#slider lives for the chaos

[wearerandomlyyours]

Ice: *Distracted* Mav, where are you headed, sweetheart?

Mav: *deranged giggle* I'm celebrating the Ides of March!

Ice: Okay, have fun.

*Ten seconds later*

Ice: He had a knife, didn't he.

Slider: *sips his coffee* He did, indeed.

[felassan]

Cliff notes on the new info on Dragon Age: The Veilguard in today’s issue of Game Informer (magazine hub link):

Edit/update: I tidied up this post. ^^

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In CC you can customize things like shoulder width, chest size, glute size, hip width, how bloodshot your eyes are, nose crookedness, and more

There are hundreds of sliders for body proportions

CC detail: “Features like skin hue, tone, melanin”

There is nudity in DA:TV, “which I learned firsthand while customizing my Rook” in CC

Rook’s backstory also affects “reputation standing”, along with the other previously-known things like in-game dialogue etc

Lords of Fortune are pirate-themed, “piratic”

Rook ascends because of competency, not because of a magical McGuffin, contrasting with the 'destiny-has-chosen you’ angle DA:I has for the Inquisitor

Rook is here because they chose to be, “and that speaks to the kind of character that we’ve built. Someone needs to stop this, and Rook says, ‘I guess that’s me'”

The 4 voices we can choose for Rook each have a pitch shifter in CC

The game starts inside the bar (as previously detailed in other coverage)

In some dialogue wheels there is a “romantically inclined ‘emotional’ response” option. These are the replies that will build relationships with characters, romantic and platonic alike, but you can ignore them if you want to. Giving a companion the cold shoulder might nudge them into another companion’s embrace however

Bellara’s surname is Lutara

In the streets of Minrathous (in the opening segment of the game), there is a wide, winding pathway with a pub which has a dozen NPCs in it (is this The Swan tavern?)

The devs used the DA:TV CC to make each in-world NPC, except for specific characters like companions

There is smart use of verticality, scaling and wayfinding in the gameplay

If you play as e.g. a qunari Rook, the camera adjusts to ensure larger characters like them loom over those below. The camera also adjusts appropriately for dwarves to demonstrate their smaller stature

Neve Gallus is described as being capable

The Venatori Cultists we fight in the opening segment of the game are seizing the chaos caused by the demons unleashed by Solas’ ritual to try and take the opportunity to take over the city

As you traverse deeper and deeper into Solas’ hideout, more of his murals appear on the walls, and things 'get more elven'. Rhodes says “this is because you’re symbolically going back in time, as Minrathous is a city built by mages on the bones of what was originally the home of the elves”

At the heart of Solas’ hideout is his personal eluvian

Demons are fully redesigned in this game, on their original premise as creatures of feeling that live and die off the emotions around them. “As such, they are just a floating nervous system, pushed into this world from the Fade, rapidly assembled into bodies out of whatever scraps they find”

In the opening, we stop Solas’ ritual and save the world. “For now” anyways. Rook passes out moments later and wakes up in a dream-like landscape to the voice of Solas. He explains that a few drops of Rook’s blood interacted with the ritual, connecting them to the Fade forever. (I guess this is why they said in the Discord Q&A on June 14th that Rook has good reasons to want to avoid blood magic)

He also says that he was attempting to move Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain (confirming who the two Evil Gods are) to a new prison, because the one he had previously constructed was failing. Unfortunately, Solas is trapped in the Fade by our doing, and the two gods are now free. “It’s up to Rook to stop them”, thus setting the stage for our adventure

Rook wakes up after this with Harding and Neve “in the lair of the Dread Wolf himself”, a special magical realm in the Fade called The Lighthouse. It’s a towering structure centered amongst various floating islands. This is where the team bonds, grows, and prepares for its adventures. It becomes more functional and homier as you do. “Already, though, it’s a beautifully distraught headquarters for the Veilguard, although they aren’t quite referring to themselves as that just yet”.

Because it was Solas’ home base, it's gaudy, with his fresco murals adorning various walls, greenery hanging from above, and hues of purple and touches of gold everywhere. Since it’s in the Fade, which is a realm of dreams that responds to your world state and emotion, the Lighthouse “reflects the chaos and disrepair of the Thedas you were in moments ago”

Clock symbols over dialogue icons signal optional dialogue options

At this point you can head over to Neve, engage in dialogue, and try and flirt with her

There is a dining hall in the Lighthouse. A plate, cutlery and a drinking chalice are at the end of a massive table. Matt Rhodes says that this is a funny and sad look at Solas’ isolated existence, and an example of the detail BioWare’s art team has put into DA:TV. “It’s like when you go to a friend’s house and see their bedroom for the first time; you get to learn more about them”

There is also a library, which is the central area of the The Lighthouse. It’s here that the party will often regroup and prepare for what’s next

The team decides that it must reach the ritual site back in Arlathan Forest. Corinne Busche said that the writer was "missing unique dialogue options here because I’m qunari; an elf would have more to say about the Fade due to their connection to it. The same goes for my backstory earlier in Minrathous. If I had picked the Shadow Dragons background, Neve would have recognized me immediately, with unique dialogue”

The team decide their next move. They go to Solas’ eluvian and back through to the ritual site in Arlathan Forest. However, it’s not fully functional without Solas, and while it returns them to the Forest, it’s not exactly where they want to go. Then a demon-infested suit of mechanized armor known as a Sentinel attacks them, and two NPCs appear to save you: the Veil Jumpers Strife and Irelin. Harding recognizes them, which you would expect if you read the comic Dragon Age: The Missing. They are experts in ancient elven magic. A cutscene ensues and we learn that Strife and Irelin need help finding Bellara Lutara. This cutscene is long and has multiple dialogue options.

“There’s a heavy emphasis on storytelling and dialogue, and it feels deep and meaty, like a good fantasy novel. BioWare doesn’t shy away from minutes-long cutscenes”

For Rook, this story is about what does it mean to be a leader? We define their leadership style with our choices. “From the sound of it, my team will react to my chosen leadership style in how my relationships play out.” This is demonstrated within the game’s dialogue and a special relationship meter on each character’s companion screen

Bellara is deep within Arlathan Forest, and following the events of the prologue, something is up here. Three rings of massive rocks fly through the air, protecting what appears to be a central fortress. Demon Sentinels plague the surrounding lands.

In gameplay/combat, players complete every swing in real time. Special care was taken in development for animation swing-through and cancelling. We can dash, parry, charge moves, and a completely revamped healing system that allows us to use potions at our discretion by hitting right on the d-pad. You can combo attacks and even ‘bookmark’ combos with a quick dash, which means that you can pause a combo’s status with a dash to safety and continue the rest of the combo afterward

Abilities can be used to customize your kit. They can be used on the fly as long as you account for cooldowns

When you pause and pull up the ability Wheel, it highlights you and your companions’ skills. There you can choose abilities, queue them, target specific enemies, and strategize with synergies and combos

Each character plays the same in that you execute light and heavy attacks with the same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way, regardless of which class you select

Sword and shield warriors can hip-fire or aim their shield and throw it like Captain America

Warriors can parry incoming attacks which can stagger enemies. Rogues have a larger parry window. The mage the writer played couldn’t parry at all. Instead they throw up a shield that blocks incoming attacks automatically, so long as you have the mana to maintain it

On the start/pause screen: it has the map, journal, character sheets, skill tree, and a library for lore information. You can use it to cross-compare equipment and equip new gear for Rook and their companions, build weapon loadouts for quick change-ups mid-combat, and customize you and your party’s abilities and builds via an easy-to-understand skill tree. There aren’t in-depth minutiae, just "real numbers". For example, an unlocked trait might increase damage by 25 percent against armor, but that’s as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like a Wall of Fire to your arsenal if you’re a mage. As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100 percent bespoke to each class, you’ll work closer to unlocking a spec, complete with a unique ultimate ability

“Sentinels and legions of darkspawn”

Combat is flashy and quick, with different types of health bars. Greenish-blue represents a barrier, which is taken down most effectively with ranged attacks

The game is gorgeous, with sprinkles, droplets, and splashes of magic in each attack a mage unleashes

The game looks amazing on consoles both in fidelity and performance modes

The mission to find Bellara is called “In Entropy’s Grasp”. You find her. She is the first companion you recruit (as Neve auto-joins). If your background is Veil Jumper, you get unique dialogue here with Bellara. She explains that everyone there is all trapped in a Veil Bubble, and there’s no way out once you pass through it. Despite the dire situation, she is bubbly, witty, and charming. She is spunky and effervescent

Companions are the faces of their factions, and in this case with Bellara, their entire area of the world. She is our window into Arlathan Forest. She is described as a sweetheart and a nerd for ancient elven artifacts, which is why she’s dressed more like an academic than a combatant. Her special arm gauntlet is useful both for tinkering with her environment and taking down enemies. While Neve uses ice magic and can slow time with a special ability, Bellara specializes in electricity, and she can also use magic to heal you. Her electric magic is effective against Sentinels. “However, without Bellara, we could also equip a rune that converts my ice magic, for a brief duration, into electricity to counter the Sentinels”

If you don’t direct your companions in combat, they are fully independent and will attack on their own

You progress at this point through the Forest, encountering more and more darkspawn. Bellara says that they have never been this far before because the underground Deep Roads, which they usually escape from, aren’t nearby. However, with “blighted” (BLIGHTED!) elven gods roaming the world, and thanks to the Blight’s radiation-like spread, it’s a much bigger threat in DA:TV than any prior DA game

The Forest has elven ruins, dense greenery and disgusting Blight tentacles and pustules

The style of the game is more high fantasy than anything in the series thus far and almost reminiscent of the whimsy of Fable. Matt Rhodes says that this is the result of the game’s newfound dose of magic: “The use of magic has been an evolution as the series has gone on. It’s something we’ve been planning for a while because Solas has been planning all this for a while. In the past, you could hint at cooler magical things in the corner because you couldn’t actually go there, but now we actually can, and it’s fun to showcase that.” The Forest’s whimsy will starkly contrast to the game’s other areas. The devs promise some grim locations and even grimmer story moments because, without that contrast, everything falls flat. Corinne says it’s like a “thread of optimism” pulled through otherworldly chaos ravaging Thedas. At this point in the game, Bellara’s personality is that thread

We can advance our bonds with our companions on their own personal quests and by including them in our party on main quests. Every Relationship Level you rank up, shown on their character sheet, nets you a skill point to spend on them. “The choices you make, what you say to companions, how you help them, and more all matter to their development as characters and party members”. Each companion has access to 5 abilities.

Each companion has issues, problems, and personal quests to complete. “Bellara has her own story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you’re on” (They’ve said that all of the companions have this too in previous promo material)

You progress deeper into the forest and Bellara spots a floating fortress and thinks that the artifact needed to destroy the Veil Bubble is in there. To reach it, we must remove the floating rock rings, and Bellara’s unique ability, Tinker, can do just that by interacting with a piece of ancient elven technology nearby. Rook can acquire abilities like Tinker later to complete such tasks in instances where Bellara, for example, isn’t in the party

Bellara has to activate three of these in the Forest to reach the castle. Each one you activate brings forth a bunch of Sentinels, demons, and darkspawn to defeat

You can create Arcane Bombs on enemies. It does high damage after being hit by a heavy attack

It sounds like mage characters can charge heavy attacks on their magical staffs. “then switch to magical daggers in a second loadout accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick attacks”

Some enemies are “Frenzied”, meaning that they hit harder, move faster, and have more health

After a few more combat sections, including against a Frenzied sentinel, we reach the center of the temple. In there is an artifact called the Nadas Dirthalen. Bellara knows that this means “the inevitability of knowledge”. Before we can progress, a darkspawn ogre boss attacks, hitting hard with unblockable, red-coded attacks and a massive shield that you need to take down first. It is weak to fire

After defeating it (it’s a climactic arena fight), Bellara uses a special crystal to power the artifact and remove it from the pedestal, which destroys the Veil Bubble. Then, the Nadas Dirthalen comes alive as an Archive Spirit, but because the crystal used to power it breaks, we learn little about this spirit before it disappears. Bellara thinks that she can fix it (fixing broken stuff is her thing), so the group heads back to the Veil Jumper camp. The writer’s demo then ended.

The design of the game is not open world. The devs describe it as a “hub-and-spoke” design where the needs of the story are served by the level design. A version of DA:I’s Crossroads return (the network of teleporting eluvians) and this is how players will traverse across northern Thedas. “Instead of a connected open world, players will travel from eluvian to eluvian to different stretches of this part of the continent”. e.g. Minrathous, tropical beaches, Arlathan Forest, “to grim and gothic areas and elsewhere”. Some of these areas are large and full of secrets and treasures. Others are smaller and more focused on linear storytelling. Arlathan Forest is an example of this, but it still has optional paths and offshoots to explore for loot, healing potion refreshes, and other things.

Each location has a minimap, though linear levels like In Entropy’s Grasp won’t have the 'fog of war' that disappears as you explore like in some of the game’s bigger locations

The game has the largest number of diverse biomes in DA history

The Thedas of DA:TV “lives in the uncertainty”. “the mystery of its narrative”, “the implications of its lore”

The writer is surprised by BioWare’s command over the notoriously difficult Frostbite engine, and by how much narrative thought the dev team poured into these characters, even for BioWare.

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[source: the Game Informer pages from Issue 367 - the cover story from June 18th (link), two]

[sophsbookstore]

i loved the quinn x pregnant!reader 💕 i was wondering if you could write one of their baby shower, where quinn is just being so attentive since it can get overwhelming tyy

Little All Star

Quinn Hughes x Pregnant!reader

read part 3 here!

Word count: 1564

Hockey Masterlist

A/N: Baby shower time!! (I also added a gender reveal at the end!)

The room buzzed with a chaotic symphony of laughter, chatter, and the clinking of champagne flutes (sparkling cider for her, of course). (Y/N), radiant with a seven-month glow, navigated the crowded living room of their Vancouver home with practiced ease, a hand resting protectively on her swollen belly. It was her baby shower, and the guest list read like a who's who of the NHL. Seriously, almost every player seemed to be there, along with their wives and girlfriends. It was a testament to Quinn's popularity, and to the genuine warmth (Y/N) herself radiated.

(Y/N) turned to Nathan MacKinnon and his partner. "Nate! You made it! I was worried you’d still be stuck in practice."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Nate grinned, handing her a gift bag. "Congrats, (Y/N) and Quinn. You two are going to be amazing parents."

She moved on, greeting Auston Matthews, Cale Makar, and a slew of other hockey stars and their families. It was a whirlwind of well-wishes, baby advice (solicited and unsolicited), and gifts that ranged from adorable knitted outfits to high-tech baby monitors. Quinn, ever the gracious host, was circulating too, though (Y/N) noticed he kept a watchful eye on her, always ready to steer her away from any potential bumps or overly enthusiastic hugs.

After working her way through the room, (Y/N) clinked a spoon against a champagne glass, the sound cutting through the din. "Okay, everyone, can I have your attention for a moment?" she announced, a playful smile on her face. The room quieted down, all eyes turning towards her.

"First off, thank you all so much for being here. It means the world to Quinn and me to have you all celebrate this special moment with us. We're so excited to welcome our little one into the world, and we can't wait for all the chaos and joy that's to come."

She paused, gesturing towards a table laden with plain white onesies and fabric markers in every color imaginable. "Now, for a little activity. We'd love for each of you to personalize a onesie for our baby. Get creative! Draw a picture, write a message, whatever you like. We'll cherish these forever."

A murmur of excitement rippled through the room. Hockey players, known more for their skills on the ice than their artistic abilities, suddenly became engrossed in the task at hand. Auston Matthews meticulously drew a maple leaf, while Cale Makar opted for a more abstract design. Even Quinn, usually so reserved, was sketching something with a focused expression. (Y/N) watched him, her heart swelling with love. She knew he was going to be the most amazing dad.

Her future in-laws, Quinn’s parents and brothers, were beaming with pride. They hovered nearby, offering (Y/N) snacks and drinks, making sure she was comfortable. "You're glowing, sweetheart," Quinn’s mom, Ellen, said, squeezing her hand. "You and Quinn are going to make such wonderful parents."

As the afternoon progressed, the onesie-decorating continued, the laughter and chatter never ceasing. (Y/N) felt overwhelmed with love and gratitude. Looking around at the room full of people who cared about her and Quinn, she knew that their baby was already surrounded by so much love.

The aroma of mini quiches, sliders, and an assortment of other delectable finger foods filled the air. The onesie decorating had transitioned seamlessly into a relaxed buffet-style meal. Guests mingled, plates in hand, the earlier artistic endeavors now a source of amusement and lighthearted ribbing. (Y/N), however, was content to perch on a plush armchair, a plate of fruit and a small pastry balanced on her bump. She watched the scene unfold with a warm smile, feeling a profound sense of happiness.

Suddenly, Quinn was beside her, his hand gently resting on her shoulder. "Hey," he said softly, his eyes filled with concern. "You okay? You've been sitting here for a while."

(Y/N) looked up at him, her smile widening. "I'm perfect," she assured him, taking his hand in hers. "Just soaking it all in. It's amazing to see everyone here celebrating with us."

Quinn's gaze softened as he looked at her. "You're amazing," he murmured, his thumb gently stroking her hand. He glanced down at her belly. "And so is this little one."

"They're both great," (Y/N) confirmed, patting her bump affectionately. "Really. I'm feeling good. A little tired, maybe, but good."

Quinn still looked a little worried. "You sure? You haven't been up and moving around much."

(Y/N) chuckled. "I'm seven months pregnant, Quinn. Moving around isn't exactly my favorite pastime these days." She squeezed his hand. "Go on, enjoy yourself. Talk to the guys. I know you haven't seen some of them in a while."

Quinn hesitated. "I'm good here with you," he said, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Quinn," (Y/N) said gently, "I want you to have fun too. This is a celebration for you as well. Go on. I promise I'll be fine. My mom and your mom are keeping a close eye on me," she added, nodding towards the two women who were indeed hovering nearby, chatting animatedly.

Quinn finally relented, though his expression still held a hint of worry. "Okay," he said, giving her hand a final squeeze. "But I'll be checking in every five minutes."

(Y/N) laughed. "Deal."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," (Y/N) replied, her heart overflowing with love for this man who was so devoted to her and their unborn child.

As Quinn went off to join his teammates, (Y/N) watched him go, a soft smile playing on her lips. She knew he would always worry about them. It was just the kind of person he was. And honestly, she wouldn't have it any other way. It was a testament to his love, a love that she knew would only grow stronger when their little one finally arrived. She looked down at her belly, feeling a tiny flutter. "Your dad's a good one," she whispered to her baby. "We're lucky to have him."

The buffet tables were now mostly cleared, the remnants of the delicious food a testament to the celebratory feast. (Y/N) and Quinn, hand in hand, made their way to the center of the living room, a shared, excited glint in their eyes. They had a little surprise planned, a grand finale to the already wonderful afternoon.

"Alright everyone," (Y/N) announced, her voice ringing with anticipation. "We have one more little thing to share with you all before you go."

Quinn stepped forward, placing a protective arm around her. "We're so excited to finally reveal the gender of our baby," he said, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of smiling faces.

A collective gasp rippled through the room, followed by a flurry of excited whispers. The guests had been eagerly awaiting this moment. (Y/N) had strategically avoided any hints throughout the shower, keeping everyone guessing.

"And to help us with this very important announcement," (Y/N) continued, gesturing towards the doorway, "we have two very special helpers."

As if on cue, Jack and Luke Hughes walked into the room, a dramatic flair in their steps. The crowd erupted in laughter. Jack was decked out head-to-toe in blue, while Luke was a vision in pink. The brothers grinned mischievously at each other, the playful rivalry evident in their eyes.

"So," Quinn explained, a smile playing on his lips, "the Hughes brothers are going to settle this once and for all. A little brotherly competition to reveal whether we're welcoming a little hockey player or a future hockey player!"

The room erupted in cheers and laughter. Jack and Luke squared off, their playful banter echoing through the room. They started “play” fighting, shoving each other lightly, much to the amusement of the crowd. It was clear they were enjoying the theatrics of it all. The playful wrestling match continued for a few minutes, with both brothers putting on a show. Finally, after a particularly dramatic tumble, Jack emerged victorious, pinning Luke to the ground.

"It's a boy!" Jack shouted, pumping his fist in the air, his blue attire now even more prominent.

The room exploded. Cheers, whistles, and applause filled the air. Quinn let out a whoop of joy, pumping his fists in the air mirroring his younger brother and then turning to (Y/N) and pulling her into a passionate kiss.

"We're having a little boy!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with pure happiness.

The hockey players in the crowd went wild. "Future NHL star!" someone yelled. "Another Hughes brother on the ice!" "Get him a mini stick!" others shouted, their voices filled with excitement.

(Y/N) laughed, her eyes sparkling with tears of joy. She looked around at the room, at all the people who were sharing in their happiness, and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Their little boy was already so loved.

As the celebration continued, (Y/N) leaned into Quinn, her hand resting on her belly. "Looks like we're going to have our hands full," she murmured.

Quinn smiled, kissing her forehead. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied, his eyes filled with love and anticipation. "I can't wait to meet our little guy."

[dragon-kazansky]

The Last Goodbye

I'm heartbroken. I can't believe he's gone. To those of you who have been following me a while, you'll know Val Kilmer was very dear to me. Tom Kazansky, Iceman, from Top Gun has been and still is my number one fictional man 💕

My friend @sitkafay said I should write out something to express my feelings. I responded I didn't know what to write, but then an idea came to me. There's only one way really I know how to write things: In the form of a fic. So, I hope this is okay. I hope this fic can bring us all a bit of peace in his loss.

Yes, he was a celebrity, but he was an actor who made an impact. He'll be missed dearly by all his fans.

Also, thank you to everyone who came to check on me after the news. I am truly devastated by his loss, but Tom Kazansky will always be here on my page. 💗

I dedicate this fic to my Chaos Squad!

@whiskeyswriting @breadsquash @callmemana @askmarinaandothers @faerieroyal @cycbaby @tngrace @ladylanera @bayisdying @callsignscupcake

Iceman x Dragon

When Jade arrives at the house with her husband, Ron, in tow, it's quiet. Too quiet. Never have they ever known the Kazansky house to be so silent. Any other time this house would be full of laughter and chatter. The door was always open to those dropping by. Even now the door is unlocked. They were expected to come.

Walking into the main hall, they are met with even more silence. It felt wrong. Silence didn't belong in these halls, and Jade wishes with all her being that she could change it.

But she can't.

Her husband kisses her forehead and lets her find Rachael on her own. Because right now all Dragon needed was her Whiskey, as strange as that sounds.

Jade heads upstairs, taking her time. All along the wall are framed photos of a life lived. From Polaroids to photos taken from the kids' phones as they grew up. A whole lifetime.

The bedroom door is open a crack. Jade can hear soft sniffling from inside. Her heart broke knowing her friend was suffering. She doesn't even knock. Jade enters the bedroom and within seconds the other woman is on her arms sobbing.

It's not silent anymore.

The house is full of heartbreak and loss. A broken woman who doesn't know what to do with herself anymore. What does someone do when the love of their life is gone? Jade doesn't hold the answer. Slider is still here, downstairs. Ice is not. Tom is gone and Rachael is alone.

No, not alone. She'll never be alone, but a piece of her will always be missing.

Jade lets her cry until she can't no more. She guides Rachael to the bed and they both sit down. Jade doesn't say anything. She doesn't even try and make Rachael say anything. They just hold each other until Rachael's voice is hoarse and the crying stops.

“He's gone.” Her voice sounds lost and broken.

“I know,” is all Jade can think to say, rubbing her back gently.

“It's not fair. He should still be here. He… He…” She sobs again. Jade pulls her in close. “He's gone…”

Jade isn't sure how long they both stay like that for. It feels like minutes but also hours at the same time. Time means nothing in this room.

“I can't… I can't even sleep in here.”

“No, I know.” Jade kisses the top of her head and runs her fingers through her hair. Oh, how her heart aches for her friend. This was never going to be easy.

The room fills with only sobbing again. Jade tries to comfort her friend, but there's only so much she can do. She can't take away her pain.

Eventually, Ron pokes his head around through the door. Jade looks up and smiles softly at him, but her smile doesn't reach her eyes. As soon as Rachael spots Ron she gets up and gives him a hug. It's one of those big bear hugs that make you feel safe and at home. Ron lets his own tears flow.

“God, I'm so sorry.” She whispers in his ear.

“You're sorry? I'm sorry.” He says back to her.

They hold each other in this moment of peace. Though she's surrounded by two very dear friends, there's still a hole of where someone else is supposed to be. The group of four is down to three. It feels wrong somehow.

Ron takes her hands in his. “Whatever you need, we're here.”

“Thank you."

She turns toward the bed where a box sits. At first she doesn't say anything, she just stares at it. The other two follow her gaze. “It has some of his belongings in it.” Rachael walks over to the box and pulls it forward, peering inside. Jade and Ron flank her on either side to also look in it.

His aviators sit on top of everything else. Rachael picks them up and looks at them. “These old things… he's had these since day one.”

“The original?” Ron asks.

“The original,” she nods.

She sets them aside and lifts up a photo frame. “This is the photo from his office. I thought maybe you would want it, Slider.” She hands the frame over. It's the Top Gun photo.

Ron look at it quietly and nods, “I'll keep it safe.” He holds it to his chest.

The next item that comes out of the box is a leather bound journal. Rachael runs her hand down the worn out cover. “I was hoping to give this to Pete…”

“What is it?” Jade asks.

“A diary. This one specifically is from his time in Top Gun. He wrote about pretty much everyone in that class. There's a lot of comments about Pete on it, but I think it's stuff he'd like to hear.”

“He will come,” Jade says.

“Will he?”

Ron runs a hand down his face. He has no words to offer her. He can't make Maverick show up, but he hopes the man does.

At the bottom of the box is a few more items belonging to Tom, but they're just little things Rachael wanted to give to people who were dear to him, her found family mainly.

Jade wraps her arm around her shoulder ams pulls her in close. Rachael hugs the journal to her chest and cries again. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. Don't ever be sorry.”

“What am I going to do without him?” She cries. “He's always just… been there… and now he's not.”

Jade wraps both her arms around her now and holds her tight. There is nothing any of them can do to make this better. The pain won't just go away overnight.

Later that evening, Ron and Jade sit in the living room of the Kazansky house. Rachael is fast asleep upstairs. It took Jade a while to calm her down enough to get her to sleep, but she managed. Rachael hadn't eaten anything. Jade didn't force her to.

Her husband had just passed away, how can anyone expect to be okay after that?

Ron wraps his arm around his wife and kisses her head softly. They can't even bring themselves to turn the TV on.

“The house is too quiet.”

“The others will be here tomorrow. She asks us here first because she needed us,” Ron says softly.

“I know, but still… It feels wrong.”

He gives her a squeeze. It does feel wrong. He can feel it. Everyone feels the same. But no one is feeling pain more than their Dragon is upstairs.

“In time, we'll be okay.”

Jade nods quietly. A moment later, her phone starts ringing on the coffee table. She gets up and answers it. Ron watches her go into the kitchen and then tilts his head back to look up at the ceiling. He sighs.

The next morning, Rachael wakes up with a pounding headache. As the world comes into focus, a gasp catches in her throat. She's in their bed… her bed now. She hadn't slept in this room since he passed. Now, she was waking up to half an empty bed and a completely broken heart.

Tears come to her eyes as she stares at his untouched pillow. He was here only a few days ago, now he's gone. She reaches out and strokes the pillow gently. It's cold to the touch, but she can almost see him lying there looking at her with his beautiful blue eyes.

A sob breaks from her lips and she buries her face in her own pillow, clutching the bed covers tight. She would never wake up beside him again.

There's a soft knock at the door. Jade doesn't wait for her answer. She pushes open the door and pokes her head in. When she sees the state of her friend her heart aches for her. Jade enters the rook and sits on the edge of the bed. She strokes Rachael's hair gently. “Come on, sweetheart. You need to get up.”

“I don't want to…”

“No one wants to do this, but he deserves the send off. Come on, let's go eat.” Jade urges her friend up out of the bed and holds her hand as they go downstairs. Ron is in the kitchen cooking up a mighty breakfast. Jade guides Rachael into a chair and pours her some juice and some coffee. Ron dishes up the food and joins the two ladies at the table. No one talks as they butter their toast and tuck into their food.

Jade keeps an eye on Rachael. She worries about her. Today was the last goodbye and she feared her friend wasn't up to it, but she had to be. Jade refused to leave her friend's side for a moment. She reaches out and grasps Rachael’s shaky hand and gives it a squeeze.

Rachael can't even get through a slice of toast without tears breaking out. Jade gets up and pulls her into another hug. “It's okay. It's going to be okay.”

As Jade calms her down there's a knock at the door. Ron gets up to answer it. When he opens the door he sees Lucky. Bailey, Ice's pride and joy. She immediately falls into his arms and cries in his chest. Ron holds her tight.

Rachael stands at the end of the hall. She knew who it was who had come and she needed to see her. Bailey freed herself from Ron's arms to run to Rachael. Dragon caught her in her arms and held her tight to her chest. Lucky cried in her mama's arms. Rachael held her close and rocked her gently.

“It's going to be okay,” she whispers. Though Rachael wasn't sure which one of them she was trying to comfort.

Lucky couldn't stop crying. Rachael had never seen her girl cry so much. Though no one had seen Dragon cry so much either. Ron and Jade give the girls a bit of alone time.

Eventually, everyone gathers around the breakfast table again. Lucky sits next to Dragon, needing her mother's comfort. They both manage to eat something. Conversation was sparse, though.

Once breakfast is over, Ron works on clearing the table. Bailey goes to help him, leaving Jade and Rachael alone again. Jade insists on helping Rachael get ready for today. As much as Rachael hates to think about it, she knows she has to do this.

The two of them go upstairs. Rachael goes into the bathroom to shower and clean up herself. She hadn't taken proper care of herself these past few days. Tom would have hated knowing that.

Jade set out Rachael's outfit on the bed. She had picked it up yesterday for her before coming to the house, as well as her own. Jade got changed while she waited for her friend. She was in the process of doing her hair when Rachael came out wrapped in a towel. Jade smiled and kissed her forehead. “For luck,” she whispered.

Rachael smiled and sat on her bed to dry her hair. The two of them spent the next hour getting ready. Mainly, getting Rachael ready. Jade sorted her hair and make-up for her. Rachael was grateful she was there. She couldn't have done this on her own.

There's a knock at the door and then Lucky enters. Rachael smiles at the sight of her. Bailey was dressed and ready to go. Rachael reaches out and takes her hands in hers. They both squeeze gently.

“You look beautiful,” Rachael whispers softly.

“So do you,” Bailey smiles back.

They hug and hold each other for a while. It's Ron who disrupts the moment by entering the room. “The cars are here.”

Rachael grabs her purse and takes a deep breath. She looks at the bed for a moment. She keeps expecting him to show up, but she knows he won't.

Bailey loops her arm with Rachael's and they leave together. Rachael and Bailey get in one car, Jade and Ron get in the other. They head to the cemetery.

The car ride is quiet. Bailey doesn't let go of Rachael's hand. Both of them look out the window the whole ride there.

When they arrive, Rachall takes a deep breath. Bailey gives her hand another squeeze. “We can do this.”

“We can,” Rachael says, looking at her. They smile at each other and then climb out of the car. Jade and Ron join them and they walk up the footpath.

Now it's all real.

Rachael struggles to hold back her tears as her eyes land on the coffin. A photo of Tom stands upright behind it. She has to cover her mouth to not sob too loudly, though no one would blame her. All eyes were on her as she approached the coffin. Bailey bursts into tears again, and Ron pulls her into his side. Jade lets Rachael go on her own to approach the coffin.

Slowly, she reaches out and brushes her fingers along the top. Her vision blurs from the amount of tears running down her face.

“I love you,” she whispers.

She could almost hear him saying it back. She nearly smiles. She turns slowly and finds everyone watching her. Her family, the Top Gun recruits, old friends.

Jade holds her hand as she guides her to her seat. The ceremony begins. Rachael can hardly focus. She can't tear her gaze from his picture. It's almost like he's right there in front of her. She half expects him to smile and hold out his hand to her. She'd take and they'd kiss and dance and just be together as it should be.

But none of that happens.

All those in uniform perform the usual send off for a Navy officer. The flag is placed over the coffin.

She's then asked to say some words.

Rachael hadn't planned anything. She had been far too upset to sit and think of what to say. How can anyone think of what to say at their soulmate's funeral?

She stands on shaky legs, Jade giving her a supportive pat on her back. Rachael approaches the stand next to the coffin. Her eyes are focused on it until she comes to a stop. She takes a deep breath and faces everyone.

“I…”

What does she say? She could go with the usual funeral speech most people use… or she could find it within her heart to be honest and share how she really feels.

Just as she opens her mouth to try and speak again, someone catches her eye. He's in uniform coming toward the ceremony.

Maverick. Pete.

He catches her eye and nods at her silently. Rachael smiles. He's here. Everyone is here, and everything will be okay.

“Tom Kazansky was a lot of things to a lot of different people. Many of you knew him as Admiral Kazansky. Others knew him since he himself was a lieutenant. I always just knew him as Tom. We met many years ago, before the Navy. Dated for a while, broke up, and then got reunited again. The universe was sending us a sign. Our relationship sparked once more and from the second we both realised we couldn't be without one another, our future was set.”

She looks at the coffin again. “Tom was many things. A determined and confident pilot. A flirty and cocky gentleman.” A few people laugh. “But he was also kind, gentle, and romantic. Tom cared for those he deemed friends, and even more so for those he considered family. It's because of Tom I have the family I do today. A found family, and I wouldn't trade a single one of you for anything.”

Rachael wipes the tears from her face and looks at everyone again. “I hope you all know how much you all meant to him.” She looks at the coffin again, “and how much he meant to me.” She places her hand over her heart. “I miss him forever and always, just as much as I love him. Tom, this is my last goodbye to you, but I hope even now you know you are mine always. I love you.”

The tears run again, but this time it isn't Jade who comforts her, it's Pete. Mav takes her in his arms and hugs her tight. She returns the hug. Everyone is silent as they watch.

“I've got you,” Pete whispers.

“Thank you,” she whispers back. “For everything.” She lifts her head and looks up at him. “I'm glad you came.”

“I wasn't even going to miss it.”

“I know, but still, I'm glad to see you.”

“You too, sweetheart.”

Pete reaches into his pocket and pulls out something, holding it out to her. Rachael takes it from his hand and holds it in her open palm.

“His dog tags,” she whispers.

“I think you should have them.”

Rachael clutches them to her chest. “Thank you.”

Pete takes them and puts them on her so she can wear them. Rachael clutches them in her hand and squeezes gently. He'll always be with her. Always.

Pete guides her back to her chair. The ceremony ends with jets flying overhead. Rachael finds herself looking at the coffin again. He still feels so close, yet so far away.

As others break away and go off to greet others, Rachael walks back to the coffin. Once more she places her hand on top of it. She feels warm, the same warmth She used to get from him.

“I'm going to miss you every day. I can't believe you left me… but… I know I'm not going to be alone.” Rachael glances behind her at the group. “I'll never be alone.” She looks back at the coffin. “I'll be visiting often. You can't escape my company, even in death,” she smiles. “I love you, Tom. Always and forever.”

The Hard Deck is open, but only for the funeral. Penny made certain no one else could come in tonight. Drinks would be discounted, and she still had to make a living, you know. She had also prepared a wonderful buffet for everyone.

Rachael entered with Pete in tow. He got her a drink and she down half of it there and then.

“Slow down, sweetheart.”

“I needed it.”

He chuckles softly and keeps his arm around your shoulders as she thanks people who come over to her. Once she's alone again she sigh. “It feels weird.”

“Yeah…” He agrees.

“I can't believe he's gone.”

“Me either.”

Rachael and Pete share a look. So many words are spoken without being said. A huge part of their lives is gone.

“You know, he loved you more than life itself,” Pete says with a gentle tone.

“Yeah,” Rachael smiles. “I know. He made sure I knew it every day.”

They both chuckle.

“Life is going to feel weird for a while, but soon enough, we'll crack on as we always do. The world is still turning and we're still here. Believe me, that house will never be empty,” Pete grins.

“It never really was,” Rachael chuckles. “I couldn't have done any of this without all of you beside me. I never want to feel lonely, I never can be with you lot.”

“And that's how it should be.”

They both raise their glasses. “To Ice,” Mav says.

“To Tom,” she replies.

They drink in his honour.

Dragon without Ice is like a jigsaw with a piece that doesn't quite fit. She'll never be complete, but she'll also always be okay. She'll miss him for the rest of her life as there was no one quite like Tom Kazansky in her life. He was unique and wonderful and everything she could have wanted.

Now he's gone.

She'll be okay in time. She has a family beside her to keep her on her feet, and whenever she's feeling sad or lonely, they'll be right there to cheer her up.

The pain will never go away, but it will get easier to handle.

Goodbye, Tom Kazansky.

Goodbye, Val.

[justalathings]

Strange Woods/Dziwny Bór - Custom The Sims 2 Neighborhood

[Polish version below]

So, um, hi. Believe it or not but this is my first ever post on Tumblr. I am here to share my custom TS2 neighborhood - first of many to come, I hope.

This is the very first neighborhood I have ever created for other people so some mistakes are bound to be there. Still, it was very heavily playtested by my dear and amazing sister Julia and I made a lot of improvements based on her feedback. I love her so much and I would never make this if it wasn't for her.

Welcome to Strange Woods!

~ extremely Maxis-like ~ no CC ~ no mods required ~ all packs required ~

DOWNLOAD:

MediaFire: ENG, PL

OneDrive: ENG, PL

Several decades ago, the residents of Strange Woods woke up, not remembering who they were or where they came from. Although many years have passed, they all seem to belong to a different world. Unfortunately, there is no going back to those days and they must build their lives in this strange place. Will they manage to find happiness, or, entangled in scandals, will they bring disaster upon themselves?

Ten playable families, custom townies, custom community lots. All builds made by me, all sims made with custom sliders and/or born in-game.

Every family includes some drama - if you love scandals, affairs and family secrets - this neighborhood is for you!

RESIDENTS:

[descriptions in ALT]

Edited to add: all families start on Monday around 9 am. This may mean they're missing school/work. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but you can still send them there late.

There's loooots of easter eggs, all residents and some townies have bios, some lots have hidden secrets - try to uncover them all!

This neighborhood is CC-free but some townies have hair/clothes from TS2 Store. If you don't want to download that, no worries - it will just be randomly replaced. It shouldn't affect the game in any way.

TS2 Store download link: https://archive.org/details/tumblr_fae6a4b9e8cb9aa38c5f84f4e596d474_5fa9111e_540

You don't need any mods to play this hood but I recommend getting some population controlling mods to make sure you can take advantage of the custom townies shipped with Strange Woods.

For example, you can download notownieregen here:

http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/ffs/uni/hacks/

The neighborhood was created in Polish and then translated - there may be some mistakes or something I missed and left in Polish. I apologize if it happened. Please let me know if you find that so I can fix and update.

There's definitely some content from the Ikea pack. I can't really tell how much so I recommend having it installed. It still should be playable without it tho but you may need to replace some stuff.

The map is made by M.M.A.A. on modthesims. Download link: https://modthesims.info/d/582244/pitchfork-river-requested-terrain.html

Thank you to everyone who will download and play this hood. I hope you enjoy the chaos <3

***

Dziwny Bór - Otoczenie The Sims 2

Hej! Wierzcie lub nie, ale to mój pierwszy post na Tumblrze ever. Chcę podzielić się moim otoczeniem do TS2 - pierwszym z wielu, mam nadzieję.

To pierwsze otoczenie, jakie kiedykolwiek stworzyłam dla innych ludzi, więc na pewno znajdzie się kilka błędów. Mimo to, zostało ono bardzo dokładnie przetestowane przez moją kochaną i niesamowitą siostrę Julię i wprowadziłam wiele ulepszeń na podstawie jej feedbacku. Bardzo ją kocham i nigdy by mi się nie udało tego dokończyć, gdyby nie ona.

Witaj w Dziwnym Borze!

~ bardzo Maxisowe ~ bez CC ~ bez wymaganych modów ~ wymaga wszystkich rozszerzeń ~

DOWNLOAD:

MediaFire: ENG, PL

OneDrive: ENG, PL

Kilkadziesiąt lat temu mieszkańcy Dziwnego Boru obudzili sie, nie pamiętając, kim są ani skąd się wzięli. Choć minęło wiele lat, każdy z nich wydaje się należeć do innego świata. Niestety, do tamtych dni nie ma już powrotu i muszą ułożyć sobie życie w tym dziwacznym miejscu. Czy uda im się znaleźć szczęście, czy też zaplątani w skandale sprowadzą na siebie katastrofę?

Dziesięć grywalnych rodzin, customowi townie, customowe parcele publiczne. Wszystko zbudowane przeze mnie, wszystkie simy wykonane z niestandardowymi suwakami i/lub urodzone w grze.

Każda rodzina ma w sobie trochę dramy - jeśli kochasz skandale, romanse i rodzinne sekrety - to otoczenie jest dla Ciebie!

MIESZKAŃCY:

[opisy w ALT]

Edit: wszystkie rodziny zaczynają w poniedziałek ok. 9 rano. To oznacza, że niektórzy opuszczają szkołę/pracę. Przepraszam, jeśli sprawi to kłopot, ale można ich posłać później.

W mieście jest ogrom easter eggów, wszyscy mieszkańcy i niektórzy townie mają biografie, niektóre parcele mają specjalne sekrety - mam nadzieję, że odkryjesz je wszystkie!

Nie ma tu żadnego CC, ale niektórzy townie mają włosy/ubrania ze store TS2. Jeśli nie masz ochoty go pobierać, to nie ma sprawy - brakujące elementy zostaną to po prostu losowo zastąpione przez grę. Nie powinno to mieć żadnego wpływu na grywalność.

Link do TS2 Store: https://archive.org/details/tumblr_fae6a4b9e8cb9aa38c5f84f4e596d474_5fa9111e_540

Nie potrzeba żadnych modów, żeby grać w tym otoczeniu, ale polecam zainstalować coś kontrolującego populację, żeby móc wykorzystać w pełni customowych townies z Dziwnego Boru.

Przykładowy link do notownieregen:

http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/ffs/uni/hacks/

Jeśli wolisz grać po angielsku - nie ma problemu, ale chcę zaznaczyć, że simowie mają różne imiona i nazwiska między wersjami, a otoczenie było tworzone po polsku, więc mogą pojawić się błędy lub braki w tłumaczeniu, za co przepraszam.

Zdecydowanie użyłam jakiejś zawartości z Ikei. Nie potrafię powiedzieć ile, więc zalecam posiadanie go. Nie powinno być problemu z grywalnością bez tego pakietu, ale może być konieczna wymiana niektórych rzeczy.

Autorem mapy jest M.M.A.A. na modthesims. Link: https://modthesims.info/d/582244/pitchfork-river-requested-terrain.html

Dziękuję wszystkim, którzy pobiorą i zagrają! Mam nadzieję, że spodoba wam się ten chaos <3

[katyahina]

Family tree of Izalith! (Well, in a certain timeframe, she actually has like 50000 more babies and you know it)

Explanations for design choices and names under cut:

1) Izalith IS her actual name! It is a bit obscured, but Miyazaki did mention it in the design works interview ( x ): "...Despite his size, he’s actually the youngest of Izalith’s children, he stands gazing up at the ruins where his sisters live. " Quelana also mentioned it in Japanese script:

私の母イザリスは : ‘My mother, Izalith’

2) Quelaana/Quelaan is not a thing! According to the dataminers, it was just a mistake that endured so long it spread within the fandom, but nope, Fair Lady remains nameless. In fact, as you can see, Quelana is actually Quelaana, because of the long ー!

3) I've noticed the pattern between Quelana and Grana, both eldest. Quelana says she abandoned her younger sisters in Japanese script:

…私は、母も、妹たちも、すべて棄てて逃げ出したんだ

Their names are very similar, only Grana is missing the ー (that localised as double aa) and 'ku' sound is replaced with 'gu' sound! So, クラーナ (Qura~na) and グラナ (Gurana). The sisters also tend to come in pairs: Quelaag and Fair Lady had the same mutation, two sisters became right and left arms of Bed of Chaos, and then two eldest sisters share a naming pattern... So I've decided that they should be born as twin pairs (not necessarily identical as you can see), and repeat the naming pattern. But always replacing 'ku' with 'gu' didn't work because, I shit you not, in that case Fair Lady's name would sound like word gulag fsdhfdshfsd So I had to get creative with the sounds!

4) Appearances of Grana and the Parasitic Wall-Hugger (labeled 'Prince Izalith' internally and having same mutation as Jeremiah, only entirely swallowed) are based of the secret face data attached only to Grana! Whereas removing her helmet just gives placeholder default data, loading her through debug menu will (seemingly randomly) load one of these faces:

Other faceless NPCs like Ciaran and two Darkmoon Blades do not behave like that! This NPC is seemingly broken, but I believe the blond girl is "canon" since the body is female and seems to match her head! But attaching that guy to Grana's data specifically made me think he must be connected to the Witch's family!

5) Whereas Quelana has normal skin tone in character data, trophy that depicts her and her concept art show grey skin, just like her mother's:

The thing is, in Dark Souls 1 creator it is impossible to make purely grey skin because you need RGB type of color selection slider for it... which Dark Souls 1 does not use. Purple, green and blue? Sure! But not grey. So I decided to ignore her face data colors as technical limitation and base her off the art of her instead! It fits, because Izalith herself has grey skin too!

6) The Tailsman of Fair Lady's hair in Dark Souls 3 has her hair pulled through Old Witch's Ring:

(By dataminer Zullie: ( x ))

I added this part on her former hairstyle... Let's assume she allowed someone to cut her hairbun for their sake, since her hair helps with casting miracles and she is a very generous lady. I actually think ALL sisters used to wear a variant of Old Witch's Ring in some capacity after Ceaseless was born to understand what he was saying, but some of the portraits I've drawn don't let me showcase them!

7) Seeing how Quelana just looks like her mother and Grana just looks like her father, I thought it was fitting if twin pairs would be born with dark and fair hair! But Quelaag already has a circle of green close to her pupil and some grey shades in her hair, so I thought that the younger sisters get, the more the colors "mix". That's why the youngest sister just has colors mixed completely, whereas 'Prince Izalith' instead has fractioned colors from both parents!

8) The idea of Nameless King having had colorful mane and eyes in his youth is based on this theory I smoked recently:

His youngest version having 8 red strands in his hair is based on his symbol of Warrios of Sunlight having radiant red rays in Dark Souls 1!

Ornstein and the Dragonslayer (fought as Dragonslayer Armor) also have red plume! But wheras Ciaran and Artorias have just their hair on their helmets, Ornstein and Dragonslayer specifically have a decoration... so, why imitate red lion mane, if their liege is not even red-maned in any way? XD

(add ingame filter that makes it red rather than brown)

At the same time, if Lion Clan people to him are what Corvians to Velka, it would make sense if they were based on him too, so golden hair also had a place to be:

The black-maned lions are Hollow though, so I don't think of them too hard! So I guess Nameless King is as much Radahn prediction as he is Godwyn prediction! God of War associated with the lions and all.

9) Theory that Lost Sinner IS Princess/Queen of Venn just makes the most sense, nothing else to say here... Venn was affiliated with the Moon though, and Sinner has both beard and breasts:

And whereas normally all gender-neutral pronouns is localized as 'he', in this case, devs specifically instructed people to not fuck this up and specify she IS a female character x) Moonlight IS gender-bending power of the setting as confirmed in Dark Souls 3 (and partially in 1), and it adds to her connection to Izalith whose grey skin and blue lips might hint to initial Moon affinity too! Moon and Fire always go together in Dark Souls and Elden Ring, and in Elden Ring they are also inherently hostile to the "Sun" or "Gold"... so, Jealous Moon!

10) I thought Izalith felt broken and used seeing how her firstborn was just a child of Sun, without any link to her. So in her grudge and strive to equality, she separated Jeremiah from her own being... Though, ironically, as you can see, her side ended up "dominant" if not suppressive anyways. I guess I felt like subverting trope of Lilith a little. It also interestingly enough mirrors Daughters of the Dark; two of them, Elana and Nashandra, have fair hair and green eyes, and other two have dark hair (and brown eyes, Alsanna has a hidden brown-eyed texture). She mirrors this type of splitting with her colorations a bit!

[caystar13star]

I was reading this article and it talks about how Jon Hamm basically went into his role on Landman without really knowing what it was (he thought he was doing a superhero show). That reminded me of another interview where he said he didn’t know what his role would be on Top Gun Maverick- he just wanted to be in it.

So imagine a Cyclone who is an incredibly talented aviator, and a brilliant officer who climbed the ranks almost as fast as his hero, Iceman. He has a reputation for being in the right place at the right time, even if he isn’t always sure what he’s doing there. In short, he’s a bit clueless.

His best friend, Solomon, is usually there to pull him back on task or bail him out if he runs his mouth about something. Warlock and Iceman shared many drinks over the years, commiserating about their respective wingmen.

So the years move on, and Ice starts to worry about Maverick. They aren’t getting any younger, and he’s the last of the flyboys to settle down. Even Slider is seriously courting his young aviator (Fritz).

Ice thinks about who he could set Mav up with that would be interesting enough to hold Mav’s attention. He thinks it needs to be a man. Yes, Maverick enjoys the company of both men and women, but he’s a little more pliant, he gives himself over more completely to men.

It needs to be someone fairly tall. The main reason Slider and Mav had hooked up so many times over the years was the fact that they were enamored with each other’s size. Ron loved wrapping Pete up in his long arms, covering the smaller aviator, and protecting him.

Mav was still painfully touch-starved after all these years, and he loved being cuddled. Ice did his best when he was around, but the more stars he added to his collar meant less time for his wingman.

It was a meeting at Top Gun that gave him the idea. He was going over orders for Cyclone and Warlock and he looked at his protege with new eyes. A conversation with Solomon afterwards confirmed the fact that Beau was in fact both gay and single. Solomon was thrilled with the idea of unleashing Mav on his unsuspecting wingman.

During the mission prep, Beau has no clue that Mav is flirting with him, or that Iceman set them up. He is focused on the mission parameters and trying to contain the chaos that is Maverick Mitchell (and his new squadron of mini-Mavs).

When Mav goes down, it hits Beau like a freight train. He can’t be gone. Beau needs him. He wants him.

Solomon holds him up and keeps him from giving into his panic. When they finally crash land on deck, Beau’s first thought is to recreate the picture of Ice and Mav, with a little more kissing. He settles for what he hopes is a professional looking acknowledgment.

Mav is preoccupied with Bradley once they get back on land, but Ice invites them to dinner, and seats Beau next to Pete. With the tall admiral in close quarters, Mav seduces him successfully.

They date, fall in love, and live happily ever after.

[callsignthirsty]

Stuck at the Navy Ball

So… I decided I wasn’t done playin’ with the boys.

As this is a continuation of the original Stuck in the Middle fic, I highly recommend that you read through that before diving into this. Could you dive headfirst into this? Yes. There might be a little confusion, though.

Inspired by a comment someone left on SitM over on AO3.

Pairing: Tom “Iceman” Kazansky x F!Reader x Ron “Slider” Kerner Summary: You, Ice, and Sli haven’t lost that loving feeling. So when the flyboys are reunited at the 1986 Navy Ball, it's only natural that they bring a bit of chaos with them. Word Count: 4200 Warnings: Smut, bets and wagers, under-negotiated situations (but everyone involved is fine), fingering Chapter: 1/4 Minors DNI

gif originally posted by neuromancer1888

Chapter 1: Under the Table

The invitation arrives early in September, printed on thick cardstock and addressed to your brother. But if Viper’s words are to be believed—and you’ve yet to hear of a situation in which they aren’t—Pete’s attendance isn’t exactly optional. So the summons finds its way from the trash onto the fridge, rough edges taped back together.

Please Join Us For the 211th Navy Ball. Monday, October 13th Washington D.C.

Cocktail Hour 1700 | Ceremony Begins 1800 Live Music. Food. Dancing.

The same invitation has Carole positively giddy. Born and raised in Virginia, she’s been looking for an excuse to fly east to visit her parents. And for a party? Isn’t that swell! Arrangements are made for Bradley to sleep at his grandparents on the night of the ball before Goose—whose PT-mandated wheelchair has landed him desk duty—is home from work.

Which is how, roughly one month later, you find yourself in Goose’s room at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, sharing precious mirror space with Carole. Breathing in Aqua Net while putting the finishing touches on your looks.

The hotel calls the four of you a taxi, Goose’s wheelchair is stuffed into the trunk, and then you’re off to meet your date.

Singular.

There hadn’t been a question of if you’d attend or whose arm you’d decorate once Pete’s invite arrived. Officially, you’re at the ball with Ice. After Layton, Ice had made it a point to be seen with you while he was off-duty. Your relationship, which you’d tried to keep on the down-low, was worth showing off publicly after he and your brother had dropped their rivalry in favor of mutual respect. Friendship. 

But the other half of your relationship was still very much under wraps. 

That fact hadn’t stopped you from nodding eagerly when Ice pulled you close to ask you to attend the Navy Ball with him. Ice wants to climb the ladder, and earning stars is more than clambering into the cockpit every morning or disappearing on a carrier for the better part of a year at a time. It’s politics. It’s achieving perceived milestones on or ahead of schedule. And in October, for Lieutenant Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, naval aviator and promotion hopeful, it’s attending the Navy Ball with a woman on his arm.

Pete wrestles the wheelchair out of the trunk while Goose pays the cab driver. As you step into the crisp October evening, you marvel at the palatial, white-stone building that is to be the backdrop of your night. A steady flow of servicemen and women crossing beneath grand archways with their dates for the promise of a good night.

You aren’t left alone to gawk for long before you catch sight of them chatting with someone or another: decked in their whites, Slider leaning against the wrought iron rail and Ice to his side. Ice’s gaze flicks to you instantaneously, as if he’d felt your eyes land on him. The natural pout of his lips morphs into a grin as he excuses himself from the conversation and moves toward you against the flow of the crowd. Slider follows close behind, ultimately making his way to Goose, Carole, and your brother. But you catch the hesitation in his step. The course-correct.

Events like these will be challenging for the three of you—that had been a foregone conclusion—but this knowledge doesn’t make it any easier. It feels all sorts of wrong to have Slider keep himself at such a purposeful distance when you’re used to his proximity. Even at the O Club, he manages to stand close. Doesn’t shy away.

Before your mood can be irreparably embittered, Ice takes your hand in his and coaxes you into a slow spin. “You’re beautiful,” he coos as he kisses your cheek, and a delicate smile lights your lips. 

The dress had been a surprise. Something you’d insisted on buying yourself despite Ice and Slider offering to pool their money for something truly extravagant. But after years spent in the foster system, even the thought of spending money on something so frivolous left a bad taste in your mouth. Instead, you’d taken Carole, your more comfortable budget, and found an old gala dress at a thrift shop. The sleek, black velvet gown up to your collarbones with the slightest sparkle as the fabric shifted beneath the store’s old lights ticked all your self-imposed boxes. A dress fit for an aspirational young officer’s date, even after Carole added a slit up the left side to show a little leg and “bring the dress into this decade.”

“Look who’s talking,” you say, squeezing Ice’s arm as it’s offered to you. Typically, the change of season calls for blues, but the Navy Ball is an exception to the rule. You wonder whose wife you have to thank for that because although your boys look damn fine in both, you have a not-so-hidden preference. “And Kerner didn’t clean up so bad, either,” you shoot in Slider’s direction with a playful grin.

“Surprised?” Slider asks, brow raised. You shrug because, no, you’re not surprised, but you aren’t sure what to say that will fly under the radar. And that’s the name of the night’s game. That doesn’t stop Pete from rolling his eyes as he passes you with Goose and Carole on their way to the building’s ramp.

The closest you ever got to a ball before tonight was prom—not yours; you’d been on staff at the venue. Frankly, you’d half expected you and Pete to have been blacklisted, given your father’s ill-gotten reputation, but they let you in without issue. You wonder if Pete’s face appearing on the front page of every magazine in the English-speaking world has anything to do with it, but you keep that to yourself while Ice, ever the gentleman, escorts you further into the event. 

If the outside of the building is beautiful, then the inside is magnificent: all barrel vaulted ceilings decorated with Romanesque gold leafing and warm mahogany. A vast hall that steadily fills as guests arrive for cocktail hour and to mingle before the evening officially kicks off.

Slider spots Carole’s shock of blonde hair by a table with easy access for Goose and herds Ice in her direction. They aren’t alone at the table. “Merlin,” Slider barks, bounding over to shake his fellow RIO’s hand. “I thought you were stationed over the Atlantic. What’re you doing here?”

“Turned out to be an exercise. Over and back in sixty-two days.”

“And just in time for the party,” the woman at his side chips in, and Merlin wraps an arm around her to pull her close.

“Oh! Tom Kazansky, Ron Kerner, my wife, Laura.” Ice takes the opportunity to introduce you in turn. The conversation is easy-going, Ice and Slider filling Merlin in on their time instructing at Miramar.

Slider gets in several quips about Ice having a list of officers whose asses he needs to kiss to speed up a promotion when Ice spies one of said officers. He gently tugs you in the right direction so you can play the part of the doting girlfriend. The officer—a captain—quickly introduces you to his wife before he and Ice talk shop.

You manage to pluck a champagne flute from a waiter’s tray, sipping daintily and nodding along with the captain’s wife. Considering most of your knowledge concerning the Navy revolves around the planes your brother flies and the stunts he’s pulled in them, the conversation goes in one ear and out the other.

Not that it matters. Your role tonight—thankfully—is just to follow Ice around and look pretty.

The captain’s wife finishes her champagne in record time, and though you’re hesitant at first, you aren’t too far behind her. It is at this point, glass empty, that Slider appears like your guardian angel. “Captain,” he nods. “Ice.”

“Captain Reid, have you met my RIO?” Ice asks, knowing full well that Slider has no interest in schmoozing. Much like your brother, Slider is there because it is expected of him. Unlike Pete, Ice doesn’t need his friend’s emotional support or commiseration to make it through such events, mandatory or otherwise. Every opportunity like this is one Ice can use to his advantage. 

Slider offers the captain a firm handshake. “Lieutenant Ron Kerner, sir.”

“Your RIO? I thought you were stationed at Miramar?”

“The perks of winning the trophy, sir,” pride leaks through as Slider says it. He and Ice worked damn hard to finish at the top of their class. “We’ve been together since flight school. When Ice took a teaching position at TOPGUN, I followed.”

“And how does a man of your stature fit in the cockpit, lieutenant?” the captain’s wife asks from beneath heavily painted lashes.

The grin Slider offers her is loose. “It’s a bit of a squeeze, but no complaints so far.” The minute narrowing of Ice’s eyes says behave. You nearly avoid snorting, hiding the unladylike compulsion behind the rim of your empty flute, a reflection off the crystal drawing Slider’s eye.

“Actually,” Slider says, hand twitching as if he’s had to stop himself from resting it against your back, “I noticed your glass is empty.” Sli nods toward the bar, an invitation to refill your glass. You look up at him with a grin—a genuine one, not the soft smile that’s grown stale throughout Ice’s conversation—acceptance on your lips when–

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Ice’s brow wrinkles, noticing for the first time that you’ve finished your drink.

”I didn’t want to interrupt,” is your bashful answer.

”Don’t be ridiculous,” Ice says. “I’ll come with you.”

”You don’t have to leave.” Slider will take care of me, you don’t say.

Ice picks up on the silent part but blatantly ignores it. His eyes take on that warm, charmed look, tongue peeking out before his lips curl into that honeyed smile you love so much. “You’re too good for me,” he says as if it’s a secret meant only for you. There’s no doubt he means it, but something about the way he’s playing the sentiment up for the brass makes it feel different in a way you’re not entirely comfortable with. No mistakes. “If you’ll excuse us, sir. Ma’am.”

Captain Reid is already turning to walk the room with his wife when Ice’s eyes narrow into what can only be described as a glare at Slider, his arm cementing itself around your waist in a way that probably looks far more relaxed than it feels.

”What?” Slider asks, shooting for casual, but now you’re not sure you’re buying it, either. “I’m just trying to do my part so you can talk to everyone on your list.” The subconscious flex of Ice’s jaw, as if he wishes he could chew out his frustration on the butt of a cig or some gum, doesn’t go unnoticed, but it does go unheeded. “Admiral Benjamin is on your list, right?” You perk up. As in Penny Benjamin? “I think I saw him by the corner with wife number three and Commander Johnson.”

“You know,” Ice says, his grin glacial, “it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if you rubbed elbows at an event like this.”

Slider scoffs, though it’s affectionate. “Why bother? We both know my military career ends when you take a desk job. Besides, I think my time is much better spent keeping your date’s cup full.” You’ve all agreed to go to the bar, but no one is moving. The tension between Ice and Slider is palpable.

”Okay,” you interrupt. There’s something off about their banter tonight. You’ve seen Ice stare down many a handful of people since landing in Miramar, but never Slider. It’s enough to raise a sculpted brow. “What am I missing?”

Slider senses blood in the water. Sees the smoke in the air. The grin he gives you is far tighter than the one he gave the captain’s wife. He opens his mouth, but Ice beats him to the punch. “You said something about grabbing my date a drink.”

Slider’s jaw clicks shut, but his grin isn’t so easily wiped away. “More champagne?” When you nod, Slider picks his way toward the bar while Ice escorts you to the side of the room where there’s more room to breathe and a lesser likelihood that someone will overhear when he presses close. “Sli’s upset that you’re with me tonight.”

That’s it? You hadn’t thought the arrangement would bother Slider so much. The three of you had discussed it and mutually concluded that you should go with Ice. That you had to go with Ice. Was Slider having second thoughts?

“Well, not upset,” Ice concedes at the concern that drags your lips down. “But he was talking a big game.”

Color you curious. “What’d he say?”

“Well,” Ice pulls you closer so his breath tickles your ear and you can smell the mint on his breath, “he thinks he can get you off before we leave the building. Steal you away while you’re being my pretty little girlfriend for the brass.” You gulp. Where is Slider with that drink?

”Oh.”

Ice chuckles. “Yeah. Oh. But I’m not worried.” Two fingers find their way under your chin and lift until your eyes meet Ice’s. “I know you’ll be good for me.”

“What’s the winner get?”

”Bragging rights.”

”And?”

It’s impossible to miss the way Ice’s eyes flit to your lips and linger there because he can. Those are the perks of being your date out in the light of day. “Can’t that be it?”

“Could be,” you breathe and slowly wet your bottom lip with your tongue, delighting in the way gray-blue eyes track the movement, “but it isn’t.”

Ice double-checks that no one is eavesdropping on your conversation. “You remember what got delivered the other day?” Your breath hitches. Yeah. You remember the catalog order you’d put in for a remote-controlled toy. The excitement and disappointment that had come with unfortunate delivery schedules. “Single-night, exclusive access once we’re all home.”

”That’s quite a lot on the line.”

”It would be,” Ice concedes, one large hand spanning the small of your back, warming you and holding you close enough you can breathe in his cologne, “but you can be good for me, right, baby? I’ll make it worth your while.” You nod, a little dumb as you inhale teakwood, sage, and sea salt.

It’s sure to be a profoundly satisfying night as long as you can stick to the script.

“I’m not going to make it easy on you,” Slider promises, appearing by Ice’s shoulder.

”Wouldn’t be fun if you did.” Ice’s smirk is all cocky confidence, cracking only when he notices Slider has only fetched two flutes of champagne.

”Only got two hands, Tommy,” Slider says with a toothy grin, “but I’ll keep her company while you grab yourself a glass.” The crystal buzzes with the steady fizz of bubbles, your fingers brushing Sli’s ever so slightly before Ice pulls you back into the throng.

The room becomes more difficult to navigate with each new attendee, but Ice only seems more in his element as cocktail hour drags on. He introduces you to a flurry of officers and their wives whose jewel-tone dresses all start to blend together, brushing shoulders with the men who ultimately control his upward trajectory. 

On his arm, you smile and nod, interjecting where appropriate because, despite the smattering of female officers present, the Navy remains very much a boy’s club.

Still, it’s nice to be shown off so publicly. To delight in the knowledge that Ice’s attention never strays far from you despite his planned schmoozing. You preen each time he introduces you to someone new with a tender look—there are many things tonight that may be manufactured, but that look isn’t one of them. 

An ache blooms in the ball of your foot as Ice delivers on the same script over and over to increasingly dismal company. The throbbing is nothing compared to the pinpricks in your cheeks, though. Beauty pageant smiles are their own form of torture. But this is important.

It’s all for a good cause.

Tonight is important to Ice, so it’s important to you.

You’d do anything for your boys: ignore every sour expression at your last name, force a pleasant laugh along with each rear admiral’s wife, stifle a relieved sigh when everyone is invited to find their seats for dinner.

The flyboys have claimed three closely clustered tables during your absence, forcing others to walk around them as they spill into the spaces between each table, leaning close to make up for the distance forced by post-graduation reassignments. Viper is curiously absent, or perhaps Jester had pulled the short straw and been stuck with babysitting duties.

But there’s someone you don’t recognize at your table, sat between Merlin and Slider, a stranger in your midst. A smile splits Ice’s face when he spots him. “Cougar?” The man stands and pulls Ice into a quick embrace, Ice’s hand on the man’s—Cougar’s—shoulder. Ice makes quick work of introducing you to Bill Cortell and his wife, Maria. “Cougar and I were like brothers in flight school,” Ice beams. “We were supposed to meet up at TOPGUN, but–”

”It turned out for the best,” Cougar cuts Ice off goodnaturedly with a quick nod toward Pete. “Besides, desk life isn’t so bad.” Ice raises a brow at the assertion while Goose lets out a ‘bullshit!’ “Okay,” he cedes, “it’s pretty bad, but I wouldn’t give up being at home with Maria and the kids for the world.” Maria, who is heavily pregnant, rests her hand over her bundle of joy.

The lights choose that moment to dim, commanding stragglers to find their seats, but neither man moves. Slider stands up. “Here,” he offers Ice his seat on Cougar’s left because the two clearly have some catching up to do. Ice takes the seat while you slide over to stay seated next to him, and Slider takes your spot as the lights come up on the stage for the opening ceremony.

By the time everyone is seated and some speaker makes his way to center stage, Ice is only half paying attention to the night’s program. He and Cougar have a lot to catch up on in appropriately hushed whispers. You’re about to zone out when you’re yanked back to the present by a hand on your knee.

Above the table, for prying eyes, Slider doesn’t give anything away. Attention seemingly focused on the stage. Below the table’s skirt, however, you press your thighs together as Slider’s hand massages the skin exposed by the modified slit in your dress. Familiar callouses drawing senseless patterns above your knee. His hand stays there, occasionally giving you a comforting squeeze, like he knows you crave reassurance through gentle touches after being dragged so far out of your comfort zone. It’s nice. Before long, between the buzz of quiet conversation and each soothing caress, you relax back into your chair.

Polite applause fills the room as the admiral gives the podium to the next presenter. Pete and Carole chuckle at something Goose murmurs. Wolfman yawns. Someone coughs. A waiter comes around to top off champagne.

You wrap your fingers around the delicate stem of your flute, raising it to your lips in the same instant that Slider’s palm shifts so it’s wedged between your thighs. Your sharp breath is lost in the crowd as nimble fingers creep higher, never once pausing their massage.

The corner of Slider’s lip tugs the slightest bit up. Smug bastard. When you’re sure no one is paying attention, you give his wrist a tug, but instead of retreating, Slider brushes a finger against the flimsy fabric of your panties.

Your heart jumps into your throat as you become hyper-aware of how loud your breathing is, and your brain kicks into overdrive. Can anyone hear you over the clink of glasses? Your nails dig into the meat of Slider’s wrist in surprise, but you’re fairly confident that the rest of you looks normal—suddenly, you’re not sure what that means.

Is this the way a normal person’s mouth rests? The way a normal person sits in their chair? You need to leave, but you can’t. Being good for Ice, among other things, means not causing a scene. Not fleeing the room in the middle of a presentation. Not letting anyone know that while your boyfriend dutifully splits his time between the podium and his colleague, his RIO is pushing your underwear to the side for better access to your cunt. How you’re responding to his touch.

“Hey.” Pete’s giving you a strange look from across the table. “You okay?” From the way he’s pulled a face, you missed the bar for normal, and now Goose and Carole are also looking your way.

“I’m fine,” you hiss. “I-” need a distraction. You mentally stumble as Slider continues to stroke up and down your slit, his fingers spreading the wetness until they glide effortlessly through your lips.

The universe grants your wish when the crowd bursts into polite applause and the mic is turned over to the next speaker. “Isn’t that Admiral Benjamin?”

“As in Penny Benjamin?” Carole perks up, sitting tall in an attempt to get a better look at the stage while Pete bangs his head onto the table. Probably. You’re admittedly not paying attention.

Pleasure zings up your spine as thick fingers nudge your clit. A reward for redirecting the eyes on you. It’s everything you can do not to press your hips into the pressure or let your head loll back with a gasp. And with Penny’s father keeping attention off of you, Slider hooks an ankle around yours to encourage your legs further apart.

You shouldn’t, but Slider has always been convincing.

Ice won’t be particularly pleased with how promptly you gave into Slider’s suggestions, how readily your legs fall open, but that’s barely a blip on your radar as firm circles rub into your clit. The devil on your shoulder whispers that if Ice had really wanted to win, he shouldn’t have allowed himself to be so easily distracted. 

None of that matters nearly as much as it should when your heart pulses between your legs.

A hand lands on your velvet-covered thigh. Ice. “Sweetheart.” You whip your head around too quickly for the move to be anything but suspicious. Like you’ve been caught with your hand—or someone else’s—in the cookie jar. You try to focus on the cool, grounding pressure of his touch. It’s working, you think, but your leg is still trembling from the effort it takes to keep still. Keen eyes move from your face to your leg, trembling under his touch, to your lap, and then to Slider, where they narrow almost imperceptibly. “You alright?”

With a nod, you reach past your champagne for water to wet your dry throat. “Just taking it all in.”

A poor choice of words. Ever the opportunist, Slider presses a finger into your hole, the stretch delicious and unexpected enough that you almost choke. If anyone catches the color on your cheeks, you hope they’ll blame your earlier drinks.

“I was just saying I didn’t know Maverick had a sister,” Cougar says, this time loud enough for the table to hear him.

“He doesn’t talk about me much.”

“Yeah,” Pete scoffs, “because when people find out about you, this–” he gestures between you and Ice “–happens.”

“You got any other sisters, Mav?” Chipper’s question from the next table over prompts Pete to load a pomegranate seed onto this salad fork. He’s ready to launch, but a disapproving look from Jester dissuades him. Goose flips Chipper the bird in a show of solidarity.

“So when did this happen?” Cougar asks, eyes flitting from you to the blonde on your right.

Slider chuckles and leans into the conversation at the same time as he crooks his fingers. You bite the inside of your cheek. The circles Ice is rubbing into your knee aren’t as distracting as either of you wants them to be. “He hasn’t been able to keep his hands off of her since we made it to Miramar.”

Hypocrite. You clear your throat. “About five months?”

“Aw,” Maria sighs in that way so many in long-term relationships do. You try and fail to focus on that as a second finger prods at your opening before pushing in slowly. “You’re still in the honeymoon phase.” Thankfully, Ice steps in with a reply because all you can hear is the blood rushing in your ears when Slider rubs his fingers against your sweet spot, thumb applying steady pressure to your clit. Your nails dig crescent moons into Ice’s wrist in a last-ditch attempt to ground yourself because if Slider keeps this up, it’s going to take a miracle to keep you from causing a scene.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Viper’s unapologetic quip appears from seemingly nowhere. Your own personal savior. “I need to borrow Iceman and Slider, Maverick and Merlin, Hollywood and Wolfman.”

You shiver at the abrupt emptiness. Slider wipes his fingers, dripping with arousal, off on the tablecloth, eyes locked on Ice.

Next Chapter

[aew-regression-cove]

caregiver tom 'iceman' kazansky X pete 'maverick' mitchell headcannons

.ೃ࿔ ✈︎ *･ regressor reader

Calm and Chaos. They balance each other out, Ice is a calm Caregiver. He has a rough idea of what he's doing and can follow through relatively well with limited issues. Mav is pure chaos, he does not have a plan, he does not want a plan he's completely winging it.

I see Maverick as a flip (specifically regressor in topgun and caregiver in topgun maverick). Whilst I see Ice solely as a caregiver!!!

^ (Personally) Mav is dada (or Baba if he's also regressed) & Ice is Papa or Daddy.

Maverick cannot cook to save his life, he can be trusted to get snacks and maybe like a sandwich or microwave meal but that's about it lol. Ice is fussy with what you eat wanting you to eat well as to keep you healthy and in his words "I love him but let's not put that in your body, yea?" He'd say as he's making pasta or something instead- Realistically I can't see him being great at cooking either but y'know, it's better than Mav's cooking so 😂 (Ice does make brilliant baby bottles tho!!! If you drink warm milk he is a master at getting the temperature just right for you!!!)

Mav would sneak you snacks whilst Ice is making dinner-

When Ice is in charge of cleaning and stuff the house/room is military levels of clean, he is absolutely dedicated. You've finished playing with a toy? If you are old enough then he will prompt you to tidy it up, if you're not he'll do it with you (hand over hand type help). Mav could be the exact same level of clean as Ice if he wanted to.. but he doesn't want to. He likes a little bit of mess, in his opinion he likes that it "makes it looks lived in" and "feels like home". This isn't to say he'd let the space get dirty, however messy is a yes. It's also partially out of spite, he's in charge and he doesn't have to be super military level of clean.

Plane themed everything!!! This was started by Mav as he found it entertaining and Ice encouraged and joined in. paci's, paci clips, toys, blankets.

Slider or Penny would babysit you :3

Ice is the type of caregiver that would dress you super nice when going out whilst Mav would debate (and has) taken you out in pajamas (both you and him wearing them 😌)

Maverick can get a little reckless but he would never put you in serious danger- if you ever got accidentally hurt he'd freak out, especially if it was caused because of something he did or encouraged!!!

The two of them got you a goose stuffie!!!

They love telling you stories!!! Ice prefers traditional story books whilst Mav prefers telling you stories about being in the air. Mav would absolutely tell you stories about Goose and all the trouble the two of them would get into!!! 😭

Mav and Ice would love taking you to the beach, you guys would play volleyball!!! They'd take you together and individually, whenever Mav takes you on his own he normally forgets sunscreen and you pretty much always end up with sunburn because you guys just got too distracted- Ice ends up scolding him constantly for it. (This was based on a conversation I had with @agerefandomrambles 🙏🏻)

They'd babysit Rooster and he'd basically become your big brother!!! <333 (you to get into all sorts of chaos)

They would absolutely spoil you!!!

Tagging - @agerefandomrambles , @babydagger86 , @aew-kun

ⓘ if you want to reblog, let me know and I'll decide to temporarily unlock the post or not <3

[vikenticomeshome]

Cyberchase Character Discussion (for your local Cyberchase trivia quiz) - #6: Slider

Alright, here's your boy.

It's about time I got around to him, right? He's, what, the most popular character in the whole show?

Slider was one of a slate of characters introduced in Season 3. So, he didn't get an original "Meet the Cybersquad" entry. His first ever appearance would have been on the Cyberchase website during their "Who's New?" promotion. We get to see Slider and Creech, who both went on to appear in numerous episodes. We also get to see Nero the Animal Hero, Mister Z, Roxy, and Sheldon. I don't think those four have appeared since their debut episodes.

So, what did we learn about Slider here?

Lives in Radopolis

Loves to skateboard and is really good at it

Can fix anything

That's not alot to go on. With how Radopolis is, the second point is kind of redundant. Later on, they did give us more facts on his official trading card.

He's 13 years old (or is that Cyber-years?). We'll assume that this makes him older than the Earth Brats. His favorite color is red. He enjoys speed (going fast), string cheese, and sneakers. He dislikes busy-bodies and The Hacker, with an emphasis on The Hacker. He's great at skateboarding and building stuff.

His favorite line is just "Cool." To be fair, he doesn't seems like the sort of person to bother with a proper catch phrase.

Slider appeared for the first time during the gang's second trip to Radopolis, in Season 3 Episode 2 "Borg of the Ring". When he first shows up, he rescues Inez, Matt, and Jackie from a tire avalanche. He is notably unconcerned about the chaos unfolding on Radopolis. It's only after they mention The Hacker and/or The Totally Rad Ring, that he accepts that he has to do something about this.

Matt: Thanks for saving us.

Slider: (smiles, nods, and starts to leave)

Nezzie: Wait, you can't just leave us here! We need a ride!

Slider: Not my problem

Jackie: But we have to stop Hacker! He has the totally Rad Ring!

Slider: Just became my problem.

We know that The Hacker used the Rad Ring to remove everyone's wheels. Slider has a substitute for a wheel on his board, in the form of an aluminum can. This suggests that he has already been impacted by The Hacker's actions. And yet, he needs further motivation to get involved. It makes me wonder if he was testing that can as a replacement to the wheel, skated off while lost in his own head, and didn't notice everyone else's wheels disappearing around him.

Of course, we have to talk about Jackie and Inez immediately crushing on him.

This is something that continued into the series. He looks confused or weirded out in the show.

In also continued in Ron Barrett's official comic, "The Great Cyber-skate". He's shown to be oblivious to what's going on here.

"Borg of the Ring" also introduces his rivalry with Matt. Well, okay, it was more of a one-sided rivalry where Matt was being an ass and Slider barely noticed, but we got some good Matt faces.

We also get this shot, where Matt and Slider are racing to Point Dune, and Slider overtakes Matt easily.

Relax shippers. They just met. This is a children's educational show.

Which one of you drew that?

Anyway, back in "Borg of the Ring", we get a scene where Digit is trying to figure out how to make the ring. Matt offers to show him how. And then, something odd happens.

Slider: We need to adjust the radius.

Digit: Uh-huh, what am I missing here?

Matt: Don't worry Didge. The radius is the distance from the center point out to the edge of the circle. To change how big or small a circle is, just change the radius. I'll show you.

Slider: Nevermind. I'll make it. And I've got just the tool to do it.

Yeah, Slider got sick of listening to the lesson of the episode and just interrupted it. Is that allowed?

Okay, I've put it off long enough. Let's talk about Slider's dad.

We first hear about Slider's dad in "Snelfu Snafu Part 1", where Slider finds the Syncholator and a note from dad telling him to use it to find him.

However, he accidentally uses the ID code for the Encryptor Chip, which reveals that it is on an auction site. At the same time, we just had a radio contact from Dr. Marbles stating that he found the chip. This leads to a short scene that I had forgotten about until now.

Slider: Maybe he (Dr. Marbles) is the one selling the chip.

Digit: Never!

Slider: Cyborgs have been known to switch sides, you know?

Slider immediately goes with the idea that Dr. Marbles, Motherboard's technician/husband(?) has betrayed her. The Encryptor Chip is the only thing that can cure Motherboard, and Slider speculates that Dr. Marbles is trying to sell the chip for personal gain instead.

Near the end of "Snelfu Snafu Part 2", Slider assembles the Syncholator with additional parts to amplify its power. They need to use it to locate and retrieve the Encryptor Chip to recover Motherboard's soul. However, the modifications means that the Syncholator will burn out after one use.

Jackie: Wait a minute. Is there somebody else you need to find?

Slider: My dad. I was going to use the Syncholator to try to locate him

Slider: But if I'm ever going to have a chance to find him, Motherboard needs to be saved first.

As far as I know, this is the first time Slider tells Matt, Jackie, and Inez even a little bit of his tragic back-story. And the show takes his sacrifice of the Syncholator seriously.

Anyway, before we really dig into "Measure for Measure", let's have Matt and Slider get in way over their heads trying to babysit Podlings.

For the purposes of keeping this short and relatively focused, I won't go into too much detail about Slider and Coop's story. However, I will hit the high points.

Back in the day, The Hacker and Coop worked together on a device called the Transformatron, which could transform one thing into another. However, Coop realized that The Hacker was going to use the Transformatron to take over Cyberspace. So, Coop ripped up the plans and sent them elsewhere.

The Hacker took his revenge by swapping Coop's helmet for one made of red magnetite. This damaged Coop's hard drive, causing him to age prematurely.

Coop knew that the magnetite was dangerous enough to harm Slider. So, he left Slider behind in Radopolis, while he went into hiding on Discardia to develop a cure for magnetite poisoning.

The show never states how long Coop and Slider were separated. Keep in mind that Slider is only 13 when we meet him. Slider doesn't appear to have any other family or any sort of support network before the Earthlies show up. At some point, Coop learned that the cure to magnetite poisoning requires magnetite as an ingredient. However, borgs cannot work with magnetite. It's not clear whether Coop came up with any plans after this point, or if he gave up completely.

And then, Digit and the Earthlies arrived. They are immune to magnetite and able to finally mix the cure for Coop.

Yeah, The Hacker comes along, poisons Slider with red magnetite right in front of Coop, and takes Slider as a hostage. We learn that red magnetite damage causes Slider's feet to grow very large, preventing him from running away.

Hacker: Now I have the NIC and your son. Welcome to your worst nightmare, my old friend.

Yeah, this whole storyline is shockingly dark for a children's educational show. I'm glad that they made it. I don't believe I watched this back when it came out, but I would have found it amazing as a kid. I think most kids, either back then, or today, would be able to handle it just fine.

We get a happy ending. The Earthlies are able to save Slider, recover the NIC, and even heal Coop's own magnetite poisoning. And so, Coop and Slider were re-united and ready to get back to skateboarding.

Matt appears to have let go of his one-sided rivalry with Slider. The last episode containing such a rivalry was Season 6 Episode 6 "Team Spirit", where Team Motherboard competes in the Olympics . With Jackie injured, Slider needed to come in to substitute. All the data suggested that Matt needed to handle the swimming section, while Slider needed to handle the final run up to finish line.

Matt was committed to making the final run himself, to the point of refusing to compete. As they needed three people to compete, this selfish decision would have caused Team Motherboard to forfeit.

This wasn't really about Slider as much as it was down to Matt wanting to prove himself to his hero, Zeus. Near the end of the episode, while Matt is thinking it over, Slider comes forward to say something. However, before he can say it, Matt stops him and agrees to give the final run to the finish line to Slider, for the good of the team.

With those stories wrapped up, what else can we say about Slider. Well, there is something unusual here. Let's put him next to Matt for a moment.

Let's take his shirt off real quick.

Let's take Matt's shirt off as well.

Alright, now let's put Slider next to our other favorite Cyborg child, Creech.

For a Cyborg child, Slider just looks like an Earth Brat. If you needed to ding him on something, it would be his rectangular eyes. That's not a pre-requisite for Cyborg children, as Creech has oval eyes. However, we don't see any humans with that style of eyes.

I doubt that there is any real push to change Slider's model. I'm not pushing to change Slider's model. Still, this was kind of a strange choice, especially considering that Creech and Slider both arrived in Season 3. Why does Slider look almost human, while Creech gets the antennae and circuit-board-trace treatment that more closely aligns her with the Cyborgs?

[royalinkblot]

Wings of Home

Bonus Chapter: Fire in the Sky (and at the Dinner Table)

Part I – Milo Meets Rooster

Milo “Bullseye” Cohen didn’t expect to run into Bradley Bradshaw in the middle of a quiet gym on base, but there he was. Sleeves rolled, sweat gleaming on his shoulders, and that signature Bradshaw mustache proudly intact.

“Bullseye, right?” Bradley asked, tossing him a towel.

Milo, already a little breathless from Ace’s workouts, nodded stiffly. “Yes, sir. I—uh—yes.”

Bradley smirked, easy and warm, but with a pilot’s steel in his eyes. “Relax. You look like you’re waiting for a security clearance review.”

“I’m dating your son,” Milo said.

Bradley raised an eyebrow. “Ace isn’t my son.”

Beat.

“He’s basically your nephew and your godson.”

“…Fair.”

Milo swallowed. “He’s amazing. And I love him. And I’m going to protect him with my life.”

Bradley stared at him, then smiled. “That’s good. But let’s be clear—Ace doesn’t need protection. He’s his fathers’ son.”

That terrified Milo more than anything else.

Part II – Noah Meets Hangman

Noah “Menace” Bearsley had survived solo missions, the Mojave heat, and Navy politics. But meeting Jake “Hangman” Seresin outside The Charming Goose Café? That rattled him.

Jake was leaning on his truck, boots scuffed, aviators perched on his nose, every inch the movie-poster version of a Navy pilot.

“So you’re the kid dating my niece,” Jake said with a grin. “Menace, huh? Got a real call sign or just leaned into chaos?”

Noah grinned automatically. “Chaos is kind of my brand.”

Jake’s smile didn’t waver. “She’s precious, you know. Ice’s girl. Maverick’s girl. You break her heart and I’m not responsible for what half the Navy might do.”

“Understood, sir.”

“I mean literally. You’d be on a watch list.”

Jake’s grin grew sharper. “But if you’re good to her, you’ve got us all behind you. That’s a power network most people would sell their souls for.”

Noah nodded, his throat dry. “I’m good to her. I love her.”

Jake’s expression changed. Just slightly. A little softer.

“Well,” Jake said, pushing off the truck. “You got guts, Menace. Let’s hope you’ve got grit.”

Part III – Sunday Dinner Chaos

The Kazansky-Mitchell-Bradshaw block lit up like a summer barbecue on steroids.

Goose and Carole had set a long table in their backyard, just next to Ice and Mav’s. Platters of ribs, grilled fish, roasted corn, and Carole’s famous peach cobbler covered every inch of surface.

Nikola sat beside Noah, who looked like he was sweating through his shirt. On the other side, Ace and Milo whispered furiously over drinks that may or may not have been spiked by Goose.

Because, yes—that Goose. Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, aviator legend, the man who somehow cheated death and got funnier for it. And he was telling stories with Slider and Viper like it was still ‘86.

Jake and Bradley arrived late, hand in hand, carrying their (not a baby anymore, but still) baby boy, Mitchell Nicolas Bradshaw. The crowd exploded with excitement. Noah had read their profiles. Milo had studied their missions. Both sat in horrified silence.

“This is your family?” Noah whispered to Nikola.

She sipped her lemonade innocently. “Mhm. Isn’t it awesome?”

Milo leaned to Ace. “Your uncle is a living legend, your godfather is a culinary genius and ex-pilot, and your father is Iceman.”

“Yup,” Ace grinned. “But he still can’t work the espresso machine.”

Throughout the meal, Maverick grilled Noah about flight patterns. Iceman asked Milo about operational chain-of-command protocol. Goose made jokes so fast Milo choked on his drink. And Jake? Jake told embarrassing stories about his Top Gun days so exaggerated they made Bradley groan and Nikola howl.

By the end of the night, Milo and Noah were both wrung out and sitting in deck chairs as Nikola and Ace slow-danced on the grass to “Great Balls of Fire,” courtesy of Goose and Bradley at the piano.

Iceman passed them each a beer. “You did well.”

Maverick nodded. “Still not sure we don’t scare you.”

“You absolutely do,” Noah admitted.

“I’ll never sleep again,” Milo added.

Maverick grinned. “Good.”

[anneapocalypse]

Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

Questions for fic writers

Outlines, YES. BIG YES. As a person who needs structure to live, basically, I cannot function in a longer fic project without some kind of outline. My outlines are just bullet lists of things that need to happen, and I flesh them out as much or as little as I need to. If I get stuck in the writing, I probably need more outline. The more a fic deals with canon events, also, the more outline I need because I'm kind of a stickler for keeping canon compliant (unless I'm changing it on purpose, in which case I want to be very clear on what I'm changing).

In addition, I do tend to keep a lot of notes, especially for a longfic. My Scrivener files get kind of ridiculous. It's a very structured kind of chaos. :') What can I say. It works for me!

Worksheets, generally no. Most of the ones I see just don't ask the kind of questions that I find helpful and important, which isn't surprising--they aren't writing my story! They don't know what things I need to know about my story. I don't find it helpful to rate a series of abstract traits for a character like they're sliders in a video game. I just don't conceptualize characters that way; I'd rather ask how they react to specific things in specific situations (which is why ask games can be fun and useful). I don't need to know how a character takes their tea if they aren't drinking tea in the story. (I do know this about Ariane and Urianger, as a matter of fact, because it comes up in fic!)

Instead, somewhere in my notes for a fic there's usually a running list of "Questions to answer," things that have come up either in outlining or in the writing itself where I'm unsure of my direction, and I'll sit down and work out the answers and keep them there for my own reference. Example from my current project:

Thanks for the ask!

[null3nvoid]

Yes I made a fan-child, I am brain poisoned with these ding dang blorbos 💀 pls send help lmaoooo

This is Mizuchi :D half red-eared slider, half tiger shark.He’s a little brat, a nightmare child. Regardless, his parents love him a lot.

“Who is his favorite parent?”

Easy answer: Leo

But only because Leo spoils him the most. Shiki isn’t too happy with that 😂 So he has to play the “responsible killjoy” parent lol When Mizu was a toddler, Leo and Shiki caught him holding an unlit dynamite. Ever since then, both of them are paranoid and try to keep him away from trouble lmaoooo

My reasoning (hc) that Leo would be the type to spoil his children and dote on them and mildly enables the chaos. I’m actually working on a twin for Mizu :D Meaninggg DOUBLE THE TROUBLE! Ok but fr fr tho, Leo wants his kids to live happily and JUST be kids. One that he really didn’t get to enjoy, considering the amount of trauma after the movie. Same for Shiki, coz he had a super rough childhood.

Anyways, I wanna draw em more coz im v attached to this little family <333

[rottenpumpkin13]

Angeal wants to host a potluck for his boyfriends friends. He only asks that the boys actually try and put some effort into their dishes.

Because of our baby's latest obsession, Angeal specifically asks Sephiroth to avoid bringing Halloween candy.

He begs asks Zack to not bring a family sized box of Hot Pockets.

What do AGS + ZC bring to the table? How does the actual potluck go?

Chaos obviously ensues, by the way.

The Potluck From Hell

• Even though he's organizing it, Angeal's making sure to over-contribute to the potluck! You know, just in case.

• He's got apple sausage sliders for Genesis, Bolognese pasta for Sephiroth, beef stroganoff for Zack and schnitzel for Cloud. He trusts his friends will follow suit and contribute with their own fun dishes.

• He was wrong.

*Angeal stands in his doorway looking at Sephiroth, who holds a jack-o'-lantern-themed bowl full of candy*

Angeal: Sephiroth no.

Sephiroth: Sephiroth yes.

Angeal: A bowl of candy does not count as a dish.

Sephiroth: But it's food. It's edible.

Angeal: It's pure sugar. I asked you to bring a meal.

Sephiroth: This is a meal.

Angeal: Says who?

Sephiroth: Says the last eight meals I've eaten.

Angeal: YOU'VE BEEN EATING NOTHING BUT CANDY FOR TWO DAYS?

Sephiroth: .....Maybe.

Angeal: Give me that! *he snatches the bowl away from him* Go and come back with an actual dish!

*Angeal slams the door in Sephiroth's face*

• Angeal, still fuming, is prepping the table when he hears his doorbell ring again. He rushes to answer it. Zack and Cloud stand there holding huge taco trays.

Zack: Mexican fiesta!

Cloud: I've been living a nightmare since last night.

Angeal: Why?

Zack: Mexican fiesta!

Cloud: We were up all night making the tacos, right?

Angeal: Right.

Zack: Mexican fiesta!

Cloud: And I already had reservations about going down the taco route because you know how Zack is with tacos, right?

Angeal: Oh, right!

Zack: Mexican fiesta!

Cloud: We got the first tray done and Zack ate it all in two seconds.

Angeal: Oh my god??

Zack: Mexican fiesta!

Cloud: I know. And he did that three times. We had to start from scratch three times. I had to lock him in the broom closet to get this done.

Zack: Mexican fi—

Cloud: SHUT UP!

Zack:

Angeal: Just...just go inside guys...

• While the boys head inside the apartment, Sephiroth shows up again. This time he's holding an industrial bucket filled to the brim with jelly beans.

Sephiroth: Beans are a great source of fiber and rich in—

*Angeal slams the door in his face*

• Fifteen minutes pass. Cloud and Zack are helping Angeal in the kitchen when the doorbell rings again. Angeal rushes to answer it.

• Genesis stands there with three bottles of wine in one hand and a glass dish covered in tinfoil in the other.

Genesis: I brought Swedish meatballs!

Angeal (in shock): No way.

Genesis: Way.

Angeal: You brought a normal dish and drinks?

Genesis: Yup!

Angeal: You were responsible with a task.

Genesis: Yup!

Angeal: And you cooked the meal from scratch like I asked you to?

Genesis: Duh!

*Angeal breaks down crying and pulls Genesis in for a hug*

Angeal: I'm so proud of you buddy~

Genesis: I know. I'm great, aren't I?

Angeal: Wait, there's something sticking out from your pocket.

*Angeal pulls out a business card from a Swedish restaurant*

Genesis:

Angeal:

Genesis: That's not mine.

Angeal: It was in your pocket.

Genesis: That's not my pocket.

Angeal: You're a fraud. Get inside.

• The boys are all hanging around and finishing up with the cooking and the setup when the doorbell rings.

• Angeal drags his feet as he heads to the door. He's fully expecting to see Sephiroth holding more candy.

• Instead he opens the door and is met with...

Angeal:

Sephiroth:

Angeal: You have got to be kidding me.

*Sephiroth holds out his halloween candy chocolate lasagna*

Sephiroth: Lasagna is a meal.

*Angeal sighs and holds open the door*

Angeal: Just get inside. And go help Cloud tie Zack to the radiator. He got ahold of the tacos again.

[eligobrrrrr]

does coral and reek from koral riff have backstories??? im so curious

Omg they actually do have some vaguely formed backstories for the both of them! Imma give a quick run through each because I don't have anything properly written down about either of them lmao— Also the fact that Reef has a bit of a more structured backstory than Coral unfortunately—

They are kinda meant to be my Idol OCs™ but in the current canon they haven't reached that point where they're actually actively making music together.

Fun fact I actually have blogs for each of them being @reefs-slider (reef) and @bomb-rush-brush (coral)

About Reef

Reef was originally from Octo Canyon being an engineer for the army there, in my heart they helped make the HypnoShades that Callie used, how involved were they? Undetermined.

Like a good amount of octos that heard the inkantation + a general yearning for more they took the heavy decision of just leaving Octo Canyon, they decided to not go through the Deep Metro because Bad Vibes™ and found a completely different way to leave the Canyon. Now this caused that instead of ending in another place in Inkadia they kinda ended up near the desert in between Inkadia and the Splatlands.

They wandered for like, maybe a year or two before they stumbled into Splatsville where the first person they met was Coral! Even with a bit of a language barrier with Coral's persistence they became friends.

Over time as Reef started to settle in Splatsville they got an apartment in Eeltail Alley and got a hand on an abandoned building that was originally going to get destroyed near the Hagglefish Market. They decide to start working as a repair shop for weapons mostly and they're not doing too bad by any means.

About Coral

Coral was originally from a small, currently unnamed town in the Splatlands where she lived with her parents and nearby to a lot of her extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)

Unfortunately her dad was a sickish man from a family knows to die young, so he did pass away when she was around 5 to 10 years old (undetermined exact age). This in tandem basically caused a domino effect of staring to make Coral feel in some way shape or form lonely, even if she actually, technically wasn't.

This soon translated to her just wanting to have friends like constantly and as she grew older she kinda grew lonelier by being confined to her small town, so she decided to just move out, how? Sh'ed figure it out she just really needed to leave.

She arrived in Splatsville a year or two before Reef did, she has had odd jobs for a while until recently finding a more stable footing as a cashier in Hotlantis. She's doing fine, she has found some good friends and a place full of chaos and excitement.

[gloomylanternsims]

Here are some mods that I use in the Sims 4 that I absolutely cannot live without.

CAS Mods:

Stand Still In CAS

Controlled Position Mod

Height Slider

CAS Solid Background

Gameplay Mods:

Lumpinou's LGBTQIA+ Overhaul

WonderfulWhims

Life Tragedies Mod

Roburky Meaningful Stories

Andrew's Pose Player

Teleport Any Sim

Torture and Chaos Mod

That's mainly all the mods I use! If there's any more I didn't add or forgot to, I'll update this list or make a new version of this post.