#but we'll be back to regular story posts next time

[lynzishell]

By the time Winter came, each day was starting to bleed into the next. As they got closer to the holidays, Dawn was putting together multiple events and working late into the night.

Often, she’d crawl into bed long after Phoenix had fallen asleep.

Due to her late nights, she’d start her mornings later, and Phoenix would be up early, doing his best to get ready quietly so as not to wake her.

For him, work had become so busy that he rarely got a day off.

However, they both finally got a break over Winterfest. It felt like it had been months since getting to spend a day together.

And with no obligations aside from their annual dinner at Julian’s, they spent every possible minute in bed, knowing they'd be back to their busy schedules the next day.

Prev // Next

[giannaln4]

For you? Anything.

lando norris x fem reader

summary: Even during the worst week of you life, and no matter how tired he is, Lando would do anything to make you feel better.  (2.6k words)

warnings: fluff, established relationship, language.

a/n: And we are back to our regular schedule! Kinktober is officially over (kinda, more context here) so it's time to post regular fics. So, I wrote this sometime last week before the shit show of yesterday's race so that's why there are no mentions of it, but I do have some planned about that so we'll see when I can work on them. Anyway, this is for me and all the girlies who have been feeling stressed about work, let me know what you think!

↺ back to navigation — send me a request!

What a week it has been for you. You had done nothing but work on a stupid project your boss put you in charge of. It was very short notice, and the due date was creeping up on you faster than you would’ve liked. 

The good thing is Lando had been away for weeks due to his job; not that you didn’t want to see him or that he was a distraction, nothing like that, but you always preferred to be with him instead of working, which isn’t something you would be able to do this time due to the amount of things you had to go over, but with the house all to yourself, you had the chance to get tons of work done.

It was finally the day of the presentation; you were supposed to pitch the finished project to management and honestly, you weren’t 100% confident in the job you had done. Usually, you were never too harsh on yourself, but with so little time to work on it, you knew there were some parts here and there that could’ve used a little more of your attention, but it was either use what you already have or show up with an unfinished project, so that would have to do. It wasn’t terrible; you were sure of that, but these people always found something to complain about.

You were there for only a few minutes before you were dismissed. What a fucking joke, you thought.

You didn’t even get half the presentation done, and the old dudes sitting across from you were already attacking you with questions, questions that didn’t even make sense or barely fit the theme of what you were trying to talk about. 

Your boss was the one to send you out, saying something like “You have another week; we hope you’ll be more prepared next time,” before standing up and leaving the cold conference room, followed by the rest of the men that were surrounding him.

Only minutes after going back to your office you saw him come in, giving you notes on the things he thought you should work on. As the polite girl that you are, you just nodded and wrote down whatever he was saying, apologising for not turning it up on time, but as soon as he left, you couldn’t stop the tears from falling down your face, ruining your make-up in the process. You still had half of your day ahead of you, so you calmed down, washed your face, and went back to work like nothing happened.

At the end of the day, however, that’s a different story. You went back home completely devastated. All those sleepless nights you spent with your nose buried in your laptop felt like a total waste. 

As you drove back home, you tried your best to hold the tears, but it was getting harder by the second, especially with each step you took down the hall that led to the door of your apartment, and when you made it there, you started crying as soon as you closed the door behind you.

You instantly got rid of your uncomfortable clothes and got into one of Lando’s shirts, curling up in your bed and letting all that consuming and irrational feeling of failure sink in. You knew you weren’t a failure; you were well aware of your worth, but you couldn’t help but feel like that after miserably failing the presentation you worked so hard on.

Suddenly, the front door opening pulled you out of your thoughts. You let out a loud sigh as you left the bed. You knew it was Lando coming back from his last race, and any other day you would’ve been happy to see him, running to the door to greet him with a hug like he deserved, but right now, you didn't want him to have to see you in that pathetic state.

You stared at yourself in the mirror for a moment, sighing again when you realised how obvious it was that you had been crying, so you’d just have to avoid eye contact.

“Hi baby,” Lando greeted you with his usual pretty smile as he entered your room.

"Hey,” you replied, immediately turning around and walking towards your desk, sitting facing away from Lando as you opened your laptop.

“Did you sleep okay last night? How did your presentation go?” He walked closer to you and wrapped his arms around you in a tight hug, kissing your temple.

“It was okay.” He stopped when he noticed your heavy mood. 

"You alright, love? You seem down." His brows were slightly furrowed as he tried to make eye contact.

​​"Yeah, fine. I think I’m just gonna work on it a little more; there were some things missing that I need to include," you replied, clearly lacking energy.

“Hey now, let’s not do that." Lando turned the chair over to make you face him. He looked down and noticed your glossy eyes, a worried feeling growing inside him. “Talk to me, please. What’s wrong?”

You just shook her head briefly, a lip-tight smile covering your face. “Everything’s fine.”

“Y/N…” The slip of your name past his lips made you want to cry again. Of course you wanted to be comforted by your boyfriend, but you didn’t like the thought of him having to pick up the pieces anytime you messed up. As a tear rolled down your face, you realised that you didn't have the energy or even the desire to push him away “Oh baby, come here.”

Lando took your hand as he sat on the floor next to you, pulling you onto his lap. Your face was now buried in his black hoodie, the tears wetting it instantly as he brushed a hand softly up and down your back.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you." He would understand if you didn’t want to talk about it but would still like to know what was happening. If there was anything he could do to help, he would gladly do it. “Do you wanna talk?”

“I just-” A sob cut you off, “I- I couldn’t do it, even after everything I did, it wasn’t enough.”

“Is this about your presentation?” He asked, his voice softer than ever, and you simply nodded. “It’s alright-”

“No, Lando, it’s not alright. I worked hard to get it together, to get it ready for days and nights and I still failed, I’m so stupid-”

“Hey, baby, look at me," he interrupted you, pulling back a bit and gently lifting your chin to look into your eyes. “You know that’s not true; you’re so smart, and I've always admired your beautiful mind. You gave it your best, like you said, you worked really hard, and even if you didn’t get the reaction you deserved, you know I’m right here.” You simply nodded at his words as the back of your hand wiped some of the tears. “Why didn’t you wanna tell me?”

"Because I don't want you to be disappointed in me like I am right now." You looked down to your lap as more tears fell from your tired eyes.

“You should know that I could never be disappointed in you, Y/N. You are so intelligent and kind; I’ve never met anyone with such a beautiful soul, so I don't ever want you to feel down about yourself because you are perfect." You felt both of Lando’s large hands caress either side of your face, bringing it up so he could look into your eyes again as he swiped at the tears that had managed to escape from your eyes.

The slight smile that had formed on your tear-stained face told Lando that his words meant something to you, and they did. “You’re only saying that because you’re my boyfriend.”

“No, I’m your boyfriend for all those reasons." You giggled slightly. “And I’m sure that no one would disagree with me.”

“My boss would.”

“What does he know?” That made you laugh again, making Lando smile, a smile so sincere that told you he believed everything he just said.

"Thank you, baby, even though you’re being a little biased." You sniffled as you gently stroked the hand that was still on your cheek, keeping your eyes locked with his “I love you.”

“I love you more,” he smiled, pressing his lips to your forehead. You took a deep breath, feeling a lot calmer than you did five minutes ago as you looked at your laptop briefly. 

“I should probably get back to work, though; I have to basically remake the whole thing and meet with them again next week.”

“What? Right now?”

“Yes, right now. I’m sorry.”

“Are you sure you don’t wanna go to bed? You look pretty tired. We can cuddle, I know we both need it.”

“I would love to,” your gaze fell on your bed momentarily; it looked so comfortable, and it was literally calling your name, “but I really need to get this done, and I have to do it right this time. I don’t wanna be embarrassed again in front of a bunch of old dudes.”

You stood up from his lap and sat back on your desk, focusing on the screen in front of you as you began to analyse what you should take out and what you needed to add. 

Lando just sighed. He knew there was no way he would get you to stop working if you already set your mind to it, but honestly, he thought he would get to spend every second with you once he got back home, so needless to say, he was a little disappointed that wasn’t the case.

He got it though; your job was important for you, and you would never settle for anything unless it was perfect. What made his blood boil was the fact that your boss had the nerve to make you feel like you weren't worth it. 

“Did you eat something already?” He asked you, getting up from the floor and wrapping his arms around you once again.

“Uh- I’m not really hungry.”

“Why don’t I cook something for us? What do you say?”

“It’s okay, baby, you should go to bed.” You tilted your head to look at him and give him a quick kiss. “I know you are tired, the triple header couldn’t have been easy.”

You started collecting your things so you could take over a different part of the apartment. He had been travelling for weeks; it wouldn’t be fair to keep him up just because you needed to get work done.

“Where are you going?”

“To your office, if that’s okay. I really don’t want to bother you.”

“You’re not-”

“Lan, I’ll be okay, I promise. Just go to bed, don’t worry about me.” Taking a few steps closer to him, you gave him a loving hug, “I love you.”

You left the room, holding everything in your hands as Lando just stood in the same spot. There was no way he would go to bed without you, not when you were feeling so down and it was clear you just needed to take a break.

Taking a deep breath, he started to make a plan in his head. He took the quickest shower of his life and got into something comfy, praying there was food, or more specifically, ingredients to cook you something that he wouldn’t mess up and that you would enjoy.

Everything seemed to be on his side when he found everything he needed to make some Alfredo. Everything was pretty much premade, so he knew he wouldn’t ruin it. He happily got to work, setting up a nice dinner as he hummed one of the songs that had been stuck in his head for who knows how long. 

In the office, you were nearly breaking your head as you read the information you had over and over again. You kind of knew what it needed to be since your boss gave you a few specific notes, but then again, you weren’t feeling completely confident in your own ideas. 

You didn’t realise you had been locked away for over an hour, your eyes getting insanely tired as you typed away. A break was needed and well deserved, and you were aware of this, but somehow it didn’t feel like you were making any progress, even though you had been working non-stop and you had already readjusted about half of the project.

A loud sigh escaped your lips as you abruptly closed your laptop, your face falling to your hands as your eyes felt wet yet again. That was it; there was no way you could keep going. You needed to grab a quick snack and head straight to bed. You did have an early morning the next day after all. 

Just as you were gathering all your strength to get up, you heard the door open, making you jump a bit.

“Fuck, you scared the shit out of me.” You laughed as your hand fell on your heart.

“Sorry, love. Didn’t mean to scare you,” he giggled, walking towards you.

“What are you doing still awake? I thought you went to bed.” 

“I couldn’t sleep without you. Are you almost done here?” He looked at your closed laptop, celebrating internally as he assumed you were done working for the night. 

“Yeah, I guess. My brain stopped working, so I thought my future self can worry about the rest tomorrow.”

“Good. Come here.” He extended his hand out to you, which you happily took. “Please stop overworking yourself, you know this isn’t healthy.”

“I know,” you let out a sigh as you accepted his embrace. “I’m seriously thinking about quitting. Who knows, maybe I’ll find something that doesn’t make me feel this stressed all the time.”

His hand was caressing your back softly as he pulled away to look down at you. “You know you can, right? And I really think you should. I make enough to support the both of us and even a family in the future... Baby, you don’t have to keep working there if you don’t want to.”

His words made a smile appear on your face. Not because he was offering to basically support you for the rest of your life, but because he brought having a family with you. “You know I’d never let you do that-”

“But if you do want to quit and just take a break, you can do that too,” he interrupted you. You nodded, seriously considering it, but that was something you would have to think about and have a serious conversation in the future if you ever did decide to do it.

“We’ll see. Right now, I just need something to eat and some sleep. I have to get up early tomorrow.”

“Speaking about dinner, I made something for you.”

He took your hand and guided you to the dining room, a big smile on his face as he proudly showed off the beautiful set-up and the (hopefully) delicious dinner he managed to cook. He looked back at you expectantly, but his happiness quickly turned into a worried look when he noticed tears falling from your eyes again. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” He asked, a hand softly falling on your cheek as he leaned down. 

You were out of words; you truly didn’t know what to say. This is just what you needed, and the fact that he went out of his way to do it for you meant a lot more than he could ever imagine.

“I- Lando, this is-” you cut yourself off when you couldn’t find the right thing to say, so you just jumped in his arms and gave him the tightest hug ever. “Thank you for everything. And I mean everything.”

He let out a sigh of relief, hugging you back as he buried his head on the crook of your neck. “For you, my love, I’d do anything.”

[merrybloomwrites]

The Only Way of Knowing You (Chapter 1)

Story Summary: After a chance encounter, Y/N finds herself on a series of dates with Harry Styles. She shares with him her innocence regarding physical intimacy, and he takes his responsibility in teaching her all about that very seriously.

Chapter Summary: Y/N is overjoyed to head to the hospital to meet her new nephew, and ends up meeting Harry Styles as well.

Word Count: 1.7K

CW: mentions of people giving birth

AN: So excited to finally post this series! I've really enjoyed writing this and hope you'll all like it. Thank you to the anon who requested shy virgin reader!

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You’re anxiously waiting to get a text or a call from your brother-in-law. You’d spoken to your sister yesterday morning and she mentioned that she felt like she was having contractions and would probably be in labor soon. So casually! You figured that since this is her second baby she must be feeling more relaxed about the whole situation.

But that doesn’t stop you from worrying about her for the whole day and a half between that call and when your phone finally rings again, Brian’s name appearing on the screen. He’d been sending regular updates to you and your parents and the last one sent almost two hours ago just said “it’s time”. 

So this call must mean your new nephew is finally born. You quickly grab the phone and answer the call. 

“Brian, hi!”

“He’s here!” He exclaims. “Born at 1:35, 7 pounds, 2 ounces, 21 and a half inches long.”

“How is he doing? How is Kyra?” 

“He’s perfect! Kyra did great, she’s resting at the moment. We'll send a picture soon. She asked that no one come this afternoon but we’d love for you to stop by tomorrow. Your parents are coming in the morning and bringing Wyatt to meet her little brother.”

“Ok great! I’ll talk to them and coordinate what time.”

“Awesome, you’re gonna love him! Listen I’ve got a couple more calls and I want to get back to them but I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye Brian, give Kyra my love!”

“Will do, bye Y/N.”

You hang up and literally squeal with excitement and relief that he’s here and everyone is doing well. You let out another happy noise when you get a couple pictures from Brian. You’re immediately in love with this little boy, even if he looks like an alien/old man hybrid. You wish you knew his name, but your sister made it clear she is keeping it a secret until you and your parents meet him in person. 

At 8PM your mom calls and you figure they just got Wyatt to sleep. You talk for a bit and make plans to all meet at the hospital the following morning at 11. 

You’re so excited that it’s nearly impossible to fall asleep, but you manage. The next morning passes quickly, and suddenly it’s time to head to the hospital. 

Once there you find your parents and your niece signing in and you do so as well. Finally, the four of you make your way to the right room. Just like when you met Wyatt nearly three years prior, you immediately fall in love with this little baby the second he’s placed in your arms. 

“Everyone, meet Jasper Lucas,” your sister says. 

For half an hour you all get to spend time with Jasper as well as check in on Kyra, who truthfully looks fantastic for having just given birth the day before. You and your parents step out in order to give the family of four some time together. 

Your mom comments that she could use a coffee and your dad hastily agrees so they head off to the cafeteria. You figure they must not be used to taking care of a toddler and decide to go over and help out that evening. 

They ask if you want anything and you decline, choosing to instead go into one of the family waiting rooms and check on a project for work. 

The room is empty when you enter but after a minute you hear footsteps. Looking up from your phone, you’re shocked to see who just walked in.

Harry Styles casually sits in one of the other chairs. You subtly glance at him, noting his jeans and sweater combo, as well as the look of pure excitement on his face. After pointedly looking anywhere but at him for a moment you can't help but turn towards him again.

“Hi!” he says cheerfully when he notices you looking at him. 

“Hello,” you manage to squeak out. 

“I’m Harry,” he says, leaning towards you with his hand out.

“I’m Y/N,” you reply while politely shaking his hand, hoping you’re doing it right. Which is wild because you;ve shaken hands with people hundreds of times but like, this is Harry Styles. 

“My sisters just had a baby,” he adds, and now you understand why he’s practically vibrating with glee. 

“Congratulations! Mine has as well. Is this Gemma’s first?” You realize a second later how creepy you now sound, using his sister's name when he hadn’t even told it to you. 

Before you can apologize he laughs and says, “Yes, her first. So you know who I am then?”

“I mean, I don’t live under a rock so yes, I am aware that you’re Harry Styles.” 

“Can you do me a favor then, love?” 

You nod, willing to do anything he asks, especially if he continues to use such sweet terms of endearment like ‘love’.

“Gems kept this whole pregnancy private, and isn’t planning to announce she’s had a baby for a few weeks. I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut, but I just had to tell someone. Can you help keep this a secret and not let anyone know about the baby?”

“Oh of course, yea, secret’s safe with me.”

“I appreciate it. We may be adults now, but I think I’ll always fear the wrath of my big sister,” he says with another laugh. “Is this your sister's first as well?” he asks.

“No, I have a niece, Wyatt, she turns three next month,” you reply.

“And this little one, boy or girl?”

“Boy. His name is Jasper. My sister always said she wanted one girl and one boy so I guess she got her wish.” 

You refrain from asking him the same question, not wanting to look like you're asking for personal information about his family, but he apparently doesn’t feel that way because he says, “Gemma had a girl. The tiniest little thing. I think. At least she looks that way in the picture.”

“You haven’t been able to see them yet?”

“Not quite, they needed a few more minutes before they were ready. Our mum’s in there with her, has been the whole time, so I’ve been anxiously waiting on my own.

“I feel that. I was the same way the past couple of days.”

“Well at least we have each other now, I feel much less jittery being able to talk to you,” he says.

“Glad I could help. People say I’m an excellent conversationalist.”

“Oh I can see that already, I’m quite enjoying this conversation.”

Just then Harry’s mum, Anne, walks into the room.

“Harry dear, they’re ready for you,” she says, giving you a quick smile before she walks out again.

He jumps out of his seat and says, “Sorry to cut it short, but-”

“Not a problem! Go, meet your niece. Bet she’ll be very happy to meet her Uncle Harry,” you reply.

“Would you want to keep talking? Later?”

You look at him, confused. “I’m not sure how long I’m going to be at the hospital.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean here. I just meant, maybe we could meet again, some other time. At some other place. Preferably with better coffee.”

“Are you asking me to hang out with you at a coffee shop?” you inquire, wanting to make sure you fully understand what is happening.

“I am. Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve actually asked someone on a date, guess I’m a tad rusty.”

Your eyes go wide at the word ‘date’. You were already perplexed, wondering why he’d want to hang out with you as friends, but making it a date? 

Your mouth works faster than your brain, and before you can really think through your answer, you hear yourself saying, “I’d love to get coffee with you.”

“Fantastic! Here, write your number in my phone and I’ll text you to set something up,” he replies while unlocking and handing over his phone. You’re practically on autopilot typing in your info and handing the phone back to him.

“I should go, I’ve got a niece to meet. It really was lovely chatting with you.”

“I agree. Say congrats to your sister for me!”

“I will, please say the same to your sister.”

“Of course,” you reply.

“Goodbye Y/N. I’ll talk to you soon.

“Looking forward to it. Goodbye Harry.”

With one last shy smile, he walks out of the room, leaving you standing there feeling rather shell shocked. You don’t have long to dwell before your own mother pops back in saying Kyra is ready for you all to go back.

You spend another hour there before leaving to go out and get some lunch. While you’re at a local restaurant, trying to encourage Wyatt to eat her lunch rather than play with it, you get a text from Brian saying Kyra and the baby will be discharged later that afternoon.

After lunch you go to their house and entertain Wyatt while your parents make sure everything is clean and ready for them to come home. Brian, Kyra, and Jasper arrive just before dinner, so you stay to make sure everyone eats and is as content as possible. 

You leave after cleaning the dishes, knowing everyone is ready to settle down for the evening. Back home you hop in the shower, and when you get out, you have a text from an unknown number. It reads, “Hello, Y/N, it’s Harry.”

Your eyes go wide and you let out a nervous giggle. Honestly, there’s a part of you that thought you had hallucinated the interaction this afternoon, but here’s proof that it all really happened. Before you can type back you get another message from him saying, “If you’re not busy, how would you feel about getting coffee this Saturday? Say 1PM at Inkwell Cafe?”

“Sounds perfect,” you reply. Your phone dings again a second later and you read, “See you then! Have a great rest of your week.” After sending a quick “You as well!” you toss your phone to the side. 

You get into bed, and reflect for a moment on everything that happened since getting up that morning. You knew it’d be a wonderful day; how could it not when you got to finally meet your perfect nephew?

But to have met one of your favorite celebrities and now have a date with him? Never in a million years would you have guessed the day would end this way. You fall asleep feeling like the luckiest person in the world.

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AN: Thank you so much for reading! I hoped you liked this chapter and can't wait to share the rest!

[sweetteainthesummerx]

THE LOVE LASTS SO LONG (9)

In which Aubrey gets interviewed...

series masterlist

★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★

ellemagazine posted

ellemagazine Our June edition features Aubrey Yang on her directing debut, the trajectory of her career and new friends in Formula One. Full article linked in bio.

tagged: aubreyyang

liked by formula1, olliebearman, mckennagraceful and 80,944 others

view all comments

user1 ON MY HANDS AND KNEES BARK BARK SHES SO FINE

aubreyyang thank you for having me Elle! always a blast 💋

-- aubberieloverss MOTHERRR

dior.n.goodjohn ILY UR SO BEAUTIFUL AND ETHERAL

-- aubreyyang stawpp ur making me blush

formula1 thank you for the shout out! hope to see you in the Ferrari paddocks soon 🏎️

liked by aubreyyang

-- f1wagsupdates BAHAHA f1 admin ur brave for that one

lilymhe prettiest girl

-- aubreyyang me and dior miss u tons! can't wait to see u soon

mvertsppdudu can ollie fight ill catch him in the paddocks

ELLE MAGAZINE

NEW ISSUE

INTERVIEW WITH AUBREY YANG

Aubrey Yang, the multi-faceted actress debuts her talent and grit for directing and screenwriting in her short film Pelt, winning the Best Screenplay and a notable nominee for the Best Film during London Film week. Since we've last seen her at Elle New York, she has turned 18, nearing 19 now, and made some drastic changes to her life.

Since her film, Yang has not been in any other production as talent, but teases us with a new project "that's coming soon, don't worry". She adores her new found love for being a creative, and is scouting to get her hands on more projects in Hollywood on that side of the camera.

Her studies continue at New York University and she is set to graduate early, next year. When asked about her ability to balance school and work, she smiles knowingly and tells us that "it's important to take breaks, but more importantly, I've chosen things I love to do".

During these breaks, Yang is often seen with fellow young actress Dior Goodjohn and international pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo. But 18 has brought a new hobby: Formula One.

"I met Lily [Muni He] and Alex [Albon] at a gala, and we hit it off. They're like my parents" she answers adoringly. She has been seen multiple times in both the Williams and Ferrari garages visiting with fans and learning about the mechanics of racing.

"I've met some wonderful people; I never really got to be a regular teenager because I was working and going to university early. They've really helped teach me about having fun and letting loose."

Next year when we inevitably feature her lovely face again, we'll see the new changes to her life.

MESSAGES

ollie

I read ur article it was great

sad I didn't get a shout out tho :(

aubrey

sorry boo

PROMISE TO GIVE YOU ONE NEXT YEARR

ollie

okay :)

anyways r we still on for the trip?

aubrey

yes mr. bearman

ollie

I was thinking Charles and Alex might want to go w us

aubrey

YESSS MY FAV MONAGESQUES

ollie

gotta go but talk later? ☺️

aubrey

kk cya bearman

ollie

bye yang :)

MESSAGES

alex 🖼️

cou cou chérie!

(hey dear)

aubrey 🎬

AHH ALEX J'avais l'intention de t'envoyer un texto ! On part en voyage en Europe ?

(I was meaning to text you, are we on for the Europe trip?)

alex 🖼️

yes but I have smth to ask

aubrey 🎬

um not the English what's wrong

alex 🖼️

DO U LIKE OLLIE

aubrey 🎬

UM BYE WHY

alex 🖼️

bc I have to watch him text u and its dégoûtant

(disgusting)

aubrey 🎬

bro idk

dior thinks we like each other

its just hes becoming such a good friend

he makes me smile

and hes so sweet and kind and gentle

hes not like any other guy ik

alex 🖼️

its going to be such a long trip 😔

aubreyyang posted on their story

olliebearman replied to your story

cute 😊

aubreyyang

ikr shes my cousins baby

olliebearman

oh

very cute

wanna play 9 ball on message

aubreyyang

YOURE ON

bearyfast_04 posted

bearyfast_04 I think im ready to be a father

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, leosdad and 10 others

leosdad fatherhood is hard

-- landoakabob u have a dog

-- leosdad u take that back hes my son

pastryboy SIR U ARE 21 WDYM CHILDREN

-- bearyfast_04 but look at her 🥰

-- arthuranddw another fallen soldier

★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★

Taglist: @callsignwidow @iloveyou3000morgan @honethatty12 @taygrls

© sweetteainthesummerx.tumblr. all rights reserved. unauthorized copying, translation, or claiming of my writing or any works as your own is strictly prohibited.

[softboo]

love me, ever so gently

pairing: austin butler x reader

summary: you recently moved to a new apartment, making new some eccentric friends along the way. but what you didn't expect was falling in love with a stranger. a stranger you somehow couldn't stop thinking about

words: 2.1k

warnings: depictions of domestic abuse, dark themes of relationships

author's note: i made this on an extremely impulsive whim and i have never been so terrified of posting this. my anxiety of trying to make this story went from writing this for three days straight to now suddenly having multiple parts. i'm literally almost done with part III so we'll see how far this goes. hopefully you like my very first fic... i haven't written in years... ehh... and thank you in advance for reading this :3

next part

part I

"you're either incredibly talented or horribly lousy."

george stated right before you tore down the stack of books from the pile. you groaned in frustration, ignoring that thing buried right under the surface of your heart. if bookstores and libraries could make something aesthetically pleasing, then so could you. just like you were able to do a year ago.

you huffed once more before starting the process over again.

george took your silence as a precautionary warning, tentatively placing a small cup of coffee next to you, hoping maybe a little space and some caffeine couldn't hurt your pride more than he did.

"as long as you don't make a mess, it makes my job a thousand times easier," he offered you a toothy, yet slightly lopsided grin before leaving you to your uncomplicated complicated endeavors.

george circled around the remaining tables that were also still being set up for the fair at the community center. you were a regular volunteer for these events, moreso because your neighbors invited you to them in the first place. one of your neighbors being george, who hobbled right back to where you were, smiling proudly at his empty tray.

"well, my services are done."

he flashed another innocent grin before leaving you be, "make sure you get that done before cass sees you!"

"george I'm going to throw this empty tray at you."

he let out a belly laugh, even though he was as thick as a twig. he pulled you over to him, wrapping his arm around your shoulder.

"there she is!"

you rolled your eyes at him, but couldn't help a smile. you still remember when you met him for the first time.

~ ~

your first week at the new apartment building was stressful enough, splitting your belongings in each individualized box and suitcase. and somehow through all that stress, someone as joyous as george just so happened to crash right into you with all of his groceries.

and he had this distinct smell, something between a book you haven't opened in years and an old worn out knitted sweater. at the time, he greeted you like you've been friends for years, something you deeply missed when you moved away from your hometown. from everyone.

"welcome to the neighborhood!!" he screamed in your ear, forgetting his hearing aids before he left for the store. you let out a polite, yet awkward, kind of laugh, thanking him for his very enthusiastic greeting. it's funny to look back on it now, a stranger you would've never imagined becoming friends with. including everyone else you met along the way.

~ ~

evelyn and cassandra peered from the hallway behind you, coming from the kitchen. cassandra with her big box of jewelry for her stand, while evelyn followed suit.

"did george call me cass again? i hate when he calls me cass. it sounds like ass."

"because you are an ass."

cassandra shot him a quick glaring look before he started laughing again, placing her boxes down. she pointed a shaky finger at him.

"you know one of these days, i really hope i end up dying before you. i can't stand that laugh of yours." she grumbled, which made you laugh.

"can't keep a happy man down cass. you're stuck with me forever," he bellowed, leaving a messy kiss on her cheek before she swatted him away. george dramatically saluted them before hobbling away again, wanting to mingle and socialize before the fair officially opens.

cassandra gathered her things once more as she eyed your table with a sense of pride.

"you never cease to amazing me sweetie. i always love how you decorate your books."

her words swelled in your heart and that thing that was buried right under the surface dissipated, only just for a moment. and you were completely and utterly okay with that.

"thanks cassie..." your voice drifting ever so softly. like she was going to catch it in the end like she always does.

~ ~

when you met cassandra last year, you heard her voice before you saw her. you were seated at the lobby of your apartment building, waiting for a blind date that never picked you up. it was about two hours before you decided to call it and when you looked up, you saw her.

she was a bright eyed woman, her grey hair tossed behind a small pink scarf, something you've only seen worn a few times or rather only in movies. she looked at you with a look of concern. you weren't crying of course, why waste tears on some stranger right?

but you got your hopes up immensely high and someone as experienced in her years as she was, she could tell a disappointed look when she saw one.

"oh my dear, what's the matter? are you hurt?"

you shook your head no, having no energy to formally respond with a voice.

"come here love, let's bring you back home. do you live here?"

you nodded.

she waddled her way towards you, keeping you close to her. she was a tiny woman, hunched over slightly as she led you to the elevator. once you were both inside, she asked what floor you were on and pressed the appropriate button for you. her floor being the one below yours.

"sorry we have to stop at mine first..." she began and you shook her head to stop her.

"don't be. it's okay... i was heading up anyway." you finally had strength to talk again, "i should be saying sorry for keeping you from getting home."

she scoffed at your response, displaying one of the warmest smiles you've ever seen.

"sweetie, you're doing me a favor."

the elevator dinged and opened to her floor, the woman turning to walk out.

"i am?" you asked her and she nodded, standing outside the elevator doors.

"yes. because no man deserves to make someone as lovely as you this sad."

your face went from feeling defeated to utter confusion as the woman smiled again. this time knowing exactly what you were going to ask.

"i know disappointment when i see it."

and just like that, the elevator door closed.

~ ~

"how are you feeling otherwise?" cassandra asked you, momentarily glancing over at your beautiful table.

"better. only sometimes," you responded, a lump suddenly appearing in your throat. feeling as if you were half lying somewhere.

"that's okay. just remember that someone who's broken you then doesn't deserve to break you now," she gently held your cheek, looking at you as if for the first time again.

"and besides, who knows who you'll might meet today."

~ ~

cassandra's words rung in your ears, weighing heavy on a hopelessly romantic heart. being alone was easy and you weren't lying if you admitted that to anyone because it was true. that was one of the perks of moving here, along with meeting all of your new friends.

but being lonely... that was difficult. especially when the fall season would blend into the holidays. one night after the other. because everyone seemed to find their someone by the times gifts were supposed to be given. which is why you wanted to put everything into the community fair this year.

and because heartbreak anniversaries were apparently a thing on your calendar.

you glanced over at your table, the last few books lingered for awhile. some people glancing over at them, while others would pick it up just to place it back down again. you didn't really know why seeing a book not being chosen hurt a small part of you. but it did.

or maybe you knew but didn't want to face it.

soon enough, you noticed someone hovering near the entrance, like he was contemplating whether or not to let his curiousity get the best of him. it may have been a little more than an hour or so when he actually approached your table.

you quickly stood up in response, as you noticed him eyeing a few of the older books. his hands lingered on each cover, not saying a word. his hair was blonde, wavy and messy, like he'd just woken up. the rest of him was covered by a black mask.

you did notice the way his hands moved though, hesitating to pick something. shaking a bit, a shadow crossed your peripheral and you could've sworn you saw a bruise somewhere on his knuckles.

"do you need help finding anything?" your voice coming out a lot softer than you had hoped. he looked up and you felt this entire weight lift off of you. like something encapsulating you just shattered into a million pieces and suddenly you could breathe again.

his eyes were so blue, like you were swimming in this endless ocean full of life and somehow you couldn't tell the difference between the stillness of the water or the blueness of the sky.

you could see a slight smiling forming on his face before he shook his head no.

"oh well if you want anything... i really recommend any of the classics."

his eyes glimmered a bit, letting his hand linger on one of the few books he was eyeing before.

"how much is it?" his deep tone caught you by surprise as you hesitated to respond. your own voice catching in your throat.

"oh um... everything is free."

"really?"

and just like that, you noticed something switch in him, a sense of curiosity filling those calm waters.

"which ones have you read so far?"

you didn't realize it, but your eyes lit up at the question. and he noticed. a small smile forming on his face.

"oh this one is my favorite... i haven't finished it, but it was really good from where i left off," you pointed at pride and prejudice.

you smiled at him, like your excitement was taking over and he could tell how much you loved talking about books. his gaze never wavering as you spoke about the stories that overwhelmed you and the others that never lasted a few pages before you decided to stop. he listened with such intent, such intrigue, it made you feel like you were someone he had known for years.

his aura was beautiful and a part of you wished that something would lead to something which would lead to something else. you didn't even feel anything in that regard, not yet anyway, but that same part. it was pulling... gently. ever so gently tugging at your heart.

"thank you for all of your recommendations," he began, holding on to ever single book you spoke about. you were about to protest that he didn't have to, but he was adament on keeping every single one.

"are you sure you want to get all of them?" your voice wavering on worry, but all he did was smile at you, letting out a soft laugh.

"i'm sure."

his voice was so reassuring, you almost forgot to offer him a bag. there was a slight pause before you realized, eyes widened in embarrassment.

you quickly apologized to him, running to the back to get a bag. you left the table feeling this overwhelming warmness flow through you as you noticed your heart beating against your chest. you tried to hide the excitement, but your heart was already getting your hopes too high.

but when you came back, your heart instantly dropped right into your stomach. a woman was now standing next to him, but something was different in his eyes. the oceans were no longer waves crashing against the seashore. they were climbing under thunderstorms. drowning in its own current.

her hair was dark red in color, flowing to accentuate the curves of her body. she was unbelievably gorgeous and your heart sank even more. but there was something about her that you couldn't figure out.

"here's your bag, i didn't mean to—"

"why your table is absolutely gorgeous, isn't it austin?"

he didn't glance at you or her or anyone. all he did was nod. you noticed the grip she had on his arm. it was tight. suffocating.

you offered the bag to them, but she shooed your hand away, like you were merely just a bug.

"no need sweetie, we were just on our way out. he was just looking anyway."

you tried your best to keep your composure, but you were fuming on the inside. only cassandra could call you that and at least when she did, it was endearing. not spiteful.

she flashed you the biggest smile that fueled your fire even more as she pulled austin away. you noticed him stiffen when they left the table. he couldn't even look at you.

and he couldn't even say goodbye.

[rosedere]

The Liyue Lotus and the Merchant from Snezhnaya

(Pantalone x Fem! Reader)

MDNI +18

Cw: kidnapping, Stalking, non con elements, Graphic violence (later chapters), Yandere content *will update as the series goes on

Cross posted on AO3

1.The White Lotus (you are here), Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10~

Synopsis: Unfortunately, The Regerator develops a fixation with you while you are working undercover for Yelan. And there’s no one who can get in his way of his prized Lotus.

-

So delighted

Drowning in happines

Floating

Far and wide

Only with you, we'll be as one soon

If it's in you, you will be loved soon

Only with you, we'll be as one soon

Baby, won't you fall in love?

You had been watching the harbor all day.

This is normally a task you complete on the regular, but today was even more urgent than usual.

Taking a dainty swig from the steaming tea in front of you from where you sat in the middle of the crowded storyteller's crowd, blending in with most of the audience, you had a perfect view of where your target was rumored to be.

After the failed mission holding Theofan in custody by your boss and the traveler, you and your bosses subordinates were sent to the shadows to find where your person of interest was.

It had just turned noon, and the skies were carrying a warm breeze singaling the change from spring to summer as you kept your eyes on the busy streets for anyone matching his description. 

Taking another sip, you looked back around behind you observing the scene before you.

The storyteller was retelling some story youd heard 50 times in the few weeks you'd been sent to watch this particular area for your target.

Everyone around you was focused on the storyteller, with a few enjoying the tea or snacks they bought from the various stalls below.

No one would suspect you were the white lotus.

The highest-ranking subordinate of Yelan's intelligence gatherers—at least thats what Yelan and Ningguang named you.

Only they knew your true name.

After finishing your cautious observation, you went back to looking towards the street for the umpteenth time this day.

A shiver ran down your spine before you saw him.

“Is this seat taken, miss?”

At first, you didn't react at all to the voice, assuming it wasn't directed at you. There were many openings in front of you anyway; it seemed silly to want to be in the corner. You weren't seeing much of the storyteller's flamboyant performance anyway.

A tap to your shoulder was what made you completely aware. Looking up you saw him towering before you.

He was wearing clothes that were not at all what you would wear in the warm season: a long dark coat with purple accents and various dark insulation on the coat he wore, his hair curled and falling past his shoulder tied back with his glasses sitting perfectly on top of his nose. He also wore dark layers, with a turtleneck being the most visible one you could see.

He had no vision, which was a good sign. If things got ugly, you could immediately overpower him with your bow tucked behind your clothing.

You didn't react, keeping your poker face, before replying to his question.

“No, go right ahead,” you plainly responded towards the man. 

He pulled the chair to sit next to you before sitting too close for comfort in your personal space. His cologne assaulting your nostrils didn't smell of the usual Liyue scents that were made into perfumes and colognes; it smelled cold and spicy with little to no musk foreign.

You decided to look towards the storyteller, looking beyond the screens surrounding his stages towards the safe point at the top of the Yangshang teahouse.

Yelan should be there.

“My, I've never seen you around here; is this your first time in Liyue?” the man asked.

You knew he was watching you.

Despite being undercover and being familar with disguises, acting was not your strong suit.

To be honest, you never had a situation where someone approached you in your disguise in all your 10 years working under Yelan.

Saying nothing would lead him to grow suspicious, but you didn't know what to say to the man.

“No, I was born and raised in this harbor,” you curtly responded, grabbing your tea and taking a few sips.

“I guess it was my lucky day then to run into a beautiful glaze lily like you in my path,” he said with a smile curving his lips.

He was definitely up to something.

“Thank you; I wasn't aware I'd run into you either.”

Very unaware

“Have you ever heard of the Northland Bank? Miss...” he began. 

“Lián”

He smiled once more at you, crossing his hands under his chin.

“A beautiful name to fit an attractive face,” he said.

“I'm in charge of the Northland Bank; although I'm normally away to my motherland, I had to stop by to help a few subordinates, so I'm in the area for another few days,” he rambled.

Northland bank

You felt a chill rise up from your arms.

This was now escalating from an oblivious civilian blowing your cover to possibly something even worse.

Swallowing the bile from your throat, you tried to keep your composure.

"Oh, so you're not from Liyue?" You asked casually.

“I consider it a home, but I practically live in Snezhnaya nowadays,” he smiled.

“Interesting, I've never been that far; the furthest I've gone is to Chenyu Vale,” you replied.

Sipping half of your tea, you wanted to finish the cup before you had to flee.

This situation was out of your control if you said the wrong thing. The fatui were not to be messed with in the slightest.

Especially if he's who you think he is.

"Well, maybe we can go together one day; I'll have to warn; it's colder than you've ever experienced before,” he chuckled. You smile at him but decide not to respond any longer.

You hoped that if you kept staring towards the teahouse, Yelan would sense your Mayday plea.

Taking another sip of your tea, you snuck a glance besides you, only to accidentally make eye contact with him.

Great

"So, Lián, tell me a bit about yourself,” the man asked, tracing a fingertip idly on the redwood table next to you.

“What brings you here? I come every time I'm in the harbor, and I've never seen someone as eye-catching as you before,” he purred.

“I normally don't come here; I decided to come on my day off..” 

"Pantalone,” he answered with a sophisticated tone.

The inkling of dread tickled the back of your head as you heard those words.

The Regerator

You needed Yelan immediately.

“Pantalone—it sounds like a name I could hear the owner of the Northland Bank having,” you giggled cutely.

He seemed to have liked the reaction from you, at least since he only had a toothy-looking grin.

"Well, I'm glad you like it,” he said.

"So, where do you work, Lián?" I'd feel terrible if you were right under my nose this whole time.” 

“I work as an apothecary at the perfume shop.” You took another sip, leaving at most two sips left.

"Well, now I know where I need to stop more often," he said in an upbeat tone.

You glanced back at the roof to see your holy grail.

Yelan was watching from the rooftop now.

You got up, holding your tea cup in hand, and scooted the chair back.

“I must refill my teacup with more of this tea.” 

“Sorry”

You didn't look back at Pantalone before you weaved your way past the tables towards the street below.

As much as you wanted to hasten your pace, you couldn't alert him; you just had to hopefully distance yourself and make your way back to headquarters across the way.

Looking to the left and right of the bustling street, you went towards the bridge leading out of Liyue. It was a secret way to get to headquarters without alerting anyone you remembered being told in case of a situation such as this one.

“Lián”

You tried to ignore him once again, walking towards the safety of the bridge a few feet away.

You felt a hand on your shoulder curled firmly on your cloak.

Of course, turning around, you saw Pantalone humbly smiling down at your shocked face.

“Where are you going in such a hurry? I don't mind accompanying you wherever you go.”

Something was wrong.

Your fellow shadows were nowhere to be seen, despite Yelan spotting you in a compromised situation a few minutes ago.

This could end really badly if you can't shake him.

“I'd love for you to come with me, but I must hurry to Chenyu Vale for something urgent,” you sternly said.

“I don't mind coming along,” he said, too quick for your liking.

“How about this?” you said, grabbing the gloved hand perched on your shoulder in your tinier hands.

“Why don't we meet tomorrow near the harbor strip? We can talk all evening if you want.” You flirted.

Blegh

But anything to get him to fall for your trap.

“If you promise it, Lián,” he eagerly replied.

“But I'll tell you this now– I don't like deceivers or anyone who goes back on promises,” he chuckled darkly.

He tucked a strain of loose hair behind your ear as you looked up at him with your faux grin.

“I promise,” you said, holding his hands in yours.

You then quickly sprinted into the mountains, still feeling the allustrive eyes of pantalone on your compromised figure.

You didn't stop until you were in the Chasms maw.

-

“Respectfully, why the hell did you all not save me?” You shrieked in the dimly lit wooden room.

Yelan was sitting across from your now uncloaked body, revealing your brightly lit cryovision on your back, while your three coworkers idly sat next to her poised figure, idly swirling a lemon in her water.

“He was about to follow me into the mountains, and god knows what to me, I think he suspected I was working for the Tianquan,” you paced back and forth once again.

“You always said in a compromised position we'd have to lead the person of interest far from-”

Yelan put a hand out in a way to silence you.

"(Name), you know we wouldn't have let it get that far; he wasn't showing signs of being a hostile target from what Fa reported.” 

“He actually seems to be attracted to you, if anything,” she said, curling her lips into a cheeky smile before taking a sip of lemon water.

“This new development can work in our favors; we just need you to resume playing your “Lián” character, don't you think?” She smiled at you.

“But why me? Surely we can't recruit another one of the agents to do undercover work; I don't do that,” you remarked.

“If we got another agent, he would grow suspicious, and that would arguably throw you into more danger,” she sighed, resting her hands under her chin.

“You don't have to worry; we can get you a disguise by tonight, along with new rooming accommodations and your fake occupation.” Yelan looked sharply towards you, who was anxiously pacing in front of the table now.

“Ill only do it if you guarantee you'll have eyes on me the entire time—I dont trust those fatui scum,” you pouted, crossing your arms.

“Trust me (name) if you pull this off, this will be the biggest arrest in all of Liyue." Yelan smoothly replied, “You'd be in the history books for sure.”

“So cheesy,” you puffed your cheek out.

“All I ask is that you not sleep in my bed while I'm gone.” You narrowed your eyes toward her.

“No guarantees,” Yelan casually said before crossing her arms behind her head.

You only rolled your eyes before you decided to leave for the evening.

The wall back to your home you shared with your unofficial roommate felt like it was drawn out more than usual.

Making your way towards the food stall you frequent.

However, you couldn't shake the feeling of being watched as you gave your mora to the food stall owner.

Quickly grabbing your dinner, you took off towards the street leading to the small, tucked-away home you shared with your boss.

Notes:

Sorry about the shortness! Im just afraid of word vomitting every single chapter haha

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Now, with the 'Nightmare before Christmas' event fast approaching, how does it feel to know that there's a high chance of your old Oc coming to life? What was his name again? Ah yes, Jinx Skelton I think. Old follower here 👋

Even though I have to be honest I doubt we'll get any new characters this Halloween. I mean wouldn't it be strange for them to release new characters every Halloween? First it was Rollo then Fellow and now again? I doubt it honestly. Besides the thought of seeing a bishounen Jack Skeleton scares me. I love seeing new characters but at times point I'd rather have more information about the mysterious 4-year students.

[Referencing this post!]

THE WAY I FELT LIKE I GOT SHOT BY SEBEK'S UM WHEN I READ MY OLD OC'S NAME 🤡 A ZILLION WATTS OF LIGHTNING ARE COURSING THROUGH MY VEINS... . ..... .... ......... . .. . ........ . . . .... .. . . .

I think I first came up with Jinx like 4 years ago??? And the last time I drew him was like... 2 years ago?? BUT WOW, IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT MY FAVORITE SPOOKY CHILD 😭 I'm so flattered that you remembered him, Anon!! (For those of you without any context, here's a fan art of him as well as my own design!)

adhbadoyqerqwvypnad I'm excited to see what TWST's interpretation of Jack Skellington might be! (I'm sure Yana and team's design would blow mine out of the water, lol) If they end up introducing a twisted!Oogie though, I might just bring Jinx back just to interact with him 👀

I'm not sure if I'm following what you're saying about the possibility of new characters though...? We may have had only Rollo and Fellow so far, but it seems to me that TWST has found a winning formula and an excuse to pump out a new limited SSR card every Halloween meaning more money for them. I don't get why they would backtrack now and do a whole event themed around a Disney property but NOT introduce a new character they can make bank on come next year. The first two Halloween events weren't themed, so it makes sense that no new character was introduced. Because this upcoming one is so blatantly going to be Nightmare Before Christmas-themed, I think it's all but guaranteed that we'll see a new face. adugkvqwodivqdi I JUST WONDER... WILL THE THIRST FOR THE NEW CHARACTER EXCEED THE THIRST OF FELLOWIVES??? Especially considering that the regular Jack Skellington is already a Tumblr sexyman????? Only time will tell...

I understand the anticipation for fourth year student lore, but I don't know that a Halloween event of all things would be good timing to make them relevant? So far, we only know that they temporarily return to campus for cultural fairs, in which NRC demonstrates the fruits of its labor to the general public. The fourth years would probably be better reserved for another kind of event or even later in the main story.

[alderwood]

Tales from Alderwood

Chapter 3: Trust or Loyalty (part 29)

I'm posting here at a somewhat weird time because the chapter happened to end on a Monday, and I didn't want to make it feel tonally weird lmao.

The next few updates are actually going to be part of an intermission of sorts-- I'm probably going to take a short break from uploading here and then come back and post those missed updates in bulk. Our main site will continue to post those intermission updates normally though, so if you prefer to get your content at a more steady pace during that time, you can do so over there. Our regular story content will resume around April 22nd. Or maybe the 26th, since we typically update Fridays over here. Point is, we've got it scheduled for the end of April lol.

In other news, we're also running an end-of-chapter reader survey! If you've got any feedback or things you'd like to see out of the future of our comic (or you just wanna help us gauge how we're doing), you can fill out our survey here.

Thanks so much for reading! We'll see you in the next update :)

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[askagamedev]

When developing a live service game, is there a standard for how far into the future your team plans in terms of content like say a preseason and first season worth of content outlined. If there's a story/plot attached to your game, is there a planned "ending" that you deviate from based on how successful the game is?

Most in-development live service games plan ahead for one year's worth of post-launch content from the jump. Typically this is planned to follow a quarterly schedule, so that we have sufficient development time to build a sizable amount of new content for players. The development focus is not evenly distributed either - the closest update is always much more concrete than three updates in the future because the closest update is launching much sooner.

For those established franchises that have a regular refresh cycle (Annual sports games, Call of Duty, Just Dance, Lego titles, Assassin's Creed, etc.), we plan out quarterly content updates until the launch of the next game in the franchise. Because of the strength of the franchise, we can expect there to be a community of players that will continue to play until the cycle refreshes.

When it comes to things like narrative, things are also generally planned out over the next year. The usual plan is gradual tension building over each update, with clearly defined major story beats, culminating in some kind of climax that should launch at the end of the year's planned content. Then the specific details of the characters and the story beats get fleshed out as we build them.

We usually have a pretty good idea of how well the game was received within the first few weeks of launch, while we're still executing the one-year-plan. If things are proceeding to plan (or better), we keep on keeping on by sticking to the plan. If they aren't, we quickly assess. How far away from target are we? Can we get back on target? If we can't get back on target, chances are good we'll push out the finished first update and maybe the second update will be the last. If this happens, the announcement for end of updates will likely go out after the second update and the end of service will be announced a few months later. If things are really bad, the plug probably gets pulled immediately to cut losses.

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[marshallpupfan]

Marshall Merchandise Update!

Got some interesting new additions for my collection to show off today! Eventually, I need to show everything off again... as soon as I get things organized again. I still have items I bought from early last year that I still haven't found a spot for yet. I've been slacking! lol

First off, this lapel pin... being graciously held up by Wolf O'Donnell. There's probably a "can't let you do that" joke in here somewhere, but I can't think of any right off hand. 😅

This was actually sent to me by a friend, who recently paid a visit to Nickelodeon Universe (an indoor theme park). While she was there, she seen this and got it for me, hoping it was something I didn't have. Fortunately, it wasn't! A fine item for my collection, indeed! She'll likely see this post later, so if you're reading this, thank you again!

Actually, I believe she also went a year or two ago and managed to find the Meet & Greet Marshall wandering around. She even got a picture & video with him, too. I was quite envious! 😄

Next, this "magic towel" thing. It's also being held up by another wolf - this time, it's Wolf Link, from "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess". Can you tell I'm a bit of a Nintendo gamer? lol

Anyhoo, I was just doing some shopping with my mother in a dollar store when I happened to stumble upon this. It was only $1.25, so... why not get it? The artwork isn't the best, but hey, I still like it.

Next, one of those "Good 2 Grow" snack containers! Actually, funny story about this one. I was at a gas station, not expecting to see anything pertaining to PAW Patrol, when I seen one of these that someone left at the front near the cashier. However...

It was actually one of Zuma, which surprised me, since they usually pass him up to focus on the main four. I meant to post about it on Twitter/X, but like usual, I forgot. In any case, I decided to track one down, and I soon found one of Marshall at Walmart. It was the last one, too! Unless I'm mistaken, they also had one of Liberty, so I guess they went beyond just the six original pups this time. Nice!

As you might recall, we've actually seen products like this before, about a year or two ago. Back then, it was just the pups in their regular outfits. This time, they went with a superhero theme, no doubt due to The Mighty Movie. I'm not sure why they went with Super Paws and not the Mighty Movie outfits, but maybe these were easier to mold. Who knows, but hey, I quite like it when older outfits get brought back, instead of them getting forgotten in the sands of time.

I just wish we could see THIS outfit again someday. It had a brief reappearance in that "Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay" video game, but that's it so far. Sadly, at this point, I doubt we'll ever see it again.

Er... guess I got a little distracted here, sorry!

Last, and absolutely not least, is this brand new item! Something I knew about for many months and couldn't wait to get a hold of one for myself! It's "Storytime with Marshall" by Leap Frog!

(In hindsight, taking these pictures in front of my monitor may not have been the best idea. Hopefully they're not too hard to see. 😅)

This thing is legitimately super awesome! They really got his likeness down so well here! I mean, seriously, just look at it! It's so cute! It's easily one of the best pieces of merch I've got in my collection now!

According to the box, it can do quite a lot. It includes 40+ stories, which I assume are based on various episodes (I haven't listened to them yet, but I also assume they focus on different pups, going by the buttons on the front... yeah, it's a shame there's no Rocky or Zuma again, I know). It has a sleep timer, to help lull the little ones to sleep at night before shutting off and all that. Additionally, it teaches "core learning skills" or something, whatever that means. That's cool and all, but of course, for me, I just wanted it because I absolutely love how it looks. It'll look great on one of my shelves! lol

I'll admit, I'm glad this came out before the new animation style got applied. While I like Marshall's updated season 11 look so far (I might make a separate post about that later), his original design is still my #1 favorite. A part of me hopes to keep collecting more merchandise of THIS Marshall, but I know that, by next year, they'll probably retire this design and start using the new one, permanently. Guess I'll enjoy it while it lasts. 😅

And that's all for now! I currently have another item coming in the mail; Marshall's new Rescue Wheels big wheel vehicle + figurine. It's been delayed, but it's supposed to show up at some point next week. Hopefully, the remaining Rescue Wheels merchandise will show up in stores soon enough, and I'll be able to show them all off soon. I might also have to buy a Boomer figurine, too. lol

[sunniedesi]

Lost Sakae Esuno Manga: "Mail from the Heart"

I have a new inquiry for the Future Diary community, but this is a bit of a tricky one. For those unaware, the author, Sakae Esuno, has done a few other mangas before Future Diary, namely Hanako and the Terror of Allegory and Railway Angel. This last one is actually his first manga and was a doozy to find, given that it had only been published on a 2001 issue of the magazine Shonen Ace Next.

Well... what if I told you there's another story of Esuno's that has been lost to time?

(Sighs) This little gem of a oneshot is called Mail from the Heart (ココロよりメイル), and was published on an obscure edition of Shonen Ace back in 2003. I managed to find one article that mentions it, but the only relevant information it provides is that the protagonist is a maid. And that's... basically all we know about it! Very similar situation to Railway Angel. In fact, I only know about it because I accidentally stumbled upon this title looking for something else in his JP wikipedia page.

So, I'm mainly making this post to ask for any information regarding this title. All I managed to find was the issue it came out in, but that only raised more questions for me. To explain, here's the cover:

This is not a regular issue of Monthly Shonen Ace, but a different edition of the magazine titled "Aim for Ace!" (少年エースをねらえ!). I don't know much about this edition; according to the article I linked earlier, it's supplementary to Monthly Shonen Ace's June 2003 issue (whatever that means). The only issues I could find for it are this one (which is from spring 2003) and a 2014 one which coincidentally has two familiar faces on the cover...

(Has anyone seen this illustration before? It's the first time I've seen it :0. Note that that's Eiji, not Yukki btw. Also, this issue doesn't seem to have anything FD or BO related as far as I could tell, though I could be mistaken).

Anyway, I'm just curious to know if anybody else has seen or heard about this before, whether it be Mail from the Heart or Aim for Ace! If anyone just so happens to have that specific issue it would be ideal... but I highly doubt anyone reading this has it lol. I've only seen one auction site listing for the 2003 issue, though I'm not sure if it's still available. Either way, I don't think I have any chance of getting it myself (not gonna go into details about my personal life here, but given my current living situation, it's nearly impossible for me to ship something from Japan to my where I'm at). So in the meantime, any other possible information is more than welcome, be it about the lost manga, Aim for Ace! or even info on that crossover illustration.

(PS. If Esuno's Japanese wikipedia page is anything to go by, Mail from the Heart would be the only work in his bibliography that has yet to surface, so thankfully this is the second and last time we'll be dealing with an issue like this.)

[leucoratia]

Leucoratia's ultimate JJBA fic recs

A/N: Here are all the jojo fics I ever reblogged as well as my AO3 favourites, they have passed peer review and I reccomend them all with my eyes closed! This masterlist will be updated as I read (so don't forget to check the original post on my blog, new fics might appear!)

My favourites ever will be highlighted in pink! Happy reading!

Gen :

-"Bruno Bucciarati's Guide to Motherhood" - Buccigang : "Some little stories about Mafia Mom and his six kids, featuring such classics as: “How many times can the kids say ‘Mom!’ in an hour,” “Maybe if I hide in the bathroom I can have five minutes of alone time,” and “No Stands at the dinner table!”

-"Rain in the Flower Garden" - Buccigang : After defeating Diavolo, Giorno discovers a new power and starts to put things back together. A story in which Giorno brings people back (angst)

-"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" - Dio : "What would it take for Dio to fight on the side of the Joestar family? For Diavolo to serve society in a beneficial way? For Jotaro to actually be there for his daughter? An AU with a dark beginning and a wholesome ending." (Mudad, mind warnings)

-"Remember me as the sky" - Ceasar Zeppeli : "We'll do everything that'll make Lisa Lisa mad at us" Ceasar lives, at a cost.

Character x Character :

-"Catch of the Day" - Pirate!Avdol x Merman!Polnareff

-"Unbroken" - Esikars : "When an argument broke between Kars and Esidisi, a severe injury drives the Flame King away with the redhead infant. Through pain and betrayal, Esidisi struggles to come in terms of his role in Kars' life. And try to find something within him, which is unbroken."

-"When the Ancient Being Prayed" - Esikars (NSFW) : "After drifting into space aimlessly, Kars was reborn as a human being. As he readjusts himself to the present times, would he forget the past and moved on? But it's really hard with the hot historian who resembled his old lover."

Bruabba :

-"It Starts Like This" : bruno deals with epilepsy which has been caused by being undead (everyone lives AU, angst)

-"Gold room": An abridged history of Bruno Buccellati and Leone Abbacchio, told in ten parts. (Fix-it AU, relationship study)

-"Arm Candy": Leone Abbacchio is at rock bottom, so he might as well catch whatever he can reach to pull himself back up. When a stranger from the mafia offers Leone a job as his bodyguard Leone accepts it, but he has no idea Bruno Bucciarati is much more than a regular gangster, and that the job would turn out to be much stranger than Leone expected. (AU, T4T, mind warnings)

Caejose :

-"Whenever you reach for me I'll do all that I can" : "They say stand users attract other stand users, do you think it's true in other ways too?" Bruno and Leone get together and help eachother figure themselves out. (T4T, transitioning)

-"He wears a pair of silver wings" : What if there never were any vampires, pillarmen and red stone of Aja? What if Joseph and Ceasar were just two men on opposite sides in WW2, stranded together in the middle of the Alps?

-"The Ghost of Ceasar Zeppeli" "Caesar was content to guard over Joseph's family in the afterlife, he had no idea what that would entail"

-"A field of words I wish I would have said" : Jotaro comes to Joseph for advice, making him reminisce his time with Ceasar (angst, canon character death)

Jonadio :

-"The Convergence of Two Stars" (Les Misérables AU) : "Following a fight with this father, young Jonathan Joestar moves from his estate to the Gorbeau tenement, intent on making his own way in the world. Unbeknownst to him, his next door neighbour is someone whose fate is tied to his own through a shared past. Their meeting may be the catalyst to change the course of both their lives."

-"Rosa Sangue" : hanahaki, but the loved one is dead and the sufferer immortal

-"A little derring-do" : "Come now. Would you rather I go out and jump on some unlucky fellow in the streets? All because Jonathan Joestar couldn't give up some of his precious blood. So selfish, Jojo."

"I would rather you hadn't put on that mask at all," Jonathan chided. And yet, he raised a hand to trace one careful thumb over the sharp, sharp tip of Dio's fangs. He almost wanted to press just a little bit harder, enough to see the skin split open and spill red. (Blood drinking, midly dubious consent, frottage)

Jotakak:

-"Twisted Love" - Jotakak: "Noriaki Kakyoin has been in love with his best friend for years. The only problem? Nothing has changed, and it seems like the best course of action would be to just forget about it and move on. The catch? He has to pretend to be his boyfriend for a game show." (fake dating, undercover as a couple, slow burn, fluff and angst... best Jotakak fic I've ever read)

-"In water" - Jotakak (mind warnings) : "Broken, battered, barely clinging to life, Kakyoin wakes up in the ICU after Egypt with one thought on his mind: he has to survive, because important people are waiting for him"

-"Watching for the Tide" - Jotakak (transfem Joot <3) : "Before stands, before Dio, it had been easy for Jotaro Kujo to hide that she was a girl, but with her soul displayed as Star Platinum—huge, powerful, and definitely a woman—it was becoming harder to ignore."

Diavolo :

-"Moonchild" - Diavolo & Doppio: where Doppio deals with an "intruder" in his appartment, whose only misgiving is drawing children's drawings everywhere and messing up (character study, Diavolo's wounded inner child. All of this author's jojo fics are really great)

-"He'll find him waiting like a lonesome king" - Diadop (NSFW) : Diavolo finds a way to meet doppio face to face, but only temporarily

-"Double" - Diadop (beware warnings) : "In the beginning, they were only Them. From the moment of their birth, they were Two, and they had no name for Themselves, and they needed none. They watched from behind their eyes, and they smiled and laughed at each other’s passing thoughts, and they cried from the same hunger and reached for the same bottle. Their selves were driven only by simple thoughts; instinct, need, care- and so there was no disagreement; to be two was as natural as to breathe, to drink, to cry."

-"The Healing Power of Nothing" - Diavolo & Trish : "While Diavolo was trapped in the death loop, Trish learns about her father's fate and convinces Don Giovanna to release him from his torment. Upon release, Diavolo is left a paranoid wreck, keeping himself sheltered from the outside in fear of dying again. Dying multiple times enabled him to reflect on his past actions, wishing to start over but is aware he is worthy of forgiveness. Trish on the other hand, wants a father in her life again is willing to give him that second chance."

-"Vae Victis" - Diavolo/Giorno (NSFW, mind warnings) : "At the 15 year anniversary of Giorno's ascent to Don of Passione, Bruno convinces Giorno to pull Diavolo from the death loop."

Giorno Giovanna:

-"Baby mine" -Giorno & Buccigang : Giorno is hit by an enemy stand which causes him to regress to his newborn state. He must grow older again while his friends turn into family. (angst, found family, past child abuse)

-"The child of god" - Mudad : A universe in which Dio comes for his son

-"My devil / my darling" - Mudad : Dio is dead. But that doesn't mean that it will stop him from visiting his son in his dreams...or rather nightmares. Dio takes it upon himself to be Giorno's sleep paralysis demon.

-"Ripped Out" - Giorno & Buccigang : "Abbacchio gets sent on a simple mission with his least favorite Passione member. Even after defeating the boss, his irritation towards Giorno hasn’t completely faded. But what if the “perfect” teen gets hurt?" (warning: OW)

-"Still Learning" - Giorno & Buccigang: "They winked. And then, suddenly, there was a child standing right before them in his pyjamas, looking for all the world as though he had been pulled out of bed"

-"Blood Runs Thicker" - Mudad : "Should they prove themselves worthy of their birthright, he would ensure his sons their rightful place as a part of his eternal legacy. He hoped, for their individual sakes, they would do so."

-"Sunlight" - Mudad: "It was the first few rays of morning that woke Dio, along with Giorno’s squirming. Dio wasn’t exactly a morning person--he preferred staying up into the late hours of the night if he chose to extend his day, not waking up early. Unfortunately for him, his son was, often waking up right before or after sunbreak. Whatever internal clock his little body ran on, it was determined to have Dio up every morning before 7am, which in his very professional and official legal opinion, should be a crime."

-"You are someone I have loved but never known" - Mudad : Dio's spirit visits his son. A story of fatherhood, trauma, and catharsis, told through years of dreams of Giorno Giovanna.

-"Son of the Tiger" - Mudad : Dropping by Dio's awful mansion to deliver a report, Hol Horse meets someone unexpected.

-"Belgian chocolate" - Mudad : Dio and Giorno are at home, chillin' like villains. An old friend (and a new one!) drops by. (No warnings, same timeline as Son of The tiger)

X Reader :

-"Rekindled Meetings" -Mer!Jotaro x Reader : y/n reunites with their estranged mermaid best friend after a storm

-helpimhyperfixating's jotaro x reader masterlist

-"JJBa & You : fall dates edition" - Bruno, Abbaccchio, Gyro, Jotaro, Josuke, Diadop, Diego, Giorno, Kakyoin, Poly! Caesar & Joseph

-"Foolish Games" - Bucciarati x reader : “Excuse me, think I’ve mistaken you for somebody else, Somebody who gave a damn.“ (warnings: death, part 5 spoilers, soft nsfw)

-"A glimpse of Us" - Bucciarati x reader : Dating and sex work requires communication, something you and Bucciarati learn the hard way. (NSFW)

-"Cassandra Gemini : Multiple Spouse Wounds" - Dio x reader : in which you are a prostitue who has known Dio for many years. This is the story of your first and your last meetings (NSFW)

-"Several nightcaps later" - Abbacchio x reader (NSFW): "Abbacchio's unresolved issues and drinking habit have taken a severe toll on his sex life. After learning about jerk-off-instruction, he comes to you with his problem. You're more than happy to help."

-"The Altar" - Diavolo x reader (NSFW, demon!diavolo, non-con elements): "You find the source of a strange blight in your pumpkin patch. However, nothing could prepare you for what you encounter there."

-"The Domestic Diavolo Chronciles" - Diavolo x reader (domestic fluff)

-"Bratty's Kink compendium" - jojo x reader : NSFW oneshort request compliation. Basically kink heaven (mind warnings)

[virtualtrashcollector]

🌼 Kisses & Brownies

Joker x Female (Dark Knight Joker) 18+ only

Summary: As a young kinky British woman working as a mechanic in Gotham for the Joker, one night you see him looking rough after a fight. You decide to invite him into your office to patch him up.

Warnings: 18+ VERY EXPLICIT. This story features lots of dirty words and situations! Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised. No minors please. Enjoy!!

Word count: 7,198

Note #1: I will post each chapter separately as some are quite long. 6 chapters in total.

Note #2: This story takes place between 'Joker Comes for a Sleepover' and 'Meeting the Joker'.

Note #3: My OC has several body mods, including a split tongue, a pierced septum, and pierced naughty bits.

Chapter 1:

It was a cold and windy Thursday night in downtown Gotham as the three of you worked away in the garage. Richie and Michael were in the machine shop while you toiled away in your office. It was a smallish room tucked in the upper left hand corner of the shop. Thinking you heard your name, you approached the door and pushed it open slightly. Standing quietly in the doorway you listened in. A grin slowly spread across your face as you overheard the two men talking to one another.

"Daisy's way hotter than that other chick was." Michael said while tightening the bolts on a large tire.

"I'm not arguin' that with you, just saying she had a bigger rack that's all." Richie exclaimed as he rifled through a large metal toolbox.

"That she did, those tits were huge." Michael responded as he finished the tire he was working on.

"Haven't you two talked enough about tits for one day?" You inquired stepping out into the shop. Both men stopped what they were doing and turned to look at you. Richie smiled and replied,

"Don't think so. Maybe you would care to join in, ya know? Maybe a little show and tell?" His Italian accent was very strong and you had always found it very sexy. He had dark brown hair, brown eyes, and an incredibly sweet smile. Both men were wearing dirty shop coveralls and were stained head to toe with grease. You wore the same coveralls as they did, along with your regular steel toed beige colored workboots. The shop smelled like sweat, gasoline, and balls.

"I'm good thanks, maybe later. That is if you two get all of your repairs done." You teased making your way over to the counter for the blueprint you needed. Snatching it up, you started back to your office as they resumed their work.

"Now that's what I call incentive." Michael exclaimed while rolling another tire over to his station. You made eye contact with the buff heavily tattooed man, and held it for a moment. Damn he looked good tonight. You just might have a little fun with these two later.

"And someone please turn on the fan, it smells like sweat and ballsack in here." You said while waving your hand in front of your nose. As you approached your office the backdoor next to you opened, and in stepped J.

He seemed to notice you at the same time you noticed him. The other two men seen as well but quickly looked away once he glanced in their direction. He looked roughed up, almost as though he had just been in a nasty fight. His long green hair was a mess and his suit was dirtier than usual. Approaching him you inquired quietly,

"Everything alright sir?" He was slightly out of breath and was gripping a small black knife in his right hand. He was also hunched over a little more than usual.

"It is now." He replied closing the knife and putting it back inside his coat pocket.

"Just had to deal with a couple of...... disturbances." As he said this he stepped closer allowing you to get a proper look at him. Inspecting his jacket it didn't take long before you noticed the red stain underneath.

"You're bleeding." You said lifting the fabric to see a sizable crimson spot. J looked down.

"We'll...... what do ya know." He licked his lips and continued.

"Thought maybe one of those assholes got me, but I wasn't sure." You found yourself feeling genuine concern for your new boss. The thought of him being hurt very much made you want to care for him.

"I've got a first aid kit in my office, I'll get you fixed up good as new." You said gesturing towards the door. He grinned and quickly headed inside.

Luckily Richie and Michael hadn't noticed J slip into your office. Inside the steel room was a desk, a mini fridge, a coffeemaker, a few filing cabinets, and a couple of chairs. A large mural was stamped onto the metal wall behind your desk, and a ceiling fan spun perpetually above. There was also a metal shuttered window that opened up right into the shop, should you choose to have it open. You had placed a few plants around the room to make the place feel a little nicer. It was relatively dimly lit. The only lights were a floor lamp, a table lamp, and a candle.

"Didn't know you had an office." He remarked clicking his tongue. You shut the heavy door and locked it behind you. Approaching your desk, you removed your laptop and set it off to the side on the concrete floor.

"Have a seat." You encouraged him while gently patting the desk.

"Yes ma'am." He said hopping up on the dusty surface. Grabbing the nearby first aid kit you opened it up on the desk beside him. His legs were parted slightly allowing you to easily slip between them. His feet dangled freely in the air. J slid his tongue over his lip as you moved in close. You were now virtually eye to eye with one another.

"I like this....." He said reaching out and touching your large steel septum ring.

"Thank you sir." You responded softly with a grin. Carefully you removed his heavy purple suit coats. He watched closely as you peeled off layer after soiled layer. Now down to his dirty dress shirt, you untied his tie, slid off his suspenders, and unbuttoned his shirt.

The faint sound of an air compressor leaked through the thin walls of the otherwise quiet room. J was now shirtless allowing you to instantly spot the wound he had obtained earlier. Right at the base of his ribs on his left side, there was a painful looking gash most likely caused by the tip of a blade. Reaching for the gauze and disinfectant, you dabbed a little on the material and poised to press it onto his skin.

"This is going to hurt love." You warned him softly while placing your free hand on his thigh. He nodded his head slightly and took in a breath. Making contact with his soft tan flesh he barely even flinched. Thankfully the laceration didn't look deep enough to require stitches. After sufficiently cleaning the area you put on a fresh bandage, making sure to secure it good and tight. It took a few minutes to clean up some other minor cuts and scrapes on him as well.

"There we are." You said packing up the first aid supplies.

"Thanks doll." J said with a crooked smile. With the supplies away, you used your fingers to lightly touch a blackish bruise on his muscular bicep. There were at least a half a dozen more bruises you could see scattered about his arms and torso. He also had a number of scars in an assortment of sizes and shapes. Standing close to him, you could feel the heat coming off of his body. His dark eyes seemed to observe you hungrily. He smelled like sweat and dried blood.

He seemed to notice your left hand for the first time. You had lost your middle finger a few years ago.

"Never noticed this before." He said gently gripping your hand and observing your wound. He looked sympathetically at you with a questioning expression.

"Nothing too strange, I simply flipped the bird to the wrong person. Before I knew it my finger was on the floor. Learned my lesson that day." You answered him. He felt the nub where your middle finger should have been.

"Damn. This makes my injuries seem..........trivial." He exclaimed with a soft chuckle.

"Not trivial. Just not so severe." You told him with a small grin.

"Unfortunately I can't really do anything for these." You said tracing his various bruises with your fingertips.

"But there is one thing I can think of that might make you feel a little better....." As you said this you trailed off purposely. Your lips were nearly touching his as you felt his hands slip around your waist, pulling you closer still.

[simmancy]

Happy Spooky Season, pumpkaboos! 

Here’s what’s happening this month / going forward on simmancy-dot-tumblr-dot-com.

𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜! 👋

Hi there if you’re new! My name is Kit, I am 32 now, this is my simblr, I am active on and off. If any of that bothers you, unfollow, it's okay! If you're here because I posted a mod list or a random piece of CC you like, then I have good news - I do those things occasionally! When I am actively posting, I usually dabble in gameplay. I don't do much storytelling anymore because... well, I don't have the time!

𝚂𝚒𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚂𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍𝚞𝚕𝚎 🍬

I have SOME stuff I've been poking at in my ~spare time~. I love Simblreen, it's the best time of the year imo and it's just... a tradition. It's a tradition. So I'm going to try 🤞

I have been writing out a mod list centered around occults/spooky gameplay at least. So that's seasonally appropriate????? If you have a mod list request hit my inbox because I still fucking LOVE WCIFs and that's a sort of WCIF.

𝙾𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝 🎃

This year (and likely going forward), I'm going to try to use my blog to showcase the community. There's SO many cool things in the ts4 tag!! So I've been scouring it at the dead of night to refill my queue 👻 That's what you can mainly expect this month. No CAS challenges, no CC challenges, just some creepies and kookies from others around simblr.

𝚁𝚎𝚐𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚛 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝 🌕

Hi regular followers!! I’m so sorry if you've been here a long time, because I don't have much updates on my ~classic~ gameplays and saves and they just...... won't be. For a while.

Not So Perry... I have a bit of Gen 4 but I haven't played in a whiiiiile so. I might revisit that/redo/we'll see.

Star x Crossed is indefinitely on hold - I will probably revise how that was posting because the full episodes just aren't possible right now. I might do it more as like... an edit type thing, where the edits tell the stories or whatever. It SUCKS because I had really big hopes and dreams for that save and instead I... had a child.

The Nobel ABCs will return because I have 10 generations done in game. I just need to queue.

Maggie's Wonderful Life WILL eventually be done LMAO. I'm hoping to get back into that save soonish. I LOVE farming gameplay! So I want to play/finish it. I had about half of the introductions shot before I got distracted with other things and then... well. yeah.

New saves? When I manage to play, I play a lot of newer saves LMAO. Mostly because when I have time right now I need... something easy.

𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚄𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎 🔮

I decided I like doing this once a year Simmancy Newsletter during my favorite time of the year. Halloween remains the BEST season, and there's also no guarantee I won't drop off the face of the planet again.

Obv the main thing is that, as previously stated, I had a baby. A whole ass baby. She's now 3 months old, and she is so much in the best way. We're currently teething and if you're like "Kit that seems a bit early," you're absolutely right but this is the lot I've drawn in life. She likes to be sat up, and stood up, and to talk to the Baby in the Mirror. She also is obsessed with trees and the cat. I know new moms are annoying and I'm absolutely that annoying new mom, I literally cannot shut up about her and therefore make my sims blog also about her.

I go back to work next month and I'm absolutely dreading it. Can I just be a sim and have someone press motherlode for me? Please?

Otherwise, there's very little in Kit World. The past 6 simblr years remain wonderful, and I've met some of my best friends on here. I go between BG3 and Sims when I have game time (which isn't a lot because Baby Simmancy is increasingly awake and mobile). I WISH I had more time to hang around here but maybe in a year or so.

Anyway, that’s my update of the year. Happy spooky season everybody! I hope it’s a good one!

Stay safe & spooky out there!

[frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers]

Frozen 3 and 4 in the works!! (This is not a drill!)

Cover created by me

That's right Frozen IV (4) is happening people! Jennifer Lee and Bob Iger visited the new World of Frozen in Hong Kong's Disneyland and Iger made this announcement:

“Well, I'll give you a little surprise there, Michael. 'Frozen 3' is in the works and there might be a 'Frozen 4' in the works too... But I don't have much to say about those films right now. But Jenn Lee, who created 'Frozen,' the original 'Frozen' and 'Frozen II,' is hard at work with her team at Disney Animation on not one but actually two stories.”

Songwriters:

Kristen Anderson-Lopez also shared a tweet (or an X) indirectly confirming the husband - wife duo as the songwriters for the fourth installment too - more hit songs to come!!

---

---

Returning cast/ characters:

Kristen Bell re-posted an article and video of the Frozen 4 announcement and Idina's indirect confirmation on her Instagram story, indirectly confirming her voice of Anna again.

Idina Menzel did the same but as a post, confirming her return as Elsa:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Idina Menzel (@idinamenzel)

Josh Gad re-posted Idina's post on his story with “👀” which means he's back as the lovable Olaf.

Jonathan Groff's confirmation isn't out yet as far as I know or have seen but I'm assuming he's on board too.

As for Santino Fontana aka Hans, I think now he has a very high chance of returning. There's no way they are expanding the franchise without him, ignoring some of the Hans fandom's plea and that with redemption too. But while we wait for confirmation on the entire cast (which might be a while away), we'll just keep hoping for Santino to give us hints. I know he's staying quiet on purpose.

Santino Fontana we got our eyes on you 👀

Release date:

No confirmed release dates are announced for 3 or 4 yet but in some files there are two release date slots for the middle of 2024 and one on 26 November 2025. I don't think Frozen 3 will be out next year because I'm sure we would have gotten some more Info on it by now and most importantly I think Zootopia 2 is coming out in November 2024. Som that leaves Frozen to have its regular date on 26 November in 2025.

As for leaks of the first looks, the earliest leak we got for frozen 2 was in December 2018 so my eyes are peeled in a year's time.

What this all means:

Frozen 4 may seem frustrating for some for the reason that Disney's just calling for more money and they might not take care of the story and cheering us fans but though it looks like that, it may not be entirely true. Jen Lee has said earlier that she's very excited about the idea for Frozen 3 that she was given to by Marc Smith, an animator in WDAS, though the director is unknown as of yet. She's expressed a lot of excitement about it which I have quoted in this post linked. And what's different about it is that we all know how production for Frozen and Frozen 2 went. Frozen had a last minute plot and character change and Frozen 2 had songs and plot changes too as we can see in the documentary on Disney plus. But this time it seems that everything is going smoothly and really really well. That's what gives me hope about the future of Frozen. And yeah I know some of you aren't too fond of Jennifer Lee and though she's managing the projects that doesn't mean she's going to be directing it. She's like the producer. Some one else will be directing it which is yet to be announced. After all Jennifer will be there in the team as she's the one who made Frozen in the first place. She knows the characters well so it's given she'd be looking over the movies' production.

I'm sure some of you are familiar with the news of the fourth installment and saw it coming when a few weeks back Jennifer also shared in an interview that she had found a new strategy upon making more Frozen films. Her strategy was that if they feel there's more to tell for the story or maybe if we the fans feel it then they'll work on making another movie. But none of us were expecting it to be announced so soon.

Based on this announcement I believe that Frozen 4 is a second part to Frozen 3 in the same way we had Avengers 3 and 4 and Fast and Furious X and 11 and into and across the spider-verse and other movies doing the same. If it's in parts it means the story, the events going down are big making Frozen 3 end in a cliffhanger. They are probably in the process of writing it or early production and they realised that this story needs two parts because the story is of a big event. This new film strategy really works in some of these movies so I'm hoping for the same for Disney. Either way, I'm glad they're expanding the well deserved franchise and realising its true potential. Frozen is the first animated trilogy to be produced by WDAS and then the first to become a quadrilogy to be a Disney Animation movie. Movies like Avengers and Toy Story are from Marvel and Pixar despite Disney owning them or some of their movies but Frozen will be a full on Disney franchise to become a quadrilogy. Frozen just making history 😌

Conclusion:

I'm scared and excited, as we all are but all we can and should do is stay positive and hope for the best. I personally believe Frozen 3 and 4 will be great given the positivity coming from Jen Lee and Bob Iger. I believe in Frozen's potential and in sure Disney does too hence the two new movies announced. But if I can't convince you to believe this is a very good thing for the franchise then maybe Isaac Carlson, who explains Disney theories and opinions on YouTube can. He explains it well and highly recommend you go watch and listen to his video. He originally didn't like the way Frozen 2 went as I did but upon seeing and hearing different perspectives of it he and I too gained a new way to see Frozen 2. Isaac also wanted more films after Frozen 2 time the ending and I think now that Disney is doing just that I think we could be feeling a whole lot better than where Frozen 2 left off at. Trust me Frozen 2 ending haters need to see his video. I'll explain more about the way I see it all in an upcoming Frozen 1, 2 and the shorts breakdown which I'll pin as soon as I post it.

[mysticsparklewings]

OhuHueVember Week 1 💛

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Featuring Johanna Basford’s 30 Days Of Flowers 💐

In case you thought I forgot about this challenge: Nope! I decided early on it would be best for me to only do the *posts* once a week since that’s the part that really wore me out during October. 😵‍💫

…I also wanted to post this yesterday, but suffice to say this past week was a wild ride so it just wasn’t possible. 😅 

Same as always: Click the "Keep Reading" and we'll talk a bit more about my general thoughts/process. ✨

Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

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Featured Ohuhu Colors:

Day 1: GY6 Anise

Day 2: Y3 Barium Yellow

Day 3: Y1 Pastel Yellow

Day 4: YR2 Marigold

Day 5: YR4 Salmon Pink

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Did any of you Sparklers question if I just posted the prompt list for OhuHueVember and then forgot all about it? 😆

If you read my epic-length write-up when I posted the list, probably not, but for those who saw that wall of text and understandably said, "no thank you," this post itself should make it pretty obvious: Nope, I didn't forget!

At the tail end of the super long write-up, I disclosed that while I would be doing OhuHueVember daily, I would only be making posts once a week since it was the daily posting that wore me out the most during Inktober.

...And for the record, I wanted to make this post yesterday, the true "end" of OhuHueVember Week 1 (at least the way I laid the days out) but, naturally, this past week was one heck of a wild ride in my offline life (and not for the reasons you'd assume if you're from the US) and so I begrudgingly came to the difficult conclusion that "waiting one more day to post won't hurt."

That's also why this post is considerably later in the evening than I had hoped—I thought doing them once a week would mean I could at least get the weekly posts out around lunch time!—and I was also unable to post at least two other things I was hoping to have finished this week. 🫠

With those things in mind, I hope you Sparklers will understand that I'm going to handle the rest of this description as briefly as I can manage so that I can go ahead and get this posted and go about the rest of my evening—So if I seem to be jumping around a bit more than usual, that's why. Hopefully, next week will be a bit of a different story (in a positive way).

As also stated towards the end of my super-long OhuHueVember write up: "I've been wanting to get back into just coloring in Adult Coloring books (or single pages made for that audience) occasionally, as I've unintentionally moved away from that hobby for a few years when I used to do it all the time. When I first started, the hobby was still pretty new and niche, and sharing finished pages felt "wrong" to try and mix in with my regular art posts, but things have noticeably changed since then.

And in particular, using Ohuhu markers in adult coloring books has actually become pretty common.

So that's part of what I'm going to do to try and scale this challenge back...I've printed out Johanna Basford's 30 Days of Flowers on small, 2.5" x 3.5" cuts of my favorite mixed media paper—Artist Trading Card size!—and those are what I'm going to color for the month." I did try to find some information on what each of these 30 flowers is supposed to be so that I could better match the OhuHueVember colors to the appropriate ones, but I couldn't find anything definitive for every single one and I didn't have the patience (or time, for that matter, considering I was running way behind on prep for the challenge as it was) to try and manually research each one. So I ended up using what finished colorings Johanna had posted as a starting reference, then made adjustments and filled in the blanks based on a combination of feelings and what I thought would work best for the marker colors. (Which as you'll see later in the month proved to be a bit of a challenge for the greens, but I'm getting way ahead of myself.) You'll notice though that I didn't use just the single Color of the Day. I used the light/dark blends that I also listed in the Spreadsheet for the challenge, plus I'm using my old 72 set of Schpirerr Farben pencils for any additional color beyond the three markers for each day. I meant it when I said you could use as many other colors as you want for the challenge, because I knew I myself wouldn't be able to resist the temptation! 🤭

And in case anyone cares, I'm going with the Schpirerr Farben instead of my true favorite Prismacolor partly because I just want to use them more—they are my third favorite behind Prismacolor and the Brutfuner Macarons (which you Sparklers have yet to hear me talk about, but I promise it is on the to-do list!) afterall—but also because the 72 selection is more limited and therefore a tiny bit more challenging than the Prismas would be. And I semi-recently set them up in a zipper case so they're easier to reach for than they used to be.

Believe it or not, the backgrounds were actually the most difficult thing to decide. And I'm still not 100% sure they'll stay exactly as they are. 😅

I thought about either using the Color of the Day itself, or maybe during the Weekly Colors for each flower for that week, but both of those had trivial problems I couldn't think my way around when I did some experiments on a test sheet.

And I did not want to spend a whole lot of time or color on the backgrounds outside of those options either way because I didn't want to take any more attention away from whatever the Color of the Day would be than necessary.

So ultimately, this soft cool gray with a gel pen outline was where I landed. But I'm still debating if I want to go back and add stars/sparkles with the white gel pen to each one too, as I did that a lot in my smaller tests to try and jazz things up a little. I've held off for now because once I got these actual cards done with just the white outline, I liked them more without the stars than I expected...But I'm just not ready to fully close the door on the star idea yet. So at the end of the month, if you see some stars have magically appeared on these, you'll know why!

Oh: And if you couldn't tell, one more way I'm attempting to limit how difficult this challenge is for me is by just photographing each week's 5 flower cards together instead of trying to scan and then color-correct each one. The photos still need some slight tweaks—especially on days like today where it was gloomy overcast and I couldn't photograph in natural light—but it's an order of magnitude less work than trying to scan, crop, and correction each one would be.

I might bother to scan them all at the end of the month for optimal preservation, but I make no promises.

Beyond all that, I'm trying to just handle each day in whatever way I think gives the Color of the Day a chance to shine while still making the final look something I like. Which is a relevant thing to say because YR2/Day 4 and YR4/Day 5 here are not typically colors I would pick for coloring flowers; I was really worried about how both of them would turn out, but YR4 might actually be my favorite of this batch! YR2 is probably still my least favorite just because it's so earthy, but if I pretend the earthiness of the color doesn't bother me, I do still think it turned out nice.

And if you're wondering what happened with the leaves for Y1/Day 3, I was trying to switch things up a bit with a more jewel-tone dark teal and some pink like what I now know are called Caladium plants. It's weird and not really what I had in mind, but I actually still like the results quite a bit.

I think until we hit the actual green colors on the list, that's going to be one of the trickier parts of choosing to handle this challenge with flower illustrations—Figuring out how to keep the stems and leaves from all looking the same. 🤔

But hey, I feel like I managed decently enough here, so maybe I'm anticipating a bigger problem than I should be. Only one way to find out...!

One last thing I will say: As I sort of expected, for as chaotic as everything else in life has been, yeah being able to sit down and just worry about putting colors together in a way that looks nice has tended to be a welcome little reprieve each day. And also expected, not having to worry about posting every day has been kind of a relief, even though I've still had plenty of other stuff on my plate—See what I mentioned before about not having at least two other things done and posted by now that I wanted to. 😅

So now it's that time again for me to leave you Sparklers to chew on what I've laid out here while I move onto cross-posting. I may only be doing it once a week this month, but that doesn't really change how involved the process itself is when the time comes.

Either way, whether you've chosen to join me on this colorful adventure in some way or not, I hope we've all started the month off as strongly as we can and that if nothing else, we can all look forward to some more forthcoming colorful flowers. 💐

I'll see you all again definitely next week, but with any luck, hopefully a little sooner than that! 👋

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See the Prompt List

Coloring/Photo by MysticSparkleWings (me)

Linework from Johanna Basford's 30 Days of Flowers

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⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️