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jdeowrites · 4 months ago

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Announcing my next book!

It's true! I finally get to tell you, I've got another book coming!

See above the formal deal announcement. The way I pitched it to friends, however, was, “Think YA Breaking Bad but Walter White is a teenage mathlete and instead of cooking meth, she becomes the bookkeeper for a gang to help her friend pay off his debts.” And I can’t wait to share it in fall 2025!

REASONS WE BREAK is a standalone YA rom-drama. However, for those who’ve read TJ POWAR HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE, it’s also a spinoff, and you’ll find several familiar faces in it. Including the two main characters… because yes, it’s Simran and Rajan’s story!

If you’re one of the people who’ve asked me about these two, I hope you’re at least half as delighted about this news as I am. :) But for those who need their memory jogged, Simran is TJ Powar’s straight-A, “good-girl” cousin; Rajan is the resident troublemaker-slacker of their class. I first had the idea that I wanted to write a book about them while writing TJ POWAR’s earliest drafts in 2019. I had stuck them in a scene together for convenience’s sake, and something clicked, chemistry-wise. So naturally I wanted to get into their heads.

Fast forward to 2020, when I was on submission to editors with TJ POWAR. I didn’t know if that book was going to sell, but I’d already decided that either way, I wanted to write a book about Simran and Rajan. By summer of 2021, the plot had taken shape. I wrote several more drafts feverishly through the rest of 2021. And it turned out to be a different sort of story.

Although it’s a bit darker and ended up sold to another publisher, I still like to think of REASONS WE BREAK as TJ POWAR’s cousin. I mean, it literally is about TJ Powar’s cousin, but also thematically. Asides from the familiar characters, it also deals with plenty of coming-of-age issues, this time including: second gen immigrant guilt, grappling with your parents’ mortality, figuring out romance when you feel “behind” your peers in that realm, and the many ways in which gangs target vulnerable teens. The gang aspect in particular will be recognizable to Canadian readers, as it has a very non-fictional inspiration: the bloody history of Indo-Canadian organized crime, with young South Asians often its greatest victims. It’s a very nuanced topic that I could never hope to fully capture, but I at least attempted to explore one facet: how and why this specific group of immigrant kids, many of whom come from seemingly “normal”, stable families, get targeted and recruited into a life that attempts to destroy them.

It’s a slight departure from the very lighthearted contemporary that my debut novel was but I hope you’ll come along for the ride. Initially, I actually did try to write a story that was more tonally similar—but I had to let go of that. My instincts told me to let these characters take me wherever they wanted to go. And Simran and Rajan really begged me to let them spread their wings and show me the most complex parts of themselves. After all, everyone you know growing up is struggling with different problems. Sometimes, very different problems. For example, you could be worrying about whether you missed a spot shaving while the kid sitting in the desk next to you is wondering whether they’ll make it alive to next week (totally RANDOM examples here obviously). Although both experiences are completely real and valid, this story is an ode to the latter. The kids who grow up too fast. The ones who endure horrors and shoulder burdens that even many adults could barely comprehend.

How could I deny Simran and Rajan the opportunity to tell that story? A story that gave *me* just as much growth as it gave them? I COULD NOT. Which is why, even though it made it a bit harder to publish, you’re getting this story exactly as it was intended—and for that, I could not be happier.

Add Reasons We Break to StoryGraph!

#it's not on goodreads yet because my every attempt to get it on there has failed so i've given up for now #but whenever i do have gr links or preorders or whatever i shall let you all know <33 #my posts #reasons we break #jesmeen kaur deo #tj powar has something to prove

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lcdrarry · 2 years ago

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12 May | LCDrarry Double Feature | Fic

Let it in

Prompt: "Cherry Magic! Thirty years of virginity can make you a wizard?!", TV Series/Show Author: Anonymous Word Count: 11,654 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: None

Notes: This piece is a self-prompt, a Drarry AU inspired by the adorable 2020 Japanese live-action drama “Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!”, an adaptation of the manga by the same name by Yuu Toyota. You do not have to be familiar with Cherry Magic to understand the fic, and I do not think the fic will spoil the drama, which I highly encourage you to watch because it’s super cute and hilarious. Thanks to my excellent beta and to the mods of this fest.

Summary: "Thirty, huh?" Pansy asked. “My cousin told me that Japan there’s this urban legend called ‘cherry magic’. It’s basically that if you turn thirty without, you know, popping your cherry, you get magical powers.” “Pans, I don’t know how to put this to you, but we already have magical powers,” Draco said. Pansy laughed. “No, you dolt. New ones. Apparently the legend goes that you become a mind reader.” Draco shivered. “Sounds awful.” “Anyway, it won’t happen to you, will it?” she asked. Draco shifted a little uncomfortably. “Of course it won’t,” he said. “Because you just said it’s an urban legend.” “I meant, it won’t happen to you because you’re not a virgin.” Draco laughed.

Read it now on AO3.

Please help promote the fest by sharing your favourite submissions, so more people can enjoy all the amazing new Drarry works of LCDrarry. Thank you!

Creator reveals are on 15 June.

#lcdrarry 2023 #lights camera drarry 2023 #lights camera drarry #lcdrarry #drarry #drarry squad #drarry fic #drarry fic rec #draco malfoy #harry potter #draco x harry #harry x draco #harry potter fanfic #drarry fanfic #enjoy!! :))#cherry magic #cherry magic fusion

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xtruss · 1 year ago

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Meet a New Generation of Black American ‘Cowboys’

With these images, photographer Kennedi Carter smashes an age-old stereotype: Cowboys aren’t all white men on horses, battling Indigenous people.

— Story and Photographs By Kennedi Carter | July 18, 2023

Doniyel Hooker bought her horse, Chance, in 2018. Whenever possible, Hooker, a math and science teacher, brings Chance to her elementary school to provide new experiences for her students. She’s ridden Chance on trails and even through the French Quarter of New Orleans.

The first time I saw a Black horseman, I was maybe six years old. I’m 24 now, grew up in the suburbs of Durham, North Carolina, but my mother’s family is from Dallas, and we’d drive back to visit. I remember this as one of those things where you’re chilling in the back seat, you see something crazy, your head does a complete 180. Cowboys! The white-man-on-a-horse archetype; battles with Indigenous people: That’s what I was most familiar with, from going to the movies with my grandfathers. So about five years ago, as I began to photograph on film, I thought it would be very interesting to turn that cowboy narrative inside out a bit. It’s always important to expand the narrow confines of what we perceive to be American culture, and how we as Black people sit inside it.

I’ve had a whirlpool of feelings, being a witness to these people. There’s a rich history of Black American cowboys, but for my work I’ve used the word “equestrian”—more inclusive now, I think. For a long time I observed from the ground, asking equestrians whether I could photograph them; I’d never ridden a horse myself until I climbed onto one while visiting trainer Silas Plummer outside New Orleans. Did I feel fully comfortable or at home? No. I thought a lot about not falling off. But in the Louisiana town where my grandfather was born, his sharecropper family didn’t have cars, so one assumes they were using horses or mules to get around. That was beautiful to circle back to, very ancestral.

And my biggest takeaway, working with all the equestrians, is just how alive they feel when they’re on a horse. There’s a freedom that comes from interacting with animals, with nature, with the land. This is what one form of that freedom looks like.

Horse trainer Silas Plummer holds Kash outside Child’s Arena stables in Bridge City, Louisiana. From wranglers to rodeo riders to jockeys, Black men and women have made their mark in many areas of horsemanship. In the United States, for example, an estimated one in four cowboys in the late 19th century was Black.

MaLana Lewis first rode a horse at age five during a camping trip. Her family later got her into barrel racing classes, and she has collected 24 first-place ribbons with her horse, Star. This photograph was taken in 2020, when Lewis was nine.

Left: Born to formerly enslaved parents in Texas, Bill Pickett became the best known Black rodeo star at the turn of the 20th century. He created the sport of bulldogging, or steer wrestling. Pickett performed around the world and was the first Black man inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame. Courtesy North Fort Worth Historical Society

Right: After barrel racing as a teen, Esperanza Tervalon now trains with JaxieBaby in Bend, Oregon, to “go low and slow” in western pleasure riding competitions. The political consultant turns to horses to bring peace to her life. “I get centered. I always leave the barn feeling better than when I walked in.” Photograph By Kennedi Carter

In the early 1900s, Black communities held festivals and rodeos in cattle country across various southern states. Here a group of cowhands show off their steeds at the Negro State Fair on the Fannin County Fairgrounds north of Bonham, Texas, in 1911. The annual event involved four days of parades, music, and rodeos. Racers also competed for prizes of $2 to $50. Courtesy of Erwin E. Smith Collection of The Library of Congress On Deposit at Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Trigger was Vinsha Torain’s first horse, and the two have ridden together since the college student was 13. Torain helps run the family ranch, started by her grandfather, in Siler City, North Carolina, and also heads Torain Ranch’s riding club, composed mainly of Black women.

Left: Nat Love, also known as Deadwood Dick, was born into slavery on a Tennessee plantation in 1854. After the Civil War he moved west and spent 20 years driving cattle. He got his nickname in Deadwood, South Dakota, after beating out every other competitor in roping and shooting contests.

Right: Isom Dart, born into slavery as Ned Huddleston in 1849 in Arkansas, was killed in 1900 in Colorado by a bounty hunter. A jack of many trades, including cook, miner, stunt rider, and horse and cattle thief, he was, ironically, shot for suspected cattle rustling once he’d gone straight. Courtesy Denver Public Library, Western History Collection

Jamel Robinson puts a client’s horse through exercises on a trail in Siler City. He started riding when he was four and training horses when he was 17. Robinson plans to stay in the business, which he learned from his father. “Horses keep me in a good mind space,” he says.

#Black American Cowboys #Kennedi Carter #Indigenous People #Rich History of Black American Cowboys

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blissfullylostinarabbithole · 2 years ago

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Duckling Pt. 9

Pairing: AU!Teen Wolf x Reader x AU!Avengers, Derek Hale x Reader

Word Count: 3k

Summary: Bucky and Peter attempt to conduct their own investigations.

A/N: Last updated December of 2020 😅 I'm out of practice and it's pretty clear in this installment. But it's exists, so I'm counting it as a win. Go me!

A/N 2: Scrapping the tag list for now as I have no idea if anyone is still even interested in this, or when the next update will be.

<<Prev . Next >>

Steve was outside grabbing the mail when Bucky pulled up. He could barely look him in the eye when he declined his offer to prepare him something for lunch, saying he only stopped by to swap the bike for their pickup. He hated to keep something so important from his oldest friend, but if he told them, and he was wrong, they'd end up suffering the loss all over again.

Plus, he had a more pressing matter to tend to: finding out who this boyfriend of yours was.

The drive to the garage wasn’t long, and he still didn’t know what he was going to say as he walked through the door into the office.

“Hello, I’m Peter. Can I help you?”

Oh, hell no. The guy who approached Bucky had to be somewhere in his early 30s. He felt the air leave his lungs as he searched for the right words. Rage began to build when the guy only rose a brow at him.

“Yeah,” Bucky growled. “Your girlfriend called you earlier for me about some Chevelle parts.”

“My girlfriend?” Bucky noted the man’s confusion, and immediately began to relax. It appeared this was not the man you were involved with. “You must’ve spoken to my nephew. He’s in here.”

The man beckoned him to follow him into the garage, but Bucky stopped short at seeing a familiar figure kneeling on the floor.

HELL

The man reached for the stereo and turned it down. “Derek, this gentleman’s here to pick up some parts.”

“Right.” Derek looked up, the same apathetic expression on his face that Bucky wanted to punch. “For the Chevelle?”

“Yes. You’re- Y/N’s boyfriend?” Bucky asked, almost forgetting to call you the name the boys at the shop used.

At the mention of your name, Derek’s demeanor changed; his features visibly perked and his back straightened. He looked almost proud as he replied, “That’s right.”

Bucky ignored Derek’s uncle when he excused himself to tend to another customer, and only stared at Derek’s retreating back as he went to wash his hands to retrieve the parts for him.

‘Hey, Beautiful’, the words he greeted you with came back to Bucky. He’d heard Derek’s voice before, and he should’ve recognized it, but the tone was different. He sounded pleased, not bored or annoyed like Bucky had heard every other time.

Though he’d only spoken to you for a few minutes, he could tell you were a good, sweet kid. You were friends with the sheriff’s kid for goodness sake! He couldn’t figure how you could get caught up with someone like him; how a hooligan like Derek could even stand a chance with someone like you.

Then he remembered Natasha’s interest in him. Of course that’s what it was. He was big, good-looking, and aloof. A textbook ‘Bad Boy’, and you’d fallen for his charm. The thought made him sick to his stomach, and he was about to storm out when he remembered how he snubbed Natasha. Was it because of you? Somehow, he didn’t see a guy like Derek having any respect for anyone or anything, let alone a high school relationship.

Yet, he didn’t recall ever seeing Derek alone with a girl, nor him paying much attention to the ones who spoke to him. The only time was just before the first game of the lacrosse season, but did that even count? Both girls were made up, with their hair done nicely. Surely they wouldn’t do that if they were playing, thus the jerseys they wore had to belong to their significant others, didn’t they?

Bucky also remembered Derek wearing a lacrosse jersey that day, yet being surprised to see him running down the stands at a later game when Brock tackled another player who turned out to be… a girl. One who had Derek worried she’d been hurt.

“That son of a bitch,” he seethed. God help Brock Rumlow if it turned out it was you he attacked that night.

There was something about the memory of that night that didn’t quite sit well, and just as it was making its way to the forefront of Bucky’s mind, Derek returned.

Bucky looked through what he had, and apart from needing a thorough cleaning, the parts were in fairly good condition. Derek stood by, never rushing him, taking note of what Bucky set aside to purchase. When he finished, Derek gave him an invoice to take to Peter to settle, and returned to his work. Annoyance began to build in Bucky again, watching Derek dismiss him and turn the radio back on like he wasn’t still there.

As Peter was finishing up the transaction, Bucky checked his phone to see if Sharon had gotten in touch yet. She hadn’t. Derek didn’t come out again, so Peter helped Bucky take everything to the truck.

As worried as he was about the situation regarding his Duckling, he couldn’t wait til Peter, his Peter, got back from school to show him what he’d found. He knew it was going to drive him crazy to have to wait until they got back to work on his car, but at least it meant he wouldn’t be sad when it was time to return home.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Natasha sat at Peter’s table at lunch the rest of the week, and fewer people joined them. By Thursday, it was only the two of them, Shuri, T’Challa, and Clint left.

Peter was glad Clint made an effort to be friendly, even more so that Nat seemed to respond favorably to the attention. He didn’t want to believe the rumors about Derek, especially after reading about all the awful things he’d been through, but he couldn’t free himself of the sliver of doubt that took residence in his mind.

"Mom?" Peter piped up from the back seat. "Can you drop me off in town? I need to go to the library."

Peggy's eye quickly flicked to him in the rearview. "I'll drop these guys off and bring you after so I can wait."

"It's alright," Peter replied, almost suspiciously quick. "I just have some stuff I want to get done before spring break. I can call Bucky to pick me up when I'm done."

"Nerd," Nat teased, though her usual tone was softened.

"Are you sure?"

"Just drop him off," Nat huffed in annoyance. "Besides, don't you still have stuff to do before we leave?"

"I don't know, I don't really like the idea of you guys being out by yourselves. This place is still new to us."

"The sheriff's station is halfway up the block from the library," Nat said. "How much trouble could he possibly get into?"

At the mention of the station, Peter swallowed thickly and averted his gaze out the window. There was no way Nat knew that's where he really wanted to go, was there?

Peggy sighed, and changed directions toward downtown. “Alright, but as soon as you’re finished, you call someone to come get you, alright? And wait inside until we get here.”

He agreed, and a few minutes later the car pulled up in front of the library. After promising one last time he wouldn’t wait outside, he got out of the car and quickly made his way inside the building. He waited by the windows, watching the car make its way around the parking lot and back out onto the street. Once he was certain the car was well on its way home, he went right back out the door and headed toward the station.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The sheriff's shift had only just begun, and he was already reaching for the painkillers in his desk to fend off the looming headache.

"So he was looking at her?" he asked, reiterating his son's claim. "While she was speaking to him?"

"No, he was leering," Stiles corrected. "Like a leering creep."

Noah looked up toward Scott, hoping to get a more factual account than the more-than-likely exaggeration Stiles provided.

"Maybe not leering," Scott admitted sheepishly, "but he was staring pretty intensely the whole time we were there."

"Just at her?"

"Yeah, he barely paid any attention to us," Stiles said, while Scott nodded in agreement. "He didn't even ring everything up right."

Scott cleared his throat, while Noah's eyes focused on his son.

"So you stopped at the shop after your camping trip, and while you and Scott were collecting your items, the owner was preoccupied with Y/N?"

Stiles huffed in exasperation. "Yes!"

"What were you buying?"

Scott tried to hide a smile behind his fist, while Stiles stared back at his father like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Uhhhh…"

"You lost the fishing things again, didn't you?"

"What? No! Ok, maybe like three or four of them, but I think the real issue here is that this guy was leering-"

"Staring intensely."

"Not helping, Scott!" Stiles snapped. "You don't get it. We could've walked out of there with arms full of stuff, and he wouldn't have noticed. This guy was completely focused on her, and it was…" Stiles paused, taking a shaky breath. "It scared me, Dad."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Noah nodded in understanding. "Alright. Where is she?"

"At home. I don't think she saw what we did. Said he seemed nice, but a little out of it."

There was a knock at the door, and an officer peeked in. “Someone to see you, Sheriff.”

“Send them in,” he said, lowering his voice to continue addressing his son. “I’ll look into it. Just keep an eye on her and- Peter! Hello!”

“Hi Sheriff,” Peter waved awkwardly. “Do you have a minute?”

“Yeah, these guys were just leaving. This is my son Stiles and his friend Scott. Boys, this is Peter Rogers,” he introduced, sending Stiles a pointed look. “His family just moved here from New York. They opened that outdoor store just outside of town.”

Peter felt a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach as the two boys shared a look. They quickly smiled, said their hellos and goodbyes before rushing out the door. He thought he’d paid enough attention when he was doing his research, but apparently he hadn’t.

The sheriff gestured for him to take a seat, but every step he took further into his office felt heavier and heavier. Peter's eyes scanned the room, a mixture of the sheriff’s credentials and family photos adorning the far wall. When they landed on a group photo, Peter swallowed thickly at seeing it was of the boys he'd just met and a girl. The photo next to it was of the same girl, looking pretty cozy with the guy Peter came to talk to the sheriff about.

"Peter? Is everything alright?" Noah asked.

"Um," he faltered, words like 'conspiracy and 'cover up' immediately flashing in his brain. "Yeah, yeah. I just… my family's going to be out of town next week."

Noah could tell when most people were lying, and this kid may as well have had a sign over his head that read "LIAR" as he spoke.

"Ok…"

"I was…uhh…" Peter racked his brain for something, anything that he could say to explain himself. If the sheriff noticed when the light bulb went on, he didn't react. "I was just wondering how safe it’ll be. My house, I mean… Um… you know?”

Noah nodded slowly, trying to figure out what it was the boy really came to say. “You mean, from a robbery.”

“Yes.”

“Well,” he sighed. “It’s pretty safe. I mean, there’s always a chance a window gets left open and a burglar seizes the opportunity. But, it’s more likely that a family of racoons will make themselves at home, or if food gets left in the trash it might attract a bear.” Peter only nodded in response. “If you like, I can send a patrol out once in a while to make sure nothing’s going on.”

He visibly perked, grabbing onto the lifeline the sheriff just gave him. “Yeah! That sounds great, thanks!”

Noah smiled at him, leaning back in his chair to appear relaxed. “What else is on your mind.”

Peter blanched, swallowing thickly. “N-nothing!” he squeaked.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure!” he rapidly nodded, backing toward the door. “Thanks for the patrol. To my house. I have to go now. Homework. Wanna get it done before spring break.”

“Peter,” Noah spoke, stopping the boy’s ramblings. He felt a little guilty at the almost panicked look the boy gave him. “Have fun.”

“Th-thanks. You too. I mean…” He smiled bashfully when the sheriff only waved. “Right. Bye!”

Noah watched him practically stumble over his feet rushing through the door, smile fading once it closed at his peculiar behavior. Still, he made a note to assign a deputy to pass by a few times while the Rogers’ were gone. On a separate note, he wrote another reminder to look into one ‘James Barnes’, not only for Stiles’ peace of mind, but his own now as well.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Dinner that night was a hodgepodge of leftovers and any fruits and vegetables in an attempt to clean the fridge of all food that wouldn’t keep while they were away. They got a kick out of it, the twins even cleaning their plates. The only one who seemed not to enjoy it was Peter, who only picked at his food until someone asked if he was alright. If anyone noticed the way he forced himself to finish, they didn’t mention it.

The kids only had one day of school left before break, and the excitement was making it difficult for them to settle down for the night. Eventually, all the kids had made it to bed just after midnight, and Steve and Peggy not long after that.

Bucky was restless, the events of that afternoon replaying in his head. He would nearly convince himself it wasn’t you, then remembered the way you smiled, the sound of your laugh, and the way you stopped when he called after you. It HAD to be you. He didn’t know what to do. He felt useless; the way he did all those years ago when you went missing.

He got out of bed and got his shoes on, quickly throwing a coat on before grabbing his keys. He could at least do what he did last time; search. And this time, he knew he’d find you. This time, he knew you were in town. He descended the stairs, practically tearing the door off its hinges as he flung it open to step outside, nearly ramming into someone standing on the porch.

“Shit!” he hissed, startled. “Sharon?”

She stared at him, wide eyed. “Where?”

Bucky looked behind him into the house, and once he saw no one stirred at the commotion, he quietly closed the door behind him. He took her arm, gently leading her toward what he assumed was her rental car. She unlocked it, and they climbed in.

They sat in silence for a moment; Bucky regaining his composure, and Sharon anxiously awaiting an explanation for the voicemail he left.

“A girl walked into the shop today,” he paused, taking a shaky breath. “I looked at her and I … all I saw was her. Same eyes, smile, everything. Since then, I’ve been trying to decide if it’s in my head, but…” he turned to Sharon, both their eyes now glassy. “I swear it’s her.”

Sharon nodded, wiping her eyes. “Alright,” she said, starting the car. “Let’s go to the store and check out the security footage.”

The car ride was silent, save for the directions Bucky gave to the shop. Inside, Sharon set her laptop up next to the computer in the office while Bucky pulled up the footage. There was no sound, unfortunately, but he didn’t think it mattered when he heard Sharon’s breath catch when you appeared on the screen. The look she gave him made him even more nervous than he was before; it was hopeful.

She copied the video to her own computer, and pulled out a pen and a worn notebook she’d dedicated to your case.

“I need everything, Bucky. No matter how unimportant it may seem.”

Bucky groaned, rubbing his face in exasperation. “I don’t have much. Her name’s Y/N. At least, that’s what the boys called her. She drives a 1953 yellow Skylark.” Sharon let out a low whistle. “Maybe her last name is Lang, maybe she goes to Beacon Hills High, and maybe she plays lacrosse.”

“Anything else?”

“She’s dating some punk, Derek Hale. His family owns a garage over on Evergreen Blvd. And she’s friends with the sheriff’s son.” Sharon frowned at that. “What?”

“That might complicate things,” she said. “He may not take too kindly to me questioning him about her.”

Bucky sighed. “Yeah, but you can submit your findings to authorities and get a warrant, right?”

“Yeah, but do you have any idea how long that takes? And I have to have enough evidence to bring to the authorities in the first place, which will be difficult if-”

“If the sheriff doesn’t cooperate. Right.”

Sharon switched her attention back to her computer. “Bucky, can you keep a secret?”

He looked at her, not bothering to hide his offense. “You know I can.”

“Under oath? If it comes to that?”

“What are you thinking?”

She cast him a determined look; one that people tended to shrink from. “I'm wondering if I can start working or if I need to wait for you to leave the room.”

Bucky nodded, carefully considering his words. “I’ll do anything if it gets her back.”

Sharon hummed in appreciation, pulling up a black screen on her computer. “You gave me a good starting point; the car.” She smiled at Bucky, unable to contain her excitement. “How many cars like that do you think are registered in the area?”

“Not many,” he replied. “Why is this a secret? Can’t you access this stuff legally?”

“Yes, but you have to fill out paperwork, jump through all these legal hoops, and who has time for that?” She typed into the black screen, on some format that looked primitive to what he was used to seeing. “It’s been twelve years, Bucky, and this is still only the beginning. Haven't we waited long enough?”

Before he could answer, the screen pinged, the results of her search popping on screen.

“How ‘bout that? One hit.”

“Registered to Y/N Lang, 31 Windflower Lane, Beacon Hills.” They shared a look, and this time both were grinning. “Wanna go for a quick drive?”

No tags this round, but if you still want to be tagged let me know, just keep in mind it may not be updated for a while.

A/N 3: As previously stated, requester couldn't remember the movie this was based on, so let me know if you recognize it.

#Marvel #Avengers #Teen Wolf #Derek Hale x Reader #Reader #Reader Insert #AU #Duckling

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cherrymoonvol6 · 2 years ago

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some videos i watched in 2022

youtube

Harry Potter (Shaun)

if you are familiar with shaun you’ll know he’s more about that breadtube pipeline compared to those who stick to critiques and essays about media, but this video works as a blend between these two. it’s not necessarily focused on the narrative thread of the story, but things will pop up about it every now and then, and having read the books back when i was a teen it was interesting to hear his thoughts and how he breaks down the story. what i find great about this video (and what i would say sets it apart from other dissections of this franchise) is the focus on the characters and story-beats from the context of who is writing it. this includes discussions of other book she’s written and some context about her real life, so if you’re tired of the discourse surrounding this woman, then i would suggest you don’t watch it. otherwise, this is a nicely paced, calmly delivered exploration of some of the most controversial aspects of this book saga.

viewing recommendation: it serves pretty well as a podcast, although there are some visual elements that pop out here and there that you might want to look at. since shaun’s voice is pretty slow and steady, 1.25x speed works just fine.

youtube

Elden Ring - A Shattered Masterpiece (Joseph Anderson)

i discovered joe this year through his odyssey video (also pretty good!), and having gotten into a lot of gaming content in 2020 i felt like my hunger for critiques and video essays about games was finally being satiated. that said, joe’s video on elden ring doesn’t necessarily focus on the narrative: the meat of it is on the gameplay and how the game fails to live up to his own hype as you approach its final stretch. having experienced the release of this game through the eyes of other content creators, i was under the impression that this game was universally loved and admired (and even won Game of The Year), so this perspective was incredibly intriguing to me. i do recommend watching this if you’ve ever had any sort of experience with dark souls/bloodborne/sekiro, be it even just being aware of what they’re about and what they’re known for. otherwise i don’t think you’d get that much from this video, as there’s not really a narrative analysis to get a hold of the plot and story of the game. it’s not like joe doesn’t explain most of it (he has to justify that 1.5 hour runtime), so give it a try nonetheless.

viewing recommendation: there are some sections that flow better as a podcast and others where you’ll want to see what joe is talking about, so judge for yourself. joe is also a slow speaker, so 1.25x will do the job.

youtube

Why Stranger Things 5 (Probably) Won't Be Good | Story Analysis (Local)

while this is a relatively new channel, the quality of the production and the structure of it is pretty astounding. if you were in tumblr at any point this year you MUST have heard about this season so maybe this will satisfy your curiosity about the series - that, if you haven’t watched it. to everyone else, well, go feast my children. what i really appreciate about this video is that 1) although i am biased towards longer videos (this is the shortest of this list, at ten minutes) not a single moment of this video feels wasted, and 2) the clear focus on the show as a narrative device, and treating characters as what they are: inventions meant to serve the story. while this is not necessarily a fresh perspective, i do feel people sometimes forget that characters don’t have a life beyond what’s presented in canon, and it’s good to reel that in. i also recommend checking this channel in general: there are few videos, but maybe you’ll find some other media he’s analyzed that you’ll vibe with.

viewing recommendation: it’s just ten minutes long... just sit and watch all of it. i’m a big believer of SPEED in my youtube videos, but this one feels too fast in anything above 1x speed.

youtube

The Forgotten Disaster of the SS Eastland (Ask a Mortician)

i came to know about this video through the “controversy” surrounding it - fret not, as it was simply about youtube’s flawed policy around age restriction, which another famous youtube channel (SummoningSalt) had also talked about around that time. while i’ve never had any interest in the channel, i decided to take a look at the offending video out of spite for youtube being a cunt and i ended up loving it. it’s a really well put together investigation about, well, the disaster of the ss eastland, presented in a documentary form. i’ll say right now that i’ve never been fond of documentaries because i feel like they explore every subject extremely superficially and i hate not getting answers to my questions, but this video delves into every topic it presents all while still having great pacing. more than anything, you can feel the love put into every part of this video: the images used, the testimonies, the people interviewed, the care in which it treats this tragedy. it’s a great viewing experience and i cannot state how glad i am that my time wasn’t wasted, at all.

viewing recommendation: since it’s pretty much a documentary, i’d say just watch the entire thing. i’m a 1.25x speed addict, as you sure have noticed by now, but i guess anything between 1x and 1.25x is fine.

youtube

Why WandaVision Is Bad At Mysteries (James Woodall)

another show i expect you to at least know half a thing about. of course, as the average hater™ i love to see criticism of popular media, but james goes the extra mile by analyzing the show by the standards of every story involving a mystery. it’s a well researched video and very fun to watch, and what felt missing from other people talking about this show.

viewing recommendation: the video has a pretty high production value, so i had the most fun actually watching it. 1.25x speed works fine too.

(looks like i can’t embed more than 5 videos, gosh darn it, so i’ll get creative for the rest)

I Debunked Every "Body Language Expert" on Youtube (münecat)

i’ve been starving for a good video that covered this topic and this one does the job pretty well. granted, it’s presented in a humorous way you might not like (i’d say just skip those sections), the audio quality is surprisingly not good (maybe watching it not on headphones could help?), and the person who talks is british (i can’t do anything about that, sorry), but it’s very well researched and worth it for the information it presents alone. i’d even say it’s a must watch if you’re in any way keeping up with celebrity “drama”, since we both know you won’t read any of the papers münecat presents in her video.

viewing recommendation: i have a short attention span when watching long videos like these, so i did it while doing mindless stuff on the side and switching back to the video whenever i deemed it appropriate. 1.25x could be a little overwhelming in certain sections.

The Lesbian Gaze (verilybitchie)

i’ve taken a likening to verilybitchie’s videos because, although i do not always agree with her opinions, i can always appreciate how they bring a fresh perspective to different media and historical events. i cannot tell you how BORED i am of 15 minute videos about topics that have about the same substance as me searching said topic on twitter and reading the top 10 tweets about it. i really like how the video uses this interesting premise to actually say really interesting things about the male gaze and movies about queer women. and i would say, don’t stop there: maybe verity’s already talked about some other topic or media you’re interested about, and whatever her takes are, they’re never boring.

viewing recommendation: gaze is in the title, so watching the video is actually crucial to its content. however, the video is heavily censored for very obvious reasons. they do have a non-censored version available, although you’d have to sign to their patreon to get it.

from my fair lady to he's all garbage (julia cudney)

i can say julia’s content has aged as she has: while her first videos were very nitpicky, cinemasins style of rapid-fire vapid criticism, now she’s put on the work to have a really interesting video analyzing the media that inspired “she’s all that” and its very recent gender-bent remake. you can be a hater™ while also learning about other works that are crucial in understanding the trope “she’s all that” borrows from. we all win.

viewing recommendation: i am very fond of julia’s editing. maybe it’s because she just strikes the zillennial style that caters specifically to Me, but i do recommend watching the video to get the most out of it. and as usual, 1.25x speed is a welcome tool.

YMS: The Lion King (Part 1) (YourMovieSucksDOTorg)

if you have ever encountered adam’s channel before it’s probably because you can’t resist to the innate clickbaitery of his channel name, and i’ll admit i’m not fond of some of his content. i don’t like to waste time with people that think movies are trash because they have a few plot holes or some other bazillion nitpicks you can poke through it. it’s the same reason why i tend to avoid discussions on one piece of media above 4 hours: to me, a video that long has long lost its value and only wants the credits to say “hey, i once made a 5 hour long video essay :D”. some of adam’s YMS videos fall on that trap and it infuriates me, as i feel like my time has been lost. but his video on the lion king 2019 remake is a genuine, loving exploration of how great the original work is - and how it remains one of the best animated movies of all time - all while tearing its cash-grabbing remake to shreds for not understanding what made the movie great in the first place. a MUST watch if you also hate these soulless “live-action” remakes.

viewing recommendation: there’s a lot of value in what’s shown on screen (especially considering how lifeless the remake looks), but some sections make use of the editing and production better than others. you be the judge of that. and 1.25x speed is a good tool to keep the pacing bearable.

#youtube #video essays #new year #long post #shaun #joseph anderson #local #ask a mortician #james woodall #munecat #verilybitchie #julia cudney #yms

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lexiwritesstuff · 1 year ago

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DO NOT REPOST MY WORKS ANYWHERE, reblogs are ok, report stolen work and notify me if someone has stolen/reposted my works please. anything on this acc has been written by me from 2020-2023, i do not own any characters other than my own oc's.

"Exile." part 2

Tommy woke up in…. His house?! How did he get here? Millions of thoughts were running through the teen’s mind. They were put to a stop when he heard a voice, a familiar one.

“Oh! You’re awake, morning Tommy!” The voice of Tommy’s best friend rang out. He was overcome with instant calm. He’s with Tubbo, it’s all good.

Wait, Tubbo?!

“Tubbo?! H-how did I get here? I thought no one knew where I was?” Tommy ranted, confusion audible in his tone. He was worried. When will Dream figure out that he left…. Did he leave? He didn’t know he was leaving exile, so is it really his fault? He’ll get back to that thought later.

Tommy took a moment to look around to his surroundings, seeing his home just how he left it. home, the home that Ranboo planted alliums in the garden of, the home that Tubbo lost one of his bees in and was panicked all day, the home that he had grown so much in.

“Calm down Tommy, you’re alright. I knew because Dream accidentally sent me the coordinates to where you were a while ago while he was there, I took note. I don’t know how I knew you were in danger though, to be quite honest.” Tubbo said, placing his scarred hand on Tommy’s shoulder for comfort.

The blond’s hands were clammy and shook like there was an earthquake set upon his bones. His breathing unsteady. This wasn’t a normal freak out, this was certainly a panic attack. Tubbo took to action in the only sure-fire way to calm Tommy down, hugging him.

“Tom, Tom, you’re alright. I’m not going anywhere, nothing’s gonna hurt you…” The brunette trailed off, feeling his friend’s breathing go back to normal slowly.

The soothing hums of the short boy calmed the taller until all that was left of his panic was small sniffles and a wet, reddened face.

“T-Tubbo, I’m sorry for th-” The Blond is cut off by his friend, not letting him finish his sentence.

“No, no, you don’t have anything to be sorry for, you were scared. That’s a perfectly normal response for this situation.” The physically scarred man says to his friend, who he was cradling like a mother would to their child after they had a nightmare. “Now come on, let’s get some food in you. Ranboo’s coming over later to see you!” He says, getting up and walking towards the small fridge Tommy had inside of his “home” that honestly was more of a cave, but made out of dirt instead of stone.

“Why is Ranboo coming over? It’s not like we’re friends or anything.” Tommy says, with that same attitude he’s had with Ranboo ever since they met. His blue eyes shone until the topic of Ranboo showed up. He looked at the group, eyes dulling like diamond turning to coal.

“Tom, he was worried! He didn’t know where you were, or if you’d even come back… I know you don’t like him that much, but please, can you just say hi at least. For me, please?” Tubbo inquired, his tone slowly declining in volume and pitch.

“Ok, fine. But only because you asked nicely.” Tommy says, his tone and body language reflect that he’s still not happy with this decision, but his words say otherwise. “Can we get food now? I’m starving!” Tommy asks, pouting for dramatic effect.

“Of course,” The shorter says.

The two boys walk over to the small fridge, grabbing whatever they could find that hadn’t gone bad, as it had been months since Tommy has been in his beloved home. While Tubbo had done a little bit of “shopping” before Tommy came back, he didn't get a lot of things.

#dsmp fanfic #dsmp #tommyinnit #tubbo #dreamwastaken #fanfic

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coder4u · 2 years ago

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Top 6 Best Computer Programming Courses For Children In 2023

Children are prepared for success by learning computer science! Coding is only one element of computer programming. It involves physical networks and systems, data collecting, storage, and analysis, among other things. Therefore, we’ll discuss some of the top children��s computer science courses today.

Computer and information research scientists’ employment is expected to increase by 22% between 2020 and 2030, which is substantially faster than the average for all occupations. Children learn practical technical skills in computer science that will help them in their future occupations, but it also develops their creativity and critical thinking abilities.

The years 2020 and 2021 had their share of surprises, but they also brought about changes and tribulations that led to new opportunities. Not just in general, but also with the coding classes we shall discuss in a moment.

Even while school may have seemed like a chore to children and teenagers, it only meant that they needed to explore alternative ways to learn. And although they may have socially seen their friends less frequently than normal, this only required them to discover other methods to connect.

Consider the after-school enrichment programmes that kids once looked forward to that are no longer offered. They had to occupy their time by doing something else, and since they couldn’t go for the robotics club after class, many of those options began to be offered online.

Finally, as was already noted, children and teenagers just missed their friends or the chance to create new ones. Because so many people were keeping their distance, they had to use internet tools to communicate, chat, meet, and just have fun.

Why Online Programming Courses For teenagers Is So Important ?

If you’re reading this, you undoubtedly already see the need for and value of introducing coding to your young child. So, where and how they can do it are the questions. Who can they learn from, and how?

The short and sweet answer is that there are plenty of opportunities available, including one-on-one online coding lessons, Online Teen Academies, and more. Your child can learn to code if they are interested in doing so.

Several coding websites, apps, and other online resources are available to help children and teenagers learn how to code, I’d also like to mention. In my opinion, a “class” must have some sort of live instruction component, such as a live instructor instructing students in person or, at the very least, a recording of such instruction. I do discuss these briefly at the end of the piece.

In light of this, here are 10 online coding courses for children that are taught by live instructors and offer group or one-on-one training for students.

Here Is The best computer programming courses for children

1. JavaScript

Asking these introductory questions will help you determine whether or not your child is prepared for an online coding course. Do your kids like playing video games? If so, would using games to teach coding be the best strategy?

In the end, there are many ways to teach kids how to code, but some of the more effective initiatives incorporate the subject into activities that they are already familiar with (like video games, or even social media, or robotics). Kids may readily experience the positive reinforcement provided by “If I do this, then that happens,” etc. by allowing them to see what code has previously created and then how code can change those things.

As a result, this JavaScript course introduces students to the fundamentals of variables, math operators, and the p5 web editor before having them add collision detection, improve complex game features, add scoring, and more by the end of the week.

2. Python Coding

Students can learn to write using Python, one of the best programming languages for kids, by declaring, initializing, and using variables, as well as by dealing with strings, characters, and algorithms. However, they can also investigate the underlying workings of machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Python teaching may be the ideal choice now that summer activities are coming to an end and school is starting.

3. Artificial intelligence course

Discover how Artificial Intelligence for kids relates to self-driving cars, face recognition, and other cutting-edge technology. Children may practise using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning tools in this live online computer science course. They will gain an understanding of how AI operates, observe actual applications, comprehend what AI can and cannot accomplish and why, and even create their own AI system.

4. Java Tutoring

Are these words — arrays, loops, and if statements — frightening to you? They certainly can be. but not in a setting that is conducive to learning. The act of learning a new skill, such as coding, can be challenging enough without having to learn new coding vocabulary, especially for young children. But consider it this way: Any word can be reduced to its simplest form. For instance, isn’t an algorithm just a sequence of instructions?

Java programming can therefore be used to learn the fundamentals of programming, create apps and games, and develop a deeper understanding of algorithms. Java is the ideal language to open the world of computer science, to put it another way.

5. Web development class

Create your own web pages to learn more about how the Internet actually functions. In this Web Development Course, children and teenagers begin to learn JavaScript and create websites with dynamic content that can respond to user interactions. Students will learn how to design increasingly complicated web projects, such as animations and online games, as well as web apps utilizing JavaScript.

6. Mobile App Development

Make effective mobile games and apps with simple block code. The fundamentals of the Mobile App Development and how to create their own apps will be taught to students and teenagers. Additionally, they will investigate how to use text, hardware sensors, and even a camera to create games and projects that incorporate word games, riddles, and picture recognition.

What is a good coding class for kids ?

An excellent coding lesson for children is built around a curriculum created by subject-matter specialists and instructed by a qualified teacher. Additionally, good coding courses give students hands-on experience and explain how what they are learning is used in the real world. The finest coding courses also make sure that children comprehend the ideas and reasoning behind what they are doing. Read more on the top coding schools for kids.

What age should I start learning computer science ?

Computer science can be introduced to kids as early as five. By the age of six, a child’s brain has approximately twice as many synapses (connections that allow lightning-fast communication among neurons) as it would have when it is an adult. If not used, almost half of these synapses will disappear at the age of 20. Learning is crucial for your child throughout this time in their lives because of this.

Should kids learn computer science ?

Children should study computer science since it is an excellent approach to foster their creativity and analytical abilities. Students can test the limits of a virtual box by coming up with original solutions without having to deal with a messy environment or complicated setup. The 21st century’s most important skills for success at work and in the marketplace are critical and creative thinking.

CodeKaroYaaro

Many children do not find the perfect opportunity to learn to code but Suvidha Foundation brings a new hope to their life. An online coding school named CodeKaroYaaro is a great platform for children of all ages to learn coding. With a motto coding changes tomorrow Code Karo Yaaro brings online coding classes for kids at a very nominal course fees which is almost 1/3 rd of any other coding classes. Not just that CodeKaroYaaro offers a free trial class to everyone. Here You can find a variety of interesting coding courses.

CodeKaroYaaro has the following features that differs them from any other institute -

1. 1 -one- 1 Interactive sessions

2. Instant doubt solving

3. Learn how to brainstorm ideas

4. Affordable fees

5. Quality education

6. Mentor support for kids

For more details, Contact CodeKaroYaaro here -

CodeKaroYaaro — www.codekaroyaaro.com

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Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/codekaroyaaro/?igshid=1nb6afsffwzd

Instagram — https://instagram.com/suvidha_mahila_mandal?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Linkedin — https://www.linkedin.com/company/67923520/admin/

YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0GUyPIpdDVJQMugEtkH8Pw

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/codekaroyaaro

Twitter — https://twitter.com/CodeKaroYaaro

Email — http://[email protected]

Address — H NO. 1951, Near Water Tank Annamod, Khaparkheda, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 441102

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thaenad · 8 months ago

Note

Hey there - I've been following your Fat Liberation blog for a little while now and only just noticed that this and that blog were linked! I am just so absolutely impressed and enthralled, honestly, by the work you're doing to bring together Feedism and Fat Liberation. I have a couple of projects on the go, including an "explainer"-style essay on what Feedism is for normies, that I'd love to connect more on and learn more about your work more generally. Thanks for all you do!

Hi there! So happy to meet a fellow feedist with a passion for fat liberation! I’d love to connect and hear more about your projects!

And sure, I can tell you a little more about my work! Right now I’m working on creating a space for folks in my city, since feedists as a community are so isolated online. I’m also developing a podcast about feedism, specifically the intersection of fat politics and sexuality and why our community NEEDS fat lib!

And a bit more about me beyond this blog: I’m a full time student in an unrelated field but I’ve done years of research in the field of Fat Studies and I’ve worked with four fat acceptance organizations since 2020. I currently serve as a board member of a fat activist non-profit in Chicago and regularly volunteer with Feedists for Fat Liberation (who I hope you’re familiar with!) In 2022, I helped design a course on destigmatizing body size for a CE program run by licensed clinical social workers and healthcare professionals. I’m also working with an independent sexuality and relationships education and support organization, and every week I get to provide queer inclusive, comprehensive, and supportive sex education for teens and emerging adults!

It’s always so exciting to connect with fellow activists - that’s when the real work gets done. I’m so glad you reached out, please talk to me any time!

#inbox #fat lib

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icemankazansky · 2 years ago

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Hey, I want to ask what are your favorite IceMav stories? On Ao3, tumblr or whatever side you read fics. ☺️

You have no idea what you've just summoned.

Come sit by me.

You have asked for my favorite Icemav stories, which means that this list is going to leave off some truly excellent Icemav, because for the most part my favorites, the ones I read over and over again, are more lighthearted and sexy and have happy endings.

These stories are all Top Gun, and they're all Icemav, so I've only listed the rating by each title.

In no specific order:

by @boasamishipper :

Since she began creating for Top Gun in 2019, Boa has become a fixture of the fandom, an important voice that is capable of both the fluffiest fluff and the most heart-rending angst. She writes mostly Icemav, but she has branched out more than a lot of people from the pre-TGM era, and written more pairings and more characters than any other TG writer I know personally. This list might look a little odd to some people more familiar with her work, because she has written some amazing, novel-length AUs and crossovers and plotty, heavy stuff, but again, these are my favorite stories, and I like her Icemav when they're soft.

Word on the Street (Teen) Sharon looks down at her wedding ring and says a prayer for the handsome Navy pilot that’s heading their way. He’s got no idea what he’s in for. / Or, Iceman and Maverick versus the Real Housewives of Fallon, Nevada.

This is an outsider POV story in which Ice and Maverick scandalize (and titillate) the suburbs of Fallon, completely on accident. It's funny, it's sweet, and the payoff at the end is so satisfying.

let's talk about sex, baby (let's talk about you and me) (Teen) This is a college AU for the prompt: I keep coming in to take condoms from the health services desk because I think you’re cute and I’m pretty sure you must think my sex life is wild.

In which Pete Mitchell, over the course of a semester of college, continually fails to ask Tom Kazansky to go out with him. This one is light and funny and kind of innocent and hopeful in a way, because they're young and they have crushes, and nothing is more important than that ... except maybe that organic chemistry final.

when i see your face (General) In which Maverick Mitchell wakes up from surgery, high on painkillers, and hits on his husband.

This is everything I want for modern Icemav. They're married, they're so sweet together, and they love each other so, so much. Drugged Maverick is hilarious, long-suffering Ice is gentle and totally smitten; this is comfort food in text form.

'cause the cat's the only cat (who knows where it's at) (Teen) “So you mean to tell me,” Ice says, “that my alien cat is having alien kittens?”

I love Boa's Top Gun/MCU crossovers. I think they're incredibly well done, they are respectful to both canons, and they're innovative and clever. I like the Captain Marvel series the best, I think, and while I reread a lot of those stories, this one has to be my favorite. Chewie the Flerken has kittens, and it totally ruins everyone's life until it doesn't. Sweet, sooooooo funny, unexpectedly warm.

it's centrifugal motion, it's perpetual bliss (Mature) Kiss prompts from Tumblr.

There was a fic meme of kiss prompts going around a couple years ago, and this isn't so much one, unified fic as it is 10 vignettes of important kisses. They range from sweet to passionate to bittersweet, and they show the best of Iceman and Maverick together as a couple. I love, love, love these little peeks into the like Ice and Mav built together.

by @susiecarter :

I'm going to be honest with you: In 2020, @susiecarter wrote me a story for Id Pro Quo, which is an annual ficswap in which you request a pairing and up to 20 freeform tags that are meant to satisfy your id. These are guilty pleasure, don't judge me I'm having an amazing time right now stories, and she absolutely blew my damn mind, and then she did it twice more. So, yes, these stories were all written with my exact specifications in mind, but that doesn't mean they aren't all fucking amazing, because they are. As a writer, @susiecarter is so pithy and sharp and very, very well-balanced, and her prose is visceral and tangible and, occasionally, unexpectedly tender and lyrical. All three of these stories are blistering hot with perfect characterization, great sex that does not shy away from honest emotion and real intimacy, and her use of plane metaphors is spot on without ever being cliche or cheesy.

fire in the sky tonight (Explicit) Graduation from TOPGUN was one thing. It was great, no question, but it was just the warm-up. You hadn't made it, really made it, until you got hitched.

This is a canon-compliant (mostly) arranged marriage fic in which Iceman and Maverick consummate their nuptials just a couple hours after the dogfight for the Layton. It is stupid hot. Maverick is nervous and a virgin but still not wanting to give Iceman an inch, and Ice is cool and deadly, smolderingly competent, and he takes care of Maverick while also taking him the fuck apart. Plus, maybe they actually love each other? So good.

A Shared Cup (Mature) It was only a training exercise. It was only supposed to be a training exercise.

Ice and Maverick fuck up and end up telepathically linked. DEEP deep. Then what happens is they end up learning each other from the inside out, and while the brass is trying to figure out how the hell to fix this MASSIVE error, Maverick is just trying to hide from Ice that maybe his feelings on the matter, and his feelings about Ice, have changed. This is a gorgeous study of both characters, and the payoff at the end is totally earned.

and gamble for the sun (Mature) It's like this: Maverick and the Iceman make bets, sometimes.

This story is kind of like sitting in a pot of water. First everything is still, and you're just floating there, and then you notice that the water is beginning to warm up, and before you know it, it's boiling around you, and you might burn up and you might drown and it doesn't really matter which one. For me, more than anything, the small details in this story are incredibly sexy and incredibly intimate, and the ending is surprising but perfect and handled perfectly, and it's just gorgeous, the prose and the heat and the emotions, how they're all there and all balanced so perfectly. It's a killer.

by chemm80:

What You Don't Know (Explicit) Maverick finds Iceman handcuffed to his bed. He has a hard time getting over it.

ME TOO. I first read this fic when it came out 10 years ago, and it's still one I go back to. Maverick and Ice are still really figuring out how to be around each other as just colleagues and friends when Maverick sees something he was never meant to see, and it sends him into a tailspin. Things get complicated, and it's handled beautifully, with Maverick especially pushing through the quagmire of his emotions to get to the truth, and Ice vulnerable in more ways than one. Plus, hot. Did I mention it's really hot?

by DeeEffGee

Drugs (Teen) “Ice, you have to take the pain meds. Every six hours-”

Maverick is stuck doctoring Ice, and Ice hates it for a different reason than Maverick first imagined. Maverick and Ice are both sharp together here, the push-and-push-back kind of banter and dares as in the film, until they both surprise themselves, and then ... they are, like, 25% nicer.

by Pink_and_Velvet

You took a fall, then you landed soft. (Teen) Iceman comes up with a game, to prevent Maverick’s downward spiral and also, get him naked.

Ice doesn't like seeing Maverick torture himself, so he does something about it. A nice study of both characters in the wake of Goose's death, and also games that involve forfeiting clothing are always a good thing.

The Prom King (Teen) A high school AU in which Iceman and Maverick are seniors with prom around the corner, and some unresolved feelings to deal with.

This is a really cute first time fic where Ice is one of the cool kids and Maverick isn't quite sure what to do with him. (But he figures it out.) Like a teen romcom, but Icemav.

by @genderfluidsodapopcurtis :

A Kiss on the Inside of the Wrist (General) There are parts of Ice’s body that Maverick only ever sees from up close.

This one is short, but very sweet. I love lazy, sleepy Icemav.

by @victimofthemusic :

Bri excels at writing extremely sexy fic that also completely expresses how stupid in love the characters are for each other. Her characterization is sharp and distinctive, and she has no problem bouncing from completely lovesick to desperately horny to lightly teasing in the same page. She's also writing a lot for Top Gun: Maverick and its new characters, so if you're interested in that, take a look at her AO3 profile.

you're trying hard not to show it, but baby i know it (Teen) Ice wants to know who Maverick was before he became Maverick. He wants to know Pete Mitchell, too, because they’re two parts of the same whole and Ice wants to love that part, too. Because Pete Mitchell was worth loving just as much Maverick Mitchell was worth loving. And God, does Ice love him.

This is beautiful characterization of both Ice and Maverick, and it's sweet and sexy and heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. Beautiful, fulfilling, so satisfying.

the further on the edge, the hotter the intensity (Explicit) Five times Maverick and Ice have sex in places they totally weren't planning to.

This is so, so sexy, but more than that, it's a beautiful picture of Maverick and Ice's love story. The sex is scorching, but it's definitely not just sex. There's always an exploration of the emotional component of their relationship, even when Ice is getting fucked over Maverick's desk, and the relationship progresses in a way that will twist your heart but ultimately leave you feeling soft and warm.

by weshes:

Fire or Clear (Mature) It takes Ice and Maverick about ten years and a divorce to figure it out, but eventually they do.

This story has so much packed into it. The characterization is so sharp, and the way Ice and Maverick interact and move around each other after knowing each other for so long is comfortable, familiar, but with an undercurrent of simmering heat building to a boil. The sex is hot, and the dialogue is fantastic, all around well done.

by @guiltyfandomtrashwonderland :

She was made in a lab to destroy me. Nat writes some of the most in-depth, well-researched, layered fanfiction I've ever read. She sees the characters differently than I do, but it's in a way that intrigues me, and I love the way she writes them individually and as a couple. Her stories are so funny and so much fun without sacrificing emotion and vulnerability and the difficult realities the characters sometimes face.

A Chance Engagement (Explicit) In which Maverick sells ass, Ice buys some, and both of them end up with far more than they bargained for.

I cannot tell you how deeply, deeply satisfying it is to read BDSM written by people who actually know what they're talking about. This story, which takes place during the TOPGUN contest that is the focus of the first film, is funny and sexy and complex. It is at turns euphoric and hilarious and tense and devastating. It's a beautiful look at how Iceman and Maverick come together in this universe, and it's satisfying on so many levels.

Stormclouds in a Pale Sky (Explicit) Thirty years later, some people still didn’t get it.

This is a sequel to A Chance Engagement set in the TGM timeline. Thirty years later, Ice and Maverick are still together, still stupid in love, and still sharing a thriving, if slightly unconventional, sex life. This is sexy and fun and less painful, emotionally, than the first story, but it's got deep, true, long-term love and some bittersweet moments reflecting on growing older and the things it changes and the things it takes away ... and the things it can never change. Gorgeous.

#asks answered #top gun #icemav #top gun fanfiction #fic recs #top gun fic recs #icemav fic recs #iceman x maverick

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simmer-emsie · 4 years ago

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Not So Berry Challenge 2

Couldn’t get enough of the original Not So Berry Legacy Challenge? Wishing you could play a challenge with all the new packs, careers, and aspirations? If you’ve been daydreaming about an updated Not So Berry Challenge (2020), look no further!

Welcome to the Not So Berry Legacy Challenge 2, a ten generation rags-to-riches legacy challenge with colour-themed heirs. Note: This challenge requires basically every pack except My First Pet Stuff and Journey to Batuu (...y’all know why).

Thank you to @lilsimsie and @alwaysimming for the inspiration (and the rules!).

Basic rules:

Each heir must represent the colour of the generation (like hair, makeup, clothing), but brightly-coloured skin isn’t necessary.

The colours of the spouses don’t matter as they aren’t part of the challenge. Unless otherwise stated you can do whatever you please with them.

Cheats can be used, but not excessively.

You may live wherever you please unless something is specified in the rules of a generation.

Every generation is supposed to complete both the career and aspiration of the heir unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Keep the lifespan on normal.

Generation One: Onyx

Long story short, your family kicked you out. Whatever. You couldn’t care less! You’ve always been the black sheep of the family, and now you’ve got to go out on your own just like you always planned. You work odd jobs to make ends meet, but you never seem to get ahead.

Traits: Slob, Evil, Freegan

Aspiration: Beach Life

Career: Odd jobs only

Rules:

Complete the Beach Life aspiration.

Start on an empty lot with 100 Simoleons. Hard mode: Start as a teen.

Marry the first adult Sim to rate you 5 stars for a job.

Max the fishing and fabrication skills.

Your only friend is your spouse.

Generation Two: Sapphire

Growing up, you had a hard life. Your parents were always struggling, and they rarely had time to raise you. You spent a lot of time eating snacks instead of meals and hanging out at the park. Honestly? You kind of resent them for it. You know you’ll never treat your own kids that way. In fact, you’d do anything for your kids… including indulging in a little five-finger discount at the neighbour’s house.

Traits: Family-Oriented, Kleptomaniac, Loves Outdoors

Aspiration: Big Happy Family

Career: Babysitter (Teen), Business

Rules:

Complete the Big Happy Family aspiration and reach level 10 of the Business career.

Max the logic, mischief, and parenting skills.

Have a negative relationship with both your parents.

Every time you Woohoo, it must be “try for a baby”.

Add a new piercing or tattoo for every new child you have.

Generation Three: Morganite

You were raised in a hectic household. You shared a room with all your siblings, and never got an ounce of privacy. To get away from it all, you spent your days on the monkey bars and later on the rock-climbing wall. You get an apartment on your own as soon as you’re old enough in a faraway town, and learn quickly that you’re much more special than your upbringing would have you believe.

Traits: Adventurous, Proper, Self-Absorbed

Aspiration: Extreme Sports Enthusiast

Career: Style Influencer

Rules:

Complete the Extreme Sports Enthusiast aspiration and reach level 10 of the Style Influencer career.

Max the fitness, rock climbing, and the skiing or snowboarding skills.

Move to Mt. Komorebi as a young adult.

Marry a Sim you meet on the slopes.

Have one child only (you may cheat for this).

Generation Four: Quartz

Your parent was a bit of a public figure, but you always shied away from the limelight. You like cats and romance novels, and all you really want to do is knit clothes for charity. You lead a book club and sometimes play the piano when the other book club members ask you to.

Traits: Cat-Lover, Creative, Bookworm

Aspiration: Lord or Lady of the Knits

Career: Politician (Charity Organizer branch)

Rules:

Complete the Lord or Lady of the Knits aspiration and reach level 10 of the Politician career in the Charity Organizer branch.

Max the knitting, charisma, and piano skills.

Adopt at least two cats from the shelter and one stray cat.

Lead a book club.

Have an on-again, off-again relationship with a book club member.

Never marry.

Generation Five: Citrine

You’ve always wanted to be the best at everything. You really, really want to impress your parent, but they don’t seem to have time for you between caring for all the cats and the book club. You get the best grades in school, participate in extracurriculars, and you even party the hardest at university. You never want to settle down, but you can’t stop love from sprouting when one day your academic rival winks instead of snarls. Also, you really, really hate cats.

Traits: Ambitious, Genius, Perfectionist

Aspiration: Academic

Career: Scout (Child/Teen), Engineer

Rules:

Complete the Academic aspiration and reach level 10 of the Engineer career.

Max the robotics, research and debate, dancing, and DJ mixing skills.

Go to university, live on campus, and get a degree (Computer Science or Physics).

Marry a Sim from the rival university.

As an elder, pursue a second degree.

Generation Six: Jade

As the child of an engineer, you’re familiar with mechanics and electricity and the inevitable dark plumes of smoke. As you get older, you realize you want to make up for the carbon footprint of your parent through living an entirely green life. As a vegetarian, you love thinking up new and creative recipes, and the cooking channel is the soundtrack of your life.

Traits: Vegetarian, Green Fiend, Recycle Disciple

Aspiration: Eco Innovator

Career: Civil Designer

Rules:

Complete the Eco Innovator aspiration and reach level 10 of the Civil Designer career.

Max the cooking, gourmet cooking, and juice fizzing skills.

Have a “green” lot with extremely reduced bills.

Maintain an herb garden for your kitchen.

Host a community barbecue every Saturday afternoon.

Generation Seven: Amber

After growing up on collard greens and tofu, you can’t help but eat as much as you can of everything that you can. Your parent was entirely selfless, but all you ever wanted was to be spoiled. You make it your mission in life to be as rich as possible, and to become super famous through acting. Right before your death, you're overcome by altruism and give the family fortune to charity.

Traits: Self-Assured, Hates Children, Glutton

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Career: Actor

Rules:

Complete the Fabulously Wealthy aspiration and reach level 10 of the Acting career.

Max the acting and mixology skills.

Marry an actor more famous than you.

As an elder, master the wellness skill.

On your Sim’s final day of life, use the “money 100” cheat.

Generation Eight: Amazonite

Okay, so, your parent went off the deep end and now you have no money. Not to worry! You’ve always been interested in the outdoors and travelling, so you decide to become an archaeologist. That’ll bring in some money… right? You take on a job gardening too, just in case.

Traits: Goofball, Good, Erratic

Aspiration: Archaeology Scholar

Career: Gardener

Rules:

Complete the Archaeology Scholar aspiration and reach level 10 of the Gardening career.

Max the archaeology, gardening, and Selvadorian culture skills.

Collect all 9 relics.

Have twins a few days before you become an elder (you may cheat for this).

Generation Nine: Topaz

You’re a really important person in your career, which kind of sucks because you’re also secretly a magician! When you were very young, you tried to use magic to prevent your elderly parents from dying. Spoiler alert: It didn’t work, but you continued on your spellcasting journey. You use humour to deflect questions about unearthly happenings around you. Your faithful dog is your closest companion, but also much too smart for a regular dog… Hopefully no one at work catches on.

Traits: Clumsy, Loner, Cheerful

Aspiration: Spellcraft & Sorcery

Career: Salaryperson

Rules:

Complete the Spellcraft & Sorcery aspiration and reach level 10 of the Salaryperson career.

Max the comedy and pet training skills.

Have a familiar (preferably your dog, but it’s up to you!).

Break up with your partner when they realize you’re a magician. Then, marry them to make sure they keep the secret.

Generation Ten: Ruby

Your family has a long and lustrous history. You’ve been told your oldest ancestor had nothing but 100 Simoleons to their name. Well, you have no interest in letting your good name come to an end. You seek to maintain the bloodline forevermore with immortality (...and social media).

Traits: Snob, Art-Lover, Hot-Headed

Aspiration: Vampire Family

Career: Social Media (Internet Personality branch)

Rules:

Complete the Vampire Family aspiration and reach level 10 of the Social Media career in the Internet Personality branch.

Max the painting, pipe organ, media production, and vampire lore skills.

Become a master vampire.

Become a 5-star celebrity.

Turn your spouse into a vampire*.

*You may, if you wish, name the Ruby heir Carlisle. You may not, under any circumstances, name them Edward.

Congratulations! You’ve completed the Not So Berry Legacy Challenge 2! …Now what?

#the sims 4 not so berry #not so berry #not so berry challenge #not so berry challenge 2 #sims 4 challenge #sims 4 challenges #not so berry update #not so berry challenge update #sims 4 #ts4 #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 legacy challenge #notsoberry #lilsimsie #alwaysimming

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pojkflata · 3 years ago

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Seeing critiques of transandrophobia makes it quite clear to me that most detractors believe this came out of nowhere, as if somebody rightfully called out a trans man on his misogyny once and he instantly snapped and became a reactionary gamer bro. So I'd like to tell you that at least in my case, this has been brewing in me for some time with the rise of a new transphobic movement that specifically targets transmascs, and I gave you not one, not two, but three chances to take my worries seriously. If you don't like seeing me discuss my oppression like this, it's your fault for not being there for me when you had the chance.

April 2019

The Swedish national broadcaster puts out a documentary about trans healthcare. It's bad. It's really bad. It lies about the ease of access to HRT and concern trolls about an "explosive rise in mentally unstable girls identifying as transgender". It cites an at the time obscure study suggesting that being trans, specifically transmasc, is communicable. It's pseudoscience, but nobody cares. A woman goes on national television funded by tax payer money to complain about being silenced. Parents come in to misgender their sons, and shortly thereafter one of these sons talks on social media about how his mother was lying through her teeth the entire time. No trans person is allowed to speak. The documentary is mass reported for its obvious bias, misinformation and invading the privacy of a trans man. In the end, it's only charged for the privacy breach - in the eyes of the public, the bias and misinformation are forgivable. A sequel is released in the fall of the same year when they actually bring in a trans person... a trans woman. As if to say "this is what a real trans looks like, unlike you mentally unstable girls". They then announce that they are detransitioning and calls themselves a "effeminate gay in a woman's body". Now the narrative is more like "if even this real trans wasn't actually trans, what makes you think you could be?"

My mental immune system went into overdrive, I panicked. This was new to me but I knew we would have to deal with this brand of transphobia for a long time going forward. I also knew that these people obviously hated trans men and trans men specifically, this was reactionary pushback against increased visibility. "No, you can't take up space like this, what about the children?" This rhetoric is also literal gaslighting - it teaches you that if you happen to be a trans man, especially if you came out as a teen and/or you're ND, you can't trust what's going on inside your own head, you're delusional, and you certainly don't deserve healthcare. I write a tumblr post describing to the best of my abilities why this is dangerous. It gets a couple of dozen notes, but not much else. I try to rationalize it - the post was written in panicked delirium and I didn't know what to call this rhetoric, I knew calling it "transmisandry" would get me laughed out of the room. Additionally, this isn't happening in the US (yet), so I have to be happy I even got notes at all.

I was pre-T at the time and I was terrified that this would prevent me from transitioning. Knowing that this documentary is now what most people in my country believe about me is a horrifying thought. At least one Swedish trans man attempted suicide following the documentary. As for me, I started crossing streets without looking for cars.

Strike one.

June 2020

An author whose work I never particularily cared about has a twitter meltdown over language designed to include me. She cries about feeling dehumanized by being called a person. Shortly thereafter she writes a full manifesto justifying her TERF sympathies. But this doesn't look like the typical TERF rant. While she goes over some very classic and violent TERF rhetoric like calling trans women predators, she spends even more words on regurgitating the rhetoric I knew from more than a year before. Some people sound the alarm about what this might mean for trans men, but they're shut down - TERFs don't hate trans men! Look, she said she included you! Just don't think too much about the fact that the reason this happened to begin with was that she threw a hissy fit over having to include me.

I try to rationalize this response again - this is many people's first exposure to this rhetoric, they just might not know quite what to make of it.

Strike two.

Summer 2020

A book is published once again rife with the rhetoric I was now very familiar with. The author is invited to the biggest podcast in the world where she says word salad about how people like me are women with unresolved body image issues and that's why we transition - T redistributes fat storage, that must sound awesome to women who hate their bodies. Just don't think too hard about how T actually allocates more fat to the stomach and how a woman with body image issues would realistically react to such a development.

The book itself is also vile. It misgenders trans men whose lives were lost to hate crimes. It fetishizes my reproductive organs, claiming that maintaining my fertility is more important than my wellbeing. I'm reduced to a breeding stock, what a shockingly feminist move.

It openly hates trans men who are out and proud with their experiences, it accuses them of stealing their children in a manner not unlike how autism parents talk about autism. But this might be worse - these are individuals who are being blamed. It makes uncomfortable remarks about their bodies and many of them are harrassed following the publication of this book.

At this point you have to stretch ridiculously far to claim that this isn't about hating trans men. I gave the people who should've been there for me the benefit of the doubt, and they proved me wrong. "Who do you think she believes is doing the seducing? It's trans women" I actually paid attention and she clearly blames trans men, why are you being this willfully ignorant? Does acknowledging the truth force you to reconsider your worldview?

Strike three.

That's when I ran out of patience. I realized the larger trans community was incapable of handling my issues with any tact or grace. We needed new terminology and rhetoric to address this emerging reactionary movement that specifically and obviously hates me and my brothers. And I refuse to back down now.

#triple d.txt #okay to reblog #transandrophobia #suicide mention -#self harm mention -

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rebelsandtherest · 3 years ago

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Hey There, Stranger

A FrUK drabble Word count: 2020 (I swear to GOD I did not plan that) Summary: In some hopeful future, the pandemic wanes toward a final close, and an Englishman crosses the channel to visit a very old friend. Both are surprised by who they find waiting for them in Calais, but what is a thousand years of companionship, really, if you can't occasionally be strangers? Warnings: Strong language and a lot of Old Man Bilingual Bickering

As I told @draw-a-circle-thats-the-foxhole, this is the first time I’ve written anything even vaguely romance-adjacent in years. I hope it’s not too corny.

------------------

The actual travel time between Folkstone and Calais was a scant half hour; the lines for customs were considerably longer. From his place in the queue, Arthur leaned out of his demarcated lane to see how much further he had yet to go; it was nearly as long as it had been when he checked fifteen minutes ago.

"Fucking Boris," He grumbled under his breath. An elderly flat-capped gent in front of him turned to glare at the same time as the young man next to him—grandson?—looked up from his iPhone to snort. As the old man diverted his glare towards his grandson, the teen met eyes with Arthur and tipped his head in camaraderie. Arthur shrugged back in a 'am I wrong?' gesture.

There had been a time when the name and unique crest on Arthur's passport would have waved him past customs entirely. It hadn't been a very long time, come to think of it, but Christ it had been a glorious few decades. Then again, there had been a time when things like plague had required four weeks of quarantine on a filthy boat anchored a league offshore, instead of something as simple as a covid pass and a face mask, so he supposed he really oughtn't to complain.

After some untold eternity, he was standing at the customs desk and gained immediate rapport with the French agent behind the plexiglass when he greeted him in fluent French and handed him all his papers without prompting. It was the last time Arthur planned on speaking French during his stay if he could possibly help it. He took his passport back and wove his way through the familiar maze of the terminal, now ridden with all manner of stickers on the floor, plexiglass dividers, and hand sanitizer dispensers.

For ten in the morning, the place was crowded; far more crowded than Arthur had expected. Then again, after years of closures, quarantines, and restrictions, once the French and British governments had—finally—blown open their borders once more, it only made sense that people would flock to visit friends and relatives once more.

It was what Arthur was doing, after all. His phone buzzed in his pocket.

Wétu?

I'm in the terminal, Arthur typed back, standing obnoxiously in the middle of the walkway as people parted around him. Where are you?

Are you past the customs border?

Yes of course. It's much busier than I expected.

Je manque aux Anglais :)

You're a twat.

A man bumped into Arthur's shoulder and grumbled at him through a thick Scottish accent. Arthur frowned and readjusted the bag hanging from his shoulder, looking around and realizing there was no real place to stand without being in someone's way. He marched onward in the hopes of finding more space as the exodus from customs cleared.

Seriously, where are you? His thumbs clicked away angrily, I'm in the middle of the bloody path

Ah, already making a nuisance of yourself, it's almost like you never left

You ARE here, aren't you?

No response came, so Arthur shoved his phone into his pocket and found a rubbish bin to stand behind, hoping it would shield him from the flood of humans. He stood on tip toes and craned his neck, looking around every which way, but all he could see was facemasks and suitcases.

"If you're trying to throw yourself away," said a cheeky French accent behind him, and goddamnit Arthur would never admit it, but he'd missed what it sounded like in person, "I believe you qualify for l'recyclage, it's just around the corner."

"Nice of you to finally show-" No sooner did Arthur turn around than did the words die on his lips. Beneath his mask, his jaw was open. Loudly, obnoxiously, very Englishly amidst a sea of travelers, he said,

"What the fuck did you do to your hair?!"

People around them started out of surprise and there was one young lady who couldn't stifle her sudden laughter at the outburst. Francis Bonnefoy also laughed, but it had a self-conscious edge to it as he reached up a hand to tuck a strand of short—short—blond hair behind an ear, but it immediately fell back down again.

"What can I say?" the taller man shrugged. "We've all dealt with quarantaine in our own ways"

Arthur did not respond, and set his bag down so he could step forward to touch Francis' hair. Trimmed short in the back—Arthur's brain reeled to process the image of Francis wielding hair trimmers—and left longer in the front, the longest curls of Francis' pride and joy still only reached to the tips of his ears.

"I barely bloody recognize you," Arthur said, no real heat in his voice as he ran his fingers through the golden hair.

"What a very rude thing to say," Francis grumbled, even as he allowed his eyes to close for a moment at Arthur's touch. "As if I am still not the most fashionable person here, amongst all these morne Engl-"

"Wait a moment, wait a bloody moment," Arthur's fingers had trailed down the side of Francis' face, and he grabbed the Frenchman's chin and turned it to see his jaw. "Oh dear god," he pulled on the edge of Francis' facemask to see more of his cheek. "Are you—did you shave?!"

"I cannot keep a beard and wear a mask, it does no good to my skin, surely you—t'attends, quoi?!" It was Francis' turn to reach out his hand to Arthur's face, which was already conveniently turned for Francis to spy the skin between his mask and ear. His fingertips brushed over a dark shade of blond he hadn't seen in eons and yes, it prickled.

"Apparently you don't! Quelle merde, Angelterre?!"

"It's not my fault shaving is such a chore!" Arthur grumbled back, batting Francis' hand away. "No one sees it, anyway!"

"Non non non," Francis reached right back out to his face, "you do not get away with this so easily, I want to see-"

"Hands off, frog!"

"Then stop pulling on my mask, you're going to break it," even as he spoke, Arthur's fingers, still hooked under the edge of Francis' mask, yanked the fabric down so the Frenchman's pointed nose popped out. "Lâche-moi!" But Arthur couldn't have cared less about mask policy, he was staring directly at Francis' upper lip.

"Dear god, you did shave, who are you?"

"As much as you complain about my mustache, I thought you'd be—" Francis cut off and made a spitting noise as his mask got caught up in his mouth, and he struggled to put it to rights with his one free hand. Arthur took the opportunity to tear the mask off completely. Francis looked down at him with annoyance and shock all over his naked face. Arthur took it in for a beat before dissolving in laughter. He reached his hand back out.

"Oh, look at you," He said through his masked smile.

"Oh don't look so smug, rosbif, I have half a mind to—" and so Francis tore off Arthur's mask in one downward yank, exposing the Englishman's smile and his disheveled, full beard. Francis' eyes went wide and, after a moment of shock, he burst out laughing. Both men stood there staring at each other, dissolving in laughter the longer they looked at each other.

"What have you allowed to grow on your face?" Francis managed through his laugh, reaching out to cup Arthur's face in both hands. Though he ought to be insulted, Arthur was still overtaken by chuckling, and he reached up to touch Francis' face in return.

"You look like a child," Arthur mocked, beaming.

"You look like un grand-père," Francis accused through his laughter..

"I haven't seen you with short hair since… Christ, since Napoleon, I think."

"The last time I saw you with a beard, you were wearing chainmail and trying to shoot me in the head."

"Did I succeed?"

"I can't remember," Francis said honestly. "But I've always wondered,"

"Wondered what?" Arthur asked as Francis tugged on his whiskered chin and pulled him into a kiss. As if on reflex, Arthur's eyes fell closed and his hand went up to curl around Francis' neck, fingers scratching at the unfamiliar short hairs there. An arm wrapped around his waist and Arthur would be lying if his heart wasn't soaring from the warmth of being so close after so long. His free hand coiled itself around the lapel of Francis' coat and held him there.

After Francis felt he'd sufficiently reacquainted himself with Arthur's mouth, he pulled away, but stayed close, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the travellers, the overhead announcements, the rumble of luggage, the grumbles of stressed parents and businessmen. Arthur's eyes had always been such an odd shade of green, and they sparked a thousand memories that made the Frenchman feel, for all their long and colorful history, like he was finally home.

"Hmm," he said eventually, tilting his head back enough to regard Arthur's entire face with a satisfied grin. "I guessed right."

"What?" The Brit asked, eyebrows coming down. Francis' insides went soft seeing how red Arthur's face had become.

"It's terribly scratchy," he pronounced, thumb scritching through the blond of Arthur's beard. Arthur scoffed and looked away. "And," the hand at Arthur's back reached around to pinch at his side, "you've gained weight." Arthur's eyebrows were darker than his beard, and they drew down even further and he dropped his hands from Francis entirely.

"You always did know how to make a bloke feel better about himself," he grumbled.

"You were always far too bony, mon cher," Francis chuckled, and pulled the sulking Brit back close to him, "it feels good on you." That made Arthur blush even harder, but he stubbornly refused to look at Francis or reciprocate the hug. Francis only chuckled and leaned in to kiss Arthur's cheek. "And I never said I didn't like scratchy."

"You're a twat," Slowly, as if he didn't think Francis would notice, Arthur brought his arms back up to wrap around the Frenchman's middle.

"So you've said," Francis hugged him properly. "I've missed you, mon coeur," he said earnestly in Arthur's ear. A few centimeters shorter than Francis, Arthur's mouth was always buried in Francis' shoulder unless he tilted up his chin. He made no such effort then, and grumbled something into Francis' shoulder that might have been 'I missed you too'. It made the Frenchman smile.

Eventually they pulled apart, Arthur still pleasantly pink and Francis smiling. "It's been a long time since I took a stranger home with me," Francis waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "What a thrill." Arthur rolled his eyes but smiled all the same.

"It's been a long time since I've had a stranger take me home, I guess you'll have to do." Arthur countered, shouldering his bag and taking Francis' hand in his without comment. "Now where on earth did my mask go?"

"I can't believe you wear those disposable monstrosities, they're hideous."

"They're comfortable."

"And not very environmentally friendly of you—what would Matheiu say?"

"Oh, don't give me that," Arthur dug a spare out of his bag.

"You brought more? Non, I will buy you new ones. Between the mask and the coat, it looks like I dug you out of a gutter."

"What's wrong with my coat?"

"It's from 1972, Arthur."

"You have plenty of things from the 70s."

"And all of them are, as the humans say, vintage. This looks like you dug it up from the darkest corner of a charity shop."

"You're unbelievable."

"And yet you love me."

"I didn't say that."

"But you do."

"Don't try to change the subject, I'll not be staying long if you spend the entire time complaining about my wardrobe."

"But I said I would help you fix it—"

"It doesn't need fixing, you idiot, that's just the point—"

The screech of trains and the rumble of the once-again busy station at Calais drowned out their bickering. They continued bickering even once inside their taxi, having never once let go of the others' hand.

#aph england #aph france #hetalia #fruk #hws england #hws france #francis bonnefoy #arthur kirkland #arthur #francis #my fanfic #my writing

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captain-aralias · 3 years ago

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i’m pretty sure i’m not going to write anything else in 2021, so here’s my end of year round up! (i do this every year - link to 2020 here, if you’re interested!).

please take the questions and answer them yourself, if you’d like - and tag me in your post! i’d love to read.

my fics from 2021

Goodbye, Norma Jean - Explicit, 14k

Silk & Velvet - Explicit, 8k

No Holding Back - Explicit, 6k

Classroom Politics - Teen, 40k

Honey, I’m Home - Explicit, 10k

Here Be Monsters - Explicit, 8k

Teacher's Pet - Explicit, 3.5k

Four Funereal Weddings and an American Stag Do - Teen, 21k

The Worst Chosen Ones (The ‘Let It Snow’ Remix) - Explicit, 7k

High up in the leafy branches (The K-I-S-S-I-N-G remix) - Teen, 2.5k

Nothing to see here (The ‘I want to be your terrible girlfriend’ remix) - Explicit, 3.5k

Cannibalism Isn’t Sexy - Mature, 1.5k

12 fics, 125k in total.

of those, almost all were Explicit (or Mature), although by word count it was just 50% Explicit! still. it’s clearly been one of those kinds of years!

more questions and answers below the cut 👇

Best/worst title?

somehow i feel like four weddings is simultaneously the best title and the worst at the same time. maybe i’d have liked it more if i’d gone with just ‘four funereal weddings’ - but i think it needs the &! one problem is that i can’t spell funereal, but mainly i changed my idea about the POV in the stag do, so it bugs me that the title is still from baz’s POV... and i think the title is too long.... and maybe it has the wrong tone for the fic, sounding too much like crack. but also, it’s the right title! that’s why it’s not just the worst, but also the best.

otherwise, maybe ‘honey, i’m home’ is the best - i wrote this fic basically because i thought of this title. although i admit that it would have worked better if i’d introduced this spell... in classroom politics, rather than in a completely different fic (keep calm) 2 years ago.

Best/worst summary?

there are lots of nice short ones, which i tend to like. i dont know whether they’re effective, but my fav of this genre is: Simon Snow looks stunning in a school uniform. (Teacher’s Pet) i like taking a canon quote, but twisting it.

two that have my classic ‘blah blah blah BUT something else’ turn - Classroom Politics does this. and is like, strap in: there’s a bunch of plot headed straight for you. and i love ‘even if it means going back to school’, as it’s so classic 90s teen movie. i feel like maybe i should have mentioned baz, but it would have thrown off the rhythm of that familiar line. maybe i could have done... ‘even if it means seeing his old roommate again. even if it means going back to school’... but it’s less elegant.

in terms of worst: i dont like either of my remix madness summaries really, and the femslash summary is basically a copy of a line that’s in the other one. (i tried to change the fic or the summary, but couldn’t.) the fics are ok though!

for ‘cannibalism isn’t sexy’ i literally used the prompt text and added my own final sentence. i thought about re-writing it a bit more, and it kind of bugs me that it doesn’t sound like me (at least to me) but i couldn’t think of a way that would better express it - and people are clicking into the fic, it’s one of my most popular fics of the year already! so clearly they liked it! i should consider getting this anon to write all my summaries.

not sure whether the summary for ‘four weddings’ is bad, but i thought more people would read it than did! maybe people just don’t want to read a break-up fic framed like a romcom. their loss, i think - that fic is great.

Best/worst first line?

almost every fic this year does the thing i do by accident, which is introduce the main conflict/idea immediately. so, they’re all basically fine. i think the best one is: The room has been missing Simon. (Honey, I’m Home)

which is about the room, and about baz projecting his own feelings onto the room. then, because he’s funny (i think this is funny) and self-depreciating, he immediately tells you that he’s projecting in the next line.

worst maybe...the other classroom politics sequel? I’m sorting through old lesson plans at my desk when I hear it – a knock on my classroom door, followed by a squeak as the door opens. (Teacher’s Pet)

it’s fine, though! just a bit baggy.

Best/worst last line?

best is Classroom Politics, of course - “Come on,” he tells me. “Let’s go back to our room.”

it does what so few of my endings do (in my opinion) and gives you exactly what you were waiting for - i’ve led up to this moment since chapter 3, and here we are. boom.

four weddings tries the same trick, but i have to mangle the conversation to get to ‘I do’.

worst...

I probably shouldn’t do it. / But I do – I do – and Simon pulls me down with him into the bed. (No Holding Back)

this is one of many of my endings that just desperately wants to be a pan backwards in a movie, rather than a piece of prose. bah. i should really try studying endings.

the ending of ‘Honey, I’m Home’ is also poor, IMO. i almost made it work - i like the evoking of the smell of the room, but the rhythm is all wrong. i wanted it to feel like drifting off to sleep.... maybe. but, er, i dont like it.

also, i think i’ve already said this, but i really struggled with the end of this fic. i was very tired, and kept trying to end it much earlier because it felt like it was wrapping up, like i’d hit some important point, but.... i’d planned on this three act structure and really it did need it. anyway. i did what i could. this fic and i will always have an uneasy relationship (probably inevitable given how much i like classroom politics)

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

probably more!! in word count it’s not dissimilar to last year, but i thought things might tail off. i mean, i guess i also knew AWTWB was coming and maybe i thought that would make me write more ...

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

well - i basically only wrote the same pairing, over and over. but i didn’t necessarily know i’d be sliding some agatha/penelope backstory into the first fic that featured both of these characters after AWTWB. (four weddings)

other than that - maybe normal AU? which sounds incredibly un-shocking, but i did a whole bunch of new stuff this year. some of which i knew i wanted to do (fem!snowbaz and get-together-later) and some of which i was happy not doing (break-up/make-up - although i loved it - and normal!AU)

What’s your favourite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

classroom politics! and it ought to be, at 40k and with two sequels. i spent two months writing this almost non-stop in all my spare time, including several weeks of annual leave, and it was surprisingly easy to do. my brain really wanted to write this fic.

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

arguably this is still classroom politics (again, good!) but goodbye norma jean is giving it a run for its money. interestingly, this is also a fic i really enjoyed writing and wrote super quickly. i wonder if they feel more joyful than the others. i really like norma jean. the only sad thing is that baz is not into pain, RIP this headcanon.

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

always a difficult question to answer without looking like a jerk. every year i also say, if you’ve been in fandom for a while, i think you feel like there are fewer readers... nothing will ever be as popular as something i wrote in 2018, and it’s similar across other people’s fics too.

this year, probably the answer is either the Normal AU (High Up in the Leafy Branches) or the corset fic (Silk & Velvet). i think both were hampered by being posted in extremely high content-production periods - i.e. a lot of people were posting on these days. i would advise new fic writers to avoid posting on valentines day and during COC unless you’re doing COC (or you don’t mind that engagement is lower). the corset thing barely has a plot - it’s not a get together - and perhaps troubles baz’s masculinity too much (although i tried not to!) for the casual reader.

remix has a higher bar to entry than other fics. you have to have read the original. and maybe people aren’t coming to me for their teen-rated normal AUs... which is totally fair looking at my output. watford era, magickal induced porn probably including vampire bites has been my brand for a long time - and is amongst the best performing of my works. people want more of the same. worth remembering! (even as i plan various things i’ve never done before for next year...)

still - i like both of these fics! worth checking out if you’ve never read them ;)

Story that could have been better?

i already talked about ‘Honey, I’m Home’, but i do feel like this one suffered from production circumstances. also, because i really wanted to do something different with it: baz and simon were together, they’d resolved most of their issues BEFORE they slept together, both of them had experience with other people......

i can absolutely see what i was trying to do, but the end result feels less polished to me than ... something like norma jean where there’s a note at the top that basically says ‘this is what you’d get if you shook 4 of my previous fics together’

Sexiest story?

goodbye norma jean? annabellux gave me a list of kinks to include - strangely enough there was a quite considerable overlap with the kind of thing i also like.

Saddest story?

when i get to this question every year, i think -man, i REALLY do not do angst. the best i can do is ........ the first chapter of Four Weddings (you know, the one that’s supposed to be a romcom) is pretty sad! they break up, and simon can’t fix it......... until he does, later.

or maybe - Here Be Monsters, which is about how simon and baz hate themselves! but then they don’t.

Most fun?

everything is pretty good fun. classroom politics - i was coming up with these plot ideas and just thinking: ahahahaha, i am going to put this in, and it will be hilarious. goodbye norma jean is fun - if you like that sort of thing.

the one i just wrote - cannibalism isn’t sexy - is also quite fun. it’s quick, it’s mostly baz being very baz. it has some good kissing in it.

Story with single sweetest moment?

hmmmm...

maybe this from........... this year’s winner, classroom politics \o/

“You should have tried to see me anyway,” I tell him. “I wanted you to.”

“… I’m sorry,” Baz says – and the way he says it makes me wish I could see his face. He sounds sorry, not just embarrassed. He sounds so gentle. Like sleep and alcohol and time have worn away all his edges. “I would have called you if I’d known it was important.”

i always find this question hard, because it implies i remember what i wrote in quite a lot of detail, and also remember which bits i think really worked and really worked in this way. but this is good. or anything from ‘eighth year spells’ :D or the ending.

Hardest story to write?

‘restoration ecology’ (that i haven’t posted or finished yet) is kicking my arse. one of the things i’m not doing right now is working on it 😂 but the first chapter is done, and will go up early january. hopefully will do something tomorrow, too. it’s lucky i am very into this idea.

otherwise, nothing was too difficult - the ending of ‘Honey, I’m Home’, obviously, see above - but i think time pressure more than anything. and the middle/ending of ‘Here Be Monsters’, but i think i wrote about 1k then stopped it to write classroom politics so of course i was a bit burned out and forgot what i was doing when i came back to the Monster fest.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

cannibalism isn’t sexy - i wrote it in a day, the day after i got the prompt. i just knew how it should go :D it helped that my remixes (particularly looking closely at snowybank’s library sex fic) taught me about starting in the middle, and i pushed a lot of the action into the past so we just had the confrontation. that made it work well.

goodbye norma jean was also easy, as was classroom politics really.

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

er... i dont know. i think i needed to write four weddings after AWTWB to help me learn to write this new version of the characters we’d been introduced to. ironically, ‘here be monsters’ - the last fic i wrote before AWTWB - leant into wayward son in a way that few of my other fics had, so i had to really shake that off.

Most overdue story?

i wanted to write restoration ecology this time last year. i wrote classroom politics instead - but we’ll get there. everything else was on time or early :)

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

i talked about the things i did differently this year - but i dont think any of them felt like a big risk. i was really worried that real life would stop me writing my remix, but it didn’t, i was just sad.

i guess it was a risk to offer to write a story for an unknown winner to celebrate AWTWB, but then liz gave me literally the best prompt ever (that became Four Weddings - which i dont say is the best fic ever, but when i got liz’s prompt i was like: this could not be more what i want to write right now!!). so any possible risk now seems massively paid off.

This year’s theme and the story that demonstrates it most:

hmm... well, porn, obviously. which i think demonstrates - that i still find this the easiest to write and most likeable.

but i also wrote three things that were about getting together after school - and two sequels to one of them. so, i think there’s a big theme of growing up and being nostalgic for an earlier time that wasn’t even good, as you learn to appreciate the present.

What are your fic writing goals for next year this year?

finish restoration ecology.

some sort of smut for dem.

???

might be time to write my vampire simon fic, not sure. the moment might have passed, and i might push it back and push it back until once again it doesn’t happen.

i was thinking i’d quite like to write a thing where they get together at watford and it’s not because magic made them do it... and it’s not 50k+ words long, either. there have to be other ways.

maybe some more experiments, like - i like the idea of them becoming friends after watford not boyfriends. a. few people started writing this and it’s interesting and fun - i dont have an idea for it.

i do have an idea for the agatha-baz bodyswap. i guess i might write that. nothing the people like more than dubcon het sex, am i right?? (i mean, maybe some people). i’m trying to not think about this story until marta posts hers, and until i’ve written restoration ecology - see above. but yeah, i feel like there’s some quite significant impetus behind this one in my brain... (magic made them do it at watford, eh? it’s my favourite.)

may not run remix again - will see how it goes. i’m not actually signed up to ANY fests right now. everything seemed a bit open-ended. might do anon fest if it’s back and if i read the prompts and fall in love again...

otherwise, we will see. bring on 2022!

#carry on #snowbaz #my content #restoration ecology

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pocketfulofrecs · 3 years ago

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This week’s Author Spotlight is here! And our author in the spotlight is glitteringmoonlight! We really love this author and it seems like many of our friends do as well. We’ve both been recommended "on restitution" so many times! A testament of how good glitteringmoonlight is. If there was a list of authors to read as a newcomer, we think she would be on it for sure.

She has published 222k+ words on MDZS on ao3 in 12 works. You can find her @glitteringmoonlight on Tumblr.

Her fics:

Dreams of You (Are All I Have Left) - [teen | 2.7k | the 13 years]

love at every s(word f)ight - [teen | 3.2k | established relationship fluff]

one of our own - [general | 7.7k | 5 times the Lans defended WWX]

pay no attention to what’s behind the curtain - [teen | 7.4k | emperor!LWJ and concubine!WWX]

this version of our story - [general | 3.4k | Lan Sizhui learns about the Wens]

no smoke without fire - [teen | 12k | outsider pov about the Yiling Patriarch]

watch what we’ll become - [teen | 59k | arranged marriage between WWX and JZX - but still wangxian]

looking through a window - [teen | 5.4k | modern au online learning outsider pov]

pitfalls of greed (our post) - [teen | 3.3k | Yiling Laozu WWX]

our lives, never ours - [teen | 7.9k | hunger games au]

on restitution - [mature | 98k | WWX doesn’t die at the siege and is kept prisoner by JC - the rest of canon still happens]

this world (what I make of it) - [teen | 17k | wip | avatar au]

Dee’s favourite: I’m honestly torn? I love pitfalls of greed. It is one of the first fics I read. BAMF WWX is my jam. Looking through a window is a great fic too! There’s something so charming about outsider POV getting a glimpse of lovely Wangxian domesticity. The descriptions of LWJ and WWX are so enchanting here. I would highly recommend them.

Ju’s favourite: This was hard to choose, but “on restitution” has a big place in my heart. I was so afraid of reading it while the author was Anonymous, because the synopsis is so sad/angsty. The moment I saw who the writer was I started reading and just couldn’t put it down. And it is just so good!!! The first chapter is really angsty and it hurts a lot, but then the rest of the fic comes and it’s way less angsty than I expected. WWX is full of life, wangxian is absolutely glorious, and soft, and romantic, and sexy, and they tease and trust each other. The juniors are also there, and we get Wei Yuan for once! They are all so in character and it makes me so happy. Mostly WWX pov, but I cannot forget to mention Jingyi’s pov. I just couldn’t stop laughing at his chapter. Cannot rec this one enough.

The Interview:

Q. When did you start writing fics? Did you have fandoms before this one?

A. I used to write for Percy Jackson and Harry Potter in the early 2010s (under a different name), though not very prolifically, but that tapered off fairly quickly. Apart from a few unpublished fic drafts for Lord of the Rings and Leverage, I only really got back into fic writing after I rewatched Avatar: The Last Airbender in 2020.

Q. What made you start writing for MDZS?

A. Wangxian! What drew me to the source material was the fact that I found Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji utterly fascinating as individual characters, but it was how much I loved their relationship dynamic that got me thinking about writing fic. There was also something about the plot and themes of MDZS itself that I found very compelling, and that made me even more interested in exploring it in fic. I didn’t realize it would lead to me writing so many fics in this fandom, but I’m certainly not complaining!

Q. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

A. That’s a really hard question to answer because I love different fics for different reasons, and at any given time, the fic I’m working on at the moment is usually my favourite. Among my finished fics, I particularly love on restitution, because of the way I got to portray Wangxian (and how many sweet, fluffy interactions I managed to fit into it, which… might seem like an odd reason given the premise, summary, and tags) and no smoke without fire, because it contains so many tropes I love— Wei Wuxian being a genius inventor, Wei Wuxian and the Wen remnants as found family, kids loving Wei Wuxian… the list goes on.

Q. What’s your favourite type of fics to read?

A. It depends on the day, really. Sometimes I love a good plot-heavy fic and other times I just want tender domestic fluff. But when it comes to MDZS, I do have a soft spot for fics of the ‘Wei Wuxian protection squad’ variety and fics that heavily feature the Wen siblings and Wei Wuxian’s relationship.

Q. What’s your favourite comment? Or type of comment?

A. Any comment at all! It’s always amazing to know that someone liked my fic(s) enough to let me know! (Though it’s a special kind of thrill to see the same person comment on multiple of my fics, because it tells me that they liked my writing enough to check out what else I’ve written)

Q. What is your favorite trope to read and/or write?

A. Established relationship and all the subtropes that encompasses! I love the familiarity, the casual intimacy, the comfort in each other’s presence… I could go on and on. I also love a good outsider POV (as evidenced by how many of them I’ve written), and as a natural consequence, established relationship from outsider POV.

Q. Do you have any advice for new authors?

A. Write what you want to read. I’ve found that it’s a lot more enjoyable to write something that you personally like, and editing feels a lot less tedious when you enjoy what you’re proofreading. Also, there’s a good chance you’ll connect with other people who enjoy the same things you do!

Q. What do you think is the most important element in writing? Plot, characterization, relationship?

A. They’re all important, but characterization drives everything else, I feel. The characters— and the way they react to situations and to each other— influence how the plot progresses and the relationships develop, so characterization is an essential part of writing.

Check out their stories on ao3 and remember…

Comments and kudos feed the author’s soul.

#mdzs #author spotlight #glitteringmoonlight

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