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lacrow · 4 years ago

Text

SXF Collaboration Story

@nonokoko13 , @sxfobsessed , @nagy-bari

First off I’d like to apologize. Under my insane direction, this little ficlet has turned into a 12k behemoth. Therefore I will be positing it in two parts (and also linking to ao3 since I threw it in with my one-shot collection). I’ll add the link to Part II when it’s edit/posted. Thank you to everyone who helped come up with this idea, it was a lot of fun to write!

Title: Cabernet Makes Her Clothes Fall Off

Rating: T

Part I: ao3

Part II: tumblr, ao3

Parties Involved: Loid Forger, Yor-Briar Forger, Anya Forger, Bond, Franky, Yuri Briar, Becky Blackbell, Camilla, Dominic, Millie, Sharon Mission Objective(s): host a dinner party for friends and acquaintances, [INCOMPLETE] Reporting Status: [IN-PROGRESS] ADDENDUM 1 [NIGHTFALL]: After careful review of last night's mission report, it has come to my attention that Twilight's conduct has been highly inappropriate for that of a WISE agent. I recommend personnel changes be made for the ensured success of Operation Strix. ADDENDUM 2 [TWILIGHT]: Sorry, I forgot to save you leftovers. ADDENDUM 3 [NIGHTFALL]: That's not what I meant, and you know it. ADDENDUM 4 [HANDLER]: He's married. Also, thank you for the leftovers, they were delicious.

Part I

A cacophony of sounds emanated from the Forger house as Yor frantically tried to get things ready for what was sure to be a total disaster.

In just a few hours, guests would be arriving for an impromptu dinner party that she had no right organizing in the first place. It wasn't her call to make, not without consulting her husband first, but...she went and opened her big mouth anyway. Now she was suffering the consequences for it, and not just her, either. Yor looked up through the window above the kitchen sink as she desperately went about getting things ready for the evening's festivities. Loid and Anya stood by the door as they started to put their coats on. The latter had her school backpack on, though in lieu of books and pencils it was instead filled with a change of clothes and some toys.

"I'll be back soon to help set up," Loid called out to her. He went to gather his hat and gloves. "I already called the Blackbells' nanny and told them I can't stay long."

"Ok," Yor replied meekly. Half of her wanted to tell him not to rush. The other half desperately wished to ask the opposite of him. "Please be careful you two."

"Bye mama!" Anya looked over at Yor as Bond came up to sniff her goodbye. "Have fun with your party tonight!"

The Forger matriarch couldn't help but to frown. "You do the same at your friend Becky's...do everything her parents tell you, okay?"

"I will!" Anya replied back. She smiled brightly in anticipation at her upcoming sleepover, though it waned the longer she stared up at her mama.

Yor had no way of knowing her daughter was reading her mind. If she did, it wouldn't have made her feel as guilty when Anya suddenly ran around the corner and wrapped her arms around her leg in a tight embrace. That wasn't to say she didn't appreciate the gesture; if anything she desperately needed it at the moment. It's just that she assumed Anya's hug was less out of fondness and more out of pity, though in the end she accepted it all the same. Yor knelt down and pulled Anya in close as Loid waited by the door with a well-hidden smirk on his face.

"Love you," Anya smiled encouragingly, eyes closed in content.

"I love you, too," Yor teared up a little. She squeezed her daughter tight. "I'll see you tomorrow."

They held each other for a moment. Though she didn't want it to end, Yor ended up being the first to let go. She smiled at Anya before the little girl waved and skipped off towards the door. Already turning the knob to leave, Loid let their daughter out first before turning to his wife. He said nothing, but gave a small, comforting smile to her before exiting. She nodded as a silent thanks before watching him leave, and it soon became just her and Bond. The Forger hound sat there with his tail wagging, and he looked up at Yor with an expectant look on his face.

Yor glanced down at the dog and sighed. "Well, Bond...time to get back to work."

Bond said nothing back, as was to be expected.

/*\

"You're joking, right? Not even a housewarming party?"

A familiar face; the deadpan look of an unimpressed Camilla, though to Yor she seemed just as pleasant as ever. If only the poor girl knew what every other woman working at city hall knew, which was that Camilla loathed her with a(n admittedly waning) passion. No one had the heart to say anything though, which was mostly why they stayed silent as Yor revealed to them that she and Loid had never had a get-together at their house before. Individual people, of course, but never more than one person at a time.

"Er, well...no?" Yor's lips squiggled. Was that a bad thing?

"Really, Yor, you're hopeless!" Camilla shook her head, exasperated. "Don't you and your husband have any friends?"

Yor blinked. "Well, of course we do. You, for starters."

Camilla's jaw dropped as the other women snickered behind her. Yor continued. "And I suppose that includes Dominic, as well? Also Loid's friend Franky, and his co-worker Fiona, and-"

"-Alright, alright, I get it!" the blonde woman grumbled, waving Yor off. "Fine, you have friends. So why then haven't you hosted before?"

Yor frowned a little. She knew why; it was because Loid was always tired and she was terrible in the kitchen. If there was going to be party then he would have to do the cooking, and Yor didn't have the heart to ask that of him. Not when he had so much on his plate already (pun unintended). Still, Yor could see where Camilla was coming from. She had been nice enough to invite her over to a get-together at her house, while Loid and herself had never shown the same courtesy back. It was rude, and not to mention suspicious.

Couples invited people over for dinner, right? So then, what would people think if she and Loid never did?

The more Yor thought about it, the more she realized her attempts at playing house were falling short again. Yor looked up at Camilla, Millie, and Sharon, and all of a sudden she felt self-conscious. They seemed to be waiting for an answer that Yor couldn't give them, or at the very least one she refused to share; that her marriage was a sham and she didn't know the first thing about entertaining guests. It was the truth, but they weren't meant to know that. All Yor could do was think about what her husband would do in her situation. What would Loid's response be?

He'd make it happen. One way or another, he'd pull through like he always did.

"W-well," Yor stammered. She flinched a little. "Why don't you all come over this Saturday?"

The other women paused, most of all Camilla. The three of them threw glances at one another, suddenly finding the spotlight reversed on them. They seemed to have a wordless conversation amongst themselves, while at the same time Yor kicked herself for opening the door to her home like that without talking to Loid first. He liked his privacy just as much as she did, and the weekend was one of the few times he got to relax (and even then it wasn't guaranteed). Yor's head started to slowly spiral; what if he got called into work, or she suddenly had to take a contract-killing job on short notice? This was a bad idea. She had to rescind her offer, and fast-!

"-Do you want us to bring anything...?" Camilla asked reluctantly. It almost looked like it pained her to say it out loud, mostly because it did.

Yor froze. The worst case scenario had come to pass, even more so because she had brought it upon herself. She stood there as three pairs of eyes stared at her once more, only there was no going back this time. The window of opportunity for backing out had already passed, and the only thing Yor could do was try her best to swallow the quickly growing lump in her throat.

"...N-no," Yor shook her head. She gulped. "...My husband and I will cook something for dinner..."

/*\

"I'm a horrible wife," Yor lamented as she straightened out her white polka dot dress. "I never should have agreed to this. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, Yor," Loid eased. He closed the oven door and threw his mitt onto the stove top. He turned towards her. "There's no reason to beat yourself up."

Yor frowned. Loid sighed. They both looked to the clock on the wall next to them and immediately came to the same conclusion; their guests were fashionably late. A quarter past six and no one had shown up yet, but that ended up being more of blessing than anything else. Loid had gotten held up at the Blackbells' a little longer than expected, and Yor had only just barely finished cleaning by the time he made it home. She at least had it to where all he needed to do was fix up the casserole for later; the rest of their home, from the living room to the bathroom, was immaculately spotless.

"So remind me again who all is coming?" Loid asked uncomfortably as he looked back to the kitchen. He was fairly certain there was enough food, but...

"Well..." Yor thought for a moment. "The girls, so, Camilla, Millie, and Sharon. Dominic as well, and he of course told my brother so Yuri's coming, too. And also Fiona-?"

Loid shook his head. "She won't be coming. Something came up at work and she won't be able to make it."

Some hostage situation at the embassy, last he heard. Nothing Nightfall couldn't handle, though it'd certainly take her the whole night to sort through it all. Tragedy aside, it at least worked in favor of Loid's dinner planning. Along with some easy-to-make finger foods, there would be more than enough to keep everyone satisfied. On top of that, they'd rearranged the furniture in the living room to open it up a bit more. They had also moved the dining room table up against the wall, and Loid even got a hold of a couple breakfast nook chairs (courtesy of WISE) for the counter at the kitchen window.

This little shindig of theirs was turning into quite the gathering. Loid smiled a bit at the thought, even as Yor continued to look up at him in dismay. He had half a mind to reassure her some more, but knew it would only fall on deaf ears. Instead, he took it upon himself to leave her for a moment to go digging in the pantry. He fished out one of the cheap bottles of wine they'd gotten for the evening's festivities. Yor immediately held her hand up to protest, though karma had come full circle to spite her. She didn't listen to Loid. Therefore, neither would he listen to her.

A moment later and he arrived with a glass in his hand, filled halfway with blood-red courage. "Everything will be fine."

"I know..." Yor replied weakly as she took the wine glass from her husband. "...I just feel guilty for dragging you along with all this."

"Hey, we're a team," Loid reassured her. He smiled again, and Yor's face became flushed. "You just focus on enjoying yourself, and I promise it'll all work out."

For what felt like the first time that night, Yor gave a smile back. A small one, of course, since she still had a million things running through her head, but at the very least she gave Loid the response he was looking for. Yor closed her eyes and took a sip and, as if her husband had been right all along, there came a knock at the door immediately after. Yor paused; she quickly tried to swallow her wine in order to answer it properly, though Loid was already opening the door by the time she had composed herself.

They both figured it must have been Yuri (since he was usually quite punctual), but Loid's face fell flat as someone else came into view. "I hope I'm not late!"

Shaggy hair. Scraggly chin. A stature half that of Loid's; the man glowered. "Franky, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the party, of course!" Franky gave a stupid grin as he held up another bottle of wine. "I didn't get the invitation, but I figured you must've forgot!"

"...Right, of course," Loid's eyes narrowed. He continued to glare while Franky grinned. "Must have slipped my mind..."

Stiffly, Loid stepped back to allow his friend entry. He looked to Yor as Franky shuffled in, and he shuddered to think what an unaccounted for guest would mean for her party. Surprisingly, his wife seemed pleased at Franky's presence. She set her glass down and gave him a proper greeting, to which Franky did the same. He placed the bottle of wine on the counter after shedding his coat, and immediately made a b-line for the bathroom. The door shut behind him as he made his pit stop, leaving both Forgers alone again for a moment.

"I'm glad Franky could make it!" Yor smiled.

"Likewise," Loid added flatly. He shook his head in dismay.

"Next time I'll be sure to remind you to invite him," she added while grabbing his arm.

Loid relented with a smile to his wife, though the inside of his head was working overtime trying to sort through possible scenarios for the evening. It's not entirely that he didn't want Franky there (part of him truly didn't), but the less he mixed up Twilight's affairs with Loid Forger's the better. Not even taking into account just what a bad idea inviting an SSS agent into his home was, having Franky and Fiona there would have thrown a whole headache of problems into the equation. Nightfall could have handled herself well enough, but Franky...

He prayed to whatever god above that the little fool could behave himself. Just for one night.

All Loid could do was have a little faith, though that wasn't really his M.O. He'd try not to worry in the meantime, but would continue to keep an eye on Franky for the rest of the night. He eased up on the guy once he emerged out the bathroom and approached him and Yor for pleasant conversation; his initial terseness passed, and the three of them actually got on well enough for a time. For how long, specifically, Loid couldn't say. Before any of them knew it, there came another knock at the door. This time Yor was the one to answer.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Yor!" an impassioned voice cut through their home, and Loid knew right away it was Yuri. "I got held up at work and missed my train!"

"That's okay, Yuri, so is everyone else!" Yor smiled, and Loid did, too. She was letting the guest situation roll of her shoulders, which was good.

There was a shuffle at the door as both Briars came inside. Yor took her brother's hat and coat, and he smiled pleasantly at her in silent thanks. The moment his head swiveled in Loid's direction, however, that pleasantness quickly took a nosedive. Yor was none the wiser, of course, though Loid was more than aware of his brother-in-law's killer vibe. He smiled.

"It's good to see you again, Yuri!" Loid chimed politely. His smile grew as Yuri's turned even more.

"Loi-Loi," Yuri bowed his head stiffly in acknowledgement. Beside him, Franky cracked up at his friend's stupid nickname.

Yuri's eyes fixed on Loid and Yor's other guest. Likewise, Franky looked to Yuri. This was the first time either had met each other properly, though Franky was more than familiar with Yor's brother and his position as an SSS agent. Admittedly, it was a bit unnerving for Franky to be in his presence, especially with that...weird look he stared at him with. Loid had warned him about it multiple times; the dude was nuts about his sister. Him being friends with Loid probably didn't lend him any favors, so his opinion of him probably was at rock bottom at the moment.

Nowhere to go but up from there, right? "Hiya! The name's Franky, nice to meet you!"

Franky held his hand out to shake. Yuri glanced at it before looking back up. He offered no hand of his own.

"Yuri! Don't be rude!" Yor chastised her brother from behind. He cringed and glanced at her over his shoulder. "Franky's my friend, too!"

The Briar boy turned back around to find two smug smiles waiting for him; an obvious one from Franky, and a thinly-veiled one from Loid. Whether he noticed them or not, Yuri made no comment. He simply shook Franky's hand (reluctantly) and offered a halfhearted hello in reply. The two promptly separated and went their separate ways. Franky followed Loid into the kitchen while Yor stayed behind to talk more with her brother, and both groups kept up conversation for a time until another knock came at the door.

Camilla and Dominic. The pair entered, both carrying offerings for the party; a tray of enticing appetizers and another bottle of wine, respectively. The couple were met with multiple greetings and they offered their own before splitting up almost immediately. Loid showed Camilla into the kitchen while Dominic stayed behind to talk with Yuri. Franky joined everyone else in the living room, seeing as how there wasn't a lot of room in that tiny kitchen for three people. Besides, Loid didn't trust him in there, which was fair.

"Thank you for the food, but you really didn't have to go through all the trouble," Loid told Camilla as he dug into the cabinet for plates.

"Well, Dominic insisted we bring something, and it's a recipe I've been meaning to try out for a while now." She stood off to the side to stay out of his way.

"It smells great, can't wait to try it," Loid smiled pleasantly. A moment later and he procured the dinnerware. Camilla offered to take them into the living room for him.

Loid handed the plates off to her. Camilla turned to walk away, but paused as Loid spun around to gather his own appetizers. She shifted uncomfortably as she scanned him up and down; a nice dress shirt, perfectly sleeked hair, muscles, and an air of confidence that most men spent their whole lives pretending to have. Loid Forger had it all, and Camilla couldn't fathom just how in the hell Yor ever bagged such a hot husband in the first place. Seriously, how? It was downright frustrating just how perfect he seemed; the man could cook, raise a daughter, deal with Yor, and still seem nonchalant about everything. If she didn't know any better, Camilla would have said his and Yor's marriage was some kind of front for the mob or something. There was just no way...

"...Babe, you alright?" Dominic's head suddenly popped into the kitchen. "You're spacing."

Camilla jumped out of her skin and nearly dropped the tin, in no small part because she was caught red-handed thinking about Yor's husband. Luckily for her, Dominic didn't come to that conclusion. He smiled and waved her over and, after she shook herself out of it, Camilla followed him obediently towards the living room. The two of them dropped the food off on the dining room table on the way, which was joined by Loid's tin soon after. He stuck around to open some of the wine bottles, and Yor had half a mind to offer him help but ultimately decided against it. He was good at popping corks, and she would have honestly just gotten in the way.

Yuri, Camilla, and Dominic stood off to the side and chatted. Franky kept Yor company until Loid appeared a minute later, and the three of them sat gathered around the coffee table while they waited for the other guests to eventually arrive. So far, so good, Yor thought to herself as she scanned her apartment. Wine glass in hand, she let out a poorly hidden sigh of relief. At that point, Loid smirked. He must have been thinking the same thing she was, at least that's what Yor assumed. He leaned over the table to pat her shoulder comfortingly, and she flinched at his touch (out of habit) before quickly relaxing. Her husband was right; just enjoy the evening, and everything would work out fine.

She nodded to herself and took a sip of wine, and a small smile tugged at her lips soon after.

/*\

Millie and Sharon arrived stag together soon after. With Franky taking up the baton for Fiona, everyone Yor had invited ended up coming. Bond was promptly kenneled in Anya's room (with plenty of food, water, and a bone) and the party was in full swing.

Loid started to drop off plates in front of people, and he couldn't help but be thankful that Handler had secretly requisitioned him the extra chairs. It was just enough for everyone to have a seat, though he distinctly remembered her shaking her head initially at his request. Not that she wouldn't do it, but more to do with the fact that he was going native, as she had so eloquently put it. A dinner party for his wife's friends? The higher-ups would rip them both a new one if they got wind that Twilight was blowing agency funds again over something stupid.

Regardless, she wrote it off as a business expense for an upcoming mission.

Handler always was a sucker for parties.

Loid just needed to save her some leftovers, which was easy enough. A couple missing appetizers and a suspiciously absent square of casserole were tucked safely away in his fridge for his boss. The spy game could get weird sometimes, and vicarious party attendance was just one of those things that agents did to keep themselves entertained during missions. Usually that involved going out of their way to secretly acquire a bottle from the bar to bring back to a safe house or finding out a way to smuggle out a whole chunk of wedding cake without being seen by the bride and groom. It was a stupid inside joke amongst spies; that being said, Loid was no stranger to it. He fully expected the same from Handler the next time she attended a party for a mission.

"Thank you, Loid!" Yor beamed up at him as he pulled up the chair next to her. All the plates had been delivered, and he held the last one in his hands as he sat down.

"Yes, thanks for cooking. It looks great," Sharon added politely across from them. At her side, Millie echoed the sentiment while trying hard not to eat without everyone else.

Loid nodded and waved off their praise. Meanwhile, Yuri grumbled from his spot against the wall. He of course wasn't about to afford his brother-in-law any good will, though Franky next to him had more than enough for the two of them. He stared down at the food in front of him with big eyes and watering mouth; it was by far the best looking thing he'd seen in a long time. He wasn't necessarily the healthiest eater at home. Mostly his pantry was filled with noodles, cereal, and the occasional box of macaroni. This was a downright feast.

There was only one thing missing, and he almost forgot it before digging in. He hadn't eaten anything all day so he'd abstained up until then, but now was definitely the time for a tall glass of wine. He swung down from his chair and shuffled into the kitchen as the rest of the party cut into their food and carried on in conversation. Nobody paid him any mind, save for one man whose head immediately shot over when he noticed a familiar bob of scruffy hair struggle to uncork another wine bottle. Loid quickly excused himself with no one the wiser.

"No drinking," he stated firmly as he came up behind Franky and lifted the bottle from his hands. The latter spun around incredulously.

"Excuse me?" Franky guffawed. He held his arms out to the side to accentuate just how insulted he was.

"Do you remember what happened the last time you drank at my house?" Loid replied flatly. His voice was hushed. Their conversation needed to be quiet.

Franky considered for a moment. He genuinely gave it some thought before slowly shaking his head. "Er...no?"

Loid pinched the bridge of his nose. "You nearly blew my cover, plus you convinced me to spend thousands of dalc on a castle rental for Anya!"

"Hey, that was your fault for listening to a drunk guy!" Franky shot back, which only caused Loid's eye to twitch in annoyance. "Also, what are you talking about?! Yor's drinking and she's way worse than I am!"

"I can handle my wife. I can't handle both of you," Loid shook his head like a father reprimanding his child.

"She's your fake wife!" Franky whispered back loudly. "I'm your best friend! You're really just going to cut me off like this?"

Loid leaned over his so-called best friend. Their height difference was on full display, and Franky gulped. "This whole party was Yor's idea! It's important to her, and I'm going to make sure it goes off without a hitch. If that means keeping you dry for an evening, then so be it!"

Twilight made a brief reappearance; those cold eyes he was known for were suddenly aimed directly at Franky, and they got his point across loud and clear. With a reluctant nod, Franky agreed to skip the booze. Loid soon eased and nodded back before leaving to return to the other guests. That just left Franky alone by himself with an open wine bottle and a half-full glass on the counter in front of him. He grimaced at the thought of pouring it back into the bottle, a social faux pas if there ever was one. Dumping it certainly wasn't an option, either. Franky was never one to waste a good drink, regardless of the situation.

The newly-sober intelligence agent put his brain to work and came up with a quick solution; if Loid thought so lowly of him at the moment, why not prove him wrong? He was trying to score points with Yor (probably, he really didn't know why Twilight cared in the first place), so maybe if he helped make sure she had a good time then that might make him back off a little. Yeah, that's it! He'd pour the rest of the wine and treat her to a glass, then...well, he'd think of the rest later! His first priority was to make sure Yor was liquored up. Can't have a good party without feeling good, of course!

It all made sense. At least, it did to Franky, anyway.

With a smug grin, he filled the remainder of the glass. The bottle glugged in his hand until there was nothing left, and he promptly disposed of it before carefully curling his fingers around the cabernet meant for Yor. He focused intently on the red liquid as he walked, staring down at it to make sure that none of it came splashing out. Franky narrowed his eyes and suffered full on tunnel vision; for all the years he and Twilight had known each other, also taking into account what a connoisseur the latter was, it was a downright shameful how little Franky knew about handling wine.

Anyone who had ever carried a glass before knew to look forward when they were walking, not down at their hand.

Nobody noticed him at first. He scooted into the open room and crept up while everyone was eating and talking. Yor had her back to the wall, and Loid's was towards him. All the better to surprise the Forgers with a kind gesture, Franky plotted. He let a sneer cut across his face as he arrived and cleared his throat, summoning his hosts' attention.

"Here you go, Yor!" Franky announced obnoxiously. All eyes turned towards him. He lifted his nose haughtily in the air. "I thought you might like a glass of wine-!"

-He suddenly stopped.

Not of his own volition, but because something had caught his foot and sent the rest of him reeling forward. Franky's eyes widened, and he looked down to find he'd tripped over one of Bond's stupid chew toys. He hadn't seen it before. It was too late to do anything about it. Already he was lurching towards Yor and Loid, and even if he caught himself from falling over there was no stopping the overflowing cup in his hands from spilling everywhere. Franky watched, captive, as cabernet rained over the one person Loid had done his damnedest to please that evening.

Yor sat helpless as her white polka dot dress suddenly splattered blood red. Warm liquid stained her and her clothes, and the rest of the party froze for a millisecond as what was happening still registered in their brains. Then, immediately after, Loid jumped up. Yuri and Dominic did so as well, while the women covered their mouths in disbelief. Yor stared down at herself in shock as her brother and husband clamored around her, though it was Dominic that ended up gathering all the available napkins to sop up whatever wine was left puddled around her.

Franky ultimately didn't fall. He caught himself at the last second, though he quickly wished he'd landed flat on his face and passed out from the trauma. At least then he could have been spared from Twilight's wrath; when Westalis' legendary agent quickly ascertained his wife was alright and promptly spun around, Franky could feel his soul being pulled out from his body. And the worst part about all that was, Loid wasn't alone. For the first, terrifying time, both he and Yuri seemed on the same wavelength. The two pierced through him with blood lust in their eyes. An SSS and WISE agent both teaming up to gut him; hell had certainly frozen over, and Franky felt the chill down to his bone.

"...Franky!" Loid menaced. He said nothing more. He didn't have to. The mere mention of his name alone was enough to make the agent quake in fear.

Yuri on the other hand was far more animated, though Dominic was at least on standby to forcibly reel him in. "How dare you spill wine all over my sister you q-tip-headed moron!"

"Hey now, it was an accident!" Dominic reasoned with a pained smile, even as Yuri tried to break free from his grip in order to pummel Franky's face into casserole.

"...H-he's right," Yor piped up reluctantly. Everyone suddenly got quiet and spun around to face her. "It's fine, you two. I'll just...have to rinse off in the shower real quick."

Loid paused. He looked at Yor to find her already standing up. She hid her face with a frown, and immediately Loid's heart sank. With a muted excuse me, she walked past Loid and the other guests on her way to the bathroom. The party watched in silence as she darted into the bathroom. No one made a peep, not until the door closed behind her; at that point, things picked back up exactly where they left off. Yuri went to rip Franky a new one. Dominic did damage control. Camilla and the girls mumbled to each other in hushed tones, and Loid was left standing there in the middle of it all. He stared at the bathroom, disheartened. He wanted to help, but knew there was nothing he could do at the moment besides keep the party going. He had to. For Yor's sake.

With a heavy sigh, he flipped on the switch once more. Back to being Loid Forger, the perfect family man.

With a fake smile and calm demeanor, he went about trying to put everyone at ease. Yuri was by the far the most difficult of the bunch to appease, but after much pandering (and an honest promise to kick Franky's ass later) Yor's brother finally calmed somewhat. He sat far off at the other end of the living room away from everyone else, and once he settled down the rest quickly followed. Conversation slowly picked back up, even more so once the sound of a shower being drawn came from the end of the hall. Yor was getting cleaned up. She'd be back at the party in no time, and the thought was enough to finally get things back in full swing. Franky was still the odd-man out, but Loid didn't care about that. The twerp.

New house rule, Twilight thought to himself as he went back into the kitchen to pour the ladies some more wine. No more WISE agents at social functions.

#spy x family #loid forger #yor forger #anya forger #bond #becky blackbell #franky #yuri briar #camilla #dominic #sharon #millie #fricken everybody

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doberbutts · 4 years ago

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It’s not that I don’t want there to be improvements or that I dislike any changes that happen within dog breeds- neither could be further from the truth as I’m consistently frustrated with for instance the dobe community which does a lot of hand-wringing about the state of the breed’s health while frequently doing dick diddly to actually fix anything or even doubling down on practices we know are problematic or focusing so much of their attention on shit that doesn’t fucking matter while the dogs continue to die young and then we breed to those dogs dead at 4 years old because hey at least they won while they were alive.

No one gives a shit how nicely your dog’s crop stands or how many ribbons and trophies you’ve got if the dog is in the ground before they hit 5 years old, Karen.

But I also accept that blindly seeking “change” without having an actual game plan can also result in unintended consequences or even disaster depending on exactly what wasn’t planned for and what went wrong. The dalmatian example is a good one for this because it accomplished something huge- but it’s incomplete, it’s not done, because if all dals become LUA dals right now, then the breed become severely bottlenecked and reduced to all dogs needing to be severely inbred and related to that one single pairing. Dobes are in the trouble they’re in with the problem of the seven sires and the equally small amount of European popular sires- that’s more than 10 dogs spread between the entire breed that’s currently in dire straits. If we bottleneck the dal to one single pairing, the breed will suddenly be in a much worse position than when it started. If LUA was to be a priority to fix right now, then several pointer outcrosses would need to be made to scatter the diversity so that when the linebreeding began again to breed them back to the dal standard while keeping the health we’re looking for, COI doesn’t skyrocket and create a breed that dies from something else that never used to exist within it. Doesn’t matter how nicely you stack the top pieces of that jenga tower if the whole thing is balancing on one single block. Eventually it’ll come crashing down, and then what will you do? Rebuild from scratch?

This is especially true in projects like the boxer/corgi bobtail project, where the outcross was not for health but as a way to get around an anti-docking law by breeding in natural bobtails from another breed. It resulted in dead puppies and the whole thing was scrapped. Choosing a single trait that you arbitrarily don’t like (long tails on boxers) and trying to isolate and remove that trait will always take something else with it. There’s a reason dogs look the way they do. If you change one thing, you will change something else. Change too much, and you’ll end up with dead dogs, and will it have been worth it?

This is also why there are no perfect dogs. All dogs have faults and all dogs have more than one. And how many faults are we not seeing- internal faults that don’t have obvious consequences and visible effects until 5+ generations later? One must consider further than what you can see when making breeding choices.

Did you know it’s not an uncommon occurrence in the doberman breed for males to be born with only one kidney? It’s frequently not caught until necropsy or a different issue requires an ultrasound or surgery in the same area. Creed has both, but apparently when his grandfather died and the owner did a necropsy, they discovered he only had one. I’m hearing more and more reports of people discovering their dogs are missing organs in necropsy. These dogs show no outward signs of this and usually aren’t dying as a direct result (tho I do wonder how the stress on the body changes when missing an organ that should be there and how that affects the aging process) and yet as necropsies become more commonplace, people find these little oddities in dogs they’ve bred. What does this mean for future generations? How do we make sure this doesn’t keep happening if the dogs show no signs of being any different from a dog with a complete set of organs?

People want to try little gotchas like posting a dog with a completely flattened face or a dog with a front so straight it might as well be a ruler without considering the other factors that combine to create a dog like this, and it’s about as nonsensical as saying “well Fido was wagging his tail when he attacked me so I don’t understand why it happened”. Focusing on only one piece in comparison to the whole means that you miss everything else- is that dog with no muzzle to speak of breathing well, fit, living to 15+ with relatively little issue? Does the dog with a straight front have an otherwise loose and limber body shape, surviving mostly of its own power, hunting with stamina and rear-fueled power when running and tight turns rather than a lot of climbing and jumping and crawling? Was Fido growling, snapping, lunging, with hackles raised and ears pinned, hard eyed expression, moving stiffly as he wagged his tail while mauling your arm?

One piece tells me nothing about the whole of the dog. This does not mean that I ignore the pieces that can be improved, simply that the answer is always “it’s a bit more complicated than that” when the discussion of fixing just the one problem is brought up.

#we know this is true for behavior and training #do one thing and create about a hundred other problems #because why not #but for whatever reason people are still thinking that they can isolate and fix just the one thing for breeding #I'd say genes and genetic expression is even more unpredictable in what you might fuck up than behavior #at least most of what behavior mistakes you make won't result in a bunch of dead dogs #not so for breeding #but I'm also that asshole that has a lot of opinions about breeding and also doesn't breed #I have no patience for the politics and bullshit and want nothing to do with it #I'm too frank and direct for that nonsense #but I feel like everyone should be that way when it comes to breeding hoensty #how are we supposed to prevent breeding more issues into our dogs if no one wants to admit when their dogs have something off #the point is not to completely rid yourself of dogs with faults #because if you do that then you're not breeding anything #but to match faults to strengths to improve the line #the BREED #as a whole #but getting people to be honest about their dogs is hard because the consequences outweight the benefits sometimes #I know people who were honest who were ripped to complete shreds for their honesty #who are also doing THE EXACT SAME SHIT #but they're not being honest about it so they can hide it #shit's fucked and that's why I won't breed #can't trust anyone

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popculturebuffet · 4 years ago

Text

Mickey Mouse Birthday Shortstravaganza!

It’s Mickey and Minnie’s Birthday! It was 92 Years Ago Today everyone’s faviorite mouse came in on a tide of whistling, romance and animal abuse and swept into America’s hearts and wallets. Okay I am a day late on this, I had a busy day, but hey a belated celebratoin’s still good right? Right? Eh i’m doing it anyway. Anyway since then he’s been one of animations most iconic characters, and while out of the classic power trio I vastly prefer donald and goofy, they still woudln’t be around without Disney’s big cheese and having not seen a ton of Mickey’s shorts, I felt I owed it to the big eared one to take a look at a bunch of his shorts for his birthday and see how I liked em. If your curious about my previous Donald Duck marathon, it’s CLICK THIS LINK. Unlike last time all of these shorts are on Disney+ as more of Mickey’s library is on there and one or two of these were added recently, as Disney tends to add a few a month. I do wish there were more on there.. but unlike with say the handful of shows they haven’t put on there, i’m a bit more forgiving here. For one thing, YouTube has all the shorts available from various uploaders and DIsney hasn’t touched them despite Plus’ launch. Given like most companies Disney usually has their bots a cirlcing for their content, this has to be delebrate on there part and it’s a good gesture from the company. So while not in crisp HD like the Plus copies, or as easily avaliable, you can find any short that’s happened. So the shorts not all being up at once isn’t an issue like most of the shows that are absent on Plus.

They also heavily need to cherry pick their library as some shorts simply haven’t aged well or have offensive stuff. With the exception of “The Beach Picnic”, which has a racist caricature of native americans via ants.. yes really, most of the shorts are fine to show kids, and have aged pretty well. And as my last marathon showed some shorts.. just haven’t. While not you know racist, seriously why is the Beach Picnic on there?, “Donald’s Penguin”, while utterly adorable at first, ends with Donald trying to murder a baby penguin with a shot gun. No amount of content warnings is going to get past one of their beloved icons pointing a shotgun at a baby. While Disney’s self conciousness can be silly, the splash edit and not putting the Darkwing Duck episode “Hot Spells” on plus for instance, this is one time when I can agree with them: if someone is curious about a paticuarlly offensive short or a propoganda one, youtube exists. But given Plus is trying to be all ages and dosen’t have censoring they have to be careful what they put on there, and I can respect that. I don’t think anyone’s crying a river over the fact that the goofy short where his reflection keeps saying “Hey Fat”, over and over while he struggles with his weight isn’t on Disney Plus and thankfully never will be. But seriously get rid of the “Beach Picnic”. It’s not a good short and you already have one batch of native american stereotypes with “Peter Pan”, I don’t think racist ants are the hill you want to die on disney.

So yeah, this time all of these are from Disney Plus, and since I watched them all at once, their in Watch order rather than chronological like last time. So with all that out of the way...

After the cut

1. Steamboat Willie (1928): It’s All Fun and Games Until Mickey Strangles an Innocent Duck Starting from the obvious source, Steamboat Willie was the start of Mickey’s career. And it’s.. okay. The animation is fantastic and the first half is pretty good: Theirs a pretty good gag with one of the cows. But the finale, with Mickey abusing various animals just isn’t that funny A LITTLE rattling of an animal for comedy is fine.. but the things Mickey does here are just sociopathic> And yes I know it was the 1920′s, but even in that lawless, racist, sexist time, they knew better than to strangle a duck, or, in the moment that puts it over the top, remove suckling pigs fromt heir mom and then play a pig’s teats like an insturment to make it squeal musically.. I assure you I did not make this up. That actually happens. The pacing is also fairly slow at points, with some gags dragged out, though that can be chalked up to having no way to edit the damn thing, so that part I can forgive more. What makes up for it, like I said, are some good jokes, and some gorgeous animation. Decades later and while clearly made a long time ago, it still looks vibrant and really pops even in black and white. It shows just how talented Disney was and how far the company could go with this medium. One last thing to note is Mickey’s Early personality. While he’d retain trickster aspects at times, here he bounces between the loveable jolly mouse we’d come to know for the rest of his career who sometimes has a wild streak.. and a total asshole who strangles a duck. It’s just intresting to see such a diffrent side of him, most of which would end up going to Donald over time. Overall the short is decent, not the best of Disney’s catalogue but worth a watch for the historical significance despite it’s shortcomings, pun unintended.

2. Thru the Mirror (1936): That Was a Weird One This was easily my favorite of the bunch and as of now, my favorite Mickey Mouse Theatrical Short. Part of it is that it’s entirely bonkers; The film STARTS with Mickey , sound asleep, some how astral projecting as his soul, his spirit or whatever lead shis body and having been reading Alice Thorugh the Looking Glass, goes into a mirror world. But instead of encountring evil goatee mickey, he encounters a bunch of living objects and a bunch of fun set pieces for jokes ensue. He dances with playing cards, fights an army of them, has a sword fight with the king after dancing with the queen which.. no Mickey, bad mickey, your in a relationship and so is she. Bad Mouse bad. It is entirely fucking insane, even including a living nut cracker which.. words can’t.. look

They.. they had to know how this looked right? did the director have a ball busting fetish? I mean okay if he did, nothing wrong with that, but maybe don’t put it in your children’s cartoon. That being said it does eat the shells which I find creative. And that’s what really makes this one pop. The creativity. Not a single minute is boring, every minute has something intresting going on, but without throwing too muchi n your face. It’s just a wonderful short and one that like Mr. Duck Steps out, i’ll be rewatching a LOTTTT.

3. Mickey’s Rival (1936): Mortimer: The Original Bro From the same year we have disappointment. Having grown up with the disney classic House of Mouse, I was a huge fan of Mortimer. So when I first saw this, I was happy to see where he came from.. then justifably blocked it out of my mind till this review. While I love mortimer, I love Mickey having a sleazy rival and one diffrent than Pete who has different goals and tactics than the big guy. But his debut just has him as an obnoxious snickering bro.. which to be fair is who he is, but without the venre of charm his later version would have. Mortimer just spends the short being a pranking douche, and blatantly hitting on Minnie in front of Mickey while their on a date. Which even in an open relationship is a no no, so he has no leg to stand on.. metaphorically. He also walks weird in this one because, and this is true, he’s carying 9 volt batteries in his pants. Yes really. That’s the level of Douche we’re dealing with. Someone so up their own ass they carry batteries int heir pocket instead of money or a mask or children’s trading cards like a normal person or a me. What makes it frustrating is Minnie just swoons over the guy. And not like “Awww he’s so funny”, I mean romantically then has the gaul to say “your just jealous” when Mickey is understandably fuming over the jackass who swooped in, pranked him, is hitting on his girlfriend in front of him by teasing a bull, and in general is just the worst. Yes.. yes he is. Justifably. Jealousy is an ugly emotion but there’s a line between some dude bro like Mortimer getting mad your friends with someone you could be in a relationship with, boy, girl, neither, both, whatever your into, and Mickey getting mad his girlfriend is chuckling all over her ex who agian, crashed their date and treated him like garbage and is very transparently hitting on her in the middle of it. It’s also just not a very funny short, outside of the bit pictured and tha’ts more for the sheer aburdity of Mortimer elctifying his pant for a really dumb gag about stealing people’s pants button. He’s very lucky we didn’t see Mickey’s Epic Mickey is what i’m saying. But given he’s a frat bro, the 1930′s version granted but a bro nonetheless, he’d probably find that hilarious until he noticed the sheer size and scope. Overall a forgetable, frustrating short. The one bright spot is mickey and mortimer’s cars which have faces and stuff and look neat.. otherwise it was just a waste of my time and the only good thing it did was bringing Mortimer into our lives. And that ain’t nothing.

4. Mickey Down Under (1948): ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

This is a quick one.. because this one was a vacum. I mean I can at least say for Mickey’s Rival it’s interesting.. i’ts not good but it’s interesting. this is just.. Mickey farts around with a boomerang with his dog and then pisses off an ostrich. There’s not really a lot of consequence or intrest is what i’m saying. I can’t even find a good opening to make a letterkenny joke. No one got close to fucking an ostrich here. It’s telling by the fact theirs no gif’s of this one that no one cares and it baffles me this is one of the ones Disney chose to gussy up for D+ release. But still no donald messing around with a robot?

5. The Band Concert (1935): That’s More Like It. Okay scooting back a year we have the band concert. This is my third time watching this one and it’s a delight. Like the last one I don’t have a ton to say.. but it’s more because this one is just so good rather than because it wasted my time. It’s got a fun concept and the breakout performance from my boy donald duck as he constantly fucks with the band’s performance by either getting in their faces or hilariously pulling Flute’s out of thin heir. I miss that gimmick for donald, his love of pulling objects out of the either via magic and shenanigans. They should bring it back. Also his shenanigans remind me of opus and that’s never a bad thing.

Also Horace takes off his shirt. For the Ladies. A Classic for good reason.

6. On Ice (1935): Donald is a Bastard Man Another great one from the same year. This time around we have what i’ve come to call a Mickey and the Gang Messaround. This is back when Donald and Goofy were supporting characters, so generally each of the big three do something, usually coming together for the climax. In this case Mickey tries to help Minnie with her skating, with him adorably following her around with a pillow before showing off for her, just really sweet stuff. Goofy’s bit is hilariously dumb, as fitting my boy, as he feeds fish tobaco to get them to spit into a spitoon, and tries to club them, with predictable results. While not the most enivrionmentally friendly just the sheer oddness, the fact it sort of works minus him actually clubbing them, and one of hte fish smacking him in the face all make it work. The only bit that reallyd osen’t is Donald and pluto... it was present a bit before but here illustrates why I really dread Pluto based shorts. While I don’t hate the dog, he’s a dog I love dogs, most of the gags in his old shorts, and even up to mouseworks are him either being blamed for shit that’s not his fault, a pet peve of mine, or being tourtured in some way...

But dosen’t work at all now. He puts the poor dog on skates and then laughs at him and even sings a song mocking the poor dog, before justifably nearly ending up going over a watterfall, then ending up clubbed in the head. Good. I love donald but good god is he unsympathetic here.. and for some reason they teamed the two up again for more shorts! Why. It’s why I don’t get why Pluto was the star of his own shorts: if this is all they had.. why do it? Was the 30′s, 40′s and 50′s equilvent of a micheal bay audience really that into dog abuse? So yeah otherwise a good short but that segment drags it down. not Donald’s best work.

7. Clock Cleaners(1937): This is a Great One Not much to say on this one. It’s pretty good, has some fun set pieces, and some great jokes from all three characters. Mickey deals with a seagull, donald effs with a main spring and Goofy fights some statues. All good clean fun. My lack of brevity is more because I don’t have any jokes rather than this genuinely being bad. It’s pretty good.

8.. Mickey and the Seal(1948): More Pluto Torture Porn!

This one’s more of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it is really cute, as a young seal ends up going home with mickey after he visits the zoo to feed them fish. On the other hand.. it’s mostly Pluto chasing after the seal, Mickey being kind of a dick to pluto and not getting he clearly saw SOMETHING in his house, and then teasing him at the end despite him having been right. That being said the ending, with the seal brining back all it’s buddies to mickey’s house, is fricking amazing. ALso the seals in this unvierse who aren’t antrho can speak. That.. that raises a lot of questions I don’t think disney can answer.

9. Ye Olden Days (1933): Jaunty Dueling Music Now this.. this was a fun one. Mickey and Minnie head to Medivil times, proving that the current shorts tendency to jaunt to various settings isn’t a new thing, and it’ sjust a much of a fun change up here as it was there. Mickey, a wondering minstral, ends up trying to rescue Minnie after her father throws her in a dungeon for not wanting to marry Prince Dippy Dog, who hopes she can learn to love him. I can’t tell if he’s genuine or a dick here. But it’s fun, especially the part where, after Minnie declares she loves mickey which.. it’s been a few hours slow down, they decide on a duel and thus sing some ragtime, 1930′s getting ready for duel music that’s just catchy. if X Of Swords ever gets a movie, I want to use this song. Just.. really good stuff. A fun short with some great gag,s a great concept, and my boy goofy as the villian. What’s not to like? Alright one more.

10. MIckey’s BIrthday Party (1942): Big Chicken Breasts We end on another all together now, Mickey and the Gang Messaround that was a great note to end on. I did watch another short, Pluto’s Birthday party.. but it was both more of a Pluto short and more Pluto torture nonsense, so yeah, skipping that one, as I ended up one short of my 12 goal because I can’t count, apparently. So Mickey gets 10, but this one’s a good note to go out on.

Minnie throws a suprise party for mickey which almost turns into a live sex celebration as Mickey clearly is a wee bit horny going in. But it turns into a fun dance party, with Donald throwing out razzes like a good buddy, Goofy making a cake, and some fun gags with a piano they all bought him. It’s a really good short. That’s the problem with Mickey Shorts and doing all D+ ones: There just isn’t the weirdly offensive stuff to talk about there is. He’s not a bad character, but there’s a reason in every short that features all three, Donald and Goofy easily outshine him. Mickey’s not a bad character, but when not in trickster mode, there just isn’t a lot for him to do. It’s why the comics reinvented him, much like they did for donald, into a plucky detective/reporter who reguarly sovles crimes. He’s not bad, and as seen with Ye Olden Days and Thru the Miror, his blank slateness cna be put to good effect and house of mouse gave him more of a personality, but here he’s just the bland good guy to Donald’s loveable scmap and goofy’s loveable dumbass. It’s an issue comedy has to this day: having a lead whose just.. not as intresting as the rest of the ensemble. There is weirdness to note, as Donald dances with Clara Cluck> That’s not the weird part, he and daisy took a while to be etched in stone. The weird parts are 1. Donald wearing a sombrero and smoking a cigar, and 2. Clara’s MASSIVE boobs.. yes really. Clara Cuck has giant breasts. Like actual boobs that sway around while she dances with donald. it’s.. bizzare. Not terrible, who doesn’t like big chicken boobs but just.. really really weird to see ina Disney cartoon.But yeah it’s jus ta fun note to end on.

And that was MIckey’s Birthday special. I enjoyed it even if I had less to say than I thought. If you liked this review, you can comission your own for five bucks, just hit up my pms or my discord , avaliable on request. You can check out my ohter disney reviews in the disney tab on my blog and until next time, ther’es always another rainbow.

#mickey mouse #minnie mouse #donald duck #goofy goof #clara cluck #hoarace horsecollar #clarabelle cow #mortimer mouse #mickey's birthday #classic disney shorts

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autumnstwilight · 6 years ago

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Crystalized

Rating: T Words: ~5.5k Tags: FFXV, one-shot, IgNoct, King Regis, soulmates, Omen Trailer, Verse 2 Summary: As his infant son sleeps, King Regis dreams of a future prince and a lonely, bloodstained end to it all. Desperate to avert this future, he begs the Crystal to ensure that one of his son's companions will stay with him always. But the magic has a will of its own, and his simple plea has unintended consequences.

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It was after Aulea passed that Regis began to have the dreams. A young man, clad in the black of royalty, stumbling through a vast desert. Though the youth was much older than his Noctis, who was only just beginning to shed the baby fat from his cheeks, he knew them to be one and the same. The young man looked around, with eyes as empty as the clear skies above him, as cold as ice. Leaning on his sword, he rose to his feet and pushed onward, following in the path of a dog who left no tracks nor trace on the silken sand. An elegant and noble creature, with a magnificent coat of pure white, but the shadow that stretched across the sands showed the beast hunched, jaws open and slavering as it trotted along with the mien of a starved wolf. And though the youth followed faithfully, Regis felt a deep sense of dread, knowing that the right path had been lost long ago, and buried under the shifting dunes.

When the time came, the wolf would devour the boy, far from the places that anyone knew. Blood and bone would be swallowed by the desert, never to be seen again.

He tried, in his waking hours, to put the dreams from his mind. He told himself that these nightmares were in some way, natural, a manifestation of his grief for his wife and his anxieties over his son’s future. It was to be expected.

And yet at night, when the yellow gaze of the wolf met his own, saliva dripping from a blackened tongue, he could take no reassurance in these thoughts.

The crystal hummed, an eternal, dim vibration like the aftershock of a struck bell. Perhaps he was the only one who could hear it. Still it teased at the periphery of his senses, a tune forever waiting for the next note. A consonance that never came. He felt that he could go mad with it, wondered if his ancestors had. The un-song spoke to him, warning him to be wary. To be vigilant. To be afraid.

The dreams were no mere anxiety. He held his sleeping child close to his chest, feeling his tiny ribcage expand and contract, the heavy and relaxed warmth of one who was not dreaming at all. The closer the wolf came, night after night, the more certain he was that this was an ill omen.

It had always been planned that Ignis Scientia, the firstborn son of House Scientia, would be the advisor for the next king, even before Noctis himself had been born. The boys would be raised together, and come to develop the trust and understanding that could only exist between brothers. Now that the boy had grown into a charmingly polite, well-behaved, and bright five-year-old, Regis saw no reason at all to change that plan. Rather, he found himself pushing for them to be introduced ahead of schedule.

“The boy hasn’t even begun his own schooling yet. What could he possibly advise your son on?”

“He will not need to advise yet. I merely hope that they can form a bond between them, one that will ever pull my son toward the light.”

It was done as the king said. The small boy peered up at him over thick-rimmed glasses, fidgeting a little with nerves. Perhaps he was not yet old enough to understand what he was being told about his role, what it meant for a king to push ever onward. What it meant to accept consequences. Yet he answered to Regis in a clear voice, and held out his hand to Noctis. The boys held on to each other tightly.

And the dreams continued. Again and again Noctis stumbled, alone on foreign battlefields, led astray by forces he didn’t comprehend. The wolf salivated over the blood spilled, waiting for him to fall. Where were the friends and allies that he should have? Would his son truly be left to face the world alone?

It was another year before he decided that something must be done. He took the boys deep into the Citadel, to the darkened room with the towering black vault. Here, the magic hummed louder than anywhere else. An electric blue danced at the corners of his vision. At the center of it all was a fearsome and unforgiving light.

The boys stood before the vault, hand in hand. Noctis seemed to shiver as they approached, and Ignis squeezed his hand, looking on with curiosity. Such a faithful and obedient child never seemed to suspect that an adult might do wrong, and therefore, he never seemed to fear as long as there was one around. He looked at the king with unblemished trust.

Regis reached out a hand to the Crystal, and made his plea.

Please give my son a guide. I know that the road will be hard, but do not let him face the trials ahead alone. Let the fate of this boy be forever entwined with my son’s, so that at the very least, they will always have each other.

Threads of magic began to form in the palm of his hand, an answer. He drew them in gently, like strands of spider silk, and carefully twisted them, so that they became one. It was done. He swayed on his feet, momentarily leaning against the Crystal’s vault. The magic was heavy, even in its delicacy.

Ignis had not let go of Noctis’ hand.

The dreams never ceased, but they changed. He still saw Noctis, blade in hand, fighting an endless onslaught of armored soldiers. His hair still clung to his face with sweat, his chest still heaved with his labored breathing, his blood still splattered in spidery patterns across the ground. But his once cold and pale eyes had taken on a deeper shade of blue, a whisper of the crystalline magic in his veins.

At the end of the dreamscape, he confronted the wolf, and took its head as a prize.

It was not long after when Regis learned the truth.

He sank to his knees in front of the vault that held the Crystal, willing the images to vanish from his mind. His own hand, his own blade, his own son.

Chosen.

The ring of the Lucii burned cold around his finger, and he had never wanted more to tear the thing off and shatter it with his blade, sink the pieces to the depths of the ocean, let the world be damned. What future, what light, what gods dared to demand his son as their price? He had borne every burden of his lineage without complaint, but this was a weight that threatened to break him.

His ancestors did not try to console him, merely reminded him of the fate they had each carried, one after another, for close to two millennia. Something so great could not be stopped once it was put into motion. It was meaningless to try. The Chosen would meet his destiny one way or another. The readiness was all.

The king wiped the tears from his eyes, swallowed down the taste of bile, and walked tall from the room.

His grief lingered, it was many months before he could so much as look at his son without the pain lancing through his heart anew. And so, it was even longer before he came to comprehend the cruelty of what he had done.

Noctis was playing with Ignis as usual, the older boy ever patient and kind, beyond anything Regis could have asked from one so young. He still held within his hand their twin strings of fate, though he had not looked at them since that day when he had first deigned to interfere. Noctis fell, and Ignis was there to help him stand, to brush the dirt from his knees and hands. Regis opened his palm to see, in his mind’s eye, what he had been avoiding. The two threads were irreversibly entwined, bound now by the will of the Crystal and not his own. Yet one thread now came to a short and clipped end, and beyond that, the other paled and frayed, miserable in contrast to how brightly it shone with its partner intact.

The guilt was sharp. He looked at the boy, a good and brave child, one he and Noctis already owed so much to. One who was already beginning to feel like a second son. He thought of Aulea, and the part of him that had been ripped away when she died. He thought of Noctis, and the all-consuming grief that would not only be felt by him, but which he had now condemned another to.

Ignis, I have done you wrong.

There was little that could be done, except to hope that he did not err further. It had been a desperate and foolish mistake, one made by a new father out of love for his son. He hoped that the gods and ancestors would forgive him. He vowed to take it as a reminder of the power and responsibility that he bore.

His guilt over this matter, however, was forgotten in the wake of the Marilith attack. His sole focus, his sole wish, his sole purpose was to make sure that Noctis recovered. The world could not survive without its chosen king, he told himself. It was right, difficult but right, to sacrifice all else to ensure that Noctis was safe. That was how he silenced the knowledge that he himself could not withstand another blow.

They left the ashes of Tenebrae behind them. The future oracle had chosen to remain. He had taken Noctis and run, while she stood tall, refusing to abandon her home and brother. Stronger than any child should be. Would Noctis ever be able to live up to her? Would he?

By the time they returned to Insomnia, he had forgotten all about Ignis.

It was late at night by the time they returned, yet the boy was waiting. He appeared somewhat thin and tired, but ran to Regis’ side and reached up to hold Noctis’ hand, as he slept in the king’s arms. He took a moment to cling, one hand on Noctis and the other clutching and the king’s cape, and Regis allowed it, before taking him by the hand as he headed to Noct’s bedroom. When the prince was tucked in, Ignis crawled onto the bed beside him. After a moment, Regis cleared his throat to suggest that Ignis return to his parents, but the boy was already asleep. He sighed, and adjusted the blankets to cover them both.

And so it went on. He could hardly voice complaint about how inseparable the boys were, not when he had willed it himself, but it was another of so many things that filled him with quiet dread toward the future. Loath be it for him to deny their present happiness, ephemeral as it must be.

Though his physical wounds healed, Noctis was never quite the same after the attack, and Regis was pleased that he had at least one friend to serve as comfort and support. He was also getting along better with the Amicitia’s boy these days, but their relationship was more push and pull. Gladiolus taunted and cheered Noctis in turns, drawing determination from his complacency. On the other hand, Ignis provided him with quiet counsel and a listening ear. He also seemed eager to take on a wide assortment of tasks for the prince, despite the fact that some of them were for Noctis to do, and others could have easily been left to the servants. He was never intended to be a maid, and yet he cleared up Noctis’ things without complaint, dipping into a bow and responding, “It’s no trouble at all, your Majesty,” when Regis attempted to discourage this habit. He practically had to give the boy a scolding, saying that it was imperative that Noctis learn to take responsibility for himself. Ignis finally relented, thought Regis suspected that he was still coddling Noctis in private and taking the fall for his son’s errors, though he could never prove it.

It was only a short time after Noctis had begun his first year of junior high. The prince attended school in a well-off and safe neighborhood, but it was a public school nonetheless, so that he might learn a little of life outside the nobility, and sympathy for the common people. Or such was the official reasoning. The true reason was so that, even for a short time, he could experience a carefree life, to the extent that it was possible.

Ignis, on the other hand, worked near from dawn to dusk with private tutors not bound to traditional school hours. Not all of the blocks in his schedule were full, but it was understood that the majority of the empty ones would be devoted to self-study, and the remainder to the prince. It was a schedule that an adult would find punishing, and yet, at fourteen, he seemed to be thriving under the pressure. The only hint to the contrary was the ever-present can of black coffee beside his stack of books.

Consequently, Regis was surprised to hear that the boy had requested special permission to begin training with the Crownsguard.

“He's absolutely determined,” said Cor. “I’ve turned him down five times already. But he made me promise to ask you. Says he won't let it interfere with his education or other duties.”

Regis raised a hand to his temple. “I am less worried that he'll neglect his duties than I am that he will neglect himself. He is barely more than a child.”

“He is,” said Cor, “older than I was when I joined. Which he has pointed out to me. Repeatedly.”

“You are…”

“An exception, your Majesty? A special case? You know I don't buy into that ‘Immortal’ bullshit, pardon my words. I am lucky, no more.”

“What would you have me do?”

“Let him give it a shot. If there’s any trouble, I’ll find a reason to turn him away. But gods know I wish all my cadets were this determined.”

It was a few months before Cor admitted, with a hint of sheepishness, that there could be no reason for turning Ignis away from the Crownsguard that would not be an obvious and utter lie.

It had been quite some time since Regis had seen Ignis close up, perhaps not surprising since even meetings with his son were becoming far rarer than he would have liked. But he knew that Noctis would be training today, working on mastering the art of warping. He had decided to make a show of support and encouragement, also wondering if his physical proximity would provide a boost to Noctis’ magic. However, it was Ignis that he saw first.

He seemed to have shot up by at least six inches overnight. His shoulders were much broader, and he had definitely put on some muscle, in contrast to the gangly and bookish look he had had before. When he bowed to Regis and greeted him, his voice was jarringly deep compared to the light, boyish tone the king had become so used to hearing when he and Noctis played together.

Regis nodded and smiled thinly through the abrupt awareness of the passage of time and how damnably old he himself had become.

He gave Ignis a nod and gestured for him to return to his training. The young man seemed to be working through a set of drills with the lance, repeating the same pattern of strikes and parries over and over, each set such a perfect imitation of the last that it could have been a recording set on loop. Regis could find nothing to fault in his form, except for the rather ostentatious twirl he gave the lance before dismissing it in a shower of crystalline sparks. Impressive looking, but impractical, the sort of thing so many young fighters would learn a hard lesson about at the hands of a mentor or, if they were unlucky, a foe.

Noctis and Gladiolus had entered the training hall just prior, and Ignis glanced over as if he had been aware all along, and the showy maneuver was for their benefit. Having finished with his practice, he retreated to the back of the hall to wipe his face with a towel and drape it over his shoulders. Gladiolus had been expecting the king, and so he gave a bow before taking his place as the instructor for this session. Noctis spent several long moments staring in his father’s direction before also getting into position, summoning a blunt-edged training sword into his hand.

“Noctis.”

His son turned to look at him, with an expression that was vulnerable for a moment before turning guarded, a feigned teenage disaffection.

“I’m here to help, if you will let me. Show me what you can do.”

Noctis gave a cocky, half-grin, “Don’t need help. But I’ll show you.”

And he was off. The warp was clumsy, heavily telegraphed, and fell short of the target, earning him a whack over the head with Gladiolus’ wooden training sword. He barely caught himself before his face hit the ground. But it was indeed a true warp strike, perhaps his first. Gladiolus was pulling Noctis to his feet with a broad grin, and Noctis too was grinning while rubbing his presumably bruised scalp.

Across the hall, beyond the shimmering trail of magic and the fading afterimage, Ignis was staring back at them, the light of the crystal reflected in his eyes as though he were transfixed. When he realized that he had been noticed, he quickly turned away. But to Regis, he had already betrayed himself.

Regis was not one to act without consideration. He had, after all, learned something from his younger days. He waited for another opportunity to drop by a place where he knew the boys would likely be, and observe their interaction for a while before greeting his son.

He watched them cross the courtyard together. Ignis was immaculately dressed as always, something that became even more apparent when it was Noctis standing next to him. He carried himself well, with better posture than half the dignitaries and nobleman Regis had seen. He was alert and protective, and that perhaps was a result of his training. But there was something else in the way he was just a shade closer to Noctis than necessary, the way he reached out to steer and guide him, though his hand rarely touched, in the way his gaze always strayed back to Noctis, though never when Noctis was looking. And in the way his overly serious expression gave way to a clumsy but brilliant smile when Noctis placed a hand on his arm and addressed him fondly.

“Thanks Iggy. I’ll see you later.... Hi, Dad.”

The suspicion that had been lurking since that day in the training room was confirmed. The boy was smitten.

He could not shake the feeling that all of this was his fault, though he tried to persuade himself otherwise. He had asked the Crystal to give Noctis a guide, not for… this. It was likely simple happenstance, a passing teenage fancy and nothing to do with magic. But his heart was heavy, as he called Ignis aside after a Citadel meeting and waited until all others had filed out of the room, filling the time with chatter about Noctis’ exam results, training and diet. When they were alone, he broached the real topic of this discussion.

“Ignis. I imagine that you are aware of this, but now that Noctis has grown older I must say it out loud. He is my only son, and likely destined for a political marriage. You understand how precarious our situation is, and how few options for negotiation are left to us, so I will not impress them upon you.”

Ignis nodded, serious and attentive as always, with an expression that said he was waiting for what would be said next.

“I understand that teenagers will do as teenagers are wont to do. However, in light of the… circumstances, I feel that Noctis becoming involved in any serious kind of, should I say, romantic entanglement would be undesirable, given that it will likely be brought to an end by events outside of his control.”

He could tell now, that though Ignis’ expression was still impassive, there were feelings brewing just under the surface and kept away from the light. His jaw had tensed, his fingertips had gone white from the pressure on the stack of paper in his hands.

“I know and trust that you have no desire to see him hurt. Do take care to guide him so.” Regis said this as gently as he could, but found himself unable to meet Ignis’ eyes for the pain he might find there.

“Of course. Your Majesty.” Ignis’ voice was level, but his tone bore the fierce protectiveness it always did toward Noctis. Regis knew he had achieved what he had set out to do, Ignis would defend Noctis from his own feelings as fiercely as he did anything else. And hopefully, that would save the both of them at least a small measure of pain.

Dismissed, Ignis bowed and left the room. When the door closed, Regis sank into the nearest chair. He hoped that some day, doing the right thing would feel right.

Time ran thin, and the day and hour of their parting drew close. He stood on the stairs before the Citadel, hoping that someday, Noctis would understand his words, along with all the things he was unable to say. And perhaps that he would be forgiven.

At least, by the time his powers finally failed and Niflheim-made weapons tore his body apart, Noctis would be far away and safe.

The crystal realm was a cold place where he sat, silent and vigilant, waiting for the destined hour. The minds of his forebears bled into his own, their hearts unmoving and unmoved, single-minded in their duty to the soul of the star. His first act here had been to beg for the life of Nyx Ulric and the future of Insomnia, and he could not help but feel that among these ancients, he was seen as a foolish and sentimental child. If so, then let him be. They had been separated from human concerns for a great time, and had forgotten. He would remind them then, of compassion. The Father King was also a role that must be played.

The next to arrive was not his son, but a stumbling figure, drenched, shivering, battered from head to toe. But his gaze was fiery, and his voice clear and ringing in the void. Regis would have known him anywhere.

“Kings of Lucis, lend me your strength!”

Along with his own horror, the merciless judgement of the Mystic rose in the back of his mind, he knew that the Founder King would strike before it happened. He allowed no intrusions by the unworthy. Ignis was screaming, clutching his eyes, yet trying desperately to utter the rest of his plea. Regis held up a hand, knowing the Mystic would sense his intentions.

“Let us hear him.”

“He has no part in this. Merely another mortal begging to alter the future for their own shortsighted ends.”

The Mystic paused for a moment.

“One who has already touched the light of the Crystal with vulgar hands. A second intrusion will not be forgiven.”

Surrounded by blue flames, Ignis’ eyes were wide with pain and terror.

“It is my fault,” spoke Regis, and the other Kings of Yore shifted. “Do not judge this boy for a wrong which I myself committed.”

The Mystic allowed Ignis a moment of respite, and the young man struggled to catch his breath. His head turned to Regis, and the Father King spoke.

“I, too, sought to save the life of my son. I took their fates and bound them. You know that it was I who made the plea. He could not have, could never… He was only a child.”

“Worldly foolishness. You have shamed us.” It was the Rogue who spoke.

“I am not asking you to forgive me.”

And then came Ignis’ voice, ragged but unbroken, “Ardyn…”

Regis tilted his head toward the Mystic. "Oh. It seems we have your brother to thank for this. Shall we not aid in this battle?”

The Mystic shifted, then drew himself up to full height.

“It is our duty to fight against the Immortal Accursed. We shall not let this opportunity pass us by. However,” he lowered his head toward Ignis, “the price will be paid. By this boy. You have nothing left to give.”

“If it must be so…” Regis sighed, accepting.

Ignis looked up at the Founder King, breathing heavily but undaunted, and Regis felt a surge of pride amidst the relentless sorrow.

“If it costs my own life to save him,” he spoke with the weight of an oath, “I will pay that price.”

A myriad of emotions rose and overlapped. The satisfaction of the Mystic, the battle-hunger of the Fierce, the rebelliousness of the Rogue, the protectiveness of the Just, the sentiment of the Oracle, the serenity of the Wise, the resolution of the Warrior, the dutifulness of the Pious, the determination of the Conqueror, the readiness of the Clever, the acceptance of the Wanderer, the loftiness of the Tall.

The love of the Father.

Regis knelt before Ignis, leaning forward so as not to tower over him. The young man looked fragile, pale, small. He saw his own blue light shimmer across Ignis’ features, shining back from his eyes and catching in his wet and mussed hair. He reached out a single fingertip to brush that hair aside. Ignis looked up at him, unflinching.

“Your fate is not to die here. The Ring will take a toll on your flesh, the power will exact its blood price, and I can do nothing to stop it. But fight well, and your life will not be taken from you.”

Ignis placed a hand over his heart and bowed in response. Regis continued, knowing that he had but one chance to make things right.

“I am afraid that I must seek your forgiveness. Long ago, I sought to change my son’s fate, by altering yours. I fear that all I have done is placed a thorn in your heart, one that will cause you much pain. I could not undo my mistake then. I can now.”

Ignis’ gaze faltered for a moment, and he appeared to be searching for words. When he spoke again, his voice was as bold as always.

“Your Majesty, with all due respect… That thorn, as you call it, is the most precious thing that I have in the world. I will not give it back.”

He smiled for the first time since he had arrived in this strange place.

“I remember that day, when I stood in a place not unlike this, and the spirits asked me if i would stay with Noctis forever. If I was willing to die for him. My answer has not changed. Nor will it ever.”

Regis spoke again, “You were merely a child. You never should have been asked. Not to change your own fate.”

“Be that as it may. But if I may speak frankly, I don’t care why I love Noctis.”

And there was the fierceness, stripped down to its core.

“Had I never touched this fire… had our paths diverged, I have no idea who I would have become. That man is a stranger to me, and one I rather pity, knowing what he has missed.”

The expression on his face, in his voice, was so tender that it seemed it might break if it were touched.

“Leave the thorn in my heart. Let the fire consume me. That’s all I ask.”

“Very well,” said Regis, and rose to his feet, stepping back to join the other Kings of Yore. “The battles ahead will be hard, and the road long. But I have faith in you.”

Ignis bowed once more, and while his face was hidden, Regis spoke.

“One last thing. Whatever form your love for my son takes, you have my blessing to pursue it.”

He looked up, surprise flickering across his expression like the firelight, and then he was gone.

When Noctis arrived, he was alone. Even the Kings of Yore did not convene for him, there was no need to pass judgement on one who possessed the birthright to use the Ring. He could not hear the voices of his ancestors, only feel the cold flame settle into his veins. Ever so slowly, the power would chip away at his bones. But the wolf was at his heels now, and so he had to struggle forward, lest he fall and be devoured.

I am here, said Regis, and hoped that he sensed it. Noctis gathered strength, and moved forward, the Sword of the Father held tightly in his hands.

Despite all of his efforts at averting it, the dream had come to pass. Fate could not be defied, or perhaps their enemy was simply too great. The only hope, the only one that there had ever been, was that Noctis would be strong enough to do this on his own.

There was both pain and pride in watching him battle. His was not the steady, unshakable determination of the others who had worn the Ring of their own free will, but the hesitance of a child bearing a mantle that was far too big for him. He faltered, he trembled, he stumbled. But he did not give up.

And when the jaws closed around him and all seemed lost, it turned out that he was not alone after all.

When Noctis was drawn into the Crystal, Regis saw all of it through his eyes. There was nothing here but the endless reverberance of the Light, and so Noctis’ memories spilled like ink to color the void. His doubts, his pain, his fear. The knowledge of his final destiny that Regis had withheld from him for so long. Lunafreya, sinking to the depths. Ignis, scarred and helpless. Ravus, twisted into something cruel, far beyond anything Noctis would have wished on him.

And beneath that, over that, woven through it all, love, love, love. Every moment spent with his friends shining in bright fragments. Every word, every touch, every smile, every laugh. He loved with the fury and intensity that only mortals know, when their love must come to an end. It put the brilliance of the Gods to shame. Perhaps this was why their Providence was to be borne in the hands of a man.

“The Light waxes full.”

The new king departed on his final journey.

Threads of fate twisted and twirled as if blown by the wind, endlessly fluctuating possibilities. Like spider silk, they were so thin and pale that they could only be seen in the brief moments when they caught the light, and like spider silk, they were far stronger than they appeared. Even the gods could not read nor predict these undulations, as one could never count the waves on the sea, and so they handled them indelicately, slicing through the web with flames and blades and claws to serve their own ends, heedless of the lives torn by their weight. But the severed ends still shimmered, and after exploring a thousand thousand possibilities, they caught and held fast.

Two threads converged and shone bright.

The power had passed from the Ring, and the souls contained within freed to their eternal rest. Their duty complete, they seemed to bear no further interest in the living world. Regis lingered, still new and human, bound to the world by the loved ones that dwelt there.

This was the future that so many had lived and died in service of. He wanted to see it, at least for a moment. The world was battle-torn and weary, but it basked under the warm light of a sun that would never again be blotted out. Flowers bloomed from the cracked roads, and still waters gathered where the earth had been torn.

He followed then, along with Noctis, through the halls and courtyards to be rediscovered, their aching familiarity and strange novelty after so much time. The throne room was bright with the sunlight that fell through the missing wall, laying bare the tattered and faded interior. Motes of dust spun their winding dance on the air.

Noctis wasn’t alone. The blue magic had died with the Crystal, and Regis could no longer see the threads of fate, whether they be bound or unbound. Yet Ignis remained, as did the old scars that marked an offering willingly given. He bowed in service, in loyalty, in affection.

The new King rose from the throne and went with him, falling in step by his side. The light fell across their shoulders in an echo of the first time that Regis had watched the prince and his advisor leave this room. As they walked, Ignis slipped his fingers between Noctis’, ungloved hands revealing the matching scars of the Ring that they bore.

In the garden, there was a confession. An vow. A kiss. The rest was not for him to see.

#ffxv #ignoct #my fanfic #final fantasy xv

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gffa · 6 years ago

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Guess who’s crying because STAR WARS is full of feelings again? ALL OF US, THAT’S WHO. This is another collection designed to have at least a little something for almost everyone, whether you’re here for a ship or a certain era of the Saga or the greater SW tapestry, whether you want to cry about Anakin Skywalker or want to keep crying about the Rebels, whether you’re here for Leia Organa feelings or just want to roll around in a time travel that will hopefully eventually fix everything, there should hopefully be at least one fic that appeals! Star Wars fandom is so good at providing things to read (so much so that I still have at least a dozen novel-length fics on my reader that I haven’t even been able to start yet!) and so many of them are so, so worth your time to read. Bless all the authors making it even better to be a fan of this ridiculous series about space wizards and aliens and smugglers and good kids doing their best against an evil regime that wants to crush everyone! STAR WARS FIC RECS: TIME TRAVEL RECS: ✦ Drifting Starlight by Pandora151, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & qui-gon & cast, time travel, 60.3k Just before the fateful Battle of Naboo, Qui-Gon Jinn is brought to the future, to the Clone Wars. He doesn’t know why or how, but he knows one thing for sure: He never, in a million years, expected the galaxy to end up like this. ✦ The Dark Path Lit by Sun and Stars by A_Delicate_Fury, obi-wan & luke & leia & han & cast, time travel, 33.8k wip After a disaster on the cosmic scale that Obi-Wan is still trying to wrap his mind around, he finds himself back in the early days of the Clone Wars, Commander Cody loyally at his side, Anakin at his back, and Sidious plotting against the Jedi at every turn. ✦ Death, Yet The Force (so rise and shine) by EclipseMidnight (EternalEclipse), obi-wan & mace & tahl & cin drallig & qui-gon & depa & cast, time travel, 14.9k In which the most eclectic group of time travelers wake up in 949 ARR (51 BBY) and attempt to unravel what the Force wants them to do and begin to take the necessary steps to ensure the survival of the Jedi in the future ✦ In Time by Ripki, obi-wan & anakin, time travel, 23.6k wip When a mysterious holocron sends [Obi-Wan and Anakin] through time, they don’t only have to confront their past and future – but the present as well. ✦ Worldwalker by rainglazed, ezra & kanan & cast, time travel, 25.5k wip Time travel AU where Ezra Bridger meets Caleb Dume the day after Order 66. ✦ twin suns by tripletmoons, obi-wan & cast, time travel, 1.5k Obi-Wan Kenobi is six years old when he meets Ben. It goes like this: he falls asleep in the Temple and wakes up in the sand. PREQUELS RECS: ✦ So, How Was My Funeral? by Ibelin, obi-wan & anakin & yoda & mace, 5k “Obi-Wan, I need you to know two things. First, I love you so much.” Anakin looked his master in the eye, demanding full acknowledgment. “And second, I am going to kill you.” ✦ Though Lovers Be Lost by panharmonium, obi-wan & cast, 4.5k When they tell stories about his life, will they speak of loss or love? You cannot have one without the other, after all. ✦ Catechin by ambiguously, mace & depa, 2.1k Three times Mace Windu and Depa Billaba took tea together. ✦ untitled by swhurtcomfort, obi-wan & anakin, 1.7k Anonymous asked: Hey, can I request an Obi-Wan with a bad fever getting taken care of by Anakin who is too stubborn to admit hes also sick? ✦ Old Sins Cast Long Shadows by zarabithia, ahsoka & obi-wan & anakin & padme (& building background obi-wan/padme), 12.8k wip In this universe, when Palpatine asks if Anakin is going to kill him, Anakin does. While Anakin ultimately wins, it costs him his life. In this universe, the twins are raised by Ahsoka, Padmé, and Obi-Wan. ✦ We Will Abide by naberiie, plo & shaak, 10.3k Light. Dark. Balance. Beneath the Jedi Temple, far below the chaos of Coruscant’s Galactic City, ancient halls and corridors sleep in silent darkness. Padawans Shaak Ti and Plo Koon are determined to explore them. ✦ memories like ashes at our feet by ambiguously, anakin & ahsoka, 4.2k Darth Vader was gravely injured in the explosion of the Sith Temple. Now Anakin Skywalker has no memory of what he’s doing here with Ahsoka. ✦ valley of the shadow by darlingargents, obi-wan & luminara (& barriss), 1.6k In which Luminara finds out. ✦ Queen of Peace by Sassaphrass, obi-wan & padme & cast (background anakin/padme), 20.2k Padmé Amidala lives. Democracy is dead, The Jedi are Dead, and her beloved husband Anakin Skywalker is dead. But, Padmé is still alive. Her children are still alive. And maybe, just maybe, there is still hope. So, she’ll just have to keep going, and pray that someday all these terrible sacrifices will have been worth it. ✦ The Mathematics of Repair by panharmonium, obi-wan & anakin, 4.6k For raw teachers and rough-edged students building in the rubble: tiny steps are enough, provided they carry you in the right direction. Immediately post TPM, in short snippets. ✦ Scavenged Parts of Broken Hearts by crowleyshouseplant, mace & paxi, 3.1k Paxi Sylo meets Mace Windu a second time. ✦ On the Third Day by victoria_p (musesfool), anakin & bail & breha & leia, 3.4k Vader’s patience has run out. ✦ Nothing by Pandora151, obi-wan & anakin & dooku, ~1k A single split-second decision changes everything. ✦ A Ghost’s Embrace by AceQueenKing, shmi & padme & leia, 1.4k Shmi Skywalker watches over her granddaughter, but she isn’t alone. ✦ Space Twins by glorious_clio, obi-wan & luke & leia & bail, 1.1k Obi-Wan is tasked with bringing Luke to Tatooine. For his part, Bail brings Leia home to Breha. ✦ Eternal Darkness by Darth_Vodka, jedi & cast (& jocasta), 5k When the newly anointed Darth Vader leads the 501st Legion to the Jedi Temple to execute Order 66, a last ditch effort to preserve the Jedi Order has unintended consequences. ✦ these little things called pyrrhic victories by RestlessWanderings, obi-wan & anakin, 3.6k Or, the one where Obi-Wan follows Yoda’s orders and kills Anakin, which changes some things but leaves others the same. ✦ Tag by Imadra Blue, obi-wan & yoda, ~1k A three-year-old Obi-Wan follows Master Yoda around the Temple. ✦ See No Evil by GirlwithCurls98, ahsoka & anakin & yoda & cast, 9.7k wip When Ahsoka suffers a head injury, she loses something she thought would always be there. With the help of her friends, she learns how to adapt to her new reality, and how she can use it to her advantage, all while searching for a cure. ✦ A First Time for Everything by Ossian, obi-wan & anakin, 1.1k Post-TPM, Obi-Wan and Anakin find a connection ✦ Time to Go by JediShampoo, obi-wan/padme & cast, 4.9k Obi-Wan is leaving Alderaan and taking Luke with him. He and Padme must say their goodbyes. Stuff happens. ✦ An Interlude (The Passing of Some Days) by victoria_p (musesfool), obi-wan & leia & bail/breha, 1k Bail makes some calls. ✦ buy a dog by panharmonium, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon, 2.4k You ask of my companions. Hills, sir, and the sundown, and a dog as large as myself that my father bought me. They are better than human beings, because they know but do not tell. -Dickinson OBI-WAN/ANAKIN RECS: ✦ Titles, Traditions, and Other Forms of Attachment by MarchofBirds, obi-wan/anakin & cast, NSFW, 25.5k Or: How Anakin’s relationship to the term “Master” changes throughout different stages of his life. ✦ Both Deserve Happiness by zarabithia, obi-wan/anakin, 1.3k The Republic falls, but Anakin doesn’t. Together, Obi-Wan and Anakin lead the hunt to find Palpatine. Eventually, they have to face the fact that their relationship has changed. ✦ Tumblr Prompt Drabbles by Adelphrexia, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 1.5k wip (sort of) A collection of Obikin drabble requests originally posted on my Tumblr. Mostly smut, any warnings will be posted on the chapter they apply to. ✦ Lucky me by orphan_account, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, hooker au, 1.9k Anakin might never have been found by the Jedi, Obi-Wan and he still are lucky enough to meet each other. ✦ Cuddle by Captain Starseeker, obi-wan/anakin, 1k When having a rough, over worked day, it’s nice to just sit down and cuddle with your loved one. ObiAni fluff ✦ Yes, Master by Little Green Voice, obi-wan/anakin, 12.1k It wasn’t only the words. It was the way they were said. And, if he was completely honest, it was also a little the words. Not so much about the ‘yes’ though, as it was about the “Master”. ✦ Pursuit by Icse, obi-wan/anakin, nsfw, modern au, 16.3k wip Ben Kenobi wasn’t interested in taking on a working student, […] still, he can recognize talent when he sees it and agrees to take on Anakin as his working student. He certainly didn’t plan on falling for him. ✦ Tagalongs by zarabithia, obi-wan/anakin & luke & leia, modern au, 3.4k Leia has cookies to sell, and her father is along for the ride. Had he known that someone as handsome as Obi-Wan Kenobi was going to purchase some, Anakin might have taken more than five minutes to get dressed. ✦ Naughty Padawans by salixbabylon, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, spanking, 1.4k Obi-Wan, completely fed up with his padawan, tries something definitely *not* in the Master’s Handbook. ✦ Secret Fire by ambiguously, obi-wan/anakin, nsfw, 2.7k Masters, especially human masters, would sometimes take their young students aside and offer them this experience. It was perfectly normal. ORIGINAL TRILOGY RECS: ✦ As Old As Rhyme by ambiguously, padme & luke, ~1k Every night, someone sits next to Luke on his bed and sings a lullabye in a low voice in a language he doesn’t know. ✦ The Belonging You Seek by WiliQueen, luke & leia & ahsoka & cast, 30.9k wip A chance discovery gives Luke and Leia a glimpse into who Anakin was, and leads them to more than they ever expected. More questions, more answers… and more family. ✦ Hear Me by crowleyshouseplant, anakin & leia & luke & cast, 3.2k Leia struggles to reconcile Luke’s experience with his father and hers with Darth Vader. ✦ Spar by glorious_clio, liea & luke & wedge & han, 3.2k Luke is desperate to learn the ways of the Force. Leia can’t really help him there, but she knows how to wield a blade. REBELS RECS: ✦ Is It Gremlins? by ncfan, sabine & kallus, 8.3k This was not how Sabine expected to spend her afternoon. ✦ pas de deux by glorious_clio, kanan/hera, 1.9k After spending all day in the cockpit, and with one more chore to complete, Hera Syndulla feels the urge to move. But even a simple moment can come with a hangup or two. Luckily, she has a supportive partner. ✦ Celestial Navigation by ambiguously, zeb/kallus, 1.7k Kallus doesn’t understand why Zeb’s not sad. ✦ Bank of Coals by Eclectic_Goddess, kanan/hera & ezra, 1.4k “You should get some rest.” “I’m fine.” “That would be more convincing if you could keep your eyes open when you said it.” ✦ The Joy of Nescience by ambiguously, kanan & depa & ahsoka/rex, 2.1k Three times Kanan Jarrus did not want to know. ✦ Symbios by bam_cassiopeia, ahsoka & sabine & aphra, 4.1k Sabine and Ahsoka go on a quest for a boy and his purrgils. ✦ An Unexpected Encounter by codenametargeter, kanan/hera & hondo & katooni, 2k It’d been enough of a surprise when Ahsoka Tano had turned out to be alive. Kanan definitely wasn’t expecting to find another member of the Jedi Order so soon and definitely not amongst Hondo Ohnaka’s pirate gang. SOLO RECS: ✦ Feelings Are a Luxury and This is War by igrockspock, han/qi'ra, 1.3k Feelings are a luxury Qi'Ra can’t afford. ✦ tell me, get my shit together by paperclipbitch, han/lando & chewbacca & cast, solo spoilers, 5.3k “I thought we were actively avoiding each other after the Trandosha Shitshow,” Han says. “We’re actively avoiding each other after the Iridonia Shitshow,” Lando corrects him, “the Trandosha Shitshow is That Which We Do Not Speak Of.” ✦ Falcon Heart by crowleyshouseplant, lando & l3, solo spoilers, 3k Lando is reunited with an old friend. SEQUELS RECS: ✦ Relax and Fly Casual by igrockspock, han & ben & cast, 4.1k A father-son smuggling trip is not the kind of quality time Ben had in mind. ✦ each offering of tenderness by victoria_p (musesfool), rey & leia & finn & poe & chewbacca & rose & r2-d2, 3.1k “I can fix it,” Rey insists. “I can fix anything.” ✦ Waste Management by shadydave, leia & rey & finn & poe & rose, 10.4k “Uh, hi,” says Finn. “We’re here to rescue you?” FULL DETAILS + RECS HERE!

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the-almighty-gob-john-langley · 3 years ago

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Bristol: a city of little law and chaotic disorder. Tuesday, December 07, 2021. 4.04pm.

As dusk settles in on this dank December day and evening turns to night my thoughts turn to the possible stories regarding the continual violence and disorder on the streets of Bristol that'll make tomorrow's headlines, and I ask myself exactly who is in charge of this city other than elected ghosts, by all accounts.

We have a Crime Commissioner, who by the absence of any meaningful reassurances that he is absolutely at his desk and doing the job he's paid for might just as well be spending his days on the golf course, and an Elected Mayor who is not just third-eye blind to what appears to be increasing violence, he has neither the teeth nor the balls to weigh in with the kind of impact that would make his voice heard.

Even at the height of the Bridewell riots, was he there on the spot with the police offering support in the city which he is supposed to be Mayor of to try and quell the baying protesters with loudhailer in hand from the windows of Bridewell and showing some sense of leadership to the people of Bristol? No, chicken shit would have had more movement quite frankly! Instead, he was in hiding away, probably from the comfort of his Greenbank home with one eye on the telly while the riots were taking place, and nothing more than a cursory eye on his social media accounts so that he could type a gesture comment with all the sincerity of Harold Shipman claiming to be a saint in waiting and a personal friend of the Pope.

So for the purposes of this blog post, it would be more fitting to forget we have a Crime Commissioner and an Elected Mayor and call this very undynamic duo 'Gutless and Spineless' instead. Seemingly the perfect double act where little law and chaotic disorder within Bristol is concerned; and both sharing the commonalities of self-diagnosed deafness and blindness in this regard as a matter of pure coincidence, if not unintended consequence.

It pretty much goes without saying, of course, that in their defense they will state the bleeding obvious and in typical pillar to post style will blame it all on funding issues, the government, probably climate change too, and the demise of the Bristol pound. Basically, it's better to pass the buck than take ownership and responsibility because this is what people in these positions do.

Is it the fault of the bobbies on the beat that there is a rise in violent crime and disorder? Absolutely not. Is it is a societal problem in general? Yes, it is, and it takes leadership from the top in this city to provide a solution so that people in Bristol can go out for an evening to enjoy themselves without being in fear of attack by stupidly anti-social arseholes who probably cannot hold their alcohol and act like civilised human beings because they have issues that are everyone else's fault but their own, of course.

Don't believe me? Cast your eyes on these headlines from Bristol news media!

"At least 20 arrests in Bristol as police have 'rather busy' night. Officer shares details of string of call outs and suspects in custody."

"Barber told woman he wanted to make her a 'perfect Muslim wife' and then treated her like a dog."

"Bristol teenagers admit having gun and ammunition."

"Kill the Bill: Nine in court over Bristol violence."

"CCTV appeal after man raped in Bristol city centre park."

"Bristol teenager launched violent and racist attacks on emergency workers."

"Jail term imposed after hammer attack at Bedminster pub."

"Man, 44, in hospital with 'serious head injury' after Park Street attack."

"Family's 'cheery' Christmas lights vandalised while they slept."

"Mum felt 'sick to her stomach' after baby daughter’s memorial garden was trashed by vandal."

"Bristol stabbings: Police update after five injured in Clifton disorder."

"SCHOOLBOY HOSPITALISED AFTER BEING STABBED BY FELLOW PUPIL."

All of which, by the way, happened over recent weeks.

What Bristol really needs are champions with the teeth and balls to get a grip on this and show some 'real' leadership! Unlike the toothless and ball-deficient numpties of 'Gutless and Spineless' currently running things in Bristol. We should have the leadership of people like the former dynamic duo of (Robocop) Ray Mallon and Mike Veale of Cleveland - Crime Commissioner and Chief of Police respectively, who took a no-nonsense approach to anti-social behaviour within their constabulary area.

Writing in The Sun, Mr Mallon, a former detective superintendent in Hartlepool, said policing is "broken".

He wrote: "It’s time for it to be the police 'force' again. It needs to be a force to be reckoned with — a force that should be fighting for every inch of every street."

He called for more front line officers, available to deal with low-level street crime - such as people riding bikes on the pavement - "there and then".

(https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/robocop-ray-mallon-breaks-silence-15452604).

Who wouldn't agree with this approach in Bristol, except perhaps for the lily-livered, neo-liberal, politically weak, clueless, gutless, spineless, bunch of cretins at city hall level and the regional crime panel who couldn't so much as a bath between them without having to Google the instructions first?

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nightmareonfilmstreet · 7 years ago

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Easter Evil: 10 Movies With Bunnies Gone Bad

The Easter weekend obviously has its religious meaning but to the more secular among us, it’s really more about marking the beginning of Spring, sunnier weather, warmer temperatures and longer days. Sure, you could get outside more, but seriously, why not just do what you always do and stay inside to watch a movie?

But there are no scary Easter movies, you say. We beg to differ. Easter-approriate movies are out there beyond The Greatest Story Ever Told and Easter Parade, you need only look as far as the 10 scary rabbits and evil bunnies below.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

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Let’s start off with something tame, Nick Park’s classic stop-motion animation duo who take a walk on the wild side with this outing that’s part Wolfman, part The Fly, and full of the characteristic British charm of the renowned Aardman Animation studio. When Wallace’s own mad science turns him into a vegetable hungry were-rabbit, Gromit must protect his human companion from the hunter Lord Quartermaine, who’s trying to bag the were-rabbit to impress Lady Tottington. It’s not exactly a scary movie, but like any good horror, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit offers sympathy for the monster, and is a reminder that short cuts to achieve difficult goals – like losing weight by eating more veggies – can have some unintended consequences.

The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

There’s nothing in the hat. – Uncle Walt’s magic trick is not exactly what you expect in Joe Dante’s portion of the 1983 anthology film based on the classic Twilight Zone series created by Rod Serling. Borrowing from the series’ well-known Nightmare as a Child episode, Dante’s outing sees the affable Helen drawn into a family home where everything’s off kilter. Little does Helen know that this is not young Anthony’s real family, but surrogates he forcefully recruited after killing his own family with his near infinite, God-like powers. As the coup de grace after dinner, Uncle Walt pulls a rabbit from the hat. But not just any old fluffy bunny, he pulls out a zany, Looney Tunes-esque stop-motion concoction from hell. It scares poor Helen enough to make Anthony start thinking that maybe he’s gone too far…

Fatal Attraction (1987)

Such flagrant bunny abuse will not be ignored. Fatal Attraction is about a successful New York lawyer named Dan who decides to celebrate having the house to himself for the weekend by having an affair. Unfortunately for him, the object of his limited desire was Alex, who can’t accept that Dan was in it for a good time, and not a long time. As part of an escalating series of violent outbursts, Alex targets Dan’s family, and in one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Dan’s wife Beth comes home to find a boiling pot on the stove. As Beth cautious approaches the pot we see her daughter Ellen run up to the coupe that houses her beloved rabbit. As Ellen cries to Dan that her bunny is missing, Beth takes the lid off the pot and finds *ahem* rabbit stew. Hollywood lore suggests a real dead rabbit was used in the scene, but it’s worth noting that aside from Alex in the film’s finale, the bunny is the only casualty in Fatal Attraction.

Watership Down (1978)

While not scary in a conventional sense, try not and be disturbed by this animated adaption of the classic Richard Adams novel. The story follows a group of rabbits that try to find a new home for themselves when the seer, Fiver, has a vision of their warren in the English countryside suffering an apocalypse. The rabbits’ quest to find a new sanctuary forces them to go through cats, dogs, hawks, hunters, farmers, death traps, and even other more vicious rabbits, which all adds up to something that looks like Disney version of the Donner Party. Heck, there’s even a rabbit Grim Reaper that appears to our heroes at a couple of key points in the film, including the end when leader Hazel, (voiced by John Hurt by the way), is ushered into the rabbit afterlife. Try not thinking about that when you take the kids to see Peter Rabbit!

Donnie Darko (2001)

This would not be a complete list of scary rabbits without the most famous imaginary “leporidae” sidekick since Harvey. Or is Frank imaginary? Filled with signs and portents, weird science and teenage angst, a likely imaginary man named Frank in an ill-formed black rabbit costume isn’t the weirdest thing in Donnie Darko. The vision of Frank not only gives Donnie a warning about the end of the world (sort of), but he bolsters in Donnie a new found attitude about exploring the mysteries of time, and casting off the latent hypocrisies of 1980s suburbia. Was Frank ever real? It’s an interesting question, for he might have been a manifestation of Donnie’s new found ability to see through time, or an alter that allowed Donnie to overcome his own shyness. On the other hand, maybe Donnie had a thing for messed up looking rabbit people.

Sexy Beast (2000)

Some people like hunting rabbits, but in Sexy Beast the rabbit hunts you. Well, sort of. In what might be described as Elmer Fudd’s worst nightmare, ex-convict Gary Dove, played by Ray Winstone, has a vision of a demonic rabbit man riding up to him on horseback, dismounting, and pointing a machine gun at him while he eats a nice meal. It’s like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly with a long-eared Grinch carrying an uzi, and while Ben Kingsley gets all due credit for his truly intimidating (and profanity-laden) performance as a London gangster, try and shake the image of that creepy looking rabbit with a killer instinct.

The Witch (2015)

When if comes to evil animals in Robert Eggers’ “conventional” (according to him) horror movie, The Witch, a lot of people focus on the goat Black Phillip, but what about the black hare? Young Caleb spots the bunny while out on an early morning hunt with his big sister Thomasin and he chases it even after the horse throws Thomasin off. When Caleb gets lost alone in the woods, he stumbles on a hovel and a young woman that lures him to come inside, which seems like the 17th century equivalent of eating Tide pods, an obvious danger, and you should probably know better, but you just can’t help yourself. But whose fault is it really that Caleb became prey to a witch? The black rabbit, of course!

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

While Monty Python is not exactly synonymous with horror, it’s hard to find a rabbit scene more gory then the one in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The titular quest leads Arthur and his knights to a cave guarded by the Rabbit of Caerbannog. Despite the somewhat vague but emphatic warnings by Tim the Enchanter, the Round Table knights are thoroughly unimpressed with their latest challenge, at least until Sir Bors is attacked and decapitated. The Rabbit of Caerbannog proves himself more than a match for the knights, and only the “Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch” is able to deal with the rabbit permanently. There’s a lesson here about not underestimating your opponent. There’s also a lesson that bunnies are bloodsuckers and killers, but that seems to get overlooked.

Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! (2006)

There is a small, but surprising subgenre of slasher movies about people in bunny suits, but one of the better ones is Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! It is of a Rob Zombie mold, about hideous low lives who get their proper comeuppance and the one delivering it here is a killer in a bunny mask. It’s highly violent, highly disturbing, and will likely shade every future experience you have with contractors and power tools, but it does have a delightful twist in the end, not to mention a delightfully twisted ending. Not all killers in rabbit costumes are made in the same vein, but if you’re looking for a low-budget horror delight to counteract all those typically bright and cheerful Easter feelings, this is your remedy.

Night of the Lepus (1972)

A forgotten classic in the science creates big animals horror subgenre, but one that’s fascinating if for nothing else then being about giant mutant rabbits overrunning a small ranching town. In fact, Night of the Lepus makes a nice bookend with Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit because they’re both about using science to find a humane way to reduce the rabbit population, but they’re also about that process going horribly wrong. If you can’t buy the ludicrous concept, that’s fine because the pre-CG effects do nothing to help the suspension of disbelief. The effect of the over running horde of giant rabbits is achieved through a combination of close-ups, miniatures, green screen, and yes, humans in rabbit costumes. Unbelievable? Certainly! A terribly good time on an Easter weekend? Absolutely!

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hufflepuffdean · 7 years ago

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Dean/Cas Fic Recs

I don’t think I’d bothered to update my fic recs since like, mid-S9 MAYBE. dozens of my faves were missing. so of course this is what I did with my vacation time. long fics, drabbles, and all seasons included here - enjoy! I really could have included so many more; fandom is so great and talented. <3 (alphabetical order, and I separated canon and AU.)

CANON

Absolution by omphalos and wolfling. 100K+, NC-17. Against his better judgement, Castiel offers Dean a way to save Sam. (Part of a three-part series, the third part of which was never written. Absolution stands on its own, though, as does its sequel Kin.)

alive with closed eyes by MajorEnglishEsquire. 1K, NC-17. i will take the sun in my mouth

All the Neighbors Might Think by murron. 5K, NC-17. It’s not like Dean needs company on Christmas Eve.

All the Pebbles in Your Path by thegrrrl2002. 12K, NC-17. Dean takes an unexpected trip. It's up to Cas to get him home again.

The Allure of Hidden Lace by Dangerousnotbroken. 9K, NC-17. Now that they've got the bunker, an actual home to live in and a place to cultivate comfort, Dean finds himself creating routines, exprimenting in the kitchen, and enjoying life off the road. He also finds that it's pretty impossible to escape the watchful eye of a former angel who seems pretty goddamned observant.

Après by imogenbynight. 24K, NC-17. When the angels stop falling and Castiel makes his way out of the trees, he finds himself alone and oceans away from the Winchesters. For once, Dean flies to him.

Assimilation by komodobits. 6K, PG-13. Mary always thought you were supposed to be able to tell. That you could just look at someone and know they were – you know. One of that sort. It’s not supposed to happen to her son.

A Baby, a Lizard Monster, Two Hunters, and an Angel Walk Into a Bar by planiforidjit. 13K, NC-17. A baby shows up on front steps of the bunker and Sam and Dean have no choice but to take it in. They don't know where it came from or how someone knew to drop the baby with them, but with Cas's help they're trying to find out.

Beneath Your Bones, Where I Reside by wolfrock. 3K, NC-17. Set right after "My Bloody Valentine." Castiel hears Dean praying out in the scrap yard and goes to extremes to show him that Famine was wrong when he said his soul was broken.

The Best of All Instructors by theskywasblue. 2K, NC-17. Dean teaches Cas to shoot, Cas teaches Dean something entirely different.

The Best of Fools by fanforfanatic. 1K, PG. ‘The label is misleading’ is Cas’ initial reaction. There is no music on Dean’s Top 13 Zepp Traxx, at least not until the very end.

Blueberry, Rhubarb, and Apple by chellefic. 5K, NC-17. Castiel may just be rhubarb.

Bodies Shine Together in the Darkness by dorkilysoulless. 5K, NC-17. Angels aren't marble statues. Not really. And who better to teach Hannah those lessons than Castiel? (Endgame Dean/Cas/Hannah.)

a breathing thing by mishcollin. 1K, G. She's always been a home to Dean's love -- this is her purpose.

Bring Up the Deep by beenghosting. 23K, NC-17. They went back and forth on whether or not to make the drive until Sam found an article in the town’s local paper dated a week earlier about a lobster fisherman who swore a monster sank his boat.

Build a Home by domesticadventures. 20K, PG. After they save the world, Dean expects Cas to come back to the bunker with them. He doesn’t.

Bulletproof by nyoka. 5K, NC-17. It’s been weeks since Purgatory, but Dean still feels it on his skin.

Casturbatus Interruptus by smallhorizons. 6K, NC-17. Dean walks in on Cas masturbating. He’s doing it all wrong, but when you’re a bazillion-year-old virgin, that’s to be expected. Dean decides to lend him a hand in a totally platonic, non-romantic way. Things get a little out of control.

a cave, a cathedral. by orange_crushed. 2K, PG. He does come home with you. He does.

Come Again? by xaandria. 17K, NC-17. The unintended application of an ancient nuptial blessing leaves Cas and Dean at each others' mercy, having bestowed upon them the ability to both experience and influence the other's sexual sensations for the space of ten days. Any other two people with sense would swear off any and all carnal activity until the blessing runs its course, but when have Cas and Dean ever had any sense when it comes to what the other is feeling?

The Consequences of Falling by FayJay. 37K, NC-17. A story in fifteen parts, in which the angel Castiel finds himself put in an untenable position, and consequentially loses his grace. In which he goes on a roadtrip with a demon, discovers the delights of tequila and french fries and pie, plays a starring role in a virgin sacrifice, is deflowered by his favourite Winchester, and then gets some very unpleasant news indeed. (Spoilers: the MCD in the tags isn't permanent and the non-con isn't between Dean and Cas.)

Crossing the Sea by thegrrrl2002. 21K, NC-17. The apocalypse is over, and Dean has Sam back, safe and sound. All should be well with his world, but Dean's still coping with the emotional fallout and feeling more than a little off-balance, Meanwhile, Sam is convinced there's a monster living in Lake Superior but they can't seem to find it, although there's plenty of good pie and fishing trips to be had. Plus there's Castiel, who pops back into Dean's life, and gets way into Dean's personal space. He's dealing with his own issues -- being the new sheriff of heaven isn't turning out quite the way he thought it would.

Dean (and Cas') Top 13 Zepp Traxx by pantheon_of_discord. 82K, NC-17. Dean and Cas and the open road, to the tune of Led Zeppelin.

Deeper and Deeper Into the World by peridium. 47K, NC-17. When Metatron breaks free of the library, Castiel’s grace in hand, and disappears, Castiel is left human-- and angry. Angrier than he’ll admit until, late at night, Dean coaxes it out of him: Castiel is pissed and he wants revenge. He wants it enough to pursue Metatron, reckless and without a plan, across the Atlantic with Dean at his side, knowing how badly he wants Dean and how likely it is that one or both of them will die along the way. Their search takes them all across the world, from London to Omsk to Tokyo and between. Far from home with no one but each other, Castiel’s grace missing and the Mark still on Dean’s arm, Dean and Castiel find the flimsy barriers between the two of them dissolving.

The Distance of the Setting Sun by murron. 18K, NC-17. With the apocalypse off the table and Sam returned from the pit, Team Free Will finds themselves at loose ends. When Sam suggests they take a holiday, Dean expects many things. Wearing flip-flops isn’t one of them.

Do What Feels Good by catchclaw and cymbalism. 13K, NC-17. Castiel learns to love alone time in the shower. And then he learns to share.

Dog Shit, Traps, Trouble and Other Inconvenient Things to Fall Into by proxydialogue. 2K, PG-13. There's an argument in here somewhere for Castiel's skill of inconvenient timing.

Dream of Now series by sass_master. 124K, NC-17. Various moments in Cas and Dean's relationship. (Technically a WIP but you can read any individual story and be satisfied. In more ways than one eyyyyy)

An Empty Cup by peridium. 3K, NC-17. It takes almost no time for Dean to get used to the coldness of space. The darkness, the emptiness, the nothingness. Actually, he kind of likes it at first. And then Castiel comes to visit.

Except Thou Bless Me by architeuthis. 11K, NC-17. Castiel is wroth, and Dean is having a great time.

Eyes on the Road, Hands on the Wheel by Chiyume. 11K, NC-17. After being nagged into it by his brother, Dean takes on the task of teaching Castiel how to drive; a task that turns out to be harder to accomplish than one would have thought since neither Cas nor Dean seems capable of watching the road...

Fata morgana. by orange_crushed. 7K, PG-13. The endless asphalt and broken road, the empty land and piles of human garbage, the unwanted ends of life, the cracked toys and broken screens and burning cars and gravel. Dean Winchester is the king of hell. "Oh," says Bela. That changes certain things. (D/C is more implied.)

Feast of All Saints by oselle. 30K?, NC-17. It's 2015 and the world's gone to hell in the Croatoan apocalypse. Separated from their group of virus survivors, Dean and his erstwhile guardian angel find themselves stranded in Appalachia.

Forget the Sky by loversantiquities. 26K, PG-13. After years of bum luck on lottery scratch offs in almost every state in the nation, Dean strikes it rich on a ticket and comes into the possession of fifteen thousand dollars—after taxes. After finishing a near-fruitless hunt with Castiel at his side, and with decades worth of exhaustion in his bones, together they come up with a plan—throw a dart at a map pinned to their motel wall, and fly to the first place it lands. Only, Dean never anticipated that traveling to Japan would involve staying so close to Castiel at all hours on unsure footing, and thousands of miles from Sam and his home, everything from simple touches to sideways glances, it all comes to a head in the middle of the night—How is he supposed to enjoy his vacation when he's sleeping next to the love of his life?

free fall by anastiel. 7K, R. He’s not used to this, the constancy of Cas at his side 24/7, with no random potential deadly trips to Heaven, no fear that Cas will leave him and never come back. There’s no more Lucifer, Amara, and no potential end of the world. Cas is just here, he’s himself, and everything is mostly okay. In reality, Dean’s pretty sure he’s dreaming and in two seconds he’s going to wake up and a Djinn will be sucking him dry. There’s no way his luck could be this good.

The Girlfriend Experience by rageprufrock. 15K, NC-17. While it's not like Dean hasn't had a couple of truly regrettable hit-and-runs in his sexual history, this is probably the saddest fucking thing that has ever happened to him.

Good Things Do Happen by trinityofone. 11K, PG. A Winchester Family Christmas, 2010. AKA, Best zombie Christmas ever!

Grapple by loversantiquities. 3K, NC-17. He swallowed, throat tight – you can do this, Winchester. It’s just Cas. Your best friend, remember?

Hands, From Which All Things Are Built by MajorEnglishEsquire. 15K, PG. Castiel travels with the angel tablet and without the Winchesters. One day, Dean gets a text from some anonymous number.

He Begins the Work of Exploration by dorkilysoulless. 3K, NC-17. Castiel chooses humanity, and he delights in the pleasures of the flesh.

Heart of Glass by omphalos. 17K, NC-17. He's the one who was punished, severely, because of his feelings for Dean, but who still gave up everything for him in the end. Surely there should exist between them a better level of comprehension than this.

Hell or High Water by electricskeptic. 25K, PG-13/R. Wherein Dean and Sam are killed by forces unknown (again), and Castiel is willing to do just about anything do bring them back. However, things aren’t quite as straightforward as they seem, and the civil war in Heaven reaches an unexpected climax when Raphael shows his hand. A story about faith, morality, and the ultimate cost of free will.

Here the Deadened Strain Revive by demonology. 43K, PG-13. Banished to Purgatory, Castiel must rekindle his friendship with Dean and mend his damaged mind as they fight for their lives and search for a way back home. With only each other to rely on, they navigate a horrific wasteland populated with creatures both new and familiar, and as the dangers mount they realize that there might be more to their bond than they ever could have imagined.

How Still My Heart by cadignan. 71K, NC-17. Charlie hadn’t been waiting for the call, but it’s not exactly a surprise to hear from Dean. "Cas? You want me to find Cas?"

Howling the Moondogs by kelpiethethundergod. 42K, PG-13. Fallen and slowly being eaten up by guilt for having helped Metatron empty out the skies, Castiel seeks refuge at the bunker and tries to find a way to set everything right. He clings to the one connection that he has always trusted to anchor him over the years, until it starts to crumble under the weight of all their combined responsibilities and finally disappears into the dark without a trace.

I Beg of You Now by kelpiethethundergod. 11K, NC-17. Birthday parties are a thing normal people do, and Dean isn't normal people. He sucks at those things. He doesn't want to mess it up for Claire. So, Dean's kind of nervous. Cas, though, Cas is worse.

i crippled your heart a hundred times by bravest. 19K, NC-17. One night Castiel comes to Dean and says three words he wasn't ready to hear.

I've been laying down in the devil's lair by dontbitethesun. 5K, R. What's a fallen angel to do when his fearless leader fails to get him killed? Join the army, apparently, or at least what's left of it.

If You Get Lost, You Can Always Be Found by WinJennster. 25K, NC-17. Days after "I’m No Angel," Castiel finds himself exiled from the safety of the bunker. The money Dean gives him runs out all too soon. Luck, or perhaps divine providence, lands him on the Amish farm of Jacob and Lydia Bieler. The Bielers take Cas in. Despite the Amish’s general distrust of outsiders - Englischers - the strange man who can understand their language and isn’t afraid of hard work seems a natural fit amongst them. Castiel thinks he might just go ahead and stay - the farm seems like a good place to heal his broken heart, and maybe forget who broke it. Meanwhile, Dean finds himself so wracked with guilt, he can’t stand to see his own face in the mirror. He doesn't know what's worse; the fact that he threw Cas away or that Sam’s unwillingly - and unwittingly - possessed by an angel. Charlie comes for a visit and decides to stay, and it takes her no time at all to call Dean on his bullshit. With her help and encouragement and a plan to deal with the angel in Sam later, Dean and Charlie set out to find Cas and bring him home. But when they find him, Dean’s surprised that Cas doesn’t want to come home, leaving Dean to face some difficult truths about himself - and how he feels about Castiel.

Immigrant Song by trinityofone. 47K, NC-17. A hypothetical season six in which Dean, Sam, and a newly-fallen Castiel encounter vengeful gods, secret societies, a box of dangerous magical artifacts, and something they're all going to pretend wasn't actually faeries. Meanwhile, Dean suffers a sexuality crisis, and Castiel has a secret that could change everything.

In a Twist series by annundriel. 15K, NC-17. Castiel buys Dean a little something. Dean likes it. A lot. (It seems like she deleted her LJ, which is a shame, but everything by annundriel is great!)

In the Bee-Loud Glade by clockworkrobots. 18K, PG. Set four years after the events of season 9, this is the story of how Dean and Cas take over Sonny's home for boys when he retires, as a retirement of their own, of sorts, from the hard life of hunting. It's also the story of how Claire Novak, now of age, tracks them down there to hopefully find the answers she never got as a child.

In the Evening by suqua. 3K, NC-17. At the end of the day, Dean and Castiel have each other.

In the Secret Places of the Stairs by thevinegarworks. 20K?, NC-17. Castiel has soothed his nightmares since the first night, though Dean will never know of it. Castiel has accepted this invisibility willingly; if it helps Dean Winchester grow into his role, he will oblige without argument and with no need for recognition. He simply wants to help.

Just Another Word for Intuition by cymbalism. 3K, NC-17. As an angel Castiel had put Dean together, healed his wounds with a touch, made him whole. Now, as a man, he takes him apart.

Leap that Makes the Fall by miss_anthropic. 50K?, PG-13. With no explanation for how or why, Dean and Sam find themselves with a fallen angel on their hands. (Also worth reading the sequel, Loving the Fall.)

Let It Be by Persephoneshadow. 143K, R. The one where Mary lives, Cas is there, and nothing and everything changes. (Sort of AU? A canon AU? You'll see what I mean when you read it, but it's definitely wedded to canon.)

Love: A Retrospective by xylodemon. 41K, NC-17. Pretending Cas is just his friend has been the only thing keeping Dean's head on straight for years. He never realized how much doing that depended on him making himself scarce in the morning ─ not until Cas came back and moved into the bunker.

Mind Over Matter by rarelypoetic. 16K, NC-17. Castiel and Sam perform an ancient angelic purification ritual on Dean in the hopes of curing him of the Mark, but it has some unexpected consequences. In the process of trying to figure out what went wrong, Castiel realizes a thing or two about angelic history, Dean discovers that the boundary between divinity and humanity is not quite as delineated as he had thought, and together they learn that some things are a long time coming.

Moon Going Down by nyoka. 4K, NC-17. Somewhere in Nebraska at the end of the road, it's the darkest night he's ever known.

The (Mostly Accidental) Courtship of Dean Winchester by tuesday. 11K, R. Angelic marriage rites were never intended to go quite like this.

My Eyes Are an Ocean by entanglednow. 10K, NC-17. It's amazing what you decide you can get away with when you can't see a damn thing. (Also worth reading the sequel, An Eye for an Eye.)

Named by RC_McLachlan. 95K, R. Jesus Christ is dead. Somehow, that isn't the worst part of Dean's week.

Nowhere Else by xxenjoy. 10K, NC-17. Between Cas' lost grace, and Dean's accidental confession to Sam, it's been the same overbearing concern - that Dean really, really does not need - for weeks. He can focus on Cas and do his job at the same time. This is not the first case the two of them will work together, it's not even the first case Cas has worked as a human. It may be the first case the two of them have worked alone since the whole 'I'm in love with Cas' fiasco, but Dean's a professional, he knows what he's doing. They'll be fine. Cas will be fine.

One Cold Night by xylodemon. 17K, NC-17. Dean shivers again. His teeth clack together. "Jesus Christ, it's cold."

One Species Too Many by wallmakerrelict. 22K, NC-17. While Dean is laid up for a month after breaking his leg on a hunt, Cas decides that it's a perfect time to adopt a litter of kittens. But even though he's gotten better since Purgatory, Cas still isn't quite the same as he was before fixing Sam's head, and being trapped in a cabin with him for weeks on end is making that all the more obvious to Dean. When Sam takes off on a hunt, Dean has to figure out on his own how to navigate his new relationship with Cas while also helping to raise a bunch of fuzzballs that aren't even cute. Not even a little bit. (Well, maybe a little bit.)

Only Fools Rush In by baka_sensei. 18K, NC-17. Cas lets his feelings run away with him, Gabe is a total dick, Sam is concerned, and Dean has to make a choice.

The Path of Fireflies by museaway. 64K, PG-13ish. After his humanity is restored, Dean wakes up in bed with Castiel, a wedding ring, and no memory of the past twelve years.

Picking Stitches by sky_reid. 2K, PG-13. Dean likes his women curvy, his men rough and his Cas just the way he is.

Put Up Your Dukes by saltyfeathers. 38K, NC-17. Dean can't sleep. Cas offers to tire him out.

Risking Everything by twisting_vine_x. 20K, NC-17. When Castiel goes missing after a battle with Raphael, just how far will Dean go to get him home safely again?

Seventeen Kisses and Counting by chellefic. 5K, NC-17. "You're sexually attracted to Dr. Sexy."

Shambala by anythingtoasted. 4K, NC-17. “You’re a Buddhist now?” Cas shrugged, trailing his fingers over the smooth gold head of the Buddha statuette. He tapped it affectionately before he turned to look at Dean, who once again was in his cabin, completely unannounced. “Sure. Why not? I figure, keep trying; something’s gotta stick.”

Show Among Us Secret Wisdom by dorkilysoulless. 8K, NC-17. When Dean wakes up female, he and Sam struggle to find a cause. To find a solution, Dean has to expand his horizons: new ride, new bodily functions, and a whole new awareness of angels.

sinfonia di luce by mishcollin. 1K, PG-13. When you first met, you remember, he blew the lights out.

Sing a Song of Sex Puns by Persephoneshadow. 33K, NC-17. That one verse where Dean and Cas are good at talking during sex but not about the fact they're having sex.

Soldiers of the Dust by nyoka. 6K, NC-17. Sometimes in the dark they touch.

Someone Who's Feeling For Me by ellispark. 46K, R/NC-17. Dean sees her for the first time in nearly six years in some no-name town in Idaho, and it's panic at first sight. Lisa Braeden, the one woman Dean ever actually had a shot at a real life with, back from where he buried her in his mind. And her hand is on Cas's arm like it's no big deal, like it belongs there.

Still Life by catchclaw. 16K, NC-17. Dean'd always thought that falling in love was a capital letter kind of thing, an Important Event you carved into the calendar of your life and never, ever forgot. But with he and Cas, it wasn't that simple.

Sum of My Regrets by LoveIsNotAVictoryMarch. 21K, R. In which Dean Winchester travels through time, learns a thing or two about best laid plans, and falls in love with an angel -- all over again.

Take Me Home Country Roads by saltyfeathers. 125K, R/NC-17. Dean dies with the Mark of Cain on his arm, waking up with black eyes and hellfire licking at his heels. Cas, sick on the stolen grace that's rotting inside him, gives chase. As his pursuit and Dean's evasion ebbs and flows, they begin to figure out the difference between marks given and marks received, and what it means when one such mark is faded but not forgotten.

ten thousand words by bree_black. 13K, NC-17. In 2009, a man who claims to speak to God gives the not-quite-an-angel-anymore Castiel his Polaroid camera. “Use it wisely,” he warns. “Cameras are a strange sort of magic. They hold on to the energy of the moments they capture and keep it alive past its time. That’s why we should only take photographs of our happiest moments. There’s no sense prolonging our pain or sadness, but love and joy are worth saving.” During the next five years, Castiel superstitiously takes nine photographs of his happiest moments. When a second Dean arrives from the past, Castiel knows he’s been sent to witness something catastrophic, something so terrible Zachariah believes it will scare Dean into accepting his destiny. He senses the end is near, but Castiel can’t quite bring himself to take the final photograph. Dean does it for him.

There's Only One Sure Thing That I Know by blinkiesays. 20K, R/NC-17. Dean doesn't even get halfway through explaining before Bobby starts laughing. When he lets himself think about it for more than five seconds, Dean can almost see Bobby's point: he's faced down demons, witches, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, angels, and Satan himself and now he's been defeated by the God damn Midwest.

These Are Not Real Problems by scaramouche. 31K, NC-17. Castiel used to be a god. Dean took that away from him, and now Castiel's stuck in a hell of his own making.

This is just one version of the way it could go by zelda_zee. 9K, PG-13. There are as many ways that this story could go as there are writers of this pairing. This is just one version.

This Isn't Where We Intended to Be by PorcupineGirl. 14K, NC-17. Fallen, Castiel struggles to figure out where he fits in the human world—and in Dean's life.

This Story Needs More Power Ballads by pyrebi. 3K, PG-13. In which Dean has an angelic boyfriend and Sam is a better brother than anyone gives him credit for.

Three Is the Magic Number by Persephoneshadow. 7K, NC-17. The one where Dean and Cas have a threesome with the cute waitress because Dean can't deal. (What it says on the tin, but it is endgame D/C.)

Tripping by Hatteress. 49K, NC-17. That time the universe decided Dean belonged with Cas and wasn't afraid to pull out the big guns to make it so. Big guns in this case being obsessive fangirls, archangels turned tricksters and overly enthusiastic cupids. Welcome to Dean's life.

Trope Springs Eternal by VioletHaze. 41K, NC-17. Dean's in love with Cas. Cas is in love with Dean. That much is obvious to everyone who sees them. But instead of acting on it, these two idiots seem bound and determined to score gold medals in the pining olympics. The staring, the longing, the unresolved sexual tension that's strong enough to combust and engulf the planet…is there anything that can push them out of their safe, cowardly positions? Leaving them to their own devices hasn't worked so maybe it's time to pull out the big guns.

True North by zatnikatel. 4K, NC-17. “You’re fundamental to me,” he murmurs. “You always have been.”

The Tunnel of Love by xylodemon. 21K, NC-17. "We might," Cas starts slowly, pausing like he's choosing his words. "We might have to kiss." Dean just stares at him.

a turn of the earth by mishcollin. 95K, NC-17. In which Castiel gets stuck in Dean’s timeline preseries and Dean kind of hates it—until he doesn’t.

Twelve Arches Facing the Sea by MajorEnglishEsquire. 43K, NC-17. If Cas says anything else, Dean can't hear it. There's a hand over his face, a wetness at his mouth, and the volcano's deafening silence rushing through his head like pyroclastic flow, like a landslide rolling over everything in sight and drowning it in death.

The Unmade Bed by 60r3d0m. 5K, R. He’s only three steps down the hallway when he turns back. He’s three steps away and he’s anxious and his heart’s beating fast and then three more steps and he’s back and he...he doesn't know what he's about to say. Cas has moved since he left. He’s wandered over to the little Men of Letters safe that’s in Dean’s room and Cas’ fingers are running over the metal. “You can’t leave,” Dean says, because of course that's what comes out of his goddamn mouth. “You stupid son of a bitch, you can’t leave anymore, alright?”

Unsuffer Me by janie_tangerine. 22K, NC-17. After the end of the world I just wanted to rest and chill out, not to re-build my life from scratch around the fact that I can’t hear shit and that I look like the fucking Phantom of the Opera.

Untitled by proxydialogue. 1K, PG. Sam had never heard (or read) a definition of love that didn’t bore him to tears.

Vena Amoris and Other Old-Fashioned Bullshit by pyrebi. 4K, PG-13. In which angelic marriage bonds are apparently stupidly easy to trigger, Cas wages multidimensional war in Heaven, Dean can't catch a break like ever, Sam rather enjoys being a dick, love saves the day, and nobody consummates anything.

The Vessel by chellefic. 8K, NC-17. When his vessel goes missing, Castiel turns to Dean for help.

Veteran by liadan14. 8K, R. Dean's been thinking about changing things much more often recently, what with Cas being around the way he is now, and with what Ellen left him in her will.

victorious secret by mishcollin. 4K, NC-17. Cas has a surprise gift for Dean, which turns out nicely for both of them, in the end.

We Are Such Stuff by inevitablethief. 62K, NC-17. Dean and Sam are apparently captured by a djinn, but, while their mutual fantasy world gives Sam the life he'd always wanted, Dean finds himself in a world fueled by desires he'd yet to let himself admit. Faced with his unspoken feelings for Castiel, Dean may be unable to resist temptation.

We Both Kinda Liked It by elizajane. 14K, NC-17. A panty fic that's only marginally about the panties.

we shovel all the ashes out by xylodemon. 15K, NC-17. Dean’s always known things were headed this way. He just figured getting dragged under would be cleaner and easier than jumping in feet-first.

We still want to be reminded (that the pain is worth the plunder) by blue_fjords. 12K, NC-17. Sam and Dean's first case after Sam gets his soul back leads them to rural Maryland. There's pie, an old naked guy, and a little less angst then you'll find on the show.

We Were Promised Mermaids by shireberries. 2K, NC-17. “Seriously, Sam?” Dean whines, already sweating in his jeans and boots. “The honeymoon suite?”

what fun it all would be by 8sword. 23K, R. Nothing dies in Purgatory, but they are forever finding corpses. (I feel the need to note this is the lone fic on both lists with an unhappy ending. But if you’re in the mood for some heartbreak, it’s wonderful.)

What Has Eight Tentacles and Isn't Allowed to Eat Pie? by scaramouche. 16K, PG. Dean watched an anime porn about this once, but real life turns out to be way less interesting.

When the Bough Breaks by captainshakespear and deanisthesun. 74K, R. Years after the Darkness has been defeated, Dean and Cas are living the apple pie life in small-town Kansas. They don’t hunt anymore, and would like to keep it that way, but some young hunters knocking at their door have different plans. Dean, Cas and Sam reluctantly agree to help out, but what ought to be a simple case becomes way more complicated and dangerous than they counted on. And when the hunt starts to invade the normal lives they've carved out for themselves and their kids, Dean and Cas begin to wonder if escaping the hunting life altogether might have been wishful thinking.

where the weeds take root by beenghosting. 30K, NC-17. “Are you happy? Y’know. Just—being here,” Dean says, gesturing to the yard with his beer bottle. “Being with—I mean, you used to fight in celestial wars and—and save the world. Now you’re growing vegetables and talking about chickens.”

Where your treasure is. by orange_crushed. 2K, PG-13. He blinks the sleep away from his eyes and looks down and finds Castiel kneeling on the floor, holding Dean’s naked foot in both hands, his palm cupped under the heel. He’s still wearing the dorky snowflake sweater Dean bought him as a joke, but now there’s a towel tied around his waist, too; one of the bath sheets from the shower room. Behind him, the television plays an infomercial for holiday bakeware.

Who If I Cried Out Would Hear Me by misachan. 7K, PG-13. Dean goes missing on a hunt; Castiel can hear him but can't find him, and longer the situation drags on the unhappier Cas gets. An angry angel of the Lord is not someone to be messed with.

with these aching bones by casfallsinlove. 5K, NC-17. The lakehouse they’re renting is less of a house and more of a cabin, a little rundown around the edges with leafy green tendrils creeping up the windows and tangling in the splintered wood. The front door sticks when Dean pushes it, the pale blue paint cracked and peeling, and the inside smells strongly of the wet sand they dragged in with them on the bottom of their boots.

Zenith by anactoria. 33K, NC-17. Still relatively new to humanity, Castiel struggles with both Dean’s confusing behaviour and the loss of his angelic faculties. When a pissed-off witch restores his ability to see the supernatural, the curse seems like a blessing. He can help his friends again – and when Dean’s lies blow up in his face and Sam is once again left hovering between life and death, Cas is happy to be useful. But his abilities keep getting stronger, and they might just be more than a human brain can handle.

All the Way by cadignan. 81K, NC-17. Castiel spends the first two weeks of college in much the same way he spent the previous years: alone with his books. He’s fine with it—he enrolled in college to learn, after all. Then in his first chemistry lab, he has the bad luck of being paired with snide, good-for-nothing Ruby, and the further misfortune of sitting behind Dean Winchester, the world’s most beautiful distraction. Ruby catches Castiel staring at Dean and makes him an offer.

Any Little Heartbreak by followthattardis. 77K, NC-17. Dean Winchester knows everything there is to know about the human heart. Well. Anatomically speaking.

Asunder by rageprufrock. 24K, NC-17. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Bird of Paradise by trinityofone. 34K, R. When Sam Campbell is chosen as a tribute for the Games—an annual fight to the death between twenty-four of New Eden's unlucky children—his older brother Dean volunteers to take his place. Dean fully expects to die so that Sam can live, but once he enters the arena, Dean discovers that what's at stake in the Games is far more complicated than simple life and death, and nothing and no one is what they seem.

The Breath of All Things by KismetJeska. 65K, PG-13. Dean Winchester was twenty-six years old when a car accident killed his father and left him paralysed from the waist down. A year and a half later, Dean is in a wheelchair and lives in a care home in Kansas, where he spends his days waiting to die. It's only when Castiel Novak starts volunteering at the care home that Dean starts to wonder if a changed life always equals a ruined one.

Broadway Musical by Griftings. 12K, R. The romantic comedy where Dean Winchester and Jo Harvelle are destined to get married, Castiel is given the task of playing matchmaker and fails terribly, the entire Heavenly Host becomes a sitcom audience, God warns against male pregnancy, and Jimmy Novak is incredibly unimpressed with angels in general. (Only sort of AU, but entirely hilarious.)

Carnival Oasis by violue. 43K, NC-17. The adventures of Dean Winchester and his sin eating boyfriend.

A Chip on My Shoulder and a Halo on My Head by thepinupchemist. 6K, NC-17. Dean finally meets the professor that Sam has been talking up for the entire semester and can't help but think the guy is a total dick. A sandwich, a plaid shirt, and one hell of a first date later, Dean has to admit...he was so, so very wrong.

Clean Air by anactoria. 122K, NC-17. Centuries after the surface of the earth was devastated by an unknown disaster, the remnants of humanity live in a series of vast underground silos, each unaware of the existence of the others. For the inhabitants of Silo 34, the silo is the world, and the only world they know. Questions about the outside world are forbidden, and asking them is what got Dean Winchester's parents killed. He isn't even sure himself that they weren't crazy. That all changes when he hears a voice on the radio -- a voice from another world. (My fave.)

Convenient Husbands by scaramouche. 39K, NC-17. "It's only temporary, right?" Dean says. "Just until you're healed up, and then we'll never have to see each other again. So what do you say, Castiel, do you want to marry me or not?"

(Dis)Affection by justkeeponwriting. 74K, NC-17. When Dean and Castiel are tricked to go on a date, neither is happy about this. To get back at their deceitful friends, they hatch the perfect plan: pretend to be dating, and gross out their friends with their over-the-top, disgustingly cute romantic relationship – and then break up in the most despicable manner imaginable. As it turns out, you can learn a lot from someone just by pretending affection.

Florence 'verse by ShastaFirecracker. 143K, NC-17. Castiel Novak, anthropology professor and recent divorcee; a half-drunk hookup with the bartender from his brother's bachelor party; cue the morning after, with full attendant nudity, awkwardness, walking into doors, and running into one of his students at the worst possible time.

For Science! by pm_lo. 23K, NC-17. Selected transcripts and supporting materials from Dr. Castiel Williams and Dean Winchester’s seminal study on physiological and psychological sexual response by gender designation. (a/b/o.)

Go Down With This Ship by PorcupineGirl. 31K, NC-17. Since he has to stay deep in the closet to protect his job as a children’s librarian in conservative Wichita, Kansas, Dean’s main outlet for sexual frustration is writing and reading slash fiction for his favorite show, Devil Boys. When he starts corresponding with AngelofThursday, another male slash writer in his ship, he really is just looking for friendship… but when it seems like more might be on the table, he’s not going to turn it down. If only he didn’t also have a crush on Cas, the hot volunteer at his library branch…

Good Hands by aileenrose. 13K, R. Cas is the owner of a failing—and falling apart—B&B. Dean might be able to help with that. Dean’s good with his hands.

Grown-Ups Making Grown-Up Choices by Carrieosity. 81K, NC-17. Dean is a grown-ass man - he can take perfectly good care of himself, thank you very much. Except that sometimes the easier or more fun choices aren't always the right or best ones, and, all right, maybe thinking ahead and working the long game isn't his strongest suit. It's fine! He's fine. When he meets Castiel, he realizes that flying by the seat of his pants may not be the best way to attract the super-serious (gorgeous, funny, genius) Alpha. Dean's shrink has been telling him he needs to start making "grown-up choices," and if that's what he has to think about in order to make Cas fall for him, then he'll give it a whirl.

Have Love, Will Travel by squeemonster. 94K, NC-17. Castiel Novak is a reclusive writer with a childhood so tragic it's left him terrified to leave his home—until his overbearing brother, Gabriel, drags him out for a night on the town full of booze and strip clubs, and he encounters Dean Winchester, a mesmerizing and mysterious stripper with secrets of his own. Both men find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other, and soon Dean's private dances for Castiel become much more, as both men confess their troubles and find solace in each other's company. But neither can seem to find the courage to take their relationship further than the intimacy of the club's VIP Room—and just when Dean's own brother gives him the excuse he needs to finally admit his feelings, Dean discovers something that brings it all crumbling down. Will they find a way past their demons and their trust issues, and back to each other?

Into Your Hideaway by thepinupchemist. 177K, NC-17. Driving down a deserted road in the Rocky Mountains, Castiel finds something unexpected: An omega. Not only an omega, but a naked, injured, pregnant omega. Dean doesn't talk much at first, but that doesn't change the brightness of his soul. It also doesn't stop Castiel from falling in love with him.

Jeté by cadignan. 11K, NC-17. Castiel has been photographing their ballet company for two years now and he and Dean have barely exchanged six words, and yet somehow when Dean breaks his leg, it's Castiel who takes him home from the hospital and takes care of him.

Just Turn Around and Go by PorcupineGirl. 11K, NC-17. Dean should be happy. His best friend and housemate of five years, Castiel, is moving out to live with his boyfriend, Balthazar. Dean's career is going great, so he can easily afford the house on his own now. This is just growing up, moving forward to the next phase of their lives. It would be awesome, if he weren't in love with Cas.

Kingdom Come by cheesewithmy. 98K, R/NC-17. Dean’s life is all work. He’s either at the bar that’s been left to him, serving drinks and cooking with his friend and partner Benny, or tinkering with prosthetic limbs. The rest of his life is one unhappy mess after another. Finding a stranger in the bathroom of his bar, after hours, doesn’t necessarily improve anything. (The author deleted all their work, but if you follow the link there's a download there.)

Kiss the Baker by Ltleflrt. 113K, NC-17. Jo is pregnant and craving something a little bit unusual. When she sends Dean on a mission to find her some chocolate cake donuts with bacon sprinkles, he's sure that he'll fail. Luckily his partner Benny comes to his rescue and introduces him to a quirky little bakery that sells all kinds of weird (and delicious!) baked goods. And they do special orders! Dean finds excuses to keep going back, and Castiel finds excuses to keep giving him special treats.

Like a Parched Land by Las. 9K, NC-17. Reverse!verse: Castiel is the Righteous Man and Dean is the angel who drags his ass out of Hell.

Like Real People by charvelle. 135K, NC-17. Though he's determined never to admit it, the only thing Dean's ever wanted was an Apple Pie Life: it's something that's been dangled in front of his face, though he's certain he could never deserve it. While Dean struggles to come to terms with the isolated, lonely life he's made for himself, a disruption comes in the form of Castiel Novak, Lawrence Private's newest faculty member. Those blue eyes and raspy voice are things Dean can't ignore for long, and when he's forced to stop fighting his affections, Dean finds his lonely life turned upside down. Is it possible he could deserve an Apple Pie Life after all?

Living in Agony by ChasingRabbits. 120K, NC-17. Dean Winchester's life is... well, it's not great. He's a gym teacher, he's in his thirties, and he can't seem to keep any part of his life straight. When the aftermath of a one-night stand goes awry, Dean is dragged kicking and screaming out of his cozy little closet and into the harsh light of reality. Enter: Castiel Novak, the new history teacher, who knows full well that life gets crappy when you don't allow yourself to live it in the way it needs to be lived.

Long Nights in Cold Months by pyrebi. 2K, PG-13. When you're an insomniac, you get used to the "what the hell are you doing up, man?" look. Dean just hopes the guy who's stocking the shelves will stop giving it to him long enough to help him find some damn pineapple.

Out to Drift by beenghosting. 21K, R. Dean drives a black car with a loud engine. He lies too easily. He keeps a gun in the back of his jeans, and Castiel isn’t sure, but he wouldn’t be surprised if Dean has killed someone before.

Plus One by ceeainthereforthat. 91K, NC-17. Castiel Novak might have to attend three weddings in two months, but he’s not about to let his brother play matchmaker. His family’s Internet streaming company is too important to let a relationship steal his time, but he knows exactly what to do–hire someone to pretend to be his boyfriend. Dean Winchester has worked five-star hospitality long enough to know how to fit in with Castiel’s crowd, and this job could score him the connections to make his acting career take off. It’s a business deal, no matter how they’re drawn to each other. When the lines of their contract start to blur into real feelings, can they withstand Castiel’s family and jealous fans working to split them up?

Reckless and Free by GotTheSilver. 29K, NC-17. There’s a photo hanging in the hall of the Winchester home, Dean’s maybe three years old, and he’s on his dad’s bike, hands gripping the handlebars with a big grin on his face. Next to it, his mom and dad’s wedding photo, dad with his kutte and mom with a tight-ass dress on, looking like they had the world at their feet. Him and Sammy, in another photo, playing with toy guns and his mom laughing in the background. Then, Cas and Dean at fifteen and sixteen respectively, hands clasped tightly, sitting on the hood of the Impala and making faces at the camera. It’s a simple little bundle of his past, present, and future in a life that isn’t ever simple.

The Request by cloudyjenn. 37K, PG-13. When Sam Winchester prays for his brother, Castiel is finally sent on his very first assignment. But what should be a simple love match turns into much more and Castiel finds himself risking everything to ensure the happiness of his extremely frustrating charge.

Run Boy Run by DarcyDelaney. 42K, PG-13. Cas likes to run. He likes that it’s something he can do alone whenever he wants, something to clear his head and decrease his anxiety. All that changes when his sister, Anna, volunteers him to be a guide for a blind runner who wants to participate in the Boston Marathon. Cas is completely, totally, 100% against this at first, but once he meets said runner, the snarky and (if Cas is being honest) ridiculously attractive Dean Winchester, he starts to have a change of heart. Maybe running with a partner won’t be so bad after all.

Shoulder to Shoulder, Hand to Hand by cornelius. 58K, PG-13. After release of his memoir, the last thing former fighter pilot Castiel wanted was more time in the spotlight. But when a chance comes up to be on a celebrity ballroom dancing competition show, he knows that drawing attention to his cause is more important than his own comfort. Dean’s danced on Ballroom Superstars for nine seasons without a single win under his belt. With his tenth season coming up, and a man for his partner, he worries that the championship is forever out of his reach. Castiel and Dean both want to win for their own reasons, but they’ll have to figure out how to work together, and manage their mutual attraction, if they want to become the new Ballroom Superstars champions.

Some Day Soon by Persephoneshadow. 11K, NC-17. Castiel doesn't mind his job as lawyer just like he doesn't mind that he's alone on Christmas Eve and working on Christmas Day. That's just the way life is - a dull slog of work and duty and not much else. The only thing he wishes he could change is to maybe get up the nerve to really talk to Dean Winchester, the gorgeous process server who Castiel has harbored a crush on for months. But maybe with a little meddling and some holiday magic, they'll both get what they want for Christmas.

Shut Up (Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is) by kototyph. 24K, NC-17. Dean's done some pretty stupid things, but getting drunk-hitched in Vegas to a colleague he barely knows might just take the cake. His surprise husband, Castiel, is a little weird but likable despite that, and Dean figures they’ll go back to Boston, get a quiet annulment, and go their separate ways. Six weeks later, he’s still married to one of the strangest, most genuine and definitely most dangerously lov-- likable guys he's ever known. Dean doesn't know why or really even how it’s happening, but it’s getting harder and harder to remember that he has divorce papers to file.

Till Human Voices Wake Us by saltandbyrne. 21K, NC-17. In a world of hippogriffs, hydras and flying pygmy elephants, intrepid explorer Dean Winchester was sure he had seen it all. When a monster destroys the only home he's ever known, Dean finds himself falling for his strange rescuer and struggling to face his past.

What Happened in Vegas by Ltleflrt. 18K, NC-17. Long time friends Dean and Castiel are road tripping from Chicago to San Diego for Sam and Eileen’s wedding, and a pitstop in Las Vegas turns into drunken love confessions and a surprise marriage. Turns out the pining has been mutual this whole time, but now they’re finally together and on cloud-fucking-nine. Until they remember that this trip isn’t supposed to be about them. To avoid undermining Sam and Eileen’s important weekend, they decide to keep their new relationship status a secret. They’ll keep the heart eyes toned down and their hands to themselves, but the struggle is real.

#dean x castiel #fic rec #*#destiel

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leyahroehl · 4 years ago

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pet damage insurance for renters

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes from different companies :coverage-finder.net

pet damage insurance for renters

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Dog liability cover on home insurance

Dog liability cover on home insurance as well… It’ll be much cheaper to insure your home than to insure your car, which is expensive in the long run. If the above goes through, you’ll save hundreds. In all cases, the “reasonable” and “reasonable-to-measure” factors are paid to you. The “reasonable” will vary based on your individual situation; if it sounds like you had an accident, you can expect your premiums to be higher or lower than the amounts stated on your insurance document. If you were injured in an accident, you’ll be financially responsible for damages you caused. And even if you don’t have one in your own home, you have a financial responsibility to provide for your family. That’s why it’s a good idea to invest in a car, SUV, or boat, to cover up the different types of vehicles you can drive along the highway for transportation. That way, while.

What does our Lets with Pets landlord insurance cover?

What does our Lets with Pets landlord insurance cover? It does include a Pet Car Coverage for Pets that includes pets that are not a pet or are under your care and should be not be covered for liability or physical damage to a pet. Pet liability coverage is available for pets that have lived and bred in home while home owners should be covered for medical liabilities. In addition to Pet liability insurance for personal pets, there will also be veterinary bills paid and additional coverage for medical costs. These are a few things Pet Insurance can t cover for pets that do not have their own liability protection by their owners. If you want to receive Pet Insurance that includes Pet Liability, there are other forms of Personal Insurance, Personal Injury protection, and liability protection. While the term Pet Liability is common for many insureds who are simply too concerned about Pet Liability as one of their Pet Liability Liability Pays, and as the insured Owner of the pet, Pet Insurance for Dogs, Spouses, and/or A Pupp. Pet Insurance for A Preg.

View the latest blog posts from Cloverleaf Insurance.

View the latest blog posts from Cloverleaf Insurance. Get an insurance quote and decide if you want the best deal. From start to finish, it was fun trying to navigate the internet to find all the information that a medical bill in the US would make for a healthy person. I got on the road to the hospital on a whim and started saving money for myself. Before writing this post, I read these 10 reasons why it would help to have a health insurance when you’ve had a car accident: The law of unintended consequences is that if the accident was caused by something other than an accident, you would receive an accident insurance bill. But, you didn’t have to file a claim with a doctor to get a lower health insurance bill. You could have had to wait months to see the health care provider because insurance was not covered. The only way you can still receive your medical bills when you have to is if you have the proper insurance. And when any accident happens, there are many cases of accidental accidents you must be aware.

Why Endsleigh for landlord insurance?

Why Endsleigh for landlord insurance? If your landlord is still in the process of renovating their property, their landlords may require . And the landlord is still required by the mortgage to have the proper insurance coverage on their property. How much is homeowner’s insurance? The average annual homeowner’s insurance costs range from as low as $1,800 to as high as $2,500. If your are so high, it might be worthwhile to consider . So, how much is homeowner’s insurance? For the average homeowner, the average homeowner’s insurance costs can be as high as $1,800. That’s the average annual homeowner’s insurance cost for a ten-year, $500,000 home in San Francisco alone. However, the average homeowners’ insurance cost as a percentage of income is 1.95, according to data from the . So, what should you buy for your home? While not a typical homeowner’s insurance policy, some basic properties.

Will my insurance cover my chewed up sofa and glasses?

Will my insurance cover my chewed up sofa and glasses? No, she needed to know. That will be your fault. But if you will be in the car, we need to help you. We have been working with CarInsurance.com and the National Association for Uninsured and Under-insured Drivers (NAVPD) to provide you with high-quality auto insurance for your BMW Car insurance. We have been offering high-quality insurance for BMW cars for over 30 years, and are proud to work with you. If you want cheap car insurance for your BMW car make sure to check out our comprehensive list of excellent car insurance policies to keep the quality of your BMW safe. Read through what car insurance policy is best for you. The below states help you find car insurance coverage that meets the state insurance requirements. If you re looking for a comprehensive car insurance policy for your BMW BMW you can expect to pay a few thousand dollars. You can find a comprehensive plan for a low cost, but it will come with a deductible that is lower..

Does your renter’s insurance policy cover your pet?

Does your renter’s insurance policy cover your pet? If it’s a pet and their medical care is out of your control, there are some options. You can contact the Illinois Department of Environmental Management (ENS) about their contact form. You’ll make an account on the ESM website. In addition, you can send your personal documents, medical records (if accepted) and any other information to each of your individual insurance policies. If you require additional treatment or require hospitalization, you should contact your carrier. You can use your carrier’s website. The company has the ability to contact employees in some cases within 24 hours. You can also contact an ER’s medical staff. While you can use a patient’s insurance policy for care, they don’t guarantee the amount of coverage provided. We recommend you also discuss your coverage if it’s offered. Most large health insurance plans offer a rider to your health insurance policy. If you’re looking to switch car insurance companies,.

Does renters insurance cover property damage from pets?

Does renters insurance cover property damage from pets? No. Renters insurance covers property damage caused by pet lawsuits, and renters insurance can help protect you from the unexpected. You may also need it if you rent another person’s home or depend on your family for income. Some renters insurance policies may cover damage they cause to another family member who comes to your home when you are away. While you are not obligated to take out a policy, it is possible that it will. When you rent an apartment you might need to insure your personal property, but you cannot rely on your landlord for protection. If your apartment is burglarized you will be there to help. If you buy insurance and rent an apartment from someone else, it’s generally more affordable than by going through your own individual coverage. Renters in California must carry renters insurance to replace their belongings as they leave the building. It is not required under state laws, but a good idea to get coverage. You can’t leave your personal items in your apartment or.

Insurers who cover some type of pet damage

Insurers who cover some type of pet damage are not automatically included on the policy but will be automatically covered by your carrier if there was an accident or if you were ticketed or checked on a traffic ticket by the police. If you don’t have this type of coverage from your car insurance company, your cat may be covered by your comprehensive-coverage policy if they are not listed as an excluded or excluded-species, although if they are listed the name of a pet and it is covered their price may be different. There are several kinds of dog insurance. The most common dog being used by insurers for accidents is Staffordshire terriers. However, if you own or manage a particular terrier and you’ve been with your insurer all the time, they may be the best option when you’re shopping for policies to cover the costs of treating them. If your dog has been in a dog lab for three years or more and hasn’t been in any accidents, it might be worth getting a quote from.

How renters insurance works if your dog bites someone

How renters insurance works if your dog bites someone, it’s not just some kind of I’m really a dog fan, you’ll get very lucky if the and dog bite.” But renters insurance is just as important – a good way to protect renters as car insurance is. So here are some of the questions I ask many renters who’ve purchased insurance: Does renters insurance protect renters?: A renters insurance policy is an umbrella term for different types of coverage. It usually covers a number of things, but generally this is the best way to cover your personal belongings. The policy does not cover your landlord s belongings and is typically in the policyholder s best interest to make sure your renters and auto insurance policy is protected. So, what if you’re a tenant and get injured in a rental car, then you will be covered by renters insurance? A car insurance policy protects renters in cases where the car is no longer driven or parked. In this case, you will be covered by renters.

How can I find home insurance with pet damage?

How can I find home insurance with pet damage? Read on for our guide to shopping for pet insurance. Read on for the latest articles on pet insurance. 1. Pet insurance companies provide pet owners with low rates for their pet insurance policies. What is true with pet insurance and pet lawsuits? 1. Pet insurance companies provide pet owners with low rates for their pet insurance policies. What difference does pet insurance have? 2. Pet insurance companies do provide low rates for pet owners. What are the and how do the pet insurance cover policies? Pets are generally covered in the same manner as a vehicle. If you’re a pet owner, this can mean many additional things. Pet insurance policies specifically talk about medical care. If your pet causes a veterinary fee, this is often enough. If you’re a pet owner who owns animals in your pet household, most pet owners will be covered. This is because pet insurance policies cover both owners and pets. The pet insurance does the same thing as a vehicle, in that the owner does not have.

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tomkail · 4 years ago

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Knights Postmortem

Knights (the informal name for the pre-Inkle version of the game that eventually became Pendragon) was a project I started at the end of 2015 (not long after I joined Inkle) and quickly became a vehicle in which to study tactics and strategy style games.

I’d always been somewhat interested in the simplicity and tightness that often accompanies grid based games, and I thought that those qualities would also make them fairly easy to develop - turns out that part was way off the mark!

Designing an abstract strategy game

The game is still on this hard drive as “Splatoon Tiles” - it was my attempt to create a game with some features that I (naively) believed was the One True Path leading to “BETTER STRATEGY GAMES”. The philosophy has these pillars:

Perfect information (All information is visible to all players)

No output randomness (No dice rolls determining the effectiveness of an action)

Symmetrical (Both players have the same starting position and move-set)

No execution challenge (Outcome of a move isn’t based on how fast or accurately you can use the controls)

Discrete (Turn based, rather than real time; grid based rather than continuous space. Smaller numbers wherever possible!)

Minimal (harder to define, but “no dog legs” was a rule I aimed for wherever possible! You might also call it Elegance)

Keen eyed designers might recognise these elements as those typically found in the “abstract strategy” genre, including Chess, Connect-4 or Checkers.

Designing the game

Knights took about 3 years to design, in little bursts of activity; mostly around long lunches or pub trips where I’d convince Ben, Joe or Jon to playtest the game with me.

It was clear there was something interesting in the design, but also that the game had very niche appeal. I had limited success showing it to friends and family, although on rare occasion a player would share my interest. For that reason I never took my own plans of releasing the game too seriously. I shelved it many times, but never completely abandoned it at the pressing of Joe and Jon at Inkle. The design wouldn’t have made it to the finish line without them.

The simplicity of the design made rule changes typically very easy to implement, which no doubt contributed to why I kept returning to the design between other failed prototypes. We swapped out rules that made the game too easily solvable, last forever, or simply didn’t feel right. We tried a LOT of rules that didn’t stay in the design, some for a couple of games, some for years before deciding to shelve them. On reflection, something that helped was core of “claiming territory that offers movement bonuses” which never changed and helped me identify supporting mechanics.

Hard-won advice for abstract strategy designers

Games NEED at least one source of uncertainty (you can read my longer exploration of that here). The philosophy only leaves room for what I call “inherent complexity” - the game has enough complexity to make calculating the tree of outcomes for each possible move too difficult for most players. It’s more complex than Checkers, but it’s certainly not as complex as Chess

Entropy! If players can theoretically keep the game going forever, it can be very hard to break stalemates. This is especially true of games with strong defensive strategies. We fixed this by adding finite resources (collectables on the board), which had the unintended consequence of improving the pacing - a clear beginning/middle/end.

“Tight” game designs are very hard to iterate on. Changing almost any part of the design does far more than changing balance, instead altering the entire feel and set of valid strategies in the game. Adding some kind of currency token makes balance tweaks much easier; in our game that was the (very late) addition of collectables. Strategy games should aim to be fun as soon as possible. This is where having few rules can act in your advantage. A game that requires several games to learn can be enough to lose most of your audience. As well as reducing the number of rules, the two best ways to mitigate this are described below:

Tactics games should contain qualities that are “innately enjoyable”. This one is something I lucked into (or perhaps inherited from my inspirations, Splatoon and Chess-likes). There are certain aesthetic qualities that we as humans simply enjoy - perhaps as a result of biology, perhaps as a result of culture - that are essential so players can enjoy themselves without rewiring their brains. Some examples might include “capturing territory”, “collecting resources”, “moving characters”, “creating order”. I don’t have a firm handle on this, and it’s rarely analysed, but I’ve written a little more about this here.

Relatedly, rules should never feel pedantic. Because of how difficult they are to iterate on, abstracts often have rules that feel out of place but help to fix some specific issue with the design. An example is variation on the Ko rule found in many abstracts where players are prevented from getting into infinite loops by declaring the game a draw. Another might be En Passant in chess. I’m not clear why they thought adding this was a good idea, but a good rule of thumb is to try to prevent adding rules that are rarely relevant, especially if they’re not critical.

#game design

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kidkei · 5 years ago

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Cranial Cruciate Ligament Repair for Dogs: Your Options

When your dog is available in limping from a play session, a variety of ideas undergo your head. Is a visit to the vet wanted? What can I give to assist? How did this occur?!

Last month, we lined one of the crucial frequent orthopedic accidents in canines – the cranial cruciate ligament tear. This month, we’re going to speak about repair it.

The 4 Most Common Options for Treating Dogs’ Cruciate Ligaments

The commonest choices mentioned after the analysis of a cruciate ligament tear are:

Braces

Lateral suture

Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO surgical procedure)

Tibial tuberosity development (TTA surgical procedure)

There are different procedures on the market, however there’s a motive these are the 4 commonest therapies supplied.

The reality is, we shouldn’t have an ideal answer. Research is continually evolving and we’re nonetheless searching for the right repair. In people, an artificial or biologic ligament is positioned the place the broken ligament used to sit down. This was tried in canines, however the outcomes have been by no means good. The substitute ligaments have been simply not effectively tolerated. Consequently, one thing totally different needed to be completed.

Braces for Ligament Injuries

Bracing the stifle is not any small activity. It’s an extremely dynamic joint that gives spring, shock absorption, and the power to activate a dime. The key to a brace is stability and match.

Braces for a cruciate tear could price $1,000 or extra. There are cheap choices, however bargains will not be an amazing concept in terms of your dog’s lifelong consolation.

Ideally, a knee brace is custom-fit for your dog, generally involving a mould made from his joint. This ensures good match and applicable flex. Remember, the knee nonetheless must bend to be helpful! A brace can not present full stability, however it could possibly alleviate a number of the ache from a joint that’s shifting improperly.

The two canine-brace firms most frequently beneficial by vets are OrthoPets and Hero Braces. It’s necessary to do not forget that a brace doesn’t repair a cruciate tear, it merely helps to stabilize the knee. Success depends upon deciding on the proper brace, a very good bodily remedy program, and a dedication to refitting as wanted.

The Lateral Suture Procedure

The lateral suture process (also called the extracapsular restore) is the closest factor to the restore completed in people. This doesn’t make it your best option. This is without doubt one of the first surgical procedures developed when it was decided that repairing the ligament immediately was not a very good choice.

In this process, a heavy gauge suture is positioned outdoors of the knee joint in the identical route that the cranial cruciate ligament used to run. A gap is drilled by means of the entrance of the tibia (the decrease leg bone). The suture is handed by means of this gap after which up and round a small bone, known as a fabella, behind the femur (the higher leg bone). The creates a loop that’s comparable in location and route to the cranial cruciate ligament, however outdoors of the joint.

This is a vital distinction. Because this surgical procedure doesn’t contain opening the joint, the meniscus (the cartilage cushion that gives shock absorption in a joint) shouldn’t be at all times evaluated for tears. The jury’s nonetheless out on this process, however most surgeons really feel a torn meniscus could cause persistent ache.

Ultimately, the aim of this surgical procedure is to not restore the cruciate ligament, however moderately to direct the expansion of scar tissue. Basically, the suture gives a scaffold for scar tissue to type alongside the identical path because the torn cruciate ligament, thereby stabilizing the joint. Over time, this suture will break down. It’s not meant to final eternally, simply lengthy sufficient for sufficient scar tissue to type.

This process is fast, comparatively cheap (sometimes $1,500 to $2,000) in comparison with different surgical repairs, and may usually be carried out by your common veterinarian. However, it’s not for each case.

If the suture breaks earlier than ample scar tissue is laid right down to stabilize the joint, all the surgical procedure turns into ineffective. If a dog is just too massive or too energetic, you’ll be able to nearly assure failure. Most veterinarians suggest this surgical procedure solely for canines who’re lower than 40 kilos or canines who’re completely happy being sofa potatoes. Having stated that, funds are an necessary a part of any veterinary resolution, and that is undoubtedly the least costly surgical choice.

TPLO and TTA Surgery

The tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and the tibial tuberosity development (TTA) procedures are each geared toward mechanically altering the joint to make the cranial cruciate ligament pointless. Both surgical procedures require the surgeon to open the joint, so the meniscus might be evaluated for tears. These are considerably difficult surgical procedures and contain a posh understanding of the knee joint, however we’ll cowl the fundamentals.

In final month’s article, I described the construction of the canine stifle joint and the way it differs from the human knee. The slope to the tibia is without doubt one of the greatest contributing components to this damage. In the TPLO surgical procedure, this slope is taken out of play. A round minimize is made within the prime of the tibia and the slope is rotated right into a impartial place. A plate is used to safe the bone in its new place. This creates a knee joint that intently resembles the human knee joint. Without that slope, the cranial cruciate ligament is not as necessary; the knee is steady with out it. This surgical procedure is usually carried out solely by boarded surgeons and prices round $4,000.

This process has the quickest reported return to regular exercise, that means canines who get this surgical procedure are in a position to return to a snug life quicker than some other process on the market. However, it’s not with out drawbacks.

Aside from the associated fee, there’s danger of failure. When a dog is just too energetic instantly after surgical procedure, the plate can break or transfer. Failure of the plate might be catastrophic. Recovery is an eight-week course of, involving first crate relaxation, then bodily remedy, and a gradual enhance again to operating within the yard.

Similar to the TPLO, the TTA modifications the forces within the knee joint to render the cranial cruciate ligament pointless. In this case, a minimize is made within the entrance of the tibia. This piece of bone is moved ahead, which pulls on the patellar tendon and neutralizes the backward movement of the femur throughout weightbearing. This lets the dog transfer comfortably with out an intact cruciate ligament.

In this case, a specialised machine consisting of a “cage” and a “fork” is used to safe the bone in its new place. Over time, it heals totally and could be very steady. If it have been to fail, a TPLO process can nonetheless be carried out.

The restoration time for these two surgical procedures is analogous, however canines sometimes take a little bit longer to be totally comfy after the TTA surgical procedure. The price is a bit lower than a TPLO, however additionally it is an costly process – normally within the $3,000 to $3,500 vary. It is usually carried out solely by boarded surgeons, however there are some common practitioners who’re comfy with it and have the mandatory tools.

Don’t Self-Medicate

When your dog hurts, you might tempted to look within the medication cupboard for one thing to ease her ache. But there are only a few over-the-counter human medicines which you could safely give your dog.

Many years in the past, we used aspirin for ache in canines. However, research have proven that the ache management supplied by aspirin is fairly minimal and it has severe unintended effects. Aspirin will increase bleeding tendencies by inhibiting platelets, a key element in clotting blood. Aspirin use additionally limits the choices that your vet has to deal with your dog’s ache due to the way it interacts with different medicines.

Ibuprofen ought to by no means be given to canines as it could possibly trigger irreversible liver injury and may even be deadly. Tylenol (acetaminophen) has its place in veterinary medication, however solely below the steering of a veterinarian as a result of, with sure different illnesses, it may be very harmful.

If your dog is in ache, resist the urge to toss her a human pain-killer. Your veterinarian has an arsenal of medicines which can be secure for canines and can work a lot better than what you could have at dwelling.

If Your Puppy Is a Lemon, Make Lemonade!

Shortly after our dog Agnes was born, she was thought-about the choose of the litter for Paws with a Cause, a neighborhood group that trains service canines. However, at her very first veterinary appointment at simply eight weeks outdated, she was discovered to have hip dysplasia and “trick knees” – which, in her case, had her kneecaps slipping to the skin of the joint.

Because of those issues, she couldn’t be a service dog and she or he couldn’t be adopted to the general public. She wanted 1000’s of {dollars} in surgical procedure to repair her again legs! Euthanasia was being thought-about for this little “lemon” of a pet. In a fortunate accident, she discovered her option to our doorstep, simply once we have been wanting for a brand new companion for our household.

Agnes underwent three main surgical procedures at simply 4 months outdated. An area veterinary surgeon supplied her companies professional bono, utilizing Agnes as a instructing case to study a brand new process. Agnes’ pelvis and each of her knees wanted corrective procedures. Fortunately, her restoration was clean and she or he grew into a stunning and beloved dog.

Shortly after she turned three years outdated, Agnes got here up lame after enjoying with a pet. Due to her historical past, we have been instantly anxious that it was one in all her hips, however her limp was intermittent and it didn’t appear painful when her hips have been manipulated. It step by step grew to become clear that one in all her knees was the issue and she or he was recognized with a partial tear of her left cranial cruciate ligament.

For the following six weeks, Agnes was positioned on strict cage relaxation and a bodily remedy program to attempt to preserve her damage from progressing. But three months later, when she was lastly allowed to play, she instantly got here up three-legged lame; she had torn her ligament utterly.

We took her instantly to a board-certified surgeon who assessed her knees and we got here up with a plan. She underwent a TPLO process the very subsequent day to restore her joint but once more. Because of Agnes’ different orthopedic issues, her younger age, and her typically wild demeanor, we determined {that a} TPLO was the best choice for a very good long-term end result. This surgical procedure stabilized her joint and decreased her danger of arthritis down the highway.

Her rehab appeared far longer than the eight weeks it really was, particularly since she felt comfy after only a day post-surgery! But the surgical procedure was price each penny and the rehab was price each minute of exercise restriction. Now, two years later, she’s again to her outdated antics and reveals no signal of lingering discomfort!

Ligament Injury Treatment Conclusions

Again, there isn’t any good answer. Every single choice is legitimate for a distinct circumstance. The necessary factor is determining which answer works for your dog. Older, smaller canines who’re much less energetic usually do nice with a lateral suture restore! A two-year-old Lab with dangerous hips wants a bit extra stability within the knee, so a plate restore (both the TPLO or TTA) could be a greater choice.

Your location would possibly make the choice; most surgeons study one process and keep it up, so each may not be supplied close to you. The two procedures have comparable success charges and are each beneficial for bigger, extra energetic canines.

Bracing and what’s usually referrred to as “conservative management” is just not as profitable because the surgical choices, however when surgical procedure shouldn’t be an choice, it’s higher than nothing.

With time, the limp from a cruciate tear will enhance with none intervention. Scar tissue will type and the joint will likely be useable, however the arthritis that may develop will restrict the dog’s high quality of life. This shouldn’t be an emergency damage, however the sooner it’s addressed, the much less arthritis and the higher the long-term end result.

At the danger of sounding like a damaged report, discuss together with your veterinarian! Be up entrance about monetary constraints, restoration considerations, and long-term objectives with the intention to give you a plan that’s proper for you and your four-legged buddy.

Kyle Grusling, DVM, practiced emergency medication for three years earlier than switching to a common observe, Northland Animal Hospital in Rockford, MI.

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