#and they are also very few specific in what they want

[magesofmucloch]

So iirc, different places had different rates of homeschooling, and it was by no means necessary to send your kid to a school. At this point I can't remember how much of that was our addition to the lore and how much was already the case, but it accounts for some of the disparity in catchment area sizes - certainly not all though.

So we started adding more schools.

We also set about giving names to the unnamed schools, and renaming "wizard castle", "wizard castle" and "magic place" (Castelobruxo, Koldovstoretz, and Mahokotoro) as well as the generally dodgily-named Uagadou.

Now here's the thing. This was worked on by two team members who are very interested in languages. And these schools were founded centuries ago. So why would their names be in the modern forms of the language?

Several hours down a rabbit hole of tiny dead languages from the rough area we'd set schools in ensued, using what words are still known (in most cases very few) to construct a reasonable name. Did we continue on the theme of "wizard castle"? Well, yes, a bit, but we put thought into it which is probably more than she did. We've slowed down work on it since - it's not terribly relevant to the actual story, so it's more of a side project to work on - but at present only three original school names remain (Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Ilvermorny).

Yes, you read that right, though it was probably pretty clear in the name of the blog itself. Hogwarts (which is a rather silly name, let's be real) was replaced by a Scottish Gaelic name, which I subsequently checked worked in the medieval version of the language once I started learning it (it does). Given there's a rather prominent lake in the grounds, loch seemed an appropriate element to include, and to that we added the pig (hog) only in the correct language this time. Mucc + loch = Mucloch.

Here is the current map (remember, this area of the world is still a wip, and changes are happening literally as I type this since seeing this post sparked discussion):

The school names may not be particularly readable but hopefully the areas (circled) are visible.

Population issues like Halesimjyi ("school #10") are still not fully ironed out, but we're thinking in that case specifically that they have multiple connected schools/campuses of the same school - there's a suggestion of a dividing line for if there are two of these, as an example, but again this is not a fully fleshed out idea and it may end up further divided.

Above all, we want it to make sense. Your suspension of belief needs a logical framework to be suspended from, after all.

[monzabee]

i desperately need nanny!reader and jealous!hotch. maybe reader have a date (that didn’t end well) and afterwards something happens between her and hotch… i just need something steamy to happen tbh

also how old is nanny!reader according to you?

date night (gone wrong) - a. hotchner

criminal minds masterlist || part of the nanny series

Summary: hotch recruits help to make sure the nanny’s date is not a serial, it’s definitely not because he has feelings for her.

Pairing: aaron hotchner x nanny!reader

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: jealous and posessive aaron (finally), feelings galore, kissing, mentions of a bad date 

Author's Note: thank you so much for your request and i hope you like it!!

Please also note that all of my works are protected under copyright, and not available for reposting on other platforms. 

Aaron convinces himself that it is for the best. And perhaps, it is. He doesn't need to feel this way—jealous, possessive—but somehow, when he sees you slipping into that dress, he is a goner.  

Black, skintight, and short, it is enough to drive crazy on its own if he were to imagine you in it. But actually see you walk out of his house wearing it? 

It’s a big problem. 

A very specific kind of problem that tightens in his chest and coils low in his gut. 

Jack had run up to hug you goodbye, completely unaware that his father was standing there, stunned silent, jaw locked, and fists clenched just out of your view. You’d looked over your shoulder to say something, he can’t even remember what, but the flash of a smile, the tilt of your head, and the bare expanse of your legs had him swallowing hard. 

“I’ll be back before midnight,” you’d said sweetly, adjusting the strap on your purse. “Try to be good for your dad, okay?” 

He’d barely managed a goodbye. Because how was he supposed to let you go when you were walking out the door looking like that? 

And with him? 

Your date had pulled into the driveway with his engine too loud and his sunglasses still on, even though the sun had set a long time ago. Aaron watched from the window, watched you wave and laugh as you slid into the car, his car, and drove off into the evening. And how could he be sure that he was a good driver? How could he be assured that he wasn’t going to get you in an accident which could end up in you getting hurt? 

So, he told himself it was because he wanted to make sure the man wasn’t a criminal. That it was just protocol. But that excuse thinned out the second he called Garcia to dig up a background check. Just in case. 

And now? Sitting alone in the dark with a glass of scotch he doesn't even want, Aaron realizes the truth: he's never wanted to punch a man more in his life. He’s never also wanted to punch himself more in his life for suggesting that you should try dating other people, but that’s a whole other story.  

He’s still on the couch when the sound of your key in the lock breaks the silence. 

It’s 11:56. 

You step in quietly, slipping off your heels by the door. He hears the faint clink of your purse hitting the entryway table, then the soft shuffle of your feet against the hardwood. 

Aaron doesn’t move. Not until you sigh. 

A quiet, tired, defeated little sound that lodges itself right into his chest. 

You’re in the same dress—minus your heels, and your makeup is smudged in a way that has nothing to do with laughter, passion or good conversation. Your expression is sour, your lips pressed into a line. 

“Hey,” you murmur, as you step into the living room and realize he’s still up. You take a few steps and drop yourself onto the armchair across from the one he’s sitting in. 

His eyes flick up to meet yours. You look… not upset exactly. But not like someone who had a good time either. “Hey,” he echoes, setting his glass down. “You’re early.” 

“Date from hell.” You respond, not choosing to elaborate, since you know he’ll understand just how bad it was from your lack of explanation.  

He doesn’t respond. Not right away. Because part of him is already, shamefully, thrilled.  But the lack of words on your part doesn’t stop him from asking, “What happened?” 

“He was rude to the waitress. Talked about his ex-girlfriend half the night. Called me a babysitter like it was a bad thing. Then he tried to kiss me in the parking lot and got pissy when I didn’t let him.” The shudder that goes through you is enough to send Aaron snapping. 

His jaw clenches so tightly it hurts, and his fingers curl into fists against his thighs. He’s up before he even knows it, crossing the room with a kind of restrained intensity that sets your heart hammering. 

“Did he touch you?” he asks, voice low and dark. Deadly calm. The kind that would make you scared for your life if you didn’t know he’s not capable of hurting you in any way.  

“What? No!” You shake your head, your face scrunched up in disgust. “No. I got in my Uber and left before he could try again.” 

He breathes, but it doesn’t ease the storm behind his eyes. You’ve seen him like this before—when someone threatens Jack. Or when a case hits too close to home. But never over you. 

Never like this. 

“You shouldn’t have to deal with people like that,” he says, and there’s steel in his voice now. “You shouldn’t have to pretend to be interested. You shouldn’t have to settle.” 

You cross your arms—not out of defiance, but to hold yourself together, and it nearly drives Aaron insane because you push up your breasts without even intending to. “I wasn’t settling!” 

His eyes meet yours, sharp and knowing, and he tilts his head to the side in a knowing way. “Weren’t you?” 

You flinch at the honesty of it, at the way it lands squarely in your chest. You’d tried. Tried to date someone nice, someone safe. Someone who wasn’t Aaron. But it had felt wrong the entire night. “You told me to go,” you whisper. “You said I should date other people. That I—” 

“I know what I said,” he cuts in, voice rough. “And I lied. I lied because I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought…” He exhales, running a hand through his hair. “I thought if I wanted what was best for you, it couldn’t be me.” You don’t answer him right away, not knowing how to choose the right words, and he takes it as a sign to continue. “I live a complicated life. I have a son. A demanding job. I don’t always get to come home on time. Sometimes I come home broken. And I thought someone else could give you something easier. Something… simpler.” 

He’s looking at you now like it’s the first time he’s let himself really look. The way you hold yourself. The faint smudge of mascara beneath your eyes. The way your shoulders sag like you’re tired of pretending.  

You feel exposed under his scrutinizing gaze. He is so tall, even when he is sitting down with a drink in his hand. “If I didn’t know any better,” you start, leaning towards him, “I’d say you were jealous.”  

“Do you?” He asks, an inquisitive eyebrow raised, “Know better?” 

Your lips part in a silent shock. “What are you saying right now?” 

“I’m saying I hated watching you walk out that door tonight.” His hand brushes your arm, trails up to your shoulder. “I hated knowing someone else was going to touch you, even just your hand, even for a second.” 

Your breath catches. “You told me to go,” you remind him. 

“I know,” he murmurs. “And it was the biggest mistake I’ve made in a long time.” 

There’s a beat of silence where neither of you move. Then you whisper, “So fix it.” You glance over at him then, the corner of your mouth twitching, something unreadable in your eyes. “You jealous, Aaron?” 

The question hangs there, naked and daring. Kind of like you are, minus the naked part—though you wouldn’t object if he asked you to. 

His eyes meet yours. He doesn’t look away this time. 

“Yes.” It’s quiet. The kind of quiet that prickles under your skin. 

You blink. “Seriously?” 

He nods once, slow. “Painfully.” 

A beat. 

Then you stand up and walk over to him. 

Climb into his lap like it’s the most natural thing in the world. And he lets you. You’re straddling him now, your dress riding up, your palms pressed to his chest. Your legs bracketing his. You’re so close now, so unbearably close, and he realizes just how well you fit together, as if you were always meant to be. 

“I wanted to call you all night,” he admits, voice low and rough. “Wanted to tell you not to go. That I couldn’t stand the idea of someone else making you laugh, touching you, kissing you.” 

Your pulse spikes. Your knees feel unsteady even though you are sitting down on his lap. “And now?” you whisper, barely audible. 

His eyes drop to your lips. Then back up. “Now I’m going to kiss you,” he says, “unless you tell me not to.” 

You don’t. 

You couldn’t even if you tried. 

So, when his mouth finds yours, it’s with months, or maybe a year, of pent-up longing behind it. It’s not gentle. It’s not cautious. 

It’s desperate. And it’s perfect. 

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Unexpected Surprise

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2k

Warnings: fluff

Summary: You up and leave your old life behind for a new job in a state you’ve never been to before. While on the plane, you meet a very interesting genius who has nothing but facts about almost everything. What you think is a cute date turns into something more when you see him at your new job.

Square Filled: "It's a success." for @mfbingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are greatly appreciated <3

x

Never did you think you would pack up your entire life just to move across the country for a job. Yet here you are. On a plane going to a state you’ve never been to before to start a job you never thought you’d get. You applied to be the technical analyst for the FBI after being the tech girlie for the LAPD. The job was so far out of reach so when you got the job, you almost shit your pants.

They wanted you to start right away so you had to pack up whatever you could and move out there immediately. For the next few weeks, you’ll be flying back to California to get the rest of your things. There is a cute little apartment you were lucky enough to find, so you were able to get some of your things shipped over there.

During the flight, you try to calm yourself with some relaxing music but your thoughts are too loud to silence. Instead, you take out your laptop and work on some code you’ve been dabbling in for the past few months. You can create a lot of code with your skills, but you decided to focus on hacking and digging in places you shouldn’t be.

Perfect for the FBI.

Two hours pass by while you’re creating a theme for a website when you notice it. Out of the corner of your eye, you see that your shoelace is untied. Your tray is down, your laptop and a snack rest upon it, and your bag is by your feet. It’s a fucking shoelace, Y/N. Ignore it. You try so hard for five minutes before you feel the urge to fix it. Maybe that’s why you’re so good at what you do. You pick at the details until what you’re left with is a pretty picture that’s easy to read.

Fixing your shoe is a need, not a want.

You keep shifting, hoping to get your foot closer to you so that you can tie your shoe, but to no avail.

“Do you need help?” You lift your eyes to look into honey-brown ones. The man on the aisle seat next to you has a kind smile on his face. “I can tie your shoe for you.”

“Why would you do that?” you ask without moving your foot.

The stranger holds up his phone which has a black screen. “My phone died, and I’m quite bored.”

“Okay,” you giggle.

You lift your foot and he rests it on his thigh. His long and nimble fingers grab both ends of your shoelace and start to tie it.

“No one quite knows the first time shoelaces were used to secure shoes. In fact, most reports indicate that shoelaces are as old as shoes themselves. Archaeologists believe that ancient peoples used shoelaces for the same reasons we currently use them, experimenting with materials to influence comfort, fit, and even style.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah. They think that about five thousand years ago, during the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age periods, cavemen and women also used specific shoelace designs to distinguish between tribes. Most importantly, shoelaces kept early man’s shoes tight and fitted, accommodating their need to travel long distances for food, water, and shelter without causing severe damage to their feet.”

“You just know everything, don’t you?”

“I am a certified genius,” he grins.

“Is that so?”

“Quite. Did you know there are multiple ways to tie your shoe?”

“Please divulge that information,” you smile.

“First, you have the standard tie.” He ties your shoe using the most basic method that every adult knows how to do. “We have the famous ‘Bunny Ears’ way.” He unties your shoe just to tie it again using what children call ‘bunny ears’ since the loops look like ears. “Third, we have the better bow shoelace knot.” It’s like standard but he wraps the shoelace twice around his finger instead of once. “Finally, a classic, the double knot for extra security. See? It’s a success.”

“Who knew there were multiple ways to tie a shoe,” you smile.

“I did, and now so do you.”

“I’m Y/N.”

He smiles and sets your foot down. “Spencer Reid.”

“So, are you flying away from home or toward it?”

“Toward it. I was visiting my mom in Texas for a week. What about you?”

“Toward my new home. I’m from California, but I got a new job in Virginia. I’m kind of nervous about it. I’ve never done anything like it before.”

“What is it?”

“Tech work. I have a masters in computer science. I worked for the LAPD before, but I couldn’t pass up on this offer. I’m kind of nervous, to be honest. I’ve never even stepped foot in Virginia before. I don’t know anyone here.”

“You know me,” Spencer smiles kindly.

“That I do.”

The rest of the flight is smooth sailing once you and Spencer fall into easy conversation. You didn’t even know three hours had passed because he was that easy to talk to. Like the gentleman he is, he walks you to baggage claim and waits for you to get your bag even when he grabs his.

“When do you start your new job?” he asks.

“Monday.”

“I know this might be a bit forward, but I’d love to show you around Virginia if you’re not busy this weekend. I’m sure you have a lot of unpacking to do.”

“Not that much. Like I said before, this was sudden. All my things are still in California. I’ll be moving them in gradually for the next month or so. I can hang out tomorrow if you’d like.”

“It’s a date,” he smiles. His words suddenly register in his head and he starts stuttering and blushing. “Not like a date, date. I meant that I’ll see you tomorrow as in it’s confirmed.”

“Spencer, it’s okay. It can be a date,” you laugh.

“Okay,” he blushes more.

“You’re cute. I have to pick up my rental so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After exchanging phone numbers, you part ways. Your apartment is thirty minutes from the airport and already has the necessary furniture you had shipped over--bed, couch, dining table, and two chairs. The other things will come when you have time to bring them over. There are a few boxes you had shipped that contain kitchen and bathroom items so you don’t have to go out and buy all new things.

Before, you were nervous about starting this new job. Now, you’re nervous about your date with Spencer. He’s very cute and charming, but you don’t want to mess it up. Even if he isn’t boyfriend material, he definitely has the potential to be a really good friend. Look at you, already thinking about him as a boyfriend. You really are in over your head.

The next day, Spencer picks you up without a car. He likes using public transportation and refuses to even let you drive. You two started out in a cafe to get something to eat before he took you sightseeing around Virginia. There is a beautiful botanical garden here that is his favorite, so that’s where you two are.

“So, genius, have any facts or tidbits about this place?” you ask.

“The idea for this garden came from Thomas P. Thompson, Norfolk City Manager from 1935 to 1938, and Frederic Heutte, a young horticulturalist. Heutte had a fondness for azaleas and thought Hampton Roads had a climate uniquely suited for growing the plants. Thompson and Heutte believed that Norfolk could support an azalea garden to rival those of Charleston, SC, which even during the depression years drew thousands of tourists annually.”

“Wow, you’re just a fountain of knowledge.”

“That’s not all. Within less than a year, a section of underbrush had been cleared and readied for planting. By March of 1939, four thousand azaleas, two thousand rhododendrons, several thousand miscellaneous shrubs and trees, and one hundred bushels of daffodils had been planted.

“In August of 1939, Representative Colgate W. Darden Jr. secured an additional one hundred and thirty-eight thousand, five hundred and fifty-three dollars for the Azalea Garden, and the founding of the Old Dominion Horticultural Society provided volunteer labor to assist the Garden. By 1941, the Garden displayed nearly five thousand azaleas and seventy-five landscaped acres that were encompassed by five miles of walking trails.”

You don’t know Spencer well at all but hearing him spew facts like he has them stored in his brain for later brings a smile to your face.

“Well, they did a good job because this place looks beautiful.”

Spencer looks at you and smiles. “Yeah, it is.”

You and Spencer spend another hour walking around the garden while he tells you facts about the different flowers and plants. Afterward, he takes you to get ice cream before bringing you home. He walks up the porch steps leading to your apartment building, and you stop before you can open the door.

“Would you like to come in? I don’t have a lot of furniture, though.”

“I appreciate the offer, but no.” Before your shoulders can deflate, he quickly adds, “It’s not because I don’t want to. I do, but I want to do this right.”

“Right?” you ask.

Spencer smiles and he leans in closer to you. You stay completely still because you don’t want to mess this up. You don’t want to kiss him if that’s not his intention. He does kiss you but on your cheek. Even when he pulls away, you can still feel the skin he touches tingling.

“Goodnight, Y/N. Good luck on your first day.”

“Thanks,” you whisper.

“I’ll call you tomorrow to see how it’s going.”

With that, Spencer leaves. Thoughts of him swirl around in your head for the rest of the night, are embedded into your dreams, and even when you wake up. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. You get dressed and drive to the BAU where you’ll be working. Their current technical analyst is leaving so she’ll be training you to take her place.

After signing in at the lobby and getting your badge, you make your way to the floor where the BAU is. Penelope Garcia is waiting for you outside of the bullpen, and she smiles when she sees you.

“Y/N, right?”

“Yes, you must be Penelope Garcia, right? It’s nice to meet you. So, you’re leaving the BAU?”

“Yes, sad story. I love this team but I got a better job opportunity to work overseas. However, I trust that you will be more than happy here. I know you’ll do a great job because I picked you, and I’m never wrong. Let me introduce you to Hotch and the team.”

She takes you to Agent Hotchner’s office who is stern but welcoming. “You’ll be shadowing Garcia for a couple of weeks.”

“Yes, sir,” you nod.

“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll leave you in the trusty hands of Garcia.”

“Come on, let’s find the rest of the team.”

You meet JJ, Emily, Tara, Luke, and Matt, all of them friendly and welcoming. The last person on the team is someone you never thought would be here. Spencer turns with a coffee in hand, and his eyes widen when he sees you. Not out of shock, but pleasant surprise.

“Of course, you’d work here,” you chuckle.

“Do you two know each other?”

“Kind of. We met on the plane ride over here, and he showed me around Virginia over the weekend.”

“Look, I understand if you don’t want to see me again outside of being professional.”

Ever the gentleman, Spencer is. “Dr. Reid, are you sad about that?”

“Yes, I am. I like you, and I’d like to see you again.”

A blush creeps up your neck but you try to keep it at bay. “Well, you’re about to see a whole lot of me because I am not going anywhere.” You smirk. “I’ll see you around, Dr. Reid.”

You and Penelope walk off but you turn back and give him a flirty smile. He chuckles to himself and smiles as he takes a sip of his coffee.

“I can already see it. You two will become the next Me and Derek.”

“I have no idea what that means, but I hope it’s a good thing.”

“Oh, it’s a very good thing,” she giggles.

You can’t wait.

x

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[passions-and-pupils]

Shen twins + Shang twins au where the transmigrators have to communicate through increasingly absurd methods to avoid suspicion

Listen, I just feel there is no way the originals would let their brothers be alone with each other. OG!Shang Qinghua (I’ll come up with better names later) wouldn’t want his brother to ruin their carefully crafted reputation by associating with people as widely gossiped about as the Shen twins and Shen Jiu would think Airplane!Shang Qinghua super suspicious because “no one’s that pathetic, it has to be an act”

They also both would be very alarmed that someone wanted to talk with their brothers alone and not allow it on principle.

So the transmigrators have to A. Confirm the other is a transmigrator and B. Find out what the others changed all without their brothers getting suspicious.

Shen Qingqiu tries to be subtle, and Shang Qinghua if he’s ever read a book titled “proud immortal demon way but Shang Qinghua is so caught off guard (he thought he’d have to ask) that he starts choking, making a massive scene but at least confirming they were both transmigrators

Shang Qinghua tries to pass notes in English but neither of them are fluent anymore and they see each other so rarely that it takes months for Shen Yuan to communicate he had no idea what that note said and for them to agree to using pinyin instead.

They then switch to hiding notes on the others peak in specific places but Shen Jiu finds one and becomes determined to crack the code and find out what it says so Shen Yuan panics and tells Shang Qinghua they have to stop because if he got enough notes Shen Jiu could definitely figure it out.

They try meeting in the middle of the night but both of their siblings follow them so neither of them actually go to the meeting spot.

Things get easier when their brothers are peak lords but they also get busier. They can interact now but there are disciples everywhere and theres never a time they are both free and seperated from their brothers for more than a few minutes at a time. Shen Yuan to talk in code but Airplane doesn’t catch on so Shen Yuan straight up tells Airplane to request a day off to go on a trip on a day Shen Yuan was also off.

By the time they finally get a full conversation alone it’s been multiple years and they barely know anything about each other, not even IDs have been exchanged. They spend the whole time telling each other what they had already done and have no time to actually plan anything.

They start writing letters in pinyin because Shen Qingqiu doesn’t have the time to decipher unknown languages as a peak lord. But this time OG! Shang Qinghua finds out and gets highly suspicious.

OG! Shang Qinghua asks Shen Jiu if he knew why their brothers were writing letters in unknown languages and they end up teaming up to try and find out

The transmigrators are so horrified when they see their brothers being friendly towards each other they actually agree to stop writing to each other if it meant their brothers wouldn’t become friends. It’s to late. The consequences of the OG’s becoming friends are dire for not only the other peak lords but for the cultivation world as a whole.

[jungkoode]

IMPORTANT PSA.

Hi, my loves.

I don’t know if anyone really noticed, but I’ve been a little quiet these past few days, taking a moment to breathe and reset after a pretty heavy wave of hostility and willful misinterpretations hit Kiki Nation.

I’ll admit it—I tried to explain myself, to clarify, to fix it. But all I really did was give more attention to people who were never here in good faith to begin with. And that’s on me. I won’t be doing that again.

So, moving forward, I won’t be overexplaining or oversharing anymore. The post about how the goal system works has been removed, and from now on, goals and updates are explained briefly in my FAQ. That’s where you can find the info anytime you need it.

I also want to take this chance to make something very clear, louder than ever:

Anyone who engages in cruelty, mocking, pettiness, manipulation, harassment, ableism, or bullying behavior has never been part of Kiki Nation, and they never will be.

Let’s remind ourselves—there was never ‘leaving’ this space for them, because they were never part of it in the first place.

Kiki Nation has never stood for that kind of behavior, and it never will. We are built on kindness, respect, and showing up for each other with love—not drama. Not control. Not cruelty.

And that’s why I’m trusting the real Kiki Nation right now.

I want to briefly address something that’s still lingering—the engagement on FMU Chapter 21 in Wattpad specifically.

As you might have noticed, there was a pretty obvious wave of petty mass unvoting on that chapter after the backlash. It dropped below its original goal, and now it looks like Chapter 22 was posted without ever reaching the milestone we all celebrated together. And it’s sadly misleading a lot of readers.

That’s not what Kiki Nation is about.

We’ve never been the kind of space that lets a few bad-faith players rewrite the narrative or take away from what we built together.

So, I’m asking—if you’re here, if you care, if you still stand with this space—go back to Chapter 21 on Wattpad and re-vote to restore what we actually achieved together.

Why? Because it protects the visibility of the story.

Because it keeps Kiki Nation’s credibility clean.

Because it shows that we decide what this space stands for—not the ones who tried to tear it down.

I’ve taken a step back these past few days and had some time to reflect. And honestly? While I’m still disappointed, I also know this was never a loss. It was a cleansing. They were never really part of this space, and now they’re gone. That’s something I’m learning to see as a positive, not a setback.

I also want to admit that I blurred the line a little too much between author and readers, and in doing that, I might have given certain people the wrong idea—that they had the right to lash out, to push expectations, or to control what happens here. That stops now. This space has always been built on mutual respect and appreciation, and that’s exactly how it’s going to stay.

As always, I’ll be updating at my own pace—after goals are met and support is steady across the story. That’s how it’s always worked, and it’s exactly how Kikizens have appreciated it. I’m not changing it to accommodate the few trolls who were never part of Kiki Nation to begin with and are only here in bad faith.

To protect my mental health, I’ll also be slowing down a bit more until the end of the year. I need to take care of myself and prioritize my life offline, and I trust you’ll understand that pace.

Thank you again, truly, for being here. For sticking around. For showing me what the real Kiki Nation is made of.

We move.

—Kiki

[txttletale]

after being interested from seeing you post about mtg but too intimidated by how complicated it seemed, a friend recently taught me how to play and ive been having so so so much fun!!! ive mostly just been playing standard/jump in on arena so far, but i wanna start building a commander deck soon. my wuestion here is twofold, i guess - a) do you know any commanders you consider easy or fun for beginners (colour doesnt really matter to me; ive been finding enjoyment in all of them so far, altho im sure ill develop a preference once i have a better grasp of the game lol) and b) whats your own personal favourite commanders?? ones you play or ones you just think are neat :) anyways thank you for being at least partially responsible for getting me into mtg, ive been having an absloute blast, i hope you have a very niceys day :)

yippee! i'm glad you're having fun, magic is a really deep and exciting game.

to point 1: i'm increasingly of the mind that apart from like, extreme edge cases where you're playing, like a mairsil combo deck and have to learn a bunch of specific sequencing and rules minutiae, i think that looking for an 'easy' commander is a very overrated. resonance and stickiness are a huge part of how easy it is to learn a card or deck's mechanics, so if you have a special little guy you love i would play him no matter how comparatively complex he is compared to, like, monogreen ramp

if there's one piece of general advice i'd give to a beginner, it's to steer away from 'feast or famine' type commanders: a lot of commanders, especiually since wotc started intentionally pritning 'commanders' rather than just legendary creatures, are enormous resource snowballs, such that letting them be on the board for a turn cycle or two will put their player unstoppably far ahead. unfortunately the correct counterplay to these kinds of commanders is for everyone to kill them instantly the moment they're cast and genreally not let their playtrs play the game -- so they often lead to having games where you are either being ganged up on and beaten to death or stomping everyone. some popular examples of commanders that i think create these play patterns are miirym, krenko mob boss, jodah the unifier, kinnan bonder prodigy, and korvol fae-cursed king.

so generally i tyhink especialyl as a newer player you will have fun with slightly lower power commanders who aren't wearing a big PLEASE KILL ME sign on their heads. but other than that i truly think you should pick a blorbo or gameplay style that appeals to you on a visceral, emoitional level, and find out if if it's actually fun to play or not. actually that reminds me, try to also pick a commander that, like, rewards you for executing your deck's gameplan, or helps you execute it, but isn't the sole engine behind your deck -- commander is full of good removal and board wipes, and you will have a lot more fun if you're playing a deck that can still function evne if your special guy is in time out.

to point 2: i have quite a few. my first commander and overall one of my favourite still is the celestial toymaker (nei lpatrick harris jumpscare). i love him because -- while he is an example of the kind of commander i think ultimately can lead to bad gameplay patterns where big parts of your deck are dead without him -- he turns this extremely stupid fucking mechanic into a real theme. i fucking loe playing my toymakre deck, and doing a silly voice and saying PLAY MY GAME... WHO WANTS TO PLAY MY GAME? every time i have some silly choice to force someone to make. play piles with meee (also esper control is a shell that's just really fun for me regardless of commander or theme so that helps a lot too)

other commanders i have that i really enjoy... i think gor muldrak is really cool, hios abiltiy is so odd and niche and finding ways to make use of it is so much fun. only good simic commander. tip: [peer pressure] is an awesome win condition for him.

i really enjoy zedruu also, for similar reasons to the toymaker: giving people stuff is such a funny mechanic, and while the commander gets osme flak because a lot of people build around lieke, dogshit cards that are unplayable if you don't have zedruu to donate them, i think you can build a much more fun and resilient zedruu deck by relying on symmetrical soft stax pieces and oubliette-style effects where it doesn't mater to you who owns it. getting to play perplexing chimera in that deck delights me.

gallia is great. straight up i made a deck for her because i think she's cute. her joy is just so infections, i don't even like gruul aggro as an archetype generally, but something about playing gallia and being like NO THOUGHTS HEAD EMPTY TURN SIDEWAYS ILL DISCARD WHAT I DISCARD is very refreshing considering i usually like playing very controlly-pillowforty high-interaction decks wth 50 quajillion counterstpells.

oh and finally... the red death. i fucking love goad, im the goad liker, i enjoy goad, and i set out to make a Good Goad Deck and immediately got sidetracked form any of the stronger commanders for the format by this stupid little bebo with the meme eyes. i donit know what happens in fallout 76 and i dont care this little guy is my friend and he is SO funny with cards like psychic possession. Our card draw :)

for an honorable mention, two decks i really love but not really because of their commander: i have a huge amount of fun playing the new zimone (who has displaced vorel of the hull clade) at the helm of my millennium calendar deck. it's fun to have a deck where i can slot in all the werird counter-dependent artifacts like lux artillery and darksteel reactor, and it's a very fun supervillanious feeling watching the table scramble to stop me as my Sinister Calendar ticks up

and i also have a zoraline eggs deck nbecause i loved bloomburrow bats, built a zoraline bats dekc, then thought, hmm, i could be doing al ot more with her than just bringing back mediocre bats for a small lifegain pawyoff. Liek bringing back mediocre artifacts that ic an crack for 2 life and a card draw. it's a very intricate little device of a deck once it gets going and although it's not very strong it's very very fun. looping an executiuoner's capsule or a tainted sigil is what its all about babey!

[classfelidae]

ETIQUETTE

If you were tagged it’s just a shoutout, don’t panic XD

Hi all, I wanted to make this post to set some gentle boundaries when it comes to my au.

I’ve had a few interactions like this now, and I’d rather make a post explaining my boundaries to prevent it from happening more.

This is not directed at one specific person. It has happened a few times with different people. I may reference experiences but the post in general isn’t directed.

Okay, to the point. Please do not make unsolicited comments criticising my designs/animal pick for characters. Especially if it’s a finished design. If you’re not happy with my choices, you have free will- pick up a pencil and make your own.

This includes backhanded compliments such as “this is cool, but I’d prefer if they were a ___” and “I’ll only see (character) as an (animal) but…”

While they may not be intended as such, these come off as rude and really hurt my feelings. You may know by now that I put a lot of thought and effort into every single design I’ve put out.

There are multiple factors, not just their personality and their looks. I take into consideration the dynamics they have with other characters, their behaviour, the way they move, their trap, etc. Some characters are designed with an overarching motif, for example, Wrath of the Gods (ty to the ppl who corrected me) are based on street animals, vermin, and each character will fall into that category. Adam and Lawrence? Cat and dog dynamic. Hoffman and Strahm? Competitors. Biological enemies. You get the gist.

Either way, I care a lot about my designs and for someone to invalidate them blatantly does hurt my feelings! And it does stick in my head for a while. In short, think about what you’re typing before you hit send. It may mean nothing to you but I assure you it means something to me.

If I am looking for advice on a characters design, I’ll ask for it! Suggestions on these posts are okay! As well as on concept sketches of a new design.

Hoffman was actually down to a vote on my Instagram!

My asks are also open for anyone curious about lore and why I picked an animal for a character etc.

I love talking about it so please ask me!! If I don’t respond to your ask about a specific character it just means I don’t have art of them yet, please don’t think I’m ignoring you out of malice; I have a few asks I yearn to respond to in my inbox rn but I just need to draw something for em!

If you have said something like this and I ask you not to because it’s rude, please just apologise and promise you won’t do it again. Do not argue with me and make me feel stupid/belittle me for my boundaries. That adds salt into the wound and you will be blocked.

I will not dislike you or hate you for a misstep; it’s just about respecting me and my art.

On that note, I don’t condone people comparing my au to other animal AUs, or other artists in general. Do not tell another artist mine is better than theirs or vice versa. That is also rude and frankly, toxic. We are all human beings and deserve to be respected.

Having said all this, I want to say that if you have your own animal au; please don’t be scared to tell me about it! I love hearing and seeing others interpretations of the characters, all are valid in their own unique ways.

I also do not mind if you draw yours interacting with mine, in fact I love it! So don’t be scared to show me.

And lastly, I want to shout out some very cool people that also have animal aus for you all to enjoy!!

These guys are great and their art rocks. Please support them!

@ostendird-oddie

@eldritchx

@littlesapphicraccoonguy

@xxhamtubexx

@w0lfieisdrawing

@dragofelid

@voidfluid

(PS, if you were that person with an opossum Adam pls comment cuz I’ll put you here but I forgot ur username WAA)

[nightmareweaverz]

Hi, I am the dev of Duality. Reblogging this on my private blog so as not to bring drama on the game blog.

While I very much agree with most of what you wrote here, I don't understand what you mean by there being an issue with yandere characters being made into love interests. Fiction, like you said, is made for exploring dark and tabboo topics. I don't think it's fair to pretend that me creating sweet yanderes who love you in a made up story is the reason people turn to such insane mindsets irl. This is the same as the one case of mentally ill children stabbing another child "for slenderman" and then the entire internet acting like creepypastas automatically make you want to stab people.

If someone cannot comprehend the idea that the sweet loving yanderes in my games do not exist irl, they are either deeply troubled or a child who should not be engaging with my content in the first place.

If we're going down this road, we need to get rid of vampire and werwolf romance, mafia romance, any and all villain love interests in any media because apparently romance consumers are too stupid to realize a real man is different from the fantasy in their books.

Usually, people who try to justify the awful actions of a morally evil character do so for the following reasons: they have been judged for liking said character and thus try to prove they are "allowed" to like said character, or they are afraid that liking a morally evil character reflects poorly upon their own morals and thus they need to prove to themselves that said character can be excused. And then there's the hidden third reason in which they simply do it as a joke. Incredibly few of those people make these excuses because they would actually excuse them in real life.

Don't get me wrong, the people in this community are very much messed up, but I firmly believe they are not regular folks who suddenly decided they need a stalker boyfriend solely because they read it or saw one in a game. 95% of the human population would not want a stalker partner and would not change their mind upon playing a game in which a stalker hugs them and gives them cookies. Just like they won't go looking for bears in the woods to hug one cause they saw a cute bear plushie at the store.

Also I am getting kind of tired of western creators and consumers acting like the yandere trope is normally just a horny slasher villain with 0 love or care for their lover. The original yandere trope's definition from japanese means "A person who loves someone so much that they go insane." It is literally a trope MADE for the romance genre. If you do not like it, stop using the word yandere. Read thriller stories and play thriller games.

I know you didn't aim any of this at me specifically, but I have been hearing arguments like yours going around the yandere community and outside of it for years at this point and I am tired of them, so I sort of let my frustration out.

Hello, I am writing this post in order to address my own community but also give a heads up to other yandere game devs on Tumblr. This has filled me with deep dread and I feel like it needs to be spoken about at once.

TLDR: There's a community of over 1k people who are seeking real life yandere relationships and planning illegal actions here on Tumblr.

I recently discovered there's a fairly big community here on tumblr of people who are seeking "yandere" partners in real life and/or identify as "yandere" themselves. Part of me is hoping and praying to the gods that it's just roleplay, but the community has "IRL" in its name and there is nothing in its rules indicating that it's roleplay. Some of the people in there are following my blog.

To other devs, I urge you to discourage such mentalities and make it as clear as possible that we DO NOT tolerate this stuff.

To anyone who identifies as "irl yandere" and is following this or any of my blogs, block me this instant. What you are doing and encouraging is abusive if it is outside of a consensual roleplay or BDSM scenario. Purposefully isolating a person from their loved ones, kidnapping them, harming them (again, without consent) is abuse. Get the hell out of my community, you are not welcome here. I will not have abusers use my game or participate in my community. Seek therapy.

There is a difference between exploring a crazy scenario in a game and pursuing said scenario in reality. NONE of the stalkerish, obsessive, overly jealous things Keith and Tenebris do in the game are okay to do to a real person. They are not role models, they are not ideal partners.

And to people who are seeking out "yandere" partners in real life, for the love of god realize that your fantasies will not play out the same in reality. You are putting yourself and all of your loved ones at risk. No matter how much you think you can appeal to a "yandere" or meet their needs, that is still an abuser who may go to extremes one day. There was a damn post in that community asking for advice on how to turn someone against their family. Another asking how to kidnap someone and being praised for it. This is not a joke. Do not invite abusers into your life. It will not play out like your fantasies. You will feel unsafe and violated, you may end up in a very very bad situation that you cannot get out of easily. There is a high chance you may lose your life when the abuser decides they can't have you to themselves any other way.

And to those of you in my fandom who are well in the head and aware this is nuts, please report this community if you come across it. The age of entry was 16, SIXTEEN YEAR OLDS ARE IN THERE LOOKING FOR ABUSERS. I cannot stress how fucked up this is.

I really really really hope I just somehow didn't pick up that this was all roleplay. I hope I didn't just witness someone trying to plan out how to kidnap a real person. Please just let me be a clueless idiot.

[alpaca-clouds]

Romance in Fantasy Worlds. Or: WHYYY?!

Lazy Worldbuild Rant Number 2: Why the actual fuck do all fantasy worlds and almost all cultures in them copy-paste most attitudes towards sex and romance from the real world?

Don't get me wrong. I kinda know why. Because a) nobody IRL questions it, and b) nobody really wants to question it. So even those few fantasy authors that do realize that the mono- and heteronormative attitude humans these days have towards sex are not "natural" (in as far anything a human does ever can be, obviously), they would rather not challenge it. Besides, most fantasy books tend to be based in this romanticized idea of what the European middle ages looked like - obviously focusing on nobles or at least special people, rather than peasants.

But by all the gods, it irks me so much. Especially as mono- and heteronormativity also always imply some version of patriarchy existing in the world. After all, matriarchal societies tend to not have mononormativity, and are also way less likely to be heteronormative.

As some who have read me talk about this before know: I am irked by the drow worldbuilding in DnD a lot, but the one thing I will give that stuff credit for is, that it realized that in this matriarchal culture mono-hetero-normativity does not make any sense whatsoever and hence did away with it.

But really, though, there would be so many interesting ways to explore romance and sexuality in fantasy books.

Have a culture, in which romance is very strictly seperated from sex. Like, romance only exists for rasing kids, but it is basically assumed that those kids will always result from casual things outside of that bound, and people are superstitious if a heterosexual couple would actually conceive the kids together. It taints the kids, they say!

Have a culture in which romance really does not exist as a concept and everyone just does it with everyone with the kids just growing up in their village, where every adult will care for every child. The concept of "mother" and "father" does not exist. (This was fairly common for early humans, from all we know.)

Have a culture in which men and women live apart, only coming together for sexual encounters once in a full moon. Children will be raised by the women until a certain age, when the boys go live with the men.

Heck, have a culture in which the general belief is, that men and women should not touch one another, outside of specific rituals for conception. Outside of this homoromanticism is normalized, but heteroromanticism is seen as scandalous.

Recently I get fairly annoying especially when it comes to fantasy worlds of sort, that are basically stone age societies, meaning mainly hunter-gatherers. There is little evidence to suggest that hunter-gatherers do the entire "monogamous marriage" thing, outside of maybe a few exceptions. And yet, out of the couple of stone age or quasi stone age settings I know, most of them do monogamy at the very least, if not heteronormativity as well.

I mean, come on now. Read some actual anthropology people.

And that is without going into the fact that once we get to other fantasy species - or even scifi stuff - it is so boring to mainly get species that do two genders all the time.

*sighs* *looks at his Ursula K. LeGuin collection* Oh, Ursula, why were you the one who understood this? And why is everyone else struggling with it so much? Q-Q

[thehigherseekerastro]

→ Venus Through the Houses 🪷 (the fifth house)

The manifestations of having the planet Venus through the houses in the natal chart, in a wider perspective, without being predictable about it.

DISCLAIMER 1: I am NOT a professional astrologer, traditional or modern. I study astrology for a few years, and this is a collection of what I've learned, and what I've seen manifested in real life.

DISCLAIMER 2: Use caution and discernment when reading, and understand that this post is about one isolated planet in one isolated house in a chart. There are 12 houses, 8 major planets (including rising), 3 outer planets, and at least 5 possible major aspects between planets in your chart. Those details can and WILL affect how the energy shows up in your life personally, so it might not apply to you. Everybody is unique.

💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓

Venus in the 5th house 🧑🏾‍❤️‍💋‍🧑🏻💖

And here we are! The planet of love in the house of romance! I bet many of you had been waiting for this one, huh? So, do you think Venus goes crazy in this house? Do you think she brings fireworks? Let's find out...

Venus in the 5H has such a powerful energy to it, it's insane. Not only externally, but also internally. It's a flirty Venus, one who likes to have fun and be fun. It's also a beautiful and sexy Venus. And it can be quite the ambitious Venus too. Definitely a Venus for the artists.

The good 😊:

It's Venus' third beauty indicator house, after the 1st and 7th houses. (Lowkey the 10H too). Although this Venus will talk more of being "attractive" than being "beautiful".

Lots of charm and natural rizz and pull.

Despite the 5H not being a house associated with speech or communication, I notice that often people with a 5H Venus have a lot of eloquence and ability to communicate.

Gives the native lots of passion for the things that motivate them, specially things near and dear to their heart.

Hype people. These natives will clap the loudest for their crowd.

Have a youthful glow about them. Not just physically, but in energy.

Lucky people.

Refined taste.

Lots of times they pick careers with high salaries.

Full of vitality.

Good with children. Very good.

Good sense of humor. They love a good joke.

Can be people's "good luck charm".

Very bold people, even if they are shy.

Popular with their friends.

Saucy.

VERY, EXTREMELY romantic and passionate. Perhaps too much sometimes.

Lots of relationships, flings, dates, hookups etc.

Beautiful and attractive from childhood.

Smart people, but like QUICK smart.

Multiply wealth with aptitude.

Somewhat diplomatic and well-spoken.

Actually enjoy taking care of their children. Specially girls.

The bad 😠:

I don't like to use astrology to determine these things or associate specific placements to it, but... can be unfaithful sometimes.

Could manifest as a superficial person.

If the person is immature, it could give way to being a bulls*itter.

Might know they are hot and use it to manipulate people.

Might get pleasure out of playing mind games and seducing people they don't want, just cause they can and want to feel desirable.

Could be childish in love.

Could be the type to use the phrase "It was the last time, I promise!" and then do it again a month later, be it lying, cheating, or whatever they did to hurt someone. Every time is the "last time" with them.

Smooth talkers... too smooth for their own good.

This one might surprise, but could be stingy with money. Even if they make good money, could be the type to always feel like it's not enough and they need to live below their means.

Could easily feel disconnected if they don't immediately connect with the space they are in.

And if they feel disconnected, could feel devalued and annoyed. Like people aren't making them feel comfortable.

Could be imprudent in their early youth.

Might be the type to make mistakes repeatedly until either it ends very badly, or somebody finally puts their foot down and sets strict boundaries. Only then do they start actually changing and correcting themselves.

Could be catty.

Could be attention-seekers.

Could be very "me first" sometimes.

Might struggle hard communicating what it is that they want or what they feel. A nightmare in relationships when in conflict.

Could have a high sex drive coupled with poor self-control.

In love 💕:

Very fiery lovers.

Like dates. It's never too routine with them. Even if married for years, they'll always love a good date.

Keep the spark alive.

Can talk about having kids without it becoming awkward, even if it's very early on.

Likes LOTS of attention. They not only want to feel like everybody wants them, but they want to feel like their partner is fighting other people to have them.

Could like to flirt with anything that moves.

Forever a teenage love. They know how to make romance a thing.

Like to make their partner feel special.

Might lie several times and not feel bad about it, unless they get caught.

Might be dramatic behind closed doors with their partner.

Might bring money into conversations (or worse: fights) with their partner a lot.

Even of the native is a serial cheater and can't respect any partner, they will still convince themselves they want a love story straight out of a romance novel.

Might be blinded by love.

Would move heaven and earth for love, on an impulse.

This placement often likes to open up to their partner. They like feeling like the one person will take care of their feelings, like a child would be cared for.

Proudly shows off their partner.

Genuinely adores their partner.

Wants their family all integrated.

Wants their friends to respect their partner and will not negotiate it. It's the opposite of the 11H. Eleventh house WILL choose their friends over their partner. 5H Venus will choose their partner, but will look for a compromise.

Just loves love and romance.

They like to be in a relationship, in a fling, dating.

Build their own world together, even if they are surrounded by other people.

MASTER LIST

[the-sprog]

Caving and writing a plot bunny because I have ideas and now this is too flashed out not to write a fic for it, and I'll forget if I don't write it down somewhere

Timeline I've come up with:

Nicky AU where Sonic has been, for years, telling his parents that he (as Nicky) is part of team Sonic, but he only does coding (like for robots and their communicators) for them and never fights in the front lines.

What happened is that after a few months of Sonic taking over Nicky's body to save the day, Nicky started to take care of the issues himself out of spite. Done with the fact that everyone liked Sonic more than him. It came to a point that Sonic didn't show up anymore, making Eggman (who went to Hedgehog village for Sonic) lose interest with the place.

When he turned 6, he moved away to go live with Uncle Chuck, so he could study somewhere more challenging. He an Amy barely talked anymore, as she would turn every conversation into Sonic praise, worsening Nicky's inferiority complex. During his stay in the bigger city, Eggman attacks and Nicky figures out he's been Sonic all along. And running? Oh, he LOVES running.

However, he starts getting severe social anxiety fueled by a really strong impostor syndrome, causing the start of his selective mutism. For a while, Uncle Chuck is the only one he talks to as Sonic (Nicky still goes to class without issues).

That's when he meets Amy again. She left home shortly after Nicky to go find Sonic and join in his adventures. I imagine that her relationship with her parents wasn't all that great, so she decided to run away when Nicky, her only safe space, left.

Meeting her really hammer in that he's not good enough to be Sonic, as Sonic used to have no issues beating Eggman and his robots to scrap metal.

Not too long after, he meets Tails, who had actually been to Hedgehog village for Sonic as well and knew Nicky and Sonic were the same person. He explains to Nicky (while fixing up the Tornado (who is actually Uncle Chuck's)) that Sonic told him he was from the future and that he couldn't explain what had actually happened in fear of messing up the timeline and creating a paradox. He said that everything will be explained in due time and that he's sure Nicky will figure everything out.

At first, Sonic talked to Tails, too. But it was clear that Tails, just like Amy, had a very specific idea of how Sonic was. Scared of disappointing Tails by being too much like Nicky, he stops talking with him as well. When Uncle Chuck dies, they take the Tornado to start traveling and fighting Eggman. This is when he tells his parents that he joined Team Sonic, saying that he wanted to repay them after they helped him stop Eggman. In exchange to letting him come, he gave them the Tornado.

He continues his studies remotely, still as Nicky if course.

It isn't until the end of the whole Angel Island Death Egg situation that Sonic speaks for the first time in forever. The whole adventure, the emeralds, helping Knuckles, it all made him feel... like himself. Like for the first time he actually was Sonic. Knuckles never learns that Sonic used to not speak, because he was under the impression they were just busy with Eggman and that Sonic was simply a hedgehog of few words until he got closer to people.

Shadow only learns about it when he meets Classic Sonic. The time shenanigans is also how Nicky was becoming Sonic.

Until his mom, Brenda, and his sister, Anita, come surprise visit them. The team had kind of settled down, mostly to give Tails an actual workshop. Afterall, between the Tornado, Shadow's chaos control, and Sonic's running they had no issues getting to wherever was getting attacked.

When Amy opens the door to see Brenda, she's confused, but excited. Before she can say anything wrong, Sonic invites them in, telling them he'll go get Nicky, and pulling Amy to the side to ask her to just go along with whatever Nicky says. She doesn't get the chance to ask how he knows where Nicky is and why his mom thinks he's at their house, but she agrees.

Sonic goes to tell Tails, warning him about Any possibly blowing their entire cover.

As Nicky, Sonic puts on glasses and an oversized sweater. He changes his iconic shoes (with a non small amount of reluctance) and takes things slow.

Amy is... Conflicted. She's happy to see Nicky, truly, but she's not happy that he's lying to his mom and sister. She doesn't understand why he's doing it, as to her it doesn't seem like him. She remembers him a lot... Meeker. Smart and nerdy, but kind of a coward. She'd always thought he'd have gotten along with Tails if they'd had the chance to properly meet, and there they are. Acting like they've been friends for years.

When Shadow shows up, Sonic thinks he's going to fuck it all up. Amy accidentally saves him by introducing him as Nicky, to which Tails explains he's the one that deals all their tech related problems and needs.

Shadow sees through it, raises an eyebrow, and asks if they're fucking with him. They assure him not. Then Brenda and Anita introduce themselves and Shadow takes Sonic aside to get a better explanation. Which he gets in the form of panicked rambling. Shadow agrees not to rat him out, but he also doesn't agree to cover for him.

Shadow tells everyone that he was supposed to meet Sonic for a run, but that the hedgehog bailed on him to go help the Chaotix. Internally, Sonic cusses him out because he knows he'll have to pay then for their silence.

Amy tries to get him to stay, as they'd made plans with Knuckles to have a picnic nearby, but Shadow claims to have some GUN paperwork to deal with. Sonic knows it's bullshit. He knows Shadow doesn't do paperwork.

But she convinced Brenda and Anita to join them.

Nicky meets Knuckles, gets his hand fake crushed (which he lets his mom bandage and ice) and yells at Anita when she says she wants to be part of Team Sonic, too.

Of course, that's when Eggman attacks. Seeing Nicky, Eggman immediately targets him. For old times' sake, he says.

Any tries to contact Sonic but he's not available, so she contacts Chaotix, but they say he's not with them. Tails tells her to call Shadow, and she -reluctantly- does.

Shadow helps save Sonic, making it clear that he's going to hold this over his head forever.

Anita is distraught.

Amy asks Shadow why he said Sonic was with Chaotix.

Sonic tries punching Shadow for his shitty lie. He doesn't succeed, as he's determined not to use his speed, and Shadow gets him in a headlock. Calmly, he says he doesn't know why Sonic would lie to him, but the hedgehog is not his problem. He lets go of Nicky, who gets fussed over by his mom.

Tails, who's been keeping this secret for years, decides that throwing Sonic under the bus to save Nicky some grief is justified. So, he tells them that Sonic has severe social anxiety and does do well meeting new people in these kinds of circumstances. And that he's never met parents of friends he's made, and he couldn't face them.

On the one hand, Sonic gets upset at Tails for telling everyone about it because yeah it's kind of based on the truth. But on the other, it's his mom and sister (and Amy but she kind of already knew. Shadow also knew but not the reason behind it all. So he knows he's going to have to answer questions about it) so he pushes it down.

This is all I have for now actually lol idk how this fic would continue, but I think this start is kinda good. Maybe Eggman fucked up too much and Sonic reveals himself. Idk.

[what-even-is-thiss]

I think consuming the language a lot is the best way to learn but if apps keep you motivated while you’re reading and watching here’s a few I’ve either tried or heard good things about:

LingoDeer is great if you’re learning Asian languages because it has a lot of focus on learning a new script but it has a lot of European languages too. It’s got a structured path to follow like Duolingo but the approach is different. It’s got a greater variety of exercises. Downside is that it requires a subscription.

Babel has some free features but you’d mostly want to get a subscription. It’s got a structured lesson plan and some games but it is less gameified than Duolingo.

Busuu provides its basic courses for free but you have to pay for the more advanced ones. On the free tier you also have to go through things in a specific order instead of choosing which lessons you want to do. Busuu generally has more explanations than other apps but other than that I don’t think it stands out very well.

LinQ is an app that focuses on reading to help you learn. It has stories for beginners to advanced and it also has stuff uploaded by users. You can also upload your own stuff. Their original stories also have audio narration. You can click on any word you don’t know and see a translation and save it as a flash card. They also have a variety of flash card exercises. On the free tier you can read anything on the site but you can only save 20 flashcards. Their paid tier also has a forum and real person tutoring options. I personally think they have the best free tier of most apps.

Pimsleur has an app. They only give the first lesson free though. The rest you have to subscribe for. They’re mostly audio based but they also have practice exercises. I think Pimsleur is mostly best if you need to or want to start speaking right away. If you’ve got time though there’s better options out there.

Speakly has a bit available on the free tier but not everything. They have writing exercises and grammar lessons and teach you a lot of words. Over 4,000 I think. They also teach Estonian which is good for people learning Estonian. They also have the option to buy a lifetime subscription with one payment which I really like a lot more than a monthly one.

Rosetta Stone is one of the originals. I don’t think you should buy it because it’s too expensive for what it is but there’s a chance some people might get it through their school, work, or library. Every course is pretty much just a translation of the English course which I don’t like but they do use visuals instead of translations and they do have software for you to practice pronunciation.

Mango languages isn’t my personal favorite but most people can get it for free through their local library and it has the widest variety of languages of any app. Not much to say about the structure. It’s the same as most other apps with writing and grammar exercises.

Drops is a vocab app that’s a lot more interesting than other flashcards in my opinion. It’s got audio and visuals instead of translations and involves matching games and spelling exercises. On the free tier you get five minutes a day of review free and have to follow things in a certain order. On the paid tier you can do whatever lust you want and there’s no time limit. They also have a lifetime subscription option that I personally bought a long time ago.

Lingopie is more of a streaming service than an app but it is also an app. It has tv shows in different languages sorted by difficulty level and you can customize your subtitles, having dual language subtitles or one language subtitles or no subtitles. It also has a feature that lets you click on a word on the subtitles and save it as a flashcard. It also has a feature that lets you practice your pronunciation. You can also loop lines of dialogue to listen to them multiple times. You can also connect your Netflix and Disney accounts to it. It requires a subscription but they also have a free trial and a lifetime subscription option.

Memrise is a flashcard platform. Its main advantage in my opinion is all of the user created flashcard sets. I don’t think it’s worth paying for but you can view a lot of stuff on the free tier.

Hello talk, tandem, and speakly are all language exchange apps. They’re basically social media platforms where people learning different languages can meet each other and help each other practice speaking. I think that different apps are more popular with different speakers of different languages so that’s why I list all of them. I think they’re all free to use but I haven’t tried them myself. If you’re interested in practicing talking and finding a new friend, it’s a much cheaper option than hiring a tutor but the quality of people you find may vary and you’ll also have to teach them.

Duolingo has gotten so bad that even Evan Edinger has finally admitted that it’s gotten worse. He’s still using it but maybe we’ll get him to break that 9 year streak one of these days

[parvulous-writings]

You have so good taste in vampires, I swear

Thank you so much, anon!! Shall we have a highlight reel? I think we shall...

Number one for me has got to be The Vampire Armand - particularly the portrayal by Assad Zaman in AMC's tv show of Interview with The Vampire. He is just.... Hypnotic, to me. Complex, and just... Fascinating. I think he is the fascinating one. When s3 comes out I hope we get some more of him... I will eat that shit UPPP

2, 3, 4. Marko, Paul and Dwayne, from Lost Boys is definitely high on my list (though their placements could be interchangeable based on my mood.) I LOVE these guys, despite what little development we get for them. It's to the point where one of Paul's and Dwayne's interactions is now a vocal stim for me. I really wish we had gotten some more of them! ("Wait, whoooo wants to know?"/"Marko wants to know!")

5. Louis de Pointe du Lac - I just find his whole narrative incredibly interesting (Again, AMC's interpretation. Book Louis is cool too - and I have not seen the first movie adaptation), and Jacob Anderson's performance? Phenomenal - some of the revelations/flashbacks we see in s2 gave me actual chills. LDPDL they could never make me hate you.

6. Lesta de Lioncourt - do I need to say more. This diva is one of the 2 reasons I got into IWTV in terms of characters (the other being Louis). In a similar vein to Armand, I find him to be a complex man, I wish to study him under a microscope. Equal parts maddening, enchanting, and hilarious.

7. Claudia de Pointe de Lac - I love her. So fucking much. She's brilliant as a character and as a means to show how Louis, despite being our narrator and protagonist, also is not a good man. I saw a take recently on here where someone say that she was "insufferable" and "childish" in s2. And I just have to ask; are we looking at the same fucking Claudia? She grows up and matures, but still has a body of a teenager. She's wrestling with the fact that her body does not match her, and the fact that her closest friend/brother/father figure keeps deserting her in favour of pursuits of passion. Like come ON. (She's also hilarious like Lestat. The two are more and more alike the more I look at them.)

8. Astarion - this is where everyone goes "Oh brother, this guy STINKS" at me. But LISTEN!!! He is in fact a complex character - one who tells the story of someone who's been manipulated, used, and abused, as well as someone who can break that cycle if given the chance, or continue and perpetuate it under the illusion of ending it. I think he's very special - even if he's the centre of a few too many arguments amongst the fandom for my liking.

9. Dr Jonathan Reid - so he's a relatively new one for me, but he's already got me by the throat. What do you mean I get to not only walk around as a vampire, but I also am in charge of healing people or using them to further my own powers? And as a handsome vampire, no less? Watch him become my favourite blorbo in 10 days time.

10. Dracula (specifically Dracula from The Dark Prince) okay listen. He's only this low because I got distracted 30 mins into the film he's in. BUT what I have seen of him.... Ouughghhg.... Dracula, watch out, I'm scaling your walls.

[bvnneyrabbet]

Something I've been noticing is that quite a lot of people outside of the Forsaken fandom are bashing on Forsaken fans for simply watching or interacting with classic/niche roblox stuff that had been featured in Forsaken.

Here's some of my examples.

I once watched an old Roblox machinima from I think around 2015 with Shedletsky and Builderman in it. It was random and funny, and when I went to look in the comments I saw one comment that went something along the lines of:

"I hope the forsaken fans don't get to this stuff," and it read in a very snarky and condescending way. Like, pardon? Do you not want Forsaken fans to be interested in old Roblox? Do you not want them to know more about the characters featured in Forsaken, or are you too purist for that?

Just today I found out about the origins onto where the Geometry John Doe skin was from, and it came from a roblox ARG by the name of DeivyDoesTutorials33. I found one comment saying that they came from Forsaken and wanted to catch up on the series, reading:

"Came from Pwned and Forsaken and just caught up, but I wanna say I ABSOLUTELY ALREADY ADOOOOORE SERIES. please continue when you can this is so interesting and cool to watch!!!!!!"

And one of the replies of that comment read:

"PACKGOD HUMBLE THEM FOR TIS NOOB FORSAKEN COMMENT, pwned is cool though"

I know that reply was likely sarcastic malice, but seriously, do you not want people to be interested in content that was featured in Forsaken? Do you want them to go unknowing, and make the same mistakes that happened when Dream Game/Frozen Soul was featured in Forsaken?

The reason why Frozen Soul's characters, Nashatra, Eunoia, and Mafioso were confused for being Forsaken characters is due to Forsaken being extremely popular and Frozen Soul being way more niche and obscure, also something to note is that Forsaken is a very young game, with the March 18th incident only happening when Forsaken was 3 months old.

And this issue isn't even just with Roblox stuff, it's also happening in the Limbus/Project Moon community, with people in the fandom essentially stereotyping the Forsaken fandom. I may not be interested in Limbus, but I have seen a few tiktoks about it that were completely unrelated to Forsaken, but in the comments I've seen Project Moon fans just talking shit about Forsaken.

Yes, Forsaken does have a very iffy fandom, but listen. The issues with not just it's fandom but it's PLAYERBASE is due to many environmental factors, and it's not Forsaken's fault for it to be that way, but it can change but you're just not letting them change.

Forsaken is a very popular game, which means that people from other games, specifically competitive and toxic games such as TSB are gonna flock to Forsaken and misunderstand it entirely. From what I've seen, people who join Forsaken from those games see Forsaken as a competitive battle-type game, when in reality Forsaken is a survivors VS killers game.

Also, I've seen people from PCX bash on Forsaken too, one of my most recent examples is someone leaving the Forsaken fandom due to it's toxicity, and someone in the comments saying they should join the PCX fandom instead since they're leaving. It read very condescendingly and the best I could put it would be some religious person at your doorstep unannounced trying to indoctrinate you.

If you see someone leaving a certain fandom you don't like and you immediately start yelling at them, pointing at a flashy sign saying that they should instead join your "better" fandom is a really shitty move.

On the fandom side it's different, as when it comes to fandom it focuses on the characters and lore rather than the game. Some core aspects that happen in literally any fandom, not just "the bad ones" are; woobification, sexualization, mischaracterization, shipping, and unfortunately proshipping as much as I hate it.

Shipping is not a problem at all, and woobification is an internalized infantilization that's mainly irrational. Many people mistake shipping as a purely sexual thing, when in reality shipping is much more complex than that. I do not think they should fuck or kiss, they should be suffering intimately together and find comfort in the literal purgatory they're stuck in.

Mischaracterization is also something that happens with woobification, as woobification also causes mischaracterization and vice versa.

Elliot's mischaracterization makes him out to be a hotheaded individual who hates everyone, Two Time's mischaracterization either makes them out to be a twink who needs protecting or an insane foaming-at-the-mouth psychopath who would kill everyone, and 007n7's mischaracterization makes him a frail twink.

All of these are far from canon, when their actual personalities and lore are much deeper than that. I also think mischaracterization is also mixed with sexualization, as many artworks of Two Time that I've seen make them obviously sexualized and frankly make them look like a prostitute, with weirdly prominent boobs or thighs. It's not an issue if you give them a big chest or thighs, but it's an issue if you sexualize it.

Sexualization in fandom has been prominent ever since fandom began to exist, and it's not an issue unless it starts to intermingle with one's actual perception of a character. It's fine to say that 007n7 looks hot and that you'd fuck him, but it's an issue if you make that sexual aspect his entire being.

And of course, proshipping. I really do not like proshipping due to not just outside perception but also due to personal reasons that I will not disclose. Proshipping is an issue in my eyes, as even if it's fictional and "just pixels" it's still the romanticization of immoral things, and these things can also effect reality whether you like it or not.

I don't want to go on a whole rant about proshipping, but it's safe to say that every single fandom that you can think of has proshipping or just proshippers in it, and the Forsaken fandom as a whole do not support proshipping and you can even get banned in the discord and game for proshipping.

Also, have you ever heard of 007e7, as in the real person? You've likely heard that he left roblox due to a certain incident. So what happened? An adult proshipper made proship art of 007e7 and an actual minor and posted it in 007e7's discord server, which in turn made 007e7 leave the roblox community entirely. The Forsaken devs are supporting 007e7 and the victim due to this from what I've heard.

Something I know that's going on in the Forsaken fandom in a very specific part of it are a group of people trying to make the spawn cult a real thing, which is incredibly bad. There's a whole video going off of it if you're interested as I'm getting tired writing this. The Forsaken devs as well as the fandom absolutely do not support this, and you can get banned in both the discord and the game.

I presume as to why this is going on is due to Forsaken's large collection of neurodivergent, impressionable, and mentally unwell and unstable people. And I'm saying this as one myself. People like these often latch onto certain aspects of something they like and turn it into delusion.

I once did this with an older friend I once idolized and it was bad, but I eventually stopped interacting with them due to something they did. While my situation wasn't extreme, it was still pretty bad.

I feel sympathy to the people who are stuck in the spawn cult group, as it is incredibly toxic.

Now, for the Forsaken fans who confuse characters like c00lkidd, 007n7, or Shedletsky for their Forsaken counterparts. This is a smaller yet still prominent thing that's going on with some Forsaken fans, but it is slowly dying down.

This is when some people mistake characters outside of Forsaken like c00lkidd as a child. And this is also a similar issue to a general fandom issue, which is some people not just in the Forsaken fandom but also in other fandoms applying their own headcanons to characters or mistaking their own headcanons for canon. One of my examples are people saying that the Forsaken 1x1x1x1 is Shedletsky's child, when in reality 1x1x1x1 is the manifestation of Shedletsky's hatred, making their ship a mirrorship and not incest.

If you see a Forsaken fan who confuses a character like c00lkidd to be a child outside of Forsaken, such as hacker c00lkidd/007n7 or TR:UD c00lkidd, let them know that only the Forsaken c00lkidd is a child and that many of the versions of c00lkidd that are popular aren't. Forsaken c00lkidd and 007n7 as well as all the other roblox characters that aren't original are all just interpretations of them.

This is all why I believe research, both in-fandom lore research and outside general research is an incredibly good thing. I'm big for research and lore, as it both gives me more knowledge but also more content of them (and yaoi,) but not everyone does research and that can be a big problem. If you see anyone make mistakes like these for the love of god EDUCATE THEM INSTEAD OF HARASSING THEM.

Harassment does no good, it does not inform, it only drives them away and does the opposite of what you want them to do. If you harass a Forsaken fan for not knowing where Elliot was from, educate them and tell them that he came from Work At A Pizza Place. Do not call them newgen either.

I've been playing roblox since I was a tiny child, I was a WAAPP, NDS, and Normal Elevator diehard, but I didn't know who Elliot was, I didn't know who Stickmasterluke was or Shedletsky was.

I eventually found out who the main popular admins were over time, yet they were only a mere fraction of my memory as they weren't important to me. Hell, I've played Block Tales but cannot remember Shedletsky being in it. I cannot tell you how I found out about them since it was a gradual thing and I literally cannot remember when I discovered them. All I know is that I was and still am a big Stickmasterluke fan.

I didn't know who all the admins, hackers, myths, and mascots were the day I first touched roblox, I learned about them over time. I first discovered the Blox Watch through a speedpaint video, I remember hearing about c00lkidd a long time ago, I remember hearing about Guest 666, and that's all I remember.

Forsaken is what properly introduced me to them, and because of Forsaken I started researching on old roblox content.

Get a grip.

[cherrykpawp]

Heat // Ch 9

Rating: Explicit, Mature (M)

Pairings: Yunho x reader, Mingi x reader, San x reader. Mentions of Seonghwa, Yeosang, and Wooyoung

This chapter includes: hybrids, Afab!reader, reader-centric, slow burn, fluff, mutual pining, Dance instructor!Yunho, Owner!Yunho, Calico hybrid!reader, Black cat hybrid!San, Husky hybrid!Mingi, first experiences (outing), (very) slight alcohol consumption, closure

Taglist: @m-flowerjunnie-oa, @mrsminseochoi, @strawwff, @sunlight120902, @awkward-fucking-thing, @menialmoonchild, @jjongsho, @chanscase143, @lililiarina, @babyquokkasworld

W.C: 8.3k

It's been a week since your heat, and life has returned to normal. The only difference is the addition of affectionate touches and kisses—purely innocent gestures. Most of the time, they pressed them on your hands, cheeks, and forehead. But, there were moments of gentle osculation, when they’d steal a kiss from your lips—the sweetest pecks, but nothing more. You’ve also added photography to your daily routine, capturing moments that caught your eye. You have a growing collection of sleepy San pictures, Mingi focused while playing games, and playful shots of Yunho. 

They all took selfies on your phone so you’d have at least one proper picture of them, though you set the funnier ones as their contact photos. You shared them with Wooyoung and Yeosang, and in return, they’d send you images of Yunho, San, and Mingi—or themselves. Wooyoung often sent stunning selfies, proudly showing his beauty mark since he knew how much you loved it, while Yeosang would share candid shots of whatever he was doing currently. You preferred taking off-guard photos of them; they felt more authentic and raw.

You were lying on the living room couch alone, scrolling through the photos—organizing them, cropping a few here and there. Jongho had stopped by earlier for another vocal lesson, teaching you new techniques and breathing exercises before helping you with the next section of the song you were learning. Not only did you get to record him singing for you before he left, but he also shared a playlist someone made of all the songs he’s covered on YouTube—just in case you ever wanted to revisit them. You were convinced that Jongho’s voice was truly captivating, the kind that drew you in completely. You knew you needed to see him perform live—preferably with a full crowd.

Your ears twitched at the sound of the front door unlocking, and you sat up, eyes still glued to your phone. Yunho stepped in, hanging up his jacket and kicking off his shoes. When you realized it was him, you greeted him with a warm smile—and he returned it just as warmly.

“Welcome home. How was work?” You asked, setting your phone aside to give him your full attention.

Yunho strolled over to the dining table near the couch, sifting through the mail that had arrived earlier. “Busy, but fun. I missed dancing—and seeing everyone nail the choreography on the first try was a pleasant surprise.” 

“Is this a different choreography or the one for A/N?” You tilted your head in curiosity.

“Different. That one’s not scheduled for a little while.” Yunho discarded the unimportant envelopes on the table, heading to the couch. He rested his palms on the backrest, leaning forward slightly to look at you. “I was wondering while I was at work—have you ever wanted to go anywhere?”

You furrowed your eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” Yunho responded, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just feel guilty that you’re mostly indoors. I never really asked or considered whether you wanted to go out and visit somewhere.”

You took a moment to ponder. “I’ve always wanted to visit places—like I’ve seen in movies and TV shows. But it never dawned on me to actually go. I mean, I know I have clothes for specific occasions… I guess I was just waiting for an appropriate time.”

Yunho nodded, placing his hands on his hips. “If that’s the case, write down a list of all the things you’ve ever wanted to do—and we’ll do them,” he promised. “We can spread them out over the next few weeks, especially since I’ll be too busy to spend much time with you soon.”

The thought of him being busier and having less time for you brought a fleeting flicker of sadness, but it wasn’t like you’d never see him. You still had San and Mingi to keep you company, and they seemed used to this routine by now. There was nothing for you to worry about. 

“I’ll get to it then,” you beamed, pulling up your notes app.

Yunho left you alone in the living room to quickly wash up after a long day's work. You began brainstorming a list of activities you wanted to do, including some things you would never normally consider. But if they were there with you, you wouldn’t be afraid to try anything. Needing inspiration, you texted Yeosang and Wooyoung to ask them for their advice or recommendations. Wooyoung suggested an idea you never thought of, but after he explained the details, you found it equally intriguing. It seemed like a fun idea—one that could involve everyone.

Satisfied with your list, you padded quietly to Yunho’s room, knocking on the door. When you heard his voice inviting you in, you entered. Yunho was sitting on the edge of his bed, pulling down the hem of his shirt. His hair was freshly washed and blow-dried, looking incredibly homey.

“You’re done?” he asked, patting a spot on the bed beside him.

You gladly took the seat next to him and handed him the tablet. “Yeah., Wooyoung and Yeosang helped me with some ideas—I actually don’t have that much I want to do,” you admitted with a shrug.

Yunho furrowed his eyebrows as he studied the screen, carefully reading the list. He saw what you had written: restaurant, amusement park, karaoke, arcade, and photoshoot. Then his eyes moved to the next section: princess role play, celebrating our birthdays, and a solo day with Yunho.

“We can probably do the first few things tomorrow, if you like,” Yunho said, glancing over the list again. “However, it’s still winter—almost spring—I don’t think we will be able to go to the amusement park until it gets warmer, I’m afraid,” he added apologetically. “However, there’s a winter festival happening this week. It has snacks, arcade games, and even a few rides, if that sounds good to you.”

“I should’ve considered the weather,” you hummed in acknowledgment. “But I’d love to go to a festival—anything, as long as it’s with the three of you.”

Yunho smiled. “I’m off for the next two days, and San and Mingi haven’t been to the festival in about two years—I’m sure they’d want to go too.” He paused, gripping his chin with a puzzled countenance as he read the rest of the suggestions. “What do you mean by Princess role play?”

“That one was Wooyoung’s idea,” you defended, quickly clearing up any confusion. ���He told Seonghwa to prepare outfits for you, San, and Mingi that match a ‘Prince’ theme. He also wants to be involved, along with Yeosang, so I assume you’ll all be wearing ‘Prince’ outfits.” Even though it had been Wooyoung’s suggestion, you wondered what it would be like, too.

Yunho chuckled. “Sounds like that plan’s set in stone—so I can’t tell him or Seonghwa no. And knowing Seonghwa, he’ll definitely enable him. He loves this kind of thing too.” 

“I also wanted to celebrate our birthdays together, since they’re close,” you added, your tail wrapping around your arm as excitement bubbled up at the thought of all the upcoming outings.

“Any place in particular?”

Pausing, you chose something none of them would likely expect. “A bar or club.”

Yunho’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

You nodded. “I never experienced drinking. It’s something I always wanted to try.”

Yunho hasn’t been out to a bar or club in quite a while. Frankly, he rarely drank at all; that was more of a pastime for the hybrids when the mood struck them.

But for you, he’ll do anything.

“Then a club it is,” Yunho affirmed with confidence. “You also mentioned a solo day with just us?”

“Just us,” you repeated softly. “Of course, I’d love to involve San and Mingi—most of these plans, I’d love for them to come along,” you reassured Yunho. “But I’d also really like to spend a day with just you. Doing whatever you want. As long as it’s with you, especially before I start seeing you less.”

Yunho’s eyes softened. “That’s understandable. I won’t be gone for too long, and I’ll ensure to keep you updated with everything when it happens.” It stung a little for Yunho. Knowing you’re already preparing outings together before he’s suffocated by his work. But at the same time, he found it endearing—how thoughtful and intentional you were being with your time together. 

“Oh! I also don’t know any nice restaurants, so I wanted you to pick one. That’s the only thing I need help with,” you elaborated, feeling satisfied with your ideas.

Yunho hummed in understanding. “Is there anything you don’t like to eat?”

You shook your head. “I don’t think I’m picky. Anything’s fine.”

“Then it’s settled,” he said, handing the tablet back, assuming you’d probably return to YouTube. “We’ve got plans for tomorrow. I’ll let the boys know.”

~~

It was the next day, and you were more excited than anything—it was your first proper day out with everyone. You had spent the night figuring out an outfit for the winter festival, since you’d never been before. Opting for a more casual look, you chose a pair of black baggy jeans with embroidered pockets, a plain gray t-shirt that fit you just right, some Converse, and an oversized cardigan to wear under your coat. It didn’t seem practical to wear anything extravagant to a winter festival. From what you’d seen in movies and shows, it’s mostly a walking and exploring activity. 

Heading to your shared bathroom, you decided to do a bit of pampering. You took the time to style your hair the way your old owner had taught you, adding subtle waves to your hair for a more casual yet put-together look. This was followed by a bit of mascara and lip tint—nothing too crazy. Once satisfied with your outfit and appearance, you went downstairs, still excited to see if anyone else was ready. 

Seeing no one downstairs yet made you curious. You walked up to San’s door and knocked to see if he was in. After about five seconds, he opened the door, his ears twitching when he saw you. He stood before you in black slacks, derby shoes with minimal elevation, and a tank top. His hair fell over his forehead, while his tail and ears shared the same healthy sheen and silkiness.

“Well, you look pretty as always,” San said suavely, leaning against his door frame. “I love what you did with your hair—make-up too.”

You playfully flicked your hair behind your shoulder. “Why, thank you. It’s my first time going out in a while, so I decided to put a little effort in,” you explained honestly. “You look handsome yourself.”

“Coming from you, that’s high praise,” San replied, stepping away from the door frame to let you in. “I’ve been having a hard time choosing what to wear for our evening plans. Do you mind helping me?”

Walking over to his bed, you noticed he had three turtlenecks laid out. The only problem was that they were all black—there wasn’t much variety to select from.

“Can I be honest?” you began softly.

Sam squinted at the turtlenecks, examining each one. “Yes, but I feel like I should be worried.”

“They’re all pretty much the same…” His ears drooped at your words, so you quickly clarified. “I just don’t know what’s different about them.”

“One’s thicker, one has a longer neck, and one is a knit zip-up,” San answered casually, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m trying to figure out which would go well with my slacks…”

Any one of them would suit the slacks, to be honest. “The knit one. If you wear the thicker one, you might get too hot. Plus, the zip-up adds more texture to your outfit,” you said, holding it up to his torso, imagining how it would look. “Yeah, this one.” San’s outfit looked incredibly sophisticated yet charming.

San took the sweater from you, giving you a sweet smile. “Thank you for helping. If you’d like to stay, you can—but I’m almost ready.”

You rubbed his back gently. “I’d love to, but I’m going to check if Yunho and Mingi are ready.” Your ear brushed against his shoulder, tickling him slightly. “I’ll see you out in the living room soon.”

San nodded, sending an air peck your way as you left his room.

As you stepped into the hallway, you spotted Mingi sitting on the couch, already fully dressed. He wore a black tee tucked into his khaki cargo pants, topped with a brown leather jacket that had black accents on the pockets, collar, and down the outside of the sleeves. In true Mingi fashion, his fingers were adorned with rings, and he wore a matching necklace and belt, remarkably stylish.

When he saw you approach the living room, he sat up straighter, his ears perked high on his head. He gestured for you to come closer, holding his hands out. You gladly took them, rubbing your thumbs along the rings.

Mingi examined your face closely. “You look stunning today.”

You tilted your head. “Only today?”

“Today, yesterday, tomorrow. Always—with or without makeup or your hair styled,” Mingi proclaimed without hesitation, sincerity written all over his face. “Are you looking forward to today?”

“Yes, actually. I’ve never been to a festival before, so everything will be new to me.”

This seemed to surprise Mingi; the confusion on his face made you assume that Yunho hadn’t told him. “Is that so?”

“I’ve only seen videos and movies,” you said, reminiscing about the ones you watched with your previous owner. “I know there’s popcorn and those swirly potato things, but I also know there are different merchants selling different items, and games with prizes. There are a variety of festivals too.”

“This one happens annually. San and I haven’t been there in a few years,” Mingi replied, his tail wagging behind him, just as excited. “Hopefully, the Tteokbokki lady is still there. Her stall is the best, in my opinion.”

Just then, Yunho came down the stairs, adjusting the sleeves of his outfit. He wore a black mock neck, a slightly oversized brown bomber jacket, and washed-out black denim jeans. 

“Are we ready?” Yunho called out through the house. Seeing that only you and Mingi were in the living room, he realized San was the only one missing. “San-ah?”

As if summoned, San emerged from his room wearing the turtleneck you recommended. “Now I am.”

“Great,” Yunho huffed. “It’s going to get colder tonight, so please—even if it seems redundant—put on a heavier coat over whatever you’re already wearing. And please, wear a scarf. I doubt any of you want to end up sick.”

Mingi stood up from the couch, gently letting go of your hands. “I don’t think I’ll be that cold. Plus, I’m usually hot.”

“And you’ll be the first one asking for a hot pack—put on the coat and scarf,” Yunho scolded playfully, scowling at the husky hybrid. Mingi couldn’t argue back, mostly because it was true.

As the three of you put on your coats and scarves, Yunho called a cab service to take you there. A sudden thought came to your mind.

“Wait… are there usually hybrids there? I don’t exactly want to be the odd one out,” you asked with genuine curiosity.

“Of course. There are even hybrids working there sometimes,” San confirmed, zipping up your jacket for you. “And besides, if it were strange, you wouldn’t be the only odd one out.”

Hearing that comforted you. While there are still people who find the concept of hybrids strange, most are accepting. The thought that there might be others at the festival made you excited to see all the different species that could be there.

Once you stepped out the door, you took a deep breath of the crisp late winter air. It’s been a while since you’ve been outside. The only times recently were to answer the door for Jongho, who came by earlier for another vocal lesson, and for Hongjoong, the day after your heat ended.

A van was waiting outside for the four of you, engine still running. You instinctively shifted closer to Yunho, making sure this was the right vehicle—it was. You climbed in and took the window seat, eager to watch the world go by and how much it had changed. Yunho sat beside you, while San and Mingi took the seats across. Soon after, the van drove off.

Pulling out his wallet, Yunho handed everyone some money to splurge at the festival, just in case they wanted to stray off and do their own thing. Turns out, he’d been setting it aside for nights like this, wanting everyone to fully enjoy the experience. San and Mingi started talking about the last time they were there, looking forward to the food more than anything else.

Meanwhile, you wanted to explore everything—but you especially wanted to win a prize of some sort, like you see in movies. Maybe not a goldfish, but even that would be cool.

The drive took about forty minutes. You realized you were slowly approaching when you began to see colorful lights and heard the sound of live music, mixed with laughter and muffled conversations. 

Once the van pulled up to the curb, you stepped out and were immediately met with the enticing aromas from nearby food vendors. But what truly grabbed your attention was the music. It pulled at you almost. 

Yunho wrapped his scarf a little tighter around his neck before looking down at you. “Ready?” 

You held onto his arm and nodded as you entered the festival together.

Behind you, you could hear San and Mingi pointing out new things they hadn’t seen before, making you glance back at what they were referring to. As you walked, you noticed hybrids all around—some working food stands or arcade games, others simply enjoying the festival with friends and loved ones. 

You took pictures of the sights that caught your eye: the glowing lights, the bustling vendor tables, and even a few off-guard shots of the three of them.

The first place you settled on was a merchant stall selling all types of jewelry and trinkets. Without warning, you gently lured Yunho along with you, and he chuckled at your eagerness.

“Hello, pretty kitty,” the older woman greeted you warmly. You gave a small bow and returned the greeting with a quiet ‘hello’. “Looking for anything in particular, or are you just browsing?”

“I’m just browsing. It’s my first time here,” you replied with a smile. She looked so cozy, bundled up in her coat and seated comfortably inside her tent. 

“Please, let me know if you need any assistance,” she added kindly, before leaving you to tend to other guests.

You browsed through the displays of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, trying to figure out what Yunho, San, and Mingi might like. Beside you, Yunho examined some trinkets, studying them like he was choosing a gift for someone as well.

“Yunho, do you like jewelry?” you asked, wanting to be sure before buying him something he might not wear.

“I do. Not often, but when I do, it’s usually simple pieces. Unless it’s for a dance stage—then I don’t have much of a say.” He held up two small figures, showing you the trinkets. “Do you think Yeosang and Wooyoung would like these?”

One of the trinkets looked familiar—a little Gryffindor statue from ‘Harry Potter’, a favorite series of your previous owner and Wooyoung. You remembered him raving about it for hours during your last video chat. You assumed the tiny, airplane-looking object was for Yeosang.

“What’s that?” You asked, referring to it.

“It’s a drone—it flies with a remote control. But this one doesn’t fly, it seems,” Yunho said, examining it closely. “Yeosang has a few drones that he flies sometimes. I thought this one was comically tiny, and he could keep it as a decoration in his room.”

Well, that made sense to you. “I think they’ll love them. It’s a gift from you, anyway.”

Yunho scrunched his nose slightly, appreciating the compliment. He made his way over to the merchant to purchase the trinkets, while you finally settled on what you wanted to gift them. 

You chose a ring for Mingi, a necklace for San, and a bracelet for Yunho. Mingi loves rings, so that was an easy decision. San was often in tank tops, and you thought a necklace would complement his frame well. As for Yunho, a bracelet seemed like a simple, everyday piece he could wear if he wanted.

However, when you went to pay for it, the merchant respectfully refused it. Your ears went down, perplexed. “It’s your first time here. Enjoy the festival.”

“O-oh, thank you then, miss.” You bowed to her again, bidding her farewell before meeting up with Yunho, who waited for you. “She didn’t let me pay for these…” You said, a bit surprised as you held up the small bag.

Yunho shrugged. “Maybe she was feeling generous. But hey, at least you still have some extra on you.”

You glanced around, scanning the crowd. “Where did San and Mingi go?”

Yunho turned both of you around, pointing toward a brightly lit Tteokbokki stall. “Last time they were here, they almost cleared the poor woman’s entire supply,” he said, watching as San and Mingi chatted animatedly with the vendor, their tails swaying with excitement. “I had to drag them away.”

The mental image made you giggle. They were always this silly. “Is it honestly that good?”

Mingi, meanwhile, seemed to be scanning the festival grounds, squinting as he searched for you. He really should’ve brought his glasses. When his eyes finally landed on you, he lit up and left San at the stall, making his way over with a small tray of Tteokbokki in hand. 

“This is the stall I was talking about—you have to try it,” Mingi implored, stabbing one of the rice cakes with a toothpick and offering it to you. 

You gladly took a bite, chewing thoughtfully before your eyebrows pulled together in exaggerated outrage. “How is this so good?”

“Right?!” he exclaimed, offering one to Yunho as well. 

As Mingi and Yunho bickered—Yunho voicing he did not wish for a repeat of last time—you walked over to where San sat, quietly enjoying his Tteokbokki. You stood beside him and gave him a small nudge. When he looked up at you, he silently stabbed a piece with his toothpick and offered it to you. You leaned in and ate it without hesitation.

“You like it?” he asked, and you nodded. 

Your gaze shifted to the famed stall vendor. She was extremely attractive, with a warm smile and a beautiful ring on her finger—she’s married. “Do you want more?”

You shook your head. “It’s great, but I’m craving something to drink.”

San spun in his seat, examining the festival thoughtfully. “There are fruit juices, hot chocolate, tea…”

“Hot chocolate sounds great right about now,” you thought, imagining how warm and sweet it would feel against the cold. 

San finished his last bit of food, stood up, and adjusted his long trench coat. “Let’s go.”

The two of you walked to the nearest hot chocolate stand, noticing that it was run by two people—one of whom appeared to be a hybrid.

The young man running the stand greeted you first. “Welcome. What can I help you with tonight?”

“Two hot chocolates, please,” San ordered with a dimpled smile. Once he entered it into the machine, San paid and stepped to the side with you to wait for the drinks. 

But something about the hybrid working behind him seemed oddly familiar. You hadn’t seen their face yet, and you couldn’t catch their scent, given the heavy mix of perfumes, food, pheromones, and smoke from cooking. It wasn’t until your drinks were ready that you finally realized who it was.

“Two hot chocolates for— oh…” The male cat hybrid suddenly became withdrawn. ”Two hot chocolates for San…”

You took one of the cups in your hand, letting the warmth seep into your fingers. The situation didn’t go unnoticed by San as he took his. 

“How have you been? It’s been a while…” the male hybrid inquired, glancing between you and San. He thought San was incredibly handsome—extremely well-built, too—with a stunning coat on his ears and tail that seemed to bring light to the darkness of the night. He thought the two of you looked great together.

“Fine. Perfect, actually,” you tapped the sides of your cup, unsure of what to say next. “And yourself?”

He shrugged. “Could be better. Living day by day…”

The silence and tension in the air felt claustrophobic, San could feel it deeply as he sipped his drink slowly. Maybe the guy was a friend from your previous clinic. From his perspective, you didn’t seem to have any animosity—nor did the other guy. Had you had a falling out?

Thankfully, the silence was finally broken when the younger man called the hybrid for the next few orders. The cat hybrid gave you a silent wave goodbye, allowing you to move on from the stall. 

You finally took a sip of the hot chocolate—it was more delightful than you’d expected.

“This is lovely,” you purred at the warm sensation spreading through your body with each sip. The sweet creaminess of the hot chocolate brought you sheer bliss.

“It is… but what was that about?” San’s ear flicked in curiosity.

The two of you walked along the path lined with other vendors. “He was my first heat hotel experience.”

San abruptly stopped in his tracks. “Really?” He glanced back, scanning every detail of the hybrid's face. The two of you walked along the path lined with other vendors. “He was my first heat hotel experience. “Did he make you uncomfortable?”

“No… he’s not a bad guy, he just wasn’t… great either,” you said with a shrug, swirling your cup. “I’m sure there’s someone else out there who might want him, but he wasn’t for me. It was probably awkward because of what I told him the last time I saw him.”

“Oh? What was that?” San sipped his drink with curiosity. 

You chuckled to yourself, taking a slow sip. “Some things are just better left unsaid, unfortunately. I don’t want to hurt his feelings—especially if he’s not even listening.”

San let it rest, deciding not to press the issue. He noticed a bit of hot chocolate and whipped cream on your lip. Raising his index and middle finger phalanx, he gently pressed them to your lips to wipe it away. Then, bringing those fingers to his mouth, he kissed the spot where your lips had touched. The sudden romantic gesture made your face flush, a natural blush blooming on your cheeks.

“At least I know it’s transfer-proof,” San noted, referring to your lip tint that stayed on despite the hot chocolate.

As you continued walking with San, an arcade stand caught your eye. It was a familiar attraction, often seen in films: the balloon darts.

“Can we do that, please?” you asked, tugging his jacket sleeve. 

How could he say no when you were so intrigued? It just so happened to be a two-player game anyway, for safety measures. You both paid for your turns and collected the darts to throw. For each balloon popped, the size of your prize increased. You were determined to win—mainly because you wanted the big, fluffy purple bear you saw. You only needed to pop five balloons to win it. 

Once the merchant blew his whistle, you and San started throwing the darts, hoping to at least get three.

By the time you threw your last dart, you’d only managed to pop two, while San had popped four. One dart even popped two by accident, but it still counted. That made him the winner. You were happy for him regardless, clapping and cheering him on.

“Which one do you want?” he asked, looking at the prize selection.

“But you won,” you frowned.

“I know,” he smiled, his tail swaying behind him. “But I don’t need one. I was planning on giving you mine regardless. Please, choose.”

You picked the smaller version of the purple bear, pleased with your prize. You thanked the vendor and wrapped your arm around San’s as you continued walking.

“It's so pretty too, a gorgeous purple,” you commented, holding the plushie tightly in your other arm. “Thank you again. It was probably better that I didn’t get the bigger one, since we’re going to a restaurant after this.”

“They’d have to charge it as an extra guest if we did,” San said with a quip, making you laugh. “And you’re welcome.” 

You stopped by more vendors selling trinkets, deciding to buy something for Seonghwa, Yeosang, and Wooyoung as gifts. San helped you pick out items they might like, especially for Seonghwa. You felt like he deserved something extravagant, given how elegant he was. But San informed you that Seonghwa genuinely loves Legos and builds them during his free time. So, when you spotted a Lego set for tiny and medium plants, you had to get it. One of these days, you’ll drop it off.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” San asked, hands deep in his pockets, as you continued walking around.

“Thoroughly,” you replied, carrying the bag of items in your hand. “I never imagined that I’d ever come here. It seemed too distant.”

Even something as simple as a festival brought you joy, but San couldn’t help frowning, his expression tinged with sadness. When you glanced up at him, he quickly replaced it with another dimpled smile, not wanting you to worry. 

“We can do whatever you like from now on. Just say the word,” he promised, reaching for the bag you were carrying to hold it himself. 

Coincidentally, both of you bumped into Yunho and Mingi, who were playing a BB gun game where you shoot out a red star. Yunho was thoroughly entertained, exclaiming enthusiastically when he managed to carve it out. You and San stood behind them, watching in silence as it was Mingi’s turn. Except… Mingi…

“You missed…” Yunho started, standing in disbelief.

“Every single one,” San finished, stifling a laugh. It made Yunho and Mingi flinch slightly, surprised by your sudden appearance. 

Mingi squinted at San. “When did you even get here?”

“Just now. Y/n bought some things, and we bumped into you. Watched you lose too.”

You showed them your prize with exuberance. “San won this for me.”

Mingi shook his head. “I can’t accept this.” He was in denial, trying the same game again, determined to win something for you as well.

Yunho sighed, collecting his prize. “He’s been at this for three rounds now. There are so many other games out there.” He handed you his prize as well. It was a small, pink, round character with hot pink shoes and tiny arms. “This is Kirby, I’m sure you’ve seen him when the boys play their games.”

And you had, though you just never remembered his name. You’d often heard San complain about that character when they fought other people online—something about stealing powers and how it was unfair. 

“Thank you,” now you have two more plushies for your bed. 

Out of nowhere, you heard Mingi cheer, thinking he had finally won the game. That was until the vendor fully examined it and realized there was still a bit of red left on the star. 

“Hyung, please,” Mingi beseeched, trying to reason with the vendor, but the vendor was adamant that he had lost. His head hung low, along with his ears. “Sorry, I couldn’t get you one.”

You rubbed his arm, consoling him. “There’s no need to apologize. It’s just a plushie,” you reassured him. “Plus, there are many other games.”

“I know, but they’re closing up soon. I wanted to get you something before we left,” Mingi exhaled deeply. It wasn’t like there was anything he could do now.

“Unfortunately, I looked at the wrong time schedule. I should’ve made us come by a little earlier,” Yunho furrowed his brows. “Sorry if it wasn’t what you expected.”

”I had an amazing time, what do you mean?” you stated truthfully. “I got to spend time with the three of you, play, eat, and just enjoy being outside again. I had more fun than you think.” Reaching into your pocket, you pulled out the smaller bag containing their gifts. “And I bought gifts.”

One by one, you gave them their designated pieces of jewelry, which they admired deeply. They were handmade pieces by the vendor herself, but you had put a lot of thought into which designs they’d like and chose them carefully.

“You don’t have to wear them now, but I wanted to get you all something,” you said proudly as you watched Mingi remove one of his favorite rings to slip yours on. Yunho and San followed, clipping on their jewelry pieces. 

“I’m going to wear this every day,” San said suddenly, his tone serious as he tucked the necklace under his jacket.

Yunho admired the simplicity of the bracelet and its beautiful metalwork. “This is gorgeous. Thank you.”

“Of course, of course,” you replied, waving off the compliments, though you felt like you might pass out under their endearing stares.

“I didn’t get you anything, and you still managed to get something for me. I promise I’ll find something you’ll like,” Mingi declared with conviction.

“You don’t have to… but cuddling seems lovely, doesn’t it?”

Suddenly, Mingi looked completely reenergized.

~~

All four of you finally arrived at the restaurant Yunho had chosen. A table had already been reserved, waiting for you. You slid into the corner of the booth, with San sitting beside you, while Mingi and Yunho settled across from you, removing their jackets. San took your bags and gifts, placing them beside him to give you more space to move around comfortably. 

As everyone sat and browsed the menus, you couldn’t help but admire the setting of the restaurant. The chandeliers cast a soft, sultry amber glow, creating a cozy ambiance throughout the space. From certain angles, the light glimmered gently, adding a touch of elegance.

Across the room, a bar stretched along the far wall, where people—some couples—sat chatting and indulging in each other's company. If you squinted, you could make out a few hybrids among the guests, and even some working as waiters, gracefully serving the guests. 

The seats were made of sturdy leather. You couldn’t tell the exact color due to the dim lighting, but you could only assume a dark brown, framed with deep reddish wood that held everything together. On your table, a small candle flickered with a soft flame. It smelled of vanilla—a scent that has become your favorite. You couldn’t help but take pictures of everything, sending them to Yeosang and Wooyoung.

“Hello, may I help you all with a drink to start?” A male waiter, dressed in slacks, a buttoned-down shirt, and a vest, approached the table with his hands behind his back.

“Yes, I’ll take a glass of red wine, please,” Yunho said with a gentle smile, then returned to browsing the menu.

“I’d like a glass of beer, please,” Mingi added.

You briefly glanced at the drink options, having not looked at them earlier. One caught your eye—a drink you’d often seen characters order in movies. You decided that you’d try it.

“A Shirley Temple, please.” You weren’t quite sure what it tasted like, but its sweet, scarlet appearance made it seem inviting.

“Virgin or dirty?” The waiter asked, jotting it down on his notepad.

You didn’t know whether to be offended or confused by the question. “Uhh… virgin?” you replied, hesitant.

The waiter simply hummed in acknowledgement and turned to San. “I’ll take a ginger ale, thank you.”

With a polite bow, the waiter left the table to prepare your drinks.

You leaned over to San, whispering in his ear, “What did he mean by virgin or dirty?”

Remembering that you’ve never had alcohol before, San couldn’t help the amused smile that tugged at his lips. “Virgin means without alcohol, dirty means with alcohol.”

You mentally facepalmed for looking clueless. Hopefully, no one else at the table caught on to your naivety. “I knew that…” you muttered.

“Did you now?” San raised his eyebrows, his ears flicking with amusement.

“Yes,” you insisted—though you obviously didn’t. Every time they mentioned Shirley Temple in movies, you couldn’t recall anyone ever asking how the character wanted it. 

San patted your knee before turning his attention to the menu. You finally looked at yours as well, realizing just how hungry you were. Everything looked delicious—both from the descriptions and the pictures—yet you still couldn’t decide. You even tried peering over at what the other guests were eating, but it didn’t help. You still couldn’t tell what was what.

The waiter returned with the drinks, setting them down in front of each of you before pulling out his notepad again to take the orders. Yunho ordered an appetizer and salad for the table to share, then placed his order, followed by Mingi and San. Everything they chose sounded amazing—you might just steal a nibble or two. 

When it came to you, you settled for a lobster risotto, since you loved seafood. 

The male waiter collected the menus off the table and left once more, informing you that it should be ready in about twenty minutes.

You took a sip of the bright red drink, it was sweet and refreshing—almost addictive. 

“I wish we could make this at home,” you expressed aloud, not necessarily directing it at anyone in particular.

“We can—it’s only about three ingredients,” Yunho said, swirling his wine. He brought the glass to his nose, taking in the aroma before sipping lightly.

Curious about how wine tasted, you found yourself staring at his glass—and the way his fingers delicately held the stem. “May I… try some?”

Yunho nodded, carefully sliding the glass across the table to you. “It’s an acquired taste,” he warned with a soft smile, “so it’s understandable if you don’t like it.”

Taking that into consideration, you brought the glass to your nose and gave it a cautious sniff. Your tail lowered behind you, uncertain about the strong aroma that lingered beneath the fruity notes—but you sipped it anyway. 

It was undoubtedly acquired, alright. You weren’t sure if you liked it or disliked it. It was strong, slightly bitter, with a sweet finish that confused your palate. After a moment of indecision, you were confident that you didn’t want another sip, handing the glass back to Yunho.

Yunho chuckled, idly playing with the neck of the glass. “You’d have to get used to it. Of course, only if you choose to.”

Your gaze shifted to Mingi’s beer. Your ears twitched slightly as you watched him take a swig. He noticed you eyeing him—and his drink—and set the glass down on the table with a curious smile.

“You’re not going to like it—wine is tamer,” Mingi warned you, carding his fingers through his hair.

“You don’t know that,” you replied, though your tone held a hint of doubt, yet it couldn’t hurt to try.

Mingi slid the glass closer to you, gesturing to it. “By all means.”

You gladly took it, smelling this one too. There wasn’t a trace of sweetness in the scent; instead,  it had a sharp, acidic bite to it. Still, you took a sip—and immediately grimaced as you swallowed.

It was far more bitter than the wine, and lacked the sweetness of both your and Yunho’s combined. You weren’t a fan. Out of the two, you preferred the wine.

Mingi took the glass back from you, placing a hand over his chest as he cooed at your reaction. “I told you.”

You cleansed your palate with the Shirley Temple. “My goodness, does all alcohol taste like this?” You were suddenly rethinking your idea of going to a club for your birthday.

“No,” San chimed in. “There are better ones out there—sweeter ones,” he added, sensing your doubt. You found it hard to believe, especially since the wine had smelled sweet. “Fruitier, smoother options exist. But some people genuinely like the more bitter end of the spectrum.”

You sighed, realizing you had a lot to learn when it came to drinks. Still, it didn’t seem like something you’d dabble in often—maybe just socially. 

“Well, that’s what I get for being curious.” There was a lingering warmth from the alcohol, settling steadily in your chest.

San giggled. He felt the same way, especially since he’d done the same thing when he first tried alcohol. “It’s in our nature.”

Soon after, the food arrived. The savory aroma instantly made your mouth water—you were ready to devour everything. Before digging in, you took a picture of everyone’s dishes together. Then you served yourself a bit of the side salad to go with your risotto.

“I see you picked up photography,” Yunho noted, slicing a portion of his steak. “What made you suddenly want to?”

You played with your food, vaguely answering Yunho’s question. “For memories,” which was the truth. You saved the sentimental for later because you wanted to enjoy yourself tonight after a long while of being in your head. “I also like taking pictures of all of you, documenting my favorite characteristics.”

“Maybe next time, I can model for you,” San teased, lightly tapping you with his tail as he ate.

When you finally tasted the risotto, it was unlike anything you’d had before—literally. The texture was rich, creamy, velvety, with a buttery base that melted on your tongue. The lobster was remarkably fresh and plump, without the slightest trace of that overpowering fishiness some seafood carried. You were living right now. 

Mingi cut a piece of his steak, considering he and Yunho ordered the same entrée, and placed it on your plate to try.

“They taste amazing together,” Mingi said confidently—and you believed him.

You added a bit of risotto to the piece of steak and took a bite. Setting your fork down, you shook your head in disbelief. Maybe you were exaggerating… or maybe you were just that hungry—but everything tasted so good, it could’ve brought a tear to your eye. 

“This was a great restaurant choice,” you said, boosting Yunho’s ego just a little. 

Watching the plans fall into place so perfectly made his heart warm. 

You ate, talked, and shared your meals with another. Yunho and Mingi had gotten another refill of their drinks, sipping slowly as they digested. The conversation drifted to plans of returning to the festival before it ended—checking out the vendors you’d missed and trying the games you hadn’t gotten to yet. 

Mingi was especially adamant about bringing you the biggest plushie they had, especially since you wouldn’t be heading to a restaurant afterward. He was also looking forward to cuddling with you once you reached home. 

As the chatter continued, you politely excused yourself to the restroom to wash your hands, following the posted signs. In the mirror, you were relieved to see your hair still in place. You applied a touch more lip tint to revive the color, blending it with your ring finger. You also took a moment to smooth out the fur of your ears and tail, just enough to feel more put-together before returning to the table.

On your way back, you passed by a nearby table—your steps faltering when you heard a familiar name. One you hadn’t heard in a while. 

You were going to keep walking… until you heard his voice.

It was unmistakable. It was truly him. You were almost certain.

Glancing over your shoulder, you saw him—your old owner's grandson. He was seated at a nearby table, surrounded by what you thought was his wife and grandchildren. 

Seeing him again after the last few months broke your heart. His hair had grown grayer, and though he looked genuinely content with his family, you could still see the subtle tinge of sadness in his eyes. 

You realized too late that you’d been staring. Long enough for him to notice—long enough for your eyes to meet. You should’ve walked away when you had the chance. But instead, you froze in place.

“Y/n?” he called softly. He still remembered your name. That was nice…

Your ears flattened instinctively against your head as you finally faced him, your tail curling protectively around your waist. You gave an awkward, meek bow in greeting, feeling like you were intruding on a private family moment. He whispered something to his wife before rising from his seat and walking toward you. 

“I’m so glad to know that you’re still okay,” he frowned, even as relief filled him. “I was worried sick about you after you ran off. Why did you run?”

You hesitated. There was no easy way to explain it without sounding foolish, but you answered it anyway. “I didn’t want to be brought back… to the clinic. So I left.”

He shook his head, exhaling gently. “You silly girl,” he murmured, pulling you into a hug and rubbing your back. “I haven’t seen you in months… I searched everywhere for you.”

Meanwhile, back at the table, Yunho finished off his second glass of wine, pushing the empty glass aside with a light clink. He checked the time, his brows furrowing slightly. You’d been gone longer than expected. At first, he assumed you were just touching up or taking your time. But as several minutes passed, he thought you might’ve gotten lost or something. 

“Um, Hyung,” Mingi got Yunho’s attention, nodding toward the direction you’d gone. San also peered over, all of them now observing the interaction unfolding between you and an older man. “Who is that?”

Yunho tilted his head slightly, trying to figure out if he knew the male himself. “I have no idea. Maybe he’s asking her—” His words cut off the moment he saw the man pull you into a hug.

 Yunho almost stood up, ready to intervene—until he saw you hug the man back. 

“I see…” he murmured, receding into his seat.

San’s ears twitched slightly. “Do you know who he is?” 

“No, but I can only make an educated guess,” Yunho said, his acumen allowing him to analyze the situation quickly. “We should give them a moment.”

“She’s bumping into everyone today, huh?” San remarked, resting his chin in his palm as he continued watching you. 

Yunho wore a puzzled expression. “What do you mean?” 

Mingi mirrored his confusion, his ears perked to the sky.

San leaned back in his seat. “While we were walking around the festival, we stopped for hot chocolate. One of the people running the stand turned out to be her first heat hotel experience.” San elaborated, voice getting softer. “It was something… just shows how small the world is.”

Mingi sat up straighter, moving his empty glass aside. “What happened? Did she say anything about him? Was he being weird?” he inquired.

San shook his head. “No, he seemed more like an introverted guy. Kind of shy. As for what she said, she didn’t want to talk about it. Just said some things were better left unspoken.” 

Yunho and Mingi quietly respected your wishes, even if curiosity poked at them.

They watched as you slowly let go of the older man, turning to glance over at the table they were sitting at, gesturing to them from where you stood. Yunho waved at both of you, and San and Mingi followed suit, though they were still a bit confused about the unknown man. The older man waved back politely, reassuring that he meant no harm.

“Well, I shouldn’t keep you,” the older male patted your back. “You’ve found your new family now.” He offered a warm, if slightly wistful, smile. “But please… keep in touch. You can visit us—and visit Grandma’s grave sometimes. You have my number.”

“I will, I promise.” There was a slight glossiness in your eyes, catching the chandelier’s warm light. “Please, stay healthy. And…  I’m sorry for giving you so much trouble for these last few months.”

He waved it off. “My heart can finally rest now. I’m just glad you’re still with us.”

Hearing his words tugged at your heartstrings, especially with your mental state at the time Yunho found you. If you had gone through with your plans back then, he would’ve never known what happened to you. He would’ve spent the rest of his life wondering, weighed down by regret. 

That thought alone made your chest tighten.

You gave him one last, long hug goodbye. You could visit him, but you weren’t ready yet. 

Everything still felt like an open wound that was just beginning to heal. Still, you knew in your heart that you were going to see him and Grandma again. When you were ready

As you walked back, your head stayed low, discreetly wiping away the tears threatening to fall. 

Yunho had told San and Mingi to look away, to act like they hadn’t seen anything—hoping to spare you any discomfort. But their acting skills were… less than convincing. You stood in front of the table, fingers nervously playing with the hem of your shirt.

“Um… I’m ready to go home now,” you said softly, your voice catching with a small sniffle. “If that’s alright.” 

Yunho's expression softened into a frown. “Of course. We can leave now. But… are you okay?”

You greeted them with a genuine smile, eyes still glassy with unshed tears. At a glance, it may have looked like sadness, but you were genuinely filled with happiness. 

You loved your new life. You loved that your old owner's grandson didn’t resent you for leaving. Instead, he understood and sympathized with your choice. After you opened up and cleared the air, he told you that, in your place, he would’ve done the same. So no… these weren’t tears of grief.

They were tears of peace.

“I couldn’t be any better.”

[zorilleerrant]

Well, I can't speak for everyone, but a lot of my complaints aren't any of the ones listed here, so I thought I might run through a few of them. First and foremost is the fact that chatgpt etc. don't work. They don't do the thing they're supposed to do.

Machine translation, while wonky, has consistently gotten better since its introduction, and tends to translate the gist of what's being said. It's not always entirely right, but the ways in which it's wrong are noticeable and fixable to a professional translator, whereas the inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the chatbots can take professionals in that field hours to track down and either correct or debunk (as seen with, say, false legal cases).

Similarly, text-to-speech pronounces most words correctly, and even incorrectly pronounced words are identifiable. Mispellings are also identifiable when read allowed, and capture much of the same nuance as intended when written. And while the various anti-AI art tools apparently aren't doing much to deter AI, they are pixelating the images exactly as promised.

(Coding tools are different. They don't do any of the work they're supposed to, and people who rely on them piss their fellow programmers off more than any other coworker. Nobody should ever use these for any reason. If you want to look at bad code to fix just ask an intern to wing it or something.)

Another thing to talk about is less copyright infringement - which is fraught in different ways - and closer to trademark infringement or impersonation as a topic. In the same way many people feel violated by deepfakes of their face or voice, people feel violated by others intentionally copying their artstyles. Sometimes people present these as if they're the originator of the style, even claiming credit over the artist's original works, or claim to be that artist (as with the deepfakes); more likely they just don't specify anything and allow their audience to assume some affiliation.

In the same way reposting people's art generates engagement for people other than the artist, this can impact people's livelihoods as well as being incredibly demoralizing. It's much less likely for someone to associate machine translation or text-to-speech with an specific individual this way. This is why we're seeing more of a pushback against large repositories that do imply their audiobooks are associated with fan creators and webnovelists in some way, sometimes even claiming the rights were sold.

Another problem that I have with generative AI that's not necessarily with the AI itself, but the culture surrounding it, is that people don't double check. With machine translation, people either use it to translate a message and then reply back (so they get feedback if the translation is wrong) or they put out a call for native speakers to check over their translation. With text-to-speech, people listen to see if the result is understandable.

With auto-generated captions? No one is checking those, and so people complain about them all the time. With summaries of news items? No one is checking those, and so people complain about them all the time. With asking for legal, medical, and life advice? People aren't even getting a second opinion, and they end up doing really ridiculous things, and so everyone complains about them all the time. People are sending in assignments and writing messages and all kinds of things without even reading what they 'wrote'. It's very different from looking things over to the best of your ability, even when your ability is limited.

Also - and this is a personal thing - I once read an article about how watching a whole TV show was a waste of time. How people should optimize their hobbies to be something like sports, which only takes a few minutes a week because all you have to do is look up the scores instead of wasting time watching anything. It said that everyone should always be on the grind, and taking time for fun should be minimized to fifteen minutes a week. (It also suggested having children would fit in that category.) So anything that takes on that mindset immediately sets my head aflame.

And what are people using chatgpt and co to do, now? They're using it to summarize books and movies they can't take the time to try out. They're using it to shorthand their communication with family and friends. They're using it to skip to the end of other people's creative endeavors, regardless of whether those artists would actually make those choices (and with absolutely no regard to why). They're using it to minimize joy for the sake of efficiency.

Anon's explanation:

I’m curious because I see a lot of people claiming to be anti-AI, and in the same post advocating for the use of Glaze and Artshield, which use DiffusionBee and Stable Diffusion, respectively. Glaze creates a noise filter using DiffusionBee; Artshield runs your image through Stable Diffusion and edits it so that it reads as AI-generated. You don’t have to take my work for it. Search for DiffusionBee and Glaze yourself if you have doubts. I’m also curious about machine translation, since Google Translate is trained on the same kinds of data as ChatGPT (social media, etc) and translation work is also skilled creative labor, but people seem to have no qualms about using it. The same goes for text to speech—a lot of the voices people use for it were trained on professional audiobook narration, and voice acting/narration is also skilled creative labor. Basically, I’m curious because people seem to regard these types of gen AI differently than text gen and image gen. Is it because they don’t know? Is it because they don’t think the work it replaces is creative? Is it because of accessibility? (and, if so, why are other types of gen AI not also regarded as accessibility? And even then, it wouldn’t explain the use of Glaze/Artshield)

Additional comments from anon:

I did some digging by infiltrating (lurking in) pro-AI spaces to see how much damage Glaze and other such programs were doing. Unfortunately, it turns out none of those programs deter people from using the ‘protected’ art. In fact, because of how AI training works, they may actually result in better output? Something about adversarial training. It was super disappointing. Nobody in those spaces considers them even a mild deterrent anywhere I looked. Hopefully people can shed some light on the contradictions for me. Even just knowing how widespread their use is would be informative. (I’m not asking about environmental impact as a factor because I read the study everybody cited, and it wasn’t even anti-AI? It was about figuring out the best time of day to train a model to balance solar power vs water use and consumption. And the way they estimated the impact of AI was super weird? They just went with 2020’s data center growth rate as the ‘normal’ growth rate and then any ‘extra’ growth was considered AI. Maybe that’s why it didn’t pass peer review... But since people are still quoting it, that’s another reason for me to wonder why they would use Glaze and Artshield and everything. That’s why running them locally has such heavy GPU requirements and why it takes so long to process an image if you don’t meet the requirements. It’s the same electricity/water cost as generating any other AI image.)

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