#but the next one looks like it's gonna be in april so...D:

[seeking-elsewhither]

One down, and *checks notes* approximately six more to go!

[luiluvr]

darling || luigi mangione

ugh dad!luigi consumes my every single thought... also sorry for being lowkey dead with fics, i'm working on ur guys' requests rn!! but here's a little drabble to keep y'all fed, cause i'm not going anywhere :D

WARNINGS: none, dad!luigi, f!reader, fluff, not proofread

SUMMARY: Your daughter, Clara brings home a pamphlet to sell sweet treats for a fundraiser and is desperate to get sales, soon after she starts bickering about snacks, and Luigi helps encourage her to eat something healthy that'll keep her satisfied until dinner was finished. However, he sneaks her out for ice cream later that night. :)

WC: 1.5k

Luigi was always an excellent husband, but he was an even better father. When you had given birth a few years back, to your now seven-year-old daughter, he was such a nervous wreck — now look at him. A natural, he would do anything and everything for your little girl. 

She came home giddy and grasping some little booklet, “Mommy!” You smiled down at her, a sweet little thing she was, a crooked grin, Luigi’s curly hair and her eyes reflected your own. She had his intelligence too — sometimes it wasn’t such a blessing. She’d bicker over everything and she thought similarly to Luigi, so of course they’d back up one another.

He was a sucker for her, and everything he did was in her favor.

She slapped the little booklet on the counter beside where you sat, it was one of those magazine-like things where students sell stuff for fundraisers. She seemed over the top about it, “What’cha got there, Clara?” Just a little name – an old reference now. “My teacher said we need to raise some money for our program in April, and we’re gonna sell sweets!” Oh, she’s too cute. Her words were still developing and her pronunciation. She was absolutely perfect though

“Yeah? What kind of sweets?” You replied.

“Cookies, candies, cakes, uhm and chees-y cakes.”

“Cheese cake, huh?” You chuckled.

“Yeah! Will you buy, mommy?” She gave you those big babydoll eyes that no one would ever be able to deny, even then – you would buy anything from her anyway, she was your daughter, plus it was helping the school; and she was non-stop talking about this program since Christmas break. Her teacher had told them about it beforehand, that practice would start either the end of January or beginning of February. Everyday she mentioned it at least once.

“Of course, sweetheart. These double chocolate chip cookies sound delicious.”

Clara clapped excitedly and jumped in place —- it was great timing that Luigi walked in through the front door, a gentle breeze lingered in the door and circulated around. Clara darted towards the door without question and jumped up into his muscular arms. His tan skin slightly contrasted her slightly paleness. It was always such a heartwarming sight, he held her high and treated her like a mini princess. Showered her in kisses and she squished his growing, flushed and stubbled cheeks. “Daddy, will you buy from me?” She says.

His brows furrowed a little, his lips purse out. “Hmm, it depends. What shop is open today little lady?” Clearly, he assumed it was playtime for her as she would often open “shops” in the house and Luigi was always caught up in playing the customer. Clara shook her head vigorously and laughed, “No, daddy, I’m selling sweets for school.” 

“Oh, is that so? What kind?”

“Cookies, candies, cakes and chees-y cakes!” She repeated.

“Well, that sounds delicious, consider it done.” He smiled so lovingly at her, squeezing her in his arms. She cheers and waves to you, “Mommy! Daddy’s gonna buy too, I’m going to raise LOTS of money!” You can’t help but chuckle, normally parents would buy from their kids, honestly, it was pretty much a responsibility to do so. Luigi turns his head and smirks, “You know, I was on the phone with my ma earlier, she said they’re wanting to have a family gathering within the next week or two, how long are you gonna be selling for, darling?” He asks Clara.

“Um, the rest of this month.” She says cautiously.

“I’ll ask her teacher in the morning when I drop her off.” You state softly, flipping through the pamphlet of sweets. “Sounds good,” Luigi says. Clara grins widely, which seems to remind Luigi of something. “Oh, right. I’m sure if you bring that booklet to the family gathering lots of people will buy those sweets from you.” This makes Clara happy.

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“You get anything in return for it, Clara?” You asked, staring over a page with cake flavors.

“Uh huh! My teacher said if we sell so much we get prizes.”

“So, a fundraising campaign, huh?” Luigi says, setting the girl down gently.

She nods and runs back to you at the kitchen island, you tilt your head at her as she tries climbing on the tall stool. You have to help her up of course, Luigi joins the both of you as well. He slides the pamphlet over to himself and starts flipping through it, being his little food-desperate self, his stomach growled. “Daddy!” Clara laughs. 

“I didn’t have a big lunch.”

“I’m hungry too, mommy can we have a snack?”

You debated a moment and nodded, “yes, but you’re gonna have some fruits ‘cause I’m going to start dinner soon, plus we agreed you’d eat those strawberries I bought you.” You state, brushing one of her long curls from her face. She sighs dramatically, “I don’t want fruit, I want chips.” Luigi monitors the disagreement, but doesn’t say anything as he’s pretty aware that you’ll be able to handle it calmly yet effectively. “Clara, we agreed if I got you the strawberries and pineapples you’d eat them until they were gone.”

“Yeah I know, momma.” She pouts. “I’ll cut them up for you, but maybe tomorrow you can have some chips as a snack.” You stated.

“Okay.” She smiles, very obviously not happy with the outcome, but chooses it’s best not to make a big argument out of it. 

“Hey sweetpea,” Luigi whispers to Clara, whose head pops up at the sound of her dad’s voice. “Yeah?”

“If you eat your snack, and don’t give mommy any more headaches, you ‘n me will go get ice cream later tonight, how’s that sounds?”

Her cheeks flush and she giggles, nodding excitedly. “Yes!”

“Shh, darling,” He chuckles, lifting her up to take her to the living room. Her favorite show usually was on about this time of day. It was admirable, Luigi had such a soft spot for her, he always put her as a main priority, but he could be assertive when needed, although he hated getting onto her when she was in trouble. Of course, that ending up being your job, for some godforsaken reason. “I don’t want her to think I hate her,” he’d say, as if you wanted her to think that about you! You guys never had cruel punishments or disciplined her heavily — yes, you’d get onto her, maybe smack her hand if she was messing with something breakable or if she was mean to one of the cousins, nothing that would ever make her second-think everything she ever did. Mistakes happen, if she stained/ruined something, why get pissed off? You never understood some parents. Similarly, Luigi never forced anything, like how his mother always wanted him to be “formal” at the dinner table.

Who cares how you hold your fork? Unless you’re royalty. He would fight it off as a child, it was hilarious when he told you about that, because sometimes Clara acted the same way. She was very opinionated for a seven-year-old.

As you cooked, the two accompanied one another on the couch, little crunches from Clara chewing her fruit and the TV echoed softly. Clara ended up taking a nap and Luigi came into the kitchen, watching you intently. Sometimes he did that, he’d watch you cook and either admire it or tell you what you were doing wrong. Pretty sure he picked that up from his mom too, since cooking was a big thing in their large, Italian family. Today he opted out and just wrapped his warm arms around your waist and peppered soft kisses on your neck as you cooked.

“Lu,” you murmur. “I’m trying to cook, and be careful this grease is popping everywhere.”

“Spaghetti again?” He says, playfully nipping at your exposed shoulder.

“Clara likes it.” You replied, tensing at his teeth.

“I’ve eaten too much pasta in this lifetime.” He groans. You smile, “There’s other leftovers in the refrigerator. The homemade pizza, and red chili.”

“Red chili huh?”

“Day before yesterday, just warm it up and put it on a tortilla or rice. There’s still some of that in there too.” You say, dumping the noodles in the bubbling, boiling water. “Alright.” He responds, rubbing his hand under your shirt, patting your back before removing himself from you.

—- 

Long after dinner was cleaned up, you decided to shower, and after getting out, dressed and realized it’s quiet. Too quiet. You peek out, most of the lights are off. Luigi isn’t in bed yet, and Clara’s bedroom door is wide open, contrast to how she normally prefers it closed.

Then the front door opened, quietly but not quiet enough. You stand in the kitchen, tapping your finger on the other arm, as they fold together. It was mainly dark besides the light they flick on to see you waiting. “Luigi Nicholas and Clara Lillian Mangione.” You say, they pause in their tracks, half-eaten ice cream cones in their hands. 

Clara giggles and runs to her room upstairs, Luigi stands awkwardly, sometimes he was like a second kid. He licked his ice cream and grins, the residue on his rosy lips.

“Ice cream?” He asks.

You were literally going to kill him.

[agbpaints]

Here they are, the Davion Cav lance. This is an insanely weird box with mechs from a big mishmash of sources and eras, but it does have extremely strong Davion pedigree.

First up we have everyone's favorite barista guerilla-piloted shithead medium, the Legionaire. The LGN is a chassis with a very strong identity- it virtually always goes at some variation of 7/11 with reasonable armor and a single centerpiece fuckoff gun, generally a rotary autocannon. As a RAC mech it's pretty ok- it can stick that gun where it wants to with a concerning degree of accuracy and because it just has the one gun in the event of a jam it can peel off from a fight to go spin the round out without much FOMO on anything else. The mini does a good job of conveying thar this is a mech built around its primsry weapon system and I like the freakishly long monky arms, though the cockpit detailing is a bit doughy. The alternative barrel is a nice touch, allowing you to swap between the common RAC or I presume the large energy weapon seen on variants like the PPC-bearing 2K or the recent april fools RISC hyperlaser version. Shame we didn't get an Arrow-IV attachment

Next up we have our Mechwarrior machine, the Hellspawn. Affectionately, this thing is a piece of shit. Built to replace the Dervish, the HSN is another chassis with a strong identity- all Hellspawns have a ground speed of 6/9 with some number of jump jets between 5 and 8, most carry a payload of missiles and lasers to engage at a variety of ranges, and most carry some number of advanced electronics. Unfortunately due to the machinations of some Lyran spy at the production facility, it took until about the Jihad for GM to make a version of this thing that wasn't a germanium plated suicide booth with paper armor and a lot of unCASEed boom ready attempt to set an air speed record for fastest mechwarrior to reach the big mechbay in the sky.

Growsing about early teething troubles aside, I fucking *love* the way the Hellspawn looks. @laguzmage has brought up the idea of the 'Contraption' mech before and this thing is an alltime hall of fame doohickey. Asymmetrical, unbalanced, blocky, somehow simultaneously tall and short, it's the beautiful sort of ugly that only industrial equipment can be. There are a mid-double digit number of mechtechs and pilots who decided this thing was their wife in 3063 and spent a decade aggressively convincing GM to make a version that loved them as much as they loved it and they were right to do so.

At the exact opposite end of the industrial design spectrum, we have this Fast and Furious bastard. The Gunsmith is what happens when you put a limit on the size of a great power's army and they decide to compress an entire new chassis family's worth of R&D into exactly one fast idiot. The CH11-NG (there is only one model for this thing) moves as fast as a Dasher, is armed with more pulse lasers than a Wraith, and has enough reflective armor to approximate a Hunchback's belt when faced with the natural enemy of the Extremely Fast Dipshit, the pulse laser. As a light hunter and flanker it's murder par excellence, mostly kept in check by the completely unshielded engine that means a) it builds heat like a motherfucker and b) is mostly only allowed in games where you are committing crimes already because moving from standard tech to xtech is roughly the equivalent of getting drafted from your college basketball team into the fucking wizard wars.

Oh and did I mention the thing is unbearably cool? As a carryover from the good-ish years before grey monday, the Gunsmith is a thoroughly futuristic looking design with its sleak cockpit, downforce-inducing head, and angular limbs. It looks totally out of place next to the Mechwarrior IV brick mechs and the various mid-31st century TROs' chunky militarism. It looks like it managed to escape from an anime about racing mecha by breaking the light barrier with the help of a poorly understood particle. I have no clue how I'm gonna paint this thing

Oh, and the Enforcer is here too, I guess. As far as I can tell this is the same Enforcer we've seen in the Hansen's/Urban Lance boxes, albeit with a new pose and updated molding to match Liya's newer standards. Its... fine? All of the existing enforcers are basically visually identical because the interesting revisions to the design were all shunted off into its derivatives, namely the Enforcer III. We could've gotten a different head sculpt maybe idk.

[almaignismare]

These freaking models -.-

I was like "surely whatever list I'm making after the codex drops, a cheap contingent of Guardians with a D-Cannon would probably fit in. Besides, if they don't, it's just basic infantry, how long could it take to paint ten of them anyway?"...

Well... not only are they not cheap after the codex drop (100 points, so more than other units I like more), they can't take D-Cannons any more, and thus it is pretty much pointless for me to include them now...

These lovely fuckers took me ~ 40 hours to finish. I think I started somewhere in January, and we're getting dangerously close to April now. And they don't even look that good. I'm clearly not used to painting many similar models at the same time, so I put way too much effort into the early steps, and then my quality just droops down the further I go.

Fortunately, everything else I'm gonna be painting for the next couple of months are 5 models or less. So hopefully we won't have another incident like this one.

[sakubabypowa734]

🚨BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA CHAPTER 425 SPOILERS ALERT!🚨

First of all, the graduation!

Third year are graduated. Just like Tamaki wished during the war, they had a proper graduation ceremony. The ceremony took place in June instead of April, there is no sakura blossom to be left so Present Mic gave his all Dj-ing.

Mirio speech in front the whole school.

The trio of idiots. I love them goofying! I miss their smile... they were so "broken" because of this war.

Deku tried to talk to Uraraka, pretty sure about the war and how she felt but she didn't let him speak and talked about his hairstyle, saying she hoped his hair will grow back faster... and then, she's gone.

Tokoyami has a new hairstyle too.

Bakugou was present at UA. Sero asked him if he could be there instead to staying at the hospital. Bakugou answered him that he could go out if he was calm and not make his heart rate anormally.

And so, Aoyama told a big sad news... he was no longer a student of UA. He won't be in class, not 1-A but.2-A! He decided as a redemption to leave but still wanted to be a hero. He hoped that one day he could fight side by side with his old pals...

Look at this sad goodbye with Deku! Last piece of cheese...

And the one who gonna take his place was Shinsou!!! Yeaaaah!!!!!

But I am still sad for Aoyama... he should be Mineta. Maybe he changed but he still this d**m perv'!

AND!!!

Oh my!!!!! Tell me it is Tenko!!!!!!

Shigaraki disappeared and left Tenko??

Please!!! Let it be Tenko!!!! This black curly hair! This way to walk! A hand on his back! Look like he went to the house of the L.O.V or his old family house!

SHIMURA TENKO! IS THAT YOOOUUU???

And to ending, Todoroki returned, his old man was in a wheelchair, watching after something. Maybe it was Touya???

Next chapter:

- In 2 weeks...

- TELL ME IT IS TENKO!!!

- Maybe Dabi and Toga are not dead...

- Hope the epilogue won't be a 20 chapters long...

- Break for Midoriya Hisashi who is still nowhere to be found!

- Take a good rest Hori-sensei and take care of yourself

- Next chapter will be about Todoroki family!

[dixdixbby]

Recently did a rewatch of Mutant Mayhem so I thought I’d put down some things I didn’t notice on my first watch through:

The little band-aid on baby Super Fly ☹️☹️☹️

The “15 years later” kinda resembling the 2007 movie logo (coincidence?)

The tape on Raph’s belt buckle and the stickers on Mikey’s chucks I LOVE those details

“Drake is the GOAT of all time” is such a cleverly stupid line lol

“I love being young and free to go places!”

Triceratops on the side of a U-Haul = Triceratons reference (or foreshadowing??? 👀)

Mr. Beast cameo

“That’s not a cat, it’s actually a rat!”

Mikey vocalizing while doing his flips

“How many people has the red one stabbed? Does he need therapy?” LMAOOOOO

Got a picture of the Mona Lisa on the locker next to April’s. Mona reference probably?

Bad Bernie looks kinda like a mouse

Making Leatherhead Australian was the best decision actually

“Cowabunga! I just made that up :D” love the continuing the trend of Mikey getting some of his catchphrases from Mondo

“Oh my god, I’m gonna win a daytime Emmy”

“Don’t cuz me right now, man 🤨😒”

One of the TCRI guys nodding along to their rendition of “Butter”

They wanted Ice Cube to curse so badddd

The parallel between the scene of Raph throwing the ninja star and him shooting the gun

“The Mercedes no!!!” “That was a Prius, it’s ok.”

Donnie doing the AoT salute as he explained the Titans weakness is such a minor detail but I love it so much

Mikey saying “yes and” right after being told to improvise

“Anxious but highly informed teen reports”

Alex Hirsch voiced Scumbug because of course he did

87, 2012, and Rise Splinter in the credits~

MOUSERS LETSGOOOOO

[ghosttoastx]

Bituín Character Lore Stuff

gonna try my best to sum up as much as I can about them under the cut :3

∘₊✧The Hermit✧₊∘

Name: Bituín (Bits)

Pronouns: She/They

Age: 16

Birthday: April 21

Craft: Paper

Weapon: Pointy Umbrella

Armor: Moth Clip

Background:

A shut-in recluse from one of the Houses of Jouvente, on a journey across Vougarde, accompanying their best friend along the way.

Personality:

- Very socially awkward with terrible communication skills,

- Oftentimes stay quiet around people she is unfamiliar with

- Likes poking fun at and making lighthearted jabs towards the people she's comfortable around

- Can be a bit sarcastic at times

- Always two seconds away from a psychotic break/hj

More Lore important Facts:

- Due too bad anxiety, Bits has always had a difficult time interacting with people, leaving her to spend most of her time locked away in her dorm room at the House of change.

- Bits’ father has been missing since she was about 4 or 5. Bits was too young at the time to really understand when they had disappeared, but her mother was wracked with grief over a person she didn’t even know ever existed in the first place. 

- the disappearance of her Husband drove bits mom a little coo-coo-bananas, causing a strange relationship to form between her and Bits

- One night when bits is about 10 or 11, her mother tells her is a manic, possibly drunken frenzy that she was going to be leaving, in search of something. She wanted to bring bits with her originally, but inevitably decided it’d be safer to just up and leave bits alone in the House. 

- bits would often spend time either cooped up in their lonely dorm, or would be hanging out with her friend and/or his family (probably for like, holidays and diner and stuff)

- while out on this pilgrimage/journey or whatever through Vougarde, Bits is hoping that maybe, just maybe, she might find her mother again. For better or for worse

Miscellaneous Facts:

-Can’t cook for shit

- Has an interest in plants and flora

- The claw clip in their hair is based off of a Luna Moth

- Likes to study craft (because of this, she is also know how to deal weak scissor damage)

- Grew up in one of the Houses of Change in Jouvente due to their mother being a Housemaiden there

- Bits speaks animatedly with their hands

- Favorite foods are Chocolate lava cake, Pineapple bread pudding, and Plain rice

- Bits isn't quite sure of the origins of the necklace she likes to wear, but looking at it makes her head hurt and her heart ache...

- Height is 5’8 (172 cm I think??)

- likes books and reading (specifically stories with found family and and fantasy)

Miscellaneous Art/doodles:

(these next two are technically from the PartySwap au but they're still just a younger version of Bits so)

okokok I think I've compiled most of the important stuff :D!!

Please please please feel free to ask me about my OCs!! I want to talk more about themmmm!!!!!

[dragonrider9905]

Celebrating You!

Hi guys! I’ve been on here for a bit now and while I never had a follower goal, I do appreciate you guys who have decided to follow me! So now I’d like to celebrate you!

In light of TBB ending, and how much we'll be missing the boys, I thought this was as good as a time as ever!

Here’s the idea! I’m opening a prompt request for the dates of April 5th through May 5th, 2024 (you may start submitting now though!) and choose from the prompts below! You can choose one from each category, or just one category. It’s ok if it is just the prompt or the prompt and a brief idea. If you have a fun idea or prompt not listed, please share!

Rules: I only write SFW. I typically write for clones; I reserve the right to refuse requests which make me uncomfortable for whatever reason. I have had a few requests in the past that really unsettled me for various reasons. Or if I don't know the character. I'd hate to try to write something then upset the person because it is so ooc that it's cringy. (But if I said I would write your request and haven't yet, I just honestly haven't gotten to it :D I like to do well on the stories you guys entrust to me so it does take me a bit :D)

This is supposed to be fun so lets keep it fun!

You may submit as many requests as you'd like! The more the merrier!

Characters: Star Wars Clone Wars or The Bad Batch (as long as I know them. I know a lot of clones but alas, not all.)

Story genre:

Classic SW! (Pick an era if they exist in more than one if you wish)

AU of choice (modern, western, pirate, mermaid, time traveling, etc if I’m unfamiliar with the genre, I may have to change it or request more details)

Dialogue Prompts:

“Don’t go where I can’t follow.”

“If we’re going to do this we’ll need—“ “A plan?” “No! Code names! Cool ones!”

“I don’t need to be anything to you. I just want my life to mean more to you than my death.”

“You are playing a dangerous game without even a glimpse of the rule book.”

“I’ve never been terrified of death, til he set his sights on you.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” “Yeah, you’re not allowed to ask that in this situation.”

“Where’s your shoe?” “The giant mud puddle in the road demanded a sacrifice.”

“Love at first sight doesn’t exist.” “Then how else do I describe the feeling I got when I first saw you?” “You…love me?” “Apparently not, according to you.”

“A fate worse than death….” “They’re burnt cupcakes.”

“White paint has more color than your face.”

“Why is there a dragon in my fridge?” “It was hot.”

“Touch **, and you’re dead.”

“I am the law.”

“Do that again and I’ll throw you out the window. Wait, what are you doing?” “Checking how high the drop is; seeing if it’s worth it.”

“I’d rather have you hate me than loose you entirely.”

“I have a mission but don’t know what it is.” “Well that sounds incredibly counterproductive.”

“I would like to join you in acknowledging the difficulties in your life.” “You are the worst at this comforting thing.”

“I don’t know if you’re aware of this but I’m quite petite.” “Really? I had no idea in our twelve years of friendship that you’re shorter than I am.”

“But what is power?” “Loyalty.”

“Don’t you sign to me in that tone.”

“I’m with him/her for better or worse.” “It’ll probably be worse.” “I knew that the day I met him/her.”

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you." "It's fine, but next time you should try harder."

"C'mon, like I need an excuse to spend time with you."

"You're not as bad as everyone says you are."

"The only one who gets to kill you is me."

“blood loss”? well it’s not lost. I know exactly where it went. right over there.”

“How the mighty have fallen!” “It’s a dropped chocolate bar, stop being dramatic.”

“Shit, we’re gonna die” “Now I don’t want to hear that negative attitude, look on the bright side!” “Yay! We’re gonna die! Woo!”

“How do you do it?” “How do I do what?” “Pretend you are ok.” “I’m not pretending.” “Yes, you are. Every single day and it breaks my heart.”

“Hey, so I know things are pretty f**** shitty right now but I need you to breathe for me.” “Wha-wh-wh-” “You’re having a panic attack. It’s gonna be ok. Just breathe with me.”

“Please, my arms—I can’t wipe my tears, don’t let them see!”

"Smiles are contagious!" "Don't worry, I'm vaccinated."

"I don't want to get involved, it's too risky." "Please do it for me, you're the only one I can turn to." "It's not worth it. You really want to lose everything? 'cause I don't."

"Do you ever think of anyone other than yourself?" "No"---a long pause---"actually yes, at Christmas time"

"There is a reason I go through that door first, It's to make sure everyone else walks back out"

“I can’t leave you here!” “You can and you will.”

"OH! Are you alright? Are you alright?" "Apart from being trapped under here, and maybe suffering from broken bones and embarrassment beyond what I am capable of handling. . . I'm dandy, why do you ask?"

Oh no, are you alright? You're covered in blood!" "Yes, it's yours, Now will you please let me take you to the hospital?"

"What did love ever do anything for anyone anyway?"

"What the hell were you even thinking?!" "You told me not to think!"

"With love comes loss, that's part of the deal. Sometimes it hurts, but in the end, it was all worth it. There's no greater gift than love."

“'Temporary stitches' all stitches are temporary if you have a pair of scissors and aren’t a coward" "What do you....that better not mean what I think you mean......" "Am I just talking about sewing stitches or sutures too? Maaayyybe?" "NO! Absolutely not!"

"I made the calculations, and boy am I bad at math."

"It'll be over soon, I promise."

"Working together again, just like old times." "Well, not just like old times."

"I am many things but not your enemy."

Action Prompts:

Forehead kisses

Palm/hand kisses

Dramatic rain scene

Touching foreheads

Jealousy

Dancing

Last stand

Christmas/Life Day celebration

mistletoe

Accidental hand touch

First date

First kiss

Spending time with the family

Bad day cheering up scheme

Pranks

Going to a pet shop

Going to the movies

Always go after the girl

soft spoken person has loud, unnerving scream.

Lullabies

Nightmares

injury

amnesia

pretend/mistaken to be married/in a relationship

cooking

[random-townie]

Tweaking up the Festivals Calendar for my save file

Check also the previous post on how I created brand new holidays with new traditions and changed the calendar layout to 21 days per season.

I think festivals in TS4 are generally a really nice feature.

I like the random calls from friendly Sims to invite me to the festival. Sometimes my Sims are stuck in tedious routine and trip to a festival with some friends or to meet new Sims is a nice way to keep yourself reminded not to make every sim day exactly the same.

The thing about the Festivals is that as players we have no control whatsoever on the their schedule. You can freely delete, edit and create new holidays with traditions of your choice without any mods, but festivals just pre arranged by the game and they happen when they happen.

This can be fixed with another great life-quality mods that is very vanilla friendly - Schedule Festivals Yourself by @zerbu.

So here are my rules for the Festival Schedule.

I don't necessarily want certain festivals to happen in winter, I want Sims in their party outfits on a San Myshuno night out not freezing to death.

All of them will happen way less often, because of both game/mod limitation to have only 1 holiday per day and because I want them to be more rare, hence more inviting to take part in them if next one is gonna be only next year.

Humor festival happens after the Bloomfest, think of it as Aprils Fool .

It will be followed by GeekCon on Sunday.

Flea market will be happening on one Saturday each Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Spice Festival as above, but on Fridays.

HSY Cheerleading and Football Team events will happen twice a year - before the Spring Break and Harvestfest in the autumn.

Second week of the summer is when I combined Youth Festival and Series of Sulani Festivals in a row with the Summer Break holidays I added before. I think of some of the worlds like Sulani to be mostly vacation worlds. Sims can plan summer holidays there to attend all of the festivities.

Fishing Competition and Flower Festivals are for the next weekedns, let's give Sulanians a chance to catch a breath from all the tourists.

Beginning of autumn hosts series of Finchwick Harvest Fair events, where all 5 fairs will start in the middle of first week/month and progress over the next 5 days. It's also a chance to have longer vacation in H-n-B to attend local fairs and admire the nature. Locals will have only one chance year to show off their biggest harvest/best farm animals.

After the Spooky night holiday Sims can attend Festival of Light. In my irl home city we have a light festival each year in the autumn, when evenings come earlier to fully enjoy the show.

The first day of winter is Sunday and it is the day when everyone goes to Mt. Komorebi for a Snow Festival.

And last but not least there is Chess and Computer Science weekend in "January".

And here is what it looks so far in my Random Save File . WIP - missing Romance Festival and L&D festivals and more custom icons to better identify some of them. Hope you enjoy it and get inspired to try something new in your game 💚

To schedule Festivals you need to add a new holiday on any day you wish and pick respective festival from the traditions list. It even adds likes to the traditions/festival activities based on your Sims characteristics, which is an extra sweet twist. I still need to play test the mod but I give it much hope.

Shout out to Peter Plays It on YT for his videos on all the festivals to keep me reminded of their character and fit them better in my Sim year.

***

If I ever share my save file publicly I'll surely include all the must have small mods that make the gameplay better and allow customization for things that IMO should just be a part of the game.

[apriltempleos]

do you guys know what you want April to look like yet?

preacher: wawawaaaaa :( i thought i did (link) !!!

the base idea was like this and i wanted to buy a nice long hair wig for her, because the project was partially inspired by a story i'm writing, and the bio-tech character in it has long synthetic hair. sorry for oc cringe but its true 😔

UNFORTUNATELY THE LED MATRIX WE BOUGHT IS BIG HUGE. BIGGER THAN THE MANNEQUIN'S HEAD !!!!! so we might have to rethink this approach.

i was thinking maybe instead of an emotive face we could mount the matrix in the chest area, and have it display a heart instead..? and then we could put something in the face at a later point. scott is not just a hobbyist programmist but he also has some experience as a mechanical engineer – he wanted to try his hand at making animatronic eyes next, so we were thinking of incorporating that at some (distant) point. that's all faaaar future considerations though.

one thing i'm 100% about though, is that there will be no "fake" parts. like we're not gonna add anything like plating or extra cables to make her look more robotic or futuristic. any techy looking parts have to be functional. that's not as much an aesthetic choice as it is a personal priniciple lol. so in the end i think she will mostly look like a creepy mannequin :D which is fine by me. i think that's awesome.

[tangledinink]

Chapter Eighteen of I'm Sorry, Teenage Mutant What Now? is now up! The Hamato Family finally goes back home. And now everything is okay and back to normal... right? Read it on ao3 or below the cut.

[ prev ]

The world wasn’t spinning anymore.

Damn, did that mean he was dead? Cowabummer.

As he looked around, however, Leo slowly realized (for the second time over a very short period) that, no, he was not dead. Or, at least, he didn’t think he was dead-- despite the fact that he was absolutely surrounded by a warm, comforting light, enveloping him and holding him close. 

He could hear the roars of the crowd in the distance. And though he was no longer flailing through the air, his head was still reeling, having not quite realized that they weren’t falling anymore. And as he slowly gathered his bearings, he realized he could see his siblings, all gathered together close; held behind the protective fold of a bright red light, shielded from the debris and dust that had been sent flying through the ring.

Vaguely, he came to the conclusion that the Ikuchi had fallen.

And he hadn’t.

It wasn’t until the red light faded and was replaced by his eldest brother’s tight embrace that he came back to reality properly, stumbling a bit, his eyes wide and his brain still buzzing a little; held up only by his brother’s grip rather than his own strength.

“... Did you catch me?” He finally managed to get his tongue to move.

“Never do that again,” Raph hissed in reply, and about half a second later, Mikey, April, and even Donnie had joined them, all stumbling into him and clinging to him all at once.

“What is wrong with you!? You idiot!” April cried, burying her face into his shoulder.

“Why did you do that?!” Mikey wailed through sobs. “I told you guys! I told you not to protect me! Why would you do that!? D-don’t-- don’t do that! Don’t e-ever do that again! Why don’t any of you-- e-ever listen to me? I would have-- I--! Leo!”

“Sorry!” Leo found it in himself to laugh, though even he could admit that he sounded just a little bit deranged. Eugh boy, were things still spinning? “It’s fine!... I knew Raph would save me.” 

“No you didn’t!” Raph snapped. “Raph didn’t even know Raph was gonna save ya!”

“How did you do that?” April gaped.

“I don’t know!” Raph laughed, his voice stumbling slightly with the threat of oncoming tears. “I just knew that if I didn’t save him, I’d never hear the end of it…!”

“I told you all not to,” Mikey wept, clinging to him. “I told you…”

“Aw, I knew you had magic powers,” Leo slurred. Okay, maybe he was still a little out of it. “You just needed… the right motivation…! All part of the plan…”

“Liar,” Raph hissed, tightening his hold on him, bundling his brother up close to his chest and burying his face against his shoulder. “If you ever pull some bullshit like that ever again, I swear to god, I’m gonna murder you--”

His next words were cut off by yet another shuddering crash of impact, nearly tossing the gang from their feet. And Leo was still not exactly feeling steady, per se, but turning to face the glowering form of an angry spider did wonders for sobering a person up.

“Well then,” Big Mama hissed, her eyes narrowed into slits as she glared down at them. “Wasn’t that an impressive performance.”

“I told you we’d give you a big hurrah. Was that cool or what?” Leo laughed, pulling away from Raph so that he could stand on his own-- stumbling a bit, but then finding his balance again, summoning up whatever he had left in his body to face her alongside his siblings. He could practically see Big Mama grit her jaw.

“Isn’t that just… splendifirous,” she hissed. “Well! Big Mama never breaks a deal! She does, however, alt--”

“Okay, hang on. Hold that thought. Sorry. Just. One second,” Leo said quickly, moving to shove his hand into his jean pockets, digging around for a moment as he approached the other.

“Oh! Okay. Here. Here you go,” he hummed, pulling a tiny black coin, etched with sigils that he couldn’t even begin to comprehend, from his pocket, where it had lived ever since it was retrieved from Big Mama’s own vault by Mayhem. He pressed it firmly into her insectile palm. “This is for you.”

Big Mama paused.

She stared.

She bristled.

Every hair on her body stood on end as she snarled, puffing up twice the size that she had been a second ago. She bared her fangs, digging her claws into the ground as she loomed over the group, a furious hiss escaping her as she leaned in close to Leo. Beyond a slightly dizzy rock on one foot, he stood his ground, keeping his gaze even and trained on her.

“Go collect your father and get out of my Nexus,” she spat, turning sharply away. 

Inwardly, Leo let out a massive breath of relief, his entire body sagging ever-so-slightly. He nearly fell over as he turned on his heel to try to re-join his slack-jawed siblings. 

“You heard the spider lady--” he said, wobbling dangerously. Luckily, Raph and Donnie were quick to react, each grabbing an arm on either side to keep him upright. Oh thank god. He was still thinking he might just throw up. Or pass out. Maybe both.

“What the hell was that!?” Raph hissed, his eyes wide and his voice hushed. “Leo! What did you give her!?”

“Honestly,” Leo said, chuckling the tiniest bit beneath his breath. “I have no fucking clue.”

---

The rest of the day was a blur. 

Mikey had never seen their father cry so much, nor heard him scream so loud, informing Leo at least eleven times that he was grounded for the rest of his life for scaring his family like that. And though he didn’t necessarily disagree, Mikey felt guilty the entire time. He kept wondering if anyone was going to yell at him for needing to be saved in the first place, but no one did.

They collected their dad. They collected Mayhem. They collected all their things.

They walked out of the Battle Nexus, back out the same way they had entered four days earlier. Mikey dimly noted the alleyway where they had huddled together and plotted just days ago. People repeatedly stopped and begged for their father’s autograph, seeming unsurprised to see him out and about, and he politely declined each and every request.

Their father clearly knew his way around the Hidden City. He knew the way home, too, and soon, they were back up on the surface-- in New York City.

They were in New York City again. And it looked the same. 

From there, they called 911.

Mikey barely remembered the ambulance ride, though he remembered thinking, wow, I’ve never been in an ambulance before. He wanted to tell someone that he was okay, he wasn’t hurt, that it was their dad and Leo that they had to worry about, but he couldn’t quite get his tongue to work. Every time he tried to open his mouth to talk, he’d just start crying again. Every time someone asked him a question, tried to ask what happened, if he was okay, where it hurt, he’d try to reply and instead tears would just bubble up again and spill over, painting streaks down his face over and over again until his head hurt.

Maybe that was a blessing, because he had no idea what he would have said. Their dad, however, did. Mikey was silently shocked by how easily he lied. By how effortlessly he weaved together a tapestry of tales to explain their absence-- wearily and emotionally describing the crazed fan who had kidnapped him and held him hostage in their apartment. He tearfully explained how his children had been contacted by the culprit and foolishly attempted to take matters into their own hands after being warned not to contact the police, only to be captured themselves until they were able to make their escape. 

It sounded dramatic. It sounded implausible, if Mikey was being honest, like the plot of a soap opera. But the way his Dad said it, it sounded… so believable. 

And everyone seemed to eat it up without question in a way that made Mikey squint, but in a way that he didn’t question, either.

They got to the hospital. They patched up all of Dad’s injuries-- the cracked ribs, the bruises, the cuts and scrapes, the bloody knuckles and torn muscles and swollen joints. Mikey could tell he was anxious, but he somehow didn’t panic even half as much as he did going in for a physical. He kept a brave face throughout, recounting the story as many times as he needed to, firmly declining any opioids, and keeping his focus squarely on Mikey and his siblings the entire time, even as doctors actively treated his wounds.

After some fluids and a long nap, Leo bounced right back, seemingly no worse for the wear. They wrapped Raph’s hands. Treated Donnie’s concussion and his back. Even April had managed to sprain her wrist in the fight, a mild and easily treatable injury, but an injury nonetheless.

But he was fine. Even after tripping and falling in the Nexus; he wasn’t hurt at all.

He felt fine. 

They gave him fluids, anyway, for how much he had bailed out in quiet sobs and sniffles. 

April’s mom and dad met them at the hospital, getting there almost as soon as they did, and were in absolute pieces. Mikey had never seen April’s dad cry before, but he had been experiencing a lot of firsts of that ilk recently, so he supposed he wasn’t that surprised. They hugged April and didn’t let her go until she insisted that they were crushing her and she couldn’t breathe. She, much like Leo, was informed that she was grounded for the rest of her life for doing something so reckless and stupid. Their dad apologized at least eighty times for putting her in harm’s way, for getting her involved in such danger, but April’s parents insisted that they were just relieved that everyone was okay, and Mikey could tell that they really meant it.

Their dad and April’s parents were really good friends, actually. He had almost boundless memories of the three of them hanging out and chatting while he and his siblings played. They’d often sit out on the front stoop together when it was nice outside. April’s mom came over regularly for tea. Her dad and his dad played baseball together, even, on the weekends sometimes.

He supposed they had probably been scared for him, too.

And then eventually, they were just…

Home.

Before Mikey knew it, he was back in his own room, staring at the wall and wondering how the hell he got here.

Was this real? He kept waiting to wake up, and it didn’t happen. Did all that actually happen? When he reached back through his memories and touched them, they wiggled like Jell-O, and he wasn’t quite sure if he could trust them or not.

He shifted in place, hearing the springs of the mattress creak beneath him. He smoothed his hands over the cotton of his bedspread, feeling the soft, knitted texture beneath the pads of his fingers. 

He stared up at the glow-in-the-dark stars that his dad had put there for him when he was four.

He was certain he was here now. They had… made it back home. His brothers were home, too. They had all retreated back to their own rooms for the night when they all finally got home, at nearly four in the morning, all exhausted from the experience. Even their dad was home. He knew he was. He watched him get here with them.

Very slowly, Mikey sank down in bed, laying flat on his back.

And even though he had been crying all day, it felt like he was finally letting the dam burst when he reached deep down into his chest and pulled out an aching, shuddering, genuine sob.

---

Raph didn’t think he could ever miss his own bed so much. He spread himself out, splaying out his limbs like a starfish, before eventually rolling over onto his side, curling up and finding the closest stuffed animal to grab and hang onto.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he had been starting to wonder if they would ever see their home again.

But now they were here. All of them, safe and sound. Their dad included. Their dad was home.

They got their dad home.

He got everyone back home.

But somehow, he didn’t feel better yet.

That wasn’t really true. He did! Mostly. He kind of felt better. He-- he was relieved, certainly. He was so grateful that everyone was home, safe and sound-- that everyone was safe, that Dad was okay, that Leo was okay, he just…

He hadn’t expected to feel so…

Angry. 

But now, laying here in his bed, staring off at the wall and listening to their quiet house, all filled up to the brim with his family, that was all he could feel. It felt sour in his stomach, poking and prodding at the edges of his muscles and ribs like a horned creature, snorting hot and pawing at his gut and stamping its hooves, jabbing at him over and over until his face felt ugly and awful and warm.

He was angry that they were lied to. That they were tricked. That their lives weren’t what they thought they were all this time.

He was angry at the pain that had been inflicted on their family. For all the tears that his siblings had cried over the past two-and-a-half weeks. He was angry at the suffering that their father had endured for the entertainment of others in a glorified fight pit. He was angry that there were people who would do that to them-- who thought that that was okay. He was angry for every drop of blood that he had lost.

He was angry at himself for believing something untrue; for how naive and silly it made him feel, even if he recognized that the circumstances were complicated to say the least. He was angry for how close he had come to letting his family slip through his fingers.

But mostly, he was angry that their father had ever agreed to go away from them.

He and his siblings had been prepared to go to the ends of the earth to find him and bring him home and reunite their family. Raph would have done anything to get him back. They all would have. They were ready to give up everything if they had to.

And he had agreed to stay away?

He had agreed to leave them behind?

He was shocked by how meaningless he could suddenly feel in the face of his own father, who had never before made him feel anything but loved.

His anger smoldered inside of him like a stubborn campfire, unwilling to be put out, even as hot tears of frustration singed their way down his face.

---

He couldn’t sleep.

Wow, what a surprise.

If he was being honest with himself, he hadn’t even tried, but he had very little interest in engaging with the process right now. Besides that, he wasn’t even that interested in the prospect of sleeping at all. Just the idea of trying to sleep right now was exhausting and wholly unappealing. He was too tired to try to fall asleep. He just wanted…

Well, he didn’t actually know what he wanted.

He supposed that’s how he had ended up here.

Leo had been curled up in the same place on the floor for hours now, his knees drawn up to his chest and his head resting on his knees as he just… stared at himself in the mirror. Examined his body, a tiny frown on his face.

It looked the same. Just the same as he always had. The same stripey face and spotted belly. The same curly blonde hair with dark roots poking through. His chin curved the same way it always did, his waist still pinched the same way, his shoulders sloped just the same as they always had. 

He had never loved his body. He knew he acted all confident and cocky, and that wasn’t all for show-- there were times when he really did feel confident. Lots of times, actually. He was perfectly capable of being confident and capable and fucking bright as a person, and not as a body, and no, he wasn’t afraid to declare to anyone who wanted to listen that he was very cute, thank you very much, and yes, he did have great taste in clothes, and yes, his hair was amazing, wasn’t it? I’ll tell you what conditioner I use--

But truthfully, he didn’t love his body. He didn’t hate it, either-- it had just existed up until now. It had just been, and he had dealt with it, liked the parts that he liked and tolerated the parts he didn’t, making plans to customize in the future, and it was… okay. 

But he had never despised his own skin so deeply as he did in this moment.

Looking at himself now, he couldn’t find a single thing to enjoy. He looked at himself in the mirror and he glowered, curling his lips in disgust, even though he was unable to look away. 

It was the same as it was before. Nothing had changed. But somehow, he hated it now. 

---

Donnie had always preferred to base his world on facts and logic over emotions. He had always found that this was what worked best for him. If he collected data, examined it, and allowed these values to influence his decisions, everything tended to work out better. No, admittedly, this did not, by any means, guarantee success, much to his annoyance, but he had run the statistics, and facts worked. They were reliable. He could lean on them and count that they would hold him up. He could place his trust there.

For example--

Fact: Hamato Donatello is adept in the care of tropical plants. This was supported by a vast array of data. He had no less than two dozen different varieties of houseplants flourishing in the living room alone that he could point to support this claim, thank you very much, and they were all thriving under his expert care. This was a fact. This was something that he knew to be true. He could rely on this. He could lean on this. It would not change.

Even those that he, at times, found painful, he could still count on.

For example--

Fact: Hamato Donatello is bad at talking to new people. He didn’t like it, but it was a fact. Never in his life had he met someone and been able to strike up a conversation without, at some point, putting his foot in his mouth and fucking it up or floundering. He always seemed to find a way to mess it up, even if he didn’t realize it until later on. Even if he, in the moment, thought that things were going great! He was… better than he had been. He had learned, over time, and gotten the hang of the art of conversation, at least to a degree. People he knew, he could handle, no problem but someone new? It was just… 

It was just a bullet point in the long list of micro-facts that had always supported the claim of, “Hamato Donatello is different from other people. He doesn’t fit in, and there’s something that separates him from his peers.”

And he had always known this. He was diagnosed with autism when he was five. He had always known that he was different, that he didn’t quite match with everyone else. It had always felt like he was missing something; like handbooks or a set of rules had been passed out at some point, and he never got his copy. There were times when it had bothered him, sure, but he had long since come to terms with it. He had found people and places where he could fit, where ‘matching’ mattered a lot less, where the mold that he was expected to adhere to had far more give to it. He had spent years in therapy discussing this gap; years trying to learn the content of the missing ruleset through secondhand explanations. And even if it wasn’t always his favorite fact, it was still a fact. It was something that he knew to be true. He could rely on this. He could lean on this. It would not change.

Or, well. He had thought so.

He had set up a new spreadsheet so he could run through all the data-- so he could review what he thought he had known, and that which he could no longer rely on. He got to work measuring just how patchworked his universe had suddenly become. Began evaluating just how much of the floor was actively falling out from beneath him, and put it all into neat, numbered rows and columns. 

Fact: Hamato Donatello is an awarded athlete.

(Inconclusive. If he was only a talented swimmer because he was a mutant, could any of these accomplishments really be attributed to him, in all fairness? Further research needed.)

Fact: Hamato Donatello is autistic.

(Inconclusive. Can this diagnosis be considered valid if he was not human? There was no diagnosis criteria for turtles. Perhaps he was just odd and different and didn’t fit because he was a mutant. Or because he was a failed experiment. Further research needed.)

Fact: Hamato Donatello is a member of the Hamato family.

(Inconclusive. If he was a mutant rather than simply his father’s child, did he really belong on the family tree? Could he actually be considered a Hamato descendent? Was their father truly their father to begin with? Further research needed.)

Fact: Donatello is a human being. 

(Inconclusive. Though he was still not sure what his exact standing was, or how he could be categorized now, it was very clear that he was not simply a human as previously believed. Further research needed.)

Fact: Donatello is a member of society, just like everyone else, and deserves to be treated with kindness and respect by others.

(Inconclusive. He was not a human, and therefore, it could not be said that he was a ‘member of society,’ nor that he inherently deserved anything based on this status, despite what his therapist Mossy had previously taught him. This statement was based on outdated information, and could no longer be taken at face value. Further research needed.)

Fact: Donatello belongs in human society.

(Inconclusive. Further research needed.)

---

April was kind of starting to think that maybe her parents might mean it when they said she was grounded for the rest of her life. And, to be fair, she knew that she had scared them.

A lot.

She had scared herself, too. If she was being honest, she was still scared. 

It had been weeks since she had last been here, standing in her own bathroom, looking at herself in her own mirror as she brushed her teeth and got ready for bed. And it was all normal, all the same as it ever was, but--

Everything that had been keeping her upright the past three weeks, the adrenaline, the survival instincts, the desire to support her brothers and stay steady and hold them up while things fell apart, the desire to protect them, to figure things out, to investigate, to fix things, it was all…

It was all gone.

Everything that had been propping her up had suddenly given way, and she had just been carried up the stairs into the apartment by her dad, her arms wrapped around his neck like she was six again, getting home from a family outing that had gone late. And now she was sitting here in her bathroom and looking at her own face in the mirror and it was her face, and not anything spooky or mutated or unfamiliar, and that felt so unfair, somehow? And--

She hiccuped softly. And then she sobbed, until she eventually sank down onto the floor, curled up in a little heap and weeping softly. 

Oh my god, what had just happened?

She could have died.

They all could have died.

Her brothers could have died. Leo could have died. She thought Leo was going to die. 

She could have died.

She still had toothpaste in her mouth, and it was getting all down her chin and the front of her shirt, and it was fucking gross but she couldn’t really get herself to care. She just sat there and she cried until her mom knocked on the door, just barely cracking it open and joining her on the cold tile floor. And then, eventually, her dad had joined her, too, and she had wrapped herself up in their arms and practically climbed into his lap and just clung to them. She really didn’t know what else to do.

Something horrible almost happened. But it hadn’t. They were all okay. They were all home, but…

God, why did she feel like her little brother was still falling?

---

The whole way home, Yoshi was terrified that one of his children would begin talking to him. Terrified that one of them would ask some question that he wouldn’t be able to answer. But the journey back to their apartment was near silent. Somehow, that was almost worse.

He thought to himself, god, why is this your main concern right now? Why are you worrying about that, of all things? What is wrong with you?

He got everyone back home. He made sure each of his children ended up safely in their own beds. And, finally, he retreated back to his own.

He’d like to say that his room was just as he had left it, but that was untrue. It had clearly been ransacked multiple times, and he groaned softly, scrubbing at his face with his hands, wondering who all had been in here and what they had uncovered. He supposed there was nothing he could do about it right now. 

He didn’t do much besides clear off his bed. One at a time, he removed the items stacked on top of it. The piles of old paperwork. The DVD cases. The dirty laundry. He didn’t have the energy to sort through any of it properly or put it away right now, so he simply placed it all to the side, stacking things on his dresser or tossing them across the room instead, promising himself that he would get to it in the morning and dreading the thought of it. 

He would have a lot of things to do in the morning.

Internally, he scolded himself. Shouldn’t he be happy? Or at least relieved? This was the best case scenario. All of his children were home, safe and sound. He was home-- he would never have to set foot in the Battle Nexus again. He was free to live his life and raise his children, wasn’t he?

But the only thing he could find in his chest was dread, no matter how deep he dug. Very gingerly, he eased himself down onto his bed, laying out flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling. There were no answers up there. He had looked many, many times before, and he already knew. At the very least, it felt good to lie down. To finally lay down properly in a bed and allow his body a proper break. 

Ah, if only he could allow his mind to do the same…

What the fuck was he going to say to them? What… could he say? How was he supposed to explain all the choices and mistakes he made-- to explain the things he had done and what he was, and then still look them in the eyes? Even worse-- would they still want to? Would they be able to look at him?

God. How could he have let this happen to them?

His eyes wandered aimlessly around his room, a very soft sigh working its way up his chest. He felt like he had come back from the dead. He felt like a ghost. A part of him had already accepted that he would never be back here. Had accepted that he would never see his children ever again. And now here they all were, right here in the same house as him. Only a few floors away.

It didn’t quite feel real yet.

He wanted, more than anything, to get up and go get them this very second. He wanted to gather them all up in his arms like he did when they were babies and pile them up in his bed with him. He wanted to hold them all and fall asleep that way, knowing that they were there and that they were close and that they were okay. He didn’t think he possibly could sleep otherwise.

But he didn’t do that.

He was afraid that if he tried, they wouldn’t want to come with him. And that fear was enough to keep him pinned in place, cold and still, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

He knew they were upset. He could feel that they were upset, and how could he blame them? They were justified. They had every right to be upset, to be angry with him, to hate him, after all he had kept from them! After all the ways he had failed them. He just…

He hadn’t known what else to do.

He still didn’t know what else to do.

This had never been his intention.

---

“Dad--”

“Don’t run in the house,” he replied, not even looking down at his son as he dashed into the kitchen, quite nearly crashing into his leg.

“I wasn’t!” Leo protested, even though he most certainly was, rolling his eyes with a huff. “Dad, I’m gonna be late! Hurry up! Justin and Ben are already waiting for me!”

“Oh, well, if I am going too slowly, I suppose that you can pack your own snacks for camp from now on--”

“Dad!”

“So ungrateful,” he tsked, scooping the last of the vegetables he was slicing up into his son’s bento box, handing it over to the impatient eight-year-old. “There. All the carrot sticks and sugar snap peas that a little turtle could ever ask for,” he teased. A rarely used nickname, but one that sugar peas always made him think of, given how excitedly they would be devoured on the rare occasion he was able to offer some when they were small.

Leo scoffed as he accepted the offering, shoving it into his backpack. “Dad, we’re too old for that game. We don’t play turtles anymore,” he huffed.

Yoshi froze.

“What?”

“We’re not little kids, Dad! We don’t play make-believe anymore!” Leo said matter-of-factly, shooting his dad an absolute withering look. Yoshi floundered for a moment, struggling to find his tongue, which suddenly felt heavy in his mouth, before he finally nodded. 

“Yes… of course.”

“I’ll be home later! Tell Donnie not to go in my room or else I’ll know!” Leo yelled over his shoulder as he ran out the door, hopping down the steps to meet his two classmates who were attending the same summer camp, and Justin’s mother, who had kindly offered to walk them to the bus stop each morning. Yoshi watched him go, and he waved, but things felt… far off. 

He sat down on the kitchen chair once Leo was gone, and thought about the conversation for quite some time, wondering if he had understood correctly. 

After sitting there for about twenty minutes, he eventually got to his feet, shuffling up the stairs to Mikey’s room and knocking gently on the door.

“Yeahhhhhh?”

Yoshi peeked his head in, unsurprised to find his youngest bent over some elaborate arts and crafts project, currently busying himself in taping a pack of construction paper together to create a massive canvas, no doubt for his latest masterpiece. Yoshi sighed very softly through his nose, smiling for just a second as he shuffled his way in.

“What are you working on, my son?”

“‘S gonna be a painting. But I want it to be big!” He explained, throwing his hands out to illustrate. “So I’m making a super big paper to paint on first.”

“Ah, I see. You will have to show me when you are done. I’m sure it’ll be very impressive.”

“Mmm-hmmmm,” Mikey confirmed, quickly returning his attention back to his project, his tongue sticking out from between his lips with his intense focus. Yoshi hesitated for a moment before he spoke again.

“Orange, do you remember… playing turtles?”

“Yeah,” Mikey replied easily. “Why?”

“Well,” he wobbled for a second, choosing his words carefully. “What do you remember?”

“Uhhh,” Mikey tilted his head to the side for a second before he shrugged. “I dunno. It was just a game we used to play. We used to pretend to be turtles and stuff when we were little. We used to play it all the time!” He chirped. “Buuuuut we don’t really play it much anymore. Leo says we’re ‘too old’ for make-believe,” he sighed. “But he still plays Jupiter Jim. He says that’s ‘acting’ and it’s different, but it’s not,” he informed their father, giving him an exasperated look, as if to say, ‘can you believe he would say something like that?’

“... Ah. I see. Thank you, Mikey.”

“Why?” Mikey asked again, and Yoshi swallowed.

“Nothing, no reason! I was just thinking of something else… Also, ah, I wanted to ask you, what do you think about pizza for dinner tonight, my son?” 

“YEAH! PIZZA!” Mikey immediately cheered, his face lighting up, and Yoshi inwardly sighed in relief. Pizza for dinner was a small price to pay to put an end to this conversation. After taking a few requests (demands) regarding toppings and which place they should order from, Yoshi was eventually able to escape from his child’s room, closing the door behind him as he made his way back out into the hall.

He slumped against the wall, staring up at the ceiling.

They… 

Forgot. He hadn’t ever imagined that they would forget.

[ next ]

[my-castles-crumbling]

Anon Advice Asks - April 1

skirt anon (new), hijabi anon, gender crisis anon (new), therapist anon, amount anon (new)

skirt anon

So it’s been brought to my attention that my church is weird. (redacted)

Uh YEAH that's absolutely not okay, PLEASE tell an adult. Like...right now.

__________

Hijabi anon

I haven’t sent a ask in a while but Ramadan ends today and Tmrws Eid and I just spent hours waiting to get my henna done and I’m so tired rn 😭😭 I hope ur day goes well btw!!!!

Happy belated Eid! I hope you had a great time celebrating!!

________

gender crisis anon

gender crisis where you feel so feminine sometimes you don't identify with enby or masc, so masculine sometimes you don't identify w enby or fem, and so enby sometimes you don't identify as either gender

pls send help I thought I figured shit out

does this make sense-? I feel like I'm rambling 😭

thank you and have a nice day :D

Hi!

This does make sense! I'm not trying to tell you how to identify, but have you looked into 'genderfluid' and similar terms? It might be helpful. <3

Let me know!

_______

therapist anon

Hello hello therapist anon here

First off all how are we feeling? I hope everything's good and that the weather is nice cos holy fuck cab summer HURRY TF UP

Anyways

I was recently talking to my friend about how my parents agreed to buy me shoes if I do well on my spring assessments

She wasn't horrible per say just questioning why cos these exams are quite minor but lemme put this in context. Basically my younger siblings have been getting emails home and detentions left right and center then getting rewarded when they go a whole week without doing something naughty. Fair enough, positive reinforcement but I just felt a bit not seen in a way cos this year I'm doing two subjects I've never done before so I'm proud of myself for getting good grades and ik my parents are as well, I'm just not getting a prize for getting an A on an a subject I've never done before you know?

There also a holiday coming up so these shoes will also go to that like instead of getting 30 pounds shoes I'm getting 70

I really really don't wanna come off as spoilt I just didn't feel seen and that my achievements were kinda pushed to the side cos my siblings can't get it through their heads that getting detentions twice a week aren't cool. Also I've been needing new trainers for a while so these shoes are going towards loads of things which is why my parents are happy to get them. Also I feel like I shouldn't have to explain myself you know? My parents said they're happy to gwt them for me so idk why other people should question their reason behind it. (I'm not spoiled btw if I want an expensive pair of shoes I usually buy it myself like I bought myself uggs cos I wanted them and my parents wouldn't buy them for me for no reason)

Also quick note, the show went AMAZINGLY we raised alot of money which is so good! Me and my friend choreographed a dance which went so well especially cos we had to change it a week beforw the show and I really wanted my cousin to see it but I guess she got really stressed cos when I went up to her asking where she was she pushed me to the side (literally) but left her to be cos she seemed stressed and I didn't want to crowd her

Then later during the choir she came up behind me and went 'omg they sound terrible' okay one that was so uncalled for tf? Also half of the girls were under 12 so yes obviously they're not gonna sound like Taylor swift but still! We had such a short time period and they actually sounded amazing for their age abs the fact they had like 2 seconds to learn one of the songs which was in a different language so yeah

I love my cousin I do but omg she has got to stop hating on things I do. I would never go up to her next year knowing she's piled up with work and ten other things to do and tell her the show looks shit cos that's a horrible thing to do right?!

Oh well.

Thanks for listening to me your the best lots of love ❤️❤️❤️

Hi!

As far as your friend, you absolutely should not have to explain to anyone why your parents are buying you things. Especially since like...it's one pair of shoes and it sounds like you more than deserve them. It sounds like if your friend can't say anything nice, they need to keep quiet.

Same with your cousin. Like...that was unnecessary. And it sounds like they were actually quite good!

I'm so glad the show went well though, congratulations!!

________

amount anon

Hi cas im 14 and i feel like im not gonna amount to anything. I cant find a job that i actually want to do and i feel like im going to be miserable for my whole life. Everybody has everything figured out and i have no idea who i am. I dont even feel like i have a personality half the time.

Hi hon <3

I understand this feeling but I need you to understand that you are SO young. You have so much time and so many things will change for you over the next few years. When i was 14, I thought I was a straight girl who would grow up to be a lawyer. Now I'm a queer nonbinary teacher, and very glad I'm all those things (most of the time.) I'm not saying you're ignorant, please don't take it that way. I'm just saying that life changes so much and that's a GOOD thing. I promise <3

[ieatlegoswithmilkncookies]

My dreamzzz headcanons!!

Day 4: IZZIE!!!!!

HC 1- She goes ALL out on April Fools. I totally see it with her, especially when it comes to Mateo (he’s not safe from the moment it hits 12am.)

HC 2- Watched Naruto and adored the show (probably had a huge phase in 5th grade) I mean- she does the run!!!

HC 3- Gymnastics. Like, she quite a while ago, but can still hold a normal and stable hand stand with a little help of course! Yet she manages to do cartwheels A LOT.

HC 4- Used to hate pickles, but simple small threats like “no candy after lunch/dinner” if she finish all her food didn’t sound too good. Look at her now!

HC 5- Steals Mateo’s phone to play Colourful Stage. I don’t know she just seems like someone who would play it :D

HC 6- Mostly s3 based, but ever since she learned roller skating she hasn’t stopped

HC 7- listens to New Jeans, Stray Kids, and 2013-2019 BTS (even if she doesn’t understand the words!!)

HC 8- absolutely ADORES style like gyaru, Decora, scene, and other style that have lots of Great Qualities!

HC 9- Tried to draw, yet can’t. Mateo HAS found drawings of Izzie trying to draw BunChu but then again you can’t get much stuff done first try!

HC 10- I totally see her being one of those people who are so invested into lore she can probably write essays of her favourite shows with specific details and unspoken hidden meanings (if she hasn’t already)

I have lots of studying and exams next next week, but that’s okay because it’s Spring Break!! So I’m most likely gonna be more active this week not to miss anymore days!

Tomorrow is Zoey! (Please help and give me headcanons for her if you can, I have literally NONE for her 😭😭)

[la-galaxie-langblr]

Q1 roundup/Q2 goals

It's been an eventful Lent but I'm slowly getting back into routine!! March and April have been a blur but it's time to check back in with how I'm doing with quarterly goals and set some new ones :)

Q1 Roundup

Academic 🎓

6 volunteering hours 🟡 - due to events beyond my control I didn't get as many hours done as I wanted, but that's OK, there's still time in the last part of the semester!

My other two goals (studying French outside class and achieving certain grades) were shelved for March and completed in February respectively

Wellbeing/hobbies/social 🌻

Stay up to date with devotionals ❌ - 😬

Read at least three books ✅- I read 8 books in total this quarter :D

Improve my swimming best ✅ - 1500m in one hour and two minutes!! Even though it's just outside of my one hour target, it's close enough and my pace has improved so much that I'm counting it anyways

Create and maintain routines ❌ - I'm just not built for strict routines so I'm not gonna bother with them anymore

Attend a special event at least twice a month ✅ - yep! In March I went to the theatre with my housemate and also went foraging, both were so much fun :D

Leave the house at least 6 days a week 🟡 - I wasn't good at tracking this, ik I didn't but at least I have a habit so not completely a flop

Side quests/bucket list/things to look forward to 🍄

Learn how to eat with chopsticks 🟡 - I didn't get very much practice in during March but my ability is now a three as opposed to a zero at the beginning of the year, still something!

Attend a mushroom foraging event ✅ - technically it was just a general foraging taster workshop but we did see scarlet elf cups, close enough!!

Shelved goal for March - learn how to read 2 non-latin scripts

Q2 Goals

Academic 🎓

Achieve a 70% overall average for the year - my current average is already above this but I have some really tough exams coming up so that's very subject to change

Attend at least 1 volunteering event - still trying to stay on track for required volunteering hours for my uni's employability/extracurricular award

Complete all year abroad requirements in a timely manner - this will be both a Q2/Q3 goal but the vast majority of my paperwork will fall in the next 2ish months

Wellbeing/hobbies/social 🌻

Get back up to date with devotionals

Read at least 3 books

Improve my swimming best - just two minutes to shave off to reach my 1500m/hour goal, then aiming to bring my time down further from there!!

Attend a special event at least twice a month - in April I went to 2 concerts and a friend's birthday party! Nothing planned for May yet but there's time

Spend at least 5 minutes outside every day

Create 5th edition of Hot Enby Language Summer plan - aka 5th edition of trying not to rot away my summer

Side quests/bucket list/things to look forward to 🍄

May: possible day trip to another city with my uni friends

June: start of summer!

Eat 1 full meal with chopsticks - I don't care whether it takes me 40 minutes, I'm gonna try!!

Run at least one week of couch to 5k - this isn't in the wellbeing section because I don't know if this is something I want to continue doing, but it'll be a fun experiment all the same

Create a mini zine - something I've wanted to try for a while!

Local museum day - there's exhibitions I've been putting off visiting for months that are closing soon, so I want to do a solo date museums day and visit as many as possible!

Take stock of my incomplete online courses - there are many of them and several would be pretty helpful to complete, ik I have an ongoing advanced French language course so I'd at the very least like to make a plan to finish that one (inspired by @sammiestudiesdrugs, ty for the suggestion bestie!)

Let's see how the rest of Q2 plays out :)

[acommonrose]

Knitting Update: April 2025

So I've 1. been knitting more and 2. been watching people's knitting videos where they talk about what they've done each month, and I thought it might be fun to share progress. But since we love text and hate videos here, and this blog is already a random assortment of whatever I like. Not sure if anyone here cares, but uhhh there's some nice pictures?

The FOs

Honestly, this was a bad month to start because I've only finished one project, and it's not the most elaborate project, but here it is:

These are the Itamaraty Socks! This was the pattern for round 3 of Sock Madness, and I was busy enough during the round (and my team was fast enough) that it did knock me out of the competition. The good news about this is I was able to re-knit the toes to fit my stupidly short feet (which somehow involved re-knitting one of the toes 3 times, because I somehow messed up the kitchener stitch), and I'm super happy with how they turned out! I've had this yarn (some KnitPicks Hawthorne) in my stash for years, and I really liked how it knit up--I feel like the pastel tonal kind of gives me cotton candy vibes?

The WIPs

This is my Sixy Helix! This was a final round pattern for Sock Madness two years ago, and ever since I got the pattern, I've known I wanted to make these in neon rainbow colors. They're double knit intarsia in the round, so they've been taking awhile--I've been working on them on and off (mostly off) for o ver a year, I finished the first one in mid-March, and I'm now through the gusset of sock 2! I've had some time to work on it lately, so I think it will be done in the next month. I'm a little concerned that my gauge on sock 2 seems a bit smaller than my first sock, but I think it should block out well enough. They're thick enough that they will just be house socks, so not exactly seasonal, but will be fun to wear these eventually!

I always have a million WIPs, but the only other one I've really worked much on this month is a hat that's been my D&D/plot-heavy TV project. I'm not strictly following a pattern for that one, but I'm using most of the tree chart from this pattern minus the baubles (because I don't like baubles). I'm knitting it in a cellulose/silk blend, and I always have trouble getting my knitting to look neat in non-wool fibers, so fingers crossed! I only have ribbing done at the moment, so no picture yet, but next month, I should at least have more!

There's a bunch of other dormant WIPs that I may or may not get back to any time soon (especially my 2024 temperature blanket, which is naturally still on June), but nothing much to report on those.

The Other Stuff

I figured I'd add another section here for miscellaneous craft stuff I do, but I don't have much to talk about here this month, so let's talk about all the projects I might cast on soon! (Do I have too many plans? Probably.)

Anyways, my hope is that I will cast on (or at least swatch) for the Rockhound Vest soon. I bought both the yarn and the pattern in January, but I was holding off until after Sock Madness to get started, so now I have no excuses.

Predictably, the thing that may postpone the vest is uhhh more socks, because I am nothing if not a sock knitter. The round 4 Sock Madness pattern is (was?) Brintarsia, and it looks like it would be really fun to do with some bright colors, so I might make a pair soon with some of my more "fun" yarns. (Bonus of not actually knitting them to competition rules: it's fine if a variegated yarn swallows parts of the pattern!) Not sure why I keep doing intarsia (a technique I am Not Very Good At) combined with other tricky techniques, but at least I won't get bored! My other sock plans are making shorties with the half skein I have of the stripey yarn I used here. I'll probably just find a free pattern for some sort of self-striping chevron pattern, and then vastly shorten the leg.

The Stats

Also gonna keep track of yearly yardage in/out here. I'm not counting a yard as "knit" until the month (or year) I finish the project, because I simply don't want to keep track of yardage on my WIPs (so I did actually knit a lot more than 300 yds this month, just not in completed projects).

Yards knit this month: 296 Yards knit YTD: 2756 Yards bought YTD: 4119 (vest yarn + a fiberfest in March) Net stash yardage YTD: +1363

[bentleysbeetle]

beeble my friend may i have a tarot reading for the new year?

Yeah of course!! :D Okay so that would be uh... Woah!! 13 cards!!! 12 on the outside, one for each month, and then one in the middle for the general thing...

Ok, first card for January, is the 4 of cups! And it has 4 cups in a river!! Ummm it looks like a pretty stable gathering- so I think maybe you'll find 4 very stable cups in a river. Maybe. My brain still hurts with words so I can't check. It could also be that uhhhh things will flow nice? For four uhh for four days? Or four people around you? I think cups can be people. So good luck or flow for you and 3 of those around you :D

Then for February we have the 8 of pentacles-- I thought there was only 7 on the card for a moment but it's 8 :) As we all know, 8 is great, and there's a big open field, so I think you'll be great within your field! :D I might actually be right on that wow...

For March!! You're gonna love March!! It's the 8 of swords :D You'll get 8 swords and they look VERY holy! They're in a circle!! Gasp, maybe it'll come full circle!!! You need those 8 swords for something Abby. Good luck, you got this

Then for April we have the two of wands BUT it's reversed! So two of wands would normally mean that uhh- it's like everything burned down except two pillars, so then, everything will not burn except two pillars! Make sure to tell your pillars you love them!!

For May you got the two of pentacles! You will find two very pretty shields, it looks like!! Or you'll have to protect someone twice?? Oh gosh I'm not sure...

Which one was first- I think June was first? For June you got 10 of swords!! They form a pretty pattern, like a thick ring with a diamond! You'll be on your marry way then, with swords? 10 is also a complete number, so you'll be done with any sword activities you'll be doing next year.

Then July is seven of pentacles but reversed, so ummmm.... Seven rhymes with heaven and the pentacles look like shields, so right way up it could mean you're stopping heaven, but reversed you're either saving someone from going to heaven or you're stopping hell? I think it's the last one.... Oh gosh good luck abby

August is the six of cups, so maybe you get 6 really nice drinks and a break from all that protecting :)

September is ace of cups reversed, and it looks like all of the water is falling OUT of the cup, so I think you're gonna be reeeeeally thirsty that month.

October is the four of wands reversed, and again it looks sort of like pillars in a fire, so that would mean you'll gain pillars, either in a fire or not.

November is the nine of wands reversed so I think I'm right. You get some pillars in October, and then maybe another few in November! :) be careful though because they're stacked like an upside down pyramid! They could fall D:

And then December is the chariot reversed! It has someone in a chariot and they look a little mad. Maybe it's because the two horsies are going opposite directions? And one's black and the other's white. So I think they have balance but in a bad way, so December will be wobbly but in a good way! Yay! :D

And the last card, for the whole year is the hermit reversed! It's a person with a cool wizard robe and wizard staff holding a wizard lantern! Also there's a snake around the wizard staff! It's probably a wizard snake. And they look very lonely walking through the dark. So you'll have lots of company as you're walking in the light! :D I think this year might not be the year to take up wizardry through :( sorry Abby

I hope you like it!! Good luck! Stay hydrated and watch out for shields, swords, burning pillars and demons!!!

(more serious reading under the cut)

OK HI so excited for this

This one's definitely something. This deck doesn't usually give me cards with the face side up, but it gave me SEVEN of the cards face side up. I usually take this as the message being even stronger or those cards having more relevance. I do also want to tell you to ignore whatever doesn't resonate with you.

January: 4 of cups (face side up)

Cups represents emotions, and 4 represents stability and structure. You'd think they'd say you'll be emotionally stable, but instead this adds up to boredom. Rather than it being like, oh you'll get bored out of nowhere or your emotions will suddenly stabilize I think it's supposed to be that there's more of the same. Things will keep going the way they have been and that'll get dull.

February: 8 of pentacles (back side up)

Pentacles typically represents tangible things, y'know, items, but this deck specifically puts weight on pentacles representing money. 8 is a stable number that still has things to achieve. The eight of pentacles will represent an offer, something that will get you money as a reward. The cards advise you take this offer, saying you could get good things out of it. Whether you have an investment you want to make... Or hey, maybe you spot a reeeeally cool necklace somewhere

March: 8 of swords (face side up)

All these 8's are really standing out to me by the way. This may just be the synesthesia talking but the eight of swords feels like your card. It has swords on it. And to me 8 is a number that is very very red, the same red that your name is. To m e.

Swords usually represent some kind of conflict, and the eight of swords represents a relationship or a project falling apart, that you can't do anything about. I do not like how drawn I am to this card, Abby. It says to talk to the people around you and to gather your thoughts. I swear I was thinking good thoughts for u while I was shuffling this deck 😭 my gut reaction to this card was like "Oh hell yes :D new projects/relationships for her fuck yeah" so let's hope the manual's wrong 😭😭

April: 2 of wands reversed (face side up)

The number two represents partnership, and wands represents inspiration/projects. Unfortunately, since it's reversed, we have to interpret it the worst way possible. So this represents a disagreement between in a partnership. It says that money could be a cause of the problem, or an imbalance in the amount of housework people do.

May: 2 of pentacles (face side up)

Oh my G O D what is it with these housework mentions xD you may be experiencing some economic instability, but if you play it smart you'll be fine. It is again suggesting there may be an imbalance in the amount of housework done at home. Because we all know if you don't hsve to vaccuum the rugs then you're more financially stable! /silly Maybe ask for a weekly allowance xD ok but really if you do wind up struggling with your finances then watch what you're spending and all will be fine <3

June: 10 of swords (face side up)

10 is the most complete number, and will often represent a sort of end to things. Swords supposedly have dramatic ends. A relationship or an arrangement will have a dramatic and maybe painful, but needed end. Thankfully though in hindsight it'll be easy to see how needed it is. Again, hoping I'm wrong here 😭

July: 7 of pentacles reversed (back side up)

7 is considered a "perfect" number, it's often you know, THE lucky number, and it's complete without being an end, like 10. Reversed, this card can mean that you have too much on your hands, that you or someone you know will be in an economic crisis. The problem might appear bigger than it is though, so as long as you do something about it even if it might not seem all that helpful, you'll be fine. Be prepared for an eventful summer 😭

August: 6 of cups (back side up)

On a complete sidenote this is a swedish deck with a swedish manual so it does say "sex i bägere" which I am reading as "sex in cups". Alternatively if someone were to say this out loud a bit fast it could sound like "sexy cups".

6 is a positive number, and can represent things like hope! :D

Advantaged of experience, that's the summary of this card. Some old knowledge you have or something you've learned through experience will come in handy 💪🏻 this got me thinking of your old job honestly, so maybe you have more horrible customer service coming your way. I am joking that is not what I'm getting from this ahsjddhj

It also mentions that you could meet an old friend or acquaintance :D new ideas can spark inspiration within you, setting you off on a new journey :3!! maybe by the end of the year you'll be a blacksmith making really cool swords lol

September: Ace of cups reversed (back side up)

The number one can represent new beginnings and decisions! It is the start of all things! We're ignoring zero in this, which is arguably the actual start. Then again there is no zero of cups. This is reversed however so there is a lack of a start! A standstill, even! This card could either be representative of a problem in a relationship, hindering growth and bonding, but it could also represent a fear of not having enough time or energy for kids, relatives or friends. Notice also how the cup on the image is literally being drained. It's like a visual representation of bonds dwindling D:

It doesn't feel like it'll be all that big of a problem though, so let's hope not

October: 4 of wands reversed (back side up)

Four of wands reversed can represent a lack of structure and balance in your life, which I could see leading to some frustration. Changing variables might set you back from achieving your goals, but you should be open-minded and flexible with it, go with the flow, and everything will work out eventually.

November: 9 of wands reversed (face side up)

The number 9 can represent momentum, reaching the height of a situation, and I'm really just feeling anxious anticipation right now. Unrelated but I just noticed a typo in the book lol it says ten of swords instead of wands right under the nine of wands lollll

A reversed nine can represent stress, the image on the card does also look to me sort of like expectations weighing down on you. Take your time with things, Do not Push Yourself. Let yourself Relax. Don't take on more than you can carry. You are allowed to do nothing. You are a person with needs, like the big lions and like the small bugs, you too need to take a moment every so often to do nothing.

December: The Chariot reversed (face side up)

Ahh a big arcana card, these ones are always exciting. This card is depicting a man in a chariot, with two horses pulling. One black and one white, each facing slightly different directions. Normally it represents decisiveness, self-control and travel, but reversed it can mean arrogance, standstills and travel plans. Someone's arrogance can hinder one of your plans, it feels like it could possibly be a big plan, and due to a misunderstanding or maybe refusal to admit they're wrong, plans and dates keep being changed and pushed around.

General: The Hermit reversed (back side up)

The Hermit depicts a man that totally does look like a sad wizard with a snake on his staff, carrying a lantern. The card is dark except for the light coming from the lantern. Normally he would represent isolation and inner wisdom. When reversed, this isolation may be involuntary. It feels like maybe 2025 could show you some problems that could make it difficult to reach out to people. It could also just be that you need some time alone to not do anything, or to not be okay, to accept a situation that's been hard to accept. It could also mean you're overanalyzing things and not listening to your heart enough.

I think at the end of the day that these cards are extremely pessimistic. They really talk about the worst side of things. Thankfully though what I felt was trying to be communicated the strongest were the more positive things, at least. The things that stuck around in my head for this is that you should remember that you're allowed to take your time with things, even if that means taking time to not be productive or to just be sad. Remember to reach out to people and talk, you have loads of friends, that's what they're here for.

And hey. If anything, Beetle's reading comes from the heart so they're probably the most correct. Good luck fighting off demons. Stay hydrated. I love you /pl