#Wanting to do exercise is a new thing for me though XD

[pizza-soup]

Hey! Just wanted to do an update for the new year!

Sooo, what have I been up to? A lot actually!

First off, I'd like to introduce a new member to my household, her name is Lucky, and I found her on an urbex trip last year as a tiny thing, and looked how gorgeous she is as an adult!

Those markings are pretty neat, huh? She's looks just like a Maneki Neko, all that's missing is a red ribbon and koban coin. She has such a sweet, affectionate personality, she is surprisingly very open to strangers giving her attention, and she loves water! Yeah, she plays in water! She has zero fear of it and likes playing with the sink faucet or laying on my shoulders when I soaking in the bath. I think it stems from me taking her out to the garden with me in the summer when I was watering the plants, the puddles cooled her off.

Speaking of gardening, I have two new trees. Ginkgos! My great aunt had one in her front yard, these are the babies. Since it's way too cold to plant them directly into the ground, they're currently in pots. I want them to grow just a bit larger before transplanting them.

And yes, that's Sol posing by the new trees! Look how handsome he is now! I'm glad he and his sister took in Lucky as an honorable sibling, I think she'd be very lonely otherwise. Stella has also grown up to be beautiful, and likes sharing her bed with Lucky. Orion doesn't like her though. Lol but he tolerates her so long as she doesn't get too close.

My health is better, thankfully. While I think I'll always have hypotension now, my doctor and I found a setup that works to keep it at bay. I have to watch my activity level and learn to rest properly (exercise can cause BP to drop fast), and stay hydrated with electrolytes daily. I have to set reminders though, since Im so bad at remembering. So far I haven't had any relapses for 7 months. I've also oddly lost a lot of weight, I thought it was suspicious, but my doctor said I'm actually at my BMI and the weight loss was gradual. My records show it was within a normal time range. Idk it felt so sudden to ME, but maybe I didn't notice it until recently. Eh. My sense of time isn't the best. Whatever the case, I was told to keep doing whatever I'm doing.

Work is... just as weird as always! Lol to the point it's kind of not weird for me anymore, I've gotten used to the strangeness of it. My brother however never got used to it. He actually quit working for the labs, not because it scared him off but because he finally got his major finished and he is working in an observatory down south. I'm proud of him! Space has always been a big interest for him, and the space science here in NM is growing!

As for creating, I've been busy writing two fanfics on Ao3. One is a Pokemon story, Come What May, and another is an alternate take on the classic Disney film, The Little Mermaid, called Candle on the Water. They're pretty long, my Pokemon fic is currently topping 20 chapters! I'd really appreciate if more people read them. Give em a little love. It's not the best work ever, but I'm kinda proud of them. They were written when I was struggling with a lot of self doubt and mild Imposter Syndrome. I'm working on being more gentle to myself and not letting perfectionism sabotage me or stop me from creating, and I'm kinda seeing that effort pay off bit by bit.

I've also been doing some song covers. I'm not sure if I'm confident in sharing those yet, but I've gotten a lot of encouragement from my family and my brother's friend who has been letting me borrow his music studio for recording sessions. Maybe I'll post one song if it's requested. I have three covers so far and they're all Evanescence. XD

Its been a very peaceful time for me, I got a raise last November and it's been nice. I've been treating myself to stationery and home decor. I splurged a bit and got two gaming devices from Anbernic, and have been modding my 3DSXL. Because screw gaming companies and their paywalling/microtransactions. It's time we start actually owning our games again, including media like music and movies.

I think this year is going to focus on retro media for me. CDs, DVDs, cassettes and vinyls. I've been rediscovering my collection in the garage and learning to maintain/fix my devices. Because while I do enjoy my modern media, I like the thought of having offline backups should I not have access to it later.

And my old school stuff takes me back to my summer days in school when I couldn't wait to get home to play my Gameboy while listening to my CDs, reading comics, or doodle and write short stories in my notebooks, or make zines with my friends. That might be something to revisit this summer.

I hope everything has been going well for you all, and if not, I hope it will soon. I may just return to this year, but probably gradually. I missed you all, and I miss sharing bits of my life here with you.

Take care! 💕

[whostarlockeda03]

Having a very bad concentration day at work and none of my usual brain coercion tricks are working :/

[gallusrostromegalus]

hi i see that you have much smart dog experience. i may have accidentally purchased such a dog. she's only 10 weeks, and ive had her 1, and she's already outmatched every puzzle feeder i got or have made. to the point that she is morosely disappointed when her food comes in an actual food bowl. do you know where i can find like. "heres 100 enrichment toys you can make out of free trash so your dog stops eating fucking rocks for enrichment" lists. i only have so many paper towel tubes XD

Herschel now just disassembles puzzle feeders, so I've been focusing on "Toys that, even if he already knows how to operate them, will still take TIME for him to collect the treat from" to give him something to fuss with.

Herschel eats all his meals out of a Kong Wobbler, because he will otherwise eat so fast he will literally inhale and choke on his kibble and I do not need him developing pneumonia from aspiration. Even though it's a "Simple" toy it slows him down and he does have to think a bit to tip it in the most efficient manner possible. Kong's "Flipz", "Gyro" and "Rewards Wally" are also really good "dog needs to think/carefully manipulate the toy for food" toys that act as both mental stimulation and exercise and "give human a break for up to twelve minutes" toys.

I highly reccomend KONG as a brand- they're local to Denver and have an impeccable saftey record and all of the toys I have gotten from them have held up extremely well vs. the ravages of three entirely too smart and strong-jawed dogs at once.

Some more thoughts:

If she's not prone to shredding rubber, the kind of treat toys she has to chew are also good stimulation.

If you don't want to give her That Many treats, my vet said that dogs can have as many green beans as they want. Just make sure that the beans haven't had salt added to them- canned usually does, but frozen green beans usually don't, but always check the label.

You can make nearly any toy last longer, or make a cheap long-puzzle by freezing the treats so they take longer to eat AND provides hydration. Herschel's most favorite treat of all time is literally a wad of sliced green beans in a dixie cup, filled with water and frozen. Just peel off the cup and hand him the chunk of ice and he's good for up to half an hour and more chill afterwards.

You can also freeze lick mats

If your girl is like Charlie and doesn't like greenbeans, you can also try freezing paper cups of: Canned pumpkin, apple slices in water, putting some ice cubes in the bottom of the cup, a gob of peanut butter in the middle and then fill it with water to make a peanutbutter filled ice cube.

If your girl is REALLY like charlie who has figured out how to use labor negotiation and strike tactics for better treats: boiled chicken chunks frozen in some of the water you boiled them in.

Walkies are as much mental stimulation as they are physical exercise. Take her out and let her sniff to her heart's content.

Also Puppies in particular need like, SO MUCH exercise.

Let her participate in activities with you. Herschel and charlie sit in the kitchen and I narrate cooking dinner to them, which seems to interest them, even if I don't have spare veggie ends to give them. I also frequently bring them along in the car if I'm running errands when it's cold enough to do that, so they have something new to look at, and get to participate. I also am more likely to stop at a new park and give myself some exercise and mental stimulation.

Training her to do tasks is GREAT Smart Dog enrichment- esp if she's a herding or heeler, they LOVE being helpful. I taught the dogs they get a small treat if they come in from the yard without me having to go chase them down, which saved me a lot of hassle, and now I'm working on teaching herschel to pick things up off the floor for me if I drop them and alert for chickpeas, which my housemate is allergic to.

A lot of dogs like cat-type toys. Tie a stick or some fleece to some paracord and drag or flycast it around for her to chase/play tug with when she catches it. Toys that bounce unexpectedly were also a huge hit. or just wave the string around the cat and the corgi both like that.

If you live in farm country or know other people with pets, you can grab something with the scent of another animal on it and bring it home for her to smell. Charlie and Herschel spent the better part of three days investigating the wad of horse undercoat I brought home and put in the spare wobbler for them to smell.

[musedeluce]

Petnames? Eh....

What if you don't generally call them petnames, instead just calling them by their names? What thoughts might they have, regarding your name, and their own?

A/N: Brought to you because I don't generally like pet names. Personally, for me, calling people by their names is special, and pet-names feel generic XD. There are times they don't, but that's generally how I feel. Nicknames are lovely though lol

(By name, I mean whatever the person goes by, of course)

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Xavier

To be quite honest, he doesn't really think about it. He's just happy to be talking and doing things with you. He himself doesn't really call you any cute names, at least not with any regularity.

Additionally, every time you his name he feels like he's exactly where he's supposed to be, a sense of belonging he's missed for a long time. He really loves it when you call his name.

Someone may point it out, however. It's not something that bothers him, but he's ever so curious... He'll just ask you.

"Do you not like petnames? Is that why you never call me any?" his eyes are wide with innocence, and somewhat pleading. (Don't let this fool you he knows exactly what he's doing.)

It may have bothered him a little more than he thought...any and all endearments from you, he'll desire. He's a bit greedy that way, and at the core of it is just him wanting to be with you and experience things with you, especially new things.

You can pull his own trick on him, and he'll fall for it.

Eyes wide, looking a touch sad - "Do you...not like when I say your name?"

He'll never be bothered by it ever again, and he's somewhat learned to ignore things that others point out about your relationship, as long as you're both content together, nothing else matters.

Xavier loves to call you by your name as well, it feels like something he's waited to do for so long. Finally, you're here, you'll respond.

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Sylus

Legit actually bothers him (but not in a detrimental way), but he'd never come right out and say. Usually he's quite open and direct, but not about this. As he often calls you sweetie and kitten, he's wondering why you don't respond in kind, sarcastically or otherwise.

As it so happens, he tries to get you to call him pet names, starting off small and eventually evolving into full on, well thought out plans where he tries his absolute hardest, but he's so sneaky about it. (He thinks)

Considering his first attempt was just to stare at you really intensely after he called you sweetie like he usually does, you catch on that something is going on.

Attempts range from asking you questions like "What do bees make?" and then responding when you answer as if you had actually called him that, asking you to read romantic passages out loud to him (Which is how he found out he likes to have you read to him just in general), having the twins or Mephisto "gather intel," and having undercover missions require acting of the romantic sort, petnames -required-

This is of course, the perfect opportunity to mess with him. Call Luke and Kieran "Darling" jokingly. Mephisto is now and forever "pretty bird"

Then of course, call him one when he's not really paying attention and then act as if nothing happened. He will mentally crash out (in a good way, and maintain outward composure)

Eventually though, you'll have to explain, smirking while you do.

"I'm exercising a privilege I have, of course. I'm the only one who calls you by your name, Sylus."

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Zayne

Not one to make a big deal about things. Call him whatever you want, and if that doesn't include pet names, so be it.

Though, when you dropped "Doctor" and instead started to call him "Zayne" he felt joyous. It was a sign of your relationship getting closer as the both of you reconnected.

He's playful and bold with you, and likes to try to provoke reactions where you say his name in different ways. Of course not in an obvious fashion, as he's stoic and calm, so his playfulness might not be super obvious to people.

"To decide between hotpot or stir fry, let's play rock, paper, scissors. Which one do you want to be?"

"Hot pot!"

"Alright, let's get that then. And perhaps go for a walk together after." Very often, its things like this that show his playfulness and desire to have fun with you.

"Zayne" the laugh in your voice delights him. "You bought every flavor of special cupcake?"

"Zayne, you should rest." Your concern makes him feel warm.

It might end up that you ask him about it, yourself. "Zayne, do you mind that I don't call you pet names? It seems like its something expected? If you want, I can try to use them more."

"Why would I mind? I like my name. I especially like my name on your lips." The smirk on his face is small, but obvious. " Besides, every relationship is different, so what is expected in one case won't be applicable in another."

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Rafayel

He doesn't care that you don't call him any pet names. Why would he? You can call him whatever you want, he'll respond. But, he will be curious.

Especially since he sometimes calls you "cutie." and you don't seem to mind...but he'll want to be sure, and approach in a somewhat roundabout way. Not asking straight out why you never use them. Instead, he'll start by directly asking you about something adjacent.

"Does it bother you when I call you cutie? I'm perfectly happy to stop if it does, Darling."

"As for me, I wouldn't mind a cute moniker from you!" Aha! His main goal all along. Now, once you explain, he'll be perfectly satisfied regarding this matter.

"Oh, it doesn't bother me. I would tell you if it did. Petnames just aren't my thing. I like calling you "Rafayel" because it's your name. It's you!" You smile at him, and his ears start to turn red.

He's so fun to tease, the back and forth banter is the best, and this is something you can totally use.

"Cutie~" and you hand him a clementine and watch as he processes this ridiculous joke as you peel your own.

Whenever he hears you call his name, he loves it of course, but he also is filled with a sense of happy relief.

He also loves to say your name, filled with a sense of curiosity. He's always interested in you, and wants to know every detail from what you ate for dinner to your most guarded secrets. That curiosity extends to the world around him, something he wants to learn more about and experience, especially with you.

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[cybertroniannugget]

Gift Giving Bumblebee x Reader

Dec 6

Look at that cute face

Fyi, I make sure to always use real lyrics for Bumblebee xD List at the end as proof.

Spotify is my best friend when writing Bumblebee.

As much as I love him, writing the bay version is tough. Always searching for lyrics that fit.

It's a little rushed, but better late than never right?

It's pure fluff

🎶Give it to me baby-Boots with the fur-tonight🎶1

“You want my boots?”

The yellow scout nods, pointing at your shoes.

“I mean sure, but why?”

🎶It's a wonderful surprise🎶2

“But that's no American tradition though.”

🎶Cuz I don't care🎶3

“So you wanna gift me something through St. Nicholas Day?”

🎶I love you, always forever🎶4

“Love you too, Bee. I'll give you my boots later, alright?”

He buzzes excitedly.

“Ey Bee, I need you on patrol with me.”, Jazz talks over the comm link.

Bumblebee’s antannae fold back and he whirrs a little annoyed.

You pat his cheek, smiling.

“I know, we rarely see each other, but this is important. I'll be here for a while.”

Another sad buzz echoes from his vocalizer, before he transforms and drives away.

Later in the evening you receive a message from Bee, asking you to put your boots outside your door.

“Okay, that's actually cute.”, you chuckle while walking outside.

Hearing someone round the corner you quickly walk back inside, leaving your shoes where Bee asked you to put them.

He has been busy lately with training under the new agreements between earth's government.

Daily exercises for the soldiers where they have to learn how to fight Deceptions.

And when he wasn't busy with that, he had to go on routine patrols.

When you wake up the next day, the first thing you do is checking outside to find your boots filled with Christmas chocolate and a note saying ‘I love you my honeybee’

Quick on your way back inside with the shoes in your hand, you put them down onto a chair, admiring what has been put in them.

“Oh, he even bought new headphones.”, you say, holding the packaging.

Taking your phone out of your pant's pocket, you dial the access code for his comm link, holding the device to your ear, waiting for him to respond.

“Bee, that's very cute, but you didn't have to do that..”, you say as he picks up with an excited buzz.

🎶I'm hopelessly devoted to you🎶5

“Where you at right now?”

🎶By the hangar🎶6

“Alright, wait for me there.”

A few minutes later, you walk into the wide open hangar where that yellow Bot you have grown to love stands waiting.

🎶Hello🎶7

“Hey there, Bee.”, you say smiling.

🎶How was it for you-Christmas present🎶8

“It was so sweet, thank you Bee.”, you say while walking up to him.

The scout crouches down to be more on your level and whirrs happily.

🎶Because I'm happy🎶9

You smile as you stand before him.

“So, gift giving?”

The scout buzzes confused.

“It's your love language.”

His optics widen, antannae standing up now as you said that.

“Don't worry, I love you too Bee. I figured something was up.”

Hugging him, as much as the size difference allowed, you couldn't stop smiling.

🎶You can be my safety zone-Nothing can come between You and I🎶10

You chuckle as you look at him, a hand on his cheek.

🎶You ready?🎶11

“Let's see how the others will react…”

Bee chuckles.

Here's the proof guys:

1 Pretty fly for a white guy-The Offspring

Low-Flo Rida

don't stop me now-Queen (obv)

2 Friday I'm in love-The Cure

3 I don't care- Ed Sheeran&Justin Bieber

4 I love you always forever- Donna Lewis

5 Hopelessly devoted to you- Olivia Newton John

6 Hangar- 8485

7 Hello-Adele

8 How was it for you-James, Christmas present- Doris Day

9 Happy- Pharrell Williams

10 The Ocean-Mike Perry & Shy Martin You and I- One Direction

11 Price Tag- Jessie J & B.o.B

[theriu]

What advice do you have for someone who wishes to (eventually, as soon as she has both the space and the money) have a cat, but who has never had a pet before?

Oh goodness, I don’t feel like an expert but I will do my best! Here’s a few tips I can think of from my own experiences:

1) Decide how okay you are with shedding. Of my two cats, the long-haired one obviously sheds a lot more noticeably, and it can be a bit aggravating to find clumps of fur all over the carpet. Hard floors can make this less of a nuisance since you can sweep it up easily, but if you have a lot of carpet, I’d suggest a short-hair cat unless you just SUPER LOVE long-hairs. Of course, my cats were both strays so those kinds of considerations didn’t really factor in. 😅

2. Determine if you want a cat that is indoor/outdoor or indoor only. Now, there is a lot of argument against letting cats run free outdoors, but I used to live out on a farm right next to a trailer park full of stray cats, so a few more (all fixed) weren’t going to make much difference to the local wildlife. Once I moved into town, though, I rehomed my one cat I knew would be miserable being indoor-only, and the other two have adapted pretty well to being indoor cats. (They do try and sneak out the door sometimes, though.) I did this mainly because risks like being hit by cars or being mistaken for a stray and adopted by some well-meaning person are much higher in town. They are still risks elsewhere, though, so keep a collar on your cat, and consider getting it microchipped. Also, know that you will probably need to get the cat some extra shots, for diseases they can only get outside. Also also, make sure you spay/neuter! (The kitten issue aside, female cats are so WEIRD when they are in heat!)

For indoor cats, my house has stairs the cats can run up and down and they seem to stay in good shape, but just make sure they have some kind of ability to exercise if they can’t run much. Stimulating things like feeder dishes that make the cat work for its food can help mentally and with keeping them from overeating. (I got this neat feeding bowl that is actually a holder of five cups of varying sizes that get filled with food, and the cats have to paw it out of the cups. It’s really helped with how fast they were eating.)

3. Cats have very different personalities, so I think it’s good to try and figure out what a cat is like before adopting it. I kept all my cats because they were really friendly compared to other cats I had known. Of course, there is the issue where my two current cats don’t always get along, but they at least don’t get into full-on brawls. But if you don’t have any other pets when you get the cat, this should be easier - you only have to get it used to you! Cats don’t always show friendlieness by cuddling; a lot of times, they just want to be in the room with you. But if you’re looking for a cuddler, see if you can find one that isn’t too afraid of people and will come right up for petting. When introducing it to your home, give it plenty of space and time to get used to its new surroundings and roommate.

4. Remembering to feed and water and change the cat litter can be hard, especially if you have ADHD. >.> My solution on the water front has been to fill a large decorative bowl in the living room and the cats just drink off that. XD For the food, Stormy will always remind me when she thinks the food is low (this is generally a false alarm the first couple times, the drama queen). Make sure you clean the litter box frequently, or the cats may find other, less agreeable locations to go. 8/ (Such as, oh I don’t know, INSIDE THE DRYER ON MY CLEAN LAUNDRY) If your cat does pee somewhere, you want to get those pet cleaner sprays because they break down the stinky enzymes that make cat pee smell so bad for so LONG.

5. As mentioned, some cats are cuddlier than others, but here’s a few general tips on cat behavior: a slow blink is how they show they trust you. A cat rolling onto its back is also showing trust that you WON’T touch its vulnerable belly (but some cats do actually learn to love tummy rubs; you kinda have to figure that one out on a cat-by-cat basis). They often like being petted on the area over the hindquarters near the base of the tail, but they also have a lot of nerves there and can get overstimulated, so if a cat goes from letting you pet it to trying to bite your hand, it is probably telling you that petting needs to stop NOW because its nerves are going CRAZY. This can also involve some trial and error; my former cat Clyde still sometimes knee-jerk reacts to being petted, but my sister says he has never done it to her, so we think she just pets less firmly than I do. Meanwhile, Shuri has NEVER reacted poorly to petting, and in fact would love nothing more than for me to spend an hour petting her so hard that she squishes into the mattress.

6. Don’t waste money on fancy cat toys unless you have some indication your cat likes that kind of toy. (This may be different if you raise them with the fancy toys from kittenhood; mine were both strays and are Very Suspicous of anything fancy I get them.) Laser pointers are an INSTANT FAVORITE and only cost a few dollars! And a dangly thing on a string can usually get them excited. Cats will often prefer a plain cardboard box over a fancy catbed, but they like pillows and piles of clothes and chairs and couches and people beds. And sometimes the round puzzle you put together on top of your hope chest, because Borders Are Safe Zones.

7. GET SCRATCHING POSTS OR THEY WILL MAKE THEIR OWN. (They will probably make their own anyway; my couch is regretably covered in claw marks. But the scratching posts at least help slow the deterioration.) Fun Fact: Cats don’t use scratching posts to “sharpen” their claws, but rather to rub off the outer layers on their claws. If you trim your cat’s claws yourself, you may notice how the claws kind of flake off when clipped. Be very careful not to cut into the quick (the blood vessel) when trimming! If your cat strongly opposes this process, the vet can do it for you for a small fee, but I generally just wrap mine up in a towel and make them suffer the indignity. It’s cheaper for me and less stressful for them than a long car trip and a visit to the strange vet’s office would be. (And they always forgive me pretty immediately after I release them. I cannot speak for cats that may hold grudges.)

I’m sure I haven’t covered even a tenth of the useful info, but I hope these are helpful and that you find just the right cat buddy in the future! 😄

[sillyandquest]

WOOOOOOOO!!!!

It's Megaman's birthday today and y'know what I decided to do?

Make a post about my au about Roll. XD

Well, sort of.

Fr though, I really do love the Megaman franchise. It's one of the main reasons I draw today and want to get better at story telling. I honestly would've made a full drawing instead of a handful of doodles, but life gets busy and I need my sleep.

Anyways, last time I posted I showed you guys this design I came up with for Roll's armor.

This time though, I wanna talk a bit more about Rock's part in the au because despite what I say, he is still a main character in the au.

Doodles under the cut.

First I had to get a good grasp on who Rock is as a character before figuring out what he'd be like in the au. Canonically, he's a kind, courageous boy, with a strong sense for justice and is very polite towards others but is a little naive.

With that in mind I think he'd largely be the same in the au, only difference being he's more protective of Roll and does his best to be the responsible one. However being responsible does mean he's a rule follower, it makes Rock feel guilty.

Despite the new protective streak though, Rock definitely knows Roll's willingness to wreck Wily's newest machines like there's no tomorrow, which does worry him a bit, but he's very glad she's on his side.

This actually brings up a theme I want to incorporate: opposites complimenting each other.

Rock truly believes in Dr. Light's dream and wants it to become reality, on the flipside, Roll's more concerned with things happening in the moment. Rock absolutely hates fighting, Roll finds it fun. Rock is more quick to accept obstacles as they are, meanwhile Roll always looks for another way.

That last thing actually leads me to bringing up an old concept from an entirely different au. Because Roll always looks for another solution, what if she managed to befriend some of the bosses from some of the games?

Rock wants to stop fighting and actively tries to dissuade the robots he fights, but accepts it as inevitable because he doesn't see another option. Roll however is more empathic to other robots issues and unlike Rock is too stubborn to give up on finding a different way. Through her empathy, Roll may be able to dissuade robots from fighting by reaching out a helping hand.

Obviously, this doesn't work for every robot master, but it will work for some, and it's this that gives Rock hope throughout the many battles he and Roll find themselves in.

It's the main reason he keeps putting the armor back on when Wily comes back with another plot. As long as Rock has Roll to fight alongside, there will always be another way. Maybe one of those ways will lead to the peace they both want.

That's just Rock for now, there's still even more to think of. Like Protoman.

Much like Rock, Protoman is largely unchanged with the only difference being that he is more willing to show up and spend time with Rock and Roll in a mentor sort of role.

This is because with both of them in active fighting roles, they're gonna need some training. This happens after the twins beat Wily as a team for the first time, so before or after MM3. Blues helps Rock with aim and difficult jumps, while he helps Roll come up with new ways to use her broom. They all also do team exercises so they can fight more effectively, but they don't always accomplish their goals. Blues is a tough teacher and the twins ended up running back to Light Labs after one of them collapsed during training.

They were so freaked out after the first few times it happened. One time they both passed out during training, dw Blues carried them home as a good big brother should.

There's still more to think of with this au. I have a lot in mind, including merging this au with that Megaman X au I've been thinking about. Y'all will probably know which one it is, I have very few au's here.

Overall, Rock and Roll both want peace between humans and robots, they just have different mindsets that influence how they go about it individually. That's why I think it's so important that they fight together.

With that said enjoy this final doodle of Megaman and Sunstar. I like to think that Rock, with Roll and Rush's support, managed to find a way to save Sunstar in this au and the two became buddies.

Sunstar really likes his little friend, but not nearly as much as Mercury likes Roll

She's his favorite.

[teecupangel]

Submitted by @saberamane​

After seeing that chinchilla Desmond ask, it reminded me of my first impression upon encountering the ferox in Ark survival evolved, Genesis part 1. I know it has a cat/fox like face and kind of red panda tail and monkey-ish body but, my first experience with it was in game, as I hadn’t watched the trailer. And I thought it was a mutated chinchilla…

Saying that! A Ferox! Desmond au would be amazing. He’s small and cute, doing cute little hops to beg for treats, and then he’s a 7 foot tall wolf-gorilla thing capable of tearing your head off your body…

I just have a picture of guards angrily breaking into an ancestor’s house (like the Auditore villa at the start of AC2) and finding this cute…thing just sitting on the other side of the door, wagging it’s tail, and then they watch in horror as it suddenly grows, up and up, and up.

And then there’s nothing but screams…

================================

Additions by teecup

For those unfamiliar with what a Ferox look like, here you go:

Desmond would probably spend quite a lot of time trying to get used to his new body, especially his newly acquired four arms so he’d be a bit of a klutz too. And he’d be super surprised when he first transforms into his other form but also ‘hell yeah!’.

Desmond would just be a fluffy sweet bunny? Fox? Cat? No one knows (and Leonardo is trying to understand what he is) but that doesn’t really matter since Desmond is more or less docile and just likes to eat and cuddle. Not being liked by him would make a person a social pariah XD

So we have an idea of how Desmond could screw up AC2 (also, he can totally protect Monteriggioni by going on a rampage on the papacy army, although this might start a rumor of Monteriggioni having a demon as an attack dog) and Desmond could easily thwart Charles Lee’s plan to burn down Ratonhnhaké:ton’s village by going ham on them either while staying with Kaniehtí:io that day or by transforming and ‘taking care’ of the soldiers before Charles Lee could even hurt Ratonhnhaké:ton.

Now, the most common setup would be for Desmond to be Altaïr’s pet but may I suggest an alternative: Desmond as baby Sef’s pet? Sef found him while he and Darim are playing (maybe they were even able to sneak out of Masyaf) and he brought him back because Desmond doesn’t recognize Sef but he looks a lot like Altaïr so he just makes soft purring sounds as he put all his arms in the air in the universal gesture of ‘pick me up’ and Sef does. 

His transformation is kept a secret and Altaïr thinks Desmond might have mutated with the use of a POE. He’s still more or less Sef’s pet even though Desmond likes to follow Altaïr around when Sef isn’t in Masyaf. 

So when Swami tried to assassinate Sef in his sleep, Desmond is curled on top of Sef’s chest and he jumped down, staring at Swami. 

Swami’s eyes widened as Desmond transformed right in front of him and he let out a scream that gets drowned by Desmond’s roar.

Sef immediately wakes up to see Desmond pinning Swami against the floor and Sef knew that something fishy is certainly going on. Even though Swami is babbling that it was his father who ordered for his death, Sef doesn’t believe him.

First of all: His father wouldn’t order for this death. Of all the things Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad might and might not be, his love for his family will never be questioned.

Second of all: Even if Altaïr wanted him dead, he wouldn’t pick someone like Swami to kill him, that’s insulting. (At this point, both Swami and Desmond just stare at Sef because, yeah, he might be nicer and sweeter than his father but the Ibn-La'Ahad arrogance seems to be hereditary).

“Third of all…” Sef looked at Desmond and grinned, “Shall we get some exercise, Desmond?”

Desmond roared his agreement and…

That day, the conspiracy against Altaïr’s family and allies was thwarted by a large monster. Many of Abbas’ supposed allies squealed like pigs and admitted everything while being pinned down by said monster.

Malik drowned in paperwork that day.

[aphfanficwriters]

Every month we will pose a question and collate responses as a fun and informal little exercise in getting to know each other and spark discussion.

For the year's end, we asked our writers:

“What did you write this year that you were most proud of?”

Tama / @murderenjoyer: I was torn between a couple but my favorite complete fic that I started this year would have to be Old Scars, Future Hearts. I felt it came out very sweet, which admittedly is not my bread and butter, so I was nervous it would end up reading as flat or overly mushy. I think the finished product came out really well for being outside my usual wheelhouse. My second choice was the McDonald's burger handy one xD

Old Scars, Future Hearts by Delgumo (America/Russia) Old and new wounds plague Ivan. Alfred wants to save him.

WhiteWings / @smuttyandabsurd: Parents aren't supposed to have favourites lol, but On the Cusp of Blooming is probably the runaway favourite for me this year. The idea for it came in a sudden flash of inspiration (which is always the best kind!), and I think the execution was good.

On the Cusp of Blooming by smuttyandabsurd (Indonesia/Netherlands) Netherlands surprises Indonesia with an unannounced visit.

Mossman: I got torn between fics where I force long thick objects down Ivan's rectum and fics when I do it to his throat, so I chose a fic where he remains untouched. I had a lot of fun with this one and it was my first ever AU

Holiday fling by Mossy_man (China/Russia) [no summary]

Eru / @eruverse: THIS YEAR??? Naw i have NUTHIN

Lacy: choosing this as my fave because its the first fic i wrote in 2024 😭 not sure about it being anatomically correct or isit plausible whatsoever. but i love them being nasty, disgusting freaks doing sexy gross stuff behind closed doors 😄

1001 Ways To Die — Chapter 7: Dying Days 2 by NashTea (Fishandnear) (Germay/Japan) Another impromptu session between Kiku and Ludwig partaking in their favourite activity, this time, it’s a little different for Kiku.

Cheeb / @chibidashie: It was hard to choose but it's the fact I finished The Joker's Dreadnought in 2024, despite having to deal with harassment from the fandom as this was a vent fic to let out so much of my feelings from being badly harmed from the fandom itself. Truly though, I wanted to make my own Cardverse AU but with dragons involved heavily. If I could be allowed to have a runner-up, it would be the sequel that I just finished recently to even out all the knots, The Convocation of Kings. It's not as thrilling as The Joker's Dreadnought but still holds dear to my newly-born Cardverse AU.

The Joker's Dreadnought by ChibiDashie (Sealand & Wy, Liechtenstein & Switzerland, Germany/North Italy, Austria/Hungary) "That's what happens when you're a joker. Life ain't fair, you know." In this harrowing Cardverse tale, Jokers are a rarity blessed by the gods by only a select few born unto this world. Imbued with unique magicks, the Jokers may be seen as a weapon that can prove a kingdom incredibly valuable. However, the populace fears these people to the point that the Joker is not just a person, but from what many can describe them: "rat", "demon", "animal", "filth", "scum of the Earth". Peter is one such joker. Robbed from his birth family as a toddler due to a declaration under King Alfred, he is isolated from the rest of the world in the hands of the Spades, kept as nothing but a novelty for the select few. Ten years have passed since Peter was robbed from his family, looking only at the stone masonry that surrounds him and one view of the Royal Capital with only one window. How a boy longed for freedom may have been seen as a miracle when a group of rogues commit the greatest heist in the lands beyond, resulting in a bounty on Peter's head. What Peter does not know that with every step he takes comes tragedy, betrayal, and hopelessness. Peter only wants one thing: Justice.

Ciel / @torontofetish: i guess it would be my first hetalia fic? i think i did a pretty decent job and i liked my descriptions quite a bit 🥰

acuerdo by southerngothics (South Italy/Spain) It’s still new to him; four months is an eternity for humans, perhaps, but perspective has shortened and condensed time into a coiled thing, folding over on itself until the entire stretch of it is thin as parchment. Four months is the blink of an eye. And the fighting has not stopped since he set foot upon that little island kingdom; he hasn’t had time to truly process it all. That Romano is his now. That they are together. That every morning he will wake up and Romano will be here, and that every night Romano will be asleep in this bed. It still seems like the far-fetched dream Pedro had cooked up in hushed tones, away from the menacing glares of el Papa. Spain is convinced, somehow, that if he blinks, reality will throw its punch and he’ll be back in Palermo, crushed under that damned France’s boot. In 1282, King Peter III of Aragon is crowned King of Sicily.

Prush / @proosh: The thing I'm most proud of is the silly joke crackfic that spiralled out of control into a full length schizoid episode-inducing meta-analysis on nations, haunted houses, and blood: The Abyss. It's the best thing I've ever written and maybe will ever write and I don't think I'll ever top it in how tightly written and interconnected it all is.

The Abyss by proosh (Germany/Prussia) Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein. - Friedrich Nietzsche, Jenseits von Gut und Böse The German Empire wakes on a stormy night and finds himself drawn into the darkness by some unknowable instinct that pulls him into the belly of the earth. Some things are better left undisturbed.

Emil / @connorsandroids: For me it was the stupid (but silly milk prompt fanfic) oddly enough, I dont know why its my fav

The Milk Dilemma by Berlin_gas_chamber (Japan & South Korea) Japan is enjoying a peaceful afternoon at his home when South Korea arrives with a carton of his new “super-powered milk,” claiming it provides incredible energy. Despite his initial skepticism, Japan agrees to try the milk with Korea. The milk works as promised, giving them both a sudden surge of energy. They decide to take a walk in Japan’s garden, where Korea excitedly shares his plans and ideas. Japan realizes that while Korea’s inventions can be unpredictable, they always bring joy and strengthen their friendship.

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Love the answers! Got some more :D are you tired of just me asking questions XD I can give you a break if you want?

1: I forget if you answer this already but what’s their favorite dance move?

2: does Kon pull the typical older brother pick on the younger brother stuff on Chris & Jon? Like giving them noogies, wet wilies, sitting on them, etc…

3: are they excited for the new dbz budokai tenkaichi 4 game? I’m actually quite excited myself lol

4: who’s their least favorite superhero or hero they think their ok?

5: what video game systems do they have?

6: I saw an earlier post about the starcave, can you tell me more about that like where’s it at & stuff?

Well @pin-crusher2000 , Given I’m sort of bit on a mini vacation as of right now, I got some time to spare ;-)

1) If the music is playing as per requesting the DJ at a party, Chris no doubt will take the floor doing the ever so catchy Achy Breaky Heart line. Let’s just say that good ole country music Pa showed Clark and him rubbed off a bit. Though if it was the Hamster Dance playing, Jon and him would instead freestyle

As for Jake, Mar’i and him steal the floor with a traditional Tamaranean ceremonial dance that sees them more or less air hit their fighting moves back and forth ending with their arms crossed like two swords for a good five minutes straight. When not doing so, Jake might be doing either the Monkey or the ever so classic Batusi

2) More like noogies, hair ruffles and lifting them by the legs upside down playfully (like Tadashi in Big Hero 6 did). He’s more of big brother that would verbal tease them but otherwise is pretty cool. So cool in fact he’s convinced he can make them Mini Mes of himself if only Clark and Lois would allow it

3) The following would be an accurate enough depiction of Chris and Jake’s reactions to the announcement trailer alone:

(For the record, I’m plenty excited for it too lol)

4) Probably either Hawkman (Carter Hall) or Captain Atom would be their least liked due to both of them being stuck in the mud, upright, little to no fun attitudes rubbing them both the wrong way in their own unique ways. Hawkman only more slightly given his own grim outlook on a lot of things, so grim even Batman himself once commented on it

(In canon too

Justice League International #19)

5) Nintendo Switches, PS4s (later PS5s), Nintendo Wiis, and Original Xboxs; those two have quite a wide range of time periods and differing generations of hardware that compliment their PCs as well.

6) The StarCave, aka the The Fortress of Fortitude, is located within the mountainous outskirts of the Bludhaven district, blending in well with the trees and limestone cliffs via active camouflage tech and shields. While it’s exterior once de-cloaked resembles a smaller blue and pink version of the original Fortress, the interior resembles something of a combination between colorful futuristic high tech base, a modern comfortable living room plus kitchen, a expansive and old timey gym area complete with numerous workout pads, exercise equipment and an entire wrestling ring for martial arts training, and almost the lot of it having wall to wall beige carpeting with only the gym and the hanger for their vehicles being the exceptions. So yes, even for a superhero base, they have a No Outdoor Shoes rule, though at the entrance way they do have some indoor slippers and sandals for themselves and guests.

[sentientstump]

yall really want me to spill the beans about the song, eh? 😭🙈

[orchid ⇢ what’s a song you consider to be perfect? ] x5

So many asked, so I'm going to go full details here:

I haven't listened to that many songs in life, mind you, so my answer would be Playing By The Rules by Red Vox (quinn you already listened to it on loop, sorry, no new info for you) I find it very great to my ears on all sound levels, every time I listen to it I try to focus on different instruments because i don't want to get bored of it xD I really enjoy the MV for it too! The theme, the style fits so nicely that sometimes it's difficult to separate it from the song itself (also, i saw that Mason Lindroth inspiration from miles away, so +quadspillion points to this MV!) The ONLY downside (upside in disguise) is that its so short... but! I have this feeling of silent appreciation when it comes up on shuffle play, yknow. Gotta enjoy things while they last! And I guess this song is a good exercise for me. Also if you asked me this question like 8 months ago I would've answered with Reno by Red Vox too .... I think I have a thing for gambling themes in songs- xD oh well

[sage ⇢ what ‘medium’ of art (poetry, music, fiction, paintings, statues etc.) is the most touching to you? why do you think that is? ]

Oooh man, I haven't thought about this before! I don't think I have strong preference towards one 'medium' of art? I just really enjoy when someone uses the medium in a very 'their' way, because what is more touching than their love to the craft? I mean, of course there's people who hate their craft but good at it, and maybe that's a little touching to me too in a more.... tiny humans on a pale blue dot in a vast space of cosmos sorta way? If you catch my drift

[edelweiss ⇢ how’d you think of your url/username? what’s it associated with to you? ]

ahaha, I keep wondering why people don't ask me about it more frequently "xD (one person got me though) It's from PesterChum's rules of creating nicknames (Homestuck's chat app). I had to come up with a name based on my attributes at the time, so I wrote something like "artisticArtist" but then in one chat group I somehow got the lore that I am a stump??? So that one originated from there. And then I tried to follow the rules of nicknames by writing "cleverStump" instead, because it's CS which is 1/2 closer to the GCAT rule. But then I said "screw it" and thought that sentientStump is more accurate to ✨the lore✨ , because I am sentient, but not smart (I also have a screenshot of it (thank you 13 y.o. me) but I cannot find it currently, maybe someday)

[chamomile ⇢ what kind of things do you like receiving as gifts? ]

I really like to receive trinkets of any kind! They're usually small, usually cheap (I mean if they are expensive then im double happy and double sad of your wallet :c ), usually infinite happy chemicals in my brain! Magnets, pins, keychains, art supplies, gift paper bags, boxes, crafting materials and so on! I really enjoy things that are small (no joke here lol xD)

[aloe vera ⇢ what’s something (mundane) you really want to experience in life? ]

Everything mundane. like legit, whatever there is in life I want to experience it. Well, there is some no-no's such as physical pain? xD i don't want to experience a broken bone but i like the thought of experiencing wearing a cast. Or something...? 😅 I gotta experience all of the world has to offer but i do understand that i never will. Y'know, small things like walking at 16:45 on a ground road to the place where people apparently are fishing! (before walking there i didnt know!) Or eating a melted popsicle in a plastic wrap on a balcony watching a thunderstorm dissipate, or standing on a bus stop at 20:05 for one hour to understand that the buses on the bus app lied to you and no one will appear and you run to the 24hr store to buy yourself instant noodles for your dinner because you won't be able to join your family and their dinner in the countryside? Stuff like this y'know! Makes me enjoy life fr👍🏼 genuinely

[cactus ⇢ something you’re currently learning (about)? ]

Driving! But only theory rn "xD

[bamboo ⇢ do you change into a different outfit when you get home? ]

Of course! Who doesn't? o_o jk jk, it's totally cool! I tried it once because why not (look at [aloe vera] above) and tbh... not my thing! Especially when the outfit has 400 layers because of the 9 month winter, brrr. The apartment gets a lot of heating, so gotta unpeal the layers! At summer it's reverse i guess? I'm usually hanging out at my countryside house (technically two houses but same plot) and i change to the most "outside work" outfit possible after taking a short trip to the grocery store with my "i am from the city, downtown" outfit XD So basically i change into a more comfortable outfit and more worn down👍🏼✨

[chia ⇢ what’s an inside joke you have with someone else? ]

i have this very specific inside joke with my longest irl I've ever had (since 3y.o. 💪🏼💪🏼) We keep asking each other and their doggy Deya questions like: "[you're] Sitting?", "Sleeping?", "Eating?", "Walking?", "Staring?", "Barking?", "Taking a toilet?" etc. in a "what are you doing currently?" tone. It's so dumb!!!! I love it! xD

[lewdladylily]

Hiya, how have the holidays been for you? We had pork ribs/belly, angeldicks (sausages :P), mashed potatoes +more on xmas eve and it was delicious! Newyears eve was turkey day, I'm so stuffed and for once it's food and not by toys or dicks xD Glad we have the cabin to go to so Em and the kitten don't have to be freaked out by the fireworks. -Anna

The holidays have been pretty good. Some nice family events, it was a lot of fun watching my daughter open presents. Exhausting though, my daughter hasn't been the easiest lately. And fewer opportunities to do lewd things while she is on winter break is disappointing of course. But things are generally going well.

There is one fun thing I've been able to do somewhat consistently over the holidays. I don't know how much I've talked about it on here, but Raven has been training me in endurance walking while wearing high heels, with the basic goal of working me up to pony boots. The idea is it helps me get in my regular exercise and lets us indulge in one of our favorite kinks, pony play. I started back in October I think, using some ankle boots with a block heel that was fairly high. I've been walking in place, its the most practical thing right now, but I would love to get a treadmill for this someday. Maybe I will if I keep this up long enough, prove it wont be a waste of money. For the time being I am using a metronome to keep me on pace and a timer.

Anyway, I was becoming pretty expert in walking in heels like that, so mistress decided it was time for a step up in difficulty and bought me some thigh high boots with a 6" spike heel for Christmas.

I love my new boots so much. The feel so good to wear, nice and tight with some resistance when I bend my knee without hindering movement, and they are a lot of fun to walk in. I was pleased to find that my experience with easier heels transferred quite well to these boots and I could easily walk around short distances from the start, but they are significantly harder in terms of endurance. It's the balance. Not that I feel like I am going to fall over, but keeping your balance is a full body effort. You have to keep disciplined, not letting yourself tilt or let your posture get too bad, and you have to step straight and distribute your weight correctly because the heel barely helps with any of that.

The result is that before with my ankle boots it was fun, but this really feels like pony play training. I've always loved pony play kink, and one of my favorite fantasies involving it is being made to walk until I am too exhausted to continue, then fucked to orgasm (or excessive edging, depending on how masochistic I am feeling) while dead exhausted, dripping in sweat, and unable to resist even if I wanted to. Pony training with these boots plus edging during my breaks and after my training is finished has been an excellent approximation of that fantasy.

Hopefully at some point I can upgrade to true pony boots, but even then I am sure I'll be enjoying these boots regularly.

I'm actually just about to go do a training session now, boots on and everything, just decided I should answer this before I did.

Oh, and I am sure some people are wondering so I might as well say it here, I'm still in denial from last time I reported it I believe, with my last real orgasm back on September 15, and my last ruin on October 11th. I don't anticipate my next orgasm being all that soon either, we've just not had enough time to do things so I've not been worked up into the kind of horny mess Mistress likes me to be. Hopefully we can change that soon :)

Thank you for the ask!

[zarvasace]

It All Began (4/5)

The last chapter might take a bit to come out thanks to me being busy and then committing to febuwhump XD AO3 link to this chapter here!

---

If Zelda had to name the one thing she disliked the most about being kidnapped, besides the whole, you know, being kidnapped part, she'd probably say that it was the boredom. Vaati didn't exactly provide her with reading material. 

Close contenders included the small space, the hard bed, the bland food, and the black device on the other side of the bars that looked like it could hold a single person, like a coffin. She'd been wary of that for a long time, thinking they'd use it to shut her up, but now she just glared at it whenever it pulsed and interrupted her sleep. 

Shadow gave it weird looks whenever he came in, too. 

He'd first visited a few days after capturing her. He'd gloated, she'd demanded. They carried on like that for a week or two, until Zelda decided that she was very tired of it and switched up the script a little. 

The day started as usual, with boring but filling rice, and then her self-mandated schedule of light exercise and magic practice. As the princess of Historic Hyrule—an inherited title that just meant she was the strongest living descendant of the Hero of the Sky—she had quite the natural capacity for magic. Everyone expected her to be a prodigy, so she'd been practicing since the day she'd turned nine. 

She still wasn't very good. But that didn't stop her from using what useful tricks she had. 

Shadow's entrance startled Zelda out of her trance, which had been going very well. She'd almost been able to hear the conversation of the guards in the break room above her. 

"Princess," Shadow smiled, smug as a cat as he leaned up against the doorway. 

Zelda grunted and rubbed at her head to dispel the sparks. "Dust bunny." 

"Nice to see you, too. You know where I just came from?" 

"The garbage disposal?" 

His smile turned a little brittle. He never liked it when she insulted him, for all that he played up the charming trickster persona. "The R&D ship. You know that Link has relatively recent Yonaill ancestry?" 

Zelda had to wrack her brain for the term. "I didn't. What do you have him doing for you now?" 

"He's never done anything for me, personally," Shadow said. "For Sorcerer Enterprises, though… well, he's our new test subject." 

"You kidnapped him, too?" 

Shadow laughed and started to pace. "It wasn't hard. He's sitting over there right now, waiting for the drugs to wake him up. After that, well, either he'll be dead, or he'll be different." 

It was about this time in the conversation that Zelda would probably start telling Shadow that Link was heroic and smart, and that she had better be on the next shuttle home. 

Instead, she looked Shadow dead in the eyes and said, "He won't die, and no matter what you do to him, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he'll make your life hell." 

Shadow blinked. He stared for a long moment. "Did you just…" 

"In fact," Zelda continued, "this whole operation is a bit shady."

After several more seconds, Shadow dissolved into laughter. For once, he left her cell visibly happier than when he'd entered. 

He hadn't been lying about Link changing, though. Link's mind remained the only one Zelda could consistently sense, if not communicate with or hear, but after that day, it felt… fragmented. Different. It was like messaging a best friend only to find out that their whole family was on a group chat. 

Shadow explained what had happened, and the names each of the Links had given themselves. Zelda found it just as funny as Shadow did, perhaps even more, since she was familiar with Link's habit of finding awful names. She mourned Link, but each of the new four seemed good, healthy and relatively happy as they were. She could reach their minds easier than ever, as if their split had left them open to her. 

She managed to actually contact Green once, but only because he was on the verge of passing out. She didn't want to rely on that. 

Though Zelda and Shadow weren't friends, they began to get along. He even brought her a deck of round Gerudo playing cards, extra-shimmery, and she taught him how to play six-seal slap. They didn't get much of an opportunity to play, though, since he started visiting less often. 

"Vio's on my side, now," Shadow told her one day, settling down to lean against the bars and pick up the hand she'd dealt him. "We're best friends. You were wrong."

"Maybe," Zelda allowed. She dealt three cards face-up to start the round. "But I doubt it."

Shadow put down his first card. "Green is dead."

On principle, Zelda never believed anything Shadow said right off. Instead of panicking, she laid down her own first card and looked at him. "Is he?" 

"Vio killed him," Shadow said with relish. He started laying down cards, and Zelda was caught off-guard. She began to lose. 

Zelda frowned down at her cards and tried to play catch-up, though she didn't know if she could hope to win this round. 

Shadow kept talking. "Vio is mine. Green is dead. Red and Blue are idiots with too much enthusiasm and too little brain. They'll be easy to keep in line now."

"Don't count them out so quickly," Zelda warned him, eyes on the cards. "Even at his weakest, Link was…" Stronger than you. "...formidable."

"Hmph. No, no. You're right. I need to make sure. Vio's always saying that I should try to be more responsible and follow through with stuff." He slapped a pile and pulled it over to his side.

Zelda frowned and concentrated harder. "Those are good habits to get into."

They finished their game, and Shadow won, but by a slimmer margin than Zelda had expected. They argued about noodles versus rice (noodles were superior), magic versus force energy (Zelda liked technology, Shadow didn't want to trust it as much), and education versus schooling (Zelda considered herself to have both, while Shadow was mildly fascinated by the idea of schooling. He didn't have much to contribute on the matter.)

When he left, Zelda sighed and sat back. Green was dead, was he? Despite how tired she felt, she closed her eyes and ran through her meditations. 

There was Vio, feeling happy but anxious. Blue, mostly just anxious with a nice sprinkling of excitement. Red, pretty happy. And Green, driven to move forward as always. 

He wasn't dead. Yet Shadow thought that Vio had killed him… Zelda didn't know the specifics, but she could guess well enough. She worried for Shadow. She also worried for Vio, and the rest, but their danger would be more physical. Shadow's was emotional.  

Zelda didn't see him for a few days. 

She played solitaire several dozen more times and made up another few janky games to play alone. She wore herself out trying to figure out how to do a handstand. She kept trying to reach out to one of the boys, or the dreams of one of the Maidens. She discovered that she could sense Shadow's presence, which just made it all the more disconcerting when she felt that presence suddenly dim, like a light going out.

Worried but still carefully not panicking, Zelda went still and checked up on the others. Green: sad, worried, and relieved. Blue: confused, impatient, and determined. Red: very upset, keeping it together, and also very relieved. Vio: more upset than Red, but hiding it better. Shadow didn't have any emotions. Shadow… was dead?

Hold on. That wasn't fair. Not to anyone. 

Zelda sighed. She clawed her way out of the meditation and pulled her knees up to her chest. It seemed like Shadow would have few mourners. She decided to be one of them. 

The digital clock on the door's control panel ticked forward. Zelda sat in silence for about fifteen minutes. 

And then the coffin beeped. The three gauges on the sides lit up with bright colors, each fluctuating for several seconds before settling. The level in the blue gauge fell slowly, at the same rate the level in the green one climbed. The yellow stayed still, and a few red lights blinked on and off. 

Zelda uncurled her legs and stood. She couldn't help being curious. That thing had haunted her this whole time. 

She heard a violent hiss, and the horizontal seam split, opening just like the coffin she'd imagined it to be. Steam billowed out, oddly jagged and sharp in the corners. It took thirty long seconds to clear. 

Inside… Zelda's mouth fell open. 

Shadow flinched at nothing, then opened his eyes, wincing at the light shining into them. He raised a hand against it. Cyan sparks skittered over his exposed skin. 

"Shadow?" Zelda said in disbelief. She didn't fall into a trance, but she did reach out with her senses, and yes. It was Shadow. She'd just spent fifteen minutes mourning him! She felt a little cheated. 

"Mm." Shadow grunted, still clearly out of it. He sat up slowly and with shivers. He looked a little thinner than Zelda had last seen him, and he'd gotten a messy haircut. He was also a lot less clothed. She glanced away. 

"How are you alive? I felt you die! What happened? Where are the others?" 

Shadow glared up at her. "Shut up, Princess, and let me think!" 

She shut her mouth. 

Shadow struggled a little to move. He seemed stiff as he reached into the lid of the coffin and picked out a glowing crystal. Zelda recognized the shape—another of those necklaces. He'd never given her a straight answer about what that did. He held onto the crystal tightly, then finally turned to her. 

"They killed me. What do you think happened?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean"—Shadow put his feet on the floor and rifled around inside drawers under the coffin for some clothing—"your precious Link hates me, and set off an explosion right under me."

"Okay, then how are you alive? You died, then you woke up in here? How—" 

Oh. 

She was an idiot. This might be Shadow, but it wasn't his original body, was it. "I thought clone editing technology was highly regimented and rarely successful."

Shadow tugged on a plain shirt and pants. "You underestimate the power and reach of Sorcerer Enterprises. Or, more accurately, Ganon." He spat the word. 

Zelda grabbed one of the bars in front of her loosely. "Shadow. Are you okay?" 

"Hell no. Would you be?" 

She hesitated, then shook her head. She really only had one thing to offer him. "Do you… Would you like to… play a game of six-seal slap?" 

Shadow paused and looked up at her, red eyes shining with an unidentifiable emotion. He was surprised, as wanted so badly to agree, she could tell. He'd been wrung out until all he had was his veneer of spite. 

He answered far too late. "I can't." He stood up straight and flexed his arms out in front of him. "Those idiots are going to be taking on Vaati next, probably, and I… I…" Now he scowled, confused. 

"You what?" Zelda prompted. 

Shadow bared his fangs at her. "I'll help Vaati take them down for good."

"Is that what you really want?" She asked the question softly, trying not to aggravate him, but she needed him to really think. 

"Yes! It is." Shadow turned around and scrubbed his hands through his hair. "I want those idiots to die, and - and suffer while they do. I don't belong with them, okay?" 

Zelda took a breath. "If I try hard enough, I can sense the boys' feelings. Magic stuff. You know I use it."

"So what?" 

"So, Vio was really happy up until tonight. And now, he's not just sad, he's devastated. Shadow… he cares about you."

Shadow whipped around. A few drops of blood fell from his fists where his claws dug into his palms. "He was trying to kill me! And then he did! Don't try to tell me that!"

She hadn't lied. She lifted her chin and stared him down. It may have been her inside the cell, but it was Shadow who looked trapped. She let him read her face and see the truth. 

More cyan light pulsed under his skin. He blinked. "...Vaati is stupid. Maybe I can let them take him down."

"Do you think they can?" 

Shadow pressed his lips together and looked at his hands. "No. Maybe. If…" He stared for a long time.

"I'm falling apart. Did you know that? Clone editing tech really isn't that refined yet, and the only reason I'm actually alive is because of all the force. This body's been incubating for a while, but… it doesn't work as well. They might decide I'm useless and just deny me force again."

Zelda frowned. She wouldn't say that it would be better if Shadow had never existed, but where was Sorcerer Enterprise's Din-damned board of ethics? Just one more thing to add to the list of reasons she had to make sure they were shut down for good. 

"You know what?" Shadow looked up at her. He grabbed his necklace and stood a little taller. "Let's burn it all down. Vaati won't let me live, but if he's dead, maybe…" He shook his head, then reached out for the door of her cell. 

"Wait, you're letting me out?" Zelda blinked, watching the door open. That was one thing she could honestly say she hadn't expected. 

"Sure." Shadow grinned at her, though it looked a little fragile. He held the door open for her. "Let's go get your Maidens on a ship back to the Plains, too, just to rub salt in the wound when we inevitably fail." 

She smiled back at him. "Cool. Let's cause some chaos, then, shall we?"

[forlornmelody]

Writing Game

Tagged by @alyssalenko Thanks, fran!

Tagging: @ma-sulevin and @pigeontheoneandonly, if you want to play!

How many works do you have on AO3? 44. Though a couple of them are collections of Tumblr ficlets, so the number is higher if you count those seperately.

What’s your total AO3 word count? 183,424. I like to be brief, heh.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

About That Uniform

It's no secret that Artemis Shepard--Hero of the Alliance and Savior of the Citadel--hates Cerberus more than anything in the galaxy. The Illusive Man entrusts Miranda Lawson with the task of securing Shepard's loyalty by any means necessary. But who is seducing who?

2. The Fantabulous Vaction of One Harley Quinn and Her Girlfriend Poison Ivy

Harley's been burning the wick at both ends and Ivy knows just the thing to help. But it takes more than just a change of scenery to get Harley to let go.

3. Traitor Martyr Spy

Against all odds, Cerberus Spy Miranda Lawson and Alliance Marine Artemis Shepard have fallen in love. But Miranda is on the run and Artemis has turned herself in to Alliance custody--and the Reapers will arrive any second. Can these two defy all odds a second time?

4. Trust Exercise

Harley wants to try something new, but Ivy isn't sure her girlfriend is ready to see that part of her.

5. Three Robins Rose Has Kissed and the One Who Kissed Back.

Rose Wilson has a type and it is former protégés of Batman.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not? Of course! I know it takes a lot to leave a comment on someone else's work, so I always respond, even if it takes me a while to get to it. Plus, comments always make my day week month year life

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? 

Uuuuuh. There's a lot of contenders for that one. But I imagine it's gonna end up being Traitor, Martyr, Spy. Y'know, when I actually finish the thing. Honestly that's probably why I haven't finished it yet. The pandemic hit and suddenly I needed to cheer myself up, haha.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? Probably The Fantabulous Vacation of One Harley Quinn and Her Girlfriend Poison Ivy, A Valentine for Esteban, and in general, @scifi-ginger and I's Kord Center Mall Fics are on the fluffier side.

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the strangest one you’ve written? See aforementioned mall-verse fic. We basically threw our favorite fandoms together in a mall-based AU and it just spiraled from there.

Have you ever received hate on a fic? Kinda? I got a really weird, borderline biphobic comment on Not Your Hanar With Tits, which is basicaly an analogue for unicorn hunters.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I mostly write smut, haha. Non-smut is the exception to the rule. Um...mostly queer, often kinky, with lots of feelings included.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Not that I'm aware of.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I’m aware of.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Fics, no, series, yes.

What’s your all-time favorite ship? Oh come on, you know it's panphobic to make me choose! XD I'm currently a sucker for Jayrose, Poisonquinn (more commonly known as Harlivy), and Shenko, among others.

What are your writing strengths? Mmm...I would say angst, writing trauma in a grounded way, queer and queer coded romances. And possibly smut.

What are your writing weaknesses? Finishing a fucking fic, oh my God.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? I try to stick with idiomatic phrases, and the limited words I know (usually Spanish.) But other than that I try really hard to avoid relying on Google Translate, as I don't trust it one bit.

What was the first fandom you wrote for? Digimon. Yup. Those fics are still on FF.net, if that site still exists.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Spare Parts for Mass Effect, Three Robins for DC Comics, and of course, I have a soft spot for all my Tumblr ficlets.

[cassiana-on-dark-side]

Hello! 🤐🎸🎅🏻 here

I’m happy too 😊 I did think about switching to Italian and I’m ok with either, it would be exciting to switch and see how we write in our own language, but like you said English is also fun and if people feel like scrolling through the srs24 tag they can still read our messages. I’m from Florence, although all four of my grandparents were originally from the South 😂. You? :)

Don’t worry about it, now I’m the one who should apologise 😅. I’m incredibly happy and excited for you! It’s always such a disarmingly deep joy to welcome a new life into the family 🥰. And your brother is right in appointing you, he knows his son’s cultural education will be in the best of hands 😉. Big congratulations! 🥳

Love love love Wish You Were Here! I must confess a little “musical sin”: I don’t think I’ve ever listened to any Queen album in its entirety 😣 Whenever I hear one of their hits I enjoy it and I’m glad it happened to be on the radio or someone played it, but I never went to look up an album 🫣🫣 It’s probably because I get that too, I just fixate on something really hard for a while and sometimes I go back to the same obsessions, so it’s hard to find a moment to go explore new potential ones 😅. There’s so much music I want to discover and it becomes almost a bit daunting to choose what to start with from an infinite list of unknowns.

That’s cool! What are your fandoms? I also love movies, what kind of movies do you like? As for my hobbies, I’ve been getting into videogames more and more lately. I wasn’t allowed to play them growing up so I guess I’m trying to catch up on cool stuff I’ve been missing out on as well as avoid missing out on new ones too! 🤣 I used to write too throughout school, but I kind of lost the spark a bit (although every now and then I still feel the need to at least journal, there are things that I just can’t process without writing about them). I also constantly try to get into exercise but I always fail, to the point where I think my hobby is *trying* to exercise 🤭 I won’t give up until I find something that works for me! 💪🏼🤣 my favourite so far though is bike riding, it reminds me of when I was a kid. Albums-wise, it’s really difficult for me to decide on just a couple of favourites, there are too many good albums out there! Whenever I’m asked though, my go-to is Selling England By The Pound by Genesis and also Hail To The Thief by Radiohead (basically my top albums by my top bands).

You too! Have an amazing day and enjoy the first days of being an aunt! 🥰

Hi dear!

No problem with the language, I actually think it’s fun to keep going like this. 😊 How wonderful Florence is! I’ve been there a few times, always with different people and on different occasions, and every time it’s a new and beautiful discovery! 🌟 By the way, there’s a church (and a station 😐) that have my name! Incredible, right? But none of my relatives come from anywhere near there. I’m from Rome (we’re practically neighbors 😅) and I could write for hours, but I’ll spare you! XD

My little nephew is such a sweetheart, really a mini Santa’s elf! I can’t wait to introduce him to lots of music and all the beautiful things in the world! 🎶✨ As for Queen, no worries, you can hear them everywhere now, although there are some hidden gems that are delightful. But I totally get it because when I get obsessed with something, it’s hard for me to move on from it, just like with Pink Floyd. 😅 But there’s so much amazing music I’d like to explore more! Like Genesis, Yes, and many others. 🎧

As for exercise, I get it. I kind of hate it, but I have to do it to stay in shape, and it’s tough. 😅 What I love the most is hydrobike (incredible, but true!) but it’s a bit of a hassle to find something nearby. 🏋️‍♀️

The fandoms I’ve been (and still am) most active in are Star Trek (especially Voyager), where I wrote my first fanfics, Tolkien, and now this one about classic rock. I like all kinds of movies as long as they’re not too silly or horror. What about you? Any other musical or artistic obsessions? 😎

[angieowlie]

Happy 2024!~!! ☺️

Hope your new year has gone off to a kind, gentle start <3

This year my main goal is to pace myself. In all aspects of life, including writing, working, exercising, and resting. I've been thinking a lot about what I want my day-to-day life to look like, and I've drafted a rough schedule of what I would like to follow.

I feel as though the stress of the holidays has fallen away and, with it, the emergence of the bright new start of January have slowly eased away my winter blues. I feel safe and rested and ready to write regularly again, to come back to where I left off and return to the story like returning to a warm group of friends. I've been allowing myself space to write little drabbles of whatever comes to mind, not thinking too much of grammar and wording, only of creating a small piece of happiness before I start the day.

Despite the (freezing) weather that is Canada, I've been bundling myself up and driving to my favourite park and making sure I get out of the house for a breath of fresh air, even just 15 mins. Slowly, it's begun to do wonders for my mental health and I feel myself, well, feeling like myself again.

Working from home is amazing, but sometimes you feel trapped by the walls of your room and the walls of your mind. That's why I've been coaxing myself to go outside, even just for a bit, because it does help. I often worry about wasting gas or catching a cold or what-have-you, but all of that pale in comparison to looking after my mental health.

I realized last year that, because I've gotten to know my bbs more now, I actually feel like redoing parts of vol 3's plot XD So that's what I'll do after finishing up my current task of editing vol 2 draft 2. I also want to start brainstorming vol 4, mostly because I've been editing and rewriting since September of 2022, and, creatively, I am yearning to write something new X'D It's fulfilling to go back and polish up a draft, of course, but I do miss the magical feeling of coming up with something new. The excitement and wondrous joy of discovering where a new plotline will lead to, you know?

Towards the end of 2023, I began reading The Creative Act by Rick Rubin and, oh my goodness, it's now my creative bible (after Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way Every Day). It's filled with such gentle words of wisdom and, like, permission to just create and have fun.

I also reread the first 2 volumes of The Dangerous Convenience Store, and my most joyous discovery is that the fandom has nicknamed Gunwoo as "Ah-juicy" 🤣 I have the Mandarin version from Taiwan, so I had no idea what the English fandom was up to. That being said, still no word of the other volumes being translated in Taiwan 😭 pLEASE put me out of my misery, I need to know what happens next!!

I also started watching (of all things) All Creatures Great and Small, and it is just the wholesomest show ever! (The 2020 version.) Peaceful village life and cuddly animals~ Sigh~ Yes please~

Anyway, I hope this year you read and write and create things that make you happy! And look after your mental and physical health. And drink lots of water! And look at stars. And laugh big deep belly laughs. And accomplish one goal on your list (you can do it! 💕)

Until next time, here's to more magic 🧚🏻‍♂️✨✨