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cinnamontoastcrunch-15 · 5 months ago

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Oh my god I've been so burnt out I'm so so sorry but I WROTE SOMETHING FINALLY

“Right, so…” Lily starts, settling down in front of the others with a coffee in hand, “what are we thinking?”

“I have a feeling we’re all thinking the same thing,” Mary says, shaking their head to themself. As Lily glances around, everyone nods in agreement.

Remus Lupin has terrible taste in men.

It’s an infamous fact among the group, really. Somehow, Remus manages to find every weird, rude, and downright horrible man on the face of the earth. He's not stupid, but he is impressively good at ignoring all of the warning signs. Lily remembers, more than once or twice, picking up the pieces, shouting at the exes, even stopping Remus from taking them back. It always sucks to see him that upset, and Lily just couldn't take it anymore.

So, they've developed a system.

It involves a lot of internet stalking, going through social media after social media, looking for pieces of evidence, things they can mention directly to the guy in question. If they can figure out if they're exactly the same as the others, which they usually are, they can scare him away before it’s too late. Remus isn't exactly… aware, of their system, but it works, and they need it to keep working. It's better that Remus is a little upset that his boyfriend of two weeks has ghosted him, rather than a painful betrayal.

This newest guy, though? They can't find anything.

“You’d think someone with the name Sirius fucking Black would have something slightly shady on his socials!” Marlene says with a groan.

“I mean, the name’s red flag enough, right? Everyone knows the Black family,” Peter says, but James is intervening before anyone has a chance to agree.

“Hold on, they essentially got rid of him five years ago. I don't know that we can still hold his name against him.”

Yeah, that makes sense. Unfortunately.

“Okay, well… what does he do for a living?” Mary tries, only to get a good few shrugs.

For someone who posts ten times a day, this guy is really quite quiet about his private life.

“I think he's a doctor,” Peter says eventually. “That’s what I found when I looked him up. Pediatric Surgeon?”

“Oh, so he literally saves kids lives,” Marlene says, exasperatedly throwing her hands in the air. “I'm sorry, he can't be Mr Perfect! This isn't how Remus works!”

Lily wants to say that maybe it is, maybe he's turning a corner, but she bites her tongue. They don't actually know anything real, anything substantial, about this guy. All they know is that he grew up in a very prominent family, and can build a careful social media presence. That means nothing.

They need to dig deeper.

“You know what this means, right?” Lily says grimly. “We have to meet him.”

Remus knows exactly what his friends are up to.

They think they're so brilliant at hiding their little… background checks on anyone he even so much as mentions wanting to date. Well, he can't exactly blame them. He's dated some absolutely horrendous people, and he knows that. Showing up at Lily’s as a crying mess wasn't exactly his finest moment, so he gets why they're so concerned.

Sirius, though? God, they’re never going to have to worry again. For a good few weeks, Remus had thought he'd made Sirius up. He's never fallen for someone as quickly as he's fallen for Sirius, even though they're taking everything so slowly. Honestly, he'd move in with Sirius tomorrow, if he asked, but Sirius is too good to ask that so soon.

That doesn't stop Sirius from panicking a little, as Remus keeps setting the table for dinner with his friends.

“What if they hate me? I mean, what if I set a really bad impression and they hate me forever-?”

“They definitely won't hate you. Believe me, you'll click with them. Especially James. I have a feeling he's going to love you.”

James is always the most supportive. He at least tells Remus before the others start to interrogate them.

“But what if-”

“Hey, don't panic.” Remus reaches out and takes both of Sirius’ hands in his. It sends a little thrill through him, the way Sirius’ breath catches in his throat. “Just… don't feel intimidated when they start asking too many questions, and you'll be fine.” Sirius nods once, and Remus squeezes his hands reassuringly.

There’s a knock at the door before they can kiss.

Remus groans as Sirius drops his head onto Remus' shoulder. He takes a breath and takes a step away, as Remus tries to quash the nerves. He knows how much they're going to love Sirius, but it isn't really helping. He doesn't want them freaking him out and scaring him off.

Still, it's too late to give them all the boot now, so, with a slight hesitance, he accepts his fate and opens the door.

“Hey, guys! You’re all here… at the same time,” he says, sticking a perplexed expression on his face. Mary smiles brightly as Remus steps aside to let them all in.

“What a coincidence, right?”

They’re really bad at hiding things.

James is the last one in, and Remus holds him back quickly.

“Please tell me they're not grilling him. Sirius is nervous enough.” He knows the answer already, but James shrugging apologetically only confirms it.

“They didn't find anything online. You know what that means.” Remus nods once, trying to bite back a groan. “They're doing it because they care.”

“I know. Just… please give him a chance. He's… Prongs, he’s amazing.” He watches James’ face soften, and it gives him the slightest glimmer of hope.

Maybe this'll be okay.

“So, Sirius…” Marlene starts, the moment they all settle at the table.

God, it's already starting.

“What’s your favourite thing about our Remus?”

Honestly, Remus is pretty sure that's a tricky question. He's never seen anyone answer it right. There's always something wrong with the answer. It almost feels like a cruel start.

“Oh, wow, I don't think I could pick!” Sirius says with a smile. “I mean, unless you let me pick everything,” he adds with a wink. It draws a smile out of Remus, and James is already positively beaming. The others, though, exchange a confused glance.

“What, so you can't think of anything?” Peter says disbelievingly.

“Oh, I just meant- I think everything about him is amazing.”

A blush immediately spreads it's way across Sirius’ face and, oh, Remus could look at him forever; could watch his face turn rosy until the end of time.

“What d’you think of his writing? Y’know, his breakout piece on euthanasia?” Lily asks, resting her chin in her hands.

“I thought his breakout piece was his intersectionality one?” Remus turns to him, stunned. He didn't even know Sirius had read any of his articles.

He's also right.

Christ, he must be ticking some kind of box for his friends.

“Right, this is stupid,” Mary interrupts Remus’ train of thought, and he's already dreading whatever they're about to say. “If you have any intentions of hurting him, we’ll quite literally kill you.”

“Mary!” Remus says quickly, his hand reaching out to grab Sirius’.

“No, he needs to hear this!”

“Why? Because you couldn't find anything when you looked him up?”

It's enough for the group to lapse into silence.

“Listen.” Remus forces himself to take a breath and slow down. “I know why you do all of this, and I get it. Really, I do. I appreciate how much you care. Sirius, though, he's… guys, he's wonderful. You don't have to worry this time.”

James nods, Mary also seemingly placated. The others, though, turn to Sirius.

Yeah, that makes sense.

“Honestly, I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I wouldn't dream of hurting him. I'm falling in love with him more every single day-” He cuts himself off with wide eyes, immediately turning to Remus.

Oh.

Oh, wow.

“You love me?” Remus asks. It's almost like his friends just… vanish, in that moment. All he can see is Sirius, sitting beside him, telling him that he loves him.

“Shit, I didn't mean to say it like that!” Sirius groans, his face reddening by the second.

Okay, accidentally telling him that he loves him.

“I wanted to plan something nice, think of the right thing to say, not just- God, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for this-” He buries his head into his hands, muffling his panicked rambling.

“Sirius?” He tries quietly. Sirius just shakes his head minutely. It's really bloody endearing.

Remus is going to have to go about this differently.

Slowly, gently, he reaches out and pries Sirius’ hands from his face. He lets himself lace his fingers through Sirius’, as their eyes meet and Remus’ stomach flips.

“I love you, Sirius,” he says softly. “Christ, how could I not?”

Sirius’ face brightens in an instant, and Remus can't help but beam right back at him. He can practically feel the tension in the room lift.

He has a feeling his friends won't be worrying about him anymore.

#please be nice i've barely jostled myself out of writers block #i PROMISE i'll post more chapters of my actual wips soon #wolfstar #sirius black #wolfstar oneshot #marauders #remus lupin #remus x sirius #young marauders #moony x padfoot #atyd marauders #marauders oneshot

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youcouldmakealife · 4 months ago

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Masking, YCMAL edition

So, after the general info on masking, here's how it specifically looks like and impacts some of the 'verse's characters.

I think I kind of need to preface this with the fact that a lot of my characters have neurodivergent traits because, well. I do. I don't know how a neurotypical person thinks, the same way a neurotypical person doesn't know how a neurodivergent person thinks. You can read about the experience, and, despite shitty stereotypes to the contrary, you can empathize with it, but the wiring of the brain is literally different.

So when I'm listing characters here as neurodivergent, I either a) set out to write them that way or b) in hindsight can't deny that their experiences are written through a very specifically neurodivergent lens. Someone not being explicitly labelled as ND doesn't necessarily mean they aren't, I just..really don't want to go back through my entire 'verse applying diagnoses the same way I happily slap an MBTI or enneagram or kindergarten teacher/assassin label on them, because that feels wrong.

But if you're neurodivergent and see something in a particular character that makes you feel seen, I'm not going to tell you 'nah man, they're actually neurotypical'. Especially because literally every single one of them was written by someone neurodivergent.

Anyway! Canonically ND characters and their masks:

David: masks extensively. Generally does his best for 'unobtrusive, pay no attention', unsure why it doesn't seem to work (mostly because he's talented and beautiful, so it seems less 'unobtrusive' and more 'I think I'm better than you', which isn't helped by the fact that often when the mask does slip, it's to show frustration, contempt, or disdain -- think at the All-Star Game his rookie year, or several points early on with Jake. Also does not help that he often does think he's better than people.)

Bryce: Still laughing at 'straightsona' used to describe Bryce out with his teammates, because it's perfect. His 'I don't care, I'm hot as shit, bitches love me' dickhead behaviour was him picking up those behaviours from popular peers and teammates over the years, partly mistaking that for the reason they were popular (rather than being seen as boy kings making them callous or arrogant), and partly viewing them as the exemplar of someone no one would predict was gay. Jared's worst enemy.

Speaking of, honourable mention to Raf Sanchez AND Julius Halla here, Jared's going around collecting neurodivergent loved ones all through IJ(aoe).

James: 'unobtrusive, pay no attention', much more successfully than David, partly because he has a mouthpiece in the form of Finn. His crashing after road trips is partly extended overstimulation and change, but it's also having to wear the mask more extensively, because he has much less time to himself, especially when he shared a room. (He's mostly unmasked with Finn, that's why Finn is his exception to a lot of No People things, but he wasn't at the beginning).

Holden: Also kind of 'I don't care, I'm hot as shit, bitches love me', but...ironically? He doesn't mask as much as the others, and because of that, he frequently drives away people who originally seem to like him and wonders why. Has been described as 'a lot'.

Fiona: Literally will not leave the house without a full face of makeup and a pair of heels or she'll feel exposed and vulnerable, and putting her make up on is how she prepares to be Outside Fiona. She's very perky and friendly at work. The second she gets home it's an 'uggggh' moment and straight into the shower to decompress/literally unmask. She's more aware than any of the guys that she's putting on a performance, partly because she grew up with all those 'girls are expected to be...' followed by a list of things she definitively wasn't. Has also been described as 'a lot'.

Finn: And How May I Be of Service To You Today?

Now this is where it gets kind of interesting because like -- people often have facades. That's not a neurodivergent only thing. People can be fake, or posture, or pretend to be something they're not. Mike, for example, will lean into the big macho asshole when he's put on the defensive, Willy is Always Performing, Thomas is sunshine even when he doesn't really feel like being that, Robbie will play the buffoon to make people laugh if he thinks they need it, half of Joey's rants are playing to the cheap seats.

Like, there's a difference between pretending you're somebody else sometimes, or behaving inauthentically, and full on 'yeah, they're masking'.

But Georgie is masking. Georgie is, at all times, evaluating his surroundings, monitoring people's emotions and reactions (especially to him), and behaving in the manner he thinks is most likely to lead to his being liked. And he was already doing that when Robbie met him, but it's intensified significantly since.

I think that's where the biggest difference lies between some of the above ND characters and Georgie? David, for example, doesn't care if he's liked (like, yes he does, but also...no). The mask is for safety/to minimize vulnerability. David's in particular was tweaked to get praise and avoid criticism from his parents (didn't work), teachers, and coaches (worked much better), not so much for his peers.

But Georgie's isn't for safety. Georgie doesn't manage his behaviour to avoid harm, Georgie wants people to like him. And he's discovered that people don't seem to like him when he does certain things, or acts certain ways, or needs things from them, so he just...doesn't do those things.

Finn's interesting because he has both forms. Please like him it'll break his heart if you don't.

#david chapman #james erickson #finn schneider #holden chase #fiona macintyre #georgie dineen #bryce marcus

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nogenderbee · 26 days ago

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♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ 𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕥 ₊˚ˑ༄

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ @yulikesminori

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

Astral Express once more stopped in Belebog to say hello to friends again! During winter, it had especially a lot of snow! And what's better way than have some fun using it~?

Stelle, Dan Heng and Himeko went to say hello to Bronya, while the rest stayed in the express! But not for long... You soon discovered that March wanted to stay in not because of we laziness, but because she wanted to use the big amount of snow with you!

Mr. Welt probably expected it... because not putting much of a fight, he just made sure you're dressed warmly and let you go, as long as you stay in his and PomPom's view from express's window.

"Think how surprised everyone's gonna be when they come back to see a snow fort in front of express!"

"Heh~ Yeah, that's definitely bound to be interesting. But... it might be hard looking at the snow here..."

"You forget who got the ice power here~"

She held up her hand showing off her powers, also proving fragile snow may not be a problem for you after all!

"Alright, alright, I get it. You're our savior~ Well... Should we go for something like iglo or..."

"Let's start with iglo and then we can upgrade it into a palace!"

You nodded to her, thinking you should've expected that sort of answer... But it only motivated you to get to work sooner rather than later!

You began collecting snow and setting it in a circle while pink haired girl used her ice powers on every new batch of snow to keep it securely in place and avoid the snow fort falling over you when you enter...

When everything was secured, you made a few circles around the base, to sew if you didn't miss a spot... and then, March volunteered the risk the possibility of disappearing under white powder!

"I'll go check it inside is good too!"

"You sure? I don't mind doing it..."

"Yup! I have the power here after all hehe~"

"Fair point... Good luck!"

She gave you a nod with small "mhm!" sound before entering.. when you kneeled to see exactly what she was doing there, you noticed she was safe and only secured few more parts... especially on the roof!

"It's good! Come here!!"

Encouraged by her sudden statement, you decided to immidietly take the chance and entered your own construction!

Inside was blindingly white... and a bit cold... But nonetheless, definitely less than outside of it! At least here you didn't had to worry about wind as much...

"We should get games here! And maybe something to warm up with..."

"Maybe hot chocolate!"

"Oh, perfect! We can bring whole kettle to be sure we won't run out!"

You got up to leave but her hand snatched you back.

"What was that for-?!"

"Shh..."

She successfully shushed you, as you were a bit too curious what this is all about... When you listened closely, you heard 3 pair of shoes going through thick snow of Belebog and small chatted between well known 2 women...

March switched her loud voice to a whisper to tell you everything, plan included!

"They're coming back...! How do we surprise them... Maybe..."

Whil she was thinking, another voice came from outside, belonging to a male. The calmness made it pretty clear it must've been Dan Heng...

"March, come out before you get sick again. You too Y/N."

"Huh-?!"

Both of you were stunned as to how he could tell so precisely who was hiding inside the construction immidietly... Also successfully ruining your plan...

You found it a little bit disappointing but March? She found it not only disappointing but also a bit annoying that both of you went through so much struggle just for him to ruin it without even falling for it first!!

"Dan Heng!! At least pretend you don't know next time to let others play guess game!"

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ 2024 ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴀʟᴇɴᴅᴀʀ

#hsr #star rail #x reader #hsr x reader #star rail x reader #march 7th #march 7th x reader #hsr march 7th #star rail march 7th #star rail march 7th x reader #platonic #fluff #hsr platonic #hsr fluff #oneshot #hsr oneshot #star rail platonic #star rail fluff #star rail oneshot

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iamnmbr3 · 5 months ago

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The more I read HP, the more I can see the unintentional drarry moments J.K. Rowling has set up in the narrative.

And while I get she's not notoriously good at writing romance, but I just don't understand how there's no reason at all for us to think he'd end up with Ginny.

Unlike romione one day he's crushing on Cho and the next he's kissing Ginny and there's that. We barely even know how he really feels about her, hell, we learn way more about Draco unwillingly than we do about her and I'm just ???

What exactly do we know about Ginny that wasn't information someone offered Harry that he didn't pick up on by himself? We barely know the color of her eyes, but wr get a 15 page essay on how Draco looks?

At this point I just feel bad for her because girly deserved better

There is definitely some setup for hinny (unlike lupin/tonks that really comes out of literally nowhere at all) but yeah it's not much and pretty easy to miss so it feels like it comes out of nowhere in book 6 - especially because Ginny's characterization and narrative framing change in book 6.

If she'd continued to be written the way she was in book 5 and her relationship with Harry continued to be written the way it was in that book it might've felt more natural. Instead in book 6 Harry is actually less close to her than in book 5 - no longer confessing his problems or feelings to her; he doesn't even ever tell her about the prophecy nor does he feel any desire to share what he's learning about Voldemort with her, even given her experiences with Tom Riddle in book 2. So she's actually much more tertiary to his life rather than increasingly involved.

If they were going to get together I think book 6 should've been the slow burn buildup book with them getting increasingly close and some will they or won't they energy going on and then they finally get together in book 7. I guess JKR kinda did try to do the slow burn thing it just didn't really work for me.

I actually have mixed feelings on whether this is a flaw. I say it didn't work for me but I mean that only in the sense that I don't buy them being soulmates who ultimately end up together. Harry and Ginny's relationship as depicted in the books does actually feel realistic to me and is interesting as is - just not as something endgame. She idolizes him. Harry thinks he might be dead soon and wishfully mistakes lust for love - partly because he'd feel bad just having a casual relationship with his best friend's sister. But after the war they realize they don't really know each other and aren't that well matched. Each needs someone else and they go their separate ways.

I think that's compelling and realistic. So if we ignore the epilogue I actually totally buy what happened in canon. I stg the whole book series is a perfect setup for 8th year or postwar drarry. It's why I prefer drarry fic that is post canon rather than canon divergent and only ignores the epilogue.

And yeah. Harry doesn't really respect Ginny and consistently sidelines her. I mean neither of them even ever gets each other a Christmas or birthday present. Even in 6th year when they're dating. They're not that close. Can you imagine Harry shopping for a present for Ginny? He's great at buying things for Ron or Hermione because he knows them well, but Ginny? Does he even know her well enough to know what to get her? No.

#And we the readers don't really either. Which is a shame.#Bc she has a ton of potential and I have seen terrific things done with her in fic.#tagging anti tags as a courtesy. i have nothing against ginny or hinny or ppl who like either/both #asks #Harry Potter #anti hinny #anti ginny weasley

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pendwelling · 11 days ago

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hiii been getting interested in twsb, planning to read after looking at ur posts. would you recommend starting it with the novel or the manhwa first?

OH ABSOLUTELY THE NOVEL!!! Like Please. I am actually begging for most people to start the novel first before reading the webtoon hahaha........

I love the webtoon dearly, but there are very obvious problems with it (especially if you read the adaptation on the official WEBTOON platform—the translation team clearly have no idea what they're doing and don't seem to have a good quality checker on the team which leads to mistakes on the most basic things such as name romanization (which has already been provided for FOR FREE by the novel author on their Munpia page 😭) and the wrong use of pronouns/titles of address for several characters)... Many readers in the comments have even expressed confusion because of the botched "official" translation, and despite having gone on for several episodes, they haven't bothered to go back and correct these errors :')))

The adaptation also skips over many details, and while some changes do a decent job in reorganizing the narrative flow into a smoother visual experience format, TWSB is actually quite a lore-heavy and emotionally compelling story driven by a lot of the subtle relationship development between characters through their many, MANY interactions, and elevated through the inner narrations of the characters themselves (which is obviously tricky to translate into a visual medium). A lot of such interactions do unfortunately end up getting cut from the webtoon (especially in Season 2, although the art definitely captures the novel's atmosphere better than the first season), so webtoon-only readers unknowingly end up missing out a LOT on the very strongly built characterization and the setting of foundations for the relationships that will be so fundamental in the long run.

All in all, the webtoon is decent. It's not the best, it's actually quite enjoyable, but as an adaptation, it very unfortunately suffers in many aspects, and since the webtoon is often the first impression of TWSB that many new readers are introduced to, it often leads to the belief that TWSB is just some simple and silly story without much depth (it is very much NOT. If you are familiar with ORV, TWSB is actually quite similar, just thrown into a RoFan, directed towards a different target audience, and with the promises of offering a lighthearted fun story. Think ORV on light mode, with its own unique spin. "Kim Dokja" and "Jung Eunseo". You'll get what I mean.)

Anyhow, Season 1 probably adapts the novel the best in terms of the story and scenes, but the atmosphere leans more towards the silliness and doesn't capture the balance between comedy, tension, and drama as well as it should, and is very simplistic, leaving out many relevant visual details. Season 2 on the other hand is near perfect when it comes to visual design, mood, and atmosphere, but is lacking when it comes to adapting the story and character interactions, with a surprising number of important scenes being left out. Both seasons are good in their own ways, but both are still ultimately lacking when you know what you're missing out on..... 🥹

Oughhh sorry I kinda went on a rant, but my point is, the TWSB novel is actually very deceivingly complex. At first glance, it seems like a comedic and lighthearted story, but the more you read the more depth you find is actually present, many of which are between the lines or very blatant, but presented in an initially unassuming light which makes you take it at face-value (making rereads a very enlightening experience). The novel manages to balance several different kinds of tones and moods in a way that the webtoon struggles to juggle the fine line of, and I should note that throughout all 920 chapters of the novel, it is clear that, from the very start, the author has always had an extremely clear vision, direction, and ending for the story. Each character you meet is important. Each of their stories is important. It is actually quite meta, but, this is something you'll only fully understand upon reading the novel haha. Everything is written in confidence and as a reader, you can actually feel this the more you read, and it's frankly impressive because there are other fantasy stories that feel like they drag from one arc to the next leaving you wondering how the story will even be able end, but with TWSB, the structure and end goals are always there. The writing of the protagonists definitely contribute to this, as TWSB is, to its core, an very character driven story.

Oh and in addition to a great main cast, the way the story treats its supporting cast is also so impressive. Most of my favourite character are actually not even part of the main cast—but even though they're only in the background, supporting the protagonists from the sidelines or even the shadows, the story treats their roles with great importance and depth, and even though they're minor characters, their presences are absolutely integral in their own ways, and it's nice to see a story treat its characters with such respect (so it's a shame that the webtoon doesn't seem to place as much importance onto all of its characters, focusing mainly on the MCs). TWSB is so well crafted and it will always pain me to see that the webtoon cannot do full justice to the amount of care put into the universe..... TvT

But yes, please read the novel first haha... 🥹 The webtoon is fine on its own, but is somewhat superficial compared to the novel. It's lovely, and the artists have definitely worked hard on their project, but the adaptation writers truly cannot live up to the full original experience presented by Sookym themselves! So yes, I would definitely recommend the novel first 🥹🥹🥹👍

#twsb #twsb asks #twsb webtoon #very sorry if this reply ended up reply long I am very passionate about this topic wHDJDJKJFJ #TWSB..... TWSB deserved so much better 🥹#not to mention Eng WEBTOON keeps nerfing its launch. like I will forever be made about daily pass #asks

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thebramblewood · 4 months ago

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Apologies if you've answered this before, but I was looking through your asks and couldn't find anything.

Do you have any advice on how you take such good screenshots of your game? You have such a knack for lighting, having variety of shots, and making them immersive.

This is so sweet. Thank you! 🥰

If I'm being honest, it's 90% vibes and gut feelings for me. I don’t have any formal background in filmmaking or photography, and everything I know is by sheer osmosis. There’s a lot of fancy terminology to describe why certain image compositions look better than others. I admire and respect anyone who purposefully keeps that in mind. But I am definitely not that person. I think I’ve watched enough film and TV, though, to subconsciously be doing the "right thing" - or at least what looks right to me.

That being said, I think the best way to improve is practice. If you spend enough time doing something you'll obviously get better at it, even if you don't realize it at first. So the most important thing is to give yourself the patience to grow and the freedom to experiment! At any rate, here are some things I've learned that will maybe be helpful to others.

Camera Tricks: We all know the camera in TS4 can be a little wonky at times. I use Buckley's camera mod. It hasn't been updated in eons but still works as far as I can tell. It gives you more freedom with movement, and I've found it especially helpful for getting shots that are lower to the ground.

Now that I've realized how sneakily useful first person camera can be, I also take advantage of that all the time. There's the trick of making your Sim look in a specific direction. (This works with poses and gameplay actions, by the way! For example, I used it to turn Caleb's head toward Lilith while he was trimming the bonsai tree.) There's the Dutch angle trick explained in this video. This is great for moments of disorientation and unease. I also just straight-up used first person camera to convey Helena's confusion upon waking after being turned.

Also, saved camera positions are your best friends. You can save up to five positions using CTRL+5-9. Then you just click the corresponding number to return to that position. I've used these for so many reasons. By taking two shots in the same position and Photoshopping them together, I've been able to edit Sims in (like Vlad below), fix accessory clashes (the book was in the hat category, so Lilith couldn't actually wear it at the same time as the towel on her head), and to pose Sims in open doorways (Helena had to walk through the door to open it for the Vatores, so I shot both halves separately).

Zoom: I love smashing that zoom button, whether it's zooming way in or way out. Zoomed out shots are perfect for establishing setting or as interstitial shots during a long conversation when you don't want to always focus on Sims' faces. They're also great for the draaama. Extreme close-ups are great for emphasizing emotion or a tiny but significant detail. Playing around with the extremes of zoom is one of the best ways to achieve shot variety!

Focus: I don't think Reshade is a necessity for good visual storytelling, but it does make certain things easier. I rely a lot on depth of field shaders to pull focus in shots. I like using cinematic depth of field especially in conversations to blur some characters while emphasizing others. I feel like this helps ground conversations because it reminds us there are multiple participants instead of always zeroing in on the speaker alone. Another way to play with focus is to allow the angle to mirror the emotions of the conversation. It's an older shot, but I always liked how Caleb seems to cower beneath Lilith's bat form here even though she's technically smaller. And in the recent conversation between Lilith and Helena, I kept the camera to Lilith's back to emphasize her vulnerability and discomfort and put the focus on Helena's reaction to it.

Framing/Angles: I do this by pure instinct, honestly, and have gotten better at getting it right on the first shot over time. I used to take half a dozen shots of the same pose from different angles and choose the best one. Nowadays, I'm quicker to commit and often take only one shot. I've learned that if something immediately tickles my brain, it's usually the way to go. I usually angle shots so that the characters aren't looking directly at camera, as it seems more natural that way. On the other hand, sometimes the direct to camera look can actually work in more confrontational or unsettling moments.

Environment: If I can help it, I don't do my own builds. In some ways, this is a disadvantage because I have to set up the scene within a space that wasn't specifically catered to it. On the other hand, it makes for fun little surprises, like the ability to peek in through a skylight or frame two characters within perfectly placed archways. I like using objects and structures to create interest when I can. I often don't discover things like this until I'm pulling the camera around and randomly happen upon them. I definitely recommend navigating all around to see what you've got to work with before committing to any specific angle. You might find one you didn't even think of!

Lighting: I do what I can with the game's lighting. I avoid placing ceiling lamps or at least turn the brightness down much lower, and I don't usually turn all the lights on in a room at once. I tend to change the color to one of the warmer golden hues to avoid a stark white that washes everything out. I always like when I can get some sources of light into frame because it adds a lot to the ambience. But I've also been using Relight on all of my posts lately. It's an addiction, and it truly makes all the difference. I'll use it to give light sources a stronger glow so they stand out more and also to create shadows on Sims' faces. It's also very good for flashlights and computer screen glow!

After having self-indulgently written all this, I'm not sure how much is usable advice versus rambling musings. I find it hard to give storytelling "tips" because so much of it feels innate and personal and hard to put into generalized terms. I also don't want to imply that every one of my shots is perfect or that there aren't a million other ways to go about achieving good results. But thank you to anyone who's made it this far, and I hope you found it worthwhile. 💕

#asks #the zhaoverse

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batmanisagatewaydrug · 7 months ago

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reading roundup: May 2024

you guyssssss you guys you guys you guys I've been reading so much this month :)

sometimes my brain gets the itch to just DEVOUR books and it's really been on me, probably thanks to the burst of energy + free time that comes with the semester ending and summer getting started! the days are longer, the last of my season depression has been kicked to the curb, and I can spend hours reading on the porch every evening. the ideal!

right now, as the month ends, I'm feeling a particular hankering towards nonfiction and juicy new summer novels; I reblogged a Lit Hub roundup of new books the other day that got my brain buzzinggggg with excitement for the coming months. we'll see if that ends up manifesting in the June roundup, but for now, here's what kept me busy in May:

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble (Alexis Hall, 2022) - this month I read two romance novels picked by my beautiful patreonites; I did a compare/contrast between the two over on Patreon and I'll leave the majority of my thoughts there, but suffice to say that I am not a fan of Paris. definitely the weakest of the three Alexis Hall novels, and a real disappointment since I found the other two delightful. the story is straightforward enough and has some potential for sure, but Paris as a protagonist is a sodden mess who I found just insufferable. thumbs down from me, gang.

Chef's Kiss (TJ Alexander, 2022) - hi, it's the other romance novel. this one is a lot goofier than Paris Daillencourt, which is fitting since it's BA Test Kitchen rpf starring a bisexual Claire Saffitz and a nonbinary Brad Leone. it's frustrating because the story is definitely stronger than the one in Paris but the romance is piteously undercooked, although I was at least fine with the protag and her love interest getting together - they were boring but unobjectionable, unlike Paris and his love interest who I really thought would have been better off as friends. now that I'm thinking about it, you might get a perfect queer cooking show romance novel if you somehow mashed the two of them together. they're both, like, so close to working, but ultimately fall flat.

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 4-6 (Ryoko Kui, 2018) - I don't even know what to say except that I'm still loving everything about Dungeon Meshi. the craft and thought that Kui puts into every facet of the world, from the big picture politics between fantasy races to the individual thoughts and feelings of each character, shows so much love for the world without ever being overbearing; it never feels like exposition is being hammered down my throat so much as little details are being tastefully arranged to be enjoyed at whatever speed and to whatever extent the reader likes. the world is getting bigger with each chapter and I'm looking forward to exploring more, especially now that Falin's hottie monster form and that good good catgirl have entered the chat.

Earthdivers Vol. 2: Ice Age (Stephen Graham Jones, Riccardo Burchielli, Patricio Depeche, Emily Schnall, Joana Lafuente, 2024) - once again I've done the worst thing that you can do as a comics fan, which is get invested in a series that's just starting out and is still releasing individual issues. the third trade paperback won't be out until December, so I guess I'm either going to have to go on hiatus with Earthdivers or start chasing down new releases on comic pirating sites, which feels shitty - that's how I read Batman comics that are the same age as me, not new stuff from authors I actually want to support! but Earthdivers might just be worth it. the second installment takes us to a wildly different setting than the first, Columbus-killing collection, dropping fearsome mother Tawny in a prehistoric North America. but while the setting changes, the series is still grappling with the question of what its protagonists are willing to sacrifice and who they're willing to become to change the past and save the world. we're starting to see bigger hints about how much history can be altered and catching some clues about the series' antagonist (???); I gotta know what happens next.

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Caroline Fraser, 2017) - here it is, the book that got nonfic so powerfully on the brain! this is a riveting history whether you grew up on Little House on the Prairie or not (I didn't), tracking Laura Ingalls Wilder from an impoverished girl constantly imperiled by life on the prairie to a beloved icon of American propaganda. for me, personally, this hefty book really picks up when it gets to the endlessly complicated and frequently nasty relationship that Wilder had with her daughter when said daughter was grown; Rose Wilder Lane is a FASCINATING figure in her own right and I'm kind of obsessed with what a shithead grifter girlboss she was. fascinating stuff all around.

The Brides of High Hill (Nghi Vo, 2024) - Vo's series of Singing Hills novellas has always woven from one genre to another, exploring new types of stories just as our protagonist, the cleric Chih, explores new lands. this installation takes us straight into a gothic horror that pulls out all the stops: an isolated manor, an enigmatic madman roaming the grounds, the strangling snares of social conventions, and a blushing bride who isn't exactly what she seems. I read it in one sitting, it's delicious.

Superfreaks: Kink, Pleasure, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Arielle Greenberg, 2023) - a poppin' primer for anybody who wants to learn more about the world of kink and what the fuck is going on out there. at one point I did catch myself thinking that I was a little underwhelmed and that Greenberg wasn't really putting forth anything that radical, but then I realized that speaking extremely candidly about and validating interest in basically any kink or fetish imaginable, and yes I do mean straight up any of them, is actually A Lot for many people to handle. so, yeah, good book, check it out for a friendly and enthusiastic intro to the wide world of kink.

Sex Criminals Vol. 2: Two Worlds, One Cop (Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, 2015) - the first volume of Sex Criminals left me feeling a little meh, but I decided to keep going because Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run was lifechanging and I know this series is pretty widely acclaimed, so I want to see where we're going with this. (plus it's free via the library, so what do I have to lose?) this volume really sold me on the series and particularly on Jon, who I was pretty lukewarm on initially. he really stole the spotlight in this one, and I like the way that the story is ratcheting up the stakes.

The Stone Sky (N.K. Jemisin, 2017) - GOOOOOOOOOD what a book! what a trilogy! in a series shaped by empires and natural disasters, the story ultimately ends with a quit confrontation of clashing ideologies, a young daughter determined to end the world and a mother equally determined that one of her children should live. and that shit hurts! I read the series a couple of times when I was younger but I was never before able to fully appreciate the work Jemisin does in crafting Essun and Nassun, showing us the way cruelty and fear have shaped both of them into the people they ultimately are and the choices they make. absolutely masterful, a legend.

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World in Search of the Good Death (Caitlin Doughty, 2017) - this was another reread, and while N.K. Jemisin was blowing my mind, Caitlin Doughty was giving me a warm hug. I don't know what to tell you, reading about the ways that people all over the world care for their dead and take comfort in their memories makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. death can be really beautiful and comforting, if you're not a coward.

The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag (Sasha Velour, 2023) - listen, I'm not really a Drag Race girlie. I first heard about this book when Velour was a guest on Nicole Byers' podcast, and while I was very charmed by her I was not expecting to be blown away by her book. it's just a little cash-in for a Ru girl, right? all she needs to do is slap together some cool pictures of her in drag and a few platitudes about being yourself and boom bang, that's a book. but readers, I owe Sasha Velour an apology: this book was so much cooler and smarter than it needed to be! Velour brings an impressive eye to forces of colonialism and capitalism that shape art and conceptions of queerness, and keeps this framework firmly in place while keeping the tone of the book bubbly and lighthearted. she also goes out of her way to spotlight a huge variety of drag performers and gender nonconforming figures throughout history, celebrating all the different means of expression that make up the tapestry of contemporary queerness. a great read, and one that I've already shelled out for. a friend and I are working on a documentary exploring the nuances of queer style, and I know I'm gonna want to pull heavily from Velour's thoughts and the history she's curated.

#bookblr

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waitineedaname · 2 years ago

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Um. do you think about how mr & mrs kageyama are undoubtedly on the Good-er side of the Parents scale but also are probably viewed differently by ritsu and shigeo. like i think about how ritsu probably had to be the easy one (the one that doesn't need you to care about them and comfort them) since shigeo has probably come home beaten up and bloodied enough times for the both of them?? also i feel like they might've said something like "well shigeo you don't HAVE to do [thing that will make any parent happy/proud] right ritsu :)" at some point. like idkkk i feel like that is definitely part of why ritsu feels so pressured to be twice as good at whatever he does (to make up for whatever mob lacks) but also if anyone said that to me i'd kill myself on the spot because it puts Zero trust in mob's abilities? like i feel it doesn't give him a chance to try because well ritsu will do it anyways why do i need to :/ (but then body improvement club happened. W)

anyways i just thing his parents (unintentionally) put sooo much pressure on ritsu. like the bar for being Good is drastically different for ritsu and shigeo*. and pre-claw ritsu thought that half of this pressure would probably disappear if mob did what he was ""supposed"" to do as the Older Sibling which might be one of the many many reasons ritsu thought he hated him?

*marathon arc is the first instance that comes to mind cuz...idk..before it happens they're like Hm. we should go wait in the middway of the path for shigeo (who waited for ritsu at the finish line?🤨). and after it they're like hehe ritsu got 9th place and shigeo did his best :) (this just sounds. damn. the bar's that low/high?). and both of these are normal! considering how shigeo and ritsu are! but i also feel like they're only normal because that's what you'd expect from shigeo and ritsu respectively which kind of. fucked up my worldview.

okayyy this got long. Sowwy. 😆

the kageyama parents make me NUTS when I think about them too hard bc they're probably the best parents in the series and definitely the most normal, but with being normal comes very normal flaws and parenting fuck ups, like comparing their sons. like comparing kids against each other is a very normal and common thing for parents to do, but it fucking sucks, and it's only made worse with the specific baggage the brother have

they absolutely put so much pressure on ritsu, which is one of the components of him snapping in the cleanup arc. he's like,, the ideal that they compare shigeo too, like they're always like "shigeo, why don't you get better grades, like ritsu. shigeo, why don't you stop doing weird things, like ritsu." I feel like the best example of this is these two pages from the cleanup arc (chapter 23, if you're curious)

literally every day I think about "ritsu is way smarter than I am. he doesn't do anything weird" [panel of ritsu looking so fucking haunted]

I'm going to put the rest of this under a read more because I had a Lot To Say

anyway, this sets up the expectations for the two of them. shigeo is the one who struggles at school, who messes up, whose psychic powers do weird things. ritsu is the star student, the perfect son, the Normal One. neither of these expectations are fair to them at all, especially since shigeo works really fucking hard when he sets his mind to something, and ritsu has to wear the mask of normalcy and perfection even if it doesn't feel right. it puts too much pressure on ritsu and sets mob up with the expectations of failure! goddammit!!

I don't necessarily blame the kageyama parents, I mean like I said, this is a very normal thing for parents to do, especially with kids so close in age. I've been compared to my stepsister, I've seen this happen to friends who are close in age to their siblings. it sucks ass, but it's a very normal flaw for a family to have. but also, even though the series really emphasizes that psychic powers are just a normal thing, I don't think the kageyama parents were equipped to deal with the specific issues their kids have bc of psychic powers. I can't help but wonder how much they know about that part of their sons' lives... the more I think about it, the more I think that ritsu definitely didn't tell them the truth about the first ???% incident, he definitely lied to protect his brother because I feel like they would treat shigeo differently if they knew he almost killed his brother and several teenagers at age ten. and it's unclear how much, if anything, they know about the major arcs of the show. do they know ritsu was kidnapped? do they know shigeo was trapped in a mental hellscape for six months? I'm pretty sure ritsu actively hid the events of the world domination arc from them. we see their mom watching the news report in the confession arc -- did she see her son on the screen?

idk, I just get the impression that the brothers don't really let their parents into that part of their lives, which means they still get treated normally but also means their parents don't really understand them. I think that's part of why reigen was so important to mob's development as a kid, because he gave him a person he could go to about things he couldn't talk about with his parents. it also means ritsu was especially isolated because he didn't have that kind of person, at least not until he and shou became friends

also what you said about ritsu being the "easy one", that fits directly into the way I think about both of the kageyama brothers being autistic. I think mob was much more visibly autistic, probably needed more support, and because ritsu didn't need the same support, everyone assumed ritsu must be allistic. I think he knew he was the "easy one" between the two of them and I think that got wrapped up in him masking a LOT to make things easier on his parents so they could focus on shigeo. this kid is so damn undiagnosed that I don't think he even realizes he might also be autistic until his teenage years at least

something something psychic powers as a metaphor for autism something something ritsu desperately trying to seem normal because he doesn't have powers, but also desperately wanting to get powers and stop having to act normal. this kid is so fucking sick of masking.

#PUNCHES A WALL. KAGEYAMA BROTHER BRAINROT.#asks #anonymous #should I tag this. I feel like seven hundred words of deranged analysis deserves to get tagged #mp100 #ritsu kageyama #shigeo kageyama #the other day I saw someone liking every post I've tagged with ritsu. I hope that person knows I love them #ANYWAY. AUUUGUUGHHGHHG I THINK ABOUT THEM TOO HARD AND I WANT TO EAT GLASS

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smallnico · 4 months ago

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i'm in love with your durge

weird question, but do you believe that esper is technically immortal because of being crafted from bhaal's own flesh? i've seen the theory being thrown around before

WWWWWWWWWAAAUGGHHHhhh???

what the hell thank u so much i'm so happy,, i'm so happy you like my little guy.....

and oh my god not a weird question at all, i also think about this all the time. i have seen some of those theories and a lot of different fun takes on the concept of durge's mortality/divinity, and i do have my own esper mortality lore, so thank you so much for asking so i can talk about it!!

i don't think esper is immortal, but they are chronically unkillable. even before they were orin'd and tadpoled and had their guts all over the place in a necromancer den and eventually walked off that experience, bhaal's been keeping them alive and restarting their vital functions whenever they die somehow. it happened a Lot, especially when they were young, that esper would be burned alive or sacrificed to lolth or thrown off a cliff or otherwise keep going in spite of massive blood loss, and bhaal's divinity or interference would either prevent them from dying or bring them back from the dead. all this is flavoured on my part to comply with things like the last gasp of bhaal given to deathstalkers, or the boon of the unstoppable from bg3.

this is my headcanon for The Esper Timeline: the bhaalspawn of the crisis were created the old fashioned way, and because they were still mortal at the end of the day, they had some trouble holding the essence of the divine without dying -- enough to bring bhaal back and channel him, but not enough for him to stay there long. so durge (esper, in this case) was created to be a more perfect vessel, more divine, more robust. the way i've set up the circumstances of esper's birth is that they are bhaal's flesh, but they still needed to incubate for a little while in a mortal body in order to be born on the material plane. this is also the reason they're half-drow and have biological family in the underdark.

esper's physiology is, in my mind, similar in some ways to dame aylin's. that said, because bhaal is only a quasi-deity, he can't really Do an aasimar on his own. so esper isn't totally divine, but they are closer to the concept of a demigod or an aasimar than other bhaalspawn, and their innate divinity, like with aylin, prevents them from dying until they fulfil their purpose (kill the whole world, last one alive, sacrifice themself on the altar, yada yada). they have no idea if they have a normal half-elf lifespan, or if they physically could die of old age if they did, but they're only 38 years old (half-elf equivalent of ~28?) so they have a while before they get to find out. they heal relatively quickly compared to a normal person, and they have access to some healing magic, but they are still partly mortal, so in spite of being more or less not allowed to die -- brought back at 1hp just like if you lose the orin fight -- they still have to do a lot of the actual healing on their own. and like... they didn't really care to take care of themself in recovery, as long as their body was still physically functional. and all this is why they look Like That, lmao.

so yeah -- maybe not immortal, but not not immortal. they're doing better, though. they don't really remember all of the different ways their bhaalist existence was fundamentally exhausting and agonizing. they have friends and a support network now.

thank u for liking my fucked up little guy... have a bonus doodle. esper is also happy to hear people like them and they definitely will not exploit that fact for personal gain.

they need money for the museum gift shop i mean for therapy. please will you give them 1000 gold pieces

#anon #the askbox #esper #loquor #doodle #smallnico art #the dark urge #bg3 durge #durge headcanons

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jillsandwhichs · 26 days ago

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Valenfield OneShots/AUs Collection, Chapter 18, Gender Reveal

Masterlist

Pairing: Jill Valentine & Chris Redfield

Summary: Chris and Jill host a gender reveal party for their upcoming baby girl or boy

Status of their relationship in this one shot: Married

WC: 4.8k

Type: SFW

A/n: Hi! Hope you all enjoy. Please check out my masterlist, there's a lot of stuff there. You can get to know me, you can see the rules of my blog and then you can see all of my fanfictions. You'll be able to find the previous chapters to this fic and upcoming ones. You'll also be able to find my Wattpad & AO3. Comments, reblogs & likes are appreciated. Thank you

"Looks great baby." Chris smiled at his wife, gazing down at the cake before them. "You think? Gosh, I cannot thank Kathy enough for baking it." Jill expressed, placing another strawberry on top of the white cake. Chris & Jill are hosting their very own gender reveal party, they want their friends & family to be here when they find out whether or not they're having a girl or boy! "So the strawberry represents girl whereas the blueberries represent boy?" "Correct!" Jill confirmed.

Chris nodded, understanding the concept now. He was nervous, he also didn't care what gender they had, whether it be a boy or a girl, Jill on the other hand, she wants a girl, she always has. "How does my outfit look?" Jill questioned, "I'm not used to wearing dresses, especially tight ones." "My love, you look just fine, you in pink is just mmm." Chris said with a seductive tone, his hands going to the side of her belly. "Not when there's children around." Jill teased, pointing at her tummy.

He chuckled at her statement, loving her sense of humor.

Jill grabbed the cake, making sure to be extremely careful. "Chris, please open the back door so I can set this outside." She spoke calmly, making sure to track her every step. Chris was a dear, he immediately jogged over to the sliding door, pushing it all the way open. "Baby, I can take that." He said softly. "No, I don't wanna risk you dropping it." "Yes ma'am." Jill stepped through the door, breathing out as she felt the autumn breeze hit her face. "Great weather for today." Jill basked in it.

"So, whose all coming?" "Last I checked, Barry, Kathy, Claire, Parker, Sheva, Josh and Rebecca." Jill responded, keeping track of everyone. Chris whistled, "Well, I suppose I better start grilling then, you just chillax, yeah?" Chris smiled, kissing his wife's cheek before heading over to the grill. Jill blushed, gazing at Chris as he set it all up, he was truly one of a kind. All Jill had to do now was set up the meat & fruit trays!

Turning around and walking back inside, Jill ambled her way to the fridge opening it with ease and pulling out the meat and cheese along with it's crackers, it all came in a bundle and was rather cheap. Jill then opened the room cupboard, taking out a organized tray to lay it all out in. Despite it being her party and her being the host, she was still very willing to put in the work, not to mention, she's pregnant, she'll definitely eat some of this food.

She set the cheese in one area, the meat beside it and the crackers in another, making it look neat. She was excited to see how many of their guests would eat it.

Now, she had to make the fruit platter. They were only going to use Strawberries & Blueberries to determine if someone is team girl or team boy. Jill only knows that Rebecca is team girl, just like her. Rebecca will be a great god aunt to their child, no matter their child. And Claire will be a great aunt too, Jill is in such bliss with it all. Being pregnant has truly been a blessing.

When Jill first found out she was pregnant, she cried. Not because she was upset or angry, rather because she didn't know how she would do as a mother. Growing up, she had neither parent present but her father more than her mother. Without a nurturing figure, it's hard for her to cope with how she'll be. But Chris, being the perfect husband he is, has reassured her immensely. He'll be a perfect father, Jill is enthused to see how he'll be with their infant.

Setting the clear glass bowl down, Jill made sure there were absolutely no smudges, wanting it to look pristine. In the bowl, she'd mix both berries, it'd look so pretty and appetizing. "Alrighty." Jill mumbled to herself, grabbing the plastic container of blue berries, dumping them into the glass bowl. She then did the exact same thing with the strawberries. She used her clean hand to mix them up, wanting to make sure it didn't look so certain.

Juices from the tasteful fruits were slightly squirting out from them. She hopes people will actually participate in eating whichever team they're on. Jill has a feeling Barry is hoping for a boy, it'll be like he has a grandson. Both Chris & Jill view Barry as a sort of father figure. He's looked over them as such since their time in S.T.A.R.S and that was back in the '90's. Same goes for Kathy, she is closer with Jill but she's still been so loving to Chris.

Glancing outside, Jill stared at Chris as he warmed up the grill. He was a great cook but honestly, only with the grill. Today, he'd be making Cheeseburgers and hot dogs, just keeping it simple.

Jill slid open one of their kitchen drawers, pulling out some tin foil to set over the food before their friends and family arrive, wanting to make sure nothing gets in them - She'll also bring the foil out to Chris since he'll need it. She set the foil over the bowl, shaping it to it and making sure it looked nice and then, she did the same with the meat board. "Baby!" Jill shouted, the tin foil in her hand as she made her way back outside with him.

Chris turned around with a grin, checking his wife out. "That for me?" He chuckled, holding his hand out. Jill nodded with a smile, "Yes, my love, take it for the food." She said softly. Chris took it from her and took a few sheets off of it. "Well, until they arrive, I think I'm gonna turn something on, is there a game on today?" "Not sure sweetheart." He said as he focused on the grill. "Okay..." Jill murmured, walking off. She understood, he was just trying to get his grilling done.

If there isn't a game on, she'll find something else, maybe a random movie or show. A Disney movie of some sort would be fitting, keeping the positive mood lit. She stepped over to the brown, fabric couch, sitting down and picking up the remote. They had every streaming channel, luckily, they were able to afford it. She decided on using Disney+, wanting to keep the movie or show kid friendly considering what this entire party is for.

Jill clicked on her profile, the profile picture being Mulan, but that's just because she's so badass. Chris on the other hand, his is some ugly muppets dude.

She scrolled through all the different movies featured, there were hundreds, definitely less shows than films. There were so many movies she hadn't even seen before. "Jeez, Disney pumps out more movies than I thought." Jill chuckled, sighing softly and deciding on 'Beauty & the Beast', it was a classic and it was one of Jill's personal favorites. Even the music fit the theme for the day, it was a good pick on her end.

It was hard to tell what else she had to do. She already got the food and a movie, like what else could she possibly have to do? In reality, not much, she just wants to do stuff in order to pass the time. She turned her head to check on Chris, he seemed to be doing alright. When Chris found out she was pregnant, he was at a loss for words. Jill remembers his face - It was all shocked and surprised but then it instantly shifted into happy and excited. Chris practically raised Claire, he basically has some experience.

Whether it's a boy or girl, Jill knows Chris will be a great daddy to them.

The main thing Jill is worried about with this whole pregnancy is giving birth. The pain looks and is described as excruciating and she's not ready for that. Of course she's endured some insane levels of pain but birth? That's a whole other story. Hopefully, with Chris's love & support, it won't be all too bad. She's already expressed so many times on how she'll need him to hold her hand, play with her hair and check on her during the labor, she believes it'll serve her well.

Standing up off of the couch, Jill made her way to the kitchen again, having an idea. She'd get wine glasses out for everybody... Well... Besides her, of course. Everyone else though can enjoy some tangy wine. She reached up and grabbed three glasses, setting each of them down onto the polished wooden counter, then grabbing three more, Chris would be able to get his own. They had all sorts of wine, mainly from their Wedding but they also tend to casually purchase it too to go with their dinners or events.

She grabbed out some red wine and set it down onto the counter, pushing it back so it wouldn't spill or break ; The last thing she needs is to clean up a stained mess. She'd pour it when the guests arrive, it'll be unfresh if she does it now. "There's literally nothing else I can do." She giggled to herself, simply treading back outside to Chris.

Outside, their backyard as two picnic table, one of them already has the cake on it but that's where they'll all be able to eat and enjoy their time, along with inside too but it's too nice out to pass up the opportunity. "Got the wine out." Jill stated to Chris. "Why...?" "Hmm, I don't know, to get wasted." She puffed out sarcastically. "Mmm, you're funny." Chris hummed out, cupping her face in his hands. "I know." Jill shrugging, holding onto his wrists. "Got the grill heating up, then I can start the food, you should text them and see when they'll be here." "Will do." She nodded gently.

Her phone was inside, upstairs in their bedroom. Rarely, unless she needs to be, Jill never uses her phone. When she's at home, she's with Chris 90% of the time with that other 10% either being her reading, cleaning or well, being on her phone. To her, there's more to life than cellular devices. Chris is the same way but he uses his phone more, he's addicted to his stupid mobile games. But for Jill, she just messages people or scrolls through Facebook.

Walking up the staircase, Jill sighed softly, opening up her bedroom door. Their room was quite big, it was the master bedroom. They had a Queen sized bed in the middle of the room, pushed back against the wall. It was neatly made, they made sure it looks nice every morning. Her phone was on the entertainment center, charging as well. Grabbing a hold of it, she seen a notification from iMessage. It read "Hey hun! Be there soon." And it was from Kathy, good to know, her and Barry would be over here soon.

All Jill needed to know now was when Claire, Parker, Sheva & Rebecca would be here. She opened up the messenger app, shooting a text to all four of them. It just read, "Hey, let me know when you guys will be on your way!" Short & sweet. She held her phone, and went to add it to her pockets but she remembered she was wearing the dress. She seriously wasn't used to wearing formal, eventful clothing like this. Chris isn't as dressed up, he's lucky. Shorts and a buttoned up shirt seems a whole lot more comfortable than this tight pink dress.

Closing the door behind her, she treaded down the stairs, seeing Chris now in the house. "You message them?" "Yeah baby, just did. Pretty sure Kathy and Barry are already on their way." "Ok, Claire will probably be here after them, I know she was quite excited." Chris chuckled, leaning against the door way. "Mhm." Jill murmured, stepping up to him. "You put the food on the grill?" "You know it." He made a click noise with his mouth before setting his hand upon her hip.

"Go relax baby, they'll be here soon, I don't need my beautiful lady overexerting herself." Chris whispered to Jill. He could tell she was all over the place. Simply relaxing will definitely help her head clear up. She could read or watch the movie, he doesn't care, he just wants her to be in a good mood for their gender reveal. Even though he may show it as much, he is ecstatic for it. To figure out the gender of their child is a dream come true, he's been awaiting since the day he found out she was pregnant. Any gender, it doesn't matter, he just wants their baby already.

"You sure?" Jill mumbled, yawning softly, "You'll be able to handle the food on your own?" "Of course hun, just chillax." Chris smiled, kissing her forehead with love, taking her teeny hand in hers and leading her towards the couch. "Baby, I really wanna help." "Oh I know, but you've done so much already, just take it easy, my girl." Chris set her down on the couch, looking back at the TV. "Beauty and the Beast?" "Yes." "Great pick, watch that and lay down." Chris tossed the living room blanket onto her with a cackle. Jill rolled her eyes, but listened, "Yes sir." She smiled at him, loving his caring side.

While indulged in the movie, the sound of the doorbell ringing was heard. She shot her head back, a slight grin plastering on her face. She wondered who it was. "Coming!" Jill yelled, adjusting her form fitting dress, her belly showing like never before. Through the front door, the window on it revealed it was indeed Barry & Kathy. Despite the window not being completely clear, she was still able to tell. Jill opened the door, giving them both a welcoming smile.

"Hi, you two!" "Jill, oh you look wonderful." Kathy complimented, covering her mouth in shock. "Ya you do, that baby is showing themselves today." Barry teased. Jill tittered, giving the two of them quick hugs. "By the way, we brought some sweets, figured since you've been craving them-" Kathy was cut off by Jill taking the box from her, obviously in a playful way. "Say no more, you get me." Jill joked, stepping back so they could both head on into the house.

"Wheres Chris at?" "Grilling outside. We chose to make Hotdog's and Cheeseburgers. But, on the counter, we have a meat and fruit platter along with wine." "Wine? You best not have had any." Kathy laughed. "Never ever, just for the guests and Chris." Jill assured her with a giggle. "Would you like some?" "Sure." Kathy said softly, sitting down at the counter. Jill nodded. She popped the cork off of the bottle, pouring the wine in two different glasses, one for her and one for Barry.

She set both of them in front of the couple, glad they're so far enjoying themselves.

Jill sat down at the counter with them, making sure she was comfortable. "How are the girl's?" Jill questioned them both. "Well, Moria is great, she's been hard at work, as always." Kathy chuckled. "Polly is well too, she's so close to graduating middle school and it's so crazy to me, my babygirl is growing up. Natalia is also well." Kathy went on, sipping her wine and giving it a gentle hum, it tasted divine. "That's good, for each of them. Natalia is a sweetheart, it was great to meet her. Makes me excited to have the baby." Jill gandered down, holding her tummy.

"Speaking of... Clearly, you want a girl, your dress is fabulous." "Yes, totally, it's honestly my dream but even if it's a boy, I'll love them to the end of the universe and back." She stated with a truthful tone. Kathy nodded, "I would kill for a son but it's to late now, but my girls are my world. You'll be happy no matter what, that's your duty as a mother." Kathy shared. "Barry, what do you hope I have?" "A boy. I wanna take the little man fishing and I wanna take him to hooters." He joked. Kathy smacked his arm. "You're never going there, Barry!" She scoffed out. Jill couldn't help but chortle at the couple, she hopes her and Chris are similar later in life.

Whilst the three of them were talking, the sliding door slid open, revealing Chris as he headed inside of the house. Little yet noticeable drips of sweat were visible on his forehead, the heat from the sun plus the grill wasn't nothing to bat an eye away from, it was just so sweet of him to pull through and do. "Barry, Kathy, hey you two." Chris said kindly, grabbing a couple pieces of paper towel, dabbing them onto his forehead. Kathy gave him a swift wave and Barry spoke, "What's up Chris? Ready to be a daddy?" "You know it." Chris smirked, tossing the towels into the garbage and giving Jill a speedy kiss.

"Has the cake already been made? Y'know, with either the pink or blue filling?" "Yes, it's outside in the shade, is it still okay, Chris?" "Yeah baby, it's fine." He nodded, sitting beside her too. As the four of them conversed the sound of the door being knocked on was heard. "Go get that sweetheart." Chris said softly to Jill. Jill nodded, standing up cautiously. She opened the door up and seen Sheva there, she had a small blue pin on her white button up. She was definitely team boy, along with Barry.

"Sheva, how great it is to see you, come in." Jill stepped aside. "Thank you Jill, I've been very excited for you and Chris and to see what the gender of your baby will be." The woman tittered, taking in the view of their home ; She's never visited before, until now! "Well, just over here are mine and Chris's good friend's, Barry and Kathy." Jill introduced them, allowing the three of them to shake hands and be courteous. "There's also wine over there, feel more than free to get a glass." Jill said kindly, sitting back down. There were still a few free chairs around the island counter.

"Sheva, did you ever catch my message?" "Message? I'm afraid not, was it important?" She asked, a bit of confusion in her voice. "No, not really, I just messaged everybody and asked when they'd show up but if you were driving, that's completely understandable." "Yeah, I was, I live quite a bit away so I wanted somewhat of a headstart." She talked, pouring some of the wine for herself. "Has anyone messaged you yet?" Chris wondered. "Let me check." Jill heaved, grabbing her phone and turning it on to see if anyone had.

Only two people - Claire and Josh. "Yeah, your sister and Josh messaged me. Claire said, "Be there soon, picking up some snacks." And Josh said, "Hey Jill, I'll be there pretty soon, heading out now." Both messages were from no later than ten minutes ago. "Josh is coming? It'll be amazing to see him, it has been some time." Sheva voiced, her tone seeming to have uplifted. Both Chris & Jill are well aware of the fact Sheva & Josh are super close, maybe a little to close sometimes. They'd be great together but they won't say anything about it.

"Can't wait to see Claire, I have seen her a lot recently because she's been babysitting but she's great to be around." Barry spoke. "You're only saying that because she'll get drunk with you." Kathy chuckled. "Yes ma'am." Barry snickered, raising his cup up before sipping it. "Claire did want her boyfriend to come but I don't know, I guess I don't know him well enough, so it's weird." "Seems like a dick anyways." Chris scoffed, raising his eyebrows before drinking.

"We met him, he seems like an alright guy but we all know Claire and her thing for bad boys." Kathy giggled. "Most definitely." Chris laughed along with Barry's wife. Claire was not only boy crazy growing up, but also in Highschool, then College and even now and within all those years, rarely has she been with a nice man, always some sort of asshole that Chris ends up having to handle for her. Not that Claire can't handle herself cause wow, has she knocked some sense into some of these men but Chris really knows what to do, he used to be just like them. She tends to pick the dumb, immature bad boys who think speeding and smoking makes them look cool. They're seriously stupid.

"Let's hope Parker and Rebecca are still going to make it." Jill groaned out, rubbing her temples. A bit of a headache was coming on. As the others spoke, Chris took notice of it. "You ok, my love?" He whispered, his hand going to her forehead to see if she was running a fever or anything. "I'm okay, just stressed, that's all." "Go relax honey, we're all adults here, we don't need you to supervise us." He snickered, kissing her shoulder. "Go ahead, watch that movie playing, we'll all be here when you're ready to cut the cake." He smiled at her.

Contemplating the idea, she decided to listen. He was right, it is true that they don't need her, he's here, she's just so welcoming, that's all. "Okay honey, just call me out once everybody is here, okay?" "You got it baby." Chris whispered before pressing his lips to hers. Jill breathed in softly, kissing him back before setting her hand on his cheek, it was warm, comforting. "I actually see Claire's car, she must've just pulled in, go greet her, then lay down." Chris teased. Jill gave him a cute look before standing up and making her way to Claire.

The movie had finished up as Jill was lying down so she had began a new one called 'Secret of Nim', It was an oldie. But as she continued to watch it, the feeling of two hands on her shoulders could be felt. She looked up, seeing Rebecca. "Hey girl." Jill giggled, standing up and pausing the film, wanting to watch it later too. "Everyone is here, Chris wanted me to let you know." Rebecca spoke softly. "Oh finally, you all took your time." Jill snickered, removing her hair from her shoulders and walking along with Rebecca.

In the kitchen, she was right, everyone was there. Chris, Barry, Kathy, Sheva, Claire, Rebecca and Josh, all of them. "Hey Josh, didn't get to say hi yet, I was laying down." Jill articulated. "No worries, a lady needs her rest, especially during a time like this." The man was very understanding. "Hun? The food done yet?" Jill questioned her husband, placing her hand on his fibrow forearm. "Yeah, it is, I platted all the hot dogs and burgers. Would you like to have us eat first or the cake first?" Chris asked his wife.

Jill thought about it for a few moments but ultimately, doing the cake first makes more sense. "Let's do the cake, I doubt I can wait any longer." The woman tittered, taking his hand in hers. "Guy's, we are gonna go cut the cake now, if you all want to see." "Of course we do, c'mon everyone." Claire responded almost instantly, following the couple outside.

Over in the shade, the cake rested on the table, set nicely still. It wasn't melted or anything either which was good. "I'm nervous." Jill murmured to Chris. "Nothing to worry about, this is our day." Chris smirked down at her, kissing her head. He was a lot more in control than she was, that's for sure. "Is the knife already set out here?" "Yes baby." Chris assured her lovingly, "We should have Claire record, I wanna save this forever." Chris added on, slithering his hand onto Jill's thin waist, resting it on her back. "So Claire, can you please record this?" "Sure thing, Chris!" Claire shouted back to him, getting ready to pull out her phone.

"Alright guys-" Chris began, grabbing a hold of the knife. "Actually, I have no clue what to even say. I just wanna state that whether it be a boy or a girl, I'll be beyond happy nonetheless. It has been such a ride, finding out Jill was with child and now about to figure out the gender of said child... I just want our baby to be healthy." Chris stated, a grateful smile playing on his face. Jill then began to talk, "As you all know, my dream is to have a baby girl but even if that cake filling is blue, I'll scream happily at the top of my lungs." Jill giggled, getting some laughs out of them too.

"Here goes nothing." Jill bit her lip, delicately placing her hand on top of Chris's, holding it as they used their force to shove the knife down. Chris then pulled it out, cutting the other side of the slice too, making it a chunky piece. Chris grabbed the other piece of silverware, sticking it beneath the slice of cake before pulling it out. Everyone was watching, some having their phones out, some not. Jill had moved her hands, now just gripping the bottom of Chris's shirt in anticipation, the excitement was unbearable.

As it was in the air, the sunshine beaming upon it, the coloring of the cake batter was clear as day - It was pink. "Yes!!!" Jill squealed out, jumping up and down but carefully, remembering she was literally pregnant. Chris was at a loss for words as he set the piece down, he felt his heart swell up with love and happiness. Deep down, he really did want a girl. He wanted to take care of her, make her a daddy's girl and treat her like the princess she'll be.

"I'm gonna have a niece!" Claire giggled out, continuing to record the loving moment between Jill & Chris.

She wrapped her arms around Chris's neck, kissing him numerous times before tucking her head in the crook of his neck. Chris chuckled, holding her head, stroking her soft hair whilst doing so. He held her so close, unbelievably happy with the results of the gender they'll be having. "I love you so much." Chris whispered, kissing her head a couple times, "So fucking much." "I love you more honey." Jill gripped the back of his shirt, feeling so much immense joy. Honestly, she thought it was going to be a boy, she would've still been ecstatic but this was her dream, what she really really really wanted.

Jill pulled away, her hands still holding onto his forearms, a singular tear stripped down from Chris's eye ; He was always emotional. Jill giggled, wiping his tear before kissing beneath his eye. "We're gonna have a girl!" Jill yelled out, clearly beyond full of glee.

Moments after they recuperated themselves, Claire came over and hugged both of them, "I am so happy for you both, I can't wait to meet her." Claire smiled gently, cupping Jill's face before hugging her, "You'll be an amazing mama." She reassured her before pulling away from her shortly after. Parker also came over, "I never thought I'd see the day, but I'm happy for you two, congrats." Parker laughed, it always sounded the same. "Thanks you guy's." Chris shook his head in a friendly way.

The others each said their congrats and were beyond happy for the two of them, but not as much as they were. The fact it was going to be a girl was so amazing, especially for Jill. Her heart is still pounding out of her chest, not only from blissfulness but timidness too, she was super nervous and it was silly to be over, but she gets iffy easily, that was a moment for her. "I am so happy." Jill whispered to Chris, kissing him with genuine love. Chris allowed his hands to roam her waist, pulling her against him as he did, loving the feeling of her lips against his own.

"Woah, easy there." Jill nudged him, giving him that look. "Sorry." He snickered, kissing her once more, his thumb and index finger tilting her head up by her chin. "I love you." "Love you sweetheart." Chris replied. "You hungry? Because I am, I want two cheeseburgers and some fruit please." Jill requested from Chris, flashing her fluttery eyes at him. He snorted, not being able to resist her. "Anything for you, my girl." Chris huffed out, kissing her once more and making his way to go ahead and do her up a plate.

For them both, they wouldn't be the only loves of their lives anymore, there would be a second, their beautiful, lovely, precious babygirl.

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