#I’m like a puffin

[aquatic-batt]

hmmmmm us Warrior Cats fans need a term for nonbinary cats, methinks. there’s already tom for “men” and molly for “women”, so…

[questwithambition]

So turns out the affectionate best friend thing at NYE has lead to FEELS and here I am flirting over text and frankly feeling too much before even 9am

[sombrathedragon]

PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!! PUFFIN DAISUKE !!!!

@number1daisukefan

It's not the best timing, but I wanted to show my animal designs of the Mouthwashing characters :>

[ragingbookdragon]

Price finds her in the equipment room doing a rather meticulous job of cleaning their weapons, but he also notices that the only set she currently has out, is none other than the side-arm and knives owned by their resident Lieutenant.

“Quite rare to see you here on a Friday night,” he says, taking a seat across from her, grabbing an oiled rag to start cleaning with. “Shouldn’t you be going out with Gaz and Soap for drinks?”

She pauses, looks up and then lowers her gaze back to the firing pin she’s cleaning. “Didn’t feel like going out tonight, Captain.”

“Didn’t feel like it or didn’t feel like seeing ‘you know who?’”

“You know?” She asks and he shrugs.

“It’s my job to know everything that happens within the one-four-one.”

“I thought that was Miss Kate’s job?”

Price smiles. “We share responsibility.” He methodically rubs the rag along the parts of the side-arm, his expression and voice becoming rather calm but she feels the air turn a little stern, if almost a fatherly stern. “You’ve been avoiding him.”

She makes a noise in her throat. “I can’t exactly talk to him. Look what happened last time.”

“He feels bad.”

“I’m sure he does,” she retorts, looking at him. “He really hurt my feelings. What am I supposed to do, tell him it’s okay? That we can move on like he didn’t tell me I’m clingy?” She stops, looks down at her hands. “I sound like a fucking child.”

Price hums. “You actually sound like a person who’s had their feelings hurt and you’re not sure how to proceed.” He dips the rag in a big more oil. “I know it doesn’t equate what he’s said to you, but allow me to fill in some blanks you might have on Simon.”

She cocks a brow. “Okay?”

“Simon was the oldest child of two. Abusive dad, terrified mom. Younger brother used to terrorize him too.” He goes back to cleaning the gun parts. “Nine-eleven had Simon enlisting, came back after a lull, kicked his dad out, got his brother sober and even found himself the proud uncle of a nephew named Joseph.”

“Where are they now?” She asks. “Simon’s from Birmingham, right?”

“He is,” he answers, but his face and voice are void of any hope. “But they’re not anymore.”

She blinks, feels the shift in temperature. “They…moved?” She hopes; he meets her gaze, and she knows instantly. “Oh…I…how did it…”

“I don’t want to divulge Simon’s past without his permission, because it’s also his own choice to tell you what happened, but I can tell you that Simon had a personal vendetta against the man and others who hurt his family. And he took care of it.” Price inhales and exhales. “In doing so…Simon sacrificed himself. He made himself—“

“A Ghost,” she finishes, and he nods.

“Simon, when it comes down to what he truly is beneath his cold stoicism, my dear, is simply a very tired and even more broken-hearted man who believes that if he keeps everything and everyone at a distance, then nothing can hurt him.” Price sets the weapon and rag down. “He likes to think he’s incapable of feeling but don’t let his demeanor or words fool you, Simon feels more deeply for the people he loves more than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Something aches in her chest, rising up to close around her throat as she asks, “A man like him…he can still love?”

He smiles half-heartedly. “I’ve seen the man run back through a burning building to pull Gaz out. I’ve seen him run through gunfire, take a bullet to the thigh and keep going to carry Soap.” He nudges her under the table. “I’ve even seen him pull your ass out of even stickier situations. If we viewed Simon how he wanted us to view him, it’d be easy to call him a heartless bastard. But he isn’t as heartless as he wishes he was.”

“That just shows he’s doing his job as our superior officer,” she counters weakly. “He’s doing it because it’s his duty to get his subordinates out.”

“Does it ever just feel like that?”

“…no.”

Price gazes on her like a father to his daughter with her first heartbreak. “What do you feel right now, puffin?”

She purses her lips, looks down at the various weapons on the table before she admits, “I’m still hurt. His words keep replaying in my mind. I’m clingy and I’m always around.” She fiddles with the fraying hem of the rag. “That I’m a bother.”

“Would it make a difference if I told you that I don’t think such things?”

She shrugs.

Price blinks, reaches up and rubs his chin thoughtfully. “You can be very excitable. Sometimes, I think you let it get the better of you and you often forget that others don’t always have the same personality as you.”

“Excitable is the polite way of saying annoying.”

“If I wanted to say you were annoying, I would’ve. You genuinely are a good and wholesome person, my dear. But you have to remember that everyone has a different level of extroversion. Sometimes, we have to tone it down a bit.” He meets her gaze and she knows his is full of honesty. “Simon doesn’t actually hate you. And he probably feels a tad bit of annoyance, but then again, he always does regardless of who it is, because Simon hates anything that makes noise. But I also know that he feels bad for what he did and said to you—and he wants to make it right.”

She takes in his words. “Do I need to engage him first? Extend some olive branch for peace?”

Price rises from the table and smiles, walks around and pats her shoulder. “Nah, let him come to you.”

“You really think he will?”

“I do. He knows what he’s gotta do and he’ll do it because he knows it’s the right thing to do. But he’ll be skittish. He’s like a newborn deer.” He winks. “Let him mull over how he wants to do it. As for you,” he points at her. “You’ve gotta move on from this. Learn from it. And stop ignoring him and avoiding him like you’re a ten year old. Be a grown-up. Act professional and be polite. I will not let this effect the team any longer than it is. Am I understood?”

She swallows thickly and nods. “Yes, sir, Captain Price. I promise.”

Price smiles and pats her again. “Go on. Soap and Gaz headed to Purecraft.”

“But the Lieutenant—”

“Is in the training room working out,” Price waves her off. “Go. Have some fun. Get some drinks, talk to Tweedledee and Tweedledum.”

As she gets up, she pauses and looks at him. “Captain?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.”

Price’s eyes crinkle around the edges. “You’re welcome, Puffin.”

[thatpadfooted-boy]

apparently some of you really like my writing, so here's a Milo angst snippet I wrote with @n0r :)

(this is aggro scampering btw)

Milo lies on the couch, Aggro perched on his stomach like an anchor, and the TV murmuring in the background of the quiet ambiance. One deft hand clutches the remote, and the other absent-mindedly holds Aggro’s flicking tail. Milo’s eyes dart to the clock after it ticks to 11 at night. His Sweetheart is late—hours late. 

“Work”, he tells himself. It’s work. 

After all, they did say they had an important case on their hands. But Milo’s old, unwelcome thoughts creep in despite his efforts, sticky and insidious. 

His chest tightens. The air feels too thick to breathe. 

He tells himself “I’m being irrational, they would never.” Sweetheart is nothing like him, but the echoes of his father’s betrayals dig their claws into his psyche, unshakable dread. Milo ponders– Colm, who spent nights drowning in liquor and debts, always promising he’d be back before disappearing into some grimy bar or poker game. The worry isn’t just worry—it’s a sharp, bitter storm and entirely out of his control.

—

By the time Sweetheart finally opens that door, Milo is hunched over in the chair he first met his love, his head cradled in his hands. “It’s midnight…” His chest is heaving, empty breaths both shallow and useless as if his lungs forgot their purpose. The sound of the keys jingling and the door swinging open jolts Milo upright, and he stumbles to his feet, his heart pounding like a war drum. Honey-brown irises surrounded by red and swollen lids in the dim lighting of the kitchen, Milo’s face is now streaked with tears, his nose raw from rubbing. The frown etched into his face feels foreign, like it’s been stitched on by someone else’s hands. 

He rarely frowns, but now? He can’t seem to stop.

“Where were you, Sweetheart?” His voice cracks as he speaks, trembling and uneven, his words like shards of glass to their genuine, tender-loving heart. 

His hands shake violently at his sides, the veins stark against his skin tone. 

“Milo, baby-” They coax him into a tight embrace, tucking his head under theirs. “I was working… Come here.” Spoken with a sugary-sweet tone in contrast to his rather brittle vocals. He wants to scream, to demand answers to their late arrival, but guilt is already clawing at him, telling him he’s wrong to feel this way. That, “It’s not their fault.” But his fear sprouted from the roots deep inside his chest, tangled up and growing thicker in memories of Colm, and no amount of logic could stop those nasty ropes from choking him breathless. 

He feels small, raw, and utterly broken, standing in front of the person he trusts most in the world, barely able to hold himself together.

psst... tags down here <3

@thesolaireslawyer

@moronkyne

@achios

@aurorialwolf

@sams-darlin

@deezbignutz

@marlowlvsu

@milogreersleftdresssock

@idontdomathlol

@stellarren

@aimedis

@urfrenfishy

@puffin-smoke

@darlin-collins

@ashertickler

@swaggerpear

@samfucker

@cozy-collins

@breezysuffers

@soap-is-an-artist

@int3rtwiningh3artstrings

[lilnasxvevo]

Oh I’ve thought about stealing a puffin every time I’ve gone but the nervous little things always swim away when I try to touch them.

aquariums would get sooo much more money if they stopped making all the plushies just sharks and seals and turtles. you can do better. show me the sturgeon. the coelacanth. the trout

[candieduranium]

my best friend doesn’t like puffins so i’m making this poll out of anger

[soapieanxiety]

Historical Iceland Ramble: Part 1 - Early Childhood

We’re actually pretty lucky to get a good look at Icelands very early childhood. Not only do we see him immediately after he was “born” but we also see more of his childhood from before Norway showed up in his life.

Interesting things I immediately notice:

- While Norway physically wasn’t there in his life his connection to Iceland is still important even before the two met

- Iceland doesn’t know that he’s a representation but he does know that he’s not human

- Iceland's loneliness is something he’s dealt with literally since he was born. He’s literally Dr. Doofenshmirtz levels of loneliness. I am not joking he’s extremely lonely.

- His hot and cold side is immediately established in these manga panels. Iceland is someone with a lot of internal fire however externally he appears to be the opposite. Sometimes people only portray one side of his personality and ignore the other, but if you truly want to understand Iceland you have to understand that there are two sides to him. They may seem contradictory but in reality both sides merge together and create Iceland. It cannot be ignored

These panels right here tell us directly that there is more to Iceland than what meets the eye. We’ve been told this in character notes, but in the actual content of Hetalia, we are shown it here. We’re shown it constantly, but this is the most in-your-face example I’ve seen. Iceland is directly getting upset at people judging him just based off first impressions. This shows us that not portraying him with these two sides is doing his character a disservice.

In some stories, I see that people make it that Norway found Iceland pretty quickly after his “birth." However I believe that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m gonna get more into timeline in the next paragraph, but the panel with Iceland contemplating if he has a brother takes place at a minimum 130 years after his “birth." Want proof? These are the next two panels that happen immediately after

It’s believed that civilization on Iceland started at around 870 AD, and it looks like that’s the date Hima went with. It’s the date I’m going to go with as well. Christianity came to Iceland at around the year 999 or 1000 AD, meaning Iceland met the God (/j but y’know what I mean) before he met his brother, the other Nordics, or Mr. Puffin. Now I can see someone arguing that maybe he’s met Mr. Puffin already; however, I believe that if he had, Mr. Puffin would be somewhere in these panels. He’s always with Iceland, and if he’s not, it’s a logical assumption to make that he just hasn’t met the bird yet.

Iceland makes a new friend! Despite the mental breakdown, I do believe meeting Mr. Puffin was an all-around positive in Iceland's life. We see them together constantly after-this, and Iceland finally gets his much needed social interaction. Even if it’s from a bird. He’s still suffering from extreme loneliness, which will affect him for the rest of his life. But it’s a good thing he has Mr. Puffin now, who does teach him a bit about the outside world.

I’d also like to note that Iceland, who knows he has a brother, believes that he’s the only island to exist and that the rest of the world is just ocean. That’s how much he’s suffering from loneliness. I can’t really pinpoint a year these panels take place but I’m fairly confident they take place after 1000, which, as stated earlier, is over 100 years after Iceland was “born.”

These are the last manga panels I’d like to go over and the ones I find the most interesting, in my opinion.

We see more of Iceland and Mr. Puffins time together in Iceland's early childhood. Mr. Puffin tells Iceland about the outside world, which Iceland doesn’t believe. I think this is probably just the loneliness getting to him. What I find really interesting in this panel is that it confirms that Norway knows Iceland exists. Now I love Norway, I’m a firm believer that he’s doing his best as a brother. But this is probably his biggest brother fumble, in my opinion. As an older sibling myself, I can understand being busy with your own life. Norway is obviously busy in this panel, but at this point, Iceland has existed for over 100 years now, and he still hasn’t gone to see him. Being busy for that long just isn’t an excuse. Now I guess I can see a point that maybe this was the first time he realized he had a little brother. However, I believe that this isn’t the first time. Iceland’s “birth” scene has a blacked-out silhouette of Norway and his voice. Now we don’t know what Norway said, but this is implying to me that Norway knows Iceland exists.

Bottom line: Iceland's loneliness in his early childhood was avoidable. Norway could’ve shown up way earlier, but he didn’t. I’m not going to bash him that much for it, but this heavily affects Iceland. I can understand that Norway was most likely a teenager at this time who was focused on being a Viking and fighting other people. However, the negative impacts of this weigh heavy, and Norway’s nosy and overbearing behavior is probably him trying to compensate for not being there for Iceland during this time in his life.

Anyways, thank you for reading Part 1 of this historical Iceland analysis. Part 2 will cover a broader history. I feel like the reason this part was so long is simply because we have so much content of Iceland’s early life. If Part 3 is needed (honestly it might), I’ll let y’all know before Part 2 is published. Expect Part 2 to be published sometime around Thanksgiving, whether that’s before or after. Again, thank you for reading this. My notes app literally started glitching because of how long this was.

Link to Part 2

[virwood2024]

Hey guys,

I’m gonna hop on here and be a little real for a sec to talk about the beauty of non-canon shipping in fandoms cause I feel like some of that may be getting lost in the excitement of all these new potential pairings in Bound. So, buckle in.

Alright, so, non-canon shipping is just that; non-canon. It means that you see two characters that have good chemistry and decide they are going to be a pairing. Like Batman and Superman, for example. Nothing in canon says that they’re a couple, but so many people think they would make a good one and thus, they are a very popular non-canon ship. The fandom, as much as they may want to, cannot force the writers to make them canon, and that’s where the real beauty is.

So much of fandom culture is taking what other artistic people present and riffing off of it, making it your own. Non-canon ships are NOT about trying to pressure creators into making ships canon, but rather about bringing together other creatives who agree about the dynamics you see and encouraging each other in your perception of the couple.

So, I apologize if any of my campaigning distorted that for you all. But I wanted to say this in order to clearly state what the goal of this campaign is, which is NOT to force Connor and Puffin to make Virwood canon. It is rather, to make Virwood the most popular non-canon ship in the fandom. So, if you support that agenda, please continue to send virwood proofs my way. Otherwise, please do not associate yourself with this account. Thank you!

-Zenni

[aquatic-batt]

thanks for the tag!!! uwaaaa perfect opportunity to spread my music taste

1) Waves - The Dear Hunter

2) Pork Soda - Glass Animals

3) Cold, Cold, Cold - The Family Crest

4) Open the Sky - The Stupendium

5) Always Come Back - NateWantstoBattle

I tag @saulgoodmanscarkeys @mokusai @spicy-salmon-julien @skittlewaffle @nightindrake @frog-glasses @sharktomtrash @etherealoleander @headlessfriend and anyone else who would like to join in :0

🎶✨when u get this u have to put 5 songs u actually listen to, publish. then, send this ask/tag 10 of your favourite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) 🎶✨

Thanks so much for the tag @willowcassette !

Shinunoga E-Wa - Fujii Kaze

Be Sweet - Japanese Breakfast

Why Can’t We Be Friends? - The Academic

Ikkyu-San - Wednesday Campanella

Trip - Ella Mai

Tagging: @arijensineink @toribookworm22 @words-after-midnight @ishipgenfics @little-mouse-gardens @imdefnotvanessa @jamieanovels @writingpotato07 @i-dont-write-as-often-as-id-like @elijahrichardwrites

[aquatic-batt]

hey Google how do I become popular enough for people to actually like my ocs and talk about them and make fanart for them but not popular enough for people to make copious nonsensical aus and really out of character headcanons and content farms and

[xanyiaz]

[repost] redacted audio characters if they saw the Barbie movie :)

- damn crew went together ofc <3

- huxley dragged damien to see it but by the end, damien was crying more than huxley

- lasko cried loads during the mother-daughter scenes and everyone else comforted him 🫶🫶

- gavin dressed up in all pink with pink platform boots and completely ATE. got freelancer leaning back on the floor taking loads of pictures of him like a celebrity

- caelum went with gavin & freelancer (their second watch). was sitting on gavin’s lap as a lil booster and kept clinging onto him and freelancer at the emotional scenes 🥹 gavin and freelancer bought him candyfloss after which perked him up again :’)

- guy was joking around in the beginning but held honey’s hand tight throughout the whole film. after the film he blasted “I’m just Ken” on full volume in the car on the way home and swore to make a Ken pizza on his next shift

- sweetheart teasing milo when Ken was showing off his mojo dojo casa house and bought him a pink glitter cowboy hat on the way home 💀

- elliott made a dreamscape of the barbie dream house & the mojo dojo casa house after the film

tag list <3 (lmk if you'd like to be added or removed !!): @zeerohpunk @themeridian @puffin-smoke @vind3miat0r @froggytimemachineinternet @redactedbloop @slushiepizza @qhoaaaa @plaqying @ashton-sano @mokozroach @washa @idk-ig-7 @kuteheadrest @solairereject @copsecore

[definitelynuwonhere]

I’m seeing a lot of these and wanted to throw my appreciation out to ya’ll as well

The fact that I’ve been tagged in more than one is crazy, the friends i’ve made thru this community, YES I WILL GET SAPPY RN. I never would’ve imagined I could be part of smthng like this, loud, expressive. I swear months ago I could barely leave comments. U guys’s support and enthusiasm have really helped boost up the good ole confidence department and I just i love what we have going on here 🥹

I LOVE MY MOOTS:

@sereh624

@sharkluvr73

@miyaheestar

@erial-c

@huxleaf

@sugar-33

@breezysuffers

@pandoraroid

@ririchurl

@moronkyne

@mokozroach

@ezzie-things

@prince-damien-of-darkness

@puffin-smoke

@capitalisticveins

@themeridian

@plaqying

@jamieeeeee33333

@bazpire

@aurorialwolf

@no-see-um-incorrect

@vind3miat0r

@davidsstarr

@darlin-collins

@angel-shaw

@bazpire

@vegafan69

@everything-redacted00

@star-sheeps

@annahxredaxted

@xanyiaz

@propertyofsamcollins

@bubblergoespop

(I TRIED TO GET ALL OF U IF I MISSED SOMEONE, IM SORRY BUT ILY 🫶)

[earthnashes]

It's been a long day, and Melon is exhausted. Ever since escaping Hookbill and those pesky Lakitus, he and Mario had been on the move almost non-stop, taking advantage of the Super Star Fruit's power to cover more distance. But it had to wear off eventually, with Mario burping off the remnant of the magic before they slowly--but surely- sunk all the way back to the forest floor and in the middle of the Sluggy Snowdrift Mountains.

As soon as they touched ground a blizzard fell upon them, and Melon set out to find suitable shelter.

So far, no such luck. No matter where he turned, all Melon could see was the vast expanse of snow, the screen of heavy snowflakes, and the dark silhouettes of tall mountain peaks in the distance. As a yoshi the cold didn't bother him as much, but he could feel the shivering of Mario upon his back even wrapped so tightly in his favorite blankie (how he managed to keep it, Melon can't be too sure).

Melon stopped for only a moment, just to pick the boy up from his back and instead cradle him close to his chest. He huffed hot air across Mario's red-tinged face, tucked his blanket closer (if that were possible). When all Mario did in response was shiver even harder, Melon let out a trill of distress; he had to find something.

With his eyes straining against the blizzard Melon set off again, head on a swivel in hopes of finding anything that could work.

His luck finally earned him a place in the form of an old burrow. It must've been home to a Huffin Puffin before it migrated. Whatever the case, it was empty, and Melon wasted no time setting the place straight.

Snow was dug out and away, debris cleared, dirt scrapped until it lay flat and dry. Only when he felt it right did he set Mario down in the bare nest, being sure to tuck him into his blanket before he settled in himself. Melon positioned himself in front of the entrance to shield the boy from the cold, curling protectively around him.

He didn't dare sleep, not at first. He waited until he felt Mario's shivering subsided, until his breath evened out into the cadence of a peaceful slumber. Until he was sure the kid was warm and secure, red eyes trained on his face for any sign of discomfort.

Mario eventually sighs and snuggles deeper into the yoshi's side, chewing contently on his binki, and it's only then Melon allows the insistent pull of sleep to drag him under.

-----------

Against the darkness of the night, three pairs of red eyes peek into the den. Even against the howl of the blizzard they can hear the reptile's rumbling from within; it's likely a purr, but one as small as a mouse can never be too careful.

Two of the three stay back, mindful of their distance, but one braves the entrance and quietly patters into the den. Closer to the yoshi and the human cub he's curled around.

The hidden mousers squeak out questioningly, but the brave one doesn't answer at first. It clambers up a rock and leans as far as it dares, peering into the sleeping face of the small child.

Brown hair? Check.

Big nose? Check.

Red hat with an M? Double check.

This is the one they were searching for. The Tweeters reported true.

Finally the brave Mouser squeaks its affirmative; perhaps a little loudly, if the sudden growl--sleepy but full of warning-- was of any indication. The rodents flee the den before they could wake the yoshi and his boy up, cowardly but excited nonetheless.

The boss will be very pleased with their findings.

-------------------

Part 7<<– Part 8 (CURRENT) –>> Part 9 (TBA)

-------------------

Part 8 of Melon's Adventure is here! :) We're now entering the home stretch of the first act of this story; only 2 more parts to go!

I'm super excited to finally get so close to the end, largely because I have plans on making mini artbooks out of the story's illustrations (it'll include both the art and the written shorts). The books is planned to also include things like concept art, a few WIP progress shots of some of the pages, character bios of the main characters + enemies, and unique cover art. It's gonna be a bit of an undertaking but I think it'll be fun!

At any rate, that's all for now! Apologies for the writing in this one; I've been a little sick the past few days so the quality may have suffered a little bit, but I wanted to deliver both to ya'll on time. ;_; I hope you enjoy! More to come soon!

[onceuponapuffin]

I've spent the week...processing. I was in the middle of writing Newt and Adam when The News broke, and I had to take a break. And I've spent a while thinking carefully about if I should say anything, and what I would say if I did.

The thing that made up my mind was seeing how many people are angry and hurting right now. I love this community, and I want to give my heart to all of you in the best way I can, which I think, is actually something I've already written.

So here, for you, is an excerpt from Part 9. My letter of love and compassion to you all. Please do your best to be kind to each other and yourselves.

************************

You pound your way to the nearest bar, where everyone had agreed to meet. The three of them are standing around, talking over glasses of wine. Your hands are in fists, your nails digging into your palms as you approach. They acknowledge you as you enter their field of vision, but you say nothing. Instead, you beeline for Aziraphale, put your arms around him, and hang on for dear life. Sometimes you just need to hug an angel.

There’s a pause where Anathema says something about your aura, and then Aziraphale hugs you back.

Dear Reader, I’m not sure if it ever happened in your life, but for this Puffin there came a time when it was made very clear that wanting to be held or wanting to lean on another person in public was unacceptable (and, in fact, embarrassing) once you reached a certain age. And yet, we as humans are social creatures. The need to be held is a very normal response, especially after something particularly upsetting happens (like having the sanctity of washroom privacy violated, for example). Perhaps you’re not the kind of person who, out of nowhere, feels the desire to be held, but perhaps you know someone who is. And so, I would like to impress upon you the incredible difference it makes, the immeasurable relief it brings, to know that you have someone with you who will hold you back without question or comment. Just hold you, and wait.

Aziraphale makes it clear he intends to do just that.

“Take your time, dear,” he says gently. And so you do.

[the-uninformed-zennial]

So, uh, Fable ended.

And now I’m gonna be sappy on main.

I started watching Fable about half a year before I started being active in the fandom, around the time I started falling in love with my partner @hoardingpuffin . Watching Rae and Caspian’s relationship develop was actually part of what helped me realize that the things I was feeling for them were romantic and not just platonic. Surprisingly enough, that’s just the beginning of the profound effect Fable had on me.

I had never really interacted with fandom spaces before Fable. But when I caught up with lore sometime in November 2022, I decided to join the discord. It was a crazy place. Being someone who’d never really been in a server before I was completely overwhelmed and nervous, so I didn’t interact much for the first month or so.

Then I discovered that, despite the incredible love for the project, no one had made a “which character are you?” Quiz yet, so, I decided to fuck it and make one myself. The response I got to that was unlike any I had seen before. I was getting pinged weeks afterwards with people’s results and it made me really happy to see how much my work was appreciated by everyone in the community. It got me thinking about other ways I might be able to give back.

Then, as you all know, the stream “Call” and it’s partner “Response” came out on Ghosty and HeyHay’s channels. I’d been feeling so similarly to the two characters, dealing with my long distance relationship with Puffin. So, I took those feelings and the words Heyhay and Ghosty had used to convey them for their characters and put them into a song.

And then something insane happened.

Everyone liked it. Like, everyone liked it. This crappy recording I made at 2 AM suddenly got hundreds and then thousands of views when I put it on SoundCloud and YouTube. It was insane. I had written some songs before, but they’d always been ridiculed, so having a large group of people like the fable community enjoy something that I wrote was absolutely insane to me, and it encouraged me to make more.

I found myself being inspired by the characters in fable, connecting with different storylines or sentences said on streams. I found myself writing songs, one after another after another.  At one point I was writing a song a week for a period of about three months. I had never experienced this amount of raw creativity before, but every time I put a new song out, I only got encouraged to make more.

And then people started to ask me when I was going to put them on Spotify. And that was another moment that everything changed. I realized if I was gonna put these out there in such an official way I didn’t want it to just be a bunch of crappy recorded singles. So I needed to make an album.

That was something I had never considered doing before. I knew nothing about music editing or sound mixing. Up until that point all of my songs had been made on GarageBand at 2 AM with very little editing or mixing going into them. So, I started saving for a real music editing program and within a few months I got there.

Then came the actual making of the album. I took a few months off in the summer and just dove headfirst into it. Every spare moment I wasn’t modding for the Sherbathon, or the discord, or streaming my own lore, was spent working on those songs. And while looking back now I wish I knew what I know now about music editing, I’m so glad I did what I did. Putting that album out, seeing how you all responded to it… it made me realize that this is something I love, something that I don’t have to wait for someone else’s permission or teaching to do.

This fandom is the reason I’m a musical artist and that is something I don’t think I will ever be able to express the importance of enough.



As much as I could talk about the unending support and encouragement I received from the wonderful cast members throughout my experience making the album, or how being given the role of mod on the fandom discord taught me so much about how to be a creator in my own right, or even the amazing experience I had being able to make songs for the lore. When it comes right down to it, it was the community, cast and all, that impacted my life in the profound way it has been. So thank you, each and every one of you, whether you are a cast member, a fan, a fellow mod, or even just someone who streamed a song you didn’t have any context for. Thank you for changing my life, for giving me the encouragement to pursue my dreams.

Thank you Fable SMP cast, crew, and community 💕