaliating against Zuko.

Normally Azula would almost certainly be able to protect her friend, even under these trying circumstances, given Azula’s prestige and accomplishments.  However, Zuko has deliberately undermined Azula as much as possible and effectively accused her of committing treason herself, dramatically reducing the probability that she will be able to protect Mai.  In fact, Mai stands risk of being accused of being involved in Azula’s effort to “conceal the fact that the Avatar survived,” given Mai’s close association with Azula and her close involvement in the events where the Avatar “died.” She’s thus under danger from two different directions.

“But Zuko had to betray his father and become good through aiding Team Avatar.” Yes, it’s a good thing he did so. But Zuko had other options than the course he adopted. He could have avoided confronting Ozai at all and instead focused on rescuing Iroh(interesting AU idea right here).  He could have confronted Ozai but not thrown Azula under the bus, and that alone would have vastly reduced the risk to Mai(and also made Zuko out to be a better person, because deliberately throwing your younger sister under the bus and then abandoning her to the mercy of your abusive father is not a good look).  Zuko could have killed Ozai right then and there during the eclipse.  He even could have tried to lead Team Avatar to the bunker and tried to end the war right then and there.

“Zuko didn’t understand that he was placing Mai in danger.” Quite possible, but Zuko being so self-centered that he is unable of understanding that his actions can have negative effects on other people is a mark against him, not for him.

Now we turn to the Zuko’s behavior toward Mai in the rest of the third season.  Let us start with “The Boiling Rock, Part 1”:

Sokka: (emphatically) I think your Uncle would be proud of you. Leaving your home to come help us, that's hard. Zuko: It wasn't that hard. Sokka: (Cut to a side view of the basket) Really? You didn't leave behind anyone you cared about? Zuko: Well I did have a girlfriend. Mai. Sokka: (He goes closer to Zuko with a surprised look on his face) That gloomy girl who sighs a lot? Zuko: (Cut back to show Zuko grinning goofily) Yeah. (his face turns serious) Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I'm a traitor. I couldn't drag her into it. Sokka: (Cut back to Sokka who leans back on the basket) My first girlfriend turned into the Moon. Zuko: (looks up) That's rough buddy

There are two things to unpack here. First, Zuko claims he “couldn’t drag her into it,” yet he already did, as I’ve illustrated above. Second, Zuko seems to expect that Mai would have followed him into treason if he asked her, that she would be willing to betray her nation, ideology, family, and friends just for the sake of her love for him. That’s an insane and pretty toxic expectation for Zuko to have for her relationship with him, especially since he wouldn’t do the same for her.

We also get more confirmation that Zuko doesn’t care at all about Ty Lee or Azula.

I don’t have a lot to say about the Zuko-Mai conversation during Boiling Rock, Part 2. The only things I would like to note are that Zuko is not very sorry for what he did, not very empathetic toward Mai’s pain, and doesn’t give Mai a real apology for his actions.

Of course, Mai proceeds to save Zuko’s life through committing treason in front of dozens of witnesses at Boiling Rock, something which places her own life in serous jeopardy. How does Zuko react to this?

Zuko: (Cut to a shocked Zuko) It's Mai. Azula: (Cut to a furious Azula) What is she doing?! (Cut to the backs of Azula and Ty Lee as Ty Lee shrugs and makes a "I don't know" noise. Cut to the gondola as it reaches the outer part of the crater. Cut to the inside of the entrance tower as the door opens and Suki rushes out followed by Sokka, Zuko, Hakoda and Chit Sang. Hakoda turns towards Chit Sang and points to the inside of the gondola. Chit Sang proceeds to throw the warden back in.) Hakoda: (Cut to the back of Hakoda's head looking at the warden lying on the floor) Sorry Warden, your record is officially broken. (Hakoda walks off screen while the warden continues to struggle on the floor. Cut to a front shot of the group as they run up a rocky incline.) Suki: Well, we made it out. Now what? Sokka: (Sokka stops and looks back at Zuko who pauses in his tracks, thinking) Zuko, what are you doing? Zuko: My sister was on that island. Sokka: Yeah and she's probably right behind us. So let's not stop. Zuko: What I mean is she must have come here somehow. (He runs to the edge of the rocks and looks down) There. (Cut to an area looking up at the edge of the cliff) That's our way out of here. (Camera pans down to reveal a Fire Nation zeppelin docked at the shore.

Zuko says Mai’s name once and then abandons her (to die?) with zero hesitation.  This is probably objectively the correct decision. It would probably be extremely difficult and dangerous if not outright impossible to save Mai.  The prison-break crew do have access to an airship, but it’s difficult to fly an airship over the lake’s thermals.

Yet that’s not my point. Zuko abandons Mai with zero hesitation, with zero anguish, with zero angst. He doesn’t even to seem consider the possibility that he should save her.  Something tells me if Iroh had just saved Zuko’s life under identical circumstances and then was in imminent risk of harm, Zuko would act very differently, that Sokka, Suki, and Hakoda would have to drag him off that island.

Zuko’s complete disregard for Mai continues for the rest the series. Remember this exchange from “The Cave of Two Lovers”?

Zuko: (losing his patience) We're not taking any more chances with these plants! We need to get help. Iroh: But where are we going to go? We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom, and fugitives from the Fire Nation. Zuko: (musingly) If the Earth Kingdom, discovers us, they'll have us killed. Iroh: But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula.

Zuko considers being captured by Azula a worse fate than death!

But do we see Zuko worry once about Mai’s fate? Do we see angst about what might have happened to her? Do we see him make any effort to even discover her fate, much less rescue her?

No. In fact, Zuko launches a sophisticated operation to infiltrate a Fire Nation information center so that he can gain intelligence in order to help Katara murder someone so that she’ll like him, but he doesn’t even consider doing the same to find out about Mai’s fate so that he could potentially rescue her. Zuko doesn’t even mention Mai once after Boiling Rock until the very end of the series finale, even though she sacrificed herself to save him. Remember this exchange(“Sozin’s Comet, Part 3”):

Zuko: Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today. (jumps off Appa) I am. Azula: (laughs) You're hilarious. Katara: (standing beside Zuko) And you're going down. (The fire sage motions to crown Azula, but she raises her hand, signalling him to stop.) Azula: Wait. You want to be Fire Lord Fine. Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai! Zuko: You're on. (Katara turns to Zuko, surprised. Cut to a close up of Azula's lips as the curls into a smile. Cut back to Katara and Zuko.) Katara: What are you doing? She's playing you. She knows she can't take us both so she is trying to separate us. Zuko: I know. But I can take her this time. Katara: But even you admitted to your Uncle that you would need help facing Azula. Zuko: There's something off about her, I can't explain it but she's slipping. And this way, no one else has to get hurt. (Fade to a shot of the courtyard from the side. The camera pans from Zuko kneeling on the right end to Azula kneeling on the left end. Cut to a shot of Zuko rising and turning around, then cut to a shot of Azula rising. Each can be seen behind the other. Cut to a shot of Azula from the front turning and removing the Fire Lord robes.) Azula: I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother. Zuko: (in his stance) No, you're not.

Notice something? Zuko doesn’t demand to know what happened to Mai! It’s almost like he forgot she existed!

Now we turn to the final infamous exchange(“Sozin’s Comet, Part 4”):

Mai:(off screen) You need some help with that? (He looks up surprised and moves aside to reveal Mai leaning against the doorway. Cut to a close up of Mai as she walks towards Zuko.) Zuko: (Cut to a delighted Zuko) Mai! (Walks off screen) You're ok. (Cut to an area behind Mai's back as Zuko opens his arms out in a hug) They let you out of prison? (Mai walks behind Zuko and lifts up his empty robe sleeve.) Mai: My uncle (Zuko puts his arms through the sleeve) pulled some strings, (she proceeds to fasten his robe) and it doesn't hurt when the new Fire Lord is your boyfriend. (She walks in front of Zuko and places a hand on his chest) Zuko: So does this mean you don't hate me anymore? Mai: (she blushes) I think it means... (Cut to a close up of the couple) I actually (places a hand on Zuko's cheek) kind of like you. (They lean in for a kiss and part a fewseconds later, looking into each other's eyes happily) But don't ever (She jabs a finger into Zuko's shoulder and Zuko's eye traces the movement of her finger) break up (She lifts her finger into the air and Zuko's eyes still follows it) with me again. (She jabs her finger into Zuko's shoulder one last time and Zuko smiles goofily. They embrace and the camera zooms out slowly.

Zuko seems surprised to learn that Mai is OK, almost like he made no effort to find out her fate once he took charge of the Fire Nation. And indeed, his first acts as leader of the Fire Nation were not to find out what happened to her or, if he actually knew, to get her released from prison.  Mai only got released from prison when her uncle and his connections got sufficiently confident that Zuko had been completely accepted as the new leader to release a massive traitor completely on their own initiative.  This was quite possibly weeks after Azula-Zuko Agni Kai, yet he made no apparent effort to get her released. It’s almost like Zuko completely forgot about Mai, even though she sacrificed herself to save him.

And, of course, Zuko doesn’t accept responsibility for any of the awful ways he treated Mai, much less apologize to her or offer any guarantee he will behave better in the future. Mai still forgives him anyways, just like she did in “The Beach,” only for Zuko to continue to screw her over. There is something deeply depressing here, as there’s every reason to believe that Zuko will screw over Mai over, devalue her, and disregard her well-being, desires, and interests again the moment it’s convenient for him to do so. He certainly has not recognized that his toxic behavior here is something he needs to stop doing. Ironically, the comics get this right by having Zuko try to use his power as Firelord to order Mai to stay his girlfriend.

Ultimately, Zuko loves Mai and cares about her deeply, yet he still treats her as a tool and acts like she exists to serve him. It reminds me how show! canon Ozai genuinely loved show! canon Ursa, but still used her as a tool and threw her away.  Honestly, I doubt 16-year-old Zuko is really ready for any romantic relationship at all, given his often toxic behavior, his trauma, and the incredibly stressful position he’s placed in at the end of the series.

[babymetaldoll]

Quarantine with Matthew Gray Gubler (MGG / Reader)

(Not my gif, thank you to whoever made it! )

Requested: Yes :)

Vivir en cuarentena con Matthew, y él hace en vivos por Instagram con y/n respondiendo preguntas de fans

Category: Fluff

Pairing: Matthew Gray Gubler / Reader

Summary: Matthew loves making people happy, and in quarantine, he finds the best way to keep in touch with his fans and do what he loves the most: spend time with (Y/N) 💜

Warnings: Nope

Word count: 2,2K

Masterlist

A/N: I am so sorry this request took me forever!!  Hello guys!!  thank you for all your comments, and love 💖 You are awesome!! hope you have a great week!!

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Living in quarantine isn't as bad as many people think. It all depends on who you are spending your time locked in with. (Y/N) knew it pretty well, 'cos she had been locked with her husband, Matthew Gray Gubler, in their shared house for the last month.

And even when most people were sick and tired of being home, (Y/N)and Matthew managed to keep themselves busy and mentally sane. In fact, you could feel more stressed considering there was a pandemic and no one could see their loved ones and friends. But being with Matthew made it all so much bearable.

Considering Gubler's job kept him busy most of the time during a normal year and that he didn't have many chances to be home the way he was now, he enjoyed it.

Sleeping in was heaven. And the fact he could stay in, wearing pajama and kimonos, just enjoying his wife's company, was what he needed.

He didn't realize he needed to take a break after years of hard work until he was forced to do it. And god, it felt good.

(Y/N) would keep herself busy writing and reading while Matthew painted and draw by her side.

Their daily activities included: trying new recipes at least three times each week. Gubler would always come with some random exotic dish he always wanted to recreate. And six of eight times, he nailed it.

They would also spend a day in their pajamas doing nothing. Usually, it was Sundays. That was their official cuddles day. Just movies, ice cream, and cuddles.

Matthew also started teaching (Y/N) some magic tricks. She had insisted a few times, but he was very reluctant to do it at first.

- "A magician never shares his tricks, Bunny"- he argued for days.

- "Ok, but what if I am a magician too? Then it would be ok?"

(Y/N) was sitting on his lap, playing with some curls of his hair between her fingers. They were in their backyard, having a picnic. They had set a blanket and had some cookies (Y/N) had baked, along with two tall ice coffee Matthew had prepared, with an obscene amount of whipped cream.

- "And how are you planning to be a magician if you don't know any trick?"- he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

- "Just because you haven't taught me any trick doesn't mean I don't know any!"- she answered, pretending to be insulted.

- "My wife can do magic, and she never told me?"

- "There are a lot of things about your wife you still don't know"- (Y/N) teased and smiled at him.

- "Bunny, we are locked in this house until further notice. I think I have enough time to find out all those things I haven't seen in the last years."

(Y/N) had finally convinced him when she showed him a simple card trick her father had taught her when she was a kid. Gubler got so excited he even presided a ceremony to name her an official magician and invited their friends to be part of it via zoom. Everybody enjoyed their magic tricks and shared a good hour of fun and laughter with them, just like they would do live.

It felt good to be with their loved ones, even if it was just online.

That gave Matthew an idea.

- "Hey, Bunny!"- he walked into the kitchen holding his phone, scrolling down his Instagram feed.

- "What is it, honey?"- (Y/N) asked him as she kept chopping vegetables for dinner.

- "I was thinking maybe I should start doing Instagram live streamings with the fans. Maybe do some magic tricks, tell jokes. I don't know."- (Y/N) raised his eyes from the food and smiled.

- "Sounds awesome! when do you wanna start?"

- "Now?"- he answered a little hesitant

- "And what do you have in mind?"

- "Maybe answering questions and asking them if hanging out via Instagram is something they'd like to do."

(Y/N) chuckled and walked to her husband, pinching his cheeks, making him giggle.

- "You are so adorable, Gub. Like anyone wouldn't love to hang out with you."- he blushed and shook his head.

- "Ok, I'm gonna do it here anyway."

- "While I'm cooking?"- (Y/N) looked confused

- "Yes, I want you near so you can stop me when I start rambling"- (Y/N) laughed and kissed her husband's lips sweetly.

- "I can't stop your rambling, Gubler. But I can mute the video"- she teased, and he pecked her lips, chuckling.

- "Just stop me when I start saying anything embarrassing."

- "Deal."

No one could say Matthew Gray Gubler didn't care about his fans. He was committed to being always nice to anyone who would ask for a picture or an autograph. Why? Because nothing made him happier than making people happy. And if his job gave people joy, he honestly felt his life had a purpose.

That's why he enjoyed his improvised IG stream so much. He just sat on a couch nearby the kitchen and started talking with fans, answering questions.

- "Where am I spending my quarantine? Here is my hunted treehouse. I don't think I had ever been home this much, and it's been awesome."- Gubler stood up and started walking around the room.

- "Who am I spending it with? my gorgeous wife, of course,"- he said and pointed the phone at (Y/N), who was still cooking dinner. She simply waved and smiled

- "She is making sure I eat proper food now... Bunny, people are asking what you are cooking."

- "Pad thai"- she answered with a huge grin- "Gubler's request for tonight's dinner."

- "Maybe we could make a cooking class one day,"- Matthew suggested, and the screen started filling with "YES!!" immediately- "I could teach people how to burn every pan in the house, and you can cook."

(Y/N) nodded, laughing.

- "You can teach everybody how to make the best hotcakes."- (Y/N) answered and walked away from the phone.

It wasn't that she didn't like being part of her husband's activities, but she figured she wasn't really that important. Fans were there to see him, not her.

But Matthew followed her.

- "Yeah! I'll make my famous chocolate chip hotcakes, and you will have to top them!"- (Y/N) laughed and looked at her husband, raising an eyebrow.

- "Battle of the hotcakes?"

- "Yes!"

- "Set a time and a place, and I'll be there"- (Y/N) put her hands in her waist and raised an eyebrow, looking as serious as she could fake it.

- "Tomorrow, noon, here in our kitchen, because we can't leave the house,"- Gubler answered and mimicked his wife's attitude, still streaming everything.

- "Bring it, Gub."

And just like that, another livestream was scheduled.

The next day, at noon, Matthew streamed the funniest hotcake competition there had ever been seen by humankind. At least that's what he described.

- "Let's say it's a tie"- Gubbler decided and finished the last piece of hotcake in his dish- "I'll leave a poll in my stories so you can decide what you wanna see in tomorrow's live."

- "Really?"- (Y/N) asked, surprised- "Which are the options?"

- "Magic tricks or... I don't know. I didn't think this through"- he answered, making his wife giggle.

- "Maybe you could make a Rumple reading"- and Gubler's eye brightened at the idea

- "With my Rumple costume?"

- "I don't see why not"- Gubler looked at the screen and grinned like a kid.

- "Ok, you'll decide, magic classes or Rumple reading."

It was a draw. That's why Gubler did a Rumple reading the next day and decided to prepare a magic class with his wife for later that week.

His followers were having a blast with each one of their streams. Matthew would always try to take a step back and let his wife shine in front of everybody. He thought she was so funny the world needed to see more of her.

And (Y/N) always tried to be the best sidekick for her husband. Helping him make his streamings as fun as possible.

For the Rumple reading, Matthew sat in an armchair by the fireplace, dressed like Rumple, and read the whole book, impersonating voices and everything. Then, (Y/N) read the questions from the fans, and Matthew answered everything.

Gubler dressed like a classic magician for their magic streaming, and his wife was his assistant, helping him with each trick.

And by the end of the week, the people picked Q&A streaming with the two of them. It was the Friday "Chilling with the Gubs special."

- "Your girl is about to steal the whole show"- Shemar called Matthew that week and made him laugh- "She's the best part of the whole stream."

- "Don't flirt with my wife!"- he answered and chuckled.

- "I'm just saying she has a lot of potentials. She should try to do some stand-up comedy."

Gubler loved that comment, though. He knew his wife was awesome, and he wanted the world to know. As simple as that.

- "Ok, Bunny, ready to answer some questions?"- Gubler set the phone in front of them as they sat in their backyard. One more time, they had set a blanket in their favorite spot. And they had cookies and coffee.

- "Hit it!"

It was fun to do those things together. (Y/N) had never been one to be in the spotlight, but she loved being with Matthew. And if he was happy, so was she.

And it took only a second to see how happy Matthew was. He beamed each time he looked at his wife by his side.

- "Ok, this is a good one. What did we have for breakfast today?"- (Y/N) read and chuckled.

- "Good question. Waffles. (Y/N) made waffles, and I ate five, with ice cream. I'm gonna get so fat in quarantine"- the actor answered and felt his wife's hand in his hair.

- "What's your next project"- (Y/N) read- "Oh! that's a good one!"

- "But I won't say anything about it,"- Gubler answered and chuckled- "You'll have to stay tuned."

- "But I can assure you, it's amazing,"- (Y/N) added smiling- "How did you two meet"- the couple looked at each other and giggled.

- "At a party in my best friend's house"- she answered- "She was dating one of Matthew's friends, and they had a huge celebration when they moved in together."

- "And when I saw her, I knew I had to talk to her, but her friends didn't leave her alone."

- "Why didn't you just walked over and talked to me anyway?"- (Y/N) asked and crossed her arms on her chest

- "Because they were intimidating! and I am a shy guy!"- he explained- "I had to wait until you walked away to get yourself a drink to talk to you finally!"

- "You literally appeared by my side as soon as I walked away from them"- (Y/N) laughed, remembering the moment- "It was so funny!"

- "Hey! it might have been my only chance! I needed to take it!"- Matthew held her hand and played with her fingers, thinking he was glad non of that was in the camera angle.

- "And it worked"- (Y/N) answered and smiled at her husband, thinking as soon as that livestream was over, she was going to have a serious make out session with him

- "I'm glad it did. Quarantine would suck without you."

Gubler answered and smiled, thinking as soon as that stream was over, he was going to jump on her and kiss every inch of her body, just because she looked so beautiful that day.

- "Are you guys planning on having kids?"- (Y/N) read and turned all kinds of pink. There was a silence between the couple as they just looked at each other and shrugged.

- "We'd make cute babies"- Matthew answered- "And we could clearly keep them entertained."

(Y/N) laughed and shook her head.

- "We are not streaming that!!"

- "What?"

- "The baby-making part!"- she joked, and Gubler blushed, laughing and falling back on the blanket.

- "That idea never crossed my mind!"

- "I had to say it! Just in case"- (Y/N) argued and chuckled.

She had thought about having babies in the last few months. But getting pregnant during a pandemic didn't sound like a good idea.

Or was it?

- "Ok, everybody. We are signing out for today"- Gubler announced and waved at the camera- "Take care, stay in your house this weekend, and we'll come back maybe next week."

- "Maybe people can suggest what they'd like to see"- (Y/N) said and looked at Gubler, smiling back at her.

- "I'll leave the option in one of my stories so that you can leave your suggestions. See you!!"

The livestream was over. Gubler left his phone aside and looked at his wife. She was sipping her coffee and fidgeting with her fingers on the fabric of her jeans.

- "We would make cute babies, though,"- Matthew whispered and watched her beam at those words. That was all he needed to know.

- "You would spoil them so much"- (Y/N) replied, giggling.

- "Only because they will be just like you, and I love to spoil you so much"- he opened his arms, and (Y/N) leaned in, resting her body against his.

- "So... do you wanna have a baby Gub?"- she whispered against his chest- her voice was muffled, but he heard her clearly.

- "I think I do. You?"- Gubler answered, feeling his heart beating faster.

- "Me too."

(Y/N) muttered and giggled. Matthew looked at her and leaned in a little closer, kissing her lips sweetly.

It was a massive step for them, and they were very excited to do it.

- "Do you wanna start now?"- Matthew suggested, and (Y/N) blushed immediately- "I mean... I was going to suggest sex before, but now..."

- "The sooner, the better, Gubler,"- (Y/N) replied and bit her lips- "After all, we are gonna have to do a lot of practice before we succeed."