#but like in the end by modern day they're pretty chill

[spyeriasecret]

and now it's time to play WOULD GRAVITY FALLS CHARACTERS RESPECT YOUR PRONOUNS (pre-weirdmageddon) (non gravity falls fans take this as a sign.)

DIPPER PINES - not sure he'd understand the concept immediately, but would catch on quick because he understands what it's like not being called something you want to be called

MABEL PINES - YES. no question about it. there's so many things i could say here. she'd correct herself for THINKING the wrong pronouns.

STANLEY PINES - understands and correctly genders you for all the wrong, crime-related reasons! bro is the king of preferred names. you say "hey i'm actually exam/ple" and he'll be like "AH. I GET IT. WINK. DO YOU ALSO WANT TO BE NOTIFIED WHEN THE COPS ARE IN TOWN" like i cant overstate this. if you say hey i want to change my identity he will pull out a stack of fake IDs and have you pick one. he's a little confused but he got the spirit!

STANFORD PINES - if you ever need a guy to not grasp a modern-day concept, call this guy! he'd do his best, but only because he wants to be nice. he does Not understand. give him a little bit of systematic exposure and he'll get it! he will take a scientific approach! but he'll get it! somebody get this man 2024ccs of woke liberalism stat

SOOS RAMIREZ - calls you dude and bro. does not call you anything but dude and bro. he knows what you are and he respects that! but let's be real honest here.

WENDY CORDUROY - incredibly supportive and super chill. if you were still in the closet, she'd do the mouth zip motion thing. you get it. she's so awesome about you

WADDLES - oink?

GIDEON GLEEFUL - yes to your face! no behind closed doors. he'd probably call you "that queer" while villain monologuing in his room . i can hear it in his voice

BUD GLEEFUL - THE gravity falls homophobic youth pastor let's be for real he'd say "it's not too late to turn to God" as a christian trans person i'm pretty sure God thinks about lgbtq+ kids and fraudulent capitalists on two separate ends of a very long line

SHERIFF BLUBS & DEPUTY DURLAND - do i even have to say it. i'm gonna say it. solid top and DEAD SERIOUS bottom. they ARE the loud and proud gravity falls lgbtq+ community. if they're transphobic i'll eat my socks.

CANDY CHIU - i know what you guys are thinking . "oh candy's so sweet of course she'd respect your pronouns!" CANDY MOTHERFUCKING CHIU WILL NOT ONLY RESPECT YOUR PRONOUNS, BUT SHE WILL GO OUT OF HER WAY TO USE THEM AT ANY POSSIBLE MOMENT. if she sees somewhere to say your pronouns, she will DO it. because she LOVES YOU. and also she'd fight anyone who gets it wrong!

GRENDA GRENDINATOR - trans. she loves you. will help candy fight anybody who gets your pronouns wrong.

FIDDLEFORD MCGUCKET - honestly this is a hard one. he could ACKNOWLEDGE! your pronouns! but other than that i'm not sure. pre-memory wipe, i think he'd feel a little weird about it, but it would become nothing to him eventually

PACIFICA NORTHWEST - "ew. what the fuck." and then suddenly she's asking you how you figured that out. For No Reason

ROBBIE VALENTINO - calls you a faggot. is it because he is homophobic? because he is one? because he hates you specifically? the world will never know

BLENDIN BLANDIN - he lives in the year 207̃012. i find it hard to believe they haven't made respecting pronouns mandatory yet.

AGENTS POWERS & TRIGGER - are the pronouns on your legal documents????? it's not funny stop laughign

TYLER CUTEBIKER - gay. his pronouns are get/it. he will respect you (in his own ways)

LAZY SUSAN - forgets you had the wrong pronouns in the first place. she respects you by default

TIME BABY - does not refer to you

BILL CIPHER - he would call you your preferred pronouns but DON'T get it twisted. he does not respect you as a living thing. it isn't bigoted (that would be ironic considering that whole sixer thing) he just doesn't. maybe he'd make HEAVY fun of you for good measure but he's got to dig at somebody somehow. also were pronouns even real in his dimension anything could happen man ????

SHMEBULOCK - shmebulock

(did i forget anybody? let me know)

[butmakeitgayblog]

Hi yes hello help me I have a new fic idea for this picture

And it's giving me brainrot because I have too many wips and yet... I must write this ficlet. It's very soft. Friends to lovers.

Lexa owns a little holistic shop that always smells like incense and fresh herby plants. Fresh sprigs of flowers and dangley charms everywhere. Not quite "nature child/granola sister" vibes because it has too many sleek and modern details to it, but still very earthy and calming. Clean and fresh. It's tucked away in a sleepy little town along the coast that's just a short walk to a pier, so the fresh scent of the ocean's spray always mingles with all the perfumes of her shop.

Clarke moves there following the death of her father. Not running from anything, but more just trying to find herself in her new found peace. She's faced her own mortality and come out the other end understanding who she wants to be vs who she thought she should be. Exchanging her med school white coat for cable knit sweaters. Sneakers for deck shoes. Reading glasses for wayfarers.

Chaos for calm.

Which of course leads her right into Lexa's shop a few weeks into getting settled, deciding a new skin routine may be in order as well. Maybe a new lotion and a few handdipped candles to line her fancy new bath tub too, if the hand painted sign outside the shop is to be trusted.

Of course all chances at being the chill, solitary new girl in town who lives quietly and keeps to herself kind of fly right out the window when she hears the little ding of the bell overhead and looks up to see brilliant, soft green eyes already crinkled at the edges in a welcoming smile. Seeing all that sun kissed brown hair pulled back in a delicate crown of braids, the waterfall length of untamed curls falling over strong but slender shouders. Hearing that lyrical voice that's not at all chipper like she'd expect from someone peddling holistic wares. Instead it's soft and vibrant, more like too-warm honey that's been left out in the afternoon sun. Feminine but sure of itself as she merely bids a simple, "Hello, can I help you find anything in particular?"

All that chill is also nowhere to be seen when this freaking angel made of droplets of sunshine and chamomile takes it upon herself to squeeze a dollop of the lotion she'd been eyeing into Clarke's palm and start massaging it in with hands that are so fucking soft Clarke forgets how to breathe. Her intense eye contact as she gently explains the ingredients and why they're so good doesn't help either. Not that Clarke could be PAID to recite any of it, not having taken in a single damn syllable.

She could easily tell you the exact slope of the woman's eyelashes though. Could probably draw the freckle on her upper lip from memory too.

Of course Clarke would leave 2 bags and the shopowner's business card heavier, $70 lighter, and with absolutely no qualms about trading in at least part of her medical knowledge for giving this holistic stuff a try.

And that's it! That's all! Just a pretty girl who is maybe slightly nuts but beautiful and sweet who runs a little holistic beauty shop.

Nothing life altering or anything for Clarke, obviously.

Clarke being new and so in her head about everything and all the changes? It's just A Lot already on her plate. She doesn't have the space for anything else.

But... then there's just Lexa. So unassuming and mild and calming in her presence. Undemanding of Clarke's attention despite always seeming to have it. That slow fall into each other over too prolonged eye contact and friendly waves as Lexa glances at her through the arching windows of her shop, Clarke seeing those plump lips tug up into a grin that mouths an amused but unheard "Hi" as Clarke walks past for the third time that day.

Total coincidence.

But the friendship blooms just like the little plants and sprigs around Lexa's shop. Taking shape and growing as the season changes.

Passing glances and friendly waves turning to chance meetings and slipping away to sit on the bench at the end of the pier, splitting batches of seasoned fries and garlic aioli that Clarke has no idea where Lexa manages to put considering all her halter tops and sundresses that, whew, just leave not much to the imagination.

Walking through a local garden/woodsy path and talking aimlessly for hours as she watches Lexa collect little wildflowers and clovers along the way, stowing them in a satchel she keeps in her long flowy pants, only to drop by the shop the next afternoon and find that the tiny wood nymph-turned shopkeeper has braided her treasures from their outing into her hair that day.

Walks along the rocky beachside and lunches sat huddled together in the park. Lexa sharing how she got into her business and Clarke relaying her past in the medical world just to falter, only to breathe a sigh of relief at Lexa's lazy grin, "Don't worry, Dr. Griffin. I still believe in the power of penicillin."

Lexa showing Clarke where she makes her wares while standing far too close than what's necessary as she lets Clarke peruse everything. Always catching Clarke's gaze in her excitement at Lexa's creations, holding them with that soul-quieting smile of hers.

Clarke noticing how Lexa's scent changes slightly with the seasons because of course Lexa only works with fresh product. Noting how as the months get colder, she goes from airy, delicate lilac scents to heavier sage and sandlewood notes. Fresh pine, peppermint, and holly. Noticing how cute little painted toes trade in their freer sandles for more sensible uggs and the occasional snow boot, seeing how dresses and spaghetti straps get exchanged for cardigans and knitted sweaters big enough to juuust effortlessly slip off her shoulder...

(Still no bra)

(Not that she's... keeping track...)

Lexa is just so unexpected and so... not at all anything Clarke would've ever thought she'd be attracted to. Beyond just her stunning face that is, obviously. It's her personality. She's not someone Clarke can easily "put in a box". She's not quite a hippie, she's not exactly new agey, she's certainly not weak, but she's not overbearing. She's maybe a liiiittle bit nuts, but also so fuckin smart and not cocky about it at all. But absolutely is cocky about the silliest things, like being good at Scrabble and knowing how to fold a fitted sheet. (Again, liiiittle bit nuts.) She's kind, but not a pushover. Soft in ways Clarke can't even begin to fathom or calm her heart over, but so deceptively strong, both in body and spirit.

And she's quiet. Quiet and reserved in her perfectly Lexa way. Yet, when she does open up, there's so much there. So many layers to her, and every time Clarke thinks she's gotten to the bottom of the question mark that is "Lexa", there's a whole new labyrinth to uncover.

The connection between them expands and blooms and becomes something entirely its own. And it kind of just gradually dawns on her that Clarke has somehow managed to find her best friend in the entire world... and has promptly fallen in love with her.

Now.

If I wrote this obviously very short ficlet (😤), would anyone read it?

[kazvha]

MORE ISO HEADCANONS

• He knows where the best clubs are in the city: Awesome music. Impeccable vibes. If you like partying, he'd be happy to take you with him

• He knows where the best spots are in general. Just ask him something and he knows where to go. It can be clubs, foods, shops, places to chill, places with great scenery, etc.

• Iso's someone who lets his actions speak for him. He doesn't say much, and some may think that it's rude, but the people who are close to him know that he usually has no ill intentions

• You often do that thing where you're holding hands and your hands are in the pocket of his jacket

• When it's raining, you're walking together under his navy-colored umbrella. And Iso's leaning the umbrella more to your side so that your shoulder doesn't get wet

• If you're pushing the umbrella back because you also don't want him to get wet, it turns into a whole game of pushing the umbrella back and forth😩 In the end, the umbrella slips out of your hands and both of you get drenched in the rain

• He'd like to introduce you to his grandma one day, he's sure she'll like you bc I mean, you already succeeded in winning his affection

• When you're bored, you brush his bangs up and kiss his forehead. He'll let you braid his bangs and put hair clips in them too

• Pretty sure he has lilacs in a modern-looking vase in his room

• The first flowers he gifted you were also lilacs. If you only knew that in flower language lilacs mean 'first time feeling love for someone'... (ughh i love him so muchhh😭)

• You could stare for hours into his lilac-colored irises and their pattern, they're mesmerizing. There was a time in which Iso was insecure about his eyes, but he didn't show it. Your constant amazement made him appreciate his eyes a bit more

[teecupangel]

Can you imagine Desmond getting turned into a condor? They're huge! They're almost as big as a human!

They're pretty chilled out except around predators but I think that's because there is not a single brain cell knocking around in there. Love them

Dunno how one would end up in Syria or Italy but it'd be hilarious to see Altaïr trying to deal with a bird almost as big as he is

… I mean… he can… fly there, I guess? If you don’t want him to just wake up in one of the temples nearby, he can totally fly there instead XD

Condors are really big and it wouldn’t be weird if Desmond turns into a larger than normal condor. Large enough that he would be able to cover Altaïr using his wings.

It would be funny if Desmond likes to spread his wings while behind Altaïr and it makes people believe Altaïr is an angel of death sent to judge their evil deeds.

Altaïr swears Desmond is doing it on purpose but no one believes him because Desmond is just a big bird, Altaïr. Look how sweet he is to you. He wouldn’t do such a thing.

(Desmond would absolutely do such a thing).

Desmond would usually just spend his days chilling in Masyaf because he’s too large that flying anywhere would just cause panic all around. He does follow Altaïr whenever he’s traveling but always stayed out of towns and cities.

He doesn’t know it but he will later become a legendary bird of prey that canonically should be called the ‘roc’.

Unfortunately for him, enough people has heard the Brotherhood call him Desmond that this legendary bird would be called the ‘Desmond’ instead.

Good news though…

Modern Day Desmond isn’t going to be asked ‘like the legendary bird in middle eastern mythology?’ when he introduced himself.

He will, however, be asked at times…

“The Da Vinci painting?”

[radioactivedragonbones]

Back In The Ol' Days [2014] we had the punk/nerd AU... but I have my gripes with the PNAU; it feels outdated to me. In 2014 I ate that shit up, but it's 2024 and the rampant micro-trends have me re-thinkin modern Hijack portrayals...

So here I am to propose a new PNAU: Grunge X Emo.

Hiccup as a cozy grunge kind of guy- basically just classic comfy casual clothes but with earthy tones, ripped up jeans covered in motor oil stains, and loose flannel shirts over worn-out tees.

Jack as a casual emo kind of guy- Skinny jeans with rips (often on the end of the legs cause they annoy them when they're too long), tight band tees, and his classic hoodie he can disappear into the shadowy hood of to sulk.

Elaboration ⬇️

I think it could be fun to explore the way Hiccup has a ton of hand-me-downs and spends a lot of time patching up old clothes, or adding custom painted patches to his bags. Maybe he knows how to sew just from patching/mending. I like that in the movies we see him doing bith heavy work in the forge, and having gentle hands as an artist. I think he'd be good at a ton of different diy skills and put them to practical use with his wardrobe.

In canon, Hiccup does have a lot of leftist and punk ideology; The Edge is literally equal-ownership equal-imput everyone else just decides he runs the show. And he literally changes the dominant mindset of the society he lives in to better the life of both his people and the ones they've been at war with for decades. Hes pretty punk... but I don't see him going so far aesthetically as to be a full Spiky Punk TM. He's always on the move, working on something, or chilling outside with Toothless, so I think a more casual comfortable style suits him. Though I do think he would like jackets with extra straps and buckles on the pockets and stuff, and maybe a good belt bag + leatherman combo. Totally the type to always have a pocket knife. He'd paint himself patches and slap a few of em on his bags, coats, maybe over that burn hole in his jeans that's been annoying him. He'd favor practicality over aesthetic, but he still has a sense of style. As he gets older he probably leans into the edgier style, wearing more black and red combos, more strappy belts/coats/bags, and even gets a few tattoos. But I do see him as a grungey earthy engineering guy with comfy, often oversized silhouettes.

Jack I could see being super impulsive and latching onto pop culture; something emos were notorious for. I, personally, was clamoring for a branded tee shirt the moment I deemed a band good enough to youtube->mp3 to my ipod. I could see Jack doing that kind of thing, and latching onto this misunderstood invisible-yet-visibly-different identity. He probably favors dark blue, brown, and black. Deffinitely the type to get on the colored jeans trend when it hit. Maybe he even doodles little swirling patterns on his clothes when he's bored- an adhd habit I know all too well.

Without being, yanno, dead, Jack's Different Look would probably come just from him wanting to express himself. He feels isolated and finds it hard to make lasting friends because when people *do* notice him, they tend to see him more as a silly little jester than a person worth getting to know. He copes with humor and trying to get attention every now and again but ends up with a closer knit group of oddballs. He's good with kids, of course, and tends to take on a cool-big-brother to anyone in need of one. All of this playing into this casual and easy-going but edgy, kinda emo look. He probably listens to sad emo music while sitting on a roof, staring at the moon, contemplating his purpose in life. He pretty much does that in his movie so it isn't much of a stretch lol.

Anyways, feel free ro give your 2 cents and build onto or off of this as you please, I'm just brainstorming I guess. Thinkin aloud... visually. I tend to like psychoanalyzing characters and it's interesting to me to think of Hic & Jack's canon portrayals and what they would mean in a modern-human AU.

[lesbianmichelmishina]

dunmeshi gender hcs

laios & falin: cis+. they were raised in a very gendered society, and didn't really question that for themselves until after both being turned into monsters. they both decide they're gnc and only perform gender in a way that makes them happy. falin ends up soft butch, and everyone agrees that his majesty looks good in a dress.

marcille: trans girl. was able to communicate her real gender when she was VERY young due to weird half-elf development. elves are pretty chill about gender, so her mum accepted her immediately. her dad was a bit more surprised but he went with it because he wanted his baby to be happy.

kabru: trans guy. "kabru" is a gender-neutral name so he kept it. had a very easy transition. milsiril was like "oh you want to be a boy? okay sweetie, i'll make you an appointment with the gender wizard". bc again, elves and gender.

izutsumi: in the modern day she'd probably be the sort of enby who says "my gender is cat". but as it is, she just doesn't care enough to question anything. she/her pronouns, cool, whatever.

kiki & kaka: swapped genders. bc i think that's funny. it confused the hell out of their parents.

mithrun: completely lacks any desire to go along with social norms, including gendered ones. not an issue around elves, but in other cultures... "why is your captain wearing a skirt?" "he's comfy."

lycion: "hey, while you're performing forbidden magic on me to turn me into a beastman, can you remove my tits real fast?" "oh yeah sure"

[deus-and-the-machina]

ffxiv garlemald discourse is so funny because people will go "ugh people just cant stand it when things aren't black and white" and then you look at how the empire are portrayed in stormblood and shadowbringers and its like hm. that seems like a pretty intense and accurate display of violent imperialism to me! Wow I wonder why people in this day and age may find it hard to feel sympathy for them or even hate them on principal. god its such a mystery.

the games like 50/50 to me on how it tackles these themes because I actually like the garlemald arc in EW, I think it has a lot of horrific and powerful scenes depicting how self destructive fascist propaganda and beliefs are, but I also think it doesn't go far enough on some fronts. the garleans' xenophobia is most notably and obstacle to getting them to accept the contingent's help, which is what they're there to do,

but there's never an admission of harm from any garleans on the uuuuuuuuh massive amount of war crimes the nations around them are still suffering from they're just kind of like "we misjudged you...but you actually wanted to help us all along" like yeah thats great now can we get you all some deprogramming because you keep talking about returning to your prime and glory days and I think we need to unpack some stuff you really SHOULDNT return to. im not even really talking about EW proper but the patches where things are a bit more chilled out and people are recovering.

It feels like they wanted to have their critique of imperialism and also have things end with the beauty of human connection and reaching out and these things just don't mesh well because hey a lot of your modern day audience is not gonna like having to treat people yelling xenophobic things at the cast and your character with kid gloves after you showed them hours and hours of the awful things these people's beliefs have done. especially in the present day hoo boy.

[spotforme]

okay so in better than life i think Rimmer says "How on Titan are you gonna pay for that" and i find it pretty interesting, Titan is one of Saturn's moons, now maybe Titan was the last place they stopped at before everyone died so that's why he uses that version of the expression, the place is fresh on his mind and all that, or maybe he ended up on Titan sometime after his divorse and that's why he thinks of it like Earth (in saying the expression like that)

before this continues i'm just gonna say that i will be rambling and nothing else

this is quite early in the show so it hasn't had much time to contredict itsef yet so i'm thinking i can think anything i want about the timeline at the moment. so i'm thinking, remember this is all just bonkers speculation that i find fun that makes about as much sence as the show itself, that Rimmer lived on Titan for a while, not a long while because he doesn't have much time between the devorce and joining JMC, and i know he got previleges to the family dog which means he should've been able to visit Jupiter on regular basis but let's just say he got bored or his family drove him off even further or whatever. point is he made a little life for himself on Titan, maybe a few months, maybe three years, it doesn't matter, but i think it would be interesting what could happen when Rimmer with his peculiarities runs off to another planet's moon and has to adjust to a new society. i have seen a lit of fics where Io is just this 300 years late to modern norms homophobic untrusting society with girls' home strictness levels, and it's pretty funny that so many people have come to that same conclusion even though i've hardly seen any discussion about it (Rimsy's piece of shit family's out there inventing stereotypes for all Ioians lol) back to the point. knowing Rimmer he'd likely feel superior for the upbringing he had and be pompous using his family's achievements as his own, so even if Titan had a chill athmosphere he would likely not get on there either because he just has to be him, and any culture differences might feel like super big deals to him which doesn't help him get comfortable much, probably just fuels his 'out of place' 'never belonging' thing he has made for himself. i'm kindof in a battle with myself now about if he would even get a job, if he would apply for one, like would he go to a coffe parlour and ask for a job where he has to clean the dishes and whatnot when there's no chanse of becoming an officer? maybe if he needed money, i wish i knew how much he had to spare for monthly spending. if he had no need for money then what could he be doing all day, he had to stumble into JMC's workforce sometime. i still believe it most likely that he went straight to them from Io and has been in space sence (except for what little leave they're allowed) but this is a though and i'm skipping with is, okay. another interesting thing about Titan is that it's orbiting the same planet as Mimas, and we all know how gruffy Mimas is. anyway that knowlege just makes my brain bloom with hideous ideas. more likely i think is that he just went there on shore leave and it was a memorable place, it seems pretty from the pictures i've seen so maybe it's just one of the only calming places for him that he yearns to know the tranquility of again, but i've got no bases for that except that it's got a pretty atmosphere.

right-o this end my pointless rant brought on by one singular line, for now at least

[cloud-somersault]

5 and 21 for constellation!shadowpeach

Describe their cozy night in.

It'd pretty much be like in Something, Anything. Just watching movies and chilling! Making fun of movies...getting into discussions or arguments because of the movie. Forgetting about the movie to talk about something else entirely.

Other than that, probably just cuddling in bed together. They like to chill outside, too, so maybe some nest making with some elephant tree leaves, whatever's around. Getting things comfy cozy before chilling and...holding hands.

Cooking...together. Wukong knows how to cook, and Macaque knows how, he's just not as experienced with modern appliances. So Wukong would help with that. I'm in the minority of thinking that both of them are kinda okay at cooking.

Maybe they'd try playing video games. But then...they'd break the console. So...they only do that a couple of times LMFAO. Board games are easier since, if they mess up the board or whatever, it's not as expensive to fix. Card games? Poker? Strip poker....yeah. They'd find plenty of things to do. But they'd always end the night cuddling together. Wukong's so clingy, he always has to cuddle and Macaque won't admit it, but he loves the affection so!

Who would get into a fight to defend the other’s honor? Who tends to the other’s wounds?

Wukong would defend Macaque's honor no matter what. If someone is talking SHIT!!!! about Macaque, then they'll meet Wukong's fist 😌💕

Macaque would NOT defend Wukong's honor. If someone's shit talking Wukong, Macaque is more likely to just nod along and join in like "And that mother fucker also killed me. And always steals the blankets when we sleep together."

And say if like Nezha came down and had a bone to pick with Wukong. If they got in a fight, Macaque would only help if Wukong was in serious need. He's likely to be on the sidelines watching with popcorn.

If Macaque needed help in a fight -- he wouldn't. Wukong expects and knows Macaque can take care of himself. He'll only help if Macaque asks, and it's not a pride thing like 'Macaque has to ask me for help because I'm the Monkey King!" it's more like "Oh, shit, it's serious if Macaque is asking me for help."

They tend to each other's wounds, though. With a quick healing spell, they show care for each other. They do it quickly so that the other can't heal themselves. SO if Wukong gets hurt or whatever, Macaque is healing him before he can say what happened. And vice versa.

They care for each other when it comes to well-being. At the end of the day, they don't like seeing the other in great pain. There is care, there, even when they're not together. That's why Macaque did...something in that alleyway. Wonder when that'll come up again.

[paradoxicwashere]

My Ben 10 Reboot

Fuck it if I ever *do* make the comic it's a long way off *so*

Here's how I'd reboot Ben 10

The Mission Objective is 'The Baddest Kid to ever save the day' and by that I mean, I want to recapture the 'punk kid' attitude that Ben had in the Original Series that was pretty much air-lifted and relocated to Kevin from Alien Force onwards - leaving Ben as a more goofball with a heart of gold characterization.

For the sake of this being a different format this would be a 10 episode season more in line with modern TV (most notably in my head, My Adventures With Superman)

So here's the broad strokes. The entire season is located in Bellwood, Ben is about 15-16 when he finds the Omnitrix on a school field trip at the end of the school year. The show takes place during the summer but Ben is in his home town and is balancing a more traditional teenage home life and 'I just got superpowers' drama.

When the Omnitrix lands it draws the attention of a secretive organization: The Forever Knights, who come to Bellwood in the classic hat & trench-coat get up as boogey-men looking for Ben. When he is first pursued by these attack Ben flees to his cousins house to hide, revealing to Gwen and her boyfriend Kevin.

The first season takes cues from Stranger Things as the trio try to juggle normal teenage lives, avoiding the Forever Knights, and using the Omnitrix to help out when other strange things start happening in Bellwood.

And now just some notable plot beats I'd want to cover

Animo is a kindly biology professor who Gwen trusts with Ben's secret to try and help them, in his efforts to remove it he is driven mad in an accident and driven mad by wanting to understand the Omnitrix's mastery of Genetic Manipulation.

Greater focus on the core setting of Bellwood and a ordinary supporting cast. They might get dragged into the adventures sometimes but a lot of the characters are just normal highschoolers/parents/etc

The Forever Knights are earth's replacement for the Plumbers and are why they're no longer active on earth.

Gwen does magic, no Anodite stuff yet if at all.

Kevin, as always, is still also a 'bad boy' but like in the OS, as time goes on it'll be revealed that deep down Ben is naturally good, and deep down Kevin isn't. He'll be kicked from the trio in S2 with hope for redemption down the line.

When Kevin is out of the trio, sometimes he'd be replaced with Max othertimes he'd be replaced with Cooper.

Grandpa Max exists but isn't made aware of the Omnitrix until the end of S1/start of S2 when Tetrax shows up and it's revealed they were partners in the Plumbers years ago. They could've helped if only Ben had known to trust them.

Vilgax in S2.

As for Ben's aliens I picked a selection from the previous shows but I'm not married to this selection nor do I think the core 10 should *only* be returning Aliens:

Heatblast

XLR8

Brainstorm

Rath

Upgrade

Diamondhead

Amphibian

Spidermonkey

Ditto

Big Chill

(I swear I have nothing against Omniverse I just don't like most of the alien additions and the ones I do like, eg Feedback, Gravattack, Astrodactyl, Bullfrag, Atomix, Gutrot, and Whampire, wouldn't be good 'core 10' additions.)

[victorluvsalice]

VITD Sims Lookbook: Alice

And finally, with Victor and Smiler done, we finish off with some looks for our lovely Cutter, Alice!

Alice gets straight into the custom content with one of her everyday outfits, wearing the blue swatches of the 1890s Working Girl set by @vintagesimstress! And unlike the last time I showed her in this outfit, this time she has the apron overlay to go with it. XD Looks good on her AND gives her the proper working-class vibes!

For bedtime, Alice gets a pretty nightgown -- and much like Smiler, while they're not era-appropriate, I had to give Alice the cute bunny slippers too. XD What, we know she likes white rabbits! If I remember correctly, that nightgown is a dress that comes with the Cottage Garden Fan Stuff Pack made by @plumbobteasociety -- I thought it looked nice as nightwear for her.

For that semi-formal party everyone's going to, Alice gets a Realm of Magic top and skirt that make her look at least somewhat respectable. While I think the outfit as a whole is a little pale, I really wanted to use that top on her -- I think she looks good in it. And the skirt ended up working with it pretty well (which is good, because it took me ages to find one that actually went with the top. Some of this shit is HARD to match, let me tell you!).

And for a formal occasion -- well, unlike the boy and the non-binary person, Alice doesn't need to rely on CC here. Get Famous provides a beautiful Victorian dress for her to swan around in! (Though I should probably download a few for her anyway, for variety's sake -- or at least a couple of hats that might go well with this outfit. Head looks a little naked here!) She looks ready for a day in Brightstone, doesn't she?

Okay, admittedly I didn't intend this outfit as an athletic outfit, just another everyday one (though I suppose Alice COULD wear it for working out). And this Cats & Dogs dress is probably a little too modern to fit the proper BITD vibes. But I really like it for the simple reason the patchwork skirt looks like something Alice made herself -- finding and saving up scraps of fabric so she could have something else to wear besides her iconic striped blouse and black skirt. And you can't deny, it DOES look good on her!

And finally, for those chilly days, Alice gets in on the cozy vibes with a cherries-and-flowers theme -- the sweater (and I believe the skirt) is from Cottage Living, while the hat is a recolor created by Plumbella (from "illegally downloading clothes for my sims," in this SimFileShare folder (as you might imagine, it's the one called "beret")). She looks pretty comfy -- and those boots were definitely made for stomping around the streets in the snow and rain.

And that's that! Hope you enjoyed this look at what my VITD characters would probably wear in their universe. Next time (after Valicertine's Day), we're back to the Chill Valicer save for store shenanigans and magic shenanigans! See you then!

[beedreamscape]

I started drawing the og 16 lyctors firstly because I got inspired by other people's art and also because they're the characters that most fascinate me.

It started with me being silly but actually evolved into a ten-day art journey and while I wanna set some of these portraits on fire I thought I'd include them all to, hopefully, inspire someone.

I'll also be mentioning the fancast I used as inspiration, many of which I chose because ✨vibes✨ and nothing else. Here's a pinterest file of them all.

Gideon (Flo Rida) and Pyrrha (Salma Hayek). Valancy (Jamie Zella) and Cyrus (Drew Ray Tanner).

For some reason when thinking of Gideon, Flo Rida is what came to my mind... but trust me it works. Salma is just my favourite milf, I had to pick her for Pyrrha. For Valancy I heard curvy thicc and remember Jamie from Instagram so why not make her Asian and ginger? If Mercy gets her peach hair.

Ulysses (Jack Black/Harvey Guillen) and Titania (Jordan Daniels). Alfred (Shaun Evans) and Augustine (Peter Cushing).

Now, you can see I started struggling with the face claims, fail after fail. I did not do my girl Tits justice here, she looks too serious but trust me she's just so chill. I also sketched the Quinques too small, and when it was time to outline... poor Alfred suffered.

Cassiopeia (Alba Flores) and Nigella (Eiza Gonzallez). Loveday (Noémie Lenoir) and Cytherea (Isabelle Adjani).

Here is where I started having fun and was comfortable with the faceclaims, except for Nigella's. I chose a pretty woman to do justice to Mercy's words, but she was pretty in that modern conventional way I couldn't extract much from and ended up ruining her portrait. As an easter egg each pair of fancast speak the same languages.

Mercymorn (Sophie Marceu) and Cristabel (Sofia Coppola). Samael (César Domboy) and Anastasia (Mona Tougaard).

I was on a row here, even if they're not the best I could've done. I put some pressure on myself to do well on Mercy bc she's my favourite and do like how she turned out even if I picture her chubbier than my faceclaim.

Did I choose Coppola bc of that scene from The Godfather 3 with the veil? Yes. I also have the headcanon that Anastasia was a sturdier woman and slowly her descendency shrunk to Harrow size.

Beside each of the portraits I did a looser drawing of the pairs in ballpoint pen that I progressively put more thought into it, those are too ugly to show but the few last I really liked it.

[afklancelot]

List of SCP articles I actually like

title self explanatory. list will be out of order.

SCP-4558: one of my first favorites when I first visited the site. a good skip with an interesting story, including one of my favorite GoIs (Fifthism). while I recently started getting bored of format screws on the site, 4558 will allways have a special place in my heart.

SCP-4246: if a story portrays the ocean as an eldritch place, it's a good skip. helps that it actually has an academic feel to it, unlike more narrative skips lately. even the twist at the very end fits because ocean creatures are Like That. very beautiful very powerful.

SCP-4319: by girls for girls!! this skip is terrifying in a way more grounded in reality (group that pretends they're for "girl power" when they're actually trying to force girls into their own image). the format screw definitely helps convey the horrors of the site taking over the girls too.

SCP-6624: in general articles bout Alagadda are cool and at worst simply average, but 6624 is really good. helps that it kinda touches on the Four Lords of Alagadda through the music experiments. it also feels like historical documentation, just like 4246 (fun fact: they're both by the same author, called Metaphysician. recommend you check them out).

SCP-6007: ok i'll be honest, this one's on the list more from spite. as in, i dislike 6000, 6001, and 6500 so much that they automatically bumped up 6007 up in terms of liking it. weird i know. that said, 6007 had interesting characters and actually portrayed the horrors of nature pretty simple, yet it was pretty effective.

SCP-7027: surprise! another skip by Metaphysician! this one was made at the beginning of the anthology hub, and it was a strong start that made me hopeful that it would deliver all the way (it did not, but there were some good bits here and there). emptiness as horror is my favorite trope in horror, and the way it combined emptiness, nihilism, and buddhist ideas fucks pretty hard and reminds me of the HARBINGER II series (see below).

SCPs 6270 to 6279: HARBINGER II skips are all so good. while they're all considered separate from each other, they share one common theme: harbingers and holes, the latter either being literal or figurative, like a nothingness where surrounded by something...ness. because it reminds me of house of leaves, it automatically became one of my favorites. even some of the more weaker ones like 6273, 6277, and 6278 are still decent, if not my taste. notable favorites include 6270 (the description of the anomalous illness was interesting), 6272 (simple yet effective, especially the ending), 6274 (ending was eh, but everything else leading up to it was good, what with the idea of even ghosts not being safe from the entity), 6275 (surreal and terrifying, while also acting a bit as a commentary to ""funni"" skips), and 6276 (has a bit of technobabble, but it was interesting, especially the ending).

SCP-1302-JP: this one's simple: it's a ferris wheel that is so slow it takes triple-digit years for one revolution. the description of those trapped within the capsules are chilling, and there are Implications, for those with a good eye.

SCP-5485: i remember making a post where i said that unneeded [citation needed] in articles is one of my favorite types of humor, and this skip delivers on this while also being unsettling. combining HANSARP (a Dadaist version of AWCY) and the ocean is a brilliant idea.

SCP-3009: i already gushed about this skip in a previous post. no need to say more beyond it being a simple yet compelling story, especially with the companion tales.

SCP-7100: this skip has a format screw that's actually interesting AND makes sense- it acts as a tutorial for documenting an SCP (both in-universe and out) while also telling a good story within. the punchline also fits, which is a rare compliment these days for modern skips. i've said this before and i'll say it again: 7100 should have won 7k con.

SCP-6230: this skip documents how abandoned SCP facilities will suddenly generate new interior spaces, and if that doesn't remind you of House of Leaves, you clearly have not been on my blog long enough. juxtaposing the main clinical documentation with the more prose-y feel of SCP-001 helps create a sense of eerie suspense on wtf the skip is, something the backrooms wikis wishes they could accomplish. honestly the skip could've been just endless descriptions of the generated interior spaces and i would still put it on this list.

[whippedcloudsofcream]

This feels sad honestly

The fact that Mono,the MC of Little Nightmares 2, became the villain that has been chasing him the entire game,Thin Man is like saying "You eventually became the monster you killed" or "As a child,you hate the monster,As an adult,you are the monster"

It's interesting the music perfectly captures the scary atmosphere:

It started sounding like a lullaby when Mono is a child,it felt innocent at first,then it slowly became dark,the feelings that's chill your spine,Mono is growing up so he lost the innocence of a child. At the end,it just feels bleak,it feels empty as if this isn't a child who's naive. He became a man, he's not the little boy who's scared of the monster anymore,he is the monster now

I gotta say the song describes how cruel and hard it is growing up as a child,it ain't pretty,it ain't light. It's not a process you can turn back,once you began there's no way back

I'm starting to feel like Little Nightmares is just an exaggerated lense of a child towards the real world,well we are playing as a child ingame. The dystopian environment doesn't help,but it does make sense

Mono was just a normal child having a hard time growing up and after he was left by his dear friend, he became a bitter lonely man

Thin Man may have just been chasing Mono so as to prevent "himself" from making the same mistake: befriending someone who'll leave him anyway, it's like how one wants to change the mistake of the past. It sounds selfish, but it makes sense,we all want to turn back time to fix our mistakes. But Thin Man was unsuccessful showing that once you did it, you can't turn your head back

Or simply he just want to kill his child self bcuz sometimes we feel that we were such a mistake as a child,so we want to erase it and vice versa Mono wanted to kill his adult self bcuz this isn't who he is, this "monster" isn't him so it's not wrong to kill him right?

After all the past is what makes the future,so even if Thin Man dies, Mono still lives. But it's interesting that without Mono, there's no Thin Man. So yeah you can say Thin Man was trying to erase himself in the worst way possible,by putting it all on himself I have a feeling that he blames everything on himself after enduring so much tragedies

It's like one big circle you can't escape,even if you tried to change the past,you cannot change the inevitable which is growing up

I just love how Little Nightmares have a great metaphor to the modern life,everything in the game feels surreal but similar bcuz you can see these things in real life:

-> Modern city, TVs,the villains are adults who have normal jobs like chefs,janitor,teacher,doctor,how modernity has made human so pale, they're so comfortable with the modern world,they became indifferent to others, since the comforts are already enough for them to live, why care of others?

The real world is no dream, it's a realistic nightmare, since the children are likely orphans,we can tell they are trying hard to survive in a cruel lonely world that doesn't treat them kindly I wouldn't be suprised if this is an approach on how actual orphans survive in the real world

That's why it's called Little Nightmares,the nightmares are the little things we see in real life. It may sounds simple but not so simple,cuz well the little things here can be the bare necessities to survive

If we go with all this I said,then it means the children were struggling so hard to even see another day,when they grow up,they just can't stop doing that, surviving while keeping themselves safe even if it costs them a happy emotional life. Which is the reality of some well when life dealt you the worst hand at birth,you probably won't have it easy even when you're adult and you're secure since you never know what'll happen when you let your guard down eventually they became like the "scary adults"

Yeah it's fucking sucks growing up,when puberty hit,we all understand 😭

That probably is the metaphor/meaning behind little nightmares. The song is truly sad, especially the way Mono just looks around and then sits quietly, upset and scared. The way the music still holds that melody, but it becomes heavier and angry, more distorted. Mono gains power as the Thin Man, but loses all of his innocence, perfectly mirroring what Little Nightmares is about. I really hope we see more of him in the future 😭😭

[voteformightyclocks]

The Last Wish: Spoiler-Free Review

Okay. so as none of you know, I'm a HUGE fan of the original Puss In Boots, and as such I bought a ticket for The Last Wish the day tickets went on sale. I waited impatiently for months for that movie to come out, and watched it on Christmas Eve, and I'm finally getting around to writing about it

For context, I believe the original Puss In Boots is better than any of the Shrek movies. Shrek 2 and Puss In Boots both hold up really well to this day, but Puss In Boots is better at capturing the magic of fairy tale stories than Shrek 2 was; Shrek 2 modernized too much for it to contain that same magic. And as such, I argue to this day that the best Shrekverse movie is Puss In Boots. The only thing holding Puss In Boots was just the spontaneous humor and the way they downplayed the central antagonist with humor

The Last Wish fixes those mistakes

If you go in expecting a movie similar to the original, the first, like, 5 minutes will be your cup of tea. It has the same spontaneous humor, the villain is basically just there for laughs, and Puss is this high-and-mighty outlaw. The leadup to the giant and the battle against the giant both showcase who Puss is: he's a rebel against the rich and a protector of the poor. He cares not for people with power, and instead uses his own skills and power to defend the common folk through his heroic antics. But, as the trailer shows, he carelessly gets crushed, and he's now on his last life

This is where the story takes a turn. We have several minutes of denial. "Retire? I am Puss in Boots!" But that's when the story's driving villain shows up. They weren't really highlighted in the trailers, so I'll be very secretive about who the villain is, but the moment they appear on screen, I had chills. This villain was not like the ones who had come before. This villain was not something to laugh about. And Puss realizes this. Puss is scared into retirement- I mean, into hiding, and gets used to the undignified way of life that is a housecat, until Goldilocks and the Three Bears show up: bounty hunters seeking Puss' help with reaching the mythical Wishing Star

Puss outsmarts them and decides to pursue this Wishing Star alone...

Well. Alone plus his emotional support dog. Short story, but a weird one to tell

And off he goes on his quest to find the Wishing Star and restore his lives

And that's the introduction to the story and most of the central characters, so I can't really progress further without spoiling major parts of the story

Downsides of the story:

The central villain is beaten in an unsatisfying way, and deserved a better conclusion

The secondary villain was mediocre at best, and falls into the trap of Laughable Villain Syndrome

Ofc they're going to end the movie with a tie-in to the upcoming Shrek 5

Upsides of the story:

Very deep story

Legitimately terrifying central villain

Tertiary villains are masterfully done, start to finish

My Personal Rating: 10/10

This movie has flaws, don't get me wrong, but this movie is also the best blend of nostalgia and storytelling that I've ever seen before. While most of the characters were well done, there are three particular characters that shine through every moment they are on screen: Puss, Goldilocks, and the central antagonist; especially the latter two. I'll also take the moment to point out that Goldilocks was voiced by Florence Pugh, so there's that :D

And yeah. This is 100% a recommendation! There's honestly no real theory fodder available in this movie. Like sure, maybe some minor theories, but nothing about the future of Puss, Kitty, and Perrito. There might be a spin-off for Goldilocks, but we don't know enough specifics about her past to guess where in her life a story might take place, let alone what it would be about. It closed pretty much every loose thread it had, except one, but I can't talk about that yet...not until I'm ready to discuss the most terrifying PG villain I've ever seen

[mysecretlittlelibrary]

To Love Who Wears The Crown Pt. 5

Pairing: Modern Royals: King!Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: well there's an implied kidnapping at the end but otherwise it's very cute

Genre: Fluff

Summary: You meet the king of Andia by chance when he hosts a ball and he's immediately taken with you, enough to invite you to spend your summer at the palace with him while he formally courts you. Although he's everything you could dream of from the moment you arrive, nothing is ever straightforward in the world of powerful people. Who would have thought that when you tripped over his feet at a dance you'd eventually have to find out what it means to love a king.

***

You adjust your sunglasses as you walk arm in arm with Bucky through the palace grounds. This afternoon Bucky showed up at your door and surprised you with a picnic. In the months you've been here, you've realized he's very fond of picnics. You've had them pretty regularly through the summer but now that the weather has gotten cooler they're less common.

"Bucky, where exactly are we going?" You ask with a giggle as he guides you through the gardens past all of the viable spots to set up your picnic. It's uncharacteristically nice being that it's nearly winter and Bucky has decided to take the opportunity to show you one of his many secrets.

"I told you. We're having a picnic." He says.

"Right but we had picnics all summer, we usually just stay in the gardens. Now it's November and you're taking me somewhere else now." You point out with a chuckle.

"Well yeah, with the weather being so nice I have something special to share with you this time." Bucky says. Beyond the gardens, you walk up to a cliffside.

"Have you ever been up there?" You ask Bucky, looking up to the top of the cliff.

"A few times. It's a great vantage point to see most of the kingdom, but we're not going up." Bucky tells you, pushing at some branches that cover a large hole in the rocks.

"We're going into a cave?"

"Yes and no, technically we're just going through it. Watch your step." Bucky says helping you through the opening in the side. You walk through the dark cave for a while, trusting Bucky to lead you through even with very little light. In here the November chill is still prominent even with the warm weather from the sun. How often does he take this path that he can navigate without even a flashlight? After a while of walking, you pop out to see a waterfall.

"Oh." You breathe out as you take in the landscape. It's a relatively small area and it's surrounded by tall cliffs but the greenery is gorgeous. Even at year's end, wildflowers still poke through the tall green grass surrounding a beautiful blue lake at the bottom of a waterfall.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Bucky says softly into your ear.

"Absolutely." You say. Bucky smiles and moves to set up your picnic next to the water.

"Come here darling, let's sit." Bucky says grabbing your hand. You sit on the blanket beside him as he unpacks your lunch.

"Bucky how did you even find this place?" You ask him.

"Well, I try to make sure I know the area surrounding the palace as well as I can so this was a chance find actually, during one of my explorative adventures." He tells you.

"Do you come out here often? I feel like you probably don't get many chances to disappear to a spot like this." You hum.

"You're right about that but I try to come here a couple of times a month at least. It's not as often as I'd like but you take what you can get. It's getting colder now though, so I'll probably be here less."

"It must be nice to get away from everything here."

"It is when I get the opportunity. I'm glad I get to bring you here too."

"So am I. It's gorgeous." You sigh.

"Well, you're welcome to come here whenever you'd like, even without me. I know you have more free time than I do most days."

"Thank you." You nod. The two of you eat quietly for a few minutes before Bucky speaks again.

"Y/n I have to talk to you about something." He says, clearing his throat and shifting to face you.

"What's up?" You look at him as you munch on some fruit.

"I'd like to make an announcement. You know, like an official one, to the people." Bucky says.

"An official announcement of what Jamie?" You ask.

"The state of our courting. With Stark and Walker finally returning to Weldon I'd like our people to know before they alert their king."

"Oh they're going back? They were here for a long while." You hum.

"Diplomatic work can take a while." He shrugs.

"Right, well, is there a particular reason you'd like to let Andia know before the king of Weldon finds out?"

"Actually it's not exclusively because Stark and Walker are leaving. I mean their return is a good like jumping off point but you've also been here for almost six months now unless you think things aren't going well or you'd like to leave at this point, I'd really like to make a proper commitment if you're ready for it." Bucky explains.

"Oh- wait is this a proposal?" Your brows knit together curiously and Bucky chuckles at your question.

"Not a marriage proposal no. I know you're not familiar with aristocratic dating practices so I won't rush that. If all goes as I hope that'll come later though. I'd just like to make you my girlfriend publicly." He says.

"Okay, I'd like that." You nod.

"You would?"

"Yeah, I like dating you and you're right we've been seeing each other for a while now so, committing publicly makes sense at this stage." You shrug.

"You make it sound so analytical." He chuckles.

"Sorry, I don't mean to make it seem cold. I'm glad you feel ready to take that step, it's just- the publicity of our relationship isn't the part of dating you that matters to me, is all. I know it comes with the territory of dating the king though, and I'm ready whenever you are." You explain. Bucky kisses your forehead.

"I understand. It's sweet that you don't care about the fanfare aspect of all this." He says.

"I just have one question; how do you plan to make this announcement?" You ask. 

"Would it be too dramatic to have a party for it?" He asks with a slight smile.

"Maybe a little bit, but if you think it's something you want to celebrate that way I don't see why not." You shrug smiling back at him.

"I think I'd like to announce it via party." He nods.

"Via party it is then. Do you know when you'd like to have it?" You ask.

"Next week? Maybe the week after. It won't be as big as the ball where we met but-" Bucky trails off.

"I don't think it needs to be something massive, you're only telling the people you have a girlfriend it's not a wedding." You tell him.

"Yeah, maybe. I'll have to talk to Steve and Nat about it I guess." Bucky hums.

"James can I ask you something?" You ask.

"Anything you want of course."

"Why did you decide to court me? Not in like a 'why me' sense but like, I guess I'm surprised that you're even looking for a queen. People kind of assume you're going to rule alone forever."

"I'll tell you it's not for lack of- opportunity. Truthfully I didn't know what I was looking for in a ruling partner; I think it's one of those things you only know when you find it." Bucky shrugs.

"Ruling partner? I don't think I've heard it referred to that way before." You hum.

"Well yeah, I happen to think I've found what I'm looking for in you, but there's nothing saying I couldn't have found it in a man or someone somewhere else on the gender spectrum." He says which surprises you.

"Oh I didn't know you were not straight."

"I don't make it a point to announce it. Does it bother you?"

"Not at all." You shake your head. "Thank you for sharing." You hum. He glances up at the sky for a while before letting out a sigh. "I wish we could stay out here all afternoon, but I have a meeting before dinner." Bucky says.

"Do we need to head back then?" You ask.

"I think we do, yes." Bucky nods, standing up. He reaches his hand out to you and you take it, allowing him to pull you up. Bucky packs up the plates and blanket from your picnic and puts them back in the basket while you take one last look around the lake. "Ready darling?" He asks once everything is packed away.

"Oh- yeah let's go." You say grabbing his outstretched hand. Bucky walks you back through the cave and back to the palace. He takes you all the way to your room before finally saying goodbye.

"I'm sorry I couldn't spend more time with you today y/n." Bucky says, stroking your cheek gently. You turn your head slightly to kiss his palm.

"Hey, it was a picnic, we were together for over an hour. More than enough time to eat and talk for a bit. It was lovely. I think it's the perfect length for a lunch date." You tell him.

"You're so understanding."

"Bucky we're adults. I don't expect you to be at my beck and call 24/7. Plus you are the king." You say.

"Wait a second, if you do need me you can call me no matter the time, you know that, right?" Bucky frowns.

"I know- it's not about you not being available. I just meant- we obviously aren't going to be attached at the hip all day long. We both have other responsibilities." You explain. "I'll see you at dinner, don't be late to your meeting, okay?"

"Dinner, yes, I'll see you soon." Bucky kisses your forehead before leaving. You smile to yourself as you enter your room.

"Hi y/n, how was your lunch?" Izzy asks.

"It was nice! Bucky wants to make an announcement about our relationship." You tell her.

"Really? When does he plan to do that?"

"Next week or maybe the week after. He said he'd talk to Nat and Steve about it. He wants to make it a whole affair, host a party to tell the people of Andia. It's kind of cute actually." You smile.

"Really? That's so sweet!" Izzy gushes.

"I think so too. He asked me while we were having lunch if I was okay with making that commitment."

"And you are?"

"Absolutely. If he's ready to do that I want him to. I've enjoyed getting to know him." You nod.

"So do you think you'll marry him? That's the next step isn't it?"

"It probably is the next step I guess. I think I'd like to marry him. I feel like I'd be happy with him at least based on the last few months." You say.

"Well, if you do get married one day I think you'd make an excellent queen." She tells you.

"Thank you Izzy." You chuckle. Izzy nods and resumes what she'd been doing when you walked in. You spend a while reading a book you'd taken from the library recently before you meet Bucky for dinner as you usually do, chatting through your meal.

~*~*~

"Izzy have you seen my sketchpad?" You frown as you sift through your trunk. You'd like to do some drawing this afternoon but can't find the sketchbook you've been using. You have an unused one too but you were in the middle of one drawing in particular that you'd like to finish.

"It's over here." Izzy says grabbing it off a shelf and handing it over to you.

"Oh- thank you." You take it from her and set up your other drawing supplies on your bed.

"Of course." She says. "I'm going to do some sewing for a little while if you don't need me." She adds.

"Yeah that's fine." You nod. Izzy slips out of your room while you start working on your unfinished sketches. Sometime later, a thump at your balcony door pulls your attention away from your drawing pad. You initially ignore it, assuming the sound is an animal or something but a second thump, louder than the first, makes you toss your drawing book on your bed and get up to check the balcony. As you open the glass doors to your balcony, part of you realizes that this may not be the smartest decision, especially because it's probably nothing. Still, you glance outside to see if you can source the thumps you heard from your bed. When you can't seem to find anything that could've made the sounds you heard you turn to go back inside assuming it was in fact nothing. Before you make it back over to your bed, a crash from the balcony startles you. You turn around with a slight jump to see two men rushing towards you. They're wearing masks which means you can't identify them as you scramble towards your door room door hoping to get to the guards outside before these strangers get to you. When you think you're close enough you open your mouth to yell but you only manage to let out half of a scream before one of them puts a cloth over your mouth and within seconds your eyes are shutting as unconsciousness takes over.

***

Part 5/???

Tagged Users: @calwitch