#I liked my bat and squirrel better

[emile-hides]

More Fursona stuff. I'm a bear now because my boyfriend says so

[deadtime-stories]

[januaryembrs]

oblivious!reader x downbad!spencer who’s not even nervous to flirt with reader anymore cuz she just doesn’t get it (probs older episodes spence)

CLUELESS | Spencer Reid x reader

description: Spencer's got a crush, too bad you're entirely clueless to his dilemma. (S3!Spencer in mind)

length 1.2k

At first he’d thought it was the world’s gentlest form of rejection, how you would dodge his questions, barely bat an eye at him laying himself bare for you, thought that maybe you were pretending not to see the way his hands shook and voice quivered to save him some face. 

“I-I was wondering if you wanted to go see Zodiac at the movie theatre?” He stammered, obsessively tucking his hair behind his ear because it felt like it was ticking his cheeks, or perhaps that was just some residual sweat gathering on his temple because you were just so pretty when you looked at him like that, your eyes wide and excited, waiting for him to finish speaking because you always loved to listen to him, “I was thinking we could try comparing it to the actual case and figure out how accurate their hollywood version of it is,” 

Your face lit up like the fourth of July, and your smile was blinding, “Oh, I love the movies! It’s going to be so fun, Spence!” You chirped, whirling around in your desk chair to meet Emily’s bored stiff expression as she scrolled through her computer, “Em, Spencer wants us to go see Zodiac, you in?” 

Spencer paled, because that was not what he’d meant by we whatsoever. It wasn’t that he held anything against Emily, nor JJ or Penelope as they were quickly roped into the plans as well, he just hadn't had them in mind when he thought to ask you out on a date. From what he could tell you hadn’t escaped spending time with him alone on purpose. He just hadn’t quite been specific in his question, it was an easy mistake to make. 

But you looked so excited as you organised who was getting what snacks, quickly dibsing the seat slap bang in the middle of everyone so you wouldn’t feel like anyone got left out. He thought his chest stuttered when you grabbed his hand and asked if you could sit with him since he’d remember the most about the original case, and you’d need his big brain for the little game he had planned. 

Spencer agreed, instead of trying to make it clear what he’d meant by his original question, because he hated disappointing people and the other girls seemed just as thrilled to go see the movie as you were. It wasn’t until Morgan slapped him on the back with a chuckle, having watched the whole thing from his own desk that Spencer felt truly dumb. 

“You’re going to have to try better than that, pretty boy,” He exclaimed, and Spencer bit his lip in thought, “Try asking her to do something in a way that leaves no room for confusion, girls like it when you’re direct,” 

And he nodded vehemently, because dating advice from Morgan was usually sound and bulletproof, how else would would he have garnered the ladies man reputation?

Direct, he could be direct. Sure, Spencer could be direct. 

He swallowed heavily just thinking about it. 

–

“These are for you,” Spencer jumped in before you could get sidetracked by chatting his ear off about the squirrel you’d nearly ran over on your way to work, and your expression flitted into surprise. 

He handed you the big bunch of pink roses and baby’s breath, and your mouth cracked into a smile immediately. “Oh, Spencer, these are beautiful, you shouldn’t have. My birthday’s not for another week,” 

“And I booked us a table at that Thai place on your block that you always get- wait birthday?” Spencer stumbled over his script, the words he’d been practising all morning coming to an effective halt as he realised once again his intentions had flown right over your head. And yet before he could set his record straight, just like you had last time, you’d jumped at the chance of spending time with him without understand just what you were agreeing to. 

“I love Thai food, that’s so thoughtful of you, Spence,” You said, hopping up out of your chair to give him a bear hug around his lithe waist, the flowers still tightly in the palm of your hand. He reciprocated, even if his expression was a terrible mix of frustration and confusion. 

It was like someone had cast some sort of spell over his words so that he’d never be able to ask you out on a date, like he was trying to speak in a dream, the words never really coming out. You weren’t dumb, not by any means, you could be a little naive sometimes, but never cruel. Spencer had no idea what the answer was. He guessed he was right back at square one.

–

“I don’t know man, I tried asking her to the movies, she thought it was a group thing. I tried taking her out for dinner, she thought it was for her birthday, I even asked if she wanted to come over to mine and she thought I meant a sleepover. What’s romantic about pillow forts?” Spencer sighed, leaning his head into his palm as he watched you swan around the office without a single inkling of his affections, “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I had fun at every one of them, but I just want there to be more. Maybe she just doesn’t feel the same,” 

“Don’t lose hope, pretty boy,” Derek comforted, the seemingly appointed love Guru that had had to witness two weeks of Spencer’s advances get sidelined. He followed Reid’s gaze to where you hummed a song to yourself as you collected files from Emily’s desk to take them over to your own. He bit his lip in thought, “I don’t think it’s personal, honest, I don’t think she means anything by it. You just need to be clearer,” 

“Clearer?” Spencer said with raised brows, using a single prod of his converse to swivel himself around to face you, and your expression perked into a smile just from seeing him. Derek watched the two of you closely, his theory all but game set and match as you seemed genuinely excited to see their resident genius who was convinced there was nothing there, “That shirt is really cute on you. It makes your eyes look really pretty,” Spencer said, in his most direct tone possible, because the nervousness seemed to dissipate when he knew you wouldn’t pick up on his intentions. The only sign you’d heard him at all was the way your fingers ruffled his hair affectionately. 

“Aw, thank you, Spencer,” You said, a little bounce in your step as you passed his desk to your own, running a gentle hand over his arm, where his blue striped shirt bunched around his biceps, “I like your purple one the best, but this one’s quite handsome too,” You replied, grabbing the other wad of papers from your drawer without much of a reaction and heading up the stairs to Hotch’s office, and he turned back to Morgan, throwing his hands up in exasperation. 

Morgan laughed, shaking his head and yanking his cup of coffee towards him, “She’ll figure it out some day, lover boy. I give it a month, tops,” 

And Spencer huffed, wheeling himself back to his desk, his eyes naturally trailing up to the large window that divided them from Hotch’s personal space, the two of you discussing something jovially as if you were none the wiser to his internal predicament. 

He made a note to wear his purple shirt more often.

[ssa-atlas-alvez]

Derek or Spence or Luke having a secret boyfriend and the team finds out cause reader shows up to the office cause D/S/L forgot his bag at reader's place

(the squirrel is important for towards the end of the fic, spoiler alert lol)

I answered this then was like 'wait need to change something!' So hit discard and then couldn't find it for a minute and thought I had accidentally deleted the ask, it was a whole whirlwind lol. Also, this might be a bit cliche but like I really like it anyway lol

Warnings: insecure Luke, Luke's a bit ooc?

Word count: 1100

You hadn’t been dating for long, just a few months, but it had been an amazing few months. You had met at a bar, both slightly intoxicated, and had switched numbers and began to chat. This continued whilst sober. After a month of talking, you had asked him out (on a date) and you had had the best time. Three days later, you had your second date and he had taken you back to his place and introduced you to a very special someone, Roxy. Roxy loved you right off the bat. When he had gotten to know you better, he would let you stay at his until he got back from a case. He trusted you to look after his apartment (and Roxy). He would also let you stay around if he had to go to work while you were at his place. The best part about Luke’s day was coming home and seeing you.

You sighed as you pottered through the apartment, before sitting down on the couch with another sigh. Roxy looked up before shifting forward and resting her head in your lap. You gave a small smile, petting her head softly. A black rucksack caught your eye by the door and you swear quietly, gently placing Roxy's head on the cushion, apologising to her as you do. Rushing towards it you grab it, quickly checking through the bag to make sure he had packed a lunch. You sighed, seeing he hadn't and you began to make one, before carefully placing it in his bag. You also grabbed two waters from the fridge before you head out of the door, keys in hand as you tell Roxy that you'll be back as soon as you can.

Luke made his way to his desk, reaching to take his rucksack off, only to realise it was not there. Luke groaned, turning to the elevator, ready to head back to the apartment, when the doors opened, revealing you with his bag in hand. Seeing Luke, you gave a wave with the bag clutched tightly in your hand. Luke waved back, finding himself smiling, loving the way your face lit up.

"Who's the handsome hunk?" Penelope asked, approaching Luke.

"My boyfriend," Luke answered, blushing.

"Really?" Garcia found herself asking, "Two alpha males in a relationship. The arguments must get heated."

"We wouldn't know," Luke said, "We've never fought,"

"No fights?"

Luke shook his head, "Nope."

Garcia looked at you, fair skin, pale blue eyes, dark brown hair, you were tall. Taller than Luke, standing at six foot four, a whole four inches taller than the other man. Tattoos covered your arms and hands in a variety of images, a few peaking from underneath the collar of your t-shirt. You approached Luke, smile getting wider with each step.

"You left this," You said, holding the rucksack up. Luke looked up at you, blushing softly. "You also forgot to grab some lunch, I packed some for you, also grabbed you a drink." You made sure to speak quietly, not wanting to embarrass Luke at work.

Luke gave you a wide smile, "Thank you." He said softly, “Did you want to meet the team?” You nodded, smiling widely when Luke beamed, gently taking your hand, pulling you closer to the rest of the team. You were stood behind Luke, arms wrapped around his waist, resting your cheek on his head. Luke’s hands sat on top of yours, gently interlocking your fingers. You pressed a soft kiss to his hairline. This drew the team’s attention to you both. “This is my boyfriend, (Y/N).” Luke said, feeling himself flush under the attention.

“Hi, nice to meet you all,” You said, you smile as the team introduce themselves one by one. “I’ve heard a lot about you all. Luke speaks very highly of this team.”

“Babe…” Luke said quietly, ducking his head.

“What? I think it’s endearing,” You said, “Shows you’re passionate about what you do.”

“So, what do you do?” Penelope asked, “What job do you do, Mr (Y/N)?”

“I’m an artist,” You say hesitantly, “But I also work at a coffee shop,”

Garcia, Tara, Emily, and JJ all let out an ‘oooo’, you laugh nervously, the tips of your ears turning pink. Luke grinned, “He’s shy about his work,” He said, “But his art is really good, if he’d be okay with it, you should see some of it,”

“What medium do you use?” Matt asked.

“Bullpoint pen mainly, I’m a fan of how the ink looks on paper.”

“What sort of things do you draw?”

You shrug, “Just stuff,”

“Stuff?”

You shrug again, “Stuff? I don’t really know how to explain it,”

Luke looked up at you, smiling, “You could show them,” He said, eyeing your tattoos.

You rolled your eyes at him with a smirk, “Nice and subtle, love,” You laughed, Luke snorted.

“Are we missing something?” Spencer asked quietly.

“He designed and drew all of his tattoos,”

Penelope’s eyes widened, “All of them?!”

“Yep,” Luke said with a nod and a proud smile.

“Actually…” You said, carefully removing your arms from Luke. “All but one,”

Luke furrowed his eyebrows as he turned to you, “What? I’m pretty sure you designed them all,”

“I got a new one while you were on your last case.” You said, “I didn’t plan on telling you like this,” You laugh nervously, before looking back up at Luke. You pulled down the collar of your t-shirt, revealing a tattoo beginning to scab over, a tiny (slightly shaky) sketch of a squirrel.

“That’s my-” Luke commented in shock, pointing at it.

“Yep,” You said with a nod, you falter, unable to read his emotion. “Oh god, you hate it, don’t you?”

“I- I just can’t believe you’d do this for me…” You frown.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m- And you’re-” Luke tried to desperately explain before sighed, rubbing a hand over his forehead. You grabbed his elbow lightly, letting your grip trail along his arm to his wrist. Luke let you guide him to the round table room, shutting the door gently behind you, you turned back to him.

You notice his eyebrows drawn together, the panic evident on his face. “Hey, hey,” You said softly, placing your hands on his cheeks, “Talk to me,”

“Why would you want something that I drew on there- on your body?” Luke asked, "It's on there forever, what if we break up?"

“Because I care about you and you're the best thing that's happened to me,” Your answer is immediate. "And I want to be reminded of that forever,"

[dearcat1]

(School Trip)

Part 6 of Sass and Squirrels

When the next morning arrives, Xanxus manages to take about three steps out of the house before going back in.

"Ah? Did you forget something, Xan-Xan?"

He'll just wing it, Xanxus decides. He can out-stubborn the lot of them if it comes down to that. He finds Tsunayoshi still in the bassinet, fist shoved into his mouth. "Come on," he picks his brother up. And yet… "Well, this is going to be difficult." After a moment of consideration, he gets Nana's bag, puts down Tsunayoshi in there with a blanket and a few pillows plus the plushie and nods. Good. As long as he's careful and keeps his backpack on his back and the baby-bag on his front, it should work. "Let's go, Tsuna."

Tsunayoshi can't be bothered to answer but that's ok.

It takes forever to walk down the stairs but he manages, waving absently at Nana who is still in the kitchen. "Bye, ma."

"Bye, bye Xan-Xan!"

Bless her stupidity. It's not a kind thought to have but he isn't over yesterday's blunder.

Xanxus barely makes it in time but he manages, his baby brother in tow and everything. Tsunayoshi is a quiet brat, unless somebody is talking to him. He's content to chew on his plushie's ear in silence under Xanxus's watchful eye. It helps that he's still tired of yesterday's crying spree. So nobody notices him until the first lesson is over and Xanxus pulls him out of his bag.

"Uhm, Sawada?" The teacher walks closer, stopping just in front of Xanxus's spot. "Who do you have there?"

"This is my little brother," Xanxus lifts him a little higher. Sawada is the fucking cutest, he's fine with showing him off sometimes. So long as nobody gets any ideas and everyone keeps their hands to themselves.

"Oookay." She leans down to smile at the brat, cooing when Sawada smiles back. "Does your mom know you have him?"

"Yeah." Probably not, Xanxus amends mentally. He has zero confidence in his mother's observational skills. Then again, he could be wrong. For all he knows Nana noticed and thought nothing of her six year old taking her eight month old with him to school. The woman's sense is shot to hell.

"Sure." The teacher doesn't look convinced but that's a she-problem not a Xanxus-problem.

He does pull the kid away when she tries to reach for him, though. "Don't touch him," he warns. Xanxus should invest on a stick or a knife. Guns are depressingly difficult to come by at his age in Japan.

In front of him, the teacher blinks. "Alright." She claps her hands, straightening up. "How about we call your mama? I'm sure your little brother misses her, don't you think?"

"No," Xanxus shakes his head, not batting an eyelash when Tsunayoshi starts chewing on his shirt. "He likes me better."

She sighs. "Xanxus, I think it's best if we call your mother so she can pick up your brother."

Xanxus thinks of the day before, of coming home to an abandoned Tsunayoshi and leaving his mom's room in ruins. "I think you're wrong."

The teacher sends him a look.

He stares harder.

"Kid," she warns, "I am going to do it."

"I will bite you," Xanxus cuddles Sawada closer.

[bobthedragon]

an extremely self-indulgent comic of normal good boyfriend activities.

transcript under the cut!!!!!?!

----

6 pages featuring my OC "Kid" and bat's OC Elliot/"Riven".

page 1: the two of them are lounging in Kid's "bedroom" (the storage closet of an abandoned library). Elliot is reading a binder labelled "RIVEN NOTES" about himself and Kid is laying on him and looking at tv static on his phone.

Elliot: "Hey hun, I thought of a game" Kid: "a 'Sleep-Over' Game?" Elliot: "Yeah. you know 'Truth or Dare'?" Kid: "Is this the game?" Elliot: "Yeah, I figured it was something to do- why, are you not into it?" Kid: "I will Not back Down. Are you going First?"

page 2: Elliot eats a single cornflake and looks at Kid.

Elliot: "... Truth or Dare?" Kid: "Dare." Elliot: "Aw shit, uh. I dare you to let me lead next time we dance together- with OUT bitching." Kid: (labelled as "Quantifiably the better lead") "... As you Wish, Little Prince, I will do as asked- Truth or Dare?" Elliot: "Give me a Dare too" Kid: "... Can you eat Rocks?" Elliot: "UH. with my?? Eels?? sure??" Kid: "I Dare you to Eat a Rock."

page 3

Elliot: (with "JESUS CHRIST" written over his head) "What fucking rock??" Kid: "..." (he looks around, then pushes himself up) "I can Get a Rock." Elliot: "Go get a rock sweetheart -- Nothing Ridiculous, I ain't gonna swallow any BOULDERS 'r CORNERSTONES for you" Kid: "I will Get a Rock." (he goes outside)

page 4: Kid stands stock still in the grass, witnessing many things and categorizing them as Rocks or Not Rocks.

a Brick is a Rock, a Jagged Stone is a Rock, a House is Not a Rock, an Acorn is Not a Rock, a Stone Buddha Lawn Figure is a Rock, a Cement Parking Bumper is a Rock, a Dead Squirrel and Ants are Not Rocks, Dirt is Tiny Rocks, and the Moon is Also a Rock.

Kid: (he locates an APPROPRIATE ROCK and brings it in) Elliot: "Did you find one?" Kid: "I Have a Rock. Should I Wash It?" Elliot: "Yes?? Please was the Rock you are Forcing me to EAT."

page 5:

Kid: "Sand is just Small Rocks." Elliot: "..." Kid: (he washes the rock and returns) "I Washed the Rock." Elliot: "Thank you. Would you like to Deposit it Yourself?" Kid: "It Would enrich the homo-erotic nature of the act." Elliot: "the Top priority."

page 6: Kid carefully feeds Elliot's eel the rock.

Kid: "It is Done." Elliot: (elliot says nothing here, but a sign shows "~Ta Dah~" as the eel swallows the rock) Kid: "It was a Quartzite Pebble." Elliot: "Yeah?? Am I gonna Die now??" Kid: "You TOLD me you would NOT?? So we will SEE I SUPPOSE???" Elliot: "Truth or Dare, in the meantime~" Kid: "Truth!" Elliot: "Hmmmmm..."

end!

[aut2imagineart]

Felt like doing another speculative evolution sketch dump to explore three other biomes. I bring back some old ideas as well as some reinventions of creatures from other speculative biology projects.

Starting with coasts/shorelines, the costal bat is a descendant of greater bulldog bat with a 6ft wingspan and soars along coastlines for fish. In the coastal waters are seal-like descendants of cormorants while on the shores are sand pups, descendants of epaulette sharks that developed a more terrestrial lifestyle like modern day mudskippers. A major source of food for them are stone crabs which incorporates large amounts of carbon into their exoskeletons for defense.

In woodland environments, raccoons could evolve to fill the roles akin to bears. Squirrels could evolve gliding membranes (as some species have already done) to cover more distances and prehensile tails to gather food from hard to reach places*. Both of these could develop as a response to deforestation and city living. two old ideas I revisited for this environment are deer with long legs and necks like giraffes to browse on hard to reach leaves and crows with grasping feed and serrated beaks for better tool use/manipulation.

For an arctic environments, I brought back the idea of large boars with enormous tusks and short trunks filling a role mammoths once occupied. One of their few predators would be the Rocs, enormous descendants of golden eagles that stand over 1.9m (6ft 3in) tall with wingspans up to 7.38m (24ft 3in). I also included my version of the snow stalker (a saber-toothed wolverine from Animal Planet's The Future is Wild) and an arctic Rabbuck (a concept originally from Dougal Dixon's book After Man).

I still plan on eventually getting back to my Pangea Ultima project so be on the lookout for that.

As always, comments and critiques are welcome.

the body-plan for the squirrels is inspired future marsupial from a German speculative biology project (it's name escapes me at the moment)

[fictionalmenplz]

Avatar species I thought of making that may or may not be a part of my fic 👀

Species: Na'vi, Olumbatka

(oh-loome-baut-cah)

Habitat: Various cave systems underground or even above ground like in the floating mountains.

Temper/hostility: They're eyesight is terrible so they mostly recluse in their caves, but are friendly to other non-hostile clans who approach them.

Spirit sister/brother:

1) Due to their partial blindness their kind befriended squirrel like creatures who, when queue connected, grant them better eyesight through their own eyes. As if they are seeing the world in a second POV.

2) Like most other clans, they also ride Ikran, but only very skilled and select groups of Olumbatka are chosen to be Ikran riders due to poor eyesight, but with the right training and trust built between rider and Ikran, they can become an excellent warrior and even fight alongside Jake against Quaritch in the protection of the tree of souls.

3) There are hairless bear-like creatures that live in the caves and are also peaceful with the Olumbatka people. They are often good spirit sisters/brothers because they are skilled warriors, protectors, and hunters to help bring in a supply of food.

Body type/details:

1) Olumbatka tend to be shorter than other species of Navi, mainly because it makes it easier when they discover a new cave system and make them liveable.

2) The patterns on their skin tend to be sharp angled and very symmetrical, no one really knows why. Their skin is dark purple, it varies from periwinkle (newborns mostly) to an eggplant or raisin color as you get older. The clan thinks this is because you grow wiser and closer to Eywa at an older age so she grants you with a beautiful deep purple complexion.

3) They have bat-like features, including a pointed nose, brown/black eyes, and larger ears with small hairs in them to pick up sound waves. They are able to make very high pitched calls, they try to only use them while spelunking or when you might be lost from your clan.

I'm going to draw out sketches of all the animals and also clothing variety!!

[dcmatchups]

Preferences: Matched with a male hero, specifically from the Bat Family.

Name: Kitain

Hobbies: Making art, playing video games, and bonding with wildlife

Likes: Walking/being in nature, swimming, chicken alfredo, sushi, reading stuff online (headcanons, drabbles, ect), listening to music, watching crime documentaries, giving or given gentle affection with those I trust, and squirrels

Dislikes: Heights, sun burns, people, loud noises, insects, arguments, manipulation, betrayal, teasing (specifically the degrading type of teasing), being pushed away by someone I am concerned for and care about

Extra info: People have put me through a lot of bad stuff and it has caused me to be more reclusive, aloof, and nervous towards new people. I have really bad anxiety about doing the smallest thing wrong. However, when I have someone who has befriended me, I am very open, protective, and I become a jokester since I feel safe to show my true self. I never had a good relationship before so I'm always nervous with romance, despite enjoying reading it as a genre. Things I'm looking for in a relationship is gentle affection, optimism, empathy, honesty, communication, and the will to listen. - Okay, so lemme explain why I love squirrels. I had a wild one who originally came to my father all the time but she then grew fond of me. The squirrel, it was a female and I named her Hot Chocolate, and I grew very close and she trusted me enough to sit in my lap and eat peanuts from my hand. She would wait on the porch or in the yard for me to come home and I would grab some nuts and sit with her for 2-3 hours every day. Then I find out she's pregnant because she came to me and she was very thin when she used to be very round. Despite caring for her babies, she would still come to visit me.

I hope this is enough to go off of. ><" It took a lot of courage to write this because of my anxiety but it was quite fun in the end. Can't wait to hear back from you. ^^

I match you with Jason Todd aka Red Hood

•Jason probably knows, best of all in the batfamily, what it feels like to be betrayed. He has been betrayed more than once, after all. As such, loyalty is unbelievably important to him, almost as much as honesty. He would never lie to you, but he expects the same honesty from you. Trust comes very slowly to the man, but once he realises that you're honest to him, he does open up his hard shell piece by piece, and shows you a bit more of what truly lies underneath it, a man, that has been hurt far too often, and fears vulnerability as a result.

•Although Jason surely isn't the best at being optimistic, he, like many others of his family, hasn't given Gotham up just yet. He does believe that there is always hope for people to reform themselves (unless they're the Joker), and he is better at cheering you up than one would expect. If you talk about your feelings, or something that has upset you, he's always there to offer moral support and a "It'll get better, trust me."

•Jason loves reading, and although he prefers holding a book in his hand rather than reading stuff online, he isn't shy to cuddle up to you and read a book whilst you scroll through online pages. He also isn't shy to recommend some classics to you, that he is of the firm opinion everybody should've read at least once, and if you ask for it, he might read some of them out loud for you.

•He would definitely lead you through Gotham and show you some of his favourite restaurants that he crashes into after a particularly exhausting night of patrol. He'd also tell you what to get and what to avoid, especially if you're in one of the more hidden restaurants that don't look like particularly much from the outside. Most of the time, his recommendations are connected to stories, such as "Don't take that one, I got bad food poisoning from that one, but that one is fine"

•He would also be very reassuring, and tell you that the world doesn't give a fuck if you screw up or not, because at the end of the day, you'll be at your home, in his arms, where you can always be sure you're safe and sound.

[profoundbondfanfic]

The barista and the bookshop

The barista and the bookshop by Abi_in_the_Cosmos Rating: Explicit Word Count: 55k

In a sleepy mountain town, stitched together with fairy lights, Dean Winchester has been running Squirrel and Moose Coffeehouse since his Dad died. Next door, anchored by family obligation, librarian Castiel has been tasked with taking over Chuck’s Bookshop. Wanting a distraction after his brother leaves town, Dean offers to help Castiel fix it up. It’s a job, something to get his hands on, it doesn’t matter that the librarian is hot and kinda weird. Castiel doesn’t understand why Dean is helping him, but he’s happy that he is, and their friendship grows until he can’t deny what’s right in front of him. But when their time together is cut short, both face a decision they aren't ready for. In a sleepy mountain town, stitched together with fairy lights, what's it gonna be? Peace or freedom?

First of all, barista!Dean and librarian!Cas? Say less. I took one look at this title and clicked Link to Fic like it was my job, the appeal right there in the name and I was so happy when it didn’t disappoint and turned out to be so much more. 

The barista and the bookshop is an AU packed with Canon issues, like Sam falling for Ruby, and an always heartbreaking theme where everybody leaves Dean behind. This fic starts with Dean’s heartache right off the bat, with Sam running off with his new girlfriend Ruby, and Dean left behind to keep the family coffee shop running. He’s stewing over his resentment when what better way to distract himself than by offering to help his new (and very handsome) neighbor fix up the bookstore he’s been tasked with running? 

This story offers a split POV so we can get some mutual pining and a good look at Dean and Cas as their friendship grows into something more, which is something one of them can’t have. Some angst does ensue, but I can promise that our boys do work things out in the end, and this story even offers a nice epilogue with a look into how Dean and Cas’s choices have served them, and how they were able to find their answers in each other in the end.

[tinkabelle24]

To Build a Home

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back (PART 1)

A/N: This chapter references Dirty Little Secret - my Leo-centred, IT-themed side story. You don't have to read that story to understand this chapter, but it provides a smidge more context. 😊

TW! Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence.

Masterlist / Chapter 21

---

(9 months later...)

"Alright, Blue Guy... any last words, before I stick ye with this stick?"

Leo lowered his training katana, sending the brunette, dramatically flourishing her Bō in his direction, a deadpanned look.

If she suddenly yelled "squirrel!", he wouldn't bat an eye.

"Are you done-"

"I'd just get on with it," Raph - standing offside, snout buried in his shell-cell - muttered distractedly. He's been on that thing all morning. "She's in a mood."

Leo couldn't have rolled his eyes any harder. No, really??

In anticipation of something, he found, was when these 'episodes' (for lack of a better term) typically sprung up. Despite often delaying certain processes (training, for instance), her endearing quips and impersonations made it impossible to stay mad.

"You'll be there all day, otherwise, tryna reason with her-"

"YAWN-"

"Hey!" Momentarily lowering his phone, Raph jabbed a thick, calloused finger at Val; a vain attempt at asserting a sliver of authority over his amused girlfriend. "You co-operate, or we aren't goin' anywhere this weekend."

The brunette playfully narrowed her eyes at him. "You wouldn't-"

"I would - behave."

The woman abruptly yelped, instinctively parrying Leo's downward swing, mere inches from her face.

She snickered. "Behive-"

That's it.

Finally snapping her head from the offending weapon, to gawk his way, the leader levelled her with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Now that I have your attention..."

She only managed half a scoff before he lunged again, attacking strongly and swiftly, without pause.

He refused to go easy on her; he had more faith in her skills than that.

He also (super-duper low-key) enjoyed watching the sore loser pout when he inevitably knocked her on her ass, then proceed challenging him, again and again, until pity finally won out, and he'd let her win.

Bzz, bzzz!

Feeling the familiar vibration against his palm, Raph's gaze promptly shifted from the sparring pair, back to his mobile screen.

[Everything organised? 😁]

Mol had finally replied to his text.

He couldn't blame her for her tardiness; it was sparrow fart, after all.

[Yh. Case and April are sweeping the joint this morning. All that's left is to wait for Val to knock off work. U still good with Maggie?]

[Yep! 2 scoops per feed. That right?]

[U got it 👍 Don't forget the plants!]

[Never 😅 Nervous?]

Raph's responding chuckle was squashed by the ever-growing lump in his oesophagus.

Nervous: understatement of the fuckin' century...

[Trying not to think about it too much 😅 Thx so much for the help]

[Welcome! She's gonna love it, promise!]

[Hope so]

[Go get her tiger 😉]

After a brief struggle, Leo finally had Val where he wanted: trapped between his 'sword' and the mat's edge. One step backward and she'd forfeit.

For several intense moments, they held their position; limbs straining against the combined pressure as they stared each other down.

Even through her sweat, the tantalising scent of coconut, pear and bergamot on her skin engulfed his senses...

Suddenly, his eyes were on her lips; drinking in every curve, every divot. They ushered his thoughts to the night he swore he'd tasted them and, oh, so much more...

But, like everything else he swore he'd heard, seen, or felt that night, it was, unfortunately, all in my... my...

Several peculiarly coloured spots drew Leo's attention to his lower periphery; specifically, Val's now bare shoulder. Her oversized Guns N Roses shirt had shifted in the struggle, revealing half a dozen old and new-looking bites and bruises, marring her porcelain skin...

Val felt Leo's strength unexpectedly falter as his face and shoulders slacked. Her body reacted before her mind could register the marked emotional shift, thrusting her Bō down his blade, breaking his stance.

She struck the length of her weapon against his plastron as he staggered forward, effortlessly spinning it over his head then striking again, along his popliteal fossa; forcing him to his knees - outside the mat.

Raph's mouth fell open.

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed, promptly wedging the phone under his arm to deliver a series of giddied claps, hoots and whistles. "That's my girl!"

Leo, finally snapping out of his stupor, uttered a soft chuckle; shaking his head as he swivelled on his kneepads, addressing the still stunned Val.

Clearly, she hadn't anticipated pulling that off - neither did he.

He wasn't sure whether to feel proud for her finally getting one over him, or embarrassed, for foolishly opening himself up to distraction...

"Well done..." he praised breathlessly, politely refusing the brunette's hand as he hauled himself to his feet.

His gaze found the bruises again, and a fire promptly erupted in his chest; the same sensation he experienced the first time she'd unintentionally revealed them, months ago.

Prior to said moment, he'd long resigned himself to loving her from afar; trusting that his brother - who'd given him no reason to feel otherwise, where Val was concerned - would treat her like the queen he knew she was.

Despite Donnie's assurances that this behaviour was 'normal' (expected, even, given their biology), and Val's insistence that she was fine; no matter how hard he tried, that retched voice in his head, screaming: "Something's not right!", simply could not be told.

Finally realising what he was staring at, Val immediately readjusted her shirt and averted her gaze; cheeks flushing brilliantly.

Leo cocked his head, levelling her a questioning look. She sent him a reassuring one back; then a piqued one, when the leader's eyes abruptly flickered her boyfriend's way.

Raph, who'd been (very audibly) revelling in his oh-so-perfect brother's unceremonious defeat, fell silent upon catching the disdain he slung; and the incredulous look his girlfriend shot the blue-banded terrapin, in response.

Here we go, a-fuckin'-gain...

"Can I leave now?" Val enquired curtly, struggling to keep the scowl from her face. She couldn't believe the bullshit Leo was still insinuating, despite everything...

The smartest thing would've been to talk it out; really talk it out, there and then, like well-adjusted adults... But no.

Val wasn't about that right now. "I've gotta shower, still."

Outnumbered, and convinced she wouldn't tell him squat anyway, with her boyfriend hanging around, Leo begrudgingly relented; white knuckling the hilt of his sword as he stiffly and silently bowed to her.

The brunette responded in kind, before swiftly turning on her sneakered heel; practically tossing the practice weapon onto its designated display table, en route to an incensed-looking Raph.

If looks could kill...

Leo's stomach dropped when Val unexpectedly raised a hand to his brother's plastron; suggestively gliding her fingers over his uppermost plates, then his shoulder, as she passed.

A sneer pulled at the red-banded terrapin's lips as he slowly pried away his gaze, finally following the woman out of the Dojo.

He was about to add more marks to her collection, and Leo fucking resented it.

---

"Donnie, help-a-meee!"

"My apologies, Chief. One moment..." Donnie nudged the microphone from his lips as he looked up from his notes atop the table, levelling his youngest brother - pointing to his game's pause screen, like a lost child - an austere look. "What is it?" He sighed.

"How do you kill the fff-"

The purple-banded terrapin grimaced, smothering the microphone in anticipation of an f-bomb.

"-stupid Plague Maiden?!"

He snorted, glimpsing the spectre in question's vivid green silhouette, looming over Mikey's character, behind the menu. "Have you been using Yrden?"

Mikey blinked. "Have I been using what??"

"That's a no, then." Donnie rolled his eyes. Amateur.

"Oh! You mean the purple thing - this thing?"

"Yes, that 'thing' - use it."

"But it's useless-!"

"Hey, you wanted my help - I helped. Now, if you'll excuse-"

The youngest brothers flinched (jolting Klunk II, Mikey's ginger kitten, out of the terrapin's lap; clawing him in the process) at the grating sound of scraping metal. Snapping toward its origin, they found Val and Raph barrelling out of the Dojo; the latter stomping ahead of the former as she slowed, gripping her head in panic.

"The fuckin' nerve-!"

"Raph, wait-!" she darted in his way, desperately pushing at his plastron in an effort to halt him.

Mikey lowered the controller, glancing over his shoulder to meet Donnie's equally concerned gaze. He subtly nodded toward the Dojo, to which his purple-banded brother shrugged helplessly, shaking his head.

They weren't blind, nor stupid. They were painfully aware of their eldest siblings' increasingly vitriolic relationship; despite their efforts at hiding it. There was only so much passive aggression one could reasonably ignore...

Turning back to the couple: Raph had finally stopped, but was still ranting at his girlfriend - context unknown. Much of the exchange was spoken too low, or too quickly, to comprehend.

Suddenly, he raised his voice. Startled, Val jerked back as he bitterly snapped: "He's tryna get in your fuckin' pants!"; rendering everyone, including himself, speechless.

After a brief yet intense silence (in which Raph lowered his gaze, with a flustered groan; clearly regretting his outburst), Val exclaimed tremulously:

"W-what...?!"

"Val, I-I..." The red-banded terrapin stammered, shaking his head fervently. Today, of all days... "I'm so sor- no!"

He snatched her arm when she attempted storming past him for the Dojo, tugging her back.

Donnie and Mikey were halfway out of their seats, by that point. Not that they believed their brother would cause Val harm, just that he was preventing her from going where she wanted.

"Raph, let me-!"

"No - not like this." As much as he'd love for her to go nuclear on Leo's meddlesome ass, he knew: she'd hate herself for it, afterward.

Leaning forward, Raph whispered something into Val's ear; motioning to their wary audience with his eyes. They watched the brunette's expression gradually soften before she finally responded, with a stiff nod.

Body visibly relaxing, Raph slid his hand down to hers; squeezing it gently, then proceeded leading her toward the bathroom.

As the couple disappeared down the hall, a dejected-looking Leo trudged out of the Dojo. The youngest brothers averted their gazes, the moment he turned their way. He scoffed at their blatantly obvious attempts to appear occupied; like they weren't judging him for the shit Raph just accused him of...

"Well, whaddaya know," Mikey mused; voice strained as he fought to keep his attention on the game in front of him. "Yrden actually does work - thanks, Don."

"Yeah, that's good, Mikey- hey, Chief. Sorry, for the interruption. Pardon? Oh, yeah, everything's fine..." Cue reproving side-glance, which Leo caught. "Yeah, we'll get onto that first thing tonight-"

Already up to here with this situation, the leader promptly shut himself back inside the Dojo, for some much needed R&R (i.e., running his Kata into the fucking ground).

---

Val found Leo in the kitchen, alone, slumped against the countertop with an unopened bottle of water; staring at nothing in particular. He was in such deep thought, it took her stepping directly into his line of sight, for him to finally register her presence.

The moment those amber orbs found hers, her stomach knotted, thrusting bile into her throat. She swallowed hard, steeling herself.

No going back, now...

"H-hey," he cleared his throat gently as he straightened up, mustering a wistful smile.

Exhaling slowly and silently, through her nose, as he'd taught her, Val finally relaxed her shoulders; returning the smile. "Hey."

"You- your..." Leo tentatively gestured to her standard-issue EMT uniform. Following his gaze, the brunette abruptly realised: despite working this job nearly two months, this was the first time he'd seen her like this.

She and Raph rarely sleep overnight at the Lair nowadays; something about not wanting to disturb the family with their 'nightly routine'...

"Oh, yeah," Val awkwardly gripped her utility belt; complete with keys, radio, pager, narcotics pouch, penlight, and...

"Handcuffs?" Leo quirked an inquisitive brow ridge at her.

"Yep. I can arrest you, now, heh..."

Foot, meet mouth.

A snort escaped the leader as he shook his head, licking his parched lips. He finally took a swig of his water.

"Can we talk?" Val asked carefully.

Leo's jaw tensed, the weak plastic crinkling under his tightening grip. "Of course," he murmured.

Setting the now deformed bottle on the table, he proceeded pulling out a chair for her to sit; purposefully avoiding the one she'd occupied that night. Once she was comfortable, he then lowered himself onto the one across the table.

Looking up from her lap (where her fingers anxiously twiddled), Val's gaze fell upon the beautiful ficus bonsai Leo gifted her, the night before; off-centre, on the table. Despite repotting it (in an equally beautiful teal ceramic dish), she recognised its unique trunk immediately - it was from his collection.

He must've noticed her gaze favouring it, over the others, whenever she found herself wandering about Splinter's zen room (which she now had free use of). How could she not: it looked like a butt.

"Leo, c-can you..." She finally tore her eyes from the tree, directing them at the equally nervous terrapin before her. "I-I need you to be completely honest with me, right now... please."

She'd heard it from Raph; now, she needed to hear it from the horse's mouth.

"...Do you like me? Like, like like me...?"

Leo hadn't realised he'd been holding his breath, till his starved lungs began screaming, and stars dotted his vision.

He'd anticipated this question. In fact, he'd spent months dreaming about and rehearsing this entrancingly eloquent profession of love he'd (likely never, ever) provide her, in response. He felt prepared...

In the end, all he could manage was a pathetic: "Y-yeah..."

Val scoffed softly as she slumped into her chair; compressing her lips tightly, in an effort to delay the tears now brimming her eyes, from falling.

Just like that, her view of who she considered one of her closest friends was forever changed. She was now overthinking every seemingly innocent glance, nudge, hug, touch... terrified she may have contributed to this, in some way.

She felt dirty.

A panicked Leo shot forward, catching himself as he instinctively reached for her hands. This prompted Val to lean away, wedge them between her knees, then shift her boots under her chair.

He was losing her.

"I'm so sorry, Val. I never expected- I don't know what... I-I wish-"

"It's okay..." she murmured, unable to look him in the eye. "You don't choose who you... Y-you do know though that nothing's ever gonna happen between us-"

"I know-"

"Like, ever."

"I know. I'd never expect that. It's just something I'm... working through."

Leo wasn't sure exactly when he began feeling this way; it kind of just crept up on him...

From the very beginning, he knew: there was something special about this woman. There had to be; not many people stuck around once they'd laid eyes on him, or his brothers.

When he finally let his guard down, she welcomed him with open arms - she's forgiving.

He learnt about her past, and the obstacles she'd faced - she's strong and resilient. When he confessed to doing a background check on her, she wasted no time in admonishing him - she's assertive. When he swore her to secrecy, she let her closest friendship suffer, to keep him and his family safe - she's loyal. When she jumped between him and a rage-filled Raph - she's brave. When she scraped his family together to wait out his sentencing hearing - she's supportive.

He'll never forget the moment she snatched him up in her arms, for the first time. Only father knew how desperately he needed it. It was like the sun had finally risen after a long, cold night.

His world suddenly revolved around her. Her happiness, her pleasure, her safety-

Wait. He did know when - it was right before realising she was in love with his brother.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What would that have accomplished, Val?" Leo enquired gently, struggling not to overanalyse her question. No, you were never an option.

"It's not like anything would've come of it... I also didn't wanna risk making things awkward-"

"Well, you have made things awkward," Val bit out, eyes narrowed.

Leo promptly lowered his gaze. "I know-"

"Like, seriously, Leo... what the hell's with these looks you keep hurling at Raph? You say you're working through things, but it doesn't feel like it. I feel you're blatantly disregarding my word on this."

"...I-I don't mean to-"

"I've told you I don't know how many times, now: I'm fine, stop worrying... But no! You know better, apparently-"

"Hey, hang on-" Leo cut in, offended by the dismissive and sanctimonious portrait she was attempting to paint of him. "Can you please try looking at this from my perspective, for a minute?"

Val pursed her lips, then nodded stiffly; offering him the floor.

After a long, unsteady breath, the leader continued. "Let's say you had a friend - uh, M-Molly, for instance - who started showing up with... marks-"

Val shifted uncomfortably in her chair, chewing the inside of her mouth. He could tell she wanted to object, but remained silent. He continued.

"They insist they're fine, yet more appear. You want to take them at their word, but you can't help this feeling that they really aren't..."

"Do you trust me?" The brunette asked quietly, searching his face.

"...O-of course, I do."

Why was that so difficult to say??

"Then why can't you trust me with this-"

"Because I love-" He felt his throat clench as his heart raced; hot tears pricking his eyes. "-and I c-can't stand seeing those things-"

"Alright!" Val abruptly thrust her palms against the table's edge, shoving out her chair, then extending to her full height. He watched, in stunned silence, as she hissed out her diatribe:

"I really shouldn't need to tell you this, as it's none of your goddamn business; but, apparently, I do - I like it. There, I said it! I'm a kinky bitch, alright?! I ask for it - NOT him! I am NOT some damsel in distress; I do NOT need you white knighting the situation! I said I was fine, and I f-fucking...!"

Leo swore he watched her heart break as the next words left her tear-stained lips: "B-back OFF...! P-please..."

A heavy silence befell the pair as they continued staring at each other, steadily realising the true weight of the words just exchanged. No going back, now, indeed.

"Hey, guys-?"

They flinched at Mikey's voice. As Leo clumsily scrambled to his feet - tipping over his chair, in the process - Val's hands darted to her face; swiping away the tears, with a stifled sniffle, before finally acknowledging the concerned terrapin, suddenly standing alongside.

Peering over them, Leo deflated further at the sight of Donnie and Raph, trickling in from the lab and staircase, respectively.

Mikey narrowed his baby blues at the leader, who avoided his gaze. "Is there a problem-"

"N-nope," forcing a reassuring smile, Val proceeded lifting her purse from the back of her chair (her usual dumping spot); flashing Leo a doleful look as she shouldered it. "We're fine. Everything's fine. I-I was just, um... I was just heading out..."

"I-I like your uniform..." Donnie gingerly complimented as the brunette pulled Mikey into a one-armed hug. Raph hung back in the common area, arms stiffly folded, shooting daggers at his eldest brother.

"Thanks, Don-"

Mikey barely squeezed her back, like she were a porcelain doll. "Are you sure-?"

"Yeah- yeah..." Val gently shook the orange-banded terrapin's shoulders, milking the smile, before turning to Donnie; who attempted offering:

"We could walk you to the street-?"

"No, it's okay..." She glanced Leo's way once more, barely making eye contact this time as she gestured to the bonsai. "L-look after it for me, till we get back?"

He needn't see her face to know she was about to cry.

Your fault. "V-Val-"

She'd already turned away; sharing a last, knowing look with her boyfriend as she beelined for the exit.

---

Finally alone, trudging through the damp, dark sewer tunnels, with only her phone's torch illuminating the path, Val broke.

Suddenly, she felt a thousand pounds; every measly step was like dragging a dead body. Her heart ached, lungs burned, thoughts screamed:

Wha... what the fuck did you do?!

How the fuck could you let this happen?!

He was supposed to be your f-fr... frie...

I hate you!

I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU-

A familiar chime snapped Val out of her spiral.

Shakily reaching into her purse to pull out her first phone, the brunette's heart plummeted at her sister's text:

---

Masterlist / Chapter 23

@android-cap-007 @happymoonangel @miss-andromeda @raphaelismybae @jasminarts01

[pikachugirltits]

Magic Set Speculation: Bloomburrow and Creature Types

So Bloomburrow is the set I'm most excited about this year and I saw someone on Reddit speculating about what sort of creature types we might see, so I chimed in on there with my speculation... but honestly I'm proud enough of my post that I'm copying it over here, partially in hopes of seeing what people over here think (well, with some tweaks to work better on here):

What we know for certain:

-the one piece of key art we've gotten shows a Mouse facing off against a giant fiery Wolf (perhaps it'll be an Elemental Wolf) There's also a firefly in the shot, so there might be some kind of Insect presence, although likely not major as per Mark Rosewater's comment on Blogatog here

-we've gotten another piece of art work showing a Squirrel using necromancy

-this WPN page specifically mentions Squirrels, Rats, Frogs and Rabbits

-this one borders on speculation, but I'm like 90% certain Tunnel Tipster from MKM is an Omenpath traveler from Bloomburrow. Ravnica does not have Mole people like that.

What we can speculate:

-Eldraine sure did give us several random Otters for no apparent reason, and also Bramble Familiar being a Raccoon stands out, as well as Ixalan's scientifically accurate classification of Coati Scavenger. Mark has spoken about how the Rats and Mice in Eldraine were a plant for Bloomburrow, so it's safe to say that they might not be the only ones.

-I've never actually read Redwall but I knew a guy who did, so as far as already existing Magic creature types, I think Badger, Ferret and/or Sable, Lizard, and Turtle are likely candidates for the more anthropomorphic creatures on the plane

-likewise, I can easily see Birds, Snakes, Foxes, and Cats taking on some kind of role, possibly similar to the fiery wolf we saw...and perhaps Bats as well

-as far as possible candidates for new creature types, I think Weasel and Hedgehog would be neat

[scarletsaphire]

tell me about kit!

*cracks knuckles* You have fallen into my trap. Prepare to hear about the singular best character that has ever been created.

Kit Baxter, also known as the Flying Squirrel, is the sidekick to Canada's greatest superhero, the marvelous masked man known only as the Red Panda from the radio show Adventures of the Red Panda. She is also his chauffeur for his secret identity (which remains secret even to the listeners for most of the show.) One other important bit of context is that the show is set during the great depression in Toronto, Canada, so life kinda sucks ass a little bit.

Kit is a first generation Russian immigrant, her father ran a boxing ring and taught her to drive. She's quick witted and quick on her feet, can throw a mean right hook, and drives better than most other people in the city, which earned her a spot as a taxi driver. Panda ended up in her car in his Secret Identity, asked her to drive (recklessly) to a crime scene he wanted to stop, and she, obviously, refused. She wasn't going to be running around like an idiot for some rich asshole. Panda than waved some money in her face to try and get her to listen, and what did she do? She said no, because she isn't some trained dog that'll bark for some rich asshole the moment he gives her a bone. She'd rather go hungry tonight than do that kind of shit for him, and if he's gonna act like he doesn't even know what manners are, he can get the hell out of her cab. (Once he says sorry and asks nicely, than she puts the petal to the metal.)

She's also like. So smart and cool and good with people, she's a jokester and flirtatious (mostly with Panda because she likes flustering him, its really funny) but she's allowed to be all of those things without ever feeling like "Oh she's just there to be the attractive side kick." Kit is very much her own person, its just that she happens to like being a thorn in Panda's side and sometimes that means batting her eyelids (and climbing up walls in a skintight cat suit).

Kit became the Flying Squirrel after, and I quote "I figured out your secret identity and then blackmailed you into letting me play." She cares so, so deeply about the people of her city, especially the people on the streets she comes from because she did not grow up in a nice area of town, and she is constantly trying to fight for the most vulnerable parts of town, despite many of them looking down on her as a woman, especially a woman in her field. She never takes anyone's shit, either towards herself or anyone else, and she is always ready to throw hands with someone she thinks deserves it.

(I'm going to be getting into spoiler stuff underneath the cut. I am asking so very nicely for you to listen to the Adventures of the Red Panda. They're on spotify here ad free, and you can also find them on their website decoderringtheatre.com along with all of their other shows and their audiobooks. It truly is one of the most impressive, fun, and thrilling stories I have ever read, watched, or heard, and it is Criminally Underrated. If you think this is even like. A Tiny Bit Interesting, throw on the first episode, its only 20 minutes, see if you like it. If you don't mind spoilers, or ended up not liking it, keep going.)

Something that I really, really like about Kit is how she's handled later on in the story, once we get into WWII. Her and Panda get married, and she ends up pregnant right as he ends up MIA (presumed dead by most of the world) and she is left to try and defend all of Toronto largely by herself with a child on the way and Archangel, a nazi spy whose manipulating p much everything, bringing havoc upon her city.

It would be super easy to let her fade into the background during all of this. It would be so, so easy to write her off as so many different things do as a mother and a wife and leave her at that. But they don't. She steps up as the mastermind behind everything, pulling the strings of their connections they've forged over the years, continues to fight in her suit until she physically can't anymore, working as hard as she can in and out of costume to make sure that her city, because with Panda gone (not dead. She never believes he's dead for a second and has and will fight anyone who says otherwise.) It is her city and her people and she will not let it fall to ruin. She will not let anyone else, Nazi or American or Canadian or anyone take her city from her.

Katya Baxter is a wonderful character who is just so, so funny and amazing and if anybody knew what the Adventures of the Red Panda were she would be an absolute HIT of a character on here. I love her so, so much.

[pbandjesse]

I don't know why but I felt absolutely horrible for most of today. It honestly scares me. Like I just want everything to be okay in my body. I want the person I'm growing to be okay. But I feel horrible so I am also just scared. We go to the doctor tomorrow so hopefully they can give me some answers or comfort?

Most of today was still good. I tried to push through how bad I felt to enjoy my day with James.

I didn't sleep good. I almost threw up a few times last night and hurt my throat. When James got back they tried to take care of me but I was just really upset. It wasn't fun.

I woke up a lot. And when I woke up this morning I just did not feel good. I would get up and took a shower and tried to feel better.

I really liked my outfit. James would come lay with me for a little bit. Helped me chose shoes and I chose these orange loafers because I need to break them in and we had a few minutes of laughing and being silly trying to get them on my feet. They actually would be really comfortable but would cause a blister on my left foot. Ouchie.

We decided we would go to breakfast at a pancake house we haven't ever been too. And then we would go to the zoo. Then errands. And even though it was a little rainy and drizzly it would actually be a really nice time.

The pancake house has terrible vibes. It was very classy formerly a club? The layout was very bad. But the food was actually really good. James got a coconut waffle and I got avocado toast. My only bad thing was the soda was a bottle and not a fountain soda but I lived. And I really enjoyed my breakfast.

We were overhearing the conversation next to us. About a tattoo shop and James didn't say anything until we left but one of them was a football player??? Neat!

After brunch we drove over to the zoo. And I'm so glad we went today. We had umbrellas but we barely needed them. The drizzle was pleasent. And we got to see so many amazing behaviors from the animals!

We were mainly there to see the otter, Nora, before she moved to Virginia. But we saw so many other great things.

We started with the penguins. The volunteer over there chatted to us about the BMI and how he wants to donate some neat stuff he has. And then we meet inside the penguin building and one of the penguins was in the water and I was running back and forth with him. It was great.

The flamingos were fighting?? Just yelling at eachother. So many animals were out and about and it was awesome.

At the monkey house we got to see so many chimps up close. And at one point they all yelled and the two babies went to their mom's to breast feed?? It was so special to see that.

We were surprised how many squirrels were in the outside lemer enclosures eating their food and the lemers looked so concerned.

When we did finally make it over to the otters we had to run back and forth to catch them but finally one of them swam up to the tank and twisted around and it was an amazing encounter. Just so wonderful. I felt really lucky. And I was excited that James got to see them. They love the otters.

I was losing a little steam. But I held it together. My stomach was not feeling good but I was still having fun.

I liked seeing the snakes and frogs and bats. We went to look at the goats and pigs and alpacas. And then we decided that we had seen just about everything and headed out.

The walk out was a little hard on me because it is uphill. And the rain had picked up. But James held an umbrella over me and called me a princess. I love them so much.

We got out of there after stopping at the gift shop. Didn't get anything. But we did stop at the big sign outside when another couple asked us to take a picture and they took ours. It was very sweet.

Another couple asked us if it was a good time in the parking lot and we told them to make sure they go see the otters. And then we were off again.

My feet hurt very bad. I kept my shoes off in the car. We had made a pretty solid list for target. And when we got there we did a pretty good job just sticking to that list. Some toiletries. Some food. Some hangers for James's hats. I was starting to not be able to hold it together anymore. My stomach isn't hurt to much. It was time to go home.

When we got back here we brought everything inside and I came upstairs to lay down. James would bring me some candy. But soon I was fast asleep.

I woke up not feeling much better. Eating dinner would help a little. But I was just absolutely feeling bad today. James would hold me and try their best to help. I would get very upset with them later when I was asking for something and they weren't understanding and then I felt really bad for getting so mad.

I would take a bath. And it helped a little bit I still don't feel good. I really hope tomorrow they can give me something or at least reassure me that I just have to power through.

I'm going to go brush my teeth and try and sip water. And hopefully fall asleep easy.

My appointment is first thing in the morning. I am not going to lie. I'm very scared that something is wrong. But I really hope that it's a positive appointment. Send me good thoughts. I love you all. Good night!

[starstruckpurpledragon]

Tagged by @icedteaandoldlace for the 15 Mutuals, 15 Questions meme

Are you named after anyone? My name is a family name on my mom's side, though specifically I'm named after my mom's favorite cousin. Different spellings, though. I absolutely adored her growing up and I missed her very much when she moved away.

When was the last time you cried? Given the wasps in my house and the ongoing renovation work... yesterday, late last night. Stress crying sucks and makes me more stressed because I can't really control it. That said, I feel a lot better about things today.

Do you have kids? Nope, but I have a nephew. Very adorable. Recently got a new stuffed animal during a trip to a cave. A bat, named Bat-Bat. His dad keeps hoping to convince him to go with Bruce instead. :D

Do you use sarcasm a lot? Yes and no. It's situational, really. Who I'm with and what their tolerance for sarcasm is and what my mood is at the time.

What sports do you play/have you played? I played soccer and softball in elementary school. I was much better at soccer than softball but I didn't really enjoy it at the time.

What’s the first thing you notice about people? How they treat other people. I kinda suspect I'm a little face-blind so what people say and do make a bigger impression on me than physical appearance.

What’s your eye color? Green, except when they're blue

Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings

Any special talents? Fanfic writing. :D But I can also do some pretty silly muppet voices, all the better to entertain my nephew with. Or do impressions of Golem from LoTR with.

Where were you born? A hospital in Kentucky, of the blue grass and the fast horsies.

What are your hobbies? Aside from writing fanfic, there's playing video games and whatever fun craft has most recently caught my attention. Sometimes paint by number, cross stitch, etc... and when my piano isn't blocked in by boxes (thanks, reno) I'll play that.

Do you have pets? I have a dog named Estelle. She's a terrier and minpin mix who loves snuggles, snacks, and chasing squirrels.

How tall are you? About 5'8"

Favorite subject in school? English class, though my computer science courses were a close second.

Dream job? I wanted to be an author as a kid, which I kind of feel like I've fulfilled by writing fanfic. I am a software engineer, which I do really enjoy... but I think dream job would really have to be librarian. A school librarian, perhaps.

Tagging @goldheartedchaoticdisaster, @fezwearingjellybananas, @shrinkthisviolet, @vexic929, @incorrectcoldflashblog, @gender-luster, @a-redharlequin, @ageless-aislynn, @terrie01, @hawkstincan, @stars-are-just-ghosts, @autisticharrywells, @violetteatime, @sophiainspace, @bottom-of-the-riverbed

[reddeadreference]

A Better World, A New Friend

This post includes the hunting requests, Ms. Hobb’s letter, as well as her gift, and the results of that gift.

(Note: Hunting Requests 1-4 can be completed anytime before the epilogue but Request 5 can only be done in the epilogue and “items” do not carry over.)

-Warning! This post contains spoilers for the epilogue!-

Requests

You can find the first poster request in Valentine Station. Once you deliver it you’ll get the second automatically upon receiving payment.

HUNTING REQUEST 1 (Valentine)

Perfect Squirrel Carcass

Perfect Rabbit Carcass

HUNTING REQUEST 2 (Strawberry)

Perfect Cardinal Carcass

Perfect Rat Carcass

Perfect Woodpecker Carcass

HUNTING REQUEST 3 (Rhodes)

Perfect Chipmunk Carcass

Perfect Oriole Carcass

Perfect Robin Carcass

Perfect Opossum Carcass

HUNTING REQUEST 4 (Saint Denis)

Perfect Sparrow Carcass

Perfect Songbird Carcass

Perfect Toad Carcass

Perfect Bullfrog Carcass

Perfect Skunk Carcass

HUNTING REQUEST 5 (Van Horn Trading Post)

(Can only be completed by John in the epilogue)

Perfect Waxwing Carcass

Perfect Bat Carcass

Perfect Blue Jay Carcass

Perfect Crow Carcass

Perfect Beaver Carcass

Once all of the requests are complete John will get a letter from Ms Hobbs inviting him to visit and you’ll get to see her art.

Invitation from Ms. Hobbs

Mister Marston,

My dear, I am delighted, absolutely delighted at the lovely friends you have sent me. Together we have made art! Life as art!

I strive to make happiness frozen in time, and you have surely made me happy with the animals you have gathered.

You must come visit and see the world we have made together. I will introduce you to Percival. I am sure you will love him. Do you play cards? My friends adore it. Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself!

I'm just north east of Strawberry, between the town and Monto's Rest. 

Sincerely,

Ms. L. Hobbs

She’ll take you down to the basement where all the displays are. (All those photos are in the post for her house)

(This is Percival.)

 She’ll gift you a Squirrel Statue dressed like John (hat and vest... don’t know how she knew.)

When you bring it home (if it’s after you’ve finished all story missions) you can place it above the fireplace

... Abigail is less than thrilled about it.

“It’s art.”

Leave the ranch and you’ll come home to find John Squirrelston is missing, hidden by Abigail who hides him in 6 different places each time you put him back on the mantel.

. This happens several times:

Locations Abigail hides the statue:

Chest in John's Bedroom

Chimney in John's Bedroom

Chest in Uncle's Room

Wheelbarrow in the sheep pen

Chest in the barn

On top of Mount Shann