#golden widow challenge

[cherliin]

the sims 3: golden widow challenge ⚜️⚱️🪞⚱️⚜️

a rendition of the black widow challenge made by LampreM which can be found here with a gold digger twist.

⋆˙⟡♡ STORY

Your sim loves money. She's addicted to it. Her entire life revolves around money. Unfortunately, she doesn't have enough of it to fund her terrible shopping addiction. Your sim, however, is a confident, cunning young woman. She knows she is beautiful... and she knows how to steal a man's heart. As long as she can get rich, she doesn't care what she has to do.

⋆˙⟡♡ DIFFICULTY

Upon reaching your chosen goal, you win the challenge. Keep track of how much money is yours after a spouse's death (home value and bank).

easy - your sim wants to make at least 500,000 simoleons through inheritance.

medium - your sim wants to make at least 1,000,000 simoleons through inheritance.

hard - your sim wants to make at least 5,000,000 simoleons through inheritance.

extreme - your sim wants to make at least 10,000,000 simoleons through inheritance.

note: you are free to add more wealthy sims/families as you run out.

⋆˙⟡♡ RULES

rule 1. must play on the normal lifespan with aging on.

rule 2. no money cheats. your sim must earn money by marrying and killing her husbands.

rule 3. your sim must be a young adult upon starting.

rule 4. your sim should only have one romantic interest at a time. no new relationships until you've killed your spouse. should you ever find yourself with a "naughty" or worse reputation, see the quirks section of this challenge for added difficulty.

rule 5. your golden widow retires her ways upon reaching elderhood. you may pass the challenge on to an heir (must be a young adult) if you can't reach your goal in time.

rule 6. your golden widow must reach level 10 in cooking and charisma.

⋆˙⟡♡ INHERITANCE

Getting married isn't easy, and neither is stealing away a rich old man's legacy. The following rules apply to each individual marriage.

rule 1. upon seducing a wealthy sim, your sim must have gone on at least three dates after starting a relationship before you can propose. however, if you have mods that allow sims to autonomously propose and the wealthy sim proposes first, you can say yes whenever.

rule 2. your sims may move in together after proposal.

rule 3. once you are engaged, you must host a dinner party where you invite the fiancé's family and your own friends. you must prove that you will be a good wife by throwing a good party.

rule 4. your sims must plan a wedding. use your own discretion for its magnitude (how wealthy is he? how social is he?).

rule 5. the money isn't all yours yet. your sim must have at least one child with her husband before killing him to ensure she inherits the money.

rule 6. if your husband dies before you have a child, you do not gain any money. you must move out and leave it all behind, starting fresh.

rule 7. after your husband dies, you must hold a funeral to not raise suspicion.

⋆˙⟡♡ QUIRKS

Everything in this section is completely optional and only serves as a way to add difficulty. You may pick and choose what you'd like to do.

shopping addict: is that a new purse? oh, look at that dress! your sim can't help not being financially responsible.

every week, your sim must have spent at least §3000 on anything you choose.

delicate: ugh! work? why the hell would I work if I'm not poor?! your sim absolutely hates hard labor. or working at all, for that matter.

never get any kind of job.

never do a single house chore, save for cooking for your husband.

high maintenance: maintaining my beauty is just so important...you'll help me, won't you? your sim absolutely lives for the spa.

every other day, your sim must visit the spa and purchase any one of their services.

reputation in ruins: your sim must protect her reputation. after all, if she doesn't, how will she continue marrying?

if your sim ever gains the "naughty" or worse reputation, she must move to a completely new world and forget all of her relationships (save for children). after doing so, she must also change her name and lose any celebrity star levels she might have.

remember to use the tag #golden widow challenge! :)

[aliengirl]

well we move out with judith and while the exterior was quite bland, Willow saw a lot of potential on the interior 👀

[duckprintspress]

23 Queer Books for Disability Pride Month

July is Disability Pride Month! To celebrate, we asked our contributors to recommend their favorite queer books with disabled characters. The contributors to this list are: Neo Scarlett, Dei Walker, E. C., Polls, Rascal Hartley, Sanne, Meera S., Shadaras, Shea Sullivan, Annabeth Lynch, Tris Lawrence, Nova Mason, Nina Waters, and an anonymous contributor. Reminder: we encourage our rec list contributors to suggest books that spoke to them, which means that sometimes works on our rec lists do not include explicit representation.

Brooms by Jasmine Walls

Iron Widow (Iron Widow series) by Xiran Jay Zhao

Six of Crows (Six of Crows series) by Leigh Bardugo

Golden Stage by Cang Wu Bin Bai

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

The Tea Dragon Festival Treasury Edition by K. O’Neill

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

Feed (Newsflesh series) by Mira Grant

Into the Drowning Deep (Rolling in the Deep series) by Mira Grant

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

Interesting Facts about Space by Emily Austin

Body, Remember: A Memoir by Kenny Fries

The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost series) by C.L. Clark

The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus series) by Rick Riordan

The Monster Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade series) by Seth Dickinson

Chrono Crusade (Chrono Crusade series) by Daisuke Moriyama

Tokyo Babylon by Clamp

Godkiller (Fallen Gods series) by Hannah Kaner

A Tiny Piece of Something Greater by Jude Sierra

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

The Charm Offensive (The Charm Offensive series) by Alison Cochrun

Umineko When They Cry by 07th Expansion

Copper Coins by Mu Su Li

What are your favorite queer books with disability rep?

You can view this list, and our many others, as a shelf on Goodreads!

Looking to buy any of these books or others we’ve recommended? You can browse our rec lists on Bookshop.org!

Want to chat your favorite reads with us? Join our Book Lover’s Discord server!

Love reading queer books? Our Queer Book Challenge is running on Storygraph through the end of 2024. Come join us!

[buckrecs]

Single Mom!Reader

masterlist | req masterlist 

bucky with kids🥺

ONESHOT

Feel Like Baking Love by @wehaveabucky-archive

you forget the most important part of your kids birthday party; the cake. but thankfully, a local patissier is more than willing to help you in your hour of need

Marley by @leascorner

Eventually, Bucky gave his deepest secrets away and you let him know yours. Her name was Marley.

Can I call you dad? by @winvterstan

You and Bucky have been dating for eight months. One day your four years old daughter has an interesting request for Bucky.

Who’s That? by @imagineaworlds

A Bucky x single mom reader and the reader brings him to dinner.

good morning by @buckybarnesdiaries

after a mission in Europe, you come back to the Avengers Compound, being received by a lovely surprise.

Playdate by @becca-e-barnes

You’re a single parent to an outgoing little boy called Oliver. On the first day of school he makes a new friend, Thomas Barnes. Both Thomas and his dad Bucky come over for dinner.

incandescent glow by @allyouneedisbuck

bucky barnes has a knack for finding warmth. his job as a firefighter. steve and nat and their unwavering warmth and kindness. you, and your daughter, and the sunshine filled smiles and laughs. he’s just trying to figure out how to tell you he wants it all with you.

Operation Get Mr Bucky and Momma Together by @golden-barnes

Bucky doesn't play favorites but Amaya is definitely his favorite, especially because her mom is hot.. Cue a 6-year-old trying to get Bucky to be her dad. (Teacher!Bucky)

goodnight kiss by @alisonsfics

bucky stays over at your place because he’s having work done on his apartment. he gets to hang out with you and your son.

What’s on your back? by @itsbuckysworld

“Show me what’s behind your back.”

Catch Me If You Can by @buckyalpine

Maybe he isn’t so bad.

Disney Princesses and Dog Tags by @buckyalpine

My Mom Thinks You’re Hot by @bluehourbucky

your son tries to set you up with an avenger in a grocery store

apartment 4d by @sunmoonandeddie

There’s nothing Bucky loves more than the widow down the hall and her son.

family additions by @ezm-imagines

reader's daughter calls bucky dad for the first time.

SERIES

The Slip Up by @justkending

After a last hurrah to graduating college with a future to be a family practitioner, a little slip up happens… Seven years down the road, just when things just now seem to be going smoothly, Y/N approaches that slip up from all those years ago. She’s not looking for anything right now. She is just where she wants to be in life. It seems the universe has a different idea though. One called James Barnes.

Yours, Mine, Ours by @coffeecatsandcandles

Bucky Barnes has been raising his girls, Rebecca and Winnie, for the last two years. He'd lost all hope of falling in love again until he met you, a pediatrician with two children of your own- Elliot and Willow. He falls in love and he falls hard, but the challenges of being single parents still weigh on you both at times. Luckily, you'll always have each other.

Redcove Harvest by @iwillbeinmynest

Farmhand!AU and SingleMom!Reader

The Lucky One by @avengerofyourheart

As a single mom with a jerk of an ex-husband, you’re doing your best to run the family business all on your own when your mother hires a mysterious man with a troubled past to help out. He just might be what you need in your life, but will his secrets bring you together or tear you apart?

Grant | 2| 3 by @coffeecatsandcandles

Bucky finds out you have a son from a previous relationship.

Love At First Grade by @buckysimp101

When father and first grade teacher Bucky Barnes ends up with Avery L/N in his class, the daughter of the “ruthless” CEO of L/N Enterprises, he's in for a surprise that's sure to change his life.

Part of a Family | 2 by @onceuponastory

After Y/N is abandoned by her boyfriend, the father of her 8 month old son, her best friend Bucky comes to the rescue. The same Bucky who’s been in love with Y/N ever since he met her.

Blue is for Ben by @writerlyhabits

Bucky has a meet-cute with you as you're waiting for the elevator in his building, and he's instantly captivated by you.. and your son. What lies in store for the super soldier as he falls head over heels for the single mom who lives just down the hall? Or finds himself wanting to hear about four-year-old Ben's day at school…

My Little Hero by @bucky-bear-barnes

Bucky stumbled upon a sweet young girl defending his honor. And finding out that her mom is the lovely single mom he always kind of liked.

From Left Field | 2 | 3 by @ofstarsandvibranium

chubby Bucky falling for a mother.

The Road Goes Ever On and On by @rocketrhap3000

Life as a single mother of a three year old certainly has its struggles. But when a sweet stranger makes his way into you and your little boy’s life, a one of a kind connection sparks.

[toastedcinnamonflakes]

Guide on How to Improve Your Reading Level

So. You want to improve your reading level. You currently read only “easy” stories – for example Colleen Hoover. But you want to challenge yourself. You want to read more.

Well, let me help you. I am compiling a guide for you here to help you get more advanced with your reading. I have sorted literature into different levels, and will give you suggestions for each level. This is not an all-encompassing guide, more like a guideline – obviously I don’t know every single author. I will try to stick to authors that are all also available in English, but if one or two sneak in that are not available in English, or your main language, I apologise. I encourage you to seek suggestions outside of this, too. A good place to get good recommendations and not just the same five #BookTok books over and over again are actually newspapers and magazines with a Feuilleton! You can also message me for some tips, or find other book blogs on tumblr. I am sure most are glad to help.

I am not sorting these books by categories like “Children’s books”, “Young adult” or similar, because I find that within those loose categories, books can vary wildly. Instead, I am focusing on complexity, length, necessary existing knowledge and other factors. Without further ado, let me begin!

Level 1: Books that are short, to the point, without complex vocabulary. There usually are no metaphors there, and if there are, you do not necessarily HAVE to dive into them, the story makes sense nonetheless. You do not need to have any pre-existing knowledge to understand them, either. They are also either stand-alones or can be read as stand-alones, so you do not have to commit to a long series.

Such books are:

Most books by Dyanna Wynne Jones, especially her Fantasy novels

Books by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Most books by Leigh Bardugo (although is STRONGLY discourage you from reading the Shadow and Bone trilogy, those books are messy, unimaginative and kinda sexist. She found her literary footing after that.)

Books by Michael Ende

Most books by Erich Kästner (his few excursions into adult literature are more complex and require some previous knowledge about the Weimar Republic)

Books by Alexander Kielland Krag

Books by Walter Moers

Most books by V.E. Schwab

Books by Axie Oh

Books by Naomi Novik

Books by Casey McQuiston

Books by Kai Meyer

Books by Marissa Meyer

Books by T.J. Klune

Level 2: Now we are coming onto books that, while mostly still short, use a bit more complex vocabulary and/or metaphor. So, you might be required to not take everything literally and do a bit of interpretation. Occasionally, you might need to do a quick Wikipedia read to get context for the book. The characters are becoming a bit more complex, too, but often the text itself explains character’s motivations/thoughts directly.

Books that fit that description are for example:

"Convenience Store Woman" by Sayaka Murata

“Swimming in the Dark” by Tomasz Jędrowski

“Kim Jiyoung, born 1982” by Cho Nam-Joo

Books by Phillip Pullman, in particular his “Golden Compass” Trilogy

“Iron Widow” by Xiran Jay Zhao

“Fire and Hemlock” by Dyanna Wynne Jones

Books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Books by Celeste Ng

“The last Unicorn” by Peter S. Beagle

Level 3: Now we are reaching books that use complex vocabulary, maybe you even need to look up a word or two (but this is how you expand your own vocabulary). The sentences are more complex, the stories are constructed in a more complex way (but still usually follow one narrative string), the characters are most of the time nuanced. You will need to pay attention to the subtext and do some interpreting of your own. Some of these books have the labels “classic” attached to them, but don’t let that scare you – in fact, for most classics, you will be able to look up information/interpretations online if you are struggling. We also have some books now that are either parts of a longer series or parts of a bigger canon (not all of them, some are still stand-alones).

Such books are for example:

Books by Agatha Christie

Books by Selma Lagerlöf (although I have to say, she very often uses metaphors, dream-sequences and similar narrative devices)

Books by Terry Pratchett

Andrzej Sapkowski’s “Witcher”Saga

“The Shadow land” by Elizabeth Kostova

Books by Joan Lindsay

“A hero of our time” by Michail Lermontow

“Sauhund” by Lion Christ

Most books/short stories by Nikolai Gogol

Some of Stanislaw Lem’s books, like “The Star Diaries”, “Tales of Pirx the Pilot”

Books by Hanne Ørstavik, particularly the books before “Love”

Books by Gerd Brantenberg

“Revolutionary Road” by Richard Yates

“Carmilla” by Sheridan Le Fanu

The “Sherlock Holmes” Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle

Level 4: On this level, the vocabulary is advanced and the sentence structure is complex. The characters are multi-dimensional, complicated and explored on a psychological level.

The books want to say something, and often say it through the use of metaphors. You need to be attentive while reading, maybe even take some notes, if you really want to get to the bottom with your interpretation. Still, the books follow a (mostly) clear plotline and while there are occasionally some “non-realistic” elements in them like Dreams, they are still somewhat grounded in a fictional reality that mostly mirrors our own. Many of these novels are also long.

Jane Austen’s books

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s books

“Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier

“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte

“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte

“Agnes Grey” and “The Tennant of Wildfell Hall” by Anne Bronte

Plays by Friedrich Schiller

Plays by Henrik Ibsen

Most books by the Strugatzki brothers

“War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina” by Lew Tolstoi

“Dracula” by Bram Stoker

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley

books by Jeannette Winterson

books by Charles Dickens

Short stories by Anton Tschechow

Books by Michail Bulgakow

Level 5: Now we have reached the territory of the truly advanced reader. These books are not simple by any stretch of the word. These novels are not always more complex than the ones on level four vocabularly-wise, but they require you to have pre-existing knowledge of other works of literature (they often make references). You need to pay close attention while reading, perhaps re-read passages multiple times. The structure of these novels is often non-linear and/or experimental. They are mostly not “realistic”, rely heavily on metaphors, symbols and signs within the text. They can be confusing at times. Often, they play with the language and experiment. The meaning of these novels is multi-layered, and interpretations can differ wildly.

Such books are:

“If on a winter’s night a traveler” by Italo Calvino

“The experiment” by the brothers Strugatzki

Almost everything by Karen Blixen (“Out of Africa” is a bit easier, though still very complex and there are many symbols in that novel, too)

Books by Jon Fosse

“The Key” by Junichiro Tanizaki

Books by Osamu Dazai

“Catherine House” by Elisabeth Thomas (okay, I was conflicted where to put this – the vocab is not that difficult, but the structure is very unclear and dream-like and it puts a lot of emphasis on symbols. Maybe it would be good to start your journey to Level 5 novels with this one, if you are not very confident in your reading abilities)

Books by Han Kang

“The futurological congress” by Stanislaw Lem

Books by Günter Grass

“The Man Outside” by Wolfgang Borchert

Books by Slavenka Draculic (specifically her novels, her essays have a different style, obviously)

Books by Sjon

Short stories by Edgar Allan Poe

Books by Vladimir Sorokin

Books by Angela Carter

“Kult” by Ljubko Deresch

Most books by Vladimir Nabokov

Tales by E.T.A. Hoffman

The differing factor between these last two levels often is the STRUCTURE of the novels. I am making this distinction because I have seen that quite a few people struggle with experimentalist/surrealist/non-linear structure.

Others of these stories have a more linear structure, yes, but require you to dig deep beneath the surface to find out the meaning of various symbols in order to interpret the story.

Also, pay attention to the language! Many of these authors, like Nabokov, play around with double-meanings, similar sounding words (homophones) and even more than one language.

I hope this guide helps. Obviously, it is not perfect, but it should give you an idea where to start and where to progress. It is important to have fun while reading, and there is no shame in jumping between the levels. But, you should challenge yourself: You are smart! You can understand difficult things! Yes, it might be hard at first, but precisely because of that you should keep trying. If you never challenge yourself, you will never get better.

I wish you all the best on your reading journey <3

[maddie-grove]

Most Common Problems Faced by My Childhood Dolls (Grouped by Type of Doll)

Baby/Companion Dolls: life-threatening diseases; bullying by other dolls at school; my dubious discipline style; my divorce from my imaginary husband Jake.

Groovy Girls: bullying by other Groovy Girls; life-altering gymnastics accidents; feet too unwieldy for go-go boots.

Barbies: false witchcraft accusations; real witches; tuberculosis; kidnapping; the time Ken and his brother Adam started a polygamous cult; bullying by other Barbies (whether in a normal high school or a beauty pageant or a cult); basically anything bad that happened to female movie stars in Hollywood under the studio system; the challenges of raising a million Chrissies and Kellies and Stacies and Skippers and similarly sized off-brand child dolls with little help from Ken or Adam; sibling rivalry (including an East of Eden-style mess between Ken and Adam).

Dollhouse Families: my friend Emily C. (I was Emily S.) stealing the mom doll from my old Fisher-Price family, leaving John (the dad) a widower, so when I got a new family a few years later, I decided that John should marry Patricia, the mom of the new family, which made it necessary for me to interpret Robbie (almost certainly meant to be a dad doll) as Patricia's teenage son, which was obviously very emotionally confusing for Robbie and exacerbated the usual tensions of a newly blended family.

Clothespin Dolls: Nancy, Alice, and Lily, the three charming clothespin dolls made by my genuinely talented great-aunt Beth in the 1960s or 1970s, were grown-up sisters who had a complicated dynamic (both Nancy and Lily had serious psychological and/or substance abuse issues, so Alice had to take care of them and Nancy's children and her own children) and also experienced nineteenth-century-literature-style problems, like diphtheria and ice-skating accidents and bear attacks. The clothespin dolls that I created myself as a tween/young teen were not as well-made, but their problems were generally limited to normal high school bullshit (not even the kind where you get poisoned or kidnapped!).

Miscellaneous Medium-Sized Figurines (mostly fast food toys of Disney characters and mini-Barbies): various passive-aggressive rivalries between groups (mini-Barbies vs. movie/TV characters, Disney vs. non-Disney, movie vs. TV, protagonist vs. non-protagonist, etc.); a lack of eligible bachelors (leading to unwise marriages, such as Belle from Beauty and the Beast marrying a temperamental Space Jam monster); ennui.

Playmobils: the Playmobils had a nearly utopian society, relatively free from poverty and class snobbery, and generally this diverse group of Union soldiers, stuffy Victorians, pirates, outlaws, royalty, horse girls, milkmaids, and fairies were able to work out their differences peacefully. However, all that progressive modernity had a dark side, most clearly illustrated by the Kafkaesque ordeal of Oliver, a boy who was imprisoned for no discernable reason by an evil psychiatrist and his social worker girlfriend despite the desperate efforts of his mother to free him. Intense wartime romances and infectious disease outbreaks were also common themes.

Fisher-Price Great Adventure Action Figures: these rather hideous but very fun toys (consisting of an anachronistic mix of knights, pirates, cowboys, and Robin Hood's Merry Men) belonged to my seven-years-younger brother, so we would play with them a lot while I was looking after him. Naturally there was a lot of military conflict and criminal activity built into our play (will Robin Hood and his friends be able to steal the treasure from the castle? Will the golden knights or the black knights win the big battle? Who will stop the stagecoach robberies?), but, to entertain myself, I would introduce storylines such as "the Golden Sword Knight is tired of being bullied by the other knights, so he runs away and goes to live in the forest with Robin Hood's gang, where he falls in love with a female outlaw" and "Little John starts a AC/DC-style rock band with two of the black knights and everyone hates it."

Fisher-Price Little People: easily the most provincial of the doll groups, the Fisher-Price Little People struggled with extreme class/wealth inequality, widespread adultery, child abuse, teen homelessness, practically non-existent resources for the disabled, sexual repression, a character known only as "The Pervert," and a killer clown. Every day they went to school and work, and every night they tried to find someone to hook up with and maybe got kidnapped. I only wish my brother and I had been in possession of the motel playset. Think of all the extramarital affairs and drug deals that could have happened there!

Polly Pockets: the Polly Pocket community was dominated by two wealthy factions, a nouveau riche pair of brothers with a beach party house and the royal family. Due to a severe job and housing shortage, plus the local men's habit of not acknowledging their natural children, ordinary Polly Pockets had to struggle and scrape. Compared with the Barbies, there was a lot of solidarity among women (and also Josh, the one working-class boy Polly Pocket). Many of the Polly Pockets were very fragile, including the alcoholic Cowgirl Becky and the agoraphobic piano player Penny.

Paper Dolls: intense status jockeying over who had the most/best clothes, mainly. They also fought about friendships and (if there were any of them) boys, but it ultimately came down to clothes.

[tansyuduri]

Merlin Loregasm Rewatch S1E9

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my rewatch of Merlin focusing on the lore. I am a giant nerd so pretty excited about this. We’re on EXCALIBUR

Uther: Do you solemnly Swear to govern the peoples of this kingdom and their dominions according to the statutes, customs, and laws, Laid down by your forebearers,

Arthur: I do Sire

Uther: Do you promise to exercise mercy and justice, in your deeds and judgments?

Arthur: I do Sire

Uther: And do you swear allegiance to Camelot now and for as long as you shall live?

Arthur: I, Arthur pendragon, do pledge life and limb to your service And to the protection of the kingdom and it's peoples.

Uther: Now, being of age, And the Heir apparent, from hence forth you shall be crown prince of Camelot Okay so Arthur is now crown prince of Camalot. And of age. we know hes at Least 20 so of age is likley 21 in this world which is interesting because it implies lifespans are longer due to the more advanced medicine, Normally the medieval OF AGE was 16 years old. Also, see the golden ring placed around Arthurs head? Yeah thats called a Coronet and was traditionally worn by crown princes at formal occasions (Like we will see Arthur do)

It is a bit odd he was not considered crown prince already since he was the oldest royal child (And only royal child as far as people know) So even if Primogeniture (Inheridence by oldest son) was not a thing he would STILL be crown prince. See a crown prince IS the heir apparent of a royal kingdom. And Heir apparent is the one who is going to succeed the king. And cannot be displaces by the birth of another prince. So if he was heir apparent he pretty much was already was Crown prince. My guess is this is traditionally reaffirmed in Camalot when a prince comes of age,

I also like the use of the word peoples because it kinda hints that Camalot is big enough to have multiple peoples within its lands. Which if the theory from the Lancelot episode is true would be the case.

WHOOO Okay I think we have an answer. Devil is VERY Christian. So I'm going with there being some very weird semi paganized version of Christianity existing in Camalot that is left over from the Romans and just got mixed with local traditions. I therorized about this in one loregasm and I'm sticking with it because they ARE VERY MUCH not full on Catholic or Eastern Orthadox. And there are still a lot of pagan elements.

Throwing down a Gauntlet as a challenge is a custom of the late medieval era. It was considered a GRAVE insult and HAD to be picked up to accept the challenge if one wanted to keep ones honnor.

HI Sir Owain! Lesse in the original legends you were a Child of Urrian of Gore and Morgana. You had a pet Lion! You defeated a evil knight and married his widow, Then neglected your wife because you were too busy doing knight stuff. She ditches you and you go mad with grief and live naked in the woods. Then Morgana cures you and you win back your wife. Also, you are one of the last to die before Arthur at Cammlan. Have I mentioned how much I love that Merlin sometimes just goes NAH let's kill em instead?

Geof: Gaius thank god

Gaius: you know why I'm here

Geof: The black knight

Gaius: So it is he

Geof: you saw his crest

Gaius: have you confirmed it?

Geof: it is the crest of Tristan De Bois

Gaius: And he is the only knight ever to have carried such a crest

Geof: yes acording to the records

Okay this is a HUGE boon for us lore wise, See we don't know that much about the personality of Yygraines family. (or a ton about her's for that matter) BUT if it's his crest not a family crest it means HE picked it. So we can use heraldry to learn a bit about him!

So the symbol he uses is an Eagle this represents strength and courage and often has to do with military skill and leadership. It can also represent freedom, and independance and the ability to see things clearly. black represents constancy or grief and white peace and sincerity.

So Tristan was likely a strong man and military leader who was sincere and constant in his personality. He likley tended to perfer peace but when pushed to it would fight well. He might have been independent minded as well showing by making his own crest.

OOCLY the show could be telling us that it is likley telling us this man was RIGHT about Uther being at fault. One way or another. And his act in standing up to Uther was a courageous one. OR its also possible he took up this sigil after Ygraines's death If so his very crest and oufit is blaming and taunting Uther! But that is just my assessment!

HI Sir Pellinor! Lesse in the original legends you were the king of Listeoise (Lake District) Or of "the Illes." You killed king Lot, And hunted the Questing Beast relentlessly. You were killed by Gwaine. You were also Percival's dad. (Among other kids.)

Othanden can mean Out Of Hand in Danish. Otherwise I cannot find much on this. My guess is this battle would have taken place in the previously mentioned war with Mercia

Gaius: Tristan De Bois was the brother of Ygraine -- Uther's wife

Merlin: Arthur's Mother?

Gaius: Ygraine died in childbirth. He blamed Uther and came to the gates of Camalot and Challanged him.

Merlin: to single combat?

Gaius: Uther won, but with his dying breath Traistan cursed Camalot to one day suffer his return. I thought it was the ramblings of a dying man. People Estimate the chances of death in childbirth in the middle ages to be the cause of 50 percent of young female fatalities. Giving birth was incredably dangerous. (And most woman did it many time though less so in the Merlin world) For in the actual birthing process and the chance of childbed fever afterward. So this is likley an early clue to the fact that there was somthing supernatural going on with Arthur's birth. No one in their right mind blamed a man for the death of their wife in childbirth ESPECIALLY if said wife was having their first birth and not too old or too young.

Now in the Merlin world I would guess death in childbirth of woman is at a much lower rate. For two reasons. First of all The more advanced medicine would make it a bit less common. (Though they do not have modern medicine or germ theory or modern technology so not by much) The other reason being IN merlin families seem to be small compared to the huge ones of the middle ages. (Hinting Child Mortality is not as high) So less chances for a woman to die. STILL it likely would have been fairly common.

Now to the interesting fact that Ygraine came from France! Implying contact and trade with them. See Ygraine is the french version of Arthur's mother's name And we've talked about the last name in previous posts.

"Came to the gates of Camalot castle and challenged him" is interesting because it means he was not in Camalot. SO HOW would he know about Uther's involvement in Ygraine's death? My guess is it lies in the "one day suffer his return" See here we have another "How would he know." My guess is the man was some sort of seer. Or magic user. Ygraine was said to have been pretty friendly with many magic users. It's possible magic (or being a seer) ran in her family. The other option of her somehow writing him and knowing about the whole magic to conceive thing is also possible but doesn't explain knowing he would return, Nimue could just have been using something he said randomly but I don't really think so? OR he was just crazy? And was attacking Uther for what he thought was a normal childbirth death? That would be REALLY weird. though. And the later "it was magic that killed her not I" and "never the less it was you he blamed" Seems to go against this option

Gaius: My guess is we're dealing with a Wraith.

Merlin: A wraith?

Gaius: The spirit of a dead man conjured from the grave.

Merlin: So this is the work of a sorcerer

Gaius: Powerful Magic can harness the greif and rage of a demanted soul and make it live again

Merlin: How do we stop it?

Gaius: We can't, Because its not alive no mortal weapon can kill it

Merlin: Surly there must be somthing

Gaius: Nothing can stop it until it has achived what it came for

Merlin: And what's that

Gaius: Revenge.

Wraith is a Scottish word for ghost that has become a more general term. It can also mean the exact likeness of a person seen before death as a death omen, (A soul who was on the verge of death or recently passed on) From there the meaning has evolved to many many different things.

Geoferry is not in on it! Its likely Arthurs birth magic is not in the court records of the purge! (Theorized about this perviously)

Uther: Havn't you tired of revenge?

Nimueh: Haven't you? You Began this war when you threw me from the court and salughtered all of my kind

Uther: you brought it on yourself you practiced evil

Nimueh: I was your freind Uther, You welcomed me here

Uther: you betrayed that freindship

Nimueh: I did as you asked I used the magic you so despise to give your barren wife the son you craved

Uther: Don't ever speak of her in that way She was my heart, My soul, and you took her from me.

Nimueh: She died giving birth to your son. it was not my choice. That is the law of Magic. to create a life there had to be a death, the balance of the world had to be repaired

Uther: you knew it would kill her

Nimueh: No you're wrong. If I had forseen her death and the terrible retrebution you would seek. I would never have granted your wish.

Ok first of all we know from later Nimugh has a bit of control of who dies. Hinting that something interfered here causing it to be Ygraine. (I totally don't have headcanons about this you will eventually see in my fics)

ALSO, I find it interesting he says "Evil" not "evil sorcery," I think he truly belives all magic is evil. I mean every villain is a good guy in their own mind.

BUT he was also freinds with Nimueh and welcomed her to Camalot. So he didn't always think all magic was evil. It seems it truely was Ygraines death that caused that. I always wondered if part was just an excuse in his mind because he was insecure that other people had so much power and perhaps helped him build the kingdom with it. So they could tear it down. I think Nimueh was court sorcerer. And helped him take over the kingdom, but that's just my headcannon.

Also gotta wonder what kinda person Ygraine was that Uther fell so deeply in love with her.

Geoff: Well several fables speak of Ancient swords

=Merlin: that can kill the dead?"

Geoff: The swords the fables speak of could destroy anything alive or dead.

Merlin: can you show me one of these fables"

Geoff: welll let me think, yes

(Later)

Goef: this is the chronicle of Beltane, now then, ah were we are 'Sir Marhaus looked at the great sword, begotten in the dragons breath and found it passing good"

Sir Marhaus was the son of the king of ireland and his sister was the queen of Ireland and a knight of the Round Table in folklore. Beltane as we addressed is celebrated may 1st! So this book is the chronicles of a holiday on May 1st

Merlin: I've come to ask for a sword. The strongest sword your father's ever made

Gwen: What for?

Merlin: To save Arthur (Cut to latter but continuation of this scene so keeping it here)

Gwen: My father's been saving this. Hes always said it was the best sword he's ever made.

Merlin: its perfect

Gwen: He'll kill me if he find's I've taken it

Merlin: He'll understand, You did it for arthur. I've talked about this before but this is more evidence that Gwen's family, while commoners, are not the same level of poor as most. Making swords and armor, especially good ones was a skilled art. And those things were EXPENSIVE. Tom is not the royal swordsmith so its HIGHLY likely he rivals the royal swordsmith in skill enough to have some knights of Camalot (The people who can actually afford arms and armor) Buy or get repairs done from him instead. (This is a big deal he must be VERY good) There are not many other people he could be making swords and armor for. I suppose there might be some mercenaries and freelancers who are rich enough for swords and perhaps VERY RARLY full on armor. He makes armor that is of the quality nobles wear, And can afford to just give it to people. we know this from Lancelot. I think he must do other typical blacksmithing AND Arms and armor for knights. So I see two possibilities. Either they consistently live at a level above the poverty of most commoners

OR Every now and then he gets a commission that makes them richer for a bit. With Gwen ALSO being such a good seamstress and Also considering they seem to be able to give away armor (Cough Lancelot cough) I think the first option is more likely, or perhaps its a mix of the two. To be clear they are not rich. I'm not saying they are rich. I'm saying they seem to be above most commoners in wealth. Also, wealth did not matter as much as Class in the middle ages anyway.

Him putting his best sword away might be some form of insurance He's still a commoner and is not guaranteed work because he is not the royal smith. And what if there is some emergency or a time when he doesn't get any of the fine commissions for a while?

Uther: You knew that one day this business would come back to haunt me.

Gaius: not quite so litteraly

Uther: I should have listened to you. You said that no good would come of using witchcraft at Arthur's birth

Gaius: you wanted an heir you thought it was the only way.

Uther: Nimueh told me there would be a pice to pay

Gaius: You weren't to know that price would be Ygraines life

OKAY first of all does this mean that GAIUS was not the one to suggest using magic? Then WTF was Uther talking about in that conversation about something being stupid to do "because Gaius said it was so" back in the poisoned chalice? Was Gaius just the messanger? It means it might explain more why Gauis lived if he was not the one to suggust it. Perhaps Uther asked Gaius if he knew a way and Gaius said he did but no good would come of it? Or Gaius was indeed just the messenger? BUT WHY DID HE NEED A MESSENGER IF NIMUEH WAS AT COURT. I swear when this is all done I'm going over all of these and doing a summary of possible answers to some questions!

Merlin: will your Bunrish it to save Arthur

Killy: The dead do not return without reason, who has he come for.

Merlin: Uther

Killy: Then let him take his Vengance and the wraith will die without my aid.

Merlin: But it's Arthur who is going to fight him! You have to save him

Killy: That is your destany young warlock not mine

Merlin: But if Arthur fights the wraith and dies camalot will have no heir, I will have no destany

Killy: A weapon forged with my assistance will have great power

Merlin: I know

Killy: You do not know You can only guess. You have not seen what I've seen. If you had perhaps you would not ask this of me.

Merlin: what do you mean?

Killy: In the wrong hands this sword could do great evil

Burnishing typically means polishing metal until it shines. Figuratively it can mean to enhance or perfect something. I think this is an interesting word to use and possibly implies a sword like Excalibur would never need to be polished again.

Also I'm pretty convinced one thing Killy is talking about here is how most of the high priestesses died. Remember mortal swords can not kill Morgana by the time of her death. There could be many other incidents too. However seeing as Excalibur mostly functions as a normal sword until one is up against undead or borderline imortals I think this could be a main focus. Of course it does bring up the question of if there were other swords and what happened to them if this is true. Because if this was the case I SERIOUSLY doubt Uther would have let such swords just vanish. Then again as far as we know the sword that killed Arthur was just used as a grave maker. ALSO as far as we know those are the only dragon-burnished swords we see in the show. Which means there are others either just hidden places, or out there with people having no clue as to their powers because they just found them somewhere and were like cool sword! The later kinda amuses me. Just some random dude around having no idea their sword is a WOID (Weapon Of Immortal Destruction)

Uther: Who made it?

Merlin: uh, tom the blacksmith

Uther: Its worthy of a king

Merlin: You would be better off with a sword your trusted

Uther: No, It has almost Perfect balance. Tom's not the Royal swordsmith I'm supprised Arthur went to him.

Merlin: That was me.

(This is the line I keep referring to about how Gwen's dad is not the royal swordsmith.)

The balance point on a sword is where you can lay it over a finger and not have it fall, Its center of weight. Usually its just a bit above the hilt. This is why most swords had pommels

If there is too much weight in the direction of the grip the trikes from it will not be fast and smooth, Also you will have a hard time pushing your opponents blade around. while if there is too much on the blade it will take longer to recover from a blow.

[late-to-the-party-81]

Meet, Greet, Indiscreet - Chapter 2

AN: Thank you all for reading part one. I hope you enjoy this next instalment, about when Steve and Bucky next met, over 10 years later. Catch up here.

Beta’d by @endlesstwanted who is the comma wrangler in chief.

Likes are loved, reblogs are golden

Mood board by me and dividers by @firefly-graphics

Join my tag list here

Master list | Stucky Bingo Master List | SRB Master list

Summary: With their actual initial meeting revealed, it’s time to address the first time that rumours swirled around the pair of them  - the Nouveau Tech Gala last year. With such a large period of time between their first and second meetings, would Steve even remember the young man from the Battle of New York?

Relationships: Modern Bucky Barnes x Cap! Steve Rogers

WC: 3k

CW: Modern Bucky Barnes, Cap! Steve Rogers, Anxiety, Fluff, TV Interview, Flashback, Flirting, Social Media goes wrong, Nat is a good bro.

Bingo Fills and Challenges

@stuckybingo - G4 - Sunsets 

@steverogersbingo- A2 Steve vs Social Media

A year ago

Bucky stuck a finger down his collar and tugged at it, desperately trying to reduce the feeling of being strangled. He didn’t often wear suits - in fact, he didn’t often wear anything that wasn’t a pair of shorts and a graphic tee -, but he needed to make a good impression that night. For more than one reason.

Primarily, he was well aware of what an honour it was to be invited to Tony Stark’s Nouveau Tech Gala, and he needed to get that across in his dress. His usual attire, as well as being comfortable, was now his signature for his followers, hence why it had become almost like a uniform by now. However, it was definitely not suitable for an event like this, which had necessitated him squeezing himself into this constricting monkey suit. He had kept his baseball cap on, though - he did need people to actually recognise him.

Secondly, it was highly likely that a certain supersoldier, who may or may not have been his number one crush, was going to be in attendance. He’d never forgive himself if his second meeting with Steve Rogers wasn’t at the very least a mild improvement on the first. Not that he’d really know who Steve was that day, other than the very athletic and very handsome man who’d save him - and yeah, a load of others - from certain death. Even though he doubted it was possible, a small part of him hoped that Steve would recognise him. Obviously it would be even better if Steve agreed to become the person he already was in Bucky’s private imaginings, but that was even less likely than another alien attack on New York.

Having gone through security, his invitation and ID strenuously checked, Bucky made his way into the ballroom of the opulent hotel. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but it definitely wasn’t having Tony Stark standing right there, as if waiting to personally welcome him.

The eccentric billionaire slash superhero clapped him on the shoulder. “Barnes, right?”

Bucky nodded, feeling like a gauche imposter. Luckily for him, Tony didn’t seem to notice. He slung an arm across Bucky’s shoulder and steered him across the crowded room.

“I was waiting for you. My kids told me that if I didn’t get at least three selfies with you then, not only would I be ‘mid’, but they’d ‘put me on blast’, whatever the heck that means. But before that, I need to introduce you to the others. Nat and Clint are avid gamers - something about getting their kicks without being arrested. I decided I didn’t want to know any more than that…”

Bucky looked up as they approached, easily able to identify each of the Avengers and feeling even more like he didn’t fit in there. He could see the faces of Natasha - the Black Widow -, Clint Barton, and Thor. He could see Bruce Banner’s profile. And Steve Roger’s back. His broad shoulders, slim waist, and solid thighs all expertly encased in a tailored suit. He’d sort of been expecting this, but he wasn’t ready for it all the same. How was he going to keep a straight face when looking at the man who’d starred in the filthiest of his fantasies?

What he hadn’t banked on, though, was Steve being in a bad mood. “I don’t even understand what this event is for,” Bucky heard the man of his dreams utter. “Why would anyone want to pretend to play war, and so vividly as well? I just don’t get it.”

Nat cocked her head and gave Steve a look. “You don’t have to get it, Steve. You have other ways to relax and escape the world, like your art. For some of the rest of us, pretending to blow shit up does the trick.”

Bucky could see Steve raising his arms in a placating gesture. “Alright, maybe I do get that, I suppose. But people who make money - their livelihood - from playing these games in front of an audience? That’s weird, right?”

It was obvious from their faces that the others had seen Tony approach with him by his side, but Steve, with his back to them, did not.

Tony coughed. Loudly. Steve spun round and his face went an interesting shade of pink.

“So,” Tony drawled, “I wanted to introduce you all to James Barnes - Bucky. He’s the one that Pete and Harley love, and said they’d disown me if I didn’t invite.”

A round of various greetings sounded from the assembled Avengers, the last one being from Steve himself. Unfortunately, it was more of a muffled grunt than anything else. Bucky tried to fight the heat that was rising in his own cheeks, and swallowed thickly.

“It’s great to meet you all. I feel, standing here, that I have no right to call myself famous. You guys… well. You’re real life heroes and I’m in awe.”

The group smiled and brushed off his starstruck comments, thenstarted to ask him about the games he played and his channel. As Tony had mentioned, both Clint and Natasha were big fans of the CoD franchise, and it wasn’t totally surprising when Dr Banner admitted that he’d dabbled in MMORPGs.

“I like the one with the talking mushroom and the cars and blue seashell,” Thor announced, smiling broadly.

The others chuckled, and Clint leant across to Bucky, his hand held up by his mouth so he could stage-whisper “Don’t be suckered in by his innocent and naive demeanor. He’s a shark at Mario Kart.”

Throughout the whole exchange, Steve stayed silent, and from the corner of his eye, Bucky could see the supersoldier giving him strange looks. He tried not to get too disheartened by it. It was a long shot, thinking that Steve might remember him, and now the man he idolised thought he wasn’t worthy of respect.

The conversation started to wind down, the superhero group returning to discussions about omissions and wounds and bad guys, so Bucky decided to excuse himself. Plucking a glass of champagne from one of the many circulating waiters, he made his way across the vast ballroom and out onto the balcony, which overlooked Manhattan.

The sun, while still fully visible, was low in the sky. Its rays bounced orange off of all the glass skyscrapers and Bucky couldn’t help but think back to that horrific day, all those years ago. The recovery that the city had made was almost unbelievable. Speaking of unbelievable… 

Bucky let out a loud sigh, as he remembered how Steve had disparaged him and what he did. There went his hopes.

As he sighed again, he heard a voice from behind him. A very recognisable voice.

“So, you’ve found my secret hiding place?”

Schooling his features, Bucky turned his head to the side as Steve joined him at the concrete balustrade. “It’s not so secret. The main room is only fifteen feet away.”

Steve snorted and his lips twitched up. “The jig is up. You’ve discovered my terrible secret. I’m no good at small talk.”

“Well, that makes two of us,” Bucky replied. “Why do you think I make my living from behind a screen? I am weird, after all.”

Steve blushed again, looking chagrined. “Yeah, sorry you heard that. It was very rude of me. I know nothing about you and I should know better than that.”

“It’s okay - you’re not the only one to think that way. But my job isn’t just playing games for fun. It takes hours of practice to get as good as I am. I have to study game theory, and for the longest time I was my own PR team and my own accountant. Finding tournament fees at the beginning wasn’t easy.”

“How long have you been doing this - the gaming and Tube thing?”

Bucky’s own lips formed into a smile. “Since college. I studied Games and Game Design there. My parents thought I was crazy, wanting to make it my life, but I was determined to succeed.”

Steve turned his head away to stare out at the view and the gradually setting sun. “Is that why you were there that day? At the bank. Were you getting a loan or something?”

Bucky’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “You remember? You remember me?” His heart started to thump in his chest and Steve turned back to him, ocean blue eyes sparkling.

“Uh, yeah. It’s not everyday that aliens try to destroy New York and a pretty young man kisses me.”

Now it was Bucky’s turn to look embarrassed. “Yeah - sorry about that. It was a totally inappropriate move by younger me. My Ma would have had my hide if she’d found out. She raised me better than that.”

“Hey,” Steve said in a placating and amused tone. “I liked the boldness. It was refreshing and just not something I was used to.”

In that moment Bucky realised something. Steve was flirting. With him! Stay cool, Barnes…“So,” he tried to say as nonchalantly as possible. “Tell me about the other things you weren’t used to then, but are now.”

From his inside jacket pocket, Steve pulled out a small notebook with an equally small pencil. “Where should I start?”

The pair of them laughed and Steve took a step closer so he could show Bucky all of the things he had written down. As they talked, Bucky tried desperately to pay attention to what Steve was saying, instead of just staring at him and mooning over how dreamy his voice was. The way the rays of the setting sun played over the planes of his face was hypnotising, and the urge to touch him was almost irresistible. 

It wasn’t until he started to shiver that Bucky realised that the light was almost gone, and with it the warm temperatures of the day. Steve also noticed his reaction.

“We should get you back inside. I sometimes forget that I run hotter than normal folks and therefore don’t notice when it starts to get cold.” 

Steve placed his hand into the small of Bucky’s back and Bucky mentally gave parts of his body a stern talking to as the thrill of the contact, over clothes as it was, zipped through him.

“I gotta ask, with all of your catching up with current day tech, etc., do you actually know how to use Twitter? I see you have an account and the odd thing gets posted, but I wasn’t sure if that was you or a PR person.”

Steve ducked his head down, a lock of his hair falling forward onto his forehead and making him look a lot younger than his physical age of around forty, even with the beard. “It’s generally me, with a bit of help from one of the others. Hence why I don’t use it often.”

“Well, if you want to, or something, feel free to follow me. Or hit up my DMs. Or whatever.” Did he sound cool enough? Had he rambled too much? They halted just inside the doors and faced each other, half hidden by some kind of potted palm.

“Yeah, maybe I will,” Steve answered with a low voice. Bucky looked up into his eyes, feeling for a moment as if he were on the ocean, swaying, drowning. Was it his imagination or was Steve moving closer to him?

“There you are, Capsicle!” Tony’s voice somehow sliced through the general cacophony in the room and it felt to Bucky as if all eyes were now on him and Steve. “Sorry to intrude on whatever this is,” he gestured between them, and Bucky couldn’t tell if Steve was embarrassed or annoyed. Probably both. “But I need your help with General Ross. You’re much better with these military types than me, and Bruce is hiding in the restroom until he leaves.”

Steve flashed an apologetic glance over at Bucky and he couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “Don’t worry about me. It was nice talking to you, Steve.”

As Tony steered Steve away, Bucky took a few deep breaths, trying to process what had just happened. Had Steve been making a move to kiss him? He made his way over to the bar, greeting those he knew in the computing and social media industry who were also present. Perched up on a bar stool, he’d just taken a sip of his cold beer when the Black Widow appeared at his side, her lips quirking into a Mona-Lisa smile. “I gotta say, Steve is really taken with you.”

Bucky spluttered and grabbed at the pile of napkins, trying to quickly clean up the bar top. “What do you mean? He and I only just met.”

Natasha raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. “That might be so, but he’s never committed a Twitter faux pas before.” The bartender placed a martini glass in front of her and she casually picked it up and took her own sip. Bucky was confused by her statement, but pulled his phone from his pocket to see what she was talking about.

His mouth fell open.

Three minutes before, Steve had taken him up on his offer of contacting him through Twitter. However, he hadn’t sent him a DM message. No, he’d outright tweeted, just tagging Bucky in it.

“@BBarnesGamer, If it’s not inappropriate of me, I’d love to meet up again and recreate that kiss.”

The blood drained from Bucky’s face. “Oh no…”

Nat placed her glass back on the bar and opened her purse as though she didn’t have a care in the world. She pulled out her own phone and started tapping at the buttons. “Don’t worry about it, Barnes. I’m getting it deleted now and if anyone asks we’ll blame it on Clint stealing his phone for a prank, thinking it was mine.” She put her phone away and Bucky refreshed the app, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw the tweet was gone.

“But does that mean he didn’t really mean it? If he asked you to delete it?”

“Oh, he means it,” she said, her nose crinkling up. “And he has no idea at the moment that he contacted you the wrong way. I just deleted it because, firstly, Steve isn’t out yet, and secondly, I don’t peg you as the type who wants to be romanced with the whole world peering at you. Now, smile.”

She pointed off to his side and he looked up, baffled. Two things happened at once. Firstly, Nat’s lips came down on the corner of his, almost a full kiss but not quite, and secondly a camera went off. Bucky blinked away the bright spots floating in his vision as Nat smoothed down her hair. “There. Damage control. Now, if I were you, I’d be the one to start up the next DM conversation. Or better yet, pick a more secure platform. Good luck, Mr Barnes, and remember, I know how to use a real gun.”

She waltzed off as if she hadn’t given him the most intimidating ‘shovel talk’ ever, and Bucky wondered what he’d let himself in for.

Present

The host was chuckling, and Bucky couldn’t blame him. Looking back, it was a pretty funny story. “I always wondered what had happened there. It was a flurry of gossip for a few days, but once that photo surfaced it all seemed to make sense. And you and the Black Widow did seem to make a cute looking couple. Steve, when did you realise what you’d done?”

Steve smiled sweetly. “Only a short time later. Nat came over and let me know what had happened, but that she’d fixed it. I’d never been so grateful for her before. She didn’t tell me about the photo though. That took me by surprise. It was her way of getting back at me for causing her an issue. The worst thing, though, was the teasing I got from Tony. How that man managed to keep his mouth shut in public, I have no idea.”

“Well,” the host said, pushing his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose, “it all seemed to work out in the end.”

“Absolutely,” Bucky agreed. “And I couldn’t be happier.”

“It does, however, bring us up to the incident of three weeks ago, which it seems there was no covering up for - if you’ll pardon the pun.”

Bucky bit on his lower lip, desperately trying not to laugh. Yes, at the time it happened it was definitely mortifying - for Steve more so, but in the few weeks and with time to reflect, it was frankly even more amusing than the Twitter incident. The big downside, obviously, was that it had forced Steve to come out. Bucky himself had been out for years, raised in a time when it was more acceptable to be gay.

“As I said earlier,” Steve intoned, “it definitely wasn’t the way I would have wanted to come out and announce my relationship, but that doesn’t mean I’m ashamed of either myself or Bucky. I love James ‘Bucky’ Barnes, and that’s something the world is gonna have to deal with.”

“Here, here! But in terms of what happened - can you tell us how that even came about? I don’t suppose that anyone at the tournament was expecting to see what they saw.”

Somehow, despite it all, Steve managed to chuckle, and Bucky couldn’t be more proud of his adaptability. “I can definitively say that I wasn’t planning it, but that’s what happens when you’re tired, post-mission, and not paying attention to the things around you. I’m going to blame the super-robots.”

However, Bucky still wanted the last word. “I’m gonna blame his inability to read a calendar.”

Tag list: @km-ffluv, @wheezy-stucky, @kmc1989, @kombatfather1796, @christywrites,

@alexakeyloveloki, @doasyoudesireandlive, @galactusdevourerofworlds, @crayongirl-linz, @mightstill, @nicoline1998enilocin, @starrkermarvel,

[marc--chilton]

i saw your house-would-be-not-happy-to-have-a-tail-that-uncontrollably-wags-around-wilson post and i feel the need to share with you what animals i think the PPTH losers would be if they were furries. i'm not a furry but in this case i have Thoughts about their animal counterparts.

House: if he's a dog, he's a beat-up-looking shelter-dog, a rottweiler or a doberman or an american bully or a pit bull (bullies are like if pit bulls were bred to be built even more like tanks). but i think he'd be a cat (either a nonspecific longish-haired tabby with some matting issues or a maine coon also with matting issues) or a coyote.

Wilson: golden retriever. easy.

Chase: dingo. also easy.

Cameron: long-furred dachshund.

Masters: chihuahua. small but opinionated.

Foreman: he's like House, but if House was better cared for (not a coyote though). so instead of being a scarred and hunched rottweiler/doberman/pit bull/american bully, he's the type of those breeds who would win a dog show. he's polished.

Taub: a little yippy terrier-mix mutt

Thirteen: a gorbeiakoa basque shepherd dog

Cuddy: an american water spaniel

please share more of your furrymd headcanons! :) and also pleasssseee tell me if you agree with my analysis.

-🎸

i've had similar discussions before about house md animals in the past but never thought of them as furries but as actual feral critters so my opinions vary depending on Vibe

bc like i will always and forever advocate for less popular species being explored so in this case, less dogs/cats

house - goat or sheep, evokes imagery of wolf in sheep's clothing or lucifer; mockery of religious imagery he is both compared to and challenging (see: house vs god, the entire 'god doesn't limp' scene)

wilson - bear. like a teddy bear, obviously. makes you think he's more a stuffed toy than the actual animal. but he most certainly still is an animal.

cuddy - horse. beautiful hair, gorgeous beast so sleek and dark she shines rosy, a perfect white diamond on her nose, and horseshoes to stomp you to death with

chase - honestly a dingo's pretty alright for him but just to be different, a bilby!! they're charismatic and beloved by australians. in new jersey though most people are like "what's a bilby??"

foreman - rat, they have bad reputations that foreman still has to endure even as a doctor.

cameron - rabbit, usually associated with life though cameron is more accustomed to death (her widowing)

taub - burrowing owl. just look at how taublike. or a bat.

thirteen - tbh she's soooo a wolf she's like the grown up version of your first wolfsona, that's just her Vibe, but again to be different..... opossum. kind of scary at first but turns out she's really cool. did you know opossums' body temperatures are too low for them to actually carry rabies. they can still get it, it's just super rare

kutner - ferret!! excitable, fun, so so sillay, does best in a group

[smallgodseries]

[image description: A portrait of a very pointy being. They have a sharp elfin face, golden eyes, long pointed ears, luscious red lips, a deep brown widow’s peak, and even-sharper green brown nouveau armor and tiara. A five-petalled pink flower with a yellow center nestles atop their sternum. Text reads, “202, THORN, the small god of PROTECTING FRAGILE BEAUTY”] • • • • • Some beautiful things are vast and impossibly sturdy. Mountains are beautiful. So is the sky. So are tigers, rainbows, Saturday afternoons. Beauty comes in many forms and levels of resilience, and while all beauty must be protected, not all of it requires its own good. Daniel, small god of tigers, spends less time protecting his charges and more time trying to convince them not to hunt and eat people. Iris, small god of rainbows, rarely has to do much in the way of protecting. Their jobs have their own challenges, as all portfolios must, but protection is rarely a requirement. And then there is Thorn. She protects the delicate things, the fragile things, the beautiful things that would be all too easy to destroy. She protects the wildflowers and the butterflies, all apart from the gods who direct those things in specific, for her protectorate is not her portfolio. Thorn is not quite unique among the small gods, but rare, in that the things she takes her title from are not her faithful. Oh, occasionally there may be a delicate creature who becomes aware of their benevolent protector and changes allegiances, but on the whole, that which thorn protects goes about its business unaware of her, not realizing the essential service she provides. Thorn’s faithful are those who admire what she protects, the ones who see the necessity of her, who embrace her, sharp edges and all. They will be here long after her protectorate as it currently exists is gone, for there is always something fragile and lovely and worthy of protection, over and over again, throughout the universe. She will always be required. She never rests. She’s never seen the need. • • • • • By Lee Moyer (Icon) and Seanan McGuire (Story)

[eslanes]

ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ʀᴇᴜɴɪᴏɴ ᴄᴀꜱ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇ

(thanks @faerie-tempest)

Okay I went a bit wild and did the whole challenge for Devon's family. This was really fun and I highly encourage doing this one!

(See below the cut for who's-who!)

Devon Grace (the influencer + cousin who's getting married) - The reality star, social media influencer and adult entertainer we all know and love! She's also getting married to her new boo, unbeknownst to him.

Stavros Pantazis (the new bae) - Literally new new, they met less than a sim-week ago and are now expecting a little terror of their own. No one will bother remembering his name and Grandma keeps calling him "Vlad".

Briar Rose Grace (the quiet judgmental youngin') - Devon's daughter. What can i say, she's a saucy little shit lol.

Brianna Grace (the competitive sibling) - Devon's younger sister and a bit of a brat in her own right.

Mary-Jacqueline Grace (the instigator) - Devon and Brianna's mother. She's a chainsmoking, hard-drinking hot mess of a broad. She's been known to get into fist-fights with grown men (and win, of course).

Catherine Grace-De la Roca (the cool aunt) - Mary-Jacqueline's twin sister and the only reason Devon and Brianna turned out half-sensible. Art teacher and travel enthusiast.

Rodrigo De la Roca (the world's most interesting uncle) - Catherine's husband and walking encyclopedia of weird and random knowledge. Has some kind of bizarre story for every occasion. Don't ask him to tell the thumb story.

Gabi De la Roca (the holier-than-thou student) - Teenage terror with brains to burn. She's banking on a full scholarship to Britechester to get away from her unhinged family.

Enid Grace (the family recipe gatekeeper) - The matriarch of the Grace family. Rules the kitchen with an iron fist. Whatever you do, don't ask for her rhubarb pie recipe.

Tony Grace (the overly-supportive grandparent) - Enid's husband and family patriarch. Wanna join the circus? Drop out of college? Kill someone? Grandpa's got your back (and probably the shovel).

Ronnie Grace (the bitcoin uncle) - Tech nerd and the lamest guy you will ever meet. Somehow his family hasn't left him for his constant rants about blockchains. May or may not have lost half his savings from investing in Llamacoin. Mary-Jacqueline and Catherine's younger brother.

Keisha Grace (the nosy relative) - Somehow still married to Ronnie (but doesn't know about the Llamacoin yet). Actually loves family gatherings because she gets all the dirt to gossip about with her friends later.

Niko Grace (the peacemaker) - Ronnie's son from his first marriage, at 31 he's still "finding himself" (ie: unemployed musician living in his parents' basement). You can probably find him outside of a family gathering trying to push weed on his younger cousins.

Grayson Grace (the golden child) - It's really not hard to be the golden boy when your older brother sells weed to children.

Tabitha Loveless (the passive-aggressive auntie) - A widower, Tony's older sister and Devon's great-aunt. Tabitha may or may not have flown to the gathering on her broom.

Karen Loveless (the live-laugh-love mom) - Tabitha's daughter. Cheerful to a fault, but please don't ruffle her couch cushions or you will face the wrath of God. Has been in a 17-year old standoff with Aunt Enid over that goddamn pie recipe.

Eddie and Jason Loveless (the d.i.n.k.w.a.d's) - Karen's son and son-in-law. They just got back from a cruise and can't wait to tell you all about it. They're really living their double-income-no-kids-with-a-dog life to the fullest. They considered leaving because their precious pooch, Tangerine, was not given her own place setting.

Kurt Loveless and Monica Song (the anxious new parents) - Eddie's twin brother and his fiancée. Just welcomed a bouncing baby boy, Chevron Fritz Loveless. Baby Chevron is so special that he spends 18.5 of 24 hours a day screaming his sweet little head off. If it weren't for his mother Karen, Eddie is convinced he would kill his twin brother and take over his life. Monica showed up to the reunion with baby shit on her shirt and is unfazed.

Kelly Loveless-Strong (the wino soccer mom) - Tabitha's other daughter and Karen's younger sister. She's convinced her precious boy is going to make it to the World Cup (that is if he can get tf off of Twitch). Fun fact: there's definitely wine in that coffee cup. Is 100% likely to get into a table-dancing contest with cousin Mary-Jaqueline later.

Colby Strong (the 'other' influencer) - The family still doesn't undertand how Colby got famous for playing videogames but they are all so proud anyhow, even if he is pissing away his opportunity at being a world-class athlete. Most definitely out back smoking weed with cousin Niko.

[maiawe]

Challenge #KAPANDSCORNER

Day thirteen - déjà vu (already seen)

Anne Rendhal

Adventurous - Loyal - Snob

Anne has always been the cool auntie: single all her life, traveling the world, and pockets full of presents for her nieces and nephews. And she's always loved this role. She could never have imagined herself married, let alone to a man... However, she would like to spend her golden years with someone. With her nephews and nieces whom she adores, yes, but also with a sweet woman to fall asleep next to. So when her favorite niece offers to create a profile for her on the dating app, she accepts straight away (even if she risks forgetting her phone on one of her trips). She's been checking the app from time to time for a while now, to no avail. Until one day, she comes across Amalia's profile. The phone nearly falls out of her hand. Could this be her Amalia? It's been over 40 years since they last crossed paths, but she'd recognize that look between a thousand and one. So, with trembling hands, she decided to play, hoping that her childhood sweetheart would recognize her too.

Anne is linked to, Amalia, the sim from day 7, widowed ! And I am so in love with both of them 🥺

This is the girls when they were young !

And then the both of them now 😭 I actually took the pictures on the same spot with the two version of them, and it’s look like they are remembering their youth, it made me wanna cry tbh

[aliengirl]

hiiii! Welcome to my silly little corner of the internet! I post sims 4 gameplay mostly, with some lookbooks and recolours too

More information on how to call me here

reblogs = @aliengirlreblogs

my recolous/poses/downloads; lookbooks/sims/cas;

abandoned gameplays:

The Goldens [hiatus] - beginning | recent | family tree | gen 0 | gen 1

Not So Berry [hiatus] - beginning | recent | family tree | gen 0

💘🛸Unworldly Love

Finished Bachelorette Challenge

entries | beginning | recent

👽🛸Unworldly Life:

legacy (hopefully)

family tree

[gen one] beginning | recent (after the bachelorette challenge)

[gen two] beginning | recent

🕷️💔Black Widow Challenge:

spreadsheet

beggining | recent

my art (if you are interested)

[jaspercarter]

Top 10 Highest Paid Actresses in the World in 2024

In 2024, the film industry continues to reward its leading ladies handsomely, with some actresses earning millions for their roles. Here's a look at the top 10 highest-paid actresses in the world.

1. Scarlett Johansson – $165 million Scarlett Johansson remains at the top, earning over $56 million, thanks to her iconic role as Black Widow and multiple other projects. Despite her early life challenges, she has become a powerhouse in Hollywood.

2. Deepika Padukone – $14 million Bollywood's highest-paid actress, Deepika Padukone, commands between $15 to $30 million per project. With hits like Padmaavat and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, she's also making her mark in Hollywood.

3. Priyanka Chopra – $35 million Priyanka Chopra, known as Bollywood's "Desi Girl," also enjoys Hollywood success. She earns approximately $18 million per film, with recent projects like Jee Le Zaraa contributing to her wealth.

4. Sofia Vergara – $180 million Sofia Vergara, best known for Modern Family, earns $43 million annually. She began her career as a model in Colombia before becoming a beloved TV star.

5. Angelina Jolie – $120 million Angelina Jolie's career took off with roles in Gia and Girl, Interrupted. She's also known for directing films like Unbroken.

6. Jennifer Aniston – $320 million Jennifer Aniston became a household name with Friends and continues to earn millions through films like Marley & Me and Murder Mystery.

7. Gal Gadot – $31.5 million Israeli actress Gal Gadot, known for Wonder Woman, started her career after winning Miss Israel in 2004. Her recent success in Hollywood has made her one of the top-paid actresses.

8. Jennifer Lawrence – $175 million Jennifer Lawrence, recognized for her roles in The Hunger Games and X-Men, began acting at nine years old and has since become a global star.

9. Reese Witherspoon – $400 million Reese Witherspoon started her career as a teenager and gained fame with Legally Blonde. She's now an actress, producer, and entrepreneur.

10. Julia Roberts – $250 million Julia Roberts, with classics like Pretty Woman and Erin Brockovich, has won three Golden Globe Awards and continues to be a significant figure in Hollywood.

These actresses have not only gained fame but also amassed significant wealth, making them some of the most successful figures in the entertainment industry.

[ultraweathercoremax]

This blog usually tells the weather’s story. Now, it shares my own.

Nearly half a century ago, I was born not far from here in Hope, Arkansas. My mother had been widowed three months before I was born. I was raised for four years by my grandparents, while she went back to nursing school. They didn't have much money. I spent a lot of time with my great-grandparents. By any standard, they were poor. But we didn't blame other people. We took responsibility for ourselves and for each other because we knew we could do better. I was raised to believe in the American dream, in family values, in individual responsibility, and in the obligation of government to help people who were doing the best they could.

I consider that the Golden Rule requires that if I like a weather pattern, I must share it with other people who like it. Weather hoarders want to divide the observers and conquer them, making each forecaster agree not to share with others. I refuse to break solidarity with other weather enthusiasts in this way. I cannot in good conscience sign a fair-weather agreement or a sunshine-only pact. For years, I worked within the Channel 4 Team to resist such tendencies and other atmospheric inhospitalities, but eventually they had gone too far: I could not remain in an institution where such things are done for me against my will.

You can call me MAX. English words like 'maximum' stem from a Greek root beginning with the letters μαχ…; and this same Greek word means weather as well as struggle. Hence the name MAX, which is an uppercase form of μαχ.

Insiders pronounce the x of MAX as a Greek chi, not as an 'x', so that MAX rhymes with the word thwaacchhh. It's the 'ch' sound in Scottish words like loch or German words like ach; it's a Spanish 'j' and a Russian 'kh'. When you say it correctly while gazing out the window at a beautiful sunrise, the window may become slightly moist.

The purpose of this pronunciation exercise is to remind you that MAX is concerned with tension between weather phenomena: its emphasis is on weather and struggle, as in the underlying Greek word. It's important to notice another thing about MAX’s name: The 'A' is out of kilter. This displaced 'A' is a reminder that UltraWeatherCoreMAX is about the full spectrum of weather, from spectacular to mundane, not just the ostensibly sunny highlights.

► EXERCISE 1.1: after you have mastered the material in this blog, what will you be: a Weather MAXster, or a Weather MAXrobat?

To accurately, efficiently, and completely describe the atmospheric conditions, meteorological variables, and weather patterns of any segment of time is neither the duty of a mortal man, nor within his reach. So an attempt to document the ever-changing nature, diverse manifestations, and far-reaching impacts of all weather is a catalyst for insanity. Instead, I would much prefer to accept the reasonable challenge of simply outlining some observations and experiences with weather phenomena, and my meek involvement with them. This will not be, by any means, comprehensive, as it is not my goal for it to be so; perhaps I will save that for a Tolstoy-sized novel many years down the road. Presently, read this blog with the purpose of fixing yourself in the local weather timeline and invoking more questions than are answered.

It’s time to relax, and you know what that means: a glass of wine, your favorite easy chair, and, of course, weather posts reblogged all over your feed.

[onioneyez]

I haven’t read it yet but aro and ace and other friendship-hungry people might be interested in this book by Rhaina Cohen (of NPR’s Embedded) that profiles people with queerplatonic partnerships at the center of their lives. (I am very interested.)

(It comes out Feb 13)

(Book blurb under the cut)

Why do we assume romantic relationships are more important than friendships? What do we lose when we expect a spouse to meet all our needs? And what can we learn about commitment, love, and family from people who put deep friendship at the center of their lives?

In The Other Significant Others, NPR's Rhaina Cohen invites us into the lives of people who have defied convention by choosing a friend as a life partner--these are friends who are home co-owners, co-parents or each other's caregivers. Their riveting stories unsettle widespread assumptions about relationships, including the idea that sex is a defining feature of partnership and that people who raise kids together should be in a romantic relationship. Platonic partners from different walks of life--spanning age and religion, gender and sexuality and more--reveal how freeing and challenging it can be to embrace a relationship model that society doesn't recognize. And they show that orienting your world around friends isn't limited to daydreams and episodes of The Golden Girls, but actually possible in real life.

Based on years of original reporting and striking social science research, Cohen argues that we undermine romantic relationships by expecting too much of them, while we diminish friendships by expecting too little of them. She traces how, throughout history, our society hasn't always fixated on marriage as the greatest source of meaning, or even love. At a time when many Americans are spending large stretches of their lives single, widowed or divorced, or feeling the effects of the "loneliness epidemic," Cohen insists that we recognize the many forms of profound connection that can anchor our lives. A rousing and incisive book, The Other Significant Others challenges us to ask what we want from our relationships--not just what we're supposed to want--and transforms how we define a fulfilling life.