#originally i was just going to post the last pic saying ‘so small and thoughtful….wow’

[onthecrescentofthehill]

i love this early chapter illustration. living armor was a turning point when i read the manga for how it shows laios and his solo analytical process but the contrast here…. this is the very first time he’s drawn without armor in the manga (this doesn’t fully happen in-story until chapter 28 when falin goes to check on him after she’s been resurrected, the heartbreaking hug scene)

before living armor he’s demonstrated wild feats of strength and bravery, his enthusiasm is deeply alienating, and then there’s this sparse illustration with him looking quite small and thoughtful.

he looks extremely Human. i feel like the contrast is a really forward thinking narratively.

something i find really interesting about laios’s characterization is how the dungeon is such a small window into his personality, and the few moments where he’s more aloof and cold, sometimes resentful are probably what he’s like most of the time (there have been posts showcasing those but i can’t find them rn.)

his default state is not trying to take up too much space, a little bit in his head. i think this chapter pic does a really good job bringing in that idea in really early, while also saying that he’s a lot more than an enthusiastic, leadership driven tank character. he’s vulnerable and analytical.

[simtrospective]

~Makeover time! [4/?]

A series 🙄 in which I take three sims from the first round of TS4 sims I ever made–created before I had every CC slider and skin detail in existence and prior to the (relative) refinement of my sim sculpting abilities–and fix ‘em up only by tweaking, pulling, and pushing; no preset-swapping here! Changes to skintones, skin details, hairstyles, and makeup are allowed where doing so would further bring the sims’ appearances more in line with my original intentions.

"[4/?]” because maybe there will be more some day :P

So I feel like I have to say that I’m not doing these makeovers to make my sims better looking, just in case you’re side-eyeing these.

This is the last round for now, three more brothers: Rocky (whose original version was in my recent 50s lookbook); Ace; and Jimmy.

Why does Jimmy not look at all like his brothers? Well, in their save, that very question was one of the ~continued issues~ in his parents’ tumultuous marriage.

Why does Jimmy now--and hear me out--why does the new Jimmy look vaguely like a young Tom Hanks? ikr!?

(I’ve played a full save with these three dummies so the writing beyond the cut is A. LOT. There are more pics there, too.)

Rocky is a favorite of mine but like so many of my early faves, his face... As you know, I am an incurable default skin swapper-outer and because of that he never looks consistent + he always looks a little unformed, a little cartoonish, on top of having a very unmanipulated, MM-style face to begin with. I think his makeover settles him somewhat so for right now I’ll take it. I can see myself returning him to his original form down the line, however, because it’s the one I know + he looks a bit too mature in his new version.

The day I made him, the first thing he did as soon as the lot loaded was fire up his gaming console and the second thing he did was rage quit the game he was playing; I was hooked. I wish him the best in my new save but I think he’s gonna have another hard road on account of being the uncontrolled emotions king! Shirking off work and then getting fired and then having the audacity to claim unfair treatment king! King of coming on too strong to women out of his league! King of letting his immaturity and meddlesome parents keep his romantic entanglements from progressing past a single night. King of having his mother barge into his bedroom while he and a lady friend are in bed and then king 👏 of 👏 fighting 👏 with 👏 his 👏 mother 👏 in 👏 front 👏 of 👏 half 👏 dressed 👏 said 👏 lady 👏 friend!

Why those clapping hands look like feature-less hen heads... I just--

* * *

In the pictures on the left, Ace doesn’t look that bad!, so you’re going to have to trust me that he’s just really... um... reallllllllllllly unattractive in-game. Generally I don’t care about that (#allsimsarevalid) but the issue for him was his proportions and if I’m the one crafting those proportions, like, there’s some missteps I cannot abide. I said in this very post that I didn’t start these makeovers to make a bunch of supermodels but I felt like I owed Ace something more so yes, it was a goal of mine to make him kinda cute. I feel that I retained his Ace-ness while making him a total qt 3.14. Look at those dimples. Look at those lashes! Lil lamb. Weird little angel statue. Little garden cherub.

Ace's life... man, idk. Struck out with the ladies. Never found his passions. In denial, even as a young adult, about the extent of his parents’ fractured marriage. He took to programming and worked on it autonomously but never achieved greatness because he ended up with some custom trait that caused him to want to sleep, like, twenty-one hours of the day? and that kind of put a wrench in things, never mind that he came from a family that thought computer stuff was for nerds lololololol

All that was bad enough but Ace’s lowest point came when the mother of his children (yes, he found love!) seduced his dad and abandoned the kids to start a new family. But that’s a story for another time. Now, all that happening with his original face? Pathetic and maybe deserved. All that happening with his new face? Um, it wouldn’t and it won’t! Dimples, lashes, lamb.

(Additional fun fact: the mother of Ace’s children was Bridgette, from this post.)

* * *

When I created Jimmy he was a teenager. Here, he is a young adult. Like his brothers, he was a hot mess, but a cool version. He was the neighborhood heartthrob even looking like a baby-faced adult gangster who disguised himself as a newsboy. He’s forty-four but he acts sixty-four and he looks nine! Extra, extra, he says sardonically before pulling a tommy gun from his satchel of newspapers and riddling the facade of your hideaway with a couple-a rounds, see?

My original plan for Jimmy was to not necessarily be “good-looking” but to have all the qualities of someone who the neighborhood/town accepts is good-looking. Oh, that hair! Oh, cheekbones and freckles! Oh, those light eyes. And on and on. 🙄 The first Jimmy could get by as a teen, but his appearance didn’t translate to any older life stage; through elder-hood, he continued to look like a small doll, a child star past his prime. Embarrassing! Now he’s better. When he doesn’t come back after being the sim version of drafted to fight in the sim version of the Vietnam War during the sim version of the year 1969 it’ll be all the more tragic because, you see, it’s just so much worse when someone pretty dies!

(Wow, not me spoiling a plot point I’ll never work through from a story I’ll never write/share!)

Original Jimmy was a real dog and a cheater to his sweet little girlfriend and a jerk to his brothers and thanks to me not checking off the proper settings when I first started using MCCC, he--again, as a teenager 💆‍♀️--entered into an on-and-off affair with Paola (from this post) and they had two kids that her cuck husband pretty much raised while Jimmy kept flitting around town sowing his seed all the while having the gall to force his sweet little girlfriend to end her (surprise but wanted) pregnancy and then dumping her for her troubles. Guess those promise rings meant nothing. If any sim deserves a smirk it’s him so I gave him one.

For the record, Rocky and Ace and Jimmy did in fact all have the same parents because I set it up that way in CAS. To think their mom and dad fought about this when there were so many other things they didn’t like about one another...

[yutaya]

Iron Fist Rewatch 1x04: Eight Diagram Dragon Palm

Danny, struggling to pull himself onto that light post thing with his probably now bruised chest: "I dedicate myself to the service of all beings of K'un Lun-" *falls* So is this a recitation they do in training - is he trying to use that mindset to help him climb this beam? Is he doing some sort of traditional ask-the-gods-to-bless-me-with-strength thing?

Lol somehow I had remembered it as Danny crawling up again anyway after the initial push. I forgot they actually went and collected him. Guess that makes them look more favorable to him than my own recall though...

On the coffee table directly facing Danny when he wakes up, probably meant to be a sign to him about where he is and who has so kindly rescued and tended to him after his unfortunate tumble off a building: the formal pic of Harold and children, another photo hard to make out - my first thought was the vacation photo of the 6 of them but it's very sepia, could be something else. Maybe if I look back at other photos we've seen before I could match it.

Danny: "What happened to me? Last I remember I was climbing up-" Ward: "Yeah, like goddamn Daredevil." LOL

UGH THIS WHOLE HAROLD INTRO SCENE UGH Danny mad at Ward one second and then Harold appears and it's like the breath is punched out of him. Looking at Ward and Ward just calmly looking back because he clearly knows what's going on and Danny doesn't - it's as if they're bringing him into their confidence on something. This is a form of offering Danny something he wants - to be a part of something with the only family he thought he had left, not to mention the miracle of one of his parent-figures being alive again. (Wow, what a journey. From finding out Harold is dead and then Ward and Joy both quite clearly rejecting him and denying him a place in their lives to Joy actually doing something to indicate maybe at least she still wants him around after all? To wait, Ward and Harold bringing me in on something too? It's like the dream he clung to in K'un Lun got snatched away and now seems to be trickling back, and - UGH.) "You see him too?" because Danny thought he was seeing things that night at the hospital but this- this is real? Ward's sad, small nod because he knows so much more about Harold than Danny does, and he's seeing this innocent joy (word choice intended) while knowing himself to be wary and that this is almost definitely another manipulation (but what if it's not? What if-? But Harold is still dangerous, he can't help it, there's a reason Ward wants to protect Joy from him even while knowing that Harold favors her so dearly, because there are other ways to hurt your children-)

Harold calmly walking forward while wearing a black suit and confirming "I did die," followed by Danny's "You look the same age as when I last saw you..." - Vampire AU??? (Ugh but why did it have to be Harold? Not a fan of monsters as the bad guys.... need a non-evil vamp to balance him out....)

The way Ward just keeps looking silently between the both of them, like a witness, like - UGH.

"You're home now," GOD DAMMIT and Danny's relief and gratitude and Ward's somber look down I -

Cancer lasted 3 years

Ward: "Dad, are you sure you should be saying this?" Harold: "It's ok. Danny needs to know this." Casting Ward in the opposition role

Ward sits down in the chair adjacent to the couch Danny is on. Harold crosses over from where he was standing near the left side of the couch to sit on the farther right side instead - specifically sitting in between Danny and Ward.

Harold: "I still remember my last breath. Scariest shit I've ever experienced." Ward looks up and away, taking a breath, before turning back again. Combo of eye-roll at dramatics and genuine pain at the thought because that's his dad and Ward remembers those years of pain and decay and - ?

I forgot Danny originally thought of the Hand more like a fable than a reality - and finding out they're a real, present threat combines with being told it's not K'un Lun that they're threatening, but that this whole time, they've actually been digging their claws into his home?

Ward rolling his eyes with his whole body when Harold encourages Danny to think about this as ~embracing his destiny~ hahaha

Ward: No offense, but Danny has zero idea how to do business and therefore maybe shouldn't be running a company with again, absolutely zero training??? Harold: Don't mind Ward being a petulant brat who wants to keep you from your rightful place in our family, Danny. I need you. :)

Harold to Danny: "We've needed a fighter like you back in the family." - right in front of Ward, yet another small "unlike you, who are weak" jab. In line with the whole "Joy can close the deal, you, Ward, can not do anything" lines in the previous episode.

Ward warning Danny about Harold!! But not really doing it great so it could be taken as another 'othering' where Danny could hear 'Harold's not YOUR dad' instead of Ward's intended 'Harold's not your DAD' - made much better by his clarification that Harold only cares about Harold and helping to show he meant 'not a good supportive dad you can lean blindly on' than if he had just. left it at that. I'm glad for Ward's continuing with that line and for Danny's long, considering look at nothing afterward. Gives the sense that Danny feels that something is off, even if he's not sure what.

Colleeeeeeeeeeeeen and her shame and her truly believing in honoring the code of bushido and her teaching these children to get them "the scholarship" to help them in a legitimate, meaningful, honorable way (SOB) and believing that their skills should be about the code and not be about flashiness or showing off or being able to lord their power and ability over others or money -

Code of Bushido (Includes eight virtues, and this episode title is Eight Diagram Dragon Palm. Coincidence???)

1. Rectitude or Justice (refers to PERSONAL rectitude - “one’s power to decide upon a course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering” “the bone that gives firmness and stature...without Rectitude neither talent nor learning can make the human frame into a samurai.”)

2. Courage (Bushido distinguishes between bravery and courage - “Courage is doing what is right”)

3. Benevolence or Mercy (“Love, magnanimity, affection for others, sympathy and pity, are traits of Benevolence, the highest attribute of the human soul”)

4. Politeness (Courtesy is rooted in benevolence - “Politeness should be the expression of a benevolent regard for the feelings of others; it’s a poor virtue if it’s motivated only by a fear of offending good taste. In its highest form Politeness approaches love”)

5. Honesty and Sincerity (interestingly, rather than what *I* personally think of when I hear the words “honesty and sincerity”, the info in the Bushido code text about this virtue mostly centers around the idea of disdaining money and riches - probably what Colleen is talking about with her whole “fighting for money breaks the bushido code” thing)

6. Honor (referring to non-martial behavior)

7. Loyalty (bushido text about this seems mostly in context of loyalty to a superior, to your leader, to people you are indebted to. Applies tragically to Colleen and her personal experience with Hand culture. To me, of course, I am more interested in the idea of those leaders deserving your love and your loyalty hand-in-hand with it. Given the other virtues, this IS probably what the code meant to include, but from a modern standpoint it seems like one of those things where especially paramilitary organizations or cults like the Hand could twist the letter of it into an expectation of blindly following orders, even perhaps against your personal devotion to the other virtues)

8. Character and Self-Control (“Bushido teaches that men should behave according to an absolute moral standard, one that transcends logic. What’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong. The difference between good and bad and between right and wrong are givens, not arguments subject to discussion or justification, and a man should know the difference.” I get the ideal of this, but something about the wording sits weirdly with me... maybe the implication that they can’t make a mistake?)

Ageless qualities of manliness: choosing compassion over confrontation, and benevolence over belligerence <3

“The tie might be a touch effeminate” Shut UP Ward

Danny, at a press conference: *waves at Jeri* “Hey.” Jeri: *shakes her head*

Danny: “Yes, I was in a mental hospital.” Joy, despairingly: “Oh, Danny”

Jeri smiling. Maybe she worked with Danny on how to handle the press conference and likely questions he would face? My headcanon from this anyway. Ward and Joy looking at each other, seems like in surprise at Danny’s answers and spin?

“Kindness is the eternal law”

The way Danny slips in to this conversation with Joy about the Red Hook property for his Hand investigation is very well done. Reminds me of watching the Netflix trailer and thinking that it made IF look like a show where Danny was some form of government agent going undercover as himself for an investigation.

SO CUTE how Danny goes “woah, I have a first appointment of the day? Who is it?” and then he turns around and it’s his friend Jeri! Hahaha. Danny: “J-money!!” *goes in for a hug* Jeri: “Woah, we don’t do that.”

Jeri: “Your father’s office. Even found his old desk.” Meaning she was the one working on this - Ward is the one who had to set Danny up there after his sarcastic remarks in the penthouse, but Jeri brought in the sentimentality. (Jeri, directly after basically admitting to putting a bunch of effort into a very sentimental gesture here: “Now don’t get all weepy on me.”) Jeri in IF is so soft I love it

Danny: “I pretty much had to raise the dead.” *smirks to himself at his own inside joke*

Jeri, trying to give Danny advice: “For most of these people, you are a hostile takeover.” Me: JERI, HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES OF YOUR CORPORATE SPEAK.

Jeri asks if Danny wants the door open or closed. He chooses open. Open to Megan, open to all his new coworkers and employees. Danny is, at his core, for people.

LOL Did Danny just steal Ward’s chair?

Danny: *forces half the board to move so he can sit next to Joy* Me: DANNY

If these guys really wanted to persuade Danny to their point of view on the sell-at-cost thing, they should have emphasized the “funding new research” part of it instead of just repeating “this is just business” ad nauseam. Obviously Ward is actually trying to do the opposite right now and get Danny driven out, but idk what the rest of these people are thinking. Danny acknowledges that they can still make profits elsewhere, which is his side offering a dialogue to meet them. Their counter is that the WHO will be buying it from them and subsidizing it from other people. If they wanted to meet or even just appear to be meeting Danny partway, they could have suggested an initiative to work with the WHO on a program for that? Although since none of them want to actually do that and don’t really care what Danny thinks about it, I know why they didn’t.

Joy raising her eyebrow at Ward’s declaring that they’ll go to market at cost like “I see you Ward and how many times have I told you to leave the maneuvering to me you are unsubtle and unskilled”

Danny looking back at Ward significantly on his way to his discussion with Joy about the pier deal

Ward taking The Drugs before he has to answer Harold’s late night phone call

Harold: You did a great job today. Ward: *baffled expression* Harold: Now, son, this isn’t the time to point fingers, it’s the time for solutions. Ward: There it is. Harold: Also, you screwed up in the meeting and you need to make it up. Ward: *sigh*

Danny: white sneakers with the suit

Joy casually placing the monks and their traditional robes in a lower class position to them and their white collar formal business attire

Time for Joy to play the angle on Danny, curb his at-cost behavior for the future

The ringmaster choosing the second fighter for Colleen followed by that “look, you guys know all the rules” line - I like this guy. He probably remembers how the last dude Colleen fought was a rule-breaker and wants to keep all his fighters safe as possible in an already dangerous 2-on-1 fight like this.

Again with the camera slowing and the noise fading and the blood splattering camera work giving the “losing control” vibe

“The problem was, I never thought through WHY I wanted this job. I mistook my stubborn will for a sense of... destiny, or something.” (Danny, earlier: “My shifu would have called this destiny.”)

“Every moment was a struggle. Failure... led to a beating. Victory... led to another fighting style. To the next lesson.”

Joy flat out calls it abuse and Danny doesn’t deny it.

Vodka and tonic, light on the tonic.

Danny clearly still shaken by the borderline flashbacks to his life at K’un Lun.

Is this the first time the Hatchets appear? Just storming the apartment and punching Joy in the face? Danny and Joy must both be like “WHAT IS HAPPENING”

Joy tries punching one of them. Good for you, Joy.

Ah yes, Ward flat out telling one of the more shark-like reporters that the drug is a huge deal that would save millions of lives and that Rand was of course planning to really boost the price to make a “huge” profit. “That is a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars [that our one company wanted to make off of the millions of people who needed this drug to save their lives]. He’s worse than those bleeding-heart-liberal-trust-fund hipsters wandering around Williamsburg.” (Note: Williamsburg: hip neighborhood that draws the young and fashionable. Boutiques, cafes, street art, outdoor concerts and food markets. Dance clubs, bars, music halls. East Williamsburg is ranked one of the 5 most LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhoods in Brooklyn.)

“Ellison, don’t give the front page to Karen”

Ward just looks at her retreating back and rubs his hands together like “Ah yes, a job well done.” Biggest question for the viewers in this scene is probably: Did Ward tank this on purpose or is he really that far removed from the reality of the non-Elite?

Colleen: still bloody from her illegal cage fighting and hears noise outside her door. Last time she heard noise, it was attackers breaking in for what probably seemed to her like retaliation. Then it’s Danny and she has the relieved exasperation, but - oh ho, Joy Meachum?

“Wasn’t he stalking you?” “It was a misunderstanding.” “Right. I guess being a millionaire covers a multitude of sins.” (Danny: “Billionaire.” Colleen in the background: *disbelieving huff+head shake*)

TRIADS. Time for my triad rant: Every drama show ever to involve Asian-Americans - even just in one-episode specials - includes triads. I’m so sick of it. I know organized crime is a real problem that actually exists, but - why are the Asians always evil? It’s like having the mafia be a plotline every time an Italian character exists on screen. Plz diversify. Media colors perception.

Danny: literally just walks into a restaurant and says he needs to speak to the head of the crime gang. AND THEN NONE OF THEM EVEN BOTHER TRYING TO DENY IT. The Hatchets literally just open the door to their backroom where you can clearly see their illegal activity and come out to talk to Danny. What if he was working with the cops, guys?

It’s so scary how the Yangshi Gonsi react to the mention of the Hand. Well done, IF.

“Joke around the house was that Danny and I were pledged to be married.” (“In another life, this would have been romantic.”) (THIS CREEPS ME OUT THOUGH in a very personally specific triggering way as someone who spent their childhood running around with a boy that I found out later people thought was gonna “knock me up someday.” #BARF)

Colleen has a billionaire in her dojo learning how to punch on a dummy held together with duct tape because she can’t afford to fix it. (Also: Colleen's dojo is also for self-defense classes. Joy was just attacked by hatchet-wielders.)

Danny: "The hatchets won’t be a problem anymore." and then doesn’t elaborate. DANNY THAT SOUNDS SO SHADY. YOU LOOK SO SHADY RIGHT NOW.

Danny: *reaches out and touches Colleen’s hand* Colleen: *flinches back* What are you doing? DANNY. DANNY, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. You seriously have no idea how you come across. Joy is watching all this like “wow....ok.”

Danny used to fight in illegal fight clubs on his way back from K’un Lun. Along with his obtaining an illegal fake ID. New headcanon: Danny is actually super connected to the criminal underground worldwide. Mob bosses everywhere have a soft spot for him. He’s somewhere on a mission with Ward/Colleen/Defenders/HfH and acting like he knows the area, someone recognizes him and he starts chatting cheerfully with them, suddenly they’re being greeted and helped out by people deep in the black market scene while Danny bear hugs someone that most people clearly fear and his companions look on with wide eyes.

Danny, a literal billionaire: Remember how I offered to pay you six months rent for helping me out? Colleen, broke as hell: My denial stands.

Danny: So how are we gonna tell Ward? (framing them - all three of them - as a team) Joy: lmao, are we thinking about the same Ward? You want to tell the most overprotective big brother in the world that men with hatchets attacked his sister? Do you remember what he did to those bullies when we were 8?

Gao: *black bags Harold, refuses to tell him where they’re taking him, doesn’t reveal that this particular instance is him landing on the ‘good’ side of the scale until the last possible second.*

Ugh, he just puts that sword back in the scabbard with all the blood still on it? Improper blade care

Oh yeah, I guess this is the audience’s first scene showing that Harold is capable of cold-blooded murder

I notice that this article may be the front page of the business section, but is NOT the front of the newspaper. Sorry, Jennifer.

[I had initially transcribed the article here, but have made it it's own post which can be found here. Notes on the article, though: Jennifer was very kind to the Meachums in it, given what Ward was actually saying. Also, which Bulletin employee fell down on grammar checking that thing?]

Danny’s Jeri-given apartment doesn’t have a number on the door, but does have some sort of cherry blossom branches etching in the plate?

The Hatchet box!!! (congrats again @Sholio LOL) Yang Hai-Qing wants Danny to get rid of the Hand too. He wasn’t gonna mess with them, explained they didn’t know about the Hand's involvement when they went after Joy, and apologized, but then the Hand came to his restaurant and killed one of his men anyway.

Ah yes, the great tattoo reveal. Also, is that a bullet’s pucker scar on Danny’s left shoulder?

[chibinightowl]

Tuesday Nights

It’s a new month on Patreon, so don’t miss out on the fun! Last month, I posted chapter FIVE (wow, I can’t believe I’ve got five chapters up already) and there’s some new art from @snowzapped​ that features a very familiar plate...

Come join me on this new adventure! As I keep saying, you think you know Tuesday Nights? Nope, it’s gotten so much better. See the full pic ~The First Night~ through the link below! 

https://www.patreon.com/chibinightowl

One of my favorite lines from the original fanfic is in the cut below.

From Chapter Five

If truth be told, this doesn’t feel like a date. Maybe it’s because René is sitting just a few tables away. She doesn’t know who Jacob is, what’s going on between them. It was only the fact that he’d described him ahead of time to her that she didn’t react when he arrived, hot and dripping sweat in his motorcycle gear.

Skye wonders if Jacob will take him for a ride someday. On his bike, because damn that’s a sweet piece of work that had definitely caught his attention when it came roaring up even before its rider revealed himself. His cock he plans to ride a lot sooner.

Still, this doesn’t feel like a date and it’s starting to annoy him.

“What are your plans for next week?” he asks, cradling the small cup of jasmine tea in his hand. A hot day like this will never stop him from ordering it when he comes here. “Do you ever do anything special for the 4th?”

Jacob pokes the tip of his chopstick into a dumpling and holds it up. He’s given up on using them properly, claiming his fingers are cramping. “Not usually. I run a full kitchen that day and it’s always pretty steady. Rory and Wren take care of things out front. Once the fireworks start, it empties out, so I’m able to close early.”

“Profitable day, then?”

“Very much so. Got my special orders placed yesterday, so those should arrive on Wednesday since the 4th is a Thursday this year. That’s my usual delivery day,” Jacob explains, then pops the dumpling in his mouth, barely chewing it before swallowing. “What does a rich boy like you do on the 4th of July?”

Something he’s really not looking forward to this year. “Every year, Archer has a small party on his yacht. Close friends and family, mostly. About an hour before the fireworks start, we’ll head out onto the water, just far enough so that you get a great view of the waterfront and the skyline. It’s actually very pretty.”

“I bet it is,” Jacob offers a non-committal reply. “Why do I feel like you have very little inclination to go?”

“Because right now, I’ve never felt more alienated from my family in my entire life.” It slips out before Skye realizes and he hides behind his tea for a moment, taking a sip from the hot, floral liquid.

“When you first came wandering into the bar that night, you said you’d had a bad day,” Jacob states. “Was it because of your family? I know you said you prefer to do lab work or whatever, but you also do other stuff. Do you get shit for juggling too much?”

Skye opens and closes his mouth a few times because damn, he did not expect that level of insightfulness from someone who barely knows him. This is the last time he underestimates Jacob Cooper.

“It’s more like I’m trying to put on clothes that no longer fit,” he finally says. “By leaving, and living my own life, even if it was mostly filled with class after class, I grew out of the life I had here. When I graduated, coming back here seemed like a no-brainer, but I’m seriously wondering if I made the right choice.”

To his surprise, Jacob nods, a thoughtful expression on his face. “You know, it’s funny you say that because earlier, I was sitting here thinking about how big your world is while mine is just so goddamned small. But what you just said, it makes me think back to what I grew up with and where I am now, the choices I made and some that I had made for me. In the end, it’s all worked out pretty damn well. Now, I don’t think for an instant that our problems are in any way similar, but I can say this. If you don’t fit in those clothes, rip ‘em. You of all people can afford to buy new ones.”

Jesus fucking Christ on a goddamned crutch. This time, Skye gapes because Jacob just did it again. “What are you? A shrink?”

Jacob laughs and flicks a piece of rice at him. “I’m a bartender. I listen to people and their sob stories all the damned time. If they want my nickel’s worth, I’ll give it. It’s up to them whether they listen or not.”

“What happens when they come back with the same story?”

“Then I laugh in their face and pour them another beer.”

[just-themys]

I'd love to hear what you think about Mia and Diego's relationship 😊

Thank you my anonymous enabler

*cracks fingers* 

I should probably preface this by saying I’m not even an active miego shipper. But I hate seeing people mischaracterizing characters to fit their narrative, especially when ignoring canon elements. I also should add that I’m sorry if the pics are blurry/small, I had to find a work around because I struggled to upload them.

The big thing I’ve seen around is the idea that Mia’s and Diego’s relationship was somehow abusive, that Mia didn’t actually like Diego, and/or that Diego/Godot only liked the idea of her. The thing is that we have no canon basis for this. I’ll try to keep it short (mostly because I need to replay the game for more things, and that the Diego/Godot part would be too long). Basically I’m going to focus on Mia.

We have no canon basis to pretend she didn’t like him. I mean, she did decided to face her trauma from her first trial to get a chance to avenge what happened to Diego and frame the person who poisoned him. Even Grossberg says it, “Oh, now I understand why you asked to take this case.”

Remember how she punches Grossberg each time Feenie mentions how much he loves Dahlia ? We fandom often jokes about it, saying she just finds him embarrassing and sickenly sweet, but she didn’t react that way when Larry would do the same in 1-1. No, the reason she does it is probably out of rage and grief. I mean, Diego’s poisoning was only 8 months old. She was robbed of what Feenie (thought he) had with Dahlia, and couldn’t bear seeing him brag about how much in love he is and how happy he is with her (and on top of that, with the very person who took Diego away from her).

Mia was mad, and hurt by what happened to Diego, and being able to get Dahlia convicted was a huge step into helping her moving on. 

This is a first step to explain why she “barely acknowledged him in T&T” (the main argument of the anti-miego), because she already moved on. The other explanation might just be that of storage room. T&T is one of the longest game (originally planned for GBA), and they had already used a lot of tricks to take less space, taking this occasion to enter a new judge, and a very intricate plot running through the whole game. They most likely didn’t have time to give to their past relationship, based on all the hints we have. Just see how the anime is adding little bits about their relationship, and how many official art feature them happily together

Speaking of which, let’s review Mia’s attitude toward Diego/Godot in official art:

Mia’s attitude is relaxed, she’s often smiling, looking at him, standing/sitting close to him and being in interaction with him (drinking coffee, talking, etc.) Does she really give off vibes of being unhappy with him or wanting to fly the interaction ? not really. 

And even less on that one art 

Where she looks playful, takes his arm and is here without having even been channeled.

These last pics bring me to talk about Diego’s attitude toward Mia (outside the cute coffee sharing). A big argument I see against Diego is that he supposedly belittles her and doesn’t think she can do things on her own/is overprotective to a unhealthy/sexist extend. I say this is bullshit, and all my following argument is going to be summarized in this collage (original post courtesy of @draincyanide , hope you don’t mind me tagging you here)

Wow, really belittling (especially from a senior attorney to a rookie on her first trial). I know this impression also comes from the “kitten” nickname, but really, Diego/Godot calls “kitten” anyone he finds is a position of being more weak/young/in need of protection, whatever the gender (see, Ron DeLite, and Miles in the Official Casebook Volume 2 when Miles ends up trapped in a kid’s body). Does it mean he thinks she can’t do it ? no. It’s just how she is, at the beginning of her first trial. She’s in need of a little kick to assert herself, and it’s exactly what he does by often teasing/roasting her. He does such things as to make an objection and let her explain it, or underline her situation to push her to find a way to turn things around. He’s not trying to roast her for the likes of it, or to maintain her under his “protection”. On the contrary, he’s assisting her in her first trial, and pushing her to assert herself, be confident and eventually fly on her own. He’s acting as a mentor. And he doesn’t bat an eye either when she calls him out on his coffee addiction and talk back (I get the feeling their relation would have a lot of mutual roasting). He’s actually pushing her out of her comfort zone so she can be more independent and fend for herself.

Also, her famous sentence of “It’s in the harder times that a lawyer must put on their bigger smile” is directly inspired by Diego’s “The only time a lawyer can cry is when it’s all over”. Diego positively influenced her and her career.

To finish, I’d like to put some words on what is, to me, the chore of the issue: before T&T, many people headcannoned Mia as a lesbian and shipped her with Lana. No issue with it. But for  some reasons, people couldn’t get behind the idea that she could be *gasp* bi, and that she could have been in a happy relationship with Diego. But I will tell you: you can ship this while acknowledging that Mia could be bi in canon, without making her past relationship abusive.

Just because a relationship ended doesn’t mean it was abusive. There’s plenty other reasons for a relationship to end, and in this case, a coma with very little chance of waking up from it is a pretty good reason. You even have the basis for a hurt/comfort scenario with Lana supporting Mia through this hardship, without changing one bit from the canon. Why try to frame Diego as an abuser to justify your ship ? you don’t need to.

Trying to vilify this relationship in that type narrative is not as progressive as it might sound. It actually participates into a scheme of shaming bi women’s m/w relationships. But I’ll tell you a secret: if you don’t support bi women no matter the gender of their partner, you’re not supporting bi women at all. Supporting them only when they’re with girls means you only accept half of their identity, and it shows in your vain attempt to vilify Mia’s past m/w relationship when you have no need for it to ship her with a girl.

Secondly, it also participates into the narrative of the “chosen” sexuality. As much appealing as it sounds, making women “turn lesbians” because of disappointing or hurtful past relationships with men perpetuates the idea that sexual orientation is a choice, and that if gay people are being bullied, in a way, they chose it (and that gives ground to the straight people’s idea that this can be “fixed back” by meeting the proper person who will turn them back straight).

You know what could be truly progressive, if you really can’t fathom the idea of Mia being bi ? Mia realizing she’s actually not attracted to men and breaking up with Diego after this. And I’ll tell you one more secret: you don’t even have to make Diego be an asshole in this situation. Try it, it’ll save you a lot of energy.

tl;dr There is actually more grounds to defend the idea that Mia and Diego were a happy couple than to assert that they were abusive/didn’t really like each other. I believe that shipping bias and character preferences play a big role in this negative, but you can totally ship your wIw ship while following canon (and even in canon-divergent AUs) without having to make this relationship abusive. Also, support bi girls.

[artificialqueens]

Until the Flavor's Gone (16/?) (Biadore) - Kitschy Pixel

A/N: So. It’s been awhile, hey there, hi there, and hello. Now, here’s the deal of what is going down. This is not the original chapter 16 that I planned to give you guys and this chapter was not the chapter that I’ve been laboriously toiling away at for… an ungoldly number of months.

What happened was, the original chapter 16 was starting to climb into the 20 page mark. So for the sake of just about everyone, I had to split it up, and for the sake of giving you guys an update – I’m posting it now and I think I can promise you guys that you won’t be waiting another seven months for chapter 17. I hope you all can forgive me. Feel free to wander to my sideblog @kitschypixel and let me hear about it.

In this chapter, Danny deals with where they are now, Roy texts the wrong person, and Shane becomes the only audience to the mess that’s on the horizon – for now.

Warnings for language, sexually suggestive text messages, excessive alcoholism, and everyone’s a tease. Including me.

Chapter 16

In the months following Danny’s return from New York, he and Roy barely spoke. Danny blamed a busy schedule, but there was an inexplicable bitterness that still clung onto his chest that he didn’t want to acknowledge. They’d left on good terms, he reasoned, so it shouldn’t be there.

“It’s that one rejection,” Shane remarked off hand as Danny reclined on his couch and tried to describe said feeling to someone who wasn’t himself, “Not to say that you’re the type to be mad at someone for saying ‘no’ to sex, it’s just the principle of the thing. You’re used to him giving you what you want…”

“Thanks a lot, Jiminy,” Danny drawled out, scowling a little at the thought, “So why do I still care? I mean… we talked about the whole thing. It should be good now.”

“First of all, that wasn’t a moral judgement, so that doesn’t make me your conscience. But, if we’re going to bring it up, I am far more qualified to be one than a cricket – who was horrible at his job to begin with, I might add! – and, my dear Danny, you don’t actually need me to explain to you why you still care, because you already know. You just don’t want to admit just how much you still crave his approval because that’s scary.”

“And you say you’d a better conscience than Jiminy…”

“I would be! Have you even watched that movie? Jiminy was promoted to conscience simply by being at the right place and the right time. Also? I’m right. You just need to listen to me better.”

“I don’t have anything to prove to him.”

“And you are absolutely right, now you just got to believe that.”

Danny started singing When You Wish Upon a Star in response, mumbling over the words that he didn’t know, laughing at Shane’s glare in his direction all the while. The song dissolved into a mess of giggles and Danny curled up on his side, staring off into space for a minute before he pressed his lips together in a tight line.

“You think he’s dating that guy who keeps popping up in his feed?”

“Oh, totally. They are definitely fucking…” Shane tilted his head tapping his fingers against the arm of the chair. “You okay with that?”

“Honestly?” Danny hummed and pressed his fingers to his lip, a ghost of a smile dancing there before he turned back to Shane. “I really am. I mean… good for him, you know?” He waited a moment to see if that bitterness moved from his chest to bleed into what he was saying. There was a slight sense of relief when it didn’t. “Hey… if he can find someone, there’s hope for me, right?”

“There’s hope for us all!” Shane held his arms out wide in a dramatic gesture before grinning and settling back into his seat with a wistful sigh, crinkling his nose a little at nothing in particular. “Is it bad taste to start a betting pool on how long this is going to last?”

“Yup. How much do you have in it?”

“Ten.”

“Twenty.”

“High roller.”

“Let Courtney make out with me on camera in a hot tub and you could be too.”

Shane snorted before he reached over to search for his drink. “Is that your master plan? Peddle thinly veiled soft core lesbian porn as a music video for popularity?”

Danny grinned a bit, “Why not? It worked for Britney and Madonna,” he quipped before he crawled over to the side of the couch that was closer to where Shane was sitting, eyes wide and pout ready. “And it’ll only work if you say ye~es…” He cocked his head to the side and offered a wide grin, “ Come on, You know you want to be a skank with me.”

Shane tapped his chin with a thoughtful expression and his eyes twinkled with mischief before he hummed, “Is it going to be tasteful?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Then I’m in!”

–––––––––––––––––––––

The first text Danny got from Roy was about a week after Jump the Gun made its debut on Youtube, and he was about 90% sure that it wasn’t meant for him.

I’m fucking you so hard when I get there, you asshole.

Maybe 98%. Either way, he was not about to let the opportunity to give Roy shit for something pass, so he carefully considered his response before finally typing out,

Wow. Promise? Let me buy a ticket real quick and I’ll meet you.

There was a predictably long pause and Danny continued to check his phone periodically for the inevitable response. He was getting caught up in a vortex of Youtube hell when his phone finally buzzed beside him. He smirked at the reply.

That wasn’t for you.

Simplistic, definitive, and without further explanation – classic and in no way acceptable. He knew Roy knew it too, because there was a long sigh when Roy answered the follow-up phone call.

“You could have just texted me.”

“And miss hearing your sex voice? No chance in hell,” Danny grinned at the cracks in Roy’s softer than normal words, “Is he still there?”

“No. He just left.”

“Damn. No cuddle clause in your dating arrangements either?”

“Fuck off, we both have work in the morning,” the finality in his voice meant that Danny would have to try a lot harder than usual to pry anything further from him on that particular subject, so he opted not to try tonight. Instead, he let Roy take the lead. “So what’d you need?”

“Nothing, really,” Danny admitted, “Just needed to give you shit. Why does he get dirty text messages and not me?”

“We’re dating.”

“Rude. Does he get all your best dick pics too?” Danny laughed at the repeated ‘fuck off’ before he set his laptop aside to pick at the pilling on his sheets like some nervous school girl. He chewed on his lip before he finally spoke up again, “You know… I kind of missed hearing from you,” he managed. That bitter feeling, the one he’d been toting since he got back home, began to squirm a little, making his heart jump a few times. There was a pause and Danny waited anxiously for some kind of response to fill in the silent spaces. There was an uplifting hitch in the sigh that followed – a kind of half formed chuckle let out in a breath.

“Yeah,” he croaked before clearing his throat, “Shut up,” he remarked, cutting off Danny’s snickering, “Things kind of got… serious. Sorry.”

Danny bit back the snarky ‘no shit’ and kept the flippant ‘I figured’ from rolling off his tongue. Instead, he replied with a blissful, “Don’t be. You actually look happy.”

“And what about you?”

“Me? I’m…” A small smile started to curl as Danny pressed his lips together. He could feel his cheeks burn, which was a bit absurd, but no one was around to see it so he didn’t really care. “Can I get back to you on that?” His voice had pitched higher towards the end and he felt a bit giddy.

“Mmmhm… yeah, sure. Just enjoy yourself, kid.”

“Oh gross, don’t do that. It makes you sound old.”

The serenity broke with a cackle and Danny could hear the smile through the phone, “Fucking bitch.”

They chatted lightly before the conversation slowly petered out and left them with nothing left than to say ‘goodbye’. When they hung up, Danny shifted a few time, pressing his fingers just below his sternum to settle the butterflies that began to rustle around in his gut as he stared at his phone and opened up a freshly saved contact from the other night.

–––––––––––––––––––––

It was easy to talk to Roy when everything was fine. They didn’t talk everyday (they didn’t have time) but when they did it was nice. It was normal.

When things became decidedly less fine and then spiraled down into absolutely miserable for Danny, talking to Roy wasn’t easy anymore. In fact, Danny found it downright agonizing. That leftover bit of bitterness that held onto his chest for months – the one that didn’t grow or begin to bite, just sat there benign but incredibly present – felt like it had lumped and hardened. He’d stopped following him on social media. Just for now. So it wouldn’t get worse and turn to jealousy as he saw Roy still be happy.

Hey, are you okay?

Danny hadn’t replied for fear of lying – or worse, telling the absolute truth and having Roy try desperately to turn it into a joke to make him smile. Instead, he clung to Shane in some kind of blind desperation to stay emotionally afloat. So far, it was allowed and led to Danny, curled up pathetically on Shane’s couch, consistently losing track of the drink that he never put down to begin with.

But Shane was beginning to start to grow a little weary from playing babysitter as he watched his friend stumble from the casual drinking, into the deeper the pits of alcoholism and whatever else Danny was finding comfort in these days. Don’t judge, he reminded himself, you’re not his moral compass. This had become his mantra whenever they spent time together.

He nudged Danny with his foot to see if he’d passed out yet. There was a drowsy ‘mmmm?’ in response.

“You know, he’s been asking me about you. He almost seems worried. It’s… weird.”

“Who?” Danny muttered as he tried to blink himself into some kind of semblance of consciousness.

“Your long distance husband.”

“Ugh…” He would have rolled his eyes if the thought of it hadn’t made him feel dizzy. “Shut up… we never acted married.”

“By whose definition?” Shane challenged. It wasn’t fair. Danny was at least six drinks ahead of Shane, which made it harder for him to argue. He settled on a weak ‘we didn’t’ as he tried to throw a decorative pillow at Shane and missed. Shane stared at the offending pillow for a minute before picking it up and holding it to his chest, looking thoughtful as he replied, “Well I would say ‘dad’… but given your history, that’s a bit gross.”

Danny erupted in what was probably his first giggle fit of the evening as he scrunched up his face and exclaimed a long, drawn out ‘ewwww’ and Shane replied in kind with a grimace, “Though I suppose making the comparison of spouse and parent similar is concerning within itself….”

“Oh my god, shut up…” Danny groaned as Shane quipped something about if Roy were there, he’d make a joke about it being kinky. He mimed gagging before waving his arms to try to get Shane to cease talking. “Ugh! No! All of that! No to all fucking that!” Danny flopped back and pressed his palms into his eyes, thinking the conversation was over before it was finally placed back on the tracks it’d derailed from when Shane quietly asked,

“So what do I tell him?”

“Huh?” Danny squinted a little as he tried to remember what they were talking about before he sighed heavily and rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling, “Oh… right… fuck.” He wiped his hand across his eyes before waving the whole thing off. “I’m fine.”

With a quiet, ‘right, okay’, Shane let the subject drop. His hands fidgeted for a moment before he finally picked up his phone, the wheels turning in his head a fraction slower, but still enough for him to start a plan.

I think I’m going to need your help soon.

He hit send and waited, tapping short nails on the back of his phone as he watched Danny just curl up on himself, trying to cocoon into his jacket without much luck. The minutes rolled by before finally, there was a reply.

What’s going on?

[yearslateforyugiohshippings]

Dark Magician Collection!

I wanted to give a detailed view and update of my DM card collection since I have ‘finished’ it - at least as far as I can. 2 cards are still missing, but I can’t find them online atm. Goal was to have all English and German prints - there are some other nice ones in my collection, too! You will see :D

Long post ahead!

high res: https://sta.sh/0zsj9r0b0bq

Starting of with the very old starter deck cards and the secret rares of this artwork (which is my favourite - who would have guessed!) I really love the secret rares of this artwork and secret rare as a rarity in general <3 But as you can see, the DDS card has a crease - but I’m okay with that since it dropped it worth to an amount I could buy :’D Maybe I will get a flawless one in the future. The card itself funnily is without scratches. I would really like to know how the bend happend.

high res: https://sta.sh/0hnagpqi7al

Next up: DUSA ultra rares - which I don’t like very much since for some reason the duelist saga UR is not very appealing to me. The foil is weird. The CT13 tin promos are great tho ;D The others are commons, so nothing special to say about them.

high res: https://sta.sh/07tofx0eqh4

Trivia time! I will use the CT13 cards as an example since they’re here :U American und European cards often slightly differ in colour and brightness in general. American versions are often lighter and that’s why there are many players who prefer them over the European prints (at least here in Europe, can’t say anything about other places). The right one is an American print and the purple is a lot warmer and the ornaments on the armor are more pink (but I couldn’t capture that on a single pic alone, so just imagine it ;D)

high res: https://sta.sh/011f8bwlgnic

Here we have the lasts cards of artwork 1 - The oldest DM I have in the left corner with signatures of my old school buddies which I let them give me before moving away all the years ago. This card is heavily damaged :’D on the spot right to it is a card I was very unsure about putting it into the collection since it actually is an OCG card even if it’s English. It’s a promo card from the 2015 Japanese championship. BUT I got it relatively cheap on ebay a few weeks ago, so well, I won’t complain. Also here: The ghost rare DM and another 2015 promo - but in Korean - both 201 promo cards have the same rarity (Millennium Rare) so I assume tehy’re the same card...? Moving to the right we have the original booster pack 1 - LOB - Dark Magician and below the cards from the second Yugi themed starter deck. One of the LOB magicians (German) belonged to a friend (one of them who signed the card on the left) and it was a very hard fight for getting him to trade it as a kid. But I never gave it away afterwards. I met this friend again, 12 years later, and he actually remembered and was very happy about (and still slightly mad since he collects all old cards and this one was hard to get for him again) me keeping it <3

high res: https://sta.sh/01wupx9i1ej2

Just a try to get the millennium rare effect on camera, but it’s actually hard to do - there are hieroglyphs all over the card!

high res: https://sta.sh/01zin64ns445

Detail shot of the ghost rare card - this rarity is so cool. It has a little 3D effect and the colours only come through in the perfect light (artificial light works much better than sunlight for some reason) - but it can’r be captured in only one photo. So enjoy the nice eye he has here - they really pop out in the ghost rare!

high res: https://sta.sh/01rzdwdjum22

Moving on to the page of shame since this is the page with the last missing 2 cards - which are the red rare and blue rare English DL11 Dark Magician. I actually bought the blue rare - but it went missing in the shipping process. It’s a shame. This makes me sad and angry. But besides that, I like the coloured rares. I don’t know, but it just adds a nice twist to the normally a little boring rares.

high res: https://sta.sh/03enz6dy6aw

I don’t have much to say about this page... the Retro Pack DM are nice URs and we have 2 SCRs again... Oh! I know what to tell you about them: this artworks BPT print is quite cheap - the other one, 1st artwork, is most times actually expensive. And the FL1 SCR has the most disappointing foil I’ve ever seen. I tried to capture it on the next pic:

high res: https://sta.sh/01qliw7ut9k3

You can guess the SCR effect, but it’s so bad/weak I had this card for weeks until I read online that it’s a SCR card - I didn’t even realise it! I thought it’s a normal rare on the first glance :’D You can guess how weak it is in comparison to the BPT card on the right which is also not the brightest SCR, but this one is glittering like crazy next to FL1

high res: https://sta.sh/03ksjuu3g8v

The last card (DLG1) of artwork two on the left with two random Japanese cards I happend to have - look how worn out they are! I had them for a very long time, getting them as a teenanger, and I don’t know where they came from. There were a lot of Japanese cards flowing around in my childhood. On the right we got Arkanas best buddy - he only got this one print in German and English and they’re not even that old. It’s a shame they took so long to get printed in the TCG. The Japanese one again is one of the cards I had for a long time - it came from a pack in which DMG, Dark Magic Curtain, Thousand Knives and Magical Box also were included (correct me if I’m wrong, I may not remember it correctly) The card on the bottom right... I don’t know what it is, but the artwork is cool :D

high res: https://sta.sh/01e6aviafcqy

I mean, look at it!

high res: https://sta.sh/019j9fc9lz0q

Artwork number 4! Structure deck cards in the top left, below them promos from the old PC game (they have a nice SCR effect which glitters like this # instead of a straight line or /) On the right some commons and the sexy ultimate rares.

high res: https://sta.sh/0136gaeq9ukq

They’re just cool.

high res: https://sta.sh/09qrjr2mgd3

The most valuable page in this binder- because of the baby sitting in the bottom right corner <3 But first, take a look to the left. Top row: commons which also came in the structure/starter deck in which the UMR were included. Bottom row: SCRs but with a shimmer which goes like this: / Top right: URs Bottom right: The two almost identical prints with the most difference in value in the whole collection - the left one is a few € and the right one is a few 100 :’D This P in the serial number must be really valuable. Sad thing: They’re only rares with some starfoil thing going on (I don’t know how the rarity is called, it’s not actually starfoil since there are no stars on it but dots). It’s a shame. They’re not even very pretty :’D

high res: https://sta.sh/06t96pbi963

This page is interesting again since we’re switching artworks :D But I would like to add that the DB1 prints here do have the colour difference between American and European version again (but I didn’t capture it in an additional photo this time) - I mostly own European English versions, so I thought I could mention it again ;> JUMPing to the right (badumm-tss) we have artwork #5 with the promos out of the Jump magazine and the first apprearance of the true Black Magician ;P Below them is one the old promotional cards they had ind the Banzai magazine (I guess). The Magical Circle next to it was just a thing I got as an addition and it was fitting to also put it here instead of losing it in my other cards.

high res: https://sta.sh/0354sytgik2

Another shot of the Jump cards to show some things. First of: They don’t have the bold grey border the artworks usually have on all cards - I did realise this lately. It finally made sense to me why I always thought they look strange! It was a mind-blown-moment. And second: You can see that at some point they changed the size of the picture on the card in direct comparison! And for some reason the newer print (right) is more crisp and a little brighter.

high res: https://sta.sh/01ktxzsdnqcx

Artwork #6 - which is pretty nice btw - and the very sexy field center card released this year plus an old bandai card. The tag for the bottom left row is missing since they are the newest prints (came in the Yugi-Kaiba-Deck duo box this year) and I simply was to lazy to stick one of my beautiful tags on them :’D It would have been very nice to have the golden parts on the field center card shiny gold/metallic printed tho.

high res: https://sta.sh/01vkzvfl9qzu

Movie artwork and also the last artwork for now - until the new one hits the stores on 22.12.18 in Japan. I should have sorted them in an other way starting with the URs, going to the gold rares and endling with the gold secret rares which are the ultimate shiny glitter-fuck-fest you can have :’D I love them. In the right corner is the Token card from the tins last year and a very nice business card of a German online card shop infront of my Konami ID card. This way I will never lose or forget to bring it since I’m always travelling with my magicians if I’m going for some plays or the small weekly tournament in my city.

high res: https://sta.sh/0gkts6ykil8

Last additional page - the coloured rares again but in French! :D Exept the purple rare, it’s missing. But instead I put an anime orica in there. And since the oversized DM card also got a serial number and it’s English it’s in my collection, too ;D

Wow, this was a ride. It took me about 1,5 hours to write this wall of text and put pictures in and so on. I actually have a second binder slowly filling up with DMs, but they’re not unique prints and just all the cards in here over again since I just trade for every DM I can get :U It’s fun!

I don’t know for which cards I’m going next. Maybe some more European ones like Spanish, French, Portoguese or Italian or just gong for the Japanese and Korean cards. Maybe a little of both. Just get what I can grab.

[everlarkingjoshifer]

A Different Way CHPT2

Hey there my lovelies! I’m back with yet another chapter of what I hope is a riveting story. Again I would like to thank @mega-aulover and @burkygirl for giving me great ideas. Tomy husband for being hella patient and @titaniasfics and @javistg for betaing the crap that I handed only for it to come out coherent and worth posting. I would also like to thank @sunsetsrmydreams for making this sweet ass banner. I would like to dedicate this chapter to @norbertsmom for her birthday. May you have a wonderful day babes I wish you many more! As this was originally a story written for @peetaisbae I hope she likes her ongoing X-mas present. As always, don’t forget to read and review ;)

Now onto chapter 2!

Katniss blinked a few times before recognizing the blond, blue-eyed baker before her. “Peeta?” she asked dumbly when her old schoolmate walked around the counter to give her an awkward hug that she’d mistaken for a handshake, and so now they were standing there with Peeta looking down at her extended hand and his arms midway through wrapping around her.

They both blushed as he pulled his hand out and she changed her position to that of wanting to hug him. Stuttering in mid-move, they scoffed at the ridiculousness of it all and blushed furiously when they decided that maybe a high five was as much as the awkwardness would allow.

Peeta ran his hand behind his neck giving her a lopsided grin followed by a shrug. “How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in so long.”

“I’m good, thanks. Just here picking up some groceries, you know?” Katniss replied, hoping on all of God’s green earth that she looked as cool as she wanted to, although she highly doubted it.

After a few minutes of awkward silence and Peeta fiddling with his wedding band, he looked up at her chuckling. “So, what have you been up to? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”

“Yeah, I haven’t been doing much. You know, working and, you know, life. How about you? I haven’t seen you since I moved out of my house,” Katniss said, hoping he would have a more interesting answer than her own.

“I got married,” he said raising his hand to show her a silver wedding band.

Katniss nodded. “I see. Well, congratulations, any kids yet?”

“One, a son. He’s in school now while I work part-time here,” he answered looking at the floor.

Katniss hated small talk, but what else could she ask or say? It had been so long since she’d seen him and even then they were only next door neighbors. He had several classes with her from time to time, but nothing deep was ever established between them. It made for a very short conversation. After some time she remembered his parents owned a bakery. “What about your parents?”

“Oh, they’re doing fine. They retired not too long ago and my older brothers run the old bakery now. I help sometimes, but now I work here,” Peeta said pointing to the small bakery he’d been in.

Katniss frowned. “Won’t your brothers need more help?”

“Well, the bakery is doing so good nowadays that they have their own employees and, well, I only just got back from the Navy. I was the chef-slash-cook.” Peeta muttered rubbing the back of his neck. Katniss noticed that it was a nervous tick of his.

“The Navy, wow, did your wife travel with you?” Katniss asked.

Peeta nodded without answering looking down at his hand and twirling his ring around again. He lifted his gaze back to her. “I needed to establish my own line of work and gain more experience other than my parents’ bakery.”

“Oh,” Katniss muttered nodding.

Peeta dug his hands into his pockets. “Gotta start somewhere if I plan to open my own cafe.”

“Wouldn’t working in a restaurant make more sense?” Katniss asked mystified.

“Well, despite having been in the Navy, I couldn’t find work so easily. Maybe having relied on my parents’ bakery wasn’t such a good idea,” he answered shrugging.

Katniss was sure she would have spoken to him for longer if a customer hadn’t come in to ask for an order. Peeta looked at the disgruntled suit and nodded quickly before turning back to her, “I’ll be done quickly, can you wait for me? Maybe we can have lunch during my break and catch up.”

Katniss shook her head. “Can’t. I have a deadline to hit and if I don’t my boss will have my head.”

“Well, then I guess I’ll see you around. It was good to see you,” Peeta answered quickly, looking nervously at the waiting customer. She noticed his shoulders drooped a bit.

Katniss grinned and waved awkwardly as she walked with cart in hands towards the cashier line. “Sure, I’ll see you around.”

Once she had put her groceries in the house, she walked about her kitchen and rummaged in the fridge before deciding that she’d have to forego the fresh slices of bread that Peeta had been selling and settle on Rice Krispies and milk. To be honest, she was caught so off guard upon seeing her old neighbor that she’d all but forgotten her precious bread. The fact that she somehow still remembered his name when all her other schoolmate's names’ were but a distant memory as it wasn’t her strongest suit. But she’d remembered him. She hadn’t even spoken much to him back when they were neighbors or in between classes for that matter. Now here she was sitting in front of her computer with a bowl of cereal in hand as she stared at her rough draft riddled with red marks. Who knew writing a piece on a little girl’s long-awaited trip to Disney Land provided by Make-a-wish could be so hard? Yet here she was, with half her work scratched off staring back at her as she crunched on the snappy cereal. It was like eating soggy pop rocks.

Suddenly, her Skype went off and the pic of Johanna’s middle finger flashed on the screen. Katniss clicked on the answer icon and saw her best friend on the verge of a Hulk status rant.

“Katniss, give me a reason not to kill Coin!” Johanna gritted out.

Katniss sighed. “Because it’s against the law of Panem State and if you do we’ll both go to jail because you know I’ll help you bury the body and I really can’t leave Willow with my mother.”

Johanna took several gulps to calm herself. None of it worked until she grunted like a bear and took several deep breaths before looking back at her. “Right, but can I fantasize about her death?”

“Fantasize all you want. No one can put you in jail for your thoughts,” Katniss replied swallowing her cereal.  

Johanna gave her a smirk. “I should be in jail for my thoughts.”

Katniss rolled her eyes. Yes, Johanna was that friend that turned everything into a dirty conversation. “What did she do this time?”

“She asked me to rewrite the whole fucking article,” Johanna groaned massaging her temples. “I mean, what more is there to say on a fucking weather report that hasn’t already been said?”

Katniss pursed her lips thoughtfully, “Well there’s words and you can quote me. Words like, Clouds, lots of clouds, cumulonimbus, vapor, um let’s see… did I say clouds already?”

Johanna did not look amused. “Katniss, shut the fuck up.”

“No, and for your information, I have to fix my own article for the umpteenth time so, you’re not alone,” Katniss reminded her friend.

Johanna, ever the drama queen, gasped and backed away as though offended. “Oh, she only asked you to fix it? Wow, she must really like you.”

At that Katniss flipped her off.

Johanna groaned once more and sighed, “Kat, please tell me something interesting to get my mind off of wanting to quit this stupid paper.”

“You can’t quit, you’ve got bills, and I forbid you to leave me alone with her,” Katniss warned.

“Whyyyy?!!!” Johanna whined.

“Because if you’re suffering, so am I, and I will hunt you down if you leave me with her,” Katniss explained.

Sucking her teeth, Johanna rolled her eyes. “Fiiiine, but know that I only do this because I mildly like you.”

Katniss didn’t take the words to heart because, as much as Johanna only said she liked her, she was the first one to stand up for her and the sort of person who put all her effort besides Prim when it came to Willow. So yeah, she was only mildly liked, but Willow was loved, and that was more than enough for her.

Katniss took in a deep breath. “Guess who I saw today?”

“Who?” Johanna asked looking rather distracted but enthralled.

“Peeta Mellark,” Katniss replied playing with her milk and bits of cereal floating on the surface.

Johanna frowned even deeper. “Who the hell is that?”

Katniss took in another deep breath in order to continue. “He used to go to my high school, and he was my next door neighbor.”

Johanna’s eyes widened as she sat up straighter, her attention now riveted on the new information. “Oh, is he hot?”

“He’s handsome,” Katniss replied slurping a bit of the sodden cereal and milk on her spoon.

Johanna rolled her eyes again. “Bitch, I’m not asking you if he’s handsome, my fucking landlord is handsome, I asked if he was hot, as in fuckable.”

“I don’t really know, I haven’t noticed,” Katniss replied matter of factly.

Johanna smirked. “Uh huh, yeah right. Fucking liar.”

“Well, it doesn’t even matter if he’s hot or not, the point is he’s married,” Katniss replied quickly.

“Then, why the fuck did you mention him if he was married?” Johanna asked looking like the cat that got the cream.

Katniss put her half eaten bowl of cereal on her coffee table before running her hand across her face. “ Oh my god, you asked me to distract you.”

“Yeah, but the main focus is single guys that can get lame ass Gale out of your head,” Johanna reminded her.

“That’s not nice,” Katniss replied, trying to hide her smile but failing miserably. “He’s the father of my child.”

“Still doesn’t make him any less lame and ridiculous. He just randomly decided that you, a good wife and mother, not to mention super gorgeous and way out of his league, was no longer the object of his affection and instead decided to switch you for a straight up whore who will most likely cheat on him. God, I hope she cheats on him. Karma cannot let this pass,” Johanna whispered the last part with gusto.

Katniss swallowed her pain. “Can we please not talk about him today?”

Johanna, noticing she’d gone too far, raised her hands in surrender. “Sorry, so anyway what’s with you mentioning that Peter dude?”

“Pee-tah. Like Pita Bread or PETA that animal rights group,” Katniss enunciated his name, wondering why she had to make sure her friend said it correctly.

“Okay, Peeta. Whatever, what’s he to you?” Johanna asked.

Katniss retrieved the bowl of leftover cereal and drank the milk with bits of soggy Rice Krispies floating about sparsely. “I don’t want to talk about him either. Now, how about we go back to doing our work? You and I both take forever to get shit done and we have to hand this in first thing tomorrow.”

“Oh no, Katniss, you’re not gonna leave me with this curiosity,” Johanna warned.

Katniss took another long gulp of her milk, and set the empty bowl back on the coffee table. “Tough, We got shit to do.”

“Just know that you’re on seriously thin ice and you’re breaking the girl code,” Johanna hinted.

Katniss rolled her eyes. “There is no girl code.”

“Yes, there is. Ask Prim,” Johanna half yelled. The poor woman looked like she was on the verge of teetering from the need to know every detail.

“Well, I’m not saying another word on the subject, and we need to get back to work,” Katniss reminded her.

“I hate you,” Johanna spit out while pouting like a toddler.

Katniss shook her head. “No, you don’t.”

“Kat, please, you can’t leave me like this! Just tell me one litt--,” Johanna yelled as Katniss moved her arrow to end the call.

“BYE!” Katniss interrupted pressing on the red icon. She looked around her living room and puffed out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding in.

[sombraglaze]

Lexember 2020 - Kmitmuk ksu

I did Lexember 2020 but I only posted it on twitter, and I thought I’d be a good idea to archive all my posts on tumblr as well ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

so I’ll put all the pictures in this post and write the transcriptions underneath each pic for ppl who prefer seeing it in that format or are blind.

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(the first 4 entries were posted the 4th of December)

I decided to do #Lexember kind of late 😅 but here are the first 4 entries, it's my first lexember and I'm a beginner conlanger so pls don't be too harsh if I mess up 🥺🥺

entry 1! 😊

tucir [tʊ.ʔɪɾ] Noun. emotions, feelings, energy.

from *tʼoɛːluː meaning blood, because it was believed that one's emotions where in their blood, they thought of it as a soul, so that's why corpses didn't emote or move, their emotions dried up.

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entry 2! 👍

ksu [ksʊ] Adjective. good, correct, important.

from *kusʼu meaning big, the autonym of this language is "kmitmuk ksu" which basically means "the correct way of speaking" and also implies that it's an important language.

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entry 3! 🐍

pi [pɪ] Noun. evil person, "monster."

from *pɛː meaning snake, it's a pretty severe insult, you wouldn't hear it in a civil conversation. it implies "murderer" but isn't always used this way.

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entry 4! ⚔️

pira [pɪ.ɾə] Noun. royal guard.

from *peθæː meaning star, they thought of stars as deities whose purpose was to protect humanity, so the word started to be used for guardians or sentinels and eventually became more specifically used for royal guards.

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day 5! 💬 kmitmuk [kmɪt.mʊk] Noun. language, dialect, speech.

from *kɔmytʼemokʼɔ the diminutive of fog, they live in a cold area, so this references the condensation that comes out of their mouth when they speak.

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day 6! ☝️

qer [qeɾ] Noun. four, index finger (archaic).

from *kʼyːθyː meaning index finger, their words for counting inanimate objects come from the names of their fingers and names of parts of their arm, these words are almost exclusively used for numbers nowadays.

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day 7! 😪

tugh [tʊɢ] Adjective. dull (blade), exhausted.

(originally I romanized [ɢ] as <gg> but eventually changed it to <gh>)

from *tʼuːxiː meaning dull, it's used metaphorically to say you gave it your all and now you need to sharpen (rest) before you can keep going or you won't be quite as productive.

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day 8! 🌨️

nsaqf [nsəqf] Verb. to focus, to pay attention.

from *nusʼoxɔ fe meaning to freeze, referencing the fact that if you're concentrating you're probably not moving a lot, so it's like you're frozen.

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day 9! 👑

muciqxn [mʊ.ʔɪqχn] Noun. king.

from *moy xixæːnɔ meaning great father, the ancient word for great *xixæːnɔ lead to many modern words ending in qxn, which got reanalyzed as a suffix that can be added to words to make them related to royalty.

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day 10! 🐟

nicaqf [ni.ʔaqf] Verb. to be dead, to float (archaic).

from *nyːaxɔ fe meaning to float, referencing fish, that tend to float when they die, it can still be used to say float but it's very uncommon.

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day 11! 🗂️

magheqf [ma.ɢeqf] Verb. to group, to classify.

from *mæːxexɔ fe meaning to cut or separate, the meaning of separating was more and more commonly used and eventually acquired the characteristic of separating based on specific traits that things have in common.

also I misspelled acquired in the image, oops 😅

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day 12! 🌬️

qorazdoqf [qo.ɾaz.doqf] Verb. to howl (wind).

from *kʼolæːsuːtɔxɔ fe meaning to blow (wind), in their culture, the wind howling is seen as a bad omen, it's a warning from the wind God (who is actually a wolf) and everyone must stop what they're doing to pray.

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day 13! 🗺️

nzu [nzʊ] Noun. north.

from *nɛːso meaning north, this language doesn't have words for left, right, up, down, etc. instead you have to use cardinal directions and reference things like landmarks and the sky.

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day 14! ✨🌙

tfpik [tfpik] Noun. star.

from *tøfæːpʼykʼɔ the diminutive of sun, this word is also used for planets that are visible to the naked eye, but not for the moon, which is "ksor" [ksoɾ] from *køsʼɔɾuː also meaning moon.

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day 15! 🔪

put [pʊt] Adjective. new (for tools).

from *pœːtʼo meaning sharp (like a knife), this word is pretty much exclusively used for tools, the generic word for new is "not" [not] from *nɔtʼɔ also meaning new.

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day 16! 🐛🤬

pik [pɪk] Noun. worm, bug, phallus (vulgar).

from *pɛːkʼɔ the diminutive of snake, it can be used as a swear word depending on the context, but it usually means worm and sometimes bug in general.

I realized I had never really made any swear words in any of my conlangs so I thought I'd give it a try 😆

also sorry if this one is a bit too edgy lol I'll return to normal vocab tomorrow 😅

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day 17! 🌲🌲🏔️

terrag [te.rag] Noun. forest.

from *tʼœːræː ki meaning many trees, there's also a word for forest that is more fancy and tends to be used specifically for montane forests "tir" [tɪɾ] from *tiːlyːo meaning forest.

also, this word is always interpreted as being plural because of its etymology, so if you wanted to say "small forest" you would say:

"terrag tacakig" [te.rag ta.ʔa.kɪg] (forest small-PL)

as opposed to:

"terrag tacak" [te.rag ta.ʔak] (forest small.SG)

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day 18! 🐌

kudipaduw [kʊ.dɪ.pa.dʊw] Noun. snail.

from *kutiːpʼæː topɛː wet/sticky animal, meat is "mxa" [mxə] from *mɔxo w/ same meaning & container is "kitek" [kɪ.tek] from *kitʼøkʼɔ diminutive of lake, so bucket of snail meat is "kitek kit mxa tugudipaduw."

based on this meme:

https://twitter.com/Fordsmender/status/1335178530284564480

btw, the gloss is (container with meat snail-LOC) where the locative case is being used to mark inalienable possession (maybe I should've used alienable 🤔)

also kitek is mainly used for things that typically have water in them but it can mean bucket or tub in general.

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day 19! 👹🐕

mzgha [mzɢə] Noun. beast, monster.

from *muːsuːxœː the augmentative of dog, the word originally meant wolf, but the meaning expanded to all dangerous animals and big mythological creatures, and the word for dog is mzu [mzʊ] from *muːsuː

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day 20! 🌋🔥🌲🌲🔥

teqsnubz [teqs.nʊbz] Noun. volcano, burning place.

from *tʼøxœː sʼœːnu pɔθy meaning mountain with fire, that word for "with" was specifically for animate nouns, it came to mean "accompanying" and mountain was the augmentative for hill.

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also, a bonus because it's 20:20 20th-(12 😔 smh)-2020

ke [ke] twenty (animate, base 4) from *kœː meaning twenty.

pipaa qer [pɪ.paː qeɾ] twenty (inanimate, base 8) from *pe pæːyː kʼyːθyː (2 eights (and) four) or more literally (ring finger, forearm, index finger).

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day 21! 🌲🗡️

putfmeterra [pʊtf. me.te.rə] Noun. felling axe.

from *pœːtʼofe mø tʼœːræː meaning blade for trees, blade is the nominalized form of sharp *pœːtʼo and in fact, the modern word for blade or knife is putf [pʊtf]

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day 22! 😇

kidiweqf [kɪ.dɪ.weqf] Verb. to be believed or trustworthy.

from *kytɛːpøxɔ fe the passive form of to see, there is no adjective for trustworthy, it is seen as an action rather than a trait that a person can have.

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day 23! 🌒☀️

napirqf [na.pɪɾqf] Noun. solar eclipse.

from *næːpʼœːθiːxɔ fe meaning to be un-burned (or extinguishing), basically they believe their sun god can extinguish himself at will, eclipses are referred to as "extinguishings" and are seen as a sign of their god's dissatisfaction.

lol I actually ran out of space in the first tweet, that hadn't happened before. this one was inspired by the recent Great Conjunction! 🔭 I'll probably make the next few Christmas related.

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day 24! 🎅🎁

nicirrogi [nɪ.ʔɪ.ro.gɪ] Noun. expensive gift or present.

from *nɛːirɔ ki poruːpʼuː meaning poem, or more literally: beautiful/colorful words (or even more literally: flower-like words) high class people could afford to commission poems, generic gift is msu [msʊ] from fruit *miːsʼo

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day 25! ❄️

kucugitugh [kʊ.ʔʊ.gɪ.tʊɢ] N. snowflake, hexagon, complex shape.

from *kœːo ketʼo xo tœːpʼumæː meaning snow with(ɪɴᴀɴ) six(ɪɴᴀɴ) tips/points, since the word was too long it got shortened to the first four syllables and it's now also used to refer to complex shapes and patterns.

idk if there's a term for words getting shortened, I just figured I could do it since english does it in words like "net" for "internet" and stuff lol I don't know what I'm doing 😂

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day 26! 🗻

teghop [te.ɢop] Adjective. solid, hard.

from *tʼøxœːpʼuː meaning mountain-like, originally it was used to mean huge (anything that was around the size of a building or more) but it started to imply sturdy, and the meaning slowly shifted to being anything solid.

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day 27! ⛰️

mudurus [mʊ.dʊ.ɾʊs] Noun. coal, fuel, inspiration.

from *muːto θøsʼo meaning black/brown rock/stone, it's used metaphorically to talk about how inspired someone is to do any form of art or craft.

today's post was kind of late because I didn't have any inspiration 😅 running a bit low on ideas atm.

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day 28! ♒

tacup [ta.ʔʊp] Adjective. energetic, always moving.

from *taop‘uː meaning river-like, it can be used negatively to mean someone is annoying, but generally it's used in a more positive way.

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day 29! 😡

qo [qo] Adjective. angry / upset (informal)

from *k’uː meaning red-orange, it originated as a metaphor but eventually the word stopped being used for the color altogether.

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day 30! 👋

mukigii [mʊ.kɪ.giː] Interjection. see you, bye.

from *muːk’ø kɛːyː meaning be-ɴᴘsᴛ.ɪᴘғᴠ well, the word for "to be" is now archaic and the word for good/well now means holy, so the meaning of the phrase is a bit obscure for most people.

wow I can't believe #Lexember is almost over, time flies! :o tomorrow is the last day already! but I think I'll keep posting about my #conlang-s, maybe just not as often :) and I might use my tumblr for longer posts in case anyone is interested in checking that out.

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🎇🎆this is the final #Lexember2020 entry! I had the idea to make a "book ending" and end it where it started, with four proper nouns related to the first four entries I posted on the first day, thanks for all the ❤️s and RT's everyone :D transcriptions below:

day 31! 🙂

Txurr [txʊr] Proper noun. (joy, happiness).

from *tix’oruː meaning joy/happiness, this word is used exclusively as a name (typically female) and most people no longer know what it means.

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also day 31! 🗨️

Kmitmuk ksu [kmɪt.mʊ.ksʊ] Proper noun (correct speech).

literally “speech/language correct/important” from *kɔmyt’emok’ɔ and *kus’u meaning fog(diminutive) and big, both previous entries, this is how this language’s autonym is written.

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also day 31! 🐉

Pigh [pɪɢ] Proper noun. (dragon).

from *pɛːxœː the augmentative of snake, used exclusively as a name (gender neutral) most people think it means resilient/wise because of a homophone that comes from *p’yːxi meaning old, only scholars know better.

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also day 31! 🌟

Pira [pɪ.ɾə] Proper noun. (royal guard)

from *peθæː meaning star, this word was featured in a previous entry but this is how it’s written if it’s used as a name, proper nouns have their own writing system, based on an ancient syllabary similar to cuneiform.

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That was a lot, that’s a lot for reading everyone!! ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ I’ll start posting more stuff on Tumblr starting in 2021!

[poipoi1912]

Carisi-centric thoughts on Ep 19x03

Yet another solid episode! This season is going to be a winner. Also, THE BARISI CORNER IS OFFICIALLY BACK :D

But first:

Overall Thoughts

OK, this wasn’t much to write home about, but it was more than serviceable. All three actresses were very good so they kept me engaged, the case was pleasantly twisty but not convoluted, Sonny had significant input as a lawyer (and I loved how Liv was all “we’ll follow Carisi’s suggestion!”) and Barba delivered a heated and eloquent closing argument. I enjoyed it.

Squad Thoughts

More sharing of personal information! I swear, Sonny and Fin have talked to each other more in these last two episodes than they did in the previous 3 2 seasons! And they didn’t need some random case-related segue, either. This week, they were just driving to a crime scene, and they were shooting the breeze on the way there. You know, like normal colleagues do. Like real people do. Not cardboard cutouts. Something small like that, something as silly as stealing candy as a little boy, it can breathe life into a scene which would otherwise be mundane.

The thing is, even when an episode is not as exciting, it’s still worth watching just to see our characters interacting and being friends. That’s what SVU seemed to have forgotten, and it’s also the key to making a watchable procedural. Let’s face it, all the cases have been done before (often by SVU itself, because it’s been on for a hundred years), but the team interactions can )and should) be enough to maintain the viewers’ interest. This season, it’s clear the team dynamics are being cultivated, instead of being ignored, and that makes me happy.

The Barisi Corner

WE'RE BACK.

Just like I hoped, it's like S18 never happened. We're back to the S17 Barisi dynamic of friendly teasing and inside jokes. In the deleted scene from the premiere, we got the classic "booyah, Fordham law" type of interaction, except in its advanced S17 form. Where in S16 Barba would be biting with his remarks, in S17 and in the 19x01 deleted scene he was just making a joke for the sake of a joke, because that's what they do. Sonny tries to impress Barba, Barba is totally impressed, and then he makes a joke to pretend he's not actually appreciative of Sonny's input.

In this episode, we got an even more advanced interaction. We got Sonny making a smart legal observation not just to impress Barba, but because he wanted to contribute to the case. And, just like in S17, Barba was impressed, and then he used a joke not to diss Sonny, but to praise him.

See, there are two kinds of humorous Barisi interactions.

There's "Sassy Sonny Tries to Impress Barba" which comes complete with Sonny's dimples, and Sonny's smirks, and Sonny's cocky remarks like, "Oh, Rafael, are you mad you didn't think about it first?" This type of Barisi interaction always ends with a Barba side-eye and a snarky comeback. When Barba knows that Sonny is flaunting, he's always quick to shut it down. That's the joke. Sonny starts blathering on about a hypothetical argument, just to show off his legal skillz, and Barba is amused, but he also acknowledges the alterior motive, i.e. Sonny's desire to get Barba's approval.

But then there's "Dedicated Sonny Tries to Crack the Case" which comes with Sonny's frown and Sonny's desire to get justice, and Sonny's casual use of legal terminology like "obfuscated." This type of Barisi interaction always ends with Barba subtly praising Sonny, using a joke to cover up a genuine compliment. When Barba knows that Sonny is trying to be helpful, he's always quick to encourage it. That's Barba's favorite thing. Seeing Sonny creatively solving a legal problem with no ulterior motive. Sure, their games are fun, and they've been fun for 3 2 seasons now, but at the end of the day they're both trying to get justice, and Barba loves it when Sonny focuses on their work.

That's the thing. Both Sonny and Barba have evolved. Sonny used to thirst for Barba's approval, early on, in S16, but soon after that he found his confidence, and his footing, and his place on the team. He still tries to show off for Barba, because it's fun, but that's no longer his main motivator when he speaks legalese. Sonny isn't a law student looking to get that A, he's a lawyer looking to get that D. And his actions and words have come to reflect that. Now he doesn't just state the obvious as Barba jokes "save it for night school." Now, Sonny has original ideas which can actually help SVU.

And Barba, who treated Sonny so condescendingly at first, Barba has come to see the change in Sonny as well. The humorous element of their interactions persists, because Barba is a snarky bastard, but now those same interactions are loaded with respect. With friendship. With flirtation. Barba is no longer dismissive of Sonny, and hasn't been for a long while. Barba sees Sonny as a useful presence in the squad, with legal knowledge the other cops don't possess, and it's clear he welcomes Sonny’s observations. It’s right there in his smile smirk. Barba is willing to listen, and he’s even willing to entertain the notion that Sonny just might think of something he didn't, which is beautiful to see :')

Barisi Hopes

Now all I want is that other type of S17 interaction, the quiet support. Sonny always supported Barba in tougher moments, like the death threats (what death threats lol?), or a trial gone wrong, but Barba also supported Sonny, especially during that Catholic Church case, as we all remember. I'm loving the new showrunner's tendency to use humor to display the bonds between our characters, it's just the perfect thing to balance out the grim nature of the cases, but I'd love to see some more muted, more emotional moments between them (between all of them, but Barba/Carisi especially, lol). We have an entire season ahead, so there's still plenty of time. I'll be waiting.

For now, I'm just happy the classic Barisi dynamic is back.

I've said it time and time again, and I don't even mean romantically (that's what fic is for). Those two characters, Barba and Carisi, they have a dynamic that's gold. Clashing personalities (Sonny is dorkier, Barba is more sarcastic), contrasting temperaments (Sonny is sunnier, Barba is a little more bitter), common interests (the law), a reluctant mentor-mentee relationship (which has evolved now that the student is no longer a student, though he's far from being a master), a constant willingness to joke back-and-forth (which keeps building up their relationship and strengthens their bond), fundamental differences which breed a potential for unexpectedly emotional moments ("I admire your...", because Sonny is an openly affectionate person, and Barba and his wide eyes tend to shy away from affection), it's all there.

Good writing, plus a willingness to explore that bond, plus the natural ease Peter and Raul have with each other as actors, plus Sonny’s sweetness and Barba’s sass = television gold. And Barisi gold :’)

Yummy Thoughts

Barba was flirting. End of story. Textbook “there is no heterosexual explanation for this.” And I’m grateful.

Barba Thoughts

I’ve always said it, I prefer seeing “shrewd legal mind” Barba instead of “slave to his emotions” Barba, but the latter sure is fun to watch. That closing was intense, and you could see that Raul really dug his teeth into those lines.  I mean, damn. It’s not every week that he gets to really show off, with more than an eyebrow raise or a smirk, but when he does, wow.  I was just thinking, they rarely let Raul have a legitimate monologue, even though he’s a lawyer and theoretically we could be watching his opening and/or closing arguments every week. This episode tells me that the writers might be saving those moments, and using them sparingly, so they’ll have more of an impact. And I think they’re right.

That said, I wonder if we’ll be seeing a focus on Barba’s more emotional side, to better juxtapose him to the upcoming ADA, who’ll be more black-and-white and (I’m assuming) less emotional. If so, this was a smart way to start doing that. In this episode, we still saw how smart Barba was, but we also saw a passion we don’t often see from him. I’m assuming Barba and Peter Stone will clash on more than their positions, they’ll clash on philosophy, as well, and I hope this was an example of that. We have to see the “new” (but old) Barba, he has to be established first, under the new showrunner’s reign, and then we can be introduced to Stone, and see what they have in common and what they’ll never agree on.

Stray Thoughts

Just like I thought, last week's dramatic ending (and Sonny’s potential subsequent trauma) was not directly referenced. It may come up again in the future, but again, as I said in last week's post, this is classic Original L&O stuff, a self-contained dramatic episode which ends and is never mentioned again. L&O in its earlier seasons was much less serialized, and I think the new showrunner is bringing that back. I don't mind it.

Another thing I didn’t mind? Flirty Sonny using his masculine wiles to cozy up to that witness and get her to help. Now that’s how you use your assets :D

“CONFIRMED.” I love Fin.

That old high school pic? I love that NBC employs people who have a passion for graphic design :’)

More background on Sonny’s family! The show remembers he has a niece! His mom used to cover for him for childhood shenanigans! He went to confession for stealing candy! Classic Carisi material. And continuity galore. This is the Sonny we know and love.

Amanda dismissively saying “pills, booze” to judge a woman who was on prescribed anxiety meds and enjoyed, like, a beer? Never change, Amanda. actually, please change (that said, yay for continuity!)

What a waste of Annabeth Gish.

So Brooke Shields is the grandma? Wasn’t that what everyone guessed? I was trying to come up with other guesses because I actually believed them when they said “no one has guessed who she’ll play”. Oh well. That said, she looked amazing, and I’ve always liked her. It’ll be nice to have someone with a (seemingly) kinder demeanor fighting against Liv. Not a criminal or a lawyer, you know? We haven’t seen that before.

Amanda and Liv’s jackets keep slaying my existence every week.

WHY DIDN’T WEE SONNY’S REACTION TO “YUMMY”???? HUH???? WHERE IS THAT CLOSE-UP OF HIS SMIRKY DIMPLY LIL’ FACE???

Did I write more than 900 words of this post about a 5-second Barisi interaction? HELL YEAH I DID :D

[keiths-stupid-mullet]

Okay, serious talking now. What would be the worst point in each paladin to attack. We know about Lance's insecurities, but what else? What about the others? I want to read your opinion because you do awsome meta and character analysis.

???????? Wow, thank you ;A; And I’m not sure if I can answer this well for all paladins but I’ll try^^ [tl;dr at the end because this post has gotten really long]

Let’s start with Lance. Lance honestly has many points to attack, which is probably why this fandom is so focused on langst. It’s easy to create content for that because we have so much to work with:

1. his insecurities about his role on the team and in general

I already wrote a lot about it here (and also here a little), desperately trying to figure out how strong these insecurities are but there is no doubt that they exist^^ 

2. homesickness

Lance is homesick. Really homesick. He’s homesick to the point that he would leave a party to hang out alone and get lost in his memories:

He is also the one that references his life on Earth the most often. “I missed 14 days for a stomachache in 3rd grade that I never really had”, “That’s the tagline of 6 of my favorite movies” - those are little things, not very important in the overall picture but they prove that he thinks back to his past. 

3. fear of death/unnatural things that are dangerous

Lance isn’t afraid of aliens, that’s not what I mean with it - I’m talking about the episode Crystal Venom where the castle was trying to kill him. Here is an analysis on how deeply that episode really disturbed him. As for his fear of dying - he is the one that has been confronted with death the most of all the paladins (excluding Shiro - but Shiro has lost/repressed lots of his traumatic memories). Here’s proof:

S1E1. He thought Hunk had died in the explosion when they were trying to retrieve the yellow lion. S1E4. The explosion nearly killed him - “you would have died if Hunk and Coran hadn’t gotten a new crystal” (Pidge, S1E6). S1E9. He almost got sucked out of an airlock. S2E2. The snake monster thingy got free of the stone and Lance was in the direct line of fire.

He was the one screaming “we’re gonna die, we’re gonna die!!” in S2E5 when they had to hold the lenses for the wormhole maker. Lance is scared of death not despite but because he knows it the best of all of them. He almost died multiple times and he saw his friends almost dying multiple times (the Hunk thingy I included above, when he saved Coran from the explosion, when he thought he had to save Coran in “Crystal Venom”, when Pidge in the cube episode got shot down and didn’t reply to them). Look at his reaction vs the reaction of the other paladins when they thought Allura had died:

They are all shocked and disbelieving, meanwhile Lance:

He’s neither shocked nor disbelieving, he’s just hurt. One of his deepest fears became reality and there is nothing he could do about it.

Next, Keith. He has two major points that you could attack: 

1. his Galran heritage/being unsure of who he is

Keith is a character who has learned how to survive on his own through knowing exactly who he is and what he is all about. But when there’s suddenly evidence that shows that he doesn’t actually know who he is, he’s forced to question everything - he tore himself apart over it in season 2, to the point where he got awful nightmares about it:

(the first screenshot isn’t s2 but that’s where it all really began)

Keith was so shaken up that he was ready to leave the team. He felt lost and felt like he didn’t really know who he was anymore - that’s why he was so happy at the end of the Cube episode, S2E4. “We are all connected”. Even if he is different, he is still connected to who he was before, he can still be him. That’s why it hurt me when the Hunk made a joke out of it and the team laughed:

And then there’s Keith:

This was important to him, he had just found a little bit of security again, but this pretty much tore it down again. Keith tries but he doesn’t always understand jokes or hand signs, so what if this has been really obvious to everyone before? If this is nothing new and everyone knew the whole time but still hated the Galra, does it even make a difference anymore?

The Blade of Marmora episode was where he finally found himself again. He awakened the blade with these words: “I know who I am.” And that is true, he acted much more like himself after that again, but him being Galra is still a sensitive topic:

Jokes about that are not appreciated. He has shown that he is okay with joking about things that are important to him when he used the Bonding Moment™ to tease Lance but this is not okay. To a degree, he is still uncomfortable with this part of himself.

2. his abandonment issues

They go deep. Really deep. They probably originated from his dad leaving him and consequently having to grow up without a family, but they bled over to other aspects of his life - namely: friendship.

He immediately thought that Shiro didn’t trust him anymore when he didn’t back him up before the trial. He also readily believed that Shiro would leave him over a “selfish” decision during the trial. And that’s Shiro. Shiro, who would actually fight the entire BoM on his own to keep him safe:

Keith values his friends and trust a lot and he has shown to be very protective of them. And yet there is something in his brain that tells him that they don’t feel the same for him. He was so surprised when Allura apologized to him and even hugged him that he couldn’t even react for a moment.

Every single time a team member casually reminds him that he’s part of the team he gets super happy as if this is something he needs constant confirmation on:

It’s irrational but he has been on his own for so long that he can’t even comprehend that people would actually want him at their side. 

Moving on to Shiro. Shiro has one rather obvious thing he’s struggling with and one thing that is a little less obvious:

1. his self image

This is the obvious one. When Keith (and the rest) freed him from the Garrison, he had lost a lot of memories. When he was still conscious he tried to warn them about the Galra and Voltron, but when he woke up again he didn’t know any more than the other paladins. The real conflict began as soon as the aliens reminded him of what he had done, despite him not remembering it:

Look at his face in the last pic. Shiro has no idea what this arm is and what it can do. What it has maybe already done? When the same aliens call him “bloodthirsty” and “champion” again in episode 3, his face says it all:

“no way, this can’t be true… right? right?” 

Shiro has done unspeakable things in an effort to survive. For a moment there he wasn’t sure if he really hadn’t attacked a teammate, a friend - in the end he hadn’t, of course, but the damage had already been done. He had been forced to consider if he really would never, under any circumstance, hurt a friend. Maybe the Galra had had enough control over him to force him to do that, he simply doesn’t know. 

When Sendak attacked these insecurities it affected him deeply. And the same thing happened with Haggar:

Shiro is scared of who can be or might become - be it from getting controlled by the Galra or from having his “other self” (that doesn’t really exist; it’s all just in his mind) coming to light. That leads us to the second point-

2. not being in control

Shiro isn’t a control freak by any means. He accepts other people’s opinions and had no problem with allowing Allura to come with them on the mission in S1E10. He also let Keith participate in the trials of Marmora on his wish and only intervened when it got to mind manipulation, something that’s extra scary for him because of his experiences. But he panicked when the Black lion didn’t listen to him-

-he got impatient very fast when he couldn’t control Slav’s tempo/actions-

-and he smashed the button to get rid of Sendak’s body when he couldn’t handle his own thoughts anymore:

He’s on the floor, small and defeated. It was a desperate attempt at regaining some semblance of control and it shows in how long it takes him to come back to himself. He dislikes having his team members witness him losing his usual cool, in whatever way it might be - and the team is so used to him always being in control that they are positively shocked when he shows the contrary:

Now Pidge. I struggled a lot with her, for some reason. I could only think of 2 weak points that might be worth exploiting:

1. not getting her family back

The one thing we’ve repeatedly seen her struggling with is not getting her family back. Her family is one of her top priorities - it doesn’t matter if they are on a different mission, Pidge will always be on the lookout for them:

Pidge illegally broke into the Garrison and was ready to leave the team to find them again. She believed the aliens when they said that Shiro hurt Matt and hated him for it, even if she was still able to form Voltron with the team. When she found out that Shiro had actually tried to protect Matt, she cried and hugged him. She would do almost anything to get them back safely, which logically means that the contrary would be one of her biggest fears.

2. her friends dying/losing even more people

She lost Rover and immediately after that Sendak tortured Shiro for her to hear. She devised a plan to get to him and didn’t waste a second acting it out. She was extremely happy when she found Shiro and Keith again in season 2; she was shocked and had tears in her eyes when she thought Allura died. In s2e5 she was also the only one that reacted to Lance’s words when he screamed “we’re gonna die, we’re gonna die!”:

She told him to “hang in there, Lance”. It shows that she really understands his fear of death and shares it, even, to a degree - at least that’s what her face says :P

Hunk’s turn. He has a lot of things that would be possible points to attack:

1. things that cause distress/anxiety/fear

I’m just gonna… list a few here because there are a lot. At the beginning of the series flying was one of these things. Fighting was another one. Unknown locations (like the castle of lions at the beginning) was also one. Not really understanding what is going on (when Lance woke him up from his hypnosis), plans with a good chance of failure, overthinking and always assuming the worst.

2. getting into trouble with authority figures

Unlike Pidge or Lance, he just accepted what Iverson threw at him and didn’t try to stop Pidge from making the situation worse. When they were trying to sneak out, he repeatedly told Lance that it was a bad idea and that they should just go back. 

Unlike some of the fears I have listed above, this fear doesn’t disappear over the course of season 2: 

He didn’t protest when Sal forced him to work in his restaurant. He ran away and was absolutely panicked that he was followed by the police. Not that he has a lot of respect for Iverson or Varkon the mall Cop, but he really doesn’t want to get into trouble with them.

3. getting betrayed

The show hasn’t really explicitly told us much about it, so take this with a grain of salt^^‘ 

In the episode Crystal Venom he got attacked by food. When Lance confronted him about how they were just “floating around” while he almost died, Hunk replied without hesitation: “Well I got attacked by food and that’s the scariest thing I can imagine. If we can’t trust food, who can we trust?!” For Hunk, food has always been a comfort - he absolutely didn’t want to sneak out of the Garrison but sneaking into the kitchen was fine because food would calm him down. When Lance got abducted by mermaids, he wanted to deny the food the queen offered him, but he unconsciously started eating as means to comfort himself.

There are so many things that scare him or make him anxious and so few things he can really depend on. Food is one thing, his team is the other. So when Keith suggested not saving Allura, he felt really shaken up over it:

“What if it was one of us, what if it was me? You wouldn’t just leave me, would you?” [a pause where Keith doesn’t say anything.] “Would you?” Hunk repeated that question, he was actually genuinely looking for confirmation. 

So, tl;dr: 

Lance’s weak points:

his insecurities

homesickness

fear of death/unnatural things that are dangerous 

Keith’s weak points:

his Galran heritage/being unsure of who he is

abandonment issues

Shiro’s weak points:

his self image

not being in control

Pidge’s weak points:

not getting her family back

her friends dying/losing even more people

Hunk’s weak points:

things that cause anxiety/distress/fear

getting into trouble with authority figures

getting betrayed

[danisavin]

this mess is ours.

❧ a florin forest elopement

date: 21 july 2017 (canon) -- 24 Aug 2017 (pretend date :p) @ approx. 3:00 pm location: an anonymous spot in the Old Growth Forest

the newlyweds: daniela octavia savin + samuel irving floros wedding pronouns: partner / groom + husband / spouse (or partner) the officiate: iann cardero the witnesses: fane savin + freya floros also featuring: holmes the dog -- official bouquet-holder

-- - As a massive ‘fuck you’ gesture to the elders of the Floros Coven for attempting to condemn their relationship by threatening to cast out Sam if he didn’t leave Dani romantically, Dani had proposed to Sam that the two of them run off and elope. Sam thrillfully agreed and the two of them threw together an extremely spontaneous wedding event. The ceremony is small and intimate, just as they wish it to be. A secret. At least until they drop a pic of their rings into the wild world of SpringySnaps and the Savin afterparty confirms it. Instead of giving one another physical rings, Dani and Sam will be having their rings tattooed on their fingers following the ceremony. 

-- - For the sake of Soapberry’s sanity, and for all of Sam and Dani’s threads and the town events occurring after the canon wedding date, we’d like you to pretend this hadn’t happened yet. For the reception, we’d like you to assume this is all occurring on the pretend date listed above. Any new threads and such from hereon out will include the pair as spouses. Life got in the way of us posting this sooner, and we apologize (in exchange we made it really fucking cute). 

note: wedding inspo and images from this forest elopement and the wedding of hayley and jackson from the originals (predominately the style of the vows because they are lovely and precious).

@samuel-floros / @fanesavin / @ianncardero

SAM: Sam picked up Freya at the shop by blasting the horn of the flower van at her until she came out. When he told her what was going on, she let out a high pitched squeal that never seemed like it would end, followed by a stream of “Oh my god, oh my god,” over and over again. There was still a lot to do, but first they had to swing by the cabin because Sam had decided to bring Dani there at the end of the night and finally spring his surprise. So Freya helped him set the place up enough to spend a few nights in, with a mattress on the floor in the bedroom made with sheets and a bunch of pillows. He hung up some tapestries and fairy lights to make it look cozy, and put some essentials in the fridge, and once he was satisfied, he and Freya went back to the house. He showered and pulled together an outfit from his closet--black skinny jeans of course, though Freya yelled at him, a checkered shirt and a vest. He put his hair back up, and greeted Freya in her pantsuit and heels at the door. She was his best man, after all. Their last stop was back to Meadowsweet, where he put together a bouquet and flower crown for Dani, a matching boutonniere for himself, and a short garland of ivy and white flowers for Freya to do the handfasting. She’d found the spell in one of the spellbooks in their attic, and practiced the incantation by murmuring it as he drove them to the forest. They were the first to arrive, and he looked over at Freya letting out a breath, the initial adrenaline of rushing around starting to calm down as reality dawned on him. “I’m getting married today,” he said, and she grinned over at him. “Hell yeah you are.” Another car pulled up, and Sam got out of the van, feeling a flutter of butterflies.

FANE: Fane had received an immensely vague text from Dani that morning, a text that literally read: be at the entrance to the old growth forest at 3pm and dress smart. Leaving him wondering what the hell they were doing. They used to go on hiking trips here when Dani was younger, but it had been a long long time since anything like that happened and the dress code hardly fitted hiking. If there was one thing Fane hated it was vagueness, and this... Well, he had no idea what was going on. Working the morning and taking the afternoon he returned home to get dressed opting for a checked blue suit with brown shoes and belt to match anxiety gnawing at him from the inside out as he tried his best to piece together any sort of thing that might be going on today that he'd been forewarned of. Heard mentioned... anything, but nothing sprung to mind. Eventually he resigned himself to the mindset that whatever was going to happen, was going to happen. Dani had more secrets than he really knew or seemed to be let in on these days and he'd just have to settle for not knowing. Pulling up in his normal ride, he climbed out recognising Sam's van immediately and the sight of Sam and Freya looking particularly tidy (the latter also looking particularly over the top excited) which had his brows furrowing together whilst confusion etched his features. "Hey... er," he waved his phone a little "got a weirdly super vague text and I'll admit to being super confused... Is everything alright? You're not about to tell me you've got a body in the back of that van and I was your go-to person for helping to bury it right?" A bit of humour to mask his uncertainty about whatever was going on here.

SAM: Sam couldn't help his grin when he saw Fane, going over to his very soon to be father-in-law. Freya hung back by the van, doing double-checks of the things they had to bring with them and changing into her sneakers to make the hike. "Hey," he said back, a little amused at the confused look on Fane's face. "No, there's no body." He figured he might as well tell him, while they waited for Dani and Iann to arrive. He still felt those excited-nervous butterflies in his stomach at just saying the words. "Dani's on their way... We're getting married. Like, right now."

FANE: Fane managed a faint smile as Sam mentioned the fact that there was no body. "Darn. Oh well, next time." Yet, that still left him very in the dark about what the hell was going on and some enlightenment would have proven to be useful. Yet, when it was given a short time later, all that was earned initially was a look of shock, further confusion, a return to shock as he opened his mouth and promptly shut it again with a mild sounding "oh..." escaping him. There was a temporary burn of ire about having something suddenly sprung on him again though he kept it from his expression, much as he'd done earlier, he opted to take the backseat. "Wow... That's-- fast?" he really wasn't sure what to say considering he still hadn't wrapped his head around it. "When did this come about?" Seeing Sam's giddiness over it though eased some of his misgivings and a small smile graced his features, "Nervous much?"

SAM: Sam let out a nervous breath, watching all the emotions that flashed across Fane's face. "Well, we've been together six months, for us that's plenty of time," he said, knowing that their situation was different. It wasn't like he'd just met Dani six months ago-- they'd spent the majority of their lives together as best friends. The time since they'd finally pushed past just being friends seemed to fly by blissfully. "Um, this morning? It was Dani's idea...There's some stuff, coven stuff? Going on with me and..." he shrugged, not wanting to get into it all just then. "Long story short, we're taking a stand. Together." He shrugged, like it was nothing, then chuckled a little when Fane asked him if he was nervous. "Yeah, a little," he said with a laugh that was more nerves than anything else.

FANE: Fane blinked a couple of times as the gravity of what was going on started to sink in, but Sam made a decent point and eventually Fane conceded. Sam was already practically family he supposed. Though just as he was coming to terms with that, the next answer made him regret asking his question. "Sheesh, what is it with you young ones and..." He shook his head, letting that sentence fade off, but the mention of coven stuff earned a concerned look from him his thoughts, shifting from what was going on to checking on Sam's well-being. "You'll tell me about it right? Later? If there's anything I can do to help you, I'll do my best, alright?" He wanted to know if there was anything he could do, but just as he went to speak again, he heard the approach of another car, stepping up to lightly pat Sam's shoulder as Dani and Iann arrived.

DANI: “Holy shit, I’m doing this. I’m actually doing this. Shit.” Dani sucked in a breath as they sped down the forested roadway, eyes peeled for the dirt path that would take them to the designated rendezvous point. Their fingers were gripping the steering wheel so tightly that their knuckles were white, and their heart was in a rush, still catching up with the reality that this was, in fact, happening. The elopement was their idea. After being away from Sam for a month and coming back to hear that his coven had cast him out while they were absent, while he was at his weakest, something powerful had stirred in them. A need to make a statement about their relationship that showed those opposed to them just how fucking inseparable they were going to be. But they hadn’t thrown out the idea as merely an act of vengeance. Dani loved Sam. They were in love with him. And even after all they’d been through, they’d chosen one another. Best friends, but so much more. It had been a morning of insanity running about to make plans, choosing who would be there, finding a dress-- and here they were now, still crazed, yet beginning to settle into the monumental nature of their commitment. Holmes sat in the seat beside them in the Jeep, looking up with a grumpy sort of, ’Calm down, human. You’re going to be fine,’ expression. Iann was in the back, thrown into the mix by Dani on the agreement by Sam that, as their mutual friend, he was their perfect officiate. “Am I crazy?” They asked him with a glance into the rearview mirror. “Like, I’ve done a lot of insane shit but I’m starting to think this tops the bill.” They took a few deep breaths as the opening of the forest came into view and they pulled in to park, finding both Sam and Fane already present. When they cut the gas, they unbuckled their seatbelt and turned around in their seat to stare back at Iann. “You’ve got my back, right roomie?”

IANN: In truth, Iann ended up being more miffed that a dog ended up getting shotgun, and he had to clamber into the back of a Jeep -- which were notoriously cramped in the back! He was practically hugging his legs, and his ass bumped and jarred along every pothole along the old road! -- than he was about hearing why Dani suddenly required him here, now, and dressed as he was. Still, Dani never asked anything of Iann -- ever. The tiny human was self-sufficient to a tee; and Iann could imagine why, considering he'd met Fane Savin and the vampire's proclivity for 'Can I help you? Let me help you. There I've helped you, no, no, no please, no need to thank me'. And Dani had opened up their home to Iann in return for Iann's... basically nothing. Getting his ass whooped by something other than Tuah (heh heh) was a small price to pay for a day that was, supposedly, one of the happiest days of one's life. Okay -- happy notwithstanding, because Iann was fully confident that Sam and Dani would only keep multiplying each other's happiness as the years went by, this was going to be an important day in their lives. Very, very important. And for some strange and unfathomable reason, Dani Savin and Sam Floros chose Iann Cardero to be present for this very very important day. Must be that online ordained minister certification he got drunk one night as a colossal joke. It was still legit, regardless of Iann's reasons -- and wasn't this a great fucking reason? "Yes! You're both fucking crazy," Iann confirmed, voice jiggling until Dani pulled to a stop, and Iann eagerly clambered out. He came around to Dani's side of the Jeep, arm on the brace as he looked at them. "But isn't that the point?" he asked with a grin, holding his hand out to them. "That you're both crazy and this is going to happen and it's the start of something new and real and together, hm? Now come on, you two will have one helluva story to tell everyone afterwards, for years to come. It'll be great. I'll take photos. Uh -- " Iann paused, when he saw Fane Savin there as well. But of course it made sense. "Right. Come on, kiddo."

SAM: Sam nodded at Fane's request to tell him later, and he fully intended to tell him everything. He'd been shouldering the weight of being ejected from the coven alone for too long, and now that Dani knew, it didn't seem as scary to tell other people, too. "I will, just not tonight. Tonight is supposed to be happy." He figured Fane would get the insinuation that the news wasn't happy in the slightest, but he didn't want to deal with any of that right now. He steadied a little at Fane's hand on his shoulder, turning to see the Jeep roll up. "Here we go..."

DANI: Dani wasn’t sure how they felt about Iann’s confirmation until he clambered out of the Jeep and over to their side after Holmes, who immediately sat down to await his human. He was old, and although Iann was a very dear companion to Sam and Dani both, elderly dogs raised from their puppyhood still won first priority in regards to seating. The sight of Iann’s grin drew a smile out of them whether they liked it or not. “Yeah… yeah, you’re right. Must be all that old man wisdom,” grinning then, Dani put one hand in his, grabbed a fistful of their dress with the other, and hopped to the ground. The familiar feel of their combat boots on the soil was a confidence boost they sorely needed. “You look great by the way,” they added with a whisper. “And thank you, for doing this.” His hand was squeezed ever so briefly before Dani breathed, looked down at Holmes, and walked out to join the rest of the roughly assembled wedding party.

FANE: Fane was settled a little by Sam's assurance, at least that he'd be told in due time was enough, and with the arrival of the car, his eyes left Sam and studied the Jeep for a long few moments, eyeing Dani in the driver seat and... Iann? In the backseat. Vaguely he recalled Faye mentioning him officiating her impromptu wedding and wondered for a second how he even came to manage to do that... But, then he remembered at almost exactly the same moment that this was Iann Cardero. What couldn't that man find a way to do or get done if not by his own hand? As they approached, he shook off some of the negativity weighing him down and smiled gently as Dani approached. "No jeans with holes ripped in them and flannel 'eh kid? I'm disappointed." But his words were belied by a teasing smile as he shook his head, unable to fathom this was actually happening. "You look incredible--" he said quietly in their ear as he wrapped them in a tight embrace before drawing back and casting a look at Sam's flabbergasted expression, unable to help needling him with a little bit of humour in kind, “though, I'm pretty sure there's something somewhere about not seeing the bride before the ceremony, although it also seems to be you're marrying a guppy considering how he's gawking right now."

DANI: Dani felt their throat starting to tighten when Sam and their father came into view. Evidently, they had a cooler composure than Sam, able to keep their wits about them as Fane grabbed their attention -- which was a blessing, really, because it helped them to keep that composure in place rather than sinking into gawking like their groom. They knew he wasn't going to be thrilled about the sudden nature of all this, but at the end of the day, he was their father, and they couldn't have him miss such an important day in their life. "No, no jeans. But, there was the consideration of a suit." Dani tipped their head with an almost bashful smile, clinging to him tightly in the short moment of their embrace. "Thank you," they whispered back at him, turning to press the lightest kiss to his cheek before they separated and their eyes shifted to Sam. "True," they chuckled at the sight of him, "but lucky for us both, I'm not a bride." Dani reached out to take Sam's hand without having to look for it, letting their attention to the others fade out for a bit. "Hey," they grinned, "I see you pulled out the Dress Chucks," and then smirked. "I had no idea we were getting so formal."

SAM: Sam swallowed around a dry throat as Dani and Iann made their way around the Jeep and over to them. He let Fane greet them first, mostly because he was standing there stunned, not even able to move yet as he took in the sight of Dani in their wedding dress. Once Dani came over to him, their fingers entangling on instinct, he found himself with a nervous, and quite dopey, smile on his face. "Hi..." he said, breathlessly. Then another nervous laugh bubbled out of him at Dani's words, since they always found a way to put him at ease. "Shut up," he teased back, pulling their hand to bring them closer to him. "You look… wow."

FANE: Fane gave Dani a quick squeeze before letting them go, looking then between the pair and not wanting to intrude. Instead, Fane stepped a little away, giving them a few moments to themselves before they went to wherever the pair had decided their final destination was going to be. He passed the time by rattling off a few quick texts here and there to organise some things back at home considering he assumed that it was where things were going to be hosted. Better to at least get something put together than be left dawdling as he had done with everything going on now. He trusted Ryan to oversee the organisation of things, though also had a feeling the progeny wouldn’t be too pleased at being left out of this particular set of events. They’d have to be placated another time. With that done, Fane settled, tucking his phone away into his jacket, noting that Iann in the meantime seemed to be busying himself with the dog.

IANN: Iann distracted himself with... well. With the dog. Turns out the rickety old thing was good for something, and that was for making Iann look busy and occupied as the family had their family time. And the two soon-to-be newlyweds had their newlywed time. Iann hovered over the old beast like his guardian, pondering a variety of things: why this impromptu decision between the pair? Why was it held out here? Why didn't they want more guests? What was he going to say, because it needed to be special. Why his friends always looped him into marrying them last-minute without any time to prep. And then suddenly -- Iann looked up at the couple. Did this mean they were going to start living together now? What would become of Dani's loft? Iann couldn't see Dani just giving it up... could they? No. Maybe? Then again Sam mentioned that old cabin he was building, which in two to six weeks was going to be a completed living space, an actual home. Iann pulled at his chin for a while, then scratched at the old dog's head.

DANI: Dani giggled at Sam's breathlessness and dumbstruck standing in general. They'd see him nervous before gigs many a time, but right now he was downright flabbergasted and Dani wouldn't have had it any other way. "Never," they snapped back in an adoring way, holding tightly to his hand as he pulled the two of them closer together. They got a little shy then, glancing down at their dress and shifting on their feet to feel the steadiness of their boots once more. "Yeah," they smiled, looking him over from the bottom up. "You too." The witch's hand was brought to their lips for a kiss, and afterwards, they looked over to where Freya was standing, then back again. "Are we-- all set then? Should we head up?"

SAM: Sam kept looking at Dani almost as if he had never seen them before, until he managed to compose himself at least a little. Still, he colored at the little kiss to his knuckles, his face going hot and there wasn't a thing he could do to stop it. He let out a breath. "We're really doing this," he said, as a smile took over his face. It all fell into place so easily. He nodded, looking over at Freya, who lowered her phone from taking pictures, her eyes already red. "Let's go," he said, turning back to Dani. "I can't wait to marry you."

IANN: "Oh so -- so it's not here?" Iann asked that Floros girl (he forgot her name again, but at least she was the one taking photos because Iann had completely forgotten that he said he would; and besides, she was probably far more talented at it). "It's -- down there, okay." Iann grinned at her. "I'll just stick with you. Let the lovebirds drift on ahead, hm?" He gave her a friendly elbowing as he whistled for Holmes to follow with them, hand shoved in his pockets as he motioned to Sam and Dani. "Lead the way, you pretty pair."

DANI: "We are really doing this," Dani reiterated, breathing similarly. It all felt so surreal, and yet it wasn't. It was very, very, real. And when the Floros Coven found out, oh boy would they be pissed. The thought made Dani grin widely. They squeezed Sam's hand and didn't even try to stop the pink that dusted their cheeks at his line. The little high it gave them almost stirred them to a few tears. But they held it together, saving their eyeliner and their composure in the process. "Me neither," they whispered up to him. At Iann's interjection they nearly jumped. For a second, they'd forgotten he was even there. Thank gods he'd helped them remember or the wedding wouldn't be happening at all. "You got it," they called back at Iann and started off up the trail with Sam's fingers still tangled in theirs.

SAM: Sam was completely caught up in the whirlwind of emotions and exhilaration as Dani squeezed his hand and started to lead him off to a good spot. They didn't have a specific place in mind for the ceremony, but they both agreed that they wanted it actually in the woods, with nature all around them and their most loved ones there to witness. It would be perfect. Then Freya called out, "Oh!" and ran back towards the van, the keys in her hand beeping to unlock it. She came back out with a bag and hurried to catch up to Iann. "Almost missed out on my Best Man duties," she teased, grinning up at Iann and then snapping another picture of Dani and Sam as they walked ahead of her.

IANN: "What is that? Rings?" Iann asked the Floros sister (Friga? Fiona? Filippa?) as he strolled, slowing just a little for her to catch up with her bag. He didn't try to talk to Sam and Dani, leaving them to their own little world -- after all, this was literally a crash course. Most people took weeks, months, even years to plan their marriage. It seemed like Dani and Sam were going at it cliff-jumping style. He would've asked the Floros sister, but decided not to. Whatever the reason, it had to be serious. At least, Iann figured, it wasn't on the Savin side of things since Savin Sr. was here. Which meant... Iann squinted at Sam -- his hair, his checkered shirt, his ass that fit so well in those tight pants, naturally. And Dani's hand bumping against it, no surprise why. "Anytime you two want to stop," Iann called out again, looking behind when the cars were out of sight and they were definitely in the forest. But Sam was here, and he knew these forests like the back of his hand, no doubt. Iann had no need to worry about getting lost.

DANI: Although Dani had started off their trek into the forest, as soon as the trees thickened, they gave up the hike's leadership to Sam. As an earth witch, he had the best sense of the forest. When the spot was right, he'd know it. They'd know it. Iann and Freya trailed behind them with Holmes padding along at Iann's side, panting, and Fane took up the rear -- no doubt being more careful of his steps considering his footwear and the shallow mud that Sam, and even Dani with their dress, weren't bothered to traverse (though they still avoided it as best as possible, for understandable reasons). Iann's call prompted them to catch up to Sam's side. "What do you think?" They asked as they stopped to stand on a fallen tree trunk to let the others catch up a bit. "It looks like there might be a nice spot up there," they pointed to the rising path ahead of them where it widened and curved off to the left.

SAM: Sam felt at ease in the forest, and he led their small troop through confidently -- though still avoiding the worst of the mud since he was wearing his Dress Chucks. A few times he reached back for Dani's hand, helping them traverse over fallen logs and such with one hand clutching their dress. In the back, Freya looked over to Iann. "No, they don't have rings. Yet. I don't think," she explained. "It's a bouquet and stuff. Sam made them before we came out here." It had been touching, watching him throw together beautiful wedding flowers on a whim. But Freya had been crying on and off all day and she was determined to hold out until the ceremony now. Up ahead, Sam stopped at Dani's voice and turned back, struck by how they looked in the forest, standing on a trunk in a wedding dress like it was nothing. He smiled fondly and went over to them, sneaking in a kiss. "Yeah, right over there where it clears."

IANN: "Here, lemme hold that," Iann said, taking the bag as the trail got a bit more challenging, and he went forward and helped Freya if the little witch needed any assistance. "Bouquet and stuff...right yeah. This is all really spontaneous, hm?" he grinned at Freya, then glanced back at Savin Sr., who seemed lost in his own thoughts. "Typical Dani and Sam."

FANE: Fane’s hands had snuck their ways into his pocket, feeling a little more relaxed with them out of the way, the quiet click of the lid to his metal lighter the only sign to his unsettled state as he trailed after the others. For once he was not particularly paying much mind to his surroundings or making any real fuss about, well, anything -- just keeping his thoughts to himself. There wasn’t much point to it anyways, considering how heart-eyed the couple wandering together were and not that Sam’s mention of this being some stand against something or someone made it any clearer just what had brought this rather impulsive act on. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and Fane pulled it out to check it, the contents of the message making him smile fondly at the screen before he tucked it away again. Whilst he knew well enough the feelings here were genuine, the others occupying themselves with conversation left him feeling a little secluded despite the whole occurrence and a part of him silently wished for Faye to be present to make him feel better.

DANI: Dani felt more relaxed the further they walked. With just Sam and themself at the head, they were reminded of why they'd suggested this idea in the first place, aside from the gesture to Sam's coven. There was a peace Dani felt around Sam that only he could conjure. He made them feel balanced and secure, and gave them the confidence to believe they could overcome whatever troubles they faced. Here, in his element, they held so many fond memories. How could they resist adding one more to that collection? They smiled softly towards him as he approached to sneak a kiss, which they returned gladly in kind. "Perfect," they pressed their forehead to his brow just briefly and stepped down from their perch, glancing backwards at the rest of the troop. "I hope you're all ready 'cause it looks like we've found our spot."

SAM: Freya handed the bag over to Iann, knowing everything had been enchanted to keep its shape despite the trek in the woods, so they didn't have to be super careful with it. "Super spontaneous," she said with a grin, taking Iann's hand as he helped her along. "But I'm also not surprised at all." She let out an audible "Awww," when she caught Sam kiss Dani, watching her brother blush again with glee. Sam smiled at Dani, his cheeks flushed pink, and nodded. "By that tree," he said, pointing.

IANN: "This is it?" Iann asked, to him it looked kind of like everywhere else in the forest -- but hey, it wasn't his wedding. "Just tell me where you want me and ahhh... also what sort of.... how you'd like the ceremony to go?" Because Iann was betting on them being spontaneous, but yet having this mutual vision of exactly how they wanted this wedding to go.

DANI: Dani shrugged over at Iann. "It feels right and the earth witch agrees, so-- why not?" They walked up towards the small clearing and stopped next to the tree Sam had indicated. "I think we're gonna have you stand right in front of this tree here," they glanced over at Sam for a quick clarification. Despite the shotgun nature of their wedding, the two briefly engaged partners had taken the time to sit down and lay out of the ceremony itself. That was the part that mattered, anyway. They'd could have worn anything or brought anyone or done it anywhere, but they managed to throw together a little something that they both agreed on, and here they were now, on the cusp of what was likely the most significant day in both their lives thus far. "We thought we'd start with whatever little introduction you want to give," Dani began to explain to Iann, "then we'd have the whole declaration of intent thing -- ya know, the whole 'do you really want to marry this loser?' part, then Sam and I have some vows, Freya's gonna do a unification spell, you and Dad," they looked over to their father, giving a smile, "can say some final words if you want, and you can close us off with the official declaration bit. Ooh--" With a reminder popping into their head, Dani reached down and pulled a small scrap of paper from their boot, handing it over to their roommate. "There's our full names, in case you need them, and... Iann, really, you don't have to get formal or sappy or anything. Just do you, yeah? We wouldn't have picked you if we were expecting anything else."

FANE: Fane came to stop a little time after the group, hovering around the edge of the spot that Sam had chosen for them to stop in. The sun shone brilliantly through the branches and Fane stood in a patch of rays, letting them warm him a little where he stood whilst Dani and Iann worked out the logistics. He looked at Freya who had come to hover nearby, watching Dani and Sam thoughtfully before his eyes slid aside to her. "Waterworks all set?" he joked, figuring there were going to be plenty of tears throughout the event and day.

SAM: Sam hovered near Dani, letting them take the lead in getting everyone set up for their short ceremony. They had decided together how they wanted it to go before they split up for the day to get ready, but now that they were at the spot and the time had actually come, Sam felt nervous all over again. It didn't have anything to do with not being ready or sure about what they were doing-- he wanted to marry Dani, and not just as a statement towards his coven, though that was going to be satisfying when they found out. They wanted to marry their best friend, their partner in life and love, and be theirs forever. Meanwhile, Freya glanced over at Fane, watching them set up. She flashed an already watery grin up at him. "Oh I've been crying all day," she admitted, getting her phone ready for more pictures. "Sam," she called out, then gestured with her head over to the bag now in Iann's hands. "Oh, right," he said, going over and getting the paper bag, bringing it over to Dani. "I made you some things," he told them, not feeling nervous or shy anymore, just excited for them to see the love and care he'd put into the flowers despite the short notice. First he pulled out the flower crown, watching Dani's face as he placed it gently atop their curls.

IANN: Iann nodded at Dani's instructions, figuring the human with all the plans had, well, a plan. Spontaneity was fun and all, but they weren't stupid teenagers doing something for fun and rebellion's sake. As impromptu as this obviously was, there was a lot of care and thought put into every single tiny little detail. From the guests, to the pacing, to the schedule, to the location, and apparently even to the flower... things. Flower-things, that Sam was decorating Dani with. Iann turned away from them, because one thing they didn't plan (on purpose?!?! these two little bastards) was what Iann was going to say. "Just do me," he muttered to himself, but there was a smirk on his lips as he shook his head. "Like it's so fucking easy, these kids, I swear." They'll be the death of him; and really, Iann wouldn't really have it any other way. Well -- he was always good at winging it (and Dani KNEW that, ever since their first meeting on the SS Cormorant) so he'll wing it, they'll like it. Hell, they probably wouldn't remember a damn thing he said anyway. He could recite the Magna Carta and all they'd remember was the look in each other's eyes and the details of each other's smiles, and the words spoken between each other, for each other and by each other. Good stuff. Iann turned, satisfied as he waited all Minister-ly and benevolent like he should for this happy occasion, etc etc.

DANI: Dani wasn't looking for specific lines from Iann because they trusted -- and rather liked -- his talent for 'winging it.' He always brought a thrill and energy to their adventures even at the worst of times and it had kept Dani on their feet more than once. He would do great, and even if he fumbled, he could count on the fact that Dani and Sam would more than likely be distracted with one another throughout the ceremony. When Freya called over to Sam, Dani's eyes snapped to her, then followed her nod to the bag that Sam took from Iann's hands. Of course, Sam would have whipped together some flowery creations for their wedding. A bouquet and a vine of sorts for the unification spell were expected, but the flower crown was a pleasant surprise. "Was this Freya's idea or yours?" Dani failed to hide the color in their cheeks as they dipped their head and laughed. When they glimpsed up at him, they fought back with a smirk. "I'm guessing you've got a bouquet in there too, flower boy?"

SAM: Sam smiled softly, noticing the light blush on Dani's cheeks as he placed the flower crown on their head. "Mine," he said, a bit proud of that fact. He just thought the flower crown was something they'd like, and he was pleased to see how it completed their ensemble. He chuckled a little at their teasing question, shrugging as nonchalantly as he could manage. "Of course. But first..." He reached into the bag again, rustling gently inside until he came up with his boutonniere, in the same purple and green that Dani's bouquet was, the pin already in it and ready to go. "Want to do the honors?" he asked, passing it to them.

DANI: "I love it," Dani whispered up to him hearing it had been his idea rather than Freya's. Sam had made a flower crown or two for them before this, but usually on request for special events. To have one he'd made entirely of his own accord for them had a sweeter ring to it. When he rummaged through the bag again and this time pulled out a boutonniere, they gave a quiet chuckle. "Aw, cute. Our wedding's starting to feel a bit like prom," they joked with a grin, taking the boutonniere and holding it up to his vest to find the right spot. "I'll try not to stab you." After shooting the witch a wink, Dani pinned flowery accent into place and stepped back to admire their work. "There, you're all done up now."

SAM: Sam chuckled a little, holding still as Dani fastened the boutonniere to his vest. "Try not to draw blood," he teased, looking down to see it once it was done. "One more thing." He pulled the bouquet out of the paper bag, glad he had placed a simple spell on it to keep it from getting crushed on the trek here. He'd spent the most time and care on the bouquet, making sure everything else matched what Dani would be holding, but giving it a little more oomph of its own. It was tied simply with twine, leaving the stems showing, purple and white flowers cradled in soft greens. He handed it over to them, watching for their reaction to it. When he set the bag down, Freya scurried forward to whisk it aside and get her garland for later.

DANI: Dani had half a mind to prick Sam with that pin just for laughs, but they decided against it at the last second. They didn't want any blood stains ruining his outfit. Instead, they shook their head at him and pinned the boutonniere in place as they were meant to do. Then, he returned to the bag once more to hand over the one piece they all knew was coming -- the bouquet. It had to be beautiful, obviously, because Sam, local florist extraordinaire, had arranged it, but despite not being anything massive or showy, the simple, wild-looking bunch of flowers mixed in the couple's favorite colors made their heart swell. It was perfect. It was them. There was a tiny hiccup of breath as they took hold of the flowers in one hand -- delicately, like they might break -- and found Sam's hand again with the other. "This is the best one you've made yet," they said to him with a gentle, loving smile, sliding their fingers between his and just holding there firmly. They didn't even notice as Freya scurried over. And then, with a faintly shaky breath, they looked around at everyone who they'd gathered together. "That's it then, isn't it? We're ready."

SAM: Sam couldn't help smiling proudly as Dani took the bouquet, watching their face as they looked at it. He'd been inspired by them in choosing wildflowers, the purple and soft green being obvious choices to him, knowing Dani's tastes. "I'm glad you like it," he said, beaming at their praise of it. His smile held as Dani twined their fingers together and they moved into place. He let out a breath when they announced that they were ready, turning towards Iann feeling both nervous and excited.

IANN: Iann looked at nothing all this time, or really he was intently staring at a caterpillar that was slogging its way up an arbutus tree in the distance. Fat little caterpillar, the kind you want to root for when it puts so much effort into the simple act of moving. And then slowly, using some sort of thick, silvery web, dropping itself from its destination down… down… lower towards Fane Savin's anxiously groomed hair. Oh no. Iann took a step forward and opened his mouth -- but the action prompted Iann to look down from his perch on the thick tree root and see two shining, excited faces looking up at him, beautifully decorated in all sorts of delightful flowery concoctions. "Just look at you two," Iann said with a grin, forgetting about the caterpillar completely. "Like two peas in a pod. I'm sure that's what everyone said about you both, without realizing that the 'wise old adult' teasing would end up with Sam and Dani shoving that sentiment right back in their faces, hm? The most happiest form of rebellion against anyone and everyone who gets in your way. And let's be honest -- together, there's likely very little that's going to get in the way of your new life together. Dani, you're resourceful, bright, perceptive, complex, and generous. And Sam, well… Dani really loves you, so obviously you're doing something right," Iann grinned, because of course he had to tease the Floros. 

Iann paused for a moment, before looking at Fane and -- Freya! That was her name. "Folks, is it any surprise that we were pulled out of our daily routines and surprise-wrangled into a beautifully planned wedding for these two? Everything executed and designed how they wanted to plan it, because if a wedding day is about anything, it should be all about the people who're getting married, right? Now, you two say your vows to each other -- take as long as you need -- and then we'll get all formal about it."

FANE: Fane gave Freya a smile, breaking off their short conversation that they'd been having in the meantime whilst the others sorted out flower crowns and the introductory aspects of things. Now that things finally seemed to get moving, Fane ducked over until he stood nearby Dani his hands still tucked out of the way in his pockets. As Iann addressed himself and Freya, he merely offered a faint smile. "I mean, I think I out of anyone have the ability to say it's about damn time considering how long they have been a double act inside and out of the house." But he grew quiet once more as the pair began to recite their vows agreeing with Iann in a way that this was, if anything, perfect for the couple in front of him and if it made them happy, then what could really be said against it? They'd overcome whatever trials awaited them together, and Sam was in a roundabout way officially becoming his son (in law) but whatever, technicalities. Who really cared about those anyways?

DANI: Dani set their focus on Iann as his introduction began, smiling fondly at first, but unable to keep themself from laughing a little as he picked on Sam, which was something, in part, they were counting on. They might not have been able to stand through a formal wedding. This was light, humorous, easy. It took away the stress, but a few nerves still lingered. How couldn't they? When Fane raised his voice, Dani turned their head to look at him. 'It's about damn time,' he said, and Dani’s throat caught, resulting in a noise that wasn’t quite a chuckle, but more a happy-sad sort of noise that came with a pinch of color in their cheeks. They weren't asking for their father's acceptance -- that was the whole point of a private elopement anyway -- but it meant the world to them to have it nonetheless. Thank you, they mouthed to him quickly, not listing any specifics because there were far too many to tell.

When they turned back to Sam, they built their composure back up in an instant. Fane's words had brought up a memory that, frankly, they were surprised hadn't crossed their mind until now. What they chose to say wasn't a part of the 'official' vows they'd sat down and written, but it sure as hell was a meaningful inclusion. "Remember that day we first met when I shot you in the forehead with a nerf dart from the top of the stairs as you were coming in," briefly, they glanced back to Fane, "and Dad, you were all cross with the whole 'Dani! That's not how we treat our guests' thing? Oh my god," Dani threw back a short laugh as they set their gaze back on Sam, "the look on your face was priceless. And I wasn't really sorry about it, but I invited you to play with me anyway because, you know, why not. But then when you were leaving, you found out I wasn't actually a guy -- which he totally thought I was, by the way," Dani murmured that one to Freya with an amused glance at her and Iann before returning to Sam again. "After that, I didn't think you'd come back. The other boys I'd met would only play with other boys, but you-- you did come back, the next day." There was a tiny pause there, a sniffle, and the eye contact that Dani held with Sam took a momentary break. There was an annoying wetness to their eyes, so they tried to blink it away. They wouldn't have cared if it was only them and Sam standing there, but it wasn't, and Dani didn't like shedding tears in front of other people. Tears meant weakness, and they were supposed to be strong for everyone in their life -- for Sam, for their family, friends, everyone. They would cover it as best they could, yet there was also the possibility that they'd get lost in the moment and wouldn't even notice a stray tear or two escaping their control. Maybe... maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. So, with a hastily cool strung back together, they continued, breaking out a bright, though mildly bashful, smile for the man in front of them.

"That day was... basically the happiest day of my life up to that point. I'd never had a friend before, no one outside of my family who liked me for me, not for convenience. Then, six months ago, you did it again. You came back into my life and you finally broke that stupid friend barrier we were too scared to approach for years. And now we're here," they tightened their hold on his hand, blissfully unaware, as they'd hoped, of the one tear that fell down the right side of their face, "which I couldn't have imagined all the way back then, but fuck," they loosed a soft, rickety chuckle, "I'm never gonna be sorry about that dumb shot, because somehow, it got us here, surrounded by our favorite people--” they paused to look around at everyone, but their eyes dropped at the sound of a bark, which called for an eye roll, and another chuckle, as they met Sam’s eyes once more, “--and dog -- and now my happiest day is the day I get to marry you, you fucking dork."

IANN: Weddings could be so weird. How many weddings had Iann gone to? A grand total of maybe two, if one counted that half-assed officiating at that party, that was Faye and her husband’s marriage-type thing. Now three, with Dani and Sam. And still, Iann marveled at the way one was supposed to display stories, feelings, emotions -- all sorts -- for an audience. Maybe this audience was small, but it was still an audience. And it was clear that Dani didn't like to display their emotions. Iann wished he had a starfish blanket to toss over them, and spare them the discomfort of being in front of everyone else except Sam. At least Dani was aware of why they didn't like to cry in front of others, even if the reason was very rooted in the way they were brought up, the people they looked up to and measured themselves against. Iann cried all the time himself, but he didn't understand why he didn't like it; he just didn't, so shut up, etc. Iann chose not to look at Dani while they gave their vows, studying his shoes instead, and Holmes at his side (okay, feeling the warm dog-weight against his shin was rather nice, he'd grudgingly admit that), trying his best to pay zero attention to anything Dani was doing or saying. Let their words and emotions be between Dani and Sam. Freya was extraordinarily good at being happy for the young couple and Fane Savin was… well Iann wasn't quite sure what Fane Savin was, but it seemed a little distant. Maybe he was doing the 'calm and cool dad' thing, Iann didn't know. Regardless, when Dani drew to an elegant and no-doubt touching conclusion to their vows, Iann looked up again. "Your turn, Sammyboy. Please tell me this is the moment where your sister tugs a guitar out of that paper bag and you do your vows via an acoustic rock ballad song you wrote yourself."

SAM: Sam couldn’t help the amused smile at both Iann’s teasing and Fane’s emphatic, “about damn time.” The lightness and humor helped ease his nerves a little, but the fluttering of butterflies in his stomach came back when Dani turned to him and began speaking, only to him. The memory of their first meeting as children, Dani’s first shot to his forehead with a nerf gun that turned into an all-out war between the two of them, running all over the estate together while their parents conducted whatever business it was... It brought a fond smile to his face, a warm glow in his chest. That one day had sparked a friendship so fierce that nothing could break it -- not time or distance -- and the fact that it deepened over time to what they shared together now only made sense. As they recounted the story, Sam only had eyes for them, the rest of their small gathering melting away as he reached a hand out to hold theirs, noticing the wetness glistening in their eyes. Sam felt his heart swelling at their last words, then he laughed lightly at how they chose to end the story, shaking his head just a tiny bit as if to say “of course.”

Sam looked briefly over at Iann when he told him it was his turn, biting his bottom lip a little though glad for the small joke at his expense. “Not exactly,” he said, then turned back to Dani and reached for their other hand so he was holding both between them. “I remember that day,” he began, his words unplanned, just responding to what Dani had said to him. “You were my first friend, and from then on we were inseparable. I wanted to see you every single day, because every time I saw you there was another adventure you had dreamed up for us.”

“But I remember another day, too. I never told you this. My feelings for you snuck up on me, over the years I hadn’t realized that underneath that foundation of a lifetime of friendship, that I had fallen for you a long time ago. Then, I saw you.” Sam’s eyes took in their face, remembering the exact moment he suddenly saw them in a new light, the moment he saw something new in himself. Finding emotions he hadn’t thought he was capable of. “The night of the Yule Ball, this past year. It was like every other year, every other party-- except we weren’t children anymore, hiding under tables and stealing crab cakes, and getting in trouble for sword fighting.”

Sam looked down at their clasped hands for a moment and took a breath before meeting their eyes again. “You came down the stairs, in that dress, and I looked at you and I just knew. It hit me like a ton of bricks, I felt it in the pit of my stomach. All it took was that moment, and I knew I was in love with you, that I had always been in love with you. I couldn’t take my eyes off you that entire night, it was like no one else was even in that ballroom but you. I was so distracted by you, I bumped into Iann,” he said, tone going a bit lighter as he gestured towards him with his head, “and spilled my drink everywhere. I thought for sure that everyone must know. How could they not see this enormous shift in my life? But they didn’t, and I kept it a secret because it was safe there. Because I was scared."

Sam squeezed their hands, anchoring them both in the moment. He didn’t mention the rooftop, knowing Dani was thinking of it without having to voice the words. Some things he wanted to keep between just the two of them. “But I’m not scared anymore. Because I have you, and you make me feel brave like I never have before. When we’re together, we can do anything. I want to spend the rest of my life being brave with you.”

Sam let out a breath, knowing they were almost done, feeling the confidence come back to him in the wake of his words. It was time for the vows they had prepared together on bluetooth while they both ran around getting everything ready for today. Not every word was memorized or planned, but they had an idea and it was enough to go on. Like always, they would make it up as they went, and somehow, it would just fall perfectly into place. He swallowed and looked into their eyes, smiling softly for a moment before he began the vows. “I promise to keep you and love you, above all others.”

DANI: The tiny shake of Sam's head at the end of their recounted tale was a breath of fresh air for Dani. The words were easy to say, to him, but they weren't alone, and their focus drifted easily by nature -- which wasn't such a bad thing when one needed to solve a problem swiftly and efficiently. Dani was attentive, and the nerves that came with speaking aloud thoughts and feelings that they would regularly share only with Sam was unavoidable. In the interim while Iann spoke up, Dani quickly swiped away the wetness from their cheek. They took another breath, a deeper one, as their demeanor steadied with attention for Sam and Sam alone.

It only broke briefly when he reached for their other hand, the one that held their bouquet. Dani looked low to the ground at Iann's side and called the canine seated there over with an imperative whisper of his name. The sheltie padded forward and they crouched down, holding out the flowers to him with delicate instruction. Holmes glanced up into his human's eyes and detected the importance of his duty there. He took the stems of the bouquet carefully in his mouth and returned to his spot beside the officiate, assuming a protective diligence over his task. "Băiat bun," Dani smiled at him. He snorted in a sort of dog nod. Then, they stood again and gave Sam the hand that he was reaching for.

Dani laughed quietly at his comments on their tale. They'd been a whole world of trouble as kids, but no matter what accidents happened as a result of their adventures, they had never stopped coming up with new ones. Those imagined worlds and experiences had been their escape from their daily realities -- school, lessons, overbearing sisters, family drama -- and for that, for the special reality they had crafted only for themselves, there was no separating the two of them. Despite distance, time, emotions, or disagreements, the space would always be there in their times of need.

Then Sam began to speak of something new, something that he hadn't told Dani before. It piqued their curiosity instantly and their gaze intensified, ready to soak in every bit of the secret he was about to share. What he said surprised them... but also didn't. In the midst of their hosting and socializing at their first Yule Ball in years, Dani had been moving around too much to realize that there had been a shift in their best friend. They'd had an inkling, just for a second, when the two of them locked eyes across the room, but that stare had been abruptly cut off and Dani had forgotten about it as they got swept up into the party business once more. They were grinning when he mentioned spilling his drink, being stunned by them, and scared. Dani had been too, but it wasn't until their time on the rooftop, that he withheld from mentioning aloud, that his difference had clicked for them. And maybe in themself, as well. At that time, Dani had been caught up in a sea of conflicts. Their girlfriend was furious at them for the information they'd neglected to share, she wanted a future with Dani that they couldn't see for the two of them, and among everything else, there was Fane's offer of immortality -- the dream that was meant to be an easy acceptance pulling them apart instead.

Of course, they'd shared all of this with Sam, and he'd listened, and he'd comforted them, and he'd been honest. One simple, little kiss to their forehead was all it took for Dani to blink their eyes open and see everything in a very new and very terrifying light. Neither of them had admitted to that discovery on that night, both of them fearing what it might do to their reliable friendship. In the end, everything had fallen into place on its own. It hadn't been neat or easy, but it had gotten them here with nothing left to be afraid of -- not between each other, anyway.

Dani could feel their heart beating against their chest, exhilarated by his confession and the readiness they felt to commit to his wish, because it wasn't just his. They squeezed his hands in return to translate their agreement without having to speak it. They wanted to kiss him right then and there. Badly. But they resisted, knowing that there would be a time for that at the close of their ceremony. A close that was now nearing a lot faster than they'd anticipated. Now came the part where they said the words they had actually planned, which felt just a tad less daunting after the heartfelt speeches that came from them without any preparation. Dani shifted on their feet, assuring their steadiness before they locked eyes with their partner. The following vows were an oath, after all. Dani and Sam would be living the rest of their lives on the lines they had arranged together, and now was the time to commit to them in front of the loved ones they had brought to witness.

As Sam delivered the first line, Dani wove their fingers together, craving the steadiness that came with it. "I promise to share your blessings, and your burdens."

SAM: Holding both of Dani's hands, Sam let them ground him in the moment, though his heart felt about ready to run away on him. After their emotional speeches to each other, the next few parts of the ceremony seemed easy in comparison. He smiled down at Holmes for a moment as he took the bouquet, then turned his attention back to their partner as they both began the recitations they'd planned. "To be your comfort, your sanctuary."

DANI: "To be your advocate and your protector," Dani gave his hands another squeeze, knowing their promise here was especially relevant in the wake of the family crisis he was facing, "for every battle."

SAM: Sam smiled a little as Dani squeezed his hands, taking in a breath at the sentiment from Dani. "To be your guide, and your follower, down every pathway, as equals."

DANI: "To be your lover... și sufletul pereche tau."

SAM: "Your light side..."

DANI: Even though they knew the Star Wars reference was coming, Dani still felt their eyes roll and gave an amused snort before replying, with just a hint of a smirk, "Your dark side."

SAM: Sam matched Dani's sly smile at the reference before making yet another, the Dothraki terms of endearment they'd taken to calling each other. "Yeri shekh akka shieraki."

DANI: "Jin jalan ki yeri atthirar," Dani grinned at the slyness they shared, but there was a softness in their eyes as well, because what came next, in their opinion, was the most integral and intimate part of all that they'd planned. This was what weddings were about, weren’t they? They held their breath in preparation, not squeezing Sam’s hands, but tightening the grip itself, then breathed and smiled. "To be your family."

SAM: Sam let out a breath at their words of commitment, making official something that they'd felt for each other for a long time. Family. "To be your family," he replied, gazing into their eyes before he went on. "Dani Savin--"

DANI: Dani dipped their head for no more than an instant, their smile growing with a tiny hitch in their breath. Family played such a huge role in both of their lives, in good ways, bad ways. You couldn't escape family. It would always be there, whether you acknowledged it or not, but choosing one's family, creating a new one, was something far different. Their next great adventure.

"Sam Floros--" Dani moved their hands in toward each other so that they met in the middle and set their focus back where it was meant to be, studying Sam's gaze and transferring one more speechless preparation. 'We've got this. Together. Ready--' Their hands were trembling, but not in any form of fear. They were buzzing with an excited energy that was impossible to entirely physically contain, and they knew Sam could feel it, even beyond its physical manifestation, as they quoted their final line in unison. "I pledge my life and honor to you, for this life and all the lives to come.

SAM: "I pledge my life and honor to you, for this life, and all the lives to come," he recited in unison with them, feeling a wash of happiness and relief flood through him. He could feel Dani's hands trembling in his own, and he pulled them up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to their knuckles, not able to help himself.

IANN: Iann wasn't listening attentively -- again, it was really just too personal and intimate for his interest to hold. Which was fine, because none of this was for him anyway, so it was all win-win for all involved, in Iann's opinion. He was happy to let the happy couple talk meaningful words at and for each other to their warm little respective hearts' content. Iann instead pondered other things: like the cabin in the woods (again) and witches marrying humans, and humans who were raised by vampires, and vampire fathers. That dog that... actually kind of acted rather undog-like. It was... nodding? And sentient? Maybe Soapberry was just like that when it came to animals? Or disconcerting. Iann watched the creature meander back next to him, and he glared at it, and it stared balefully back up at him. Okay good. Glad they got that settled. Once the pair spoke in unison, Iann refocused on them. "Ah --" he waved his hand as if casting a spell. "You're married! Kiss each other while we all applaud your legal bonding that provides tax benefits!"

DANI: "You're married!" Iann said, and Dani felt their heart stop and start again as their marriage became not a hastily thrown together desire for commitment between two lifelong partners, but a stark, living reality sealed by a wave of their mutual friend's hand. They grinned, instantly, and yanked Sam forward by his hands before he could even blink, pulling him down by his vest for a kiss that left them utterly, fantastically breathless. Their hands had found the sides of his face by the time they parted, holding him there where their foreheads touched for a short while longer, wanting to burn every detail into their mind so they'd never forget the moment. "You're mine," they whispered under their breath, just gazing at him and giggling, highly, because they couldn't help themself. "And I'm yours."

SAM: Sam's grin at Iann's words as the moment sunk in was interrupted, though gladly, by Dani dragging him down and kissing him. His arms immediately went around them tightly, lifting them up off their feet, the kiss stealing his breath until he was smiling against their lips. He matched Dani's giddy laughter once they broke apart, as Freya cheered and applauded behind them. "I love you," he murmured.

FANE: Fane looked between Iann, Sam and Dani mostly having observed the ceremony with quiet thoughtfulness, smiling a little at the various fandom aspects he recognised thrown in here and there. He didn't particularly feel like there was much need to say anything, after all this was about Dani and Sam. The pair of them taking a step forward in their lives together, and as it was all sealed with a kiss, he felt happy but also a pang of sadness. They were grown up, an adult, and moving on with their life, and the thought almost knocked him back but he smiled, the act softening his features and masking his sadness whilst he clapped his hands for the both of them, glad that at least they had each other in this.

DANI: "Always," Dani smiled, slipping their arms down over Sam's shoulders and pressing another kiss to his lips, shorter this time. Then they smirked. "You can put me down now, you know." Once they were back on the ground, Dani took Sam's hands again, knowing their ceremony wasn't quite over yet. "Freya!" They looked around their husband's -- husband's, fuck! that was a thing now! -- shoulder and caught the young witch's attention with a sharp eye. "Ready to finish this off?"

SAM: Grinning, Sam set Dani back down as Freya hurried forward with the garland that Sam had made for the handfasting. She moved up in front of them, taking Iann's place as she took a deep breath to prepare herself for this important part of the ceremony. She had memorized the binding spell in the van on the way up, and the Latin words flowed easily from her lips, binding two souls magically as the garland was wrapped symbolically around their hands. Sam could feel something stirring in the air around them, like an electric charge, and then a deep glowing warmth settling within him. Freya's words came to a close, but the spell still needed to be sealed by a proclamation from the newlyweds. "Dani, Sam?" she prompted, having read that their names should be invoked during the spell. Sam looked over at Dani and sealed the spell with a simple yes in Latin, "Etiam."

DANI: Dani couldn't help grinning at Freya's eagerness. She looked about ready to burst with excitement, which they figured would bode well for the magical component of their ceremony. Spells generally turned out best with strong concentration and intent. They watched and listened keenly as the Latin words flowed so smoothly from the girl's lips. Even her wrapping of the garland that Sam had crafted was done with a practiced ease, though she'd never truly performed the spell before this. Dani felt the energy deep in their bones, like there was lightning running through their veins-- not painful, just powerful. Then there was the gradual warming sensation in their chest, making them so much more aware of... everything. "Etiam," Dani repeated after Sam. When the spell was sealed -- or sealing, rather -- the electrical buzz in Dani's body morphed with a supernatural rush akin to being hit by a sudden gust of wind, only from below rather than above. A ley line, possibly. They gasped, almost having to catch their breath as they took in the shift of the atmosphere around them. They could feel the forest and all the greenery around them. It was breathing, a whole network of connected living things all with their own vibrant, thriving energy to be harvested, and yet each energy was different from the next. It took them a second to catch onto what they were actually experiencing. They'd been so caught up in the energy around them that it took a few moments, including a look down at their hands and back up at Sam, finding that it wasn't just the forest's breath that they could detect. Their lips split into a grin. "Holy shit."

SAM: When the words were spoken and the spell coursed through the two of them, binding them together, Sam felt a sudden rush. It wasn't exactly a riptide or tidal wave that hit him, more like a steadily coursing river as he felt connected to the magic that lived deep beneath Dani's skin. He blinked a few times as he took it in, finding it stronger than he expected but pleasantly surprised by it. He knew the sensation would subside, as the binding spell took hold and settled within them both, but in the moment they were connected in a way neither of them had felt before. He could feel the soft buzzing coming off the people around them, and Sam looked up from their hands half expecting to see their auras in color. "Whoa," he murmured, looking back to Dani. He turned his hand up so his fingers threaded with theirs. He met their eyes, and in their heightened state of connection from the spell he could almost feel their heart beating.

DANI: Dani had always known that Sam's magic was central to who he was as person, and while they understood that on a personal level, they now understood it at a much deeper, intimate level. If they had been in his place and lost this -- being able to connect with nature itself and feeling it like a sixth sense -- they would have been ruined for it. Their fingers threaded with his automatically. It was even more instantaneous in this instance where they could literally feel one another beyond what was physically there. Dani kept eye contact with him as the spell settled, the high slowly wearing off but a very, very faint trace of it remained, like there was a string of spider's webbing between them that would send subtle sensations between the two, transferring inklings of emotions as well as warnings of danger. "Do you think... they felt it too?" they asked between breaths, still slightly shaken from making contact with Sam's magic. Not unlike how they'd been affected after being hit by the rebound of their grimoire's magic some few months ago.

SAM: Sam felt the magic settle down, but could still feel that subtle spiritual connection between him and his partner. Spouse. Letting out a breath, he looked over at Freya, who was boggling at them as if she hadn't expected quite that result from her spell. "Are... you guys okay?" Sam smiled at her and unwound the garland and draped it around Freya's neck. "Yeah. More than okay," he said, still slightly breathless. "You did good, kid. You're a good best man." Freya grinned in a way that made her resemble her brother more than she normally did, then she promptly burst into tears and threw her arms around his neck. When she had calmed down a bit and let him go, she repeated the hug on Dani.

DANI: At Freya's question of concern, apparently struck by the spell she'd just cast and how well it had turned out, Dani turned toward her and watched as Sam settled the garland around her neck. They nodded in agreement with Sam's words, "More than okay," and smiled fondly at the two of them. She was crying, again, to no one's surprise, but Dani welcomed her hug with a tight squeeze and a following smirk as the redhead released her. Their hands settled on her shoulders and they looked her firmly in the eye with a glisten of mischief. "Don't tell your sisters, but out of all of them, you're always going to be my favorite." Then they pulled back their hands, only to offer Freya a fist bump as assurance.

SAM: Freya let go of Dani and wiped her face before returning their fist bump. "You're my sister now," she said, a smile breaking across her face that was wet with tears of happiness. She hiccuped a little, then let out a breath, steadying herself. She knew what this meant for her relationship with Sam, things would be different. He was moving out, Dani would be the one he spent all his days with, Dani would come first. Freya was okay with that -- thrilled, actually -- but she'd have to adjust and learn to let her brother go, just a bit. "You take care of him. Got me?" It wasn't that typical sibling-threat one would expect, but instead a plea to stand by Sam and keep him safe, always.

DANI: "You're damn right, I am," Dani chuckled at Freya, her happiness, and the little hiccup that came afterwards. Then Freya turned things to a more serious note, and Dani returned the sincerity in kind, setting that intense gaze on Freya that they regularly utilized when making a promise. "Loud and clear. And if I ever screw up, you can feel free to spell my ass into oblivion. He's in good hands." Dani cast a quick, soft glance over at Sam before they straightened their back and turned toward the pair of grumbly old souls -- aka Iann and Holmes, who was still sitting there with a bunch of flowers in his mouth, evidently not thrilled about it -- and called out to the one that was human. "Cardero!" Dani waved him in their direction with an almost commanding tone. "Get over here, c'mon. I've got shit to say to you."

IANN: Iann made a mental note to demand what Freya had done, at some point after all this. It looked like a binding spell of some-sort, but Iann wanted to know the details. Since binding spells tended to vary in weight and bond depending on the spell, the ritual, the people involved, etc. This was was no doubt something to do with marriage, but still, Iann liked acquainting himself with the magical differences and nuances, especially if it was a coven thing. "Looks like you're stuck, pal," Iann said to the dog, before making his way over to the couple. "What do you have to say to me," Iann barked back at Dani, but his fingers pressed against their shoulder and Iann leaned in to kiss their cheek. "Felicidades, Savin Jr," Iann said to Dani before he grinned at Sam, scruffing the witch by the neck like one would a cat and delivering a more smacking kiss to his cheek as well. "Or is it felicidades Savin-Floros?"

SAM: Sam chuckled a little at the exchange between his sister and his spouse, but he caught the meaning in Dani's glance and felt the sincerity of their words. As Dani called Iann over to them, Sam slid back over to Freya and put his arm around her shoulder, tugging her against his side as she kept sniffling. He groaned at the exaggerated kiss to his cheek, but even that moment of sarcasm couldn't hide how happy he truly was. "We haven't talked about any of that," he admitted, chuckling. He wasn't convinced that changing anyone's name was necessary, it didn't make them any less married than they were right then.

DANI: Dani maintained a cross look for playful show until Iann came over and, to Dani's pleasant surprise, pressed a kiss to their cheek. It was one thing to receive that sort of affection from Sam, but getting it from Iann caused Dani's face to go red in a blush. While he was distracted with Sam, Dani stepped over and threw their arms around Iann's neck, giving him as tight a hug they could manage from being stretched up on the tips of their toes. They held there for a few seconds, sighing out as if he'd removed some massive weight off their back. "Thank you, Iann," they said, clearly, not some shy whisper in his ear but something they wanted Sam to hear too. "I'm really glad you fell off that stupid ship." That probably sounded a lot worse than it was, but Iann would understand, they knew. When they let him go, acting as if the heartfelt little moment had never happened, Dani considered the surname idea with a hum. "I mean... I think Floros-Savin sounds better, personally. But, I don't see any reason why we'd need to change names. Unless you want to," they looked at Sam questionably, curious for his opinion.

IANN: The hug honestly did come as a surprise. He expected the usual Dani-reaction: a shove or a snort or some snarky remark or even completely bypassing the well-wishing for something far more interesting. Which, honestly, was what Iann loved Dani for -- their inability to express certain things, in certain ways. It was one of those things that made Iann feel welcome in the loft, really -- their natural, congenial avoidance of anything... mushy. Touchy. It wasn't that Dani couldn't express, but they did it at arm's length from Iann and/or in the safe, protective privacy of Sam's arms. It was a good system, but of course their adorably heartfelt wedding did call for something a bit more expressive. And being Dani, they traded in Iann's kiss for a tight hug. A well-made barter if ever there was one. The 'thank you' made Iann clear his throat a few times gruffly (It was a frog. Allergies. Chewing gum caught in his throat.) and then Dani was back gaily discussing names with Sam, as Iann dreamily thought fondly of the SS Cormorant, and the way it all rolled out to this pretty fucking amazing moment in their collective lives.

SAM: Sam gave Freya a little shake as she finished sniffling and calmed down again. "Thanks, Iann," Sam said in agreement, smiling over at him as Dani hugged him. "Don't forget to sign the thing later," he teased, though not actually sure how many weddings Iann had officiated before. He shrugged when Dani asked about the name. "Floros-Savin does sound better, it's the S-S. But I don't think we need to. We've never really been traditional, anyway." Just saying it brought a smile to his face, since this entire day had been as nontraditional as they could get. But in the end, he wouldn't have it any other way.

DANI: Dani smiled at Sam's response, nodding softly before they answered, "No, we haven't, have we?" They chuckled and sidestepped over towards him, nudging under his arm so it could drape over them, like in Freya's case, and rested their head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly. They didn't care about names or titles or what anyone else thought of them -- what they thought might be 'right' or 'conventional' in opposition to their very impromptu, very unique little marriage ceremony -- as long as they had him, that was all they needed. His coven was likely to be furious, but they'd face that obstacle when the time was right. Whatever the case, they wouldn't be able to break up the two of them now. Their marriage wasn't only legal, it was spiritual-- or, magically established. They weren't sure exactly how the bonding spell worked, but the results certainly had a weight of permanence about them. "So we'll keep our names for now, and if we change our minds later, we'll work it out then. One thing at a time, yeah?"

FANE: Fane stood by as Dani thanked Iann and Sam spoke to Freya, a part of him itching to pull out a smoke if only for the comforting familiarity of the scent and taste, knowing he'd speak to both Dani and Sam in their own respective time. It wasn't as if any of them were in a rush, and plus, Sam was now officially family. Not only in the general sense of the term but legally as well. There were also arrangements for some sort of hashed-up celebratory BBQ in the gardens along with finding an adequate gift. He'd just received a text from Ryan, who wasn't best pleased at being excluded from the activities, when Fane noticed Dani approaching out of the corner of his eye and he tucked his phone away. "That was... wow," he breathed out, not really sure what else he could say considering the mixture of things he was feeling right now regarding everything going on, but he kept a light smile. "You know, Ry isn't happy at the lack of invite, by the way."

DANI: After Dani had given their thanks to Iann and Freya, they pressed a kiss to Sam's cheek -- the one Iann hadn't smooched -- and left him to converse with his sister and their mutual friend. Fane had been quiet throughout most of the ordeal, perhaps in shock or as a means of processing the myriad of emotions Dani knew he must be feeling right now. He wasn't the biggest fan of sudden, life-changing events, and neither was Dani. But Sam was their exception to every rule. Today had been more than enough evidence for that.

Dani dipped their head and a quiet laugh slipped past their lips at their father's grapple for words. "Not too bad, huh? And to think I lacked the skill for event planning." As they neared him, their arms opened and wrapped him in a hug around his middle, lingering there for a short time while they breathed. "I know," they murmured into his chest, making a half step back to look up at him but not yet breaking their embrace. Their foot lifted and flexed once to indicate where their phone had been this whole time. "My foot feels like it's practically gone numb from all his texting. I should have thought to put it on silent."

Another laugh later, Dani sighed and fixed a more sincere expression in their father's view. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you earlier, but we wanted it to be secret. We couldn't risk anyone finding out before it was done, and there was always the chance that if I'd texted you and Ryan had seen it, he would have blown up the local social media and spoiled the surprise. I wish he could have been here -- I wish everyone could have been here -- but you were the only one we needed, and the smaller the crowd the better." Dani dropped their arms and stepped back, but took Fane's hands, squeezed them, and smiled warily. "You're a father to the both of us, you always have been. We trust you, and we will fill you in, just later." They glanced back toward Sam with a tiny glint of worry in their eye. "Today is supposed to be happy, and I'd like to keep it that way."

FANE: Fane still really wasn't entirely sure how he felt, and perhaps it was cold or cruel or whatever other word that might be thrown about, but he couldn't really help the disassociation he felt to the current situation and goings on. Even if it was a long time coming. After all, one of his only hopes when Dani did grow up was to be involved and help plan this particular day and being excluded regardless of the reasons for it... Well, there wasn't much he could say to it beyond it didn't leave him feeling particularly celebratory. This was about Dani moving on with their life and Fane letting them go, he'd hoped it would be a transition and yet it felt like a ripcord had been pulled and yanked him out a plane at ten thousand feet. But those were feelings and things he kept to himself, and as Dani approached he plastered a smile onto his features, banding such things away for his own private contemplation as he enveloped them in a hug, letting them lean into his taller frame and rubbing their back gently. He glanced down at their foot and laughed a little, "Guess it serves you right. This certainly won't be the last you or I will suffer of his complaining. Now I hope you realise the fate you've bound us all to."

The explanation only served to ease ever so slightly how he felt, being told how much he was the only one needed here but he merely shook his head as Dani went on to explain what had prompted all of this. "Don't worry about it... I spoke to Sam earlier and he said the same thing, so... I believe you, whatever it is..." Fane assured, retreating to his natural stance of not making a big deal out of how he felt publicly, especially when he recognised the glint of worry in their eyes when they directed their gaze towards Sam. "And, you're both family to me... You always will be and I'm always going to be here if you ever need me... No matter what happens, hm? You're my child and I love you... I love you more than anything in this world and I'm happy for you. Truly so." he gave their hands a reassuring squeeze. "I might not have much experience with weddings but one thing I know is usually they're happy occasions. Domestic scenes caused by drunk family members aside." The last part was said lightly to ease the conversation, not particularly wanting to weigh it down with anything overly heavy.

IANN: Meanwhile, Iann gooses Sam, and Freya totally encourages it while she takes photos. Really, really artful photos of Sam getting goosed by his marriage's officiant-- what a story to tell the kids, ten years from now!

DANI: Dani groaned. "He's never going to let this go, is he? At least you have the excuse of being roped in unawares. I'm the one who gets to bear the brunt of his angsty complaining." It did serve them right. Despite how wonderful the ceremony had been, the rest of their family had been left out of it. And the friends who had come to know them or had known them from before -- Ruby, Tuah, Teddy, Bella, Nuadia, to name a few. And Sofia -- who had been rooting for them from the start, constantly badgering the two of them to 'just get together already!' But she wouldn't have been able to come even if she wanted to. She was Adele's daughter, which meant that if she had come to support their marriage, she would be putting herself at risk for being ousted from the coven as well. It was simply too great of a risk.

"How many bottles of wine do you think it's gonna take before Ry is hanging from the chandelier?" Dani took the lightened tone of the conversation in their stride, snickering at the thought of all the drama they were likely to face later that night. But the laughter turned to fondness with ease, Fane's loving words still swirling around in their head. They gripped his hand tightly once more, their eyes getting watery around the edges. They told themself it was just the hilarious idea of Ryan's antics, but truthfully, they knew that wasn't the case. "Te iubesc, Tată. I know I suck at showing it, but I do. And although you didn't have much of a part to play in the ceremony, it would mean the world to us if you'd come down to town and help us really get this officialized. After all, you know far more about paperwork and legal logistics than we do. In fact, we... we don't really know what we're doing at all. We haven't made any plans or talked about where we're going from here, but... we'll figure it out. That's what we've always done, and I'm sure we'll need some old man pointers along the way." They threw a tease in at the end to lighten things again, then got caught up watching the antics between Iann and Sam, smirking like a fox at the amusing annoyance their husband had been left to face.

SAM: When Sam escaped from the attention of both his sister and Iann, he went the short distance to join Dani and Fane, greeting his new father-in-law with a wide smile. Jumping into the conversation once the sweet moment between them had passed, hearing Dani say that they needed help making it all official. "We need a marriage license," he put in. "You must know at least someone at City Hall, right?" They had both been hoping Fane would be able to pull some strings and get them their paperwork without them having to wait for it, because they were impatient. As this impromptu ceremony clearly showed. "And rings, but I think we have an idea for that," he said, smiling over at Dani.

IANN: "He's probably not going to talk to me for a week now," Iann said to Freya, laughing and also vaguely wondering if he should go. This was starting to melt into a pleasant and intimate family affair, and Iann didn't want to be a part of intimate family junk. He took Freya's hand and shook it. "Tell them bye," he said to her, then paused as he looked around. "Ahh.... also can you tell me which way to get out of here? Forest all looks the fucking same to me." Sure Dani drove him here, but he could easily walk a ways and maybe hitch a ride to Pyewacket… once he was placed back on the road, anyway.

FANE: "Nope, enjoy that hole you've dug yourself into," Fane needled lightly out of good-humour despite everything. Though the talk of alcohol and Ryan caused him to chuckle, "Oh a fair few, maybe five depending on the vintage obviously. No champagne either, you know what he thinks of that piss water," his lips curled into a wry smile. The Romanian caused him to dip his head, stepping in to hug them again and press a kiss to their temple. "I know." But he put half a step back between them at the talk of helping them with the... paperwork side of things. Of course he got lumbered with the paperwork side of it. It was hard not to feel a little stir of something not all too great, but again he smiled at Dani and Sam as he joined their small gathering, stepping over to give him a hug too. "Yeah, 'course, I've got a few strings I can pull to get it put through... Speaking of, what are you doing for rings?"

DANI: "Oh yes, I'm very aware. He ranted about it profusely the last time he got thoroughly hammered at a party." Dani shook their head, warmed by the memories of their most externally dramatic family member. They leaned into their father's kiss and smiled at Sam's approach, even more so when he and Fane shared a touching father-son embrace. "Thank you, Dad. We're going to owe you, big time." Dani found Sam's hand without having to look and gave their arms a bit of a swing, grinning across at him. "Oh, I might have booked a little tattoo session. Nothing like a bit of permanent ink to seal the deal, yeah?"

SAM: Sam couldn't help pressing a quick kiss against Dani's temple when they took his hand. The paperwork wasn't something he was super concerned about, it was just a formality really. He knew signing the papers wouldn't make him feel any more married than he already did in that moment. He grinned at them as they described the idea they'd come up with together earlier in the day. Finding rings that they both liked, in the right size, and in the time constraint of their sudden elopement, just wouldn't have been possible. Not to mention the fact that they both preferred the idea of tattoos to traditional rings anyway. "It'll be great," he said excitedly, looking forward to getting new ink, especially one that meant so much to both of them on the most important day of their lives. Before they could head out though, Sam looked back to realize that Holmes had had enough of the festivities and was lying on the ground at his spot by the tree, the bouquet still dutifully in his mouth. Sam whistled, and the old dog got to his feet and padded over to them. Sam took the bouquet from him with a little smile, brushing it off a bit before he passed it back to Dani. "Ready?" he asked his new spouse, grinning again just at the reality of being married to Dani.

DANI: If Dani and Sam never got around to signing any paperwork, Dani wouldn't have cared. Maybe official logistics mattered to some people, but their vows and the spell that Freya had cast was more than enough for them. Hell, for all they cared, they'd been married the moment they'd decided to get married. The tattoos were important to the both of them as a physical recognition of the ceremony they had both now completed. Dani was accustomed to getting new ink. They would always love the sensation of it, but this appointment was one they would remember above the others because it stood for something so much more profound than just a protective measure or a symbol of equality. They would be marking their bond on skin, externally, to reflect the internal -- even spiritual -- connection they shared and sworn to keep. When Holmes padded over at Sam's call, a little warmth blossomed in Dani's chest. 'Not a dog person' their ass. Holmes never would have listened to him if he hadn't grown to like the florist at least a bit and felt respected in return. He was picky that way. Dani took the bouquet from Sam with a slight grimace, finding the stems a bit damp as a result of being held so long and so dutifully. However, it didn't damper their spirits in the slightest. "Yeah," they grinned at their newly proclaimed husband, tugging on his vest to steal one last small kiss before they headed out. "Let's get inked. We've got a town-wide social media to fuck up."

[leonbastralle]

Reply Post Work Of Ages - For Rosa

grumpysimmies replied to your photo “Final version of my summer palette sim! Holiday Guava Smoothie (or...”

She's so pretty ♥️

Thankies :3

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset

I'm so happy ;___;

GOOD CAUSE YOU DESERVE ALL THE HAPPINESS

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “B: *fangirling intensifies*”

Same Blaze same

so you’ve been there for their original selves? :o sometimes I feel like it’s been an actual lifetime! (no offense to their mum)

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “J: Why did they not let me bring my child…”

That's too bad :c

Well I snuck in a pic a while ago ;)

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Surprise guest! This lovely lady actually made her way into TS4 xDI...”

I KNEW IT (see I checked it out :p)

YOU DID tumblr only showed me a small bit of these but now my crazy activity line makes more sense xD

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Meet the last baby of gen 5 (and our heiress), Monarch! Thanks to...”

Here's another adorable child ;__; ♥️

that you’ve seen before :P

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Father and son ;_;”

THIS IS SO FREAKING ADORABLE MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT

IKR THOSE DAMN PIXEL CATS

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Pointy grew ♥”

Too cute ♥️

she was highkey my fave for quite a while tbh

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Bryony found this pirate and his first mate at the library! Sadly, no...”

A bit disappointing but it makes sense they came there to read xD

*gasps* how dare

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset

BUT SERIOUSLY LOOK AT THAT FACE

TRUST ME I HAVE LOOKED MANY TIMES

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Glow had a bad day at school :/ he was stressed about an exam and then...”

Aww poor baby :c

I have a lot of feels for him ♥

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Telling an adventure story.”

Why are they all so cute ;____;

Idk man. The Miracles have always had a certain kind of magic about them...

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “A: *gasps* That good? F: *laughs* Quite. I think it’s good that you’re...”

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH

YES

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “F: Aureus? Could you come over here for a moment?”

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ALL MY LIFE

;________;

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “G: Please, save me.”

He grew up so fast ;___;

he actually did because I never have any patience xD longer life spans would mean 3 times as many pics as I have now, and I could not handle posting that.

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “GUESS WHO GOT AN A”

I love him ♥️

duuuude same

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “rly”

How can you actually reject this adorable tiger ;___;

Idk man, Shimmer had some serious issues as a tot...and I’m talking REAL serious.

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Now he’s shy.”

AWWWWW WHY IS HE ACTING SO CUTE ♥️_♥️

CAUSE HE IS THE SWEETEST

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “A: Oh man, that movie though! Shine please, I really need a hug. S:...”

This is too adorable ;___;

ikr ;_; I need to make a ‘fave Flame/Aur parenting moments’ poll XD

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “dun dun dunnnnnNNN”

Gotta love him ♥️

say it louder for the anti ts4 ppl in the back ;)

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset

They're seriously too cute ♥️

now I feel like I need to play them again and like a whole lot but I can’t

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “G: Wow, I can’t believe I once was in there, too!”

That's deep Glow xD

Glow’s a philosopher ;)

grumpysimmies replied to your photo

She's just perfect ♥️

Is it bad that I feel the same way even tho she’s my own sim

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “A little private celebration ;_;”

I love them ;_;

me too man they give me life...to think Aur noped out of the whole thing at first is like...what

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “G: Look daddy! I no throw food this time! Daddy proud? F: !!”

It's impossible to stay mad and not be proud ;___;

especially if you’re Flame, he’s the most chill dad

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset

An adorable dad ♥️

yES BUT ALSO HOW IS HE A DAD HE CAN’T BE A DAD SHOOT ME

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “F: Oh, you mean this? G: *giggles* Dad noooooo! F: Ah, I understand....”

akdjfkddfjirk my heart oh god ♥️

;_; trust me I died writing these

grumpysimmies replied to your photo “LANI LOOOOVES YA”

And I love her ;_; ♥️

good ;)

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “He was right. F: How exactly is this baby coming out now? Dear...”

This is a question no one wants to answer xD

seems that way, looking at the comments xD

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset

too precious ;_;

not exactly sure what this was about, but I’m assuming Flame, so yes

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Confident bump watch.”

I never knew I needed pregnant Flame in my life so much before this ;____; ♥️

I’M CRYING STOP THIS

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “F: G-greetings, uh, Berryverse…this is…no, this is not clickbait, I...”

As if Aur could leave you forever!

Flame believes that, but at the same time there’s always this really small voice in your head you know? I mean, four children later he’s quite sure xD

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “J: And that would be my clue to leave.”

Poor Jewel xD

nah, they’re cool about it xD like it was them and Bonsai who made Aureus rethink his priorities, so. I’m sure these two will have a fangirling moment once Jewel gets home and tells Bonsai about how cute they are.

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset

zkdjkkfrild look at him ;__; ♥️

;_;

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “But don’t worry, I’ve got a feeling nobody can dislike Aur for too...”

Is it even possible to dislike him :o

Idk man, he has quite some opponents in politics too xD

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “I could watch them play all day, honestly.”

Same ♥️

Good thing they do it professionally xD

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “F: Greetings, Berryverse! This is it, the moment you’ve all been...”

OMG I'M IMAGINING FLAME FANBOYING ON THE FLOOR AND AAAAAAH

IKR

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Introduction in some brighter light xD It was indeed four legs as you...”

afkdkdjfirk I know I've already seen them but they're so adorable ♥️

they are the preshest ;_;

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Solely for bump watch purposes.”

She looks so good while pregnant ;__; ♥️

DOESN’T SHE

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “A: The car…you fixed it. I-I like the colors. E: Let’s…not talk about...”

You freaking idiot x_x

he’s quite pathetic at times, it’s just part of his personality to use big phrases and to feel sorry for himself I guess xD

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “C: You know, with you…I think this whole immortality thing might not...”

My heart ;___; ♥️

I KNOW

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “A: Uuuuuuu… F: Girl. This better not be a scary time sickness, because...”

We all know what's going on

suuuuure but let me try at least xD

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “CALEB DON’T BE MEAN TO ADDIE ;_;”

Addie doesn't deserve this :c

well I mean she’s dating a chipmunk and still has impure thoughts about a moth so maybe she does

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Meanwhile back home…”

At least SOME PEOPLE GET TO BE HAPPY

YES SOME PEOPLE SOMETIMES

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “E: I’m sorry, Ally. I should’ve never kissed you, hell, I should’ve...”

why u gotta do this ;__;

cause I gotta

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “A: It’s getting late. When are we going to sort out that stuff that...”

Gosh I'm so glad the queue didn't end on me xD

ah dammit you ruined everything xD

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “E: I DIDNT KNOW YOU DANCED SO WELL!! A: NEITHER DID I! YOU SEEM TO...”

why are they so precious ;__;

cause I want them to be :P

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset

akjfkjskzkj she's too cute ;___;

ngl this pic is actually one of my faves (it was Ally sniffing the flower I checked)

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Your best friend is always more important than housework.”

Sometimes I feel like anything is more important than housework (plz don't think I never clean my house xD)

you’re right tho

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Is it just me, or is something going on here…?”

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL I LOVE IT

THANK YOU

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset

So beautiful ;____;

she’s a very pretty Caleb clone

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “E: I think now is the time to stop ignoring it, Ally. A:...”

akfjdkdjfkgkg HE HAS A WAY WITH WORDS I'm just dead

he does sometimes, when my brain cooperates

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “A: Please. Can we just cuddle and not think about anything that...”

akfkjdkdjfkfjdkf EUGENE OMG

he knows just how to woo the Allies

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Button needs some soul food to process all this.”

Plz protect this child ;_;

I’m sure she’s safely hidden under someone’s bed ;)

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “Fable, I think Victoria might have adopted you… V: SHE’S SO SQUISHY!!...”

Who wouldn't want to adopt Fable tho

Idk man I could use her pro skills

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “V: Oh my, what a huge mess. I didn’t expect such a thing to ever...”

Capri Sun you pure soul ;__;

Capri Sun is the best and it’s gonna get better (wait spoilers? shhh you didn’t see anything)

grumpysimmies replied to your photoset “F: Capri Sun, are you in? CS: Positive. Copying relevant data to your...”

I like Fable too ;____;

Idk why I thought she needed this part, but I’m glad I did because otherwise she would’t have gotten so big and I wouldn’t have had the idea for her story either!

[briteboy]

MORE ASKS I’VE BEEN IGNORING!!!!!!!

GET ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE HOT

P.S. ALL OF U WHO SENT ME THE CHAIN THINGY ILYSOMUCH 

Why is her step-douche such a foken piece of shit? omg i hate him

some mysteries are never meant to be explained tbh. why is he so ugly and evil? who wronged him? but also who cares he’s in jail forever now good riddance ugly

I know this is probably really bad, but after I saw the newest molly posts, I thought of that video where the little girl is yelling "MISS KEISHA, MISS KEISHA, oh my fukin gosh she fukin dead"

OMFGFD I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THAT VIDEO WAS SO I JUST WATCHED IT AND I’M LAUGHIN

i don’t blame u i bet when it happens i’m gonna be like “u know she ded”

(To the previous anon) i agree with you so, so much! In Poland, these dumbass politicians are letting shooting pregnant bisons (?? Im not sure how they're called) become legal. Like BITCH WHAT. Can you imagine??? A fucking pregnant lil' cow getting shot????? I feel Molly's pain on an emotional level rn (sorry if this is too nsfw, just needed to get that outta my system...)

i think this was in response to someone saying that hurting pregnant women is one of the worst crimes but um WTF shooting animals at all makes me itchy but pregnant ones..............nah that’s......nah

it’s ok get it outta ur system i’m here 4 u

the first thing I check in the morning is your account.... you have me whipped! ;|

OMG WHA LMAO REALLY that’s wild. i feel like i’m the only one who looks at my page which is dumb but like idk i still feel like a little kid that no one cares about lmao. but then you guys exist and amaze me with your responsiveness every day and i just ;____________; ily all

hi Sunny. first of all i'm gonna say i love your story and your editing style so much! your blog is goals like literally. i need an advice if you don't mind. you always find such amazing angles for your pictures while mine are so boring. any tips or tricks you can share?

HI thank you so much ;-; sooooo i’ve been thinking about this question the past couple of times i went in game, trying to figure out how to describe how i take pictures. for one thing i live in tab mode lmao. meaning you press the tab button on your keyboard to go into camera mode and get all these sexy angles and super zoom and stufffff. i almost always zoom in super far idk why. so there’s one tip. i honestly just play around with going up and down with the q and e keys (i think?) until i find angles i like. i take a lottttt of pictures with so many different angles just so i have a lot to choose from. basically i try to focus on different things in each picture in order to get a mix of the most diverse and dynamic shots possible. you just need to experiment and get creative. i know that’s the most vague advice ever but really just try a new angle that you’ve never considered before and i bet you’ll get cool results. an interesting setting is also the biggest factor, because certain objects and their placements will give you interesting results. 

i honestly want to print out your reaction pic to that one post and just hang it on my wall, put it in my heart locket necklace, stamp it on people's faces, start an email thread with it. i love it.

an add on to the last ask i sent about your reaction pic. i've been looking at it religiously since it was posted, and i dont regret a minute of it. LMAO I'LL STOP NOW.

SAKJDLJKGKSDAF STOPPPP LMAOOO i looked so ugly but that was my pure unadulterated reaction to that question and i trust you all to not judge my ugliness and instead share this reaction with me. i’m glad u liked it that much, i just printed it out and i’m cutting it into a small heart to put inside ur locket ok

everytime i hear cigarette daydreams by cage the elephant i think of a serious case of the novembers like its so fitting and then i get all emo when i listen to it lmao rip

OMMMMGGGGGGG YESSSSS how have i never made that connection before honestly. cage the elephant is one of my faves and i’ve seen them perform twice actually!! i’m watching the music vid for that song now and even that reminds me of my story ;-; i cry

thank you for sending this, and also i cry @ the fact that you used the actual title *dies* now this song is gonna make me emo til the end of time thx

i might sound like some crazy stalker fan but i just want to say you are so freakin awesome and nice and funny and cute and (i can go on forever) so caring! i love your blog so much and all the hard work and care you put into all your posts and followers. thanks for making my day and making me smile so much. you have no clue how much i look forward to seeing your posts and your hilarious hashtags and answers from asks and AMAZING story posts. im sorry i just wanted to let you know ur awesome ily

OFMG WHAT!!!!!! I AM ONLY AN EEL!!!!!! but no you don’t sound like a crazy stalker, i actually love this, you’re too sweet, thank you ;-; i’m just blushin so much reading this omg. YOU EVEN LIKE MY TAGS WOW that’s true love. ily ;-; <333

how do you get your sims' facial expressions to line up with your scenes? I feel like my sims' faces are never right :(

tbh i just use a lot of the same neutral poses...my go-to’s are @helgatisha‘s poses lol. they’re the easiest to work with when i do just plain talking scenes, and often i tweak my sims’ eyebrows and mouths with the liquify tool if i want them to look a bit more concerned, sad, mad, happy, etc., it works like a charm!! i also tend to play around with angles, you’d be surprised how much a different angle can enhance a scene.

Hey smol bean, I'm sent you an ask and now I feel bad that it probably made you feel anxious because you didn't answer it. It was the one about you not liking my posts, I have anxiety too so I'm sorry If I made you feel sad. I think I'm just looking for validation from people I look upto you get me? Anyway sorry again, don't worry about it! Love you!

hiya bb, i know you saw my answer to your original post (and i’m sorry it got some negative attention, i didn’t mean for that to happen by any means) anyway don’t sweat it, and i really appreciate this follow-up message. you didn’t make me feel sad, i just wanna know what i can do. it’s just a hard question y’know. i understand what you mean, i think everyone wants validation to some degree. tbh you can just come off anon and message me, i promise it’s not as nerve-wracking as it seems! ily

How did you make Santi's tattoos? I want some like that for my Sims but idk how to do it

boop

I HAVE A FEELING THAT MOLLY IS GOING TO DIE DURING THE BIRTH OF THE BEAN OR IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH HER STEPFATHER FINDING OUT ABOUT THE BEAN

WELP U WERE RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING

how did you make your characters page on your blog like that?

uoohhh like what?? i used this theme (monolog) if that’s what you mean aheh. here’s a guide on how to use custom page themes

okay so THIS IS MY THEORY: they might keep the baby and molly might actually carry it to full term, but then the kid dies in childbirth and either molly also dies or maybe kills herself or gets killed later? or maybe she's still alive but just won't speak to santi anymore cause she like can't look him in the eye after all of that or idk?? since ppl were sending theories i wanted to add mine lmao. another possible theory is that the stepdad finds out and kills her but thats TOO DARK omg

TOO DARK U SAY...WELL!!! it’s not AS dark as you guessed but only marginally

If Molly turns out to be alive and raising their kid alone (though from what I'm seeing in response to most questions I think that may not be the route) am I allowed to slap Santi (unless Molly didn't give him the option to help) because raising a child alone is not easy I've watched my mom do it for years.

YEAH i would give you permission to slap him lmao he would be a grade A piece o’ shit if that were the case. i would never ever write that tho because santi does own up to his actions if they’re that detrimental. his altruistic nature, no matter how backwards, would never allow him to do that.

There will be complication with the abortion so she will not be able to carry a baby anymore and she's going to kill herself OR her step dad is going to find out and he'll beat her to death. And in both situation Santi his blaming himself because he wasn't there at the right time... Okay I really really hope I'm wrong now !

I don't even follow your story very closely but every time I see your posts my heart hurts.

OMFG...that’s how u know the pain is real

but like wow my stuff is really so visceral that even my apathetic followers can feel the hurt...that’s real...that’s real my guy

omg!! you should 100% play or at least watch a playthrough of life is strange! legit the best game ever made, its so beautiful. the storyline kills you a thousand times over (much like your beautiful story) <3333

yaaaa i’ve heard lots of good things about it!! my bf played it actually, maybe he’ll revisit it again someday and i’ll watch him do it (i’m only a fan of video games if i can watch them like a movie lmao) thank you btw <3

I am shook and I worship you and your story and you are amazing WOW BYE

WORSHIP LMAO WHAT!!! PLS I AM UNDESERVING...ily tho don’t worship false gods

Do you let Molly and the younger versions of your characters frolic around your main save or do they have a separate one?

UM YES LMAO because i didn’t even know you could have separate saves until after i started the flashbacks lmao i’m...a noob. i don’t want separate saves anyway because 1) it’s too much of a hassle switching back and forth and 2) it gets too confusing for me and i’d be afraid of overwriting one save with another and NOPE too much anxiety for that soooo yeah there’s three santis in my game: child, teen and adult lmfao (fun fact: teen santi’s name is literally just Lil Santi)

I made it to my senior year with 6 A's and 1 B ... Be proud of me too? 😂 Lmao I told this to people and some of them were just like .. okay cool?! LMAO it's so funny but also kinda sad

I AM PROUD OF YOU TOO!!!!!!!!! my smart childrens

“okay cool” UM PLEASE that’s a feat...at my school if you got an A in a class in senior year you were allowed to be exempt from the final. so yeah that rules. ily

[noiseartists]

Shoegaze, Dreampop And Nugaze: The Facebook Group

Shoegaze, Dreampop And Nugaze is a Facebook group created by Kevin Cleary. The group is arguably the biggest one on Facebook counting over 40 000 members. Noise Artists meets the moderators.

How long have you been and admin for this group?

Mark: I joined the group back in January 2019 and joined the admin team shortly after as a mod so i'm the new kid on the block.

Darren: For several years now. Too long to remember when it all started.

Kev: I created Shoegaze, Dreampop & Nugaze in 2009. My reasoning at the time was to find bands that kept the shoegaze candle burning (damn that sounds cheesy, lol). Acts such as Airiel, Ides of space, Resplandor, the Meeting Places, Astrobrite, Mystery Machine, etc.

Nico: I can’t remember, I got asked maybe a year and a half ago? What are the perks of being an admin?

Mark: Meeting all the cool bands and fans.

Darren: To be able give a platform for new bands to be heard and discovered by a new audience.

Kev: Over the years I've become a bit introverted, don't belong to a band and not hitting shows the way I once did (Dad life). The biggest perk is the music that I would never have discovered otherwise and the friendships that have developed. No gaze orgies, groupies, monetary benefit, drugs, etc. Maybe things would have been different if this was 1993, lol.

Nico: I guess, it’s like running a fanzine back in the days? it’s a lot of work for very little reward but you do it cause you like music more than anything else

What are the drawbacks of being and admin?

Mark: Dealing with disputes and arguments on the group. Why cant we all just get along people?

Darren: Having to moderate the troublemakers and haters.

Kev: "Why did you delete my Radiohead post?!Facist!!!!" It hasn't been all that easy and trust me, the page burns me out at times. Pet peeves include, getting tagged in a post bashing the group, reading a post from a FB friend, "sorry Kev, but the page....." A lot goes into running a page with over 45,000 members! Thank the Gods for the current (Darren, Mark & Nico) and past mods.

At some point we got in a war with WHIRR, which apparently wasn't the band but someone moderating their social media.

Oh shit, the whole Pranav Agrawal thing!

Where to even start with that one?! Pranav was a professional English swimmer, living in India with his boyfriend Matt. Yes. He was one of seven of us managing the page.

We were a tight bunch, often chatting several days a week. He was an integral part of the page, with great ideas and input. Things got weird when one of the mods forwarded a google image of a professional swimmer Daniel Goodfellow. Pranav had created this entire persona based on the swimmer! We called him out and poof, just like that, he was gone! Keyer Soze style.

Nico: Oh definitely the people with zero social skills and a lot of issues who are desperate for attention but know only how to seek it in negative ways. They clearly need to be educated but you can’t do that publicly because they want the attention so the only way to deal with them is to not give them any, delete, block, gone. Is there any perks? groupies? drugs? free music? 😉

Mark: The only "perk" i've had so far is some boudouir snaps of my fellow mod Nico Beatastic! I still havent slept since seeing them.

Darren: I occasionally get free music. People often reach out to me directly to share music that they feel I'll enjoy.

Kev: Ehhhh, not so much for a 46 year old married dad like me. The free music that group members send me! Ooooo, I listen to it all and totally appreciate it. Another perk is hearing or reading about the page in a positive light. Nico: the true perk is having Mark to send my boudoir pics to, I know he truly appreciates them.

What do you like best about the group?

Mark: The community spirit. The shoegaze community is incredibly tightknit and supportive.

Darren: Always being turned on to new music and forgotten treasures.

Kev: The music I've discovered and friendships that I've made over the last decade. Wow, talk about generic answers! There was a time when Darren, Rayanne, Greg, Romini, Liam, Pranav and I would drunk message for hours most every Friday/ Saturday. Mind you, we were all in different time zones. Those were fun times!

Nico: when shoegaze started it was called the scene that celebrates itself, people were supportive of each other, I think that’s mostly the case, also it’s never been about who’s got the biggest one (it’s Mark) , there’s no macho bullshit.

What do you like the least about the group?

Mark: The posts that begin, Its not shoegaze but.... or What is the most shoegaze <insert inanimate object here>. Wasn't funny the first time, not funny now. Stop it

Darren: Just because some music has elements of shoegaze or exists on its peripheral, doesn't make it shoegaze. It's hard to draw the line sometimes and that comes from someone who's been listening to this music for 30 years, let alone for people who are new to shoegaze.

Kev: Damn, if I let the cat out of the bag it will invite in hundreds of trolls! Like the teenage British invasion of 2015. Darren is the only mod who was around at that time and it SUCKED!! So my lips are sealed on this one.

Nico: the little wars, the negativity, the group is meant to post music you like, no diss music you hate. If you don’t have anything nice to say , don’t say anything.

If you could have anyone join the group, who would it be and why?

Mark: Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine for he is our lord and father. All hail the Kev!

Darren: Erik Blood. He's my favorite producer and has had a hand in recording/producing/creating/performing some of the best music from the Pacific Northwest for years.

Kev: We've had quite a few genre icons come and go throughout the years. Rachel and Emma were both members until they were called out in numerous posts. I was blown away when the lead of my favorite band joined several years ago!

Nico: I’d have my fave musician ever, Billy Corgan

Who should be an admin?

Mark: Elliott Frazer from Ringo Deathstarr as i inadvertantly removed him from the group. That would let him get his revenge on me.lol

Darren: Someone who loves music, music debate, and has an insatiable hunger to hear and discover new music.

Kev: Easy; Darren, Mark and Nico! Now i'm going to try and name everyone who has helped moderate the page over the years. Rayanne Die, Vic Winters, Dean Bromley, Steven Webb, Romini, Mike Contreras, Liam Doyle, Greg Wilson, Krissy Vanderwoude.

Nico: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Nick Cave, Henry Rollins. You can’t mess with them and they’re good with words. I’d love to have The Rock turn his boot sideways and stick it someone’s arse when they make a homophobic/racist/rude/mean comment.

Who should never be an admin?

Mark: Anyone who posts Its not shoegaze but.... or Whats the most shoegaze <insert inamimate object here>.

Darren: Someone who is thin-skinned.

Kev: Anyone not ready to put time into building and maintaining. I'm grateful that we have a great team running the page now and for all of the past admins.

Nico: I agree with Darren.

What is the sweetest thing you've seen happen in the group?

Mark: I seen a member post that they had just had a bad break up with their partner and was looking for tunes to cheer them up. The comments below that post were 100% supportive and full of some of the best music. It was testament to the family vibe we are proud to have on the group.

Darren: I've seen small unknown bands and musicians grow into being leaders of the scene that celebrates itself.

Kev: Krissy Vanderwoude and Andy Jossi collaborating! Two phenomenal musicians. I also love seeing obscure, unknown bands grow in part due to this group.

Nico: I think each time anyone posts a band they like, it’s an act of communion with the world , we share what we want so we can improve other people’s lives and that my friends is what life should be about.

Have any couple met on the group and got married and have children?

Mark: i have no idea. One of the other more learned admin may know.

Darren: If so, send me pics of them making babies.

Kev: I haven't received any wedding invites. Not to say that it hasn't happened. A group member did create a Shoegaze romantic connection group.

Nico: Mark and I are expecting ;)

What is the best band you've discovered through the group?

Mark: That’s not fair. There’s too many AMAZING bands ive discovered via this group. If you absolutely forced me to name one id have to go with The Stargazer Lilies. Occabot blew my tiny mind.

Darren: Flyying Colours

Kev: Oooooh, a "best band?" As far as my personal favorite, I'd have to say Echodrone. Dean "Shoegaze" Bromley, one of the original page members/ past admin, turned me onto them. There are SO many greats that I never would have heard of if it wasn't for SGDPNG!!!

Nico: that Russian shoegaze scene is pretty cool. Maybe Pinkshinyultrablast ?

How did it get so big? (the group Mark, the group!

Mark: We have an open door policy and we get a lot of people inviting friends. We also have a lot of members who are in bands. It means they can interact with our members directly which is a huge thing for fans.

Darren: People love shoegaze and want a place to share and learn more about it.

Kev: Be careful of what you wish for!! There were waves of growth starting with the MBV/ Slowdive/ Lush reunions. Then there was the whole "bro gaze" movement, not the happiest of times on the page.

Nico: The big 3 coming back , the old school gazers have older kids now so more time on their hands and the brogazers. I went to see Slowdive a couple of years ago and the audience was clearly 14 to 60, lots of kids. The Rachel look is quite iconic, it appeals to a lot of young women.

Have you ever thought of making tshirts? mugs? merch?

Mark: I’d love that. We did that in another group i admin. See what King Kev Cleary has to say. He's the boss!

Darren: I would love if one day we could release music by some of the bands that we discover in the group.

Kev: A few years back I created a website with the intent of doing just that. Never materialized. I remember what Greg Wilson, one time page mod, went through getting DKFM to where it is today. Don't have that sort of time to dedicate.

Nico: it’s all very doable, especially a compilation series, that would be fairly easy.

[praditak]

This doesn’t happen often to me, I tell you. Everything around me today is a shade of golden yellow, even though it’s burning hot outside. I feel like I’m a bird of paradise singing an ode to this beautiful day because I’m remembering a beautiful day.

A Victoria’s Rifle Bird. Source: Giphy

Remember how about a month back I was lamenting my sloth-like form in this post? I’m happy to report that I’m still regular at the gym and my stamina and sessions have been improving by ant-sized proportions. But I’m taking fitness very seriously this time around because I’ve had the worst one month of my life.

A severe gastritis attack has changed my entire diet plan and I’ve had to finally let go of a lot of things I loved eating, but were not great for my gut – tea, coffee, chocolate, toor dal (why, God, why?) and idli-dosa *sobs*. What I put in my body was directly connected with how much I was moving, which wasn’t much, as I’ve already revealed in my last blogpost.

So in the spirit of keeping fit, I’ve not only been regular at the gym (as regular as I can be), I’ve also been to one trek and three hikes in the span of a month!

One of them was an official trek to Bhorgiri-Bhimashankar. I write official because it was conducted by professional trekkers. The pics I took of the trek weren’t that great because I used my cell phone to take the pics and it was raining tigers and elephants. On top of it, I had to cross two waterfalls and was waist-deep in water. Taking my cell-phone out would have been phone-harakiri.

I did sneak in some shots like these.

Paddy for miles. Copyright © Pradita Kapahi, 2019.

  I’d recommend you to drive up to Bhorgiri village. Please do it. Please do it. The drive itself is magical because for miles around there’s nothing but rippling paddy fields, dotted with little houses, lovingly surrounded by lofty mountains and the Bhima river gushing below. In the peak monsoon, when I went, the place is bathed in thick fog that gives the place an ethereal feel. Also, you won’t find many modern facilities here, so go prepared. The folks here collect rainwater for all their needs, even drinking. I don’t remember seeing a prettier place than this in all my Pune-travels.

The customary selfie. Not the only waterfalls I saw on this trek. Not the only ones I crossed either. Copyright © Pradita Kapahi, 2019.

  I still don’t get how my phone survived the ordeal. I experienced what horses and donkeys must feel like when it rains outside while they have to stand stock-still under a downpour with nowhere to go.

By the end of the trek, this is what my Fitbit showed me:

  That’s a personal record, people! Many may have walked more than me, but damn, I’m proud of myself! I don’t remember the last time I walked that much. I think it was nearly thirteen years ago when I walked fourteen kilometres along with my room-mate from one end of Pune to the other. But well, things were different with me back then. I was *coughs* younger.

By the day following the day of the trek and the next day too, every time I stood up I couldn’t feel my knees and every time I walked I felt like someone had stuffed jelly in my thighs in place of muscle. But it was fun and if someone asked me to do it again I would, just to explore the tiny village and surroundings of Bhorgiri a little more.

Shoutout to Pune’s own Sahyadri Trekkers for organising this trek and being such good sports with rookies like me. I’d recommend this group in a trice. They organise treks to all kinds of places around Maharashtra and even beyond. They are reasonable, responsible, punctual and thorough with their work. If you’re ever in Pune looking for a trekking group, get in touch with them.

The trip to Karla was a leisurely hike. We drove up to the mountain village of Karla from where the climb up to the caves begins. There were around 200 stone steps to the caves and it was raining hard enough that there was a river flowing over the steps, but it was fun nevertheless. Once we got our shoes wet to the point that they, in turn, were adding to the surplus of water, we shed our inhibitions. My daughter took delight in splashing in ‘giant muddy puddles’.

Peppered along the steps were shops of pooja paraphernalia and small eating joints. They don’t help the place any, but I’ll reserve the rant on how they are ruining the place for later in the post.

When we reached the top, oh my, the view was worth the huffing and puffing.

  Who wouldn’t feel refreshed after a view like that? Even if you didn’t want to look at the caves, just those waterfalls would make the climb up worth it. But since we were there to see the caves, into the caves we went. I must point out we chose the wrong month of the year. In August, rains lash the Western Ghats incessantly, and up in the mountains, it’s even worse. When I made this trip, Pune, where I live, was just beginning to overcome its flood issues. It may have been silly on our part to risk it but we were getting antsy sitting at home in weather like this when we could be outdoors exploring. And we were going in a car, so we thought what the heck!

But if you ever want to come to Karla, make sure the time of year is right. Summertime would be suicide because it will be hot and barren here. The climb up would dehydrate you quickly. Winter may be good, but it won’t be nearly as green then. Early monsoon would be best, say around Late June and July when the Monsoons are just getting started and the rains aren’t that much of a bother.

So after we bought a ticket, Rs.10 per person, we entered the caves. The view to the main cave entrance is partially blocked by the flank of the Ekveera Devi Temple, a very important and renowned temple. Although constructed around the same time, why would someone want to build a temple bang in the way of a Buddhist shrine is beyond me. Couldn’t they have built it to a side or built it at another spot altogether? Aside from that, the entrance with its high arch, its handsome pillars and its bold carvings mesmerizes you.

The Main Cave or Chaitya Griha or Cave 8. Copyright © Pradita Kapahi, 2019

Karla is one of the many Buddhist caves in Maharashtra, along with the Bhaja, Patan, Bedse and Nasik Caves, and these other sites are better preserved and more ornamental, but the Grand Chaitya (Chaitya means prayer, Griha means hall) here is the largest rock-cut cave in South-Asia. Every time I see rock-cut architecture, I’m awestruck by the sheer ingenuity of man in an age when there were no machines, no power. Every tiny detail is hand-hewn and every rock that went into making this beautiful structure was hefted by hand. WOW!

Carved into the rock to the side of the entrance are these figures. Most of them are in good shape but time and extremes of weather have softened the features around the faces but it lends a grace, an otherworldly aura to them.

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Copyright © Pradita Kapahi, 2019

Copyright © Pradita Kapahi, 2019

Copyright © Pradita Kapahi, 2019

  I know my pictures aren’t great. Poor light, hard rain and a phone camera can do that to even the most well-intentioned images. Again, I was bothered about phone-harakiri. It’s hard to make out but just imagine these figures carved up on nearly 15 metres of unforgiving stone. Once upon a time, the entrance had two grand pillars. Now there is just one.

Copyright © Pradita Kapahi, 2019

  As you enter the cave, the Chaitya Griha, the light plays with the structures within, so that the figures around the sides seem shy, looking down at the ground, as if they want to divert your complete attention to the stupa within, which gets the most of the little sunlight that enters the cave. It’s a beautiful effect.

Copyright © Pradita Kapahi, 2019

  The ribbed ceiling is mostly in wood, a thing of wonder considering it’s still holding even after centuries! Carved into the stones were these inscriptions. A translation would have been welcome but none was available. I found them fascinating and looked them up online. Apparently, this is the Brahmi script, the oldest writing form in India, and describes donations made by several kings.

There is a pradakshina of sorts going all around the pillars in the Chaitya Griha but it doesn’t have figures or inscriptions.

The gush of water pouring down over the hillside was loud enough to drown out the voices of the visitors. We had to shout to each other in our party to be heard. The caves adjacent to the Chaitya Griha had their entrances partially blocked by torrents of these seasonal waterfalls. We plunged in nevertheless. We were soaked to the bone anyhow.

These smaller caves served as a monastery hence they are devoid of any figures or other ornamentation. Most of them are blocked to the public anyway because they have now become too dangerous. We didn’t venture up into the higher caves either because of a paucity of time. Having a 5-year-old with you can also limit movement.

  Smaller caves next to the Chaitya Griha Cave. Image: Copyright © Pradita Kapahi, 2019.

  I have been told that the Bhaja caves in Lonavala are in much better shape and are bigger, prettier, in a way. We had originally planned a trip to Lohagad fort, very close to the Bhaja caves, for that very purpose; we had even made half the way through, halting every now and then before a gushing waterfall or hiking just to breathe in the fresh air and take in views like these…

    But the roads and the rains kept getting worse and we were forced to turn back. We headed to Karla instead because someone told us that the road leads right up to the base of the steps. A cheat-trek. LOL!

Beware, rant begins

I always wonder why we have the propensity to ruin the natural beauty of sites like these. Every single time I have been to an ancient site – Karla Caves, Lohagad fort, Sinhagadh fort, Bhuleshwar temple, Bhimashankar temple – I have come across tourists who litter carelessly, authorities who couldn’t care less about the maintenance of the sites, traders who have ruined the natural beauty of the place with their tarpaulined shops and the trash from their wares, and temple authorities who not only are careless that their ‘holy’ site is being defiled, but encourage tourists and traders by accepting pooja offerings bought from these shops, without in the least trying to discourage this practice. It’s a wonder that where these make-shift shops abound on such sites, there isn’t a single public toilet!

Bhimashankar and Karla were exceptionally bad. Guess how we on the trekking team came to know that the Bhorgiri-Bhimashankar trek was coming to an end? About a kilometre left into the trek we saw the river Bhima beginning to get littered by masses of polythene bags, pooja garlands, paper, food scraps and whatnot. This same water downstream was clean of any of this refuse, but the moment you neared the temple it was CHAOS! Full marks to Sahyadri Trekkers who kept reminding us that we must not litter at any cost. The stone steps leading to the temple had no space left for a view of the natural surroundings which this temple is famous for, apart from the architecture, because there were countless, and I mean countless, shops hawking pooja samagri, food, chai, toys! An endless array of shops selling the same thing over and over again. Ditto with Karla caves where the garbage littered the stone steps itself. And all of this when at the entrance to these places we had to pay a Swachhata Kar (cleanliness tax) apart from a road toll and an entrance fee! Where all that tax money is going is anyone’s guess.

These were the only things that marred the adventure of these two otherwise memorable excursions for me.

I’ll leave you with a thought and a few requests –

Is it necessary that a devotee must offer flowers, milk and sweets to the deity within the shrine? Do you know your offerings could damage the structure of these ancient sites? Is your faith so flimsy that you weigh it in terms of what you offer?

Visitors: Please plan and pack before you visit such sites. Carry your own food, water and keep your pooja offerings limited to money (food and flowers attract flies and cause malodours). Use a trash can to throw your garbage. Don’t see one around? Keep it with you and throw it when you see one. STOP THOSE YOU SEE ARE LITTERING.

Government Authorities: Please use the tax you collect into keeping the sites clean and maintaining the structures; don’t divert it to other places. Crackdown on shop owners who litter. Keep only one shop of each kind on the premises. Put up signboards encouraging visitors to carry their own food & water, use the trashcans and impose penalties on those who don’t follow rules. Please make decent toilets at such places.

Temple Priests and Authorities: Please encourage devotees to stop offering food, flowers, etc., to the deity. Ask them to stop littering near the temple. Money donations would serve the temple much better, I’m sure, because all the rest goes to waste anyway.

Maintaining these places is as much our responsibility as the man wielding the jhadoo. Please be responsible citizens.

Thank you for reading. Do leave your feedback.

Read about my Bhuleshwar trip here.

Read about my time aboard a merchant vessel here.

Read about my memories of Garhwal here.

Copyright ©2019 Pradita Kapahi.

All rights reserved.

All images are subject to copyright in the name of Pradita Kapahi.

My Monsoon Diaries, 2019: Karla Caves and Other Trips. This doesn't happen often to me, I tell you. Everything around me today is a shade of golden yellow, even though it's burning hot outside.