#Cut Snake 2013

[ballumville]

'What a mystery this is, Desire. The love sickness, the sensitivity, the obsession, the flutter of the heart, the ebb and flow of the blood. There is no drug and no alcohol to equal it.'

The gorgeous Sullivan Stapleton and Alex Russell 🔥🔥🔥 in 'Cut Snake' 2013

[ropebuny]

could you please post a list of kinky movies???

other than Secretary cause I already know that one haha

I actually haven’t seen that one yet ! it’s been on my watchlist for forever, I need to get around to watching it. and I haven’t actually seen many kinky or erotic movies unfortunately, so pls ignore how bad this list is but. I did my best ok. also pls keep in mind I haven’t seen every single one of these listed movies yet but I added them because their descriptions seemed to fit in here

bloodsisters: leather, dykes, and sadomasochism (1995) dir. michelle handelmann

videodrome (1983) dir. david cronenberg

crash (1996) dir. david cronenberg

from beyond (1986) dir. stuart gordon

good boy (original title: meg, deg & frank) (2022) dir. viljar bøe

belle de jour (1967) dir. luis buñuel

blue velvet (1986) dir. david lynch

the night porter (1974) dir. liliana cavani

venus in fur (2013) dir. roman polanski (🤢🤢🤢🤢)

venus in furs (1969) dir. massimo dallamano

sleeping beauty (2011) dir. julia leigh

the slave (1969) dir. pasquale festa campanile

liza (1972) dir. marco ferreri

the laughing woman (1969) dir. piero schivazappa

the forbidden photos of a lady above suspicion (1970) dir. luciano ercoli

the punishment (1973) dir. pierre-alain jolivet

successive slidings of pleasure (1974) dir. alain robbe-grillet

the story of o (1975) dir. just jaeckin

crimes of passion (1984) dir. ken russell

tightrope (1984) dir. richard tuggle

seduction: the cruel woman (1975) dir. elfi mikesch, monika treut

tie me up! tie me down! (1989) dir. pedro almodóvar

female misbehavior (1992) dir. monika treut

bitter moon (1992) dir. roman polanski (🤢🤢🤢🤢)

basic instinct (1992) dir. paul verhoeven

bound (1996) dir. lilly & lana wachowski

strictly speaking (1998) dir. kirk demorest

tops & bottoms (1999) dir. christine richey

first love (2004) dir. matteo garrone

s&m judge (2009) dir. erik lamens

be my slave (2012) dir. tōru kamei

kink (2013) dir. christina alexandra voros

wetlands (2013) dir. david wnendt

folsom forever (2014) dir. mark jensen

mr. leather (2019) dir. daniel nolasco

saint-narcisse (2020) dir. bruce labruce

divinely evil (2020) dir. gustavo vinagre

I cut your flesh (2020) dir. samhel

the pleasure of rope (2015) dir. bob bentley

fetishes (1996) dir. nick broomfield

venus in furs (1995) dir. maartje seyferth, victor nieuwenhuijs

new love in tokyo (1994) dir. banmei takahashi

the bedroom (1992) dir. hisayasu satō

beyond vanilla (2001) dir. claes lilja

the piano teacher (2001) dir. michael haneke

salon kitty (1976) dir. tinto brass

the duke of burgundy (2014) dir. peter strickland

pvt chat (2020) dir. ben hozie

in the basement (2014) dir. ulrich seidl

leap year (2010) dir. michael rowe

fruits of passion (1981) dir. shūji terayama

o fantasma (2000) dir. joão pedro rodrigues

a snake of june (2002) dir. shinya tsukamoto

islands (2017) dir. yann gonzalez

querelle (1982) dir. rainer werner fassbinder

sex, lies, religion (1994) dir. annette kennerley

love (2015) dir. gaspar noé

moonlight whispers (1999) dir. akihiko shiota

cruising (1980) dir. william friedkin

trans-europ-express (1966) dir. alain robbe-grillet

[old-powwow-days]

The first major solo museum presentation of fourth-generation Navajo weaver Melissa Cody (b. 1983, No Water Mesa, Arizona) spans the last decade of her practice, showcasing over 30 weavings and a major new work produced for the exhibition. Using long-established weaving techniques and incorporating new digital technologies, Cody assembles and reimagines popular patterns into sophisticated geometric overlays, incorporating atypical dyes and fibers. Her tapestries carry forward the methods of Navajo Germantown weaving, which developed out of the wool and blankets that were made in Germantown, Pennsylvania and supplied by the US government to the Navajo people during the forced expulsion from their territories in the mid-1800s. During this period, the rationed blankets were taken apart and the yarn was used to make new textiles, a practice of reclamation which became the source of the movement. While acknowledging this history and working on a traditional Navajo loom, Cody’s masterful works exercise experimental palettes and patterns that animate through reinvention, reframing traditions as cycles of evolution. Melissa Cody is a Navajo/Diné textile artist and enrolled member of the Navajo/Diné nation. Cody grew up on a Navajo Reservation in Leupp, Arizona and received a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts and Museum Studies from Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe. Her work has been featured in The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia (2022); Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR (2021); National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (2019–2020); Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff (2019); SITE Santa Fe (2018–19); Ingham Chapman Gallery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (2018); Navajo Nation Museum, Window Rock (2018); and the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe (2017–18). Cody’s works are in the collections of the Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas; the Minneapolis Institute of Arts; and The Autry National Center, Los Angeles. In 2020, she earned the Brandford/Elliott Award for Excellence in Fiber Art.

Melissa Cody: Webbed Skies currently on exhibition at MoMA PS1 through September 9nth, 2024

IDs Under the cut

Top to Bottom, Left to Right: White Out. 2012. 3-ply aniline dyed wool. 17 × 24″ (43.2 × 61 cm)

Deep Brain Stimulation. 2011. Wool warp, weft, selvedge cords, and aniline dyes. 40 x 30 3/4 in. (101.6 x 78.1 cm)

World Traveler. 2014. Wool warp, weft, selvedge cords, and aniline dyes. 90 x 48 7/8 in. (228.6 x 124.1 cm)

Into the Depths, She Rappels. 2023. Wool warp, weft, selvedge cords, and aniline dyes. 87 x 51 9/16 in. (221 x 131 cm)

Lightning Storm. 2012. 3-ply aniline dyed wool. 14 × 20″ (35.6 × 50.8 cm)

Pocketful of Rainbows. 2019. Wool warp, weft, selvedge cords, and aniline dyes. 19 x 10 3/4 in. (48.3 x 27.3 cm)

Path of the Snake. 2013. 3-ply aniline dyed wool. 36 × 24″ (91.4 × 61 cm)

[bestiarium]

The Ndamathia [Kenyan mythology; African mythology]

The Kikuyu are a somewhat lesser-known ethnic group located mainly in central Kenya. These people have (or had, I am uncertain whether this religion is still being practised) a religious ceremony that was held every few decades and was connected to a creature called the Ndamathia, a creature associated with rainbows. It was the Ndamathia which made rainbows appear in the sky.

This being was a giant aquatic snake-like reptile of incredible length (said to be as long as the rainbows it created). At the end of its enormous tail grew magical hairs that had potent medical properties.

A complicated procedure was required to harvest these hairs, however. First, the creature had to leave the deep rivers in which it lives. This was done by summoning it with a special ceremonial horn, and when the Ndamathia was on land, it was distracted by a beautiful girl. The monster was dangerous, however, and had to be drugged with powerful medicine, which was administered by splashing it on the ground before the girl (which was traditionally done by the same young girl). The reptilian creature would then proceed to lick up the water containing the drug.

In addition, the girl was covered in castor oil (which is made from beans of the castor plant) to make her slippery. The idea was that if the monster tried to grab the girl, she would be too slippery to hold and she would escape from its maw.

The Ndamathia then followed the maiden away from the water, but as it was an incredibly long creature, it took multiple hours of walking before its tail finally left the water. A group of warriors was waiting patiently for this moment and jumped at the tail as soon as it was on land.

Each warrior plucked as many hairs as possible. Even though the Ndamathia was under the influence of medicine, plucking its tail hairs caused it great pain and the creature would become furious. It immediately returned to the water at great speed, so the warriors had to hide after plucking the hairs. When the giant creature arrived, it would find nobody and decided to go back to the depths from which it came.

As the story goes, the girl who acted as bait to lure the creature away from the water would have an important position in Kikuyu society when the ceremony was over, as she was regarded as a heroine. The priests would then slaughter an ewe, a bull and a male goat. They would then proceed to cut the skins of the ewe and the goat into ribbons and dip them in a liquid consisting of the blood mixed with the stomach contents of the slaughtered animals. The hairs of the Ndamathia were tied to these ribbons to make bracelets, which were to be worn by the elders on the ankle and wrist. When this was all done, a giant celebration would be held.

When Christianity established a foothold in the region, the missionaries tried to convince the indigenous people that the Ndamathia was actually their version of the Christian devil, and the creature was villainised. This made an impact on the indigenous folktales that is still visible today: the Kikuyu’s translation of the Bible translates ‘devil’ as ‘Ndamathia’.

Sources: Hazel, R., 2019, Snakes, People and Spirits, Volume 1: Traditional Eastern Africa in its Broader Context, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 567 pp. Kenyatta, J., 1978, Facing Mount Kenya: the traditional life of the Gikuyu, African Books Collective, 260 pp. Karangi, M. M., 2013, The creation of Gikuyu image and identity, in: Revisiting the roots of an Africna shrine: the sacred Mugumo tree: an investigation of the religion and politics of the Gikuyu people in Kenya, p.24 ch.2., Karangi, M.M. (editor), Lambert. Karanja, J., 2009, The Missionary Movement in Colonial Kenya: the Foundation of Africa Inland Church, Cuvillier Verlag, 227 pp. (image source: Steven Belledin. The image is card artwork for Magic: the Gathering and depicts an unrelated seamonster, but I chose it because it fits with the description and I rather like the illustration).

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

Stats from Movies 1201-1300

Top 10 Movies - Highest Number of Votes

Splice (2009) had the most votes with 854 votes. Dark Cloud (2022) had the least votes with 290 votes.

The 10 Most Watched Films by Percentage

Ghostbusters (1984) was the most watched film with 83.3% of voters out of 756 saying they had seen it. T Blockers (2023) had the least "Yes" votes with 0,3% of voters out of 732.

The 10 Least Watched Films by Percentage

Salem's Lot (1979) was the least watched film with 64.4% of voters out of 449 saying they hadn’t seen it. A Snake of June (2002) had the least "No" votes with 6,9% of voters out of 391.

The 10 Most Known Films by Percentage

Ghostbusters (1984) was the best known film, 0,5% of voters out of 756 saying they’d never heard of it.

The 10 Least Known Films by Percentage

A Snake of June (2002) was the least known film, 90.8% of voters out of 391 saying they’d never heard of it.

The movies part of the statistic count and their polls below the cut.

Bingo Hell (2021) The Descent: Part 2 (2009) The Reckoning (2020) The Lair (2022) Dream House (2011) The Other Lamb (2019) Unsane (2018) Children of the Night (1991) Manichithrathazhu (1993) They Live (1988)

Chasing Sleep (2000) The Special (2020) Grabbers (2012) Blood and Roses (1960) Eating Miss. Campbell (2022) Violated Angels (1967) A Snake of June (2002) The Alligator People (1959) eXistenZ (1999) Blood Widow (2014)

Blood Widow (2020) Honeymoon (2014) Uninvited (1987) Scarecrows (2017) Talon Falls (2017) They Reach (2020) Devil's Gate (2017) Killer Sofa (2019) The Ghost Within (2023) Hidden 3D (2011) Grave of the Vampire (1972) Lamb (2021) See No Evil (2006) Planet Terror (2007) Lights Out (2016) Gerald's Game (2017) Webcast (2018) The Love Witch (2016) No One Gets Out Alive (2021) Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)

Wounds (2019) Paintball Massacre (2020) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) Charlie's Farm (2014) Child Eater (2016) Monster Brawl (2011) 247°F (2011) Dark Cloud (2022) The Hole (2001) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)

Hazard Jack (2014) Pumpkinhead (1988) The Resurrected (1991) Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) The Curse (1987) The Dunwich Horror (1970) Earth vs. the Spider (2001) The Fan (1982) Mute Witness (1995) The Call of Cthulhu (2005)

The Suckling (1990) It Conquered the World (1956) Bug (2006) The Signal (2007) Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) Gehenna: Where Death Lives (2016) Monsters (2010) YellowBrickRoad (2010) The Blood Spattered Bride (1972) T Blockers (2023) The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow (2008) The Mothman Prophecies (2002) Baba Yaga (1973) Kill List (2011) Splice (2009) The Crazies (2010) Fire in the Sky (1993) Banshee Chapter (2013) Angel Dust (1994) Blood and Black Lace (1964)

It Came from Outer Space (1953) TerrorVision (1986) Lurker in the Lobby (1998) A Night to Dismember (1983) Altered States (1980) Cube²: Hypercube (2002) The Dark Half (1993) Darkness (2002) Ghostbusters (1984) The Keep (1983)

Cobweb (2023) The Empty Man (2020) Bloody Hell (2020) The Green Inferno (2013) Turistas (2006) Salem's Lot (1979) Stir of Echoes (1999) Christine (1983) Found (2012) The Hole (2009)

[leaf-sheep]

As much as I appreciate the wonderful people who make sci fi and fantasy sex toys, tongue and tentacle themed dildos always just feel like they're going up against impossible expectations.

Like, the whole appeal of tentacles and tongues (for me, at least) is the prehensile aspect. Something that can not only push its way inside you, but that can then twist around to rub against all the right spots or even grab hold from inside so you can't pull them out...

ANyways. Um. Yeah so like I've seen a lot of dildos that follow this theme that still have amazing detail and do look like fun shapes, but I could never bring myself to get one because it'll never be what I want. I have seen some that are like SUPER long and flexible and those I could maybe be interested in? Those seem like they might have a little more versatility, but still not the full articulation of my dreams.

Although on that note, I do recall videos of some pretty interesting segmented snake-like robots...

Ok derailing this post as I'm writing it to talk about the potential for cutting-edge robotics in sex toys to bring all our dreams of tentacle monsters to life. Horny amateur opinions on robotics below the cut.

So we have these things, which have been around for a while (this image is from this 2013 article). Basically a series of solid links with little motors inside to let them twist into different shapes. I think if you fitted something like this with a silicone sleeve you could probably have something pretty good? The one in the picture looks pretty clunky but I'm sure you could design something with shorter links. Even with the sleeve though, it would still have that really solid core and probably not very pliable. Might be good for some things though, and probably the best for us robophiliacs.

Then we have designs like this. Its an inflatable tube where as air is pumped in, the plastic tube extends from the middle and extends forward. Kind of like those slippery plastic toys filled with goo from the aquarium that seem like they would make good sex toys but really don't? I think this one also works pretty straightforwardly for our purposes. You'd want a decently sturdy material for the balloon part (maybe even make it textured), and you'd want it to be lubricated before extending. That would probably mean extending it, lubricating it, then retracting it so that when it extends again its already good to go. I'm not an expert on how these things are usually controlled but the common use cases seem to be things like going into rubble or pipes, so it should be fairly well suited to extending into an orifice. Unfortunately as far as I can tell they don't have a lot of articulation once they are extended, though they can extend into different curved shapes, so it'd be more about getting filled.

And lastly (at least for this post) we have soft robots. I think the Spiderverse version of Doc Ock's arms took visual inspiration from these. These are usually a soft, rubbery, stretchy material, but they can be articulated in different ways. Some of them use tendon-like sections that compress or pull, others fill with air or water, but ultimately these are functionally the closest to muscles we have in robotics atm (at least to my knowledge). They're also... kind of enticing as they are already. They're naturally soft, and they have a very lifelike motion that I think is really appealing. You could definitely get some fun squirming motions with these.

The next problem would be making them smart, i.e. able to react properly to your movements and to be able to find the right areas automatically. As far as I know, these soft robots are mostly long extensions that are controlled from the base. That's just fine, but there isn't much feedback to the controller about what the bot is interacting with. Ideally, my robot tentacle monster lover shouldn't have to ask me if it's in yet. For the ones that work on water or air pressure you might be able to do something by reading the pressure changes from different sections to let it feel its way around a little bit? But that would still be pretty imprecise and clumsy. I'm not sure what the current state of the field is like right now for small pressure sensors, but that would probably be the best. Alternatively, maybe something like an ultrasound? You'd probably want some little pellets of hard material embedded in the bot tentacle to help it stand out. Don't they have new ones that can provide a proper 3D reading of babies and stuff?

Hmm actually that does sound hot. The machine spreads a cool gel on your belly and presses a sensor to your skin, so it can watch its arms slither inside you, stretching your belly forward almost as if there really was something alive inside... then once it's situated, it starts moving to slide the arms over all the most sensitive places...

Unfortunately I think it might be a little late to switch tracks to an engineering career so I can mad science my way into getting tentaclefucked by a robot and become a slave to my own creation. A tragedy.

[madohomo]

its my golden bday babyy i am 29 on the 29th today

life updates under the cut!!

i feel like my lifes been going 1000mph for a while now but some notable moments

- i got my masters degree and it was the hardest thing ive ever done honestly i didn't think i was gonna make it but my degree is in applied biosciences!! im v passionate abt a lot of science research so im excited to see where that takes me.

- im a homeowner now !! living w my 3 siblings and splitting a mortgage and its honestly so nice. the house so lovely and ive been through so much roommate hell in the past decade so its been nice to have housing security and ppl i can count on. house is kind of a zoo with so many animals though (2 cats, cockatiel, snake, axolotl, fish & coral) but we make it work

- I'm still working in clinical research as a coordinator on the only NIH funded long covid trial and it's been kind of brutal. not just because of the topic and the study itself being all over the fucking place, but they recently fucked me over financially and now I'm pretty much stuck working there until at least early next year.. but it does feel cool to contribute to such important research that is going to affect millions of people! I've been working on covid studies since summer of 2020 on both treatments and vaccines and now long covid. so I'm pretty burnt out but grateful that I've learned so much about how to protect myself and my loved ones because I'm pretty much the only person I know that still hasn't gotten covid yet. please PLEASE continue to mask, most importantly protect your face holes, and care for each other because everything we know so far is so horrific and we still have very little in terms of treatment options. the future is really looking so grim tbh.

- since October of last year I've been pretty involved in local organizing centered around Palestine. since then and especially during the international call for encampments I've really gotten to know a lot of amazing people who inspire me and remind me that a better world really is possible and we can really fucking build it ourselves. I feel like I've spent a really large portion of my twenties grieving my future because of climate catastrophe and endless war. but for the first time I feel safe and hopeful. I really encourage everyone to connect with your local organizations, meet people and get involved because getting connected and organized is really the only solution to every problem we face and if you're like me and feel existential dread on the daily, this is the best solution.

- and speaking of the friends and comrades we met along the way... I just want to talk about how much I love my friends and the people around me because I would have never made it to 29 without you. I love my local sapphic squad That makes that drained social battery go back to being full. and I love love all my out-of-state friends who continue to talk to me and want to be in my life still despite the distance!! I'm literally flying out tomorrow and seeing East Coast friends I started hanging out with during Homestuck days back in 2013 and now 11 years later. we're still planning shit together.

[taylorswiftstyle]

Out to dinner with Sophie Turner | New York City, NY | September 19, 2023

Luana Italy 'Paley Mini Pony Hair Satchel' - $378.00 (no longer available)

I’ve talked about it a lot, but a distinctive feature of Taylor’s style is a masterful mix of designer pieces with accessible high street and smaller, indie designers thrown in. This particular bag - a stunning green one that I’ll put myself first in line for if she ever decides she has no need for it anymore - is incredibly interesting to me.

The brand Luana Italy was founded in the 60s by Giuseppe Rosadi and so named after his daughter, Luana, who would inherit the business and grow its signature top-handle designs over the span of decades. The brand was known for “femininity and cutting edge style with fresh yet timeless designs”. Due to slowing performance, the brand was acquired by 5M USA in 2013 with the goal of making a comeback. The CEO of 5M said at the time, “Luana was such an important brand in Italy back in the Seventies and Eighties that we wanted to revive its legacy.” Influential in the 80s? Colour me intrigued.

I provide this context because some time between 2019 and now, Luana fell out of business (they made a showing at Coterie Marketplace in February 2019). Yet somehow, Taylor still has one of their “impeccable, luxurious handbags” as per Eve Bender the VP of sales for 5M at the time of Luana Italy’s appearance at Coterie.

Its appearance now is fascinating to me, assuming that some time has passed between Taylor acquiring it and it making its street style debut. But that snake-like chain detail and overall colour plus its ties to the 80s and 2013 relaunch is catching my interest. A lot.

Worn with: EB Denim jacket, Reformation dress, and Reformation boots

Photo by Pap Culture

[filmnoirsbian]

You don’t have to answer this, but do you have any light horror recommendations? Heavy horror has a lot of triggers for me, but I do like scary

I can't really know what you consider light vs heavy horror, and what I consider light vs heavy might be different. To be on the safe side I guess I'd recommend films like Beetlejuice, Hocus Pocus, Jaws, Tremors, Nope, Zombeavers, Zombieland, Little Monsters 2019, Thirst 2019, The Menu, Bay of Blood, Friday the 13th, Suspiria 1977, The Return of the Living Dead, The Blob 1988, M3GAN, The Stuff, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, the original Evil Dead trilogy, Snakes on a Plane, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Cabin in the Woods, Chopping Mall, Eight Legged Freaks, Death Becomes Her, Shaun of the Dead, Frogs, the Scream franchise, The Blair Witch Project, the Resident Evil franchise, Trick r Treat, Pumpkinhead, Blade, The Invisible Man 1933, The Host, Fresh, and The Shape of Water, Deep Blue Sea, One Cut of the Dead, Planet Terror, Alien vs Predator, Prey

For some horror that I don't really consider heavy but which others might: 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead 1978, Us, Get Out, Pearl, The Crow, Dark Water 2002, Snowpiercer, The People Under the Stairs, Dead Snow, Train to Busan, Thirst 2009, El Orfanato, Pan's Labyrinth, Evil Dead 2013, Black Christmas 1974, Alien, The Thing, Candyman 1992, Sissy, Ma

[mischievouswork]

Creator Compilation

With respect to the Election Day mini-event, so far four writers are offering small creations to people who make posts on Election Day encouraging others to vote!

@mischievouswork - writer; 100 words of an active WIP.

Fandoms: MCU phase 1, The Hunger Games/Ballad of Songbird and Snakes, Thor (2011) and Thor 2 (2013)

@9ofspades - writer; 100 words

Fandoms: Dracula, general shit-posty with familiar... apps?, riffs on BookTok faves

@idiomagic - writer; poetry, dirty haiku

Fandoms: none (original work only)

@everything-you-feel-is-real - writer; fandom poem

Fandoms: Loki's Army

This will get added to as more creators opt in!

For posters: Make a post encouraging others to vote in as convincing a manner as possible, or just make a post reminding others of how much time they have left on Election Day to vote. Tag any creators' blogs in the notes to receive a reblog with writing!

Links to words/writings so far under the cut

Cracula (Dracula crack) - first set of words

Election-themed poem

MCU Hunger Games AU - first 100+ words

[houseofsnarry]

The Snape Showcase is back, baby! Click the link for all the details and rules and how you can participate. It's a fest hosted by iulia_linnea over on LiveJournal.

Also, wondering about the previous fests? Here are the links to the previous years' masterlists:  2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

The fest is in celebration of Severus Snape throughout his ages from birth to....well. We like to pretend around here he reached his golden years. Shhhh. That snake bite did nothing but leave a little scar and he's happily somewhere away from the adoring public (us), brewing his potions, and sending scathing letters to the editors.

"Gen, het, and slash fan works of any kind and of any rating are welcome."

We can't wait to see what our amazing community bring to the fest!

[zipperzoo]

A GOOD MORNING

The Last of Us (2013 - 2020) Joel Miller x f!reader Word Count: 1.1k A03 Themes: One-shot, Birthday, Sleepy Joel, Established relationship, Domestic, sweet Summary: A sweet, just utterly sweet short one shot of waking Joel up in the morning of his birthday. Domestic feel good short honestly!

The quietness of a cold brittle morning,

where the snow has settled and the blues meet a comforting orange in the sky. The trees stilled as birds sang their routine melody. Letting it bounce around. Welcoming those nearby to a new day.

In a large old worn house, the wood along the floors froze to the touch, but yet silent and peaceful. 

Illustrations of western landscapes bathed in sunlight on the walls, capturing the dust dance around it in the air. The carved statues half finished laid in the office in their slumber, cradled around their shavings and tools.

On the counter top, a coffee mug that had an etched image of an owl on it stood, waiting patiently to be warmed up by a hot beverage. Something the object came accustomed to.

Up the creaky stairs and in the biggest room of the second floor. Where several records were displayed on the wall, all worn and well played. Loved and adored throughout the years even through an infectious outbreak. 

A man laid in a giant bed alone. His head to the side resting on his arm that folded behind his head. 

His chest rose and fell peacefully as he slumbered. 

Tranquil sounds of birds chirping and his soft snoring was all that was present in the house.

He wasn't expected to wake up for at least a few hours. He had traded places with Jessie for the morning shift to instead have the evening patrol. 

It was his birthday after all, why not have a sleep in?

His bed could swallow him up whole. The warmth and comfort of the blankets that contrasted the crispy air. What person wouldn't be in deep sleep right now?

“Joel!!” Suddenly a speedy figure ran in and jumped onto the bed in which he was resting in. 

Joel jolted up in a panic to then see her there. Staring back at him with a mischievous grin. “You've slept in.” she whispered. 

He flopped back down onto his bed, pulling the blanket back over him. To protect himself from the harsh cold air and to let her know that he is sleeping. He gave her nothing but a grumble in response.

“Joel… Joel get up.”

“Joel isn't here right now.” he mumbled.

“Oh I see. So I’m here all alone at big ol’ mean Joel's home- what a shame if I were to..” She crawled onto him. Laying down with only the blanket between them both. “Cut all the strings of his guitars…”

Slowly and cautiously he pulled the blanket back to then stare at her. “Mean? I’m not mean. You’re mean for thinking about damaging my possessions.”

“Everyone thinks you're mean” she planted her hand square in his face and patted him. “Even the horse groomers.”

He sighed, reaching over and intertwining her hand with his, pushing her hand away from his face. “And do you believe them?”

“I’ve had first hand experience that you're mean. So yes, I believe every word they say.”

He scoffed “really?”

“Oh yeah! I can recount perfectly the time you’ve manhandled me.”

A wheezy laugh that developed into a chuckle left him, making her stomach feel all fuzzy and warm. Oh that gentle laugh “Manhandled you? What- like this?” He threw the blanket up and rolled her up into it like a giant blanket burrito. 

Letting out a single yelp she attempted at wiggling out of his hold. 

While he held her snuggling into her he couldn't help but hum out a soft laugh as she attempted to break free. 

After a while she gave up. “Meanie!”

“Shhh, I’m trying to sleep.” He mumbled, tightening his grip around her. 

Worming her way out of the blanket, popping her head out to then suddenly see him there, as her only view. He was actually trying to get back to sleep, holding her like she was a god dayum blanket worm.

His eyes closed, soft and undisturbed, a rare vulnerable state for him. She couldn't help but take it all in. Snaking out her arms she reached up and cupped his face, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs.

“What are you doing?” he murmured. “Your hands are cold.” He frowned.

“Your face feels like toast.”

He opened one eye to look at her, catching her smiling up at him. “Is this your way of trying to get me to get up for breakfast?” “Not really. I could stay like this forever but I would very much like to make you breakfast in bed.”

“Oh?” He pulled a face “Breakfast in bed? For me?”

“you’ll have to let go of me first!”

“Hmm… Do I have to?”

“Unless you want us to starve?”

“hmm…Less talking, more sleeping.”

Her mouth went agape. “Joel!?” Gently slapping his cheeks “Wake up! Wake up!” 

He wasn't moving. She resorted to kicking her feet and then Joel let go of her. All her wriggling and kicking made her fly off the bed and hit the cold hard floor. He couldn't help but sit up and burst out laughing. 

“You okay there?” he asked, peeking over the bed, holding back a stiff laugh. “Now that wouldn't have happened if you weren’t wriggling so much.”

Shooting up, with the blanket wrapped around her, she glared at him. “Very funny.”

Leaning up against his pillow, Joel just looked at her tenderly. Letting his eyes wash over her before reaching out to yank his blanket back. “Very.”

Shivers ran up her spine as she just crossed her arms at him. “You're not going to get up are you?” 

“I don't see why I have to.”

“You can't stay in bed all day.”

“And why not?” he spoke into his pillow, muffled, full of tease.

“Because I said so.”

“Hmmm hmm.”

“Joel.”

“Hmm.”

“You better not be falling back asleep.”

“Hm.”

“Joel.” Silence. “Joel for god's sake-” She crept under the duvet cover and sat on top of him, saddling him. “If you're really asleep I swear to god.”

He was wearing nothing but his boxers. His body radiated heat, the kind of heat that if you snuggled up against you’d fall asleep instantly. Hair sprawled out all over his chest and arms. She ran her hands up his chest as she let herself fall down to rest her elbows on him. Leaning her chin on the palm of her hand as she just started poking his face.

“Hmm.” he groaned, face scrunching up as she pestered him. 

“Joel.” she sang “wake up~”

His eyes fluttered open, capturing her beaming above him, he couldn't help but reach up and  tuck a hair behind her ear. 

“Happy Birthday Joel.” She whispered leaning down and planting a ghost of a kiss onto his lips, breathing her next words lightly across them. “I love you.”

“Love you too."

[digimonarchive]

Note: This poll question is based on the Chinese Animal Zodiac (by the birth year) but in Digimon style.

The Birth Years and Dates are under the cut, click on Keep Reading.

Admin Note: I am Andiramon/Antylamon (Rabbit)

Zodiac Date and Years

RAT YEARS

Feb 10 1948 – Jan 28 1949

Jan 28 1960 - Feb 14 1961

Feb 15 1972 – Feb 2 1973

Feb 2 1984 – Feb 19 1985

Feb 19 1996 – Feb 6 1997

Feb. 7, 2008 – Jan. 25, 2009

OX YEARS

Jan. 29, 1949 – Feb. 16, 1950

Feb. 15, 1961 – Feb. 4, 1962

Feb. 3, 1973 – Jan. 22, 1974

Feb. 19, 1985 – Feb. 8, 1986

Feb. 7, 1997 – Jan. 27, 1998

Jan. 26, 2009 – Feb. 13, 2010

TIGER YEARS

Feb. 17, 1950 – Feb. 05, 1951

Feb. 5, 1962 – Jan. 24, 1963

Jan. 23, 1974 – Feb. 10, 1975

Feb. 9, 1986 – Jan. 28, 1987

Jan. 28, 1998 – Feb. 15, 1999

Feb. 14, 2010 – Feb. 2, 2011

RABBIT YEARS

Feb. 06, 1951 – Jan. 26, 1952

Jan. 25, 1963 – Feb. 12, 1964

Feb. 11, 1975 – Jan. 30, 1976

Jan. 29, 1987 – Feb. 16, 1988

Feb. 16, 1999 – Feb. 4, 2000

Feb. 3, 2011 – Jan. 22, 2012

DRAGON YEARS

Jan. 27, 1952 – Feb. 13, 1953

Feb. 13, 1964 – Feb. 1, 1965

Jan. 31, 1976 – Feb. 17, 1977

Feb. 17, 1988 – Feb. 5, 1989

Feb. 5, 2000 – Jan. 23, 2001

Jan. 23, 2012 – Feb. 9, 2013

SNAKE YEARS

Feb. 14, 1953 – Feb. 02, 1954

Feb. 2, 1965 – Jan. 20, 1966

Feb. 18, 1977 – Feb. 6, 1978

Feb. 6, 1989 – Jan. 26, 1990

Jan. 24, 2001 – Feb. 11, 2002

Feb. 10, 2013 – Jan. 30, 2014

HORSE YEARS

Feb. 03, 1954 – Jan. 23, 1955

Jan. 21, 1966 �� Feb. 8, 1967

Feb. 7, 1978 – Jan. 27, 1979

Jan. 27, 1990 – Feb. 14, 1991

Feb. 12, 2002 – Feb. 18, 2003

Jan. 31, 2014 – Feb. 18, 2015

GOAT/SHEEP YEARS

Jan. 24, 1955 – Feb. 11, 1956

Feb. 9, 1967 – Jan. 30, 1968

Jan. 28, 1979 – Feb. 15, 1980

Feb. 15, 1991 – Feb. 3, 1992

Feb. 1, 2003 – Jan. 21, 2004

Feb. 19, 2015 – Feb. 7, 2016

MONKEY YEARS

Feb. 12, 1956 – Jan. 30, 1957

Jan. 30, 1968 – Feb. 16, 1969

Feb. 16, 1980 – Feb. 4, 1981

Feb. 4, 1992 – Jan. 22, 1993

Jan. 22, 2004 – Feb. 8, 2005

Feb. 8, 2016 – Jan. 27, 2017

ROOSTER YEARS

Jan. 31, 1957 – Feb. 17, 1958

Feb. 17, 1969 – Feb. 5, 1970

Feb. 5, 1981 – Jan. 24, 1982

Jan. 23, 1993 – Feb. 9, 1994

Feb. 9, 2005 – Jan. 28, 2006

Jan. 28, 2017 – Feb. 15, 2018

DOG YEARS

Feb. 18, 1958 – Feb. 07, 1959

Feb. 6, 1970 – Jan. 26, 1971

Jan. 25, 1982 – Feb. 12, 1983

Feb. 10, 1994 – Jan. 30, 1995

Jan. 29, 2006 – Feb. 17, 2007

Feb. 16, 2018 – Feb. 4, 2019

PIG YEARS

Feb. 08, 1959 – Jan. 27, 1960

Jan. 27, 1971 – Feb. 14, 1972

Feb. 13, 1983 – Feb. 1, 1984

Jan. 30, 1995 – Feb. 18, 1996

Feb. 17, 2007 – Feb. 6, 2008

Feb. 4, 2019 – Jan. 24, 2020

[krethes]

Snippet Tag!

This is a sneak peek at Chapter 8 of Neon Moon. Writing this section was something I went back and forth on, because unlike most of what I write: I've introduced some characters that are directly from my life. See if you can guess who. (It's not hard.)

An enormous dog stood amid the grazing cattle, occasionally looking around but ignoring the horses and their humans. "Wait! Whose dog is that?" Sirius was pretty sure he'd never seen that one before. The ones he'd seen were small, sleek things: fast and agile. The dog there was big: tall and broad, with thick sable fur, a mane-like ruff, and a tail that curled over his back.  "Oh him?" Remus smiled. "That's Carrot. He's one of ours. But he's a livestock guardian so he doesn't really do the house dog life like this pampered girl," he explained with a nod at Marea, still balanced comfortably on the rolled up blanket behind Az's saddle.  "Guardian? What's he guarding against?" Mary asked, looking around for any apparent danger. "Bears?" "Well, yeah, actually." "Wait, what-" "Let him finish, Mary!" Lily chided.  Remus just shrugged. "There are bears and mountain lions and cougars out here, plus some coyotes and there's been some wolf sightings lately. Haven't seen any myself and they're mainly up in Tahoe, but urban sprawl has 'em coming down this way more and more." Sirius looked back out at the dog, who finally looked at them, and when he locked eyes with Remus, he wagged his tail and slowly ambled up to their little band. "Can I pet him?" Remus laughed. "He's prob'ly gross as hell, but have at it. He doesn't do any tricks, though. When he's not havin' to make his own decisions out here, he gives all his braincells to his brother Vimes, who should be around here- ah. There he is." Sirius turned to Flo's squeal, where a slightly smaller dog the same color as Carrot was nosing around at her horse's side bag, where Sirius knew the oat cakes were kept.  "Ay, gordo, basta ya!" Remus scolded. The other dog—Vimes—took several steps back, his ears splayed out to the side, and ambled away with one final longing look at the bag. "Sorry 'bout him. He's a fatass. …Affectionately, I guess." Remus rolled his eyes, but hopped off of Az to give both dogs a scratch behind the ears when they came back up to him.   Vimes didn't seem to want anything to do with them now that treats were off the table, but Carrot's tail gave a slow, lazy wag as he submitted to Sirius's petting. His head was soft and a little droopy—from a copperhead snake bite, Remus said—and he was pretty manky, but Sirius wiped the dog grime off on his jeans in a very brave show of manliness.

Some context below the cut. C/W: pet loss

Carrot & Vimes were the first dogs my now-husband and I adopted as a couple together, back in 2013. We went in with the intention to adopt ONLY Carrot (then called Pecan) but when we saw him running around with his littermate Vimes (then called Mesquite), and ignoring their 4 sisters, we couldn't say no. It was a dumb idea because lol littermate syndrome and lol college schedules, but we loved the hell out of these dogs.

Before we'd gotten them, Carrot had been bitten TWICE by a copperhead in the face (didn't learn the first time I guess), they'd had sarcoptic mange, and had been skunked twice and put under two rabies quarantines. Carrot's face was always a little droopy.

He was my heart dog. Stupid as fuck, good god...not an intelligent thought in there, but he was a loving, protective, wall of a dog at 110 pounds and nearly 3 feet at the shoulder. A DNA test said they were Great Pyrenees, Newfoundland, White Swiss Shepherd, and a whole lotta "we dunno, mixed breed", and Carrot looked just like a Pyr who had been dipped in some German Shepherd paint.

He passed away last August, right around the time I was writing Chapter 1 of Neon Moon. He was nearly 10, so definitely a senior citizen for a giant breed, and I still miss the hell out of him. Vimes is still alive and kickin', diabetes and blindness be damned, lol.

In the photo, Carrot is on the left and his grumpy brother Vimes on the right.

It feels apt to say that those who love us never really leave us, and I hope that by sharing a little bit of this dog with y'all, he can continue to be remembered in the hearts of my readers.

[sir-yeehaw-paws]

TOP 20 KOJIMA MOMENTS

In No Particular Order, Our Favourite Moments from the Metal Gear Mastermind

-PlayU: The UK’s Only Playstation Magazine, Excerpt from an Interview with Hideo Kojima, 2013

(Full Transcript Under Cut)

1. Psycho Mantis: From reading your memory card to telling you what games you like by requiring the controller be plugged into port 2 to beat him, Mantis played with game conventions in a way unseen at that point.

2. Snake Never Gives Up: Crawling through radiation filled corridors to save the world as Snake slowly dies while his friends are shown struggling in battle is one of the most powerful and emotional moments of MGS2.

3. Raiden Gets Pissed On: Get through an entire part of MGS2 without getting seen and Raiden comes across a soldier on a roof, taking a leak. Stand in said trajectory, call people on your codec, and enjoy the laughs.

4. The Boss: The Boss is one of the most intriguing, and tragic characters ever created by Kojima, and the final battle against her at the end of MGS3 is still by far one of our favourite gaming moments.

5. Kojima in Peace Walker: Recruiting our pal Hideo in Peace Walker is a lovely little bit of video game fourth wall-destroying fun. Big Boss exclaiming, “Mr. Kojima!” makes it perfect.

6. The End: Another phenomenal boss fight, which can take hours or even days, Big Boss and the 100-year-old sniper face off in a battle of wits, disguises and patience, riddled with tension. Utterly unique and properly brilliant.

7. Enter Gray Fox: Coming across a darkened corridor full of blood and body parts is one of the most memorable moments of Metal Gear Solid 1, and the boss fight that follows is tense and thrilling.

8. Rex vs Ray: The trip back to Shadow Moses is surely the most fan-service filled part of MGS4, and is topped with Snake, piloting Metal Gear Rex, fighting Ocelot in Metal Gear Ray. Bizarrely sublime.

9. “Back of the CD Case”: If you’ve played Metal Gear Solid 1, you know this one. Meryl’s codec frequency, never told to you in-game, is actually on the back of the game box the whole time. Frustrating, but wonderful trickery.

10. Young Ocelot/Time Paradox: Young Ocelot’s appearance in MGS3 is hilarious and interesting, explaining how he came to be known as Revolver. But don’t kill him, unless you want to cause a TIME PARADOX.

11. The Battle of Aumaan Crevice: Zone of the Enders 2 improves upon the first game by making everything bigger and louder. Hundreds of mechs on either side clash in a scene like something out of Dynasty Warriors. Glorious.

12. That Bloody Ladder: If you’ve played MGS3, you know what we mean. “What a thrill...with darkness and sorrow throughout the night..” It’s a big ladder, alright? A ruddy big ladder. The biggest ladder there is.

13. Johnny Sasakai (Apart from MGS4): The uncredited hero of the MGS saga, Johnny has bit-parts in 1 and 2 (he’s the guy who gets knocked out by Meryl), before becoming an awful story-killer in 4, getting the girl after shitting in a barrel.

14. Snake vs. Liquid: “I’m you..I’m your shadow..” An awesome fist-fight between two shirtless dudes who happen to be clones, on top of a destroyed mech surrounded by flames? Epic stuff. Fox? Die.

15. Throwing a Metal Gear Ray: Kojima was hesitant to put this in Metal Gear Rising, but we are glad he did. What better way to cap off a fight against a huge robot than heaving it over your shoulder and slamming it face-first into the dirt?

16. Raiden vs. Vamp: Raiden is a lame little crybaby in Metal Gear Solid 2, but redeems himself in a big way in his next appearance . His stand out moment is his epic battle against Vamp.

17. The Sorrow: Another wonderful “boss fight” from Metal Gear Solid 3, a game rammed absolutely full of them. Facing the souls of the people you’ve killed is a genuinely harrowing experience.

18. MGS4 Car Chase: There have been a few fair car chases throughout Metal Gear history, but the one throughout narrow European streets in MGS4 as you race to save Big Boss’s remains stands out.

19. Snake vs. Ocelot: “You and I..have a score to settle.” An awesome fist-fight between two dudes on top of a destroyed boat-mech thingy in the middle of a massive war? Epic stuff. Fox? Die.

20: The Tanker: The opening tanker section of MGS2 is one of the best levels ever featured in the series, with some great set pieces and a ton of stuff to do. Shame about the rest of the game eh?

[fastenwick]

Wick's IZ characters meet the OCs that inspired them: Part One

D1b Membrane meets Kaster Bluewing

(@ambassador-d1b created in 2022, Kaster created in 2013

Ft mentions of @ukagaka-zim , @honeysicklesprouts , @game-slavers , and @aik-membrane)

Two characters are put in a nearly empty room. No doors, windows, or decor. Just two chairs, a table with food, and a note. The note reads "Enjoy your time together." The food products are Mac N Cheese, roasted pieces of meat with a type of savory jam dipping, gum drops, chunks of dried sugar, and coffee.

D1b blinked and looked around. He couldn't quite remember how he got here, some person put him here? But he couldn't remember their face… Oh well, Zim would come get him soon. He wasn't hurt or anything. He spots the table and reads the note to himself.

"Huh… Enjoy my time with the food? Is it poisoned?" D1b popped a gum drop into his mouth to check. Tasted fine.

Suddenly, a blue creature had joined D1b. He was a bit shorter than D1b. He wore a black vest that seemed two sizes too big for him and well worn with matching shorts. He had dark blue skin, overgrown black hair with an uneven cut, and vibrant green eyes and a cat-like slit for a pupil. Instead of five blunt toed feet, he had three sharp toes, almost like claws or talons. And he seemed to be covered with scales, and there was a scar shaped like claws down his cheek.

"Woaaaah." D1b's jaw dropped and the gum drop fell out, forgotten.

The boy blinked and stepped backward. "Uhhhhh. Hi? Who are you?"

"What are you??" D1b rushed forward to study the newcomer.

The kid meeped quietly in surprise, tense, but not protesting as D1b poked his shoulder, touched his hair, and checked his mouth.

"You have fangs!" D1b squealed. "And so many sharp teeth… Scales and claws! Ooooh, a snake tongue!"

"Uh huh?" The kid just nodded stiffly.

D1b realized he just swarmed a stranger and scrambled back. "I am so sorry!"

"It's. Fine?"

"It's just, I've never seen anything like you before! And that's saying something, I work with aliens and have seen all kinds of crazy shit," D1b rambled.

The kid nodded, making a popping sound by pressing his lips together and separating them quickly.

"Anyway, I'm D1b Membrane." D1b held out his hand to the kid.

The kid tilted his head and looked at D1b's hand, trying to see if something was inside.

"Oh, you shake it," D1b explained.

"Shake. It?"

"Like this." D1b took the kid's hand and gently shook it.

"Huh. What for?" The kid took his hand back quickly.

"It's a human way of greeting."

"What's a human?"

"I'm a human." D1b gestured to himself. "What's your name?"

"Kaster Bluewing."

"Nice to meet you, Kaster!"

"Nice to meet you too? Where are we?"

"I have no clue." D1b looked around. "This note says to just enjoy our time tog-... Ohhhhh, someone wanted us to meet!"

"Who?"

"No clue."

"Oh. I have no clue either. Probably even less of a clue than you. Actually wait no, no clue is zero clue and I can't have less than zero clue, that doesn't make any sense. Unless you have slightly more than me? Since you were here first? I'll shut up." All the words practically fell out of Kaster's mouth a million miles an hour, with no pauses for breathing or replies. Kaster sat in the chair, looking embarrassed.

D1b blinked, trying to catch up. "Uh. I mean no? I don't. I don't know anything. What?"

"What?"The two sat in silence for a second.

Kaster sighed. "Sorry, I'm not the most… social person."

D1b chuckled. "It's okay, I'm not either."

Kaster seemed confused. "You said you work with… al-ee-ens?"

"I do, that's about all I socialize outside of my family," D1b explained, taking another gum drop and sitting down on the other chair.

"What are… aliens?"

"Oh, basically just creatures not from Earth." D1b waved his hand in dismissal.

"What's… E-urth?" Kaster asked hesitantly.

"Aaaand you're an alien. Earth is my planet," D1b said, offering Kaster a gum drop.

Kaster took it, studying it between his claws."What's your planet like?"

"Timore? Oh, not anything special. I haven't seen much of it anyway, maybe the other Shards are more special." Kaster set the gum drop down on the table and picked up one of the pieces of sugar.

"I've never heard of it," D1b mused.

Kaster shrugged.

"What do you mean Shards?" D1b took a sip of coffee.

"Oh, the planet is split into six pieces called Shards and slowly collapsing in on itself," Kaster said casually, biting into his sugar.

D1b choked on his coffee.

"You would think more people would notice that before it became a problem, but nope! Took two something thousand years, I think. We're working on it, though!" Kaster didn't even notice D1b choke.

"Elves??" D1b squealed.

"Yes?"

"What else is on your planet??"

Kaster rubbed the back of his neck, thinking very hard. "Uhhh. Imps, werewolves, sprites… griffins, uhm. Tesels of course. And those are just the nice ones I've met so far. The mean ones are gargoyles, trolls, and wraiths."

D1b sat there stunned for a moment.

"I know there are others too, my dad told me about fish people called sirens," Kaster continued. "Well they're not really fish people, they have fishy tails and then they look more like a tesel on the top. They have scales like me, though!"

"I know fish people!"

"You do??" Kaster practically bounced out of his seat.

"Yeah, one of my best friends! Sprouts is a fish person, kind of. Also they're dating a werewolf," D1b explained.

It was Kaster's turn to choke on his piece of sugar. "They're DATING?? Oh my gosh, how did you get them to get along???"

"I. Didn't? They've always been friends." D1b seemed confused.

"How?? I have issues just getting a tesel, imp, and werewolf not to kill each other, much less be friends," Kaster huffed.

D1b shrugged. "You'd have to ask them?"

"Maybe I will. If I can. Wait, they're on your planet, aren't they? I can't then, that sucks," Kaster sighed.

"Well, I could give them your contact information?" D1b offered.

Kaster blinked. "My what? Like where I live? I don't have a village."

"No, like your phone number."

Kaster just looked at D1b blankly.

"Do you not have a phone?"

"... no," Kaster admitted sheepishly.

"Do you know what a phone is?"

"Uhhhhh nooo…" Kaster rubbed the back of his neck.

D1b sighed. "Well, what does your planet use to keep in contact?"

"Uhm. Talking?"

"No no, what device?"

"None? Well, letters. I mean there's some magic spells for long distance messages, but Lurya knows more about that than me, I don't know magic." Kaster munched on a piece of the meat.

D1b blinked. He'd never run into a planet that had no tech at all. "You guys have no technology?"

"Oh no, we do. Well, the gargoyles do. But we don't know what exactly. Some sort of teleporter," Kaster explained.

D1b was silent, momentarily baffled at the idea of a planet having teleporters but not phones or something similar.

Kaster got nervous in the silence. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No?"

"Oh, good. I say the wrong thing a lot. Well not a lot a lot, but often enough to know that there is a chance I said the wrong thing. A pretty high one. Not like as high as the chance of Erxi saying the wrong thing, but higher than Baraq. Wait no, maybe we're equal? No no, I think my chance of saying the wrong thing is definitely higher than Baraq," Kaster said, once again the words tumbling out of him at high speeds.

D1b blinked and shook his head. "What?"

"Uhm. Sorry, my internal monologue wasn't internal again… That kind of happens when you're not used to anyone listening. That isn't sad, by the way!"

D1b still hadn't quite caught up with what Kaster was saying. "Huh?"

"No no, I just mean it sounds sad! But people don't ignore me, I swear! I just haven't really talked to people in. Six years? Four? Somewhere around there." Kaster continued to munch.

D1b's brain failed him for a moment while Kaster chewed. "That. Was a lot of information."

"Sorry…" Kaster sighed.

"It's alright, I ramble too sometimes. It drives Gaz crazy," D1b chuckled.

"Who's Gaz?" Kaster asked.

"My sister."

"You have a sister??" Kaster gasped.

"Yep, and a brother." D1b chuckled more.

"Hey, I have a brother too!"

"Oh yeah? What's he like?"

"Oh he's Baraq Trapsin. We're twins that got split up years ago, and we didn't know we had a sibling for a long time. He was a surprise!" Kaster grinned.

"My brother was a surprise too! I thought he was dead, my dad never told me about him. Zim helped me learn about him," D1b explained.

"Who's Zim?" Kaster asked.

"My husband. He's the best, so adorable," D1b said with a wistful sigh. "I hope he doesn't get too worried about me being here…"

Kaster tilted his head.

"Do you have anyone like that?"

"No, not really. I think Erxi has a crush on Baraq though. Closest thing I can think of," Kaster explained.

"Eh, don't rush it. You look young, you don't need to worry about it. How old are you?" D1b asked, eating another gum drop.

"Seventeen."

D1b blinked. "You look younger."

"Yeah, most dragons do, I'm told."

"Sorry, what?"

Kaster looked around, then back at D1b, confused. "Most dragons look young?"

"You're a DRAGON??" D1b gasped.

"Well, dragon slash tesel half breed, why?"

"Can you breathe fire???"

"Yes?"

D1b stammered with excitement.

Kaster got flashbacks to Baraq's reaction to meeting him. "Are you okay?"

"Yep! I'm great! Hell, you're so cool. Do you want to be friends?"

"Well, sure!" Kaster nodded.

"What else can you do? You don't look anything like how I've seen dragons depicted," D1b mused.

"Oh, you probably just saw my other form," Kaster said casually.

"Other form?"

"Yeah, I have two forms. This one, and a much larger one that looks like a giant lizard with wings. If I turn into it here, I'd squish you. And I don't want to do that, so I'll stay small," Kaster explained.

"Oh my gosh, you SHAPESHIFT TOO??"

"Uh huh!" Kaster was starting to get excited. "And I can block out magic spells with my mind! It's really cool, and I can control fire and not just breathe it!"

"That's awesome! Can you show me?" D1b asked.

Kaster thought for a moment, then took a piece of odd looking paper out of his pocket and crumpled it in his hands. He blew gently on it, and it lit up in flames in seconds.

"Woaaaah…" D1b gasped.

"Not done yet." Kaster waved his hand and the fire turned into a tiny dancer. It floated around his hand, very dainty and graceful.

D1b watched, excited and barely able to stay in his seat.

After a moment, Kaster touched the figure with a claw and the flame extinguished. He looked at D1b with a wide grin, showing off his sharp teeth.

"That was amazing!" D1b clapped.

Kaster chuckled shyly. "Thanks…"

"You're so cool, I wish I could keep in touch with you somehow…" D1b thought for a minute.

Kaster let D1b think.

"I could give you a phone?"

"Sure?" Kaster shrugged.

D1b opened a panel on his watch. "I just have to get a spare one from Gaz or Aik…"

Kaster blinked, the slits of his eyes widening like a cat entranced by a shiny object. "What's that…" He pointed at D1b's watch.

"Oh, this? This is my watch. It does lots of cool stuff. Check this out." D1b extended his lazer shield.

Kaster squealed quietly with glee. "It's so pretty!"

"And deadly too, don't touch it, it'll burn you," D1b warned.

"Okay, I won't."

"I've also got these." D1b retracted the shield to extend his PAK legs, letting them raise him into the air.

"Woah sitch, that is so cool! You're like taller now!"

D1b chuckled. "I know, right??"

"What else can you do??" Kaster stood up, bouncing up and down on his feet.

"Translate languages, create holograms, give electric shocks," D1b counted off, retracting his PAK legs to stand normally.

"I only know what the first one is, but the others sound so cool!"

A dart whizzed through the room, a note on it, and it struck the wall.

Kaster and D1b both yelped and jumped slightly. They glanced at each other in sync and then started to giggle.

They quickly both burst out laughing, their giggles infecting the other and growing stronger in seconds.

After a few moments of laughing, D1b finally sighed and checked the note. His smile dropped. "Oh no…"

"What?" Kaster asked, looking at the note.

The note read "Say your goodbyes, you'll be going home soon."

"I haven't gotten a phone for you yet…" D1b said sadly.

"It's okay, maybe we'll come back here and see each other again?" Kaster suggested.

"Maybe…" D1b sighed and set the note down. "I have so many questions for you…"

"I have questions for you too…" Kaster looked sad too. "Hey, can I give you a…" He took a moment to remember the word. "Hug?"

"Sure, why not." D1b opened his arms.

Kaster made a small happy squeal and then hugged D1b, who chuckled and hugged back.

A second passed before D1b heard a familiar rumbling coming from Kaster.

"Oh my gosh, you purr??" D1b gasped.

"Oh no, I-I-I didn't mean to…" Kaster stammered, letting go and stepping back.

"I purr too!" D1b began to purr.

Kaster gasped loudly. "You purr!"

D1b nodded. "You purr!"

"We purr??"

"We purr!!"

"This is amazing!" Kaster cheered.

D1b nodded excitedly. "It is! Oh my gosh, there's still so much we could do and it's just going to end…"

"Yeah…" Kaster looked at the ground.

D1b stepped forward to hug Kaster again. Kaster hugged back.

"Bye, new friend," Kaster said softly.

"Bye, take care. I hope your planet stays safe," D1b said.

"Me too."

And with that, they were suddenly both returned to their own worlds and lives.