#cake at St. Louis

[unofficialcake]

24-25 June 2025

The Factory - St. Louis, Missouri

Artwork: Julia Fletcher Studio

[senorboombastic]

Live Review: Field Music at Band on the Wall in Manchester 06 February 2025

Words: Andy Hughes “Is there some kind of 2-4-1 offer on WKD?” Was the question asked by David Brewis to much laughter on Thursday evening in Manchester, speaking on behalf of the rest of Field Music who were taken aback after a more than enthusiastic response from the audience at Band on the Wall. “Have you been drinking?” He’d comically asked the packed room a few songs prior, hitting us with…

[factsaboutqueers]

Recipe for Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake For a new version of a favorite, try this sweet, decadent chocolate gooey butter cake that's sure to be loved.

[fishfooddude]

No Phone Policy 3.0

Baby girl Berzatto needed a metal name, and this felt like the choice, ya know?

The Bear MasterList

Directory

Part 2

“Hi, beautiful… oh, this is hella trippy buggies. I remember holding you for the first time, and now I’m holding my granddaughter for the first time…” your Dad laughed as he stared down at the tiny pink bundle in his arms. You smiled as you watched him pace beside your bed. “Where’s Carmy? I have a present for this little princess—I’m surprised he isn’t glued to her, or you, for that matter.” 

You grinned as you adjusted yourself in the incredibly uncomfortable hospital bed you’d been in for the past 48 hours. “He went home to grab me some stuff I forgot.” you lied, hoping he wouldn’t see through your bluff. With a narrow stare, your Dad nodded. He could tell you weren’t telling him something, but he didn’t want to upset you by pushing the topic. 

“Well, what did you two name this perfect little angel?” your Dad questioned as he handed you your daughter. You shrugged, “Haven’t decided yet… the papers are over there on the table, but we can’t decide.” 

“What were you two thinkin’? I’m team something unique and magical, especially since that lil girl was born on one of the most magical days of the year.” he smiled, putting a hand over his chest. You chuckled and adjusted the infant in your arms.

“July 23. Best day of your life.” you answered, “You know, I know the story by heart… but she hasn’t heard it yet.” the sing-song nature of your comment made your Dad lean forward in his chair. “Baby’s first Grandpa story! May I?” he asked, offering his hands to you. You laughed as you handed the baby back to him.

“I better get my daughter back, Dad,” you playfully scolded as he held her close to his chest. He shrugged and responded, “No promises. She’s my new favorite person in the world—your Ma and sisters, and the boys are a very close second, but right now—it’s all her.” 

“You hear that gorgeous? Grandpa has known you for 30 minutes, and your greatness has already superseded your Mommy’s. You’re my perfect lil angel.” he cooed. As he babbled at her, you rolled your eyes, “Tell the story, Grandpa.” 

He scoffed in your direction before turning on the story-telling voice he would use when telling your nephews' stories. “The year was 1986. Your Grandpa was traveling with one of the greatest bands mankind will ever know, Van Halen. Metallica is also a pretty fuckin’ awesome choice for music- don’t let your Daddy ruin your taste in music, princess. You will be my little metalhead.” 

“Dad.” you scolded. He shot you an exasperated look, “He’s not even here bonding with his daughter. I’m GOING to shit on his shitty taste in music.” he challenged. He noticed your subtle wince when he brought up Carmy for a second time. Something was going on, but he didn’t dare bring it up, “Ok, ok, I’ll stop shittin’ on Carmy. Back to baby’s first Grandpa story.” he chuckled, leaning back in his chair and adjusting the baby in his arms. 

“Grandpa was in St. Louis. I’d followed Van Halen for 12 weeks across the continental United States. I was broke as shit, hungry as hell, and I STANK. I’m at the truck stop right- there’s this little diner called Olivette. I ordered the cheapest breakfast I could, and at the end of my meal- this GORGEOUS waitress brought me a piece of gooey butter cake- a Missouri delicacy, in time you’ll have your fair share, princess.” he assured the gurgling bundle in his arms, “The waitress goes, ‘it’s on the house sugar’ in this cute ass little twang and I about died. That was your Grandma Dottie.” 

You smiled as he continued the story. He went in to explain how he’d worked up the courage to ask her if she was going to the Van Halen show that night, and when she said ‘yes,’ he knew she was the one. You laughed as he explained that his mutual love of music had brought him an amazing life. 

“I met Dottie on July 23, 1986, so the fact you were born on July 23, 2024, is a sign. I think I can convince your Mommy to give you a metal ass name. Auntie Pamala was named after Panama- the best Van Halen song. Your Mommy’s middle name is Olivette because that’s where I met your Grandma. Then Auntie Mars is Mars because Grandma wouldn’t let me name her after Lars Ulrich, but Mars was acceptable.” you laughed as your Dad explained the Y/L/N family lure. “Your Auntie Pam is my favorite, though- she named her boys after Eddie and Alex Van Halen.” 

You rolled your eyes. “I love you, Daddy, but I’m not naming my daughter after Van Halen or Metalica.” He scoffed in response. What about Pantera or Megadeath? I’m just sayin’ with a last name like Bearzatto. She needs a metal-ass name.” 

You laughed as you collected your daughter back from him, “Okay, buggies, I love you, and I’m really proud of you. Not just for procreating but for everything you’ve done. Your Ma would be real proud, too.” 

~

“What do you mean she doesn’t have a name yet?” your sister Pam laughed as she cradled your daughter in her arms. You shrugged, “We just can’t decide.” 

“Didn’t he insist on some Van Halen reference?” Mason, Pam’s husband, laughed as he entered the room with a brown paper bag. You shook your head, “He gave her three band onesies, but I think I got out of the Van Halen references.” 

Mason shook his head as he placed the bag on the end of your bed, “I wasn’t sure what you’d be cravin’, but I figured a sub and chips was a safe bet.” he grinned. “Thanks, Mason.”

“What about Jade Van? Dad would freak over the reference.” your baby sister Mars laughed as she put her head on your shoulder, and she snuggled closer to you, craning her neck to get a better look at your still-unnamed daughter. You shook your head, “I don’t know how Carmy would feel about that one.”

“Bitch. He isn’t even here. Name her whatever the fuck you want.” she said with an overly dramatic eye roll. Mars was the only one who knew about the issues you and Carmy had been going through, but you couldn’t stomach telling her that Carmy missed the birth. 

“How about Blade? Blade Berzatto—fuckin’ metal, right?” you joked, trying to brush Carmy out of your mind. Mars erupted into laughter,, which startled the baby in your arms. You cradled the baby and nudged Mars to shut up. “I love it. But let’s go more norm-core,” Mars said as she ran her thumb against the baby’s chubby cheek.

~

“Are you an Erin? Jasper? Kali? Luna?” you listed off baby names as you did skin-to-skin after the baby’s afternoon feeding. You were finally done with visitors for the day, and you’d turned your phone off to avoid dealing with Carmy. You’d inevitably have to talk to him at one point, but having at least one more day of peace was a priority right now. You didn’t know where he was or what he was doing, but it was a safe assumption that he was probably working himself to the bone at The Bear. The Bear… Bear… “Wolf.” the name came to you. “Wolf Berzatto… Daddy goes by Bear. We were calling cub while I was pregnant… you don’t call baby wolves cubs, but I like it. You do need a middle name, though. I know Daddy liked the name Bonnie.” you rattled off before leaning over to kiss the baby’s hat-covered head. 

“What if you hate the name Wolf? I mean, you could go by your middle name or a nickname… Daddy’s name is Carmen, but he goes by Carmy. Okay, Wolf Bonnie Berzatto. I like it, and if Daddy doesn’t, he can suck my dick. Am I swearing too much around you? I feel like I am.” you laughed, “Okay… also, you’re only getting your Daddy’s last name because I changed my last name when I married him.” 

“Wolf… that’s quite a name,” Natalie awkwardly complimented, trying not to pass too much judgment on her niece. She can go by Bonnie if she hates it.” You defended your name choice for the hundredth time in the short eight hours since announcing her name to your family group chat. Turning your phone back on had been anxiety-inducing. Carmy had left you hundreds of texts and voicemails begging to be allowed in the hospital room and apologizing for anything and everything he could think of. It was endearing, but you were still pissed off. 

“Does Carmy know about the name choice?” Natalie carefully prodded as she watched you shove stuff into your bag. You shook your head, “I haven’t talked to him yet.” 

Natalie knew you hadn’t talked to him and knew about you barring him from the hospital. He came back to the restaurant. Natalie had seen Carmy upset in the past, but this was a different kind of upset. He went off on Richie about the ‘no phone policy’ he’d enforced on all staff. Carmy was never a fighter, but Marcus and Sweeps had to hold him back after Carmy had punched Richie in the side of the head.  Richie, visibly disorientated, screamed a ‘what the fuck’ alerting the kitchen staff of the fight going on in the thankfully empty front of house. It took a while for Carmy to calm down enough to tell anyone what had happened. Richie apologized but said Carmy missed the birth, which wasn’t his fault. It was Carmy’s fault. Richie went off about Carmy knowing your due date and how he should’ve planned better and asked for an exception to the rule. 

Natalie sighed, remembering how that comment had riled Carmy up again. She drove him home while he called you repeatedly, getting progressively more upset each time his call went to voicemail. “She can’t do this to me, Sugar- I know I fucked up, but-but she can’t-” Carmy stopped midsentence and began rocking himself forward and backward in his seat. “Carmy, wh-wh-what can I do? How can I help you?” Natalie begged as she parked in the driveway of the house you two owned. “Do you have a fuckin’ time machine so I can go back and not miss the birth of my fuckin’ daughter!” he screamed, making Natalie freeze in her seat.

Natalie stayed with Carmy the entire time you were in the hospital. He was a mess. He flipped between extreme rage and full-blown panic. He ranted about how you were going to leave him and prevent him from seeing his daughter. He cried so hard he threw up multiple times. He wasn’t sleeping. He wasn’t eating. Natalie had never seen her brother like this before and was at a loss for what to do. 

When you called her to come pick you and the baby up from the hospital, she didn’t know what to say. You’d asked her not to tell or bring Carmy, which she understood, but it still conflicted her. You hadn’t filled her in on Carmy’s minimal involvement with your pregnancy the past weeks, but Natalie could put two and two together. After enlisting the help of Syd and Richie, Natalie felt as if she could leave Carmy and come pick you up. 

“Are you okay, Nat?” you questioned as you strapped Wolf into her car seat. It’s nothin’. I just feel really guilty that I’m meeting my niece before Carmy had the chance to…” Natalie explained as she crossed her arms over her stomach. You knew Natalie had a point. You felt that same guilt. You wanted nothing more than to cuddle with your husband and daughter. 

You sighed, “Well, I guess I have to talk to Carmy at one point, so let’s go.”

Part 4

[theheartnexttophan]

Month-in-Rephiew: October 2024

So @danrifics mentioned (x) that October 2024 was one of the greatest months in Phandom history, and I was was thinking about how literally so much happened it was hard to keep up, so here’s a day by day breakdown of the month with all the stuff Dan and Phil did! This isn’t intended to be a proper archive, just a memory refresher (go look at @danandphilupdates or @terribleinfluence-tour to see all the posts archived). I might try to do this each month from now on, as I find it helpful to be able to look back on!

Phil tweet: phone wallpaper

Dan retweet: dropped beads, PJ mentioned Phil’s “all pleasure now”,

LGBTQ+ Public Figures survey + Dan retweet

People Interview Preview, 2 Phil Instastories: Seattle

YourEx Interview

Phil retweet: carrying tabinof in pocket, 5 Dan Instastories: 3 Football game, repost of Last Disco hat from Phil, tour promo graphic, 4 Phil Instastories: 2 Football game, repost of Dan from football game, Dan in Last Disco hat, People Interview, DanAndPhilBEATS: Spooky Week, TIT: Seattle (1st in America)

Joint Insta post (with People Magazine): Interview (+Dan comment), Dan Instastory: People Interview, Phil Instastory: People Interview, Fan pics at Target, TIT: Seattle

OUR BIG GAY PROM NIGHT- Dan and Phil play The Sims 4: Season 2 #16, 2 Dan Instastories: Phortland, International phlesbian day (also a tweet), TIT: Portland

2 Phil Instastories: DanAndPhilBEATS (also tweet), Lowave (also tweet), TIT: Vancouver

Fan pics from airport

DAPG Community post: DanAndPhilBEATS, TIT: Oakland

2 Dan Instastories: Pharamount, iPad (and tweet and DAPG community post)

Dan TikTok: Married Life, (also Instastory), 2 Phil Instastories: 2 DnP Cocktails, TIT: Phoenix

Phil retweet: one second of every post hiatus DAPG vid, Fan pics from San Diego Zoo

Joint Insta post: West coast photodump, 5 Phil Instastories: photodump, plane, sunset Phil pic, DDR, landscape passing while driving 3 Dan Instastories: photodump, Phil in cafe, game at arcade

POPPY PLAYTIME ANIMATION! Dan and Phil (+Phil Instastory about it), 2 Fan pics from in the street, TIT: San Diego,

3 Dan Instastories: elevator doors, theatre picture, Ranboo, Phil Instastory: repost from venue, TIT: Los Angeles

Phanniversary, Phanpocalypse, Phandom Gives Livestream, No but seriously imagine it

Phil tweet: Dan’s reflective trousers (+Dan reply), TIT: Salt Lake City

Gays Against Humanity (+Phil Instastory about it), Phan #1 on Ships list, TIT: Denver

1 Video shoutout, Phil retweet: DAPG anniversary art, Phil Instastory: newlywed game questions

Fan pics at restaurant (from previous night), 3 video shoutouts, TIT: Kansas City

3 Phil Instastories: Puppies, Bucees promo for Austin, repost of puppies art, TIT: Grand Prairie

15th anniversary of Pinof, Take me back to 2009 merch, Our Phanniversary Newlyweds Game, TIT: Austin

1 video shoutout

Dan and Phil in The Backrooms (+Dan Instastory), Phil Instastory: Gay halloween bedsheets, TIT: St. Louis,

Dan and Phil ADOPT A BABY, TIT: Detroit,

Phil reblog of merch inspired pumpkin, Don’t Yap Challenge (IMPOSSIBLE) A Quiet Place: The Game, TIT: Akron

Dan and Phil play Five Nights at Freddy’s: THE JOY OF CREATION, joint Insta post: 2009 merch, 2 Dan Instastories: merch, repost of opposing fringes gravestones, TIT: Indianapolis

1 Phil Instastory: editing video, Halloween Baking- RADIOACTIVE MUG CAKES, Joint Insta post: good omens costumes (also posted on tumblr and twitter), 2 Dan Instastories: good omens post, good omens pic at bar, 3 fan pics from bar

[glowinggator]

First I need you to know I absolutely love the way you write rocky! He feels so in character!

Second I saw requests are open so speaking of rocky: imagine if reader was a wealthy client who helps fund the speakeasy but they're only really there for rocky

like everyone else thinks it's pretty obvious they're into him but I imagine rocky would be clueless lol

(can be neutral or fem pronouns, whichever you prefer :) )

A/N: Thank you so much! I'm always worried that I'm a little too heavy-handed with his speech patterns, so I'm glad that it comes off right! And wow, I loved this idea so much! I got a little bit carried away with this it, actually -- never let it be said that I don't love this silly cat. Buckle in friends, it's gonna be a long one -- 3.4k, to be exact. Thank you all for all of the lovely asks and reblogs thus far -- because as much as I love writing, it's all of you that keep that fire burning when times get rough. Enjoy!

Content Warnings: None! Gender neutral reader, no pronouns or presentation indicators used.

Deafening raindrops turn into quiet pitter patters as you descend the long, spiraling staircase into the speakeasy. Comforting and familiar walls lift your spirits from the dreary outside world, caked in gloomy clouds and ever-growing smog. You wipe your boots on the doormat as you reach the bottom of the stairs, frowning a little when you notice just how far the mud splashed up the leather. 

        What a shame -- you'll have to clean them off when you get home tonight. Lord knows how your coworkers love to gossip, and with how calm things have been lately, they're just itching for something to discuss. Like how the head doctor has mud on their evening boots… after a heavy rain. How scandalous. 

        You're pulled from your thoughts by the gentle voice of the doorman, peering over at you with a hint of concern -- Horatio, you think his name was? Sweet boy. 

        "Is everything alright, Doctor?"

        You tear your eyes away from your shoes, smiling kindly. 

        "Of course," you chirp, "Just a bit of mud. Do be careful when you head out tonight. That suit looks nice on you, I'm sure you wouldn't want it getting dirty." 

        He straightens his posture at the compliment, adjusting his cufflinks with an endearing -- if not a little overenthusiastic -- nod. Content, you smooth out your outfit and move forward once again. You stride through the door, flashing your pin for formality's sake, and slink into the main room with a neatly contained excitement of your own. 

        Red satin curtains line the wall, contrasting beautifully with the natural grey stone -- the Lackadaisy speakeasy has a unique atmosphere, and despite having seen it no less than a hundred times, it never ceases to light a twinge of admiration within you. You weave between the towering stone pillars, letting your eyes rake across the room as you pad towards the bar. But… something is missing. Or, more aptly, someone. 

        The barstool squeaks in protest when you plop down at the bar, brows furrowed. Although before you're allowed to stew in your disappointment, a drink is placed in front of you. You look up, meeting eyes with the tall cat in front of you. Victor Vasko, resident bartender, for lack of a better word. He glowers down at you, although you know him well enough by now -- it's hard to be intimidated when you know his scowl is all but carved into his face. 

        You're also acutely aware that you're one of the last benefactors of St. Louis' finest speakeasy. 

        You slide a ten across the bar -- more than enough to cover drinks for the night, if not everyone else's too -- before swirling the drink in your glass. The amber liquid dances just shy of the rim before settling back down against the ice -- it's liquid gold in these parts, and they call it that for more reasons than one. You don't miss the subtle widening of Victor's eyes as he pockets the money and moves to the other end of the bar, presumably to clean -- or more aptly, shatter -- a handful of glasses. 

        Sweetness cascades over your tongue when you raise the glass to your lips -- it's a far cry from the common coffin varnish. That is to say, it's a luxury reserved only for new patrons… and those with deep pockets. You smile to yourself, savoring the taste. It's not the greatest drink in the world. Even a priest could tell you that. It's bitter, and burns in a way that tells you that its creator would really prefer to put the "fire" in firewater over anything else… and yet you couldn't fathom going anywhere else. It's not like you're aiming to get drunk here, anyways. 

        "So," Zib drawls, lumbering onto the bar stool next to you, "What's a man gotta do to get a drink around here?" 

        You huff a laugh into the glass, rolling your eyes. "Sorry, I only buy drinks for pretty boys."  

        He leans forward onto the bartop, leaning his head on his arms and gazing at you. His eyes are half-lidded, pupils lazily tracking your glass as you raise it to your lips. It's hard to tell if he's just tired, or if he's already gotten a headstart on drinking tonight. You'd put money on the "all of the above" option, if you could. 

        "I can bat my eyelashes if you want," he says.         "Jesus Christ, shut up," you laugh, swatting at him but waving down Victor nonetheless. He stomps over, rolling his one visible eye, but acquiesces and pours him a drink at your soft smile. It's clearly a cheaper alcohol, but Zib doesn't seem to mind. He seems to prefer it, if anything. He takes a strong drink, sighing at the burn. He pulls himself up from his crossed arms, leaning back with a groan.

        "Thank God, I don't know enough violin to pull anything else off. Or Shakespeare."

        "Hey!" You sputter, kicking his leg beneath the countertop, "What's that supposed to mean?" 

        "Nothing, nothing." He hums, pausing. Sips. Tilts the glass. "Just that you seem to have a favorite here, no shame in that. Other than the fact that you've chosen the strangest man in all of St. Louis to set your sights on." 

        "Excuse me, for one, I don't play favorites. And two, he is-- he isn't…" Swirling the liquid around in your own glass, you furrow your brow. When nothing comes to mind you take a sip of your own, thinking. 

        You know well enough that your protests are just for show at this point. It's become a near-daily point of banter between the two of you, considering how obvious you are in your affections. Many moons have come and gone since Wick showed you the Lackadaisy, but unlike the astral body, your interest in Rocky Rickaby has never waned. 

        It's hard to remember what kickstarted your affections for him -- maybe it was his natural lyricism, or perhaps his flair for theatrics. Maybe it was his unwavering spirit, or his penchant for getting into trouble. If you asked Wick, you're sure he'd tell you that you were simply attracted to the danger he brings with him, but he's never seen the way his eyes sparkle when he's excited. He's never seen the way he glows when he's truly happy -- not like you do, anyways. Maybe it was a combination of all of those things and more. What you do know is that…

        "He's got his own charm. He's different, yes, but I like different. But again," you say, looking at him over the rim of your glass, "I don't play favorites."  

        Zib chuckles, shaking his head, but says nothing. You wait one breath, then two. 

        Silence. 

        You scoff, muttering to yourself. "Set my sights on… You make it sound like I'm picking out a dog at the pound." 

        He grins, and you sense that you've fallen directly into his trap. Damn it. 

        "He'd bark if you asked him to."

        "Oh, you reprobate," you exclaim, laugh tinging the edges of your words. You swat at him once again, this time making contact. You'd like to say he choked on his drink, or sputtered at your attack, but this has become such a song and dance that really, you'd be more surprised if he didn't expect it. "You're incorrigible, you know." 

        "Just being honest," he says. 

        You shake your head, sipping lazily at your glass before slipping back into easy conversation. It's nice to simply chat the hours away with him -- despite his dour outward demeanor, he's quite good at keeping a conversation going. His taste in literature doesn't hurt much, either, nor does your own affability towards his own theatrics. For as much shit as he gives Rocky, he isn't all too much better in the drama department. 

        You weren't always treated so casually -- the memory of Mitzi all but batting Zib and Rocky away from you still brings a smile to your face. Hell, you're sure if Mitzi heard the dreary remarks falling from Zib now, she'd pick up the broomstick again… if only for her own sanity. But once it became clear that you'd sunk your claws into their best -- and up until recently, only -- rumrunner, the air changed. 

        You don't have to guess why -- everyone's been plenty clear about it.

        'If Rocky hasn't driven you away yet, there's not much anyone else can do to scare you off.'

        You cast a look over your shoulder every now and again, glancing at the door, aflutter with anticipation. It's impossible to hear the rain this far down into the cave system, although it's unlikely that the rain has let up at all considering the torrential downpour you weathered just a few short hours ago. You nervously bite at your lips, forcing your head back into the conversation. 

        'It's just the storm holding him up,' you tell yourself. 

        You vaguely realize that somewhere along the way your simple affection and interest has bloomed into something more all-consuming, and you can only hope that Zib doesn't catch your sudden fluster. Best to file that thought away for later. 

-----

        It's half past midnight when Rocky waltzes through those towering wooden doors, caked damn-near head to toe in mud. His suit seems to have taken the brunt of it, although the drying flakes embedded in his fur and the single symmetrical pair of clean streaks along his lapel tell a story all on their own. He clasps two bottles in his hands, mysteriously absent of any dirt or grime. 

        Calvin is hot on his heels too, pupils pinpointed with what you assume are the remnants of adrenaline. He too comes through the door with bottles of what you presume is liquor, although he certainly has an… abundance compared to Rocky. Because for Rocky's two, Calvin anxiously clutches no less than eight bottles to his chest. He practically waddles through the door, more out of fear than exertion. He, however, is almost entirely clean of grime… save for his pant legs, which are all but drenched. 

        Once Calvin is past the doorway Ivy comes skipping through too, hands wrapped around her own pair of bottles. Her wardrobe seems to be in slightly worse condition than Calvin's. Mud dapples her sweater, and the twigs tangled in her fur so abundant that you could probably call her a fire risk. But she seems joyful nonetheless as prances past Calvin and falls in line right behind Rocky in his march towards the bar. You realize in the back of your mind that she's chatting happily with Calvin behind her, although the words turn to water in your mind as you gaze at Rocky. If he's noticed you yet, he gives no indication. His tail, slicked thin with muck, flicks happily behind him. Small drops of mud hit the stone floor, causing Calvin to flinch back and clutch the bottles tighter to his chest. There must be a story there, you think to yourself. 

        You huff out a laugh -- partially out of amusement, and partially out of relief. You'll have to ask for the story of tonight's escapade later on. 

        "Praise be to the rain, protector of your ever faithful moonlight servants," Rocky finally reaches the other end of the bar, placing the bottles down with a thunk. He spins, his back towards you as he casts a hand in the air with a flourish. The smile that stretches across your face is painfully lovesick, if the way Zib nudges you gives you any indication, but you pay him no mind as you lean forward to watch the show. 

        "For such modern ventures, we need no stream to wrench forth our gold from the Earth, dearest raindrops. Rather, it is you, oh dearest clouds who bring us such prosperity, such joy. It is--"  he spins back towards you, locking eyes. He stiffens, blinking owlishly. A moment passes before his eyes sparkle in that perfect way you've come to adore, fangs peeking beneath his lips as his expression changes into a grin, and then a beam. 

        "You," he moves across the floor towards you, stretching his arms out for a moment before realizing his state of dress and letting his arms fall back at his sides. His tongue darts between his lips, practically buzzing with excitement as he pads towards you. 

        (You briefly catch the shocked looks of his, quite literal, partners in crime. Eyes wide, the two look at each other inquisitively, then at him, then back at one another. Clearly they're shocked at his willingness to drop his monologue, and the feeling is mutual. It makes the smile stretch further across your face, and you realize that if he hadn't silently retracted the offer, you would have accepted the hug, velvet be damned.)

        You spin your stool to face him, pushing your drink to the side with a wave in his direction. And it should be illegal for anyone to be so damn cute, because the way he lights up -- at your acknowledgement? At your excitement to see him? -- sends a hot flush through your cheeks that has you melting from the inside out. Up close you realize that despite (somewhat) clearing himself of mud, he wasn't able to keep entirely dry from the rain. Water drips down his nose, and you fight back the obnoxiously domestic thought of drying his fur for him. Tender looks and loving touches, of hands carding through fur… It's soon replaced by the vision of him toweling off himself, and Christ, something so mundane shouldn't be so damn attractive. That too, you tuck away for later. 

        He stops at your feet, eyes crinkled with mirth. 

        "I didn't think you'd still be here," he says, leaning against the bar countertop. Although he quickly notices the muddy stain he's left, and while he does pull back to attempt to clean it… it's not like there's much clean real-estate left on his suit to wipe with. You giggle -- honest to god, giggle -- at his antics, and just like that his attention is pulled back to you. He leans back against the countertop, resting his face against his hand. It squishes his cheek with a boyish charm, ears flicking towards your voice. It's cute. He's cute. 

        "Well, I wouldn't want to miss my favorite…"  Heat rises to your face at your own use of the word 'favorite.' Zib will never let you live this one down. 

        "...Musician." 

        Said cat snickers behind you, and oh yeah, you really aren't living this one down. It takes a lot of willpower not to shove him off the barstool then and there. But Rocky simply waves his free hand at him before turning it upwards, fingers splayed. It's clear that he's attempting to be casual in his body language, but the energy in his voice and barely hidden beam ousts his joy at your praise. 

        "Pay him no heed, dearest muse. Now, what form of entertainment would you desire tonight? Pick a key, any key! Through spoken word or melodic strings--"

        Any other night you'd be enraptured with his rambling, but tonight you seem to get lost in his words. Your eyes rake across his face, taking in the little details that make him, him. You're only a little ashamed at the way your eyes keep darting to his lips while he speaks -- truthfully, you're more embarrassed at the longing it sparks within you. Maybe you should have taken the time to unpack this earlier, but alas. You force your eyes upwards, taking in how his own bright blue ones shine with excitement, before letting them fall once again.

        And Rocky is nothing if not unique. The bridge of his nose tells stories beyond your imagination -- no matter how many times he tries to tell you their stories. They all just seem too wild to be true -- littered with little dots and lines that you could connect like constellations, they convey decades worth of life. A knife trick accident here, a wire snap there… allegedly, a horde of bees created many of the smaller dots. An experiment from youth gone wrong, he said, but you can't imagine he'd do anything different if presented with the opportunity again. Your lips upturn at the thought, and let your eyes roam to his cheeks: his fur bounces with every word he speaks, but even still, you can see little uneven patches. A thin line here and there, not quite reaching skin; a patch that's just a fraction shorter than the rest; all from recent incidents that simply came a little too close. But on his left cheek there's something new, something that you've never seen before.

        There's one last streak of mud on his face that, clearly, he had missed. You're so focused on the mark that you hardly even feel yourself move to grab your handkerchief. 

        "--But in an art such as this, moderation is for the weak. If you'll give me just five minutes I'll have--" 

        He stills at your gentle touch, halting his speech for the second time tonight. His fur is softer than you expected, despite its dampness from the rain outside. You tilt his head upwards by just a fraction, your thumb and index gently holding his chin in place. Stricken with a sudden wave of adoration, you drag your thumb experimentally across what you can reach. The movement is so painfully fond and oh, so close -- just millimeters away from his lips. It's a gentle action that lasts no more than a second -- hell, maybe you didn't even realize you were doing it -- but it feels like a lifetime to him. He thought he'd get used to the lightheadedness that you always seem to inflict upon him, but he couldn't be more wrong. And before he has any time to recover, you're dabbing at his cheek with a silken cloth. 

        And for all your observations tonight, you end up missing the way his breath catches in his throat. You miss the way he leans into you by just a fraction, how his eyes widen at your softness; how they take to memorizing every contour of your face in awe; how he melts in your hold, like he's never been held with such kindness before. He doesn't think he has. 

        And that's nothing to say of all the things you can't see -- how his heart leaps into his chest, pounding so hard he's half sure you can see it through his shirt; how he prays for the world to stop just as it is now, so that he could enjoy this for just a few more seconds. How he's so sure that he's dreaming, but far too joyful to even consider pinching himself awake. 

        He's so enraptured with your touch that he hardly even processes your movements. It's only once you lean in -- close, so damn close, so easy to close the gap -- to get a better look at the spot that he finds his voice again. 

        "Oh, you don't have to, it's--" he curses himself for stumbling, for being so breathless in your presence, considering your previous praise for his eloquence. He doesn't know why you keep coming back here, why you keep entertaining him as you do, but he's not going to complain. He swallows, counting to five before starting again with renewed, albeit artificial, confidence. "I'm sure that lovely, lovely silk piece cost you quite the pretty penny." 

        And this time, it's your turn to blink owlishly. You look at the cloth, then back at him, before laughing softly. And just like that you're leaning back in, once again coaxing the mire from his face. It's silent between the two of you for just a moment, so quiet that you damn near forget where you are. And in a moment of courage, you up his face in full. You feel his jaw clench beneath your hand, emboldening you to push just a bit further. You catch his eye, smiling softly. 

        "You know money doesn't mean a thing to me, Rocky," you murmur, just loud enough for the two of you to hear. 

        A million words are left silently humming in the gap between you, a million words you hope he can pick up on in your silence. 'Not when it's you,' you think to yourself. 'I'd give up every penny for just another second with you.' 

        There's a glimmer in your eyes that can only be described as fond, and he basks in it before you turn back to your task. This time, he doesn't stop you. 

[machveil]

hey Mach! totally serious and very important question—have you ever had gooey butter cake? or its cookie counterpart?

(they're dangerously delicious, probs my favorite tbh 🤤)

YES. yes, I have. I went to St. Louis a while back and MAN, that’s the good stuff

[witchyfoxelf]

gencon 2024 after action report, part 1: pregame (wednesday) & day 1 (thursday)

under the cut for anyone who doesn't care about all the cool indie rpgs i played over the weekend lmao.

the players!

me!

mommy! ( @vi-the-deer )

grammy! (my & mommy's partner)

cj! (grammy's husband, our metamour)

grammy & cj go to gencon nearly every year, and as grammy had accompanied us to magiccon chicago she figured she'd return the favor by having us along for this year's gencon!

mommy & i flew to st. louis tuesday night to meet up with grammy & cj. our hotel that night was pretty nice in a weird way, it kind of reminded me of a really upscale college dorm with a very modern/ikea aesthetic? it's one of those hotels that's trying really hard not to look like a hotel. but yeah, it was nice! not weirdly, shockingly bad. ([hbomberguy voice] foreshadowing is a literary device--). we belatedly celebrated mommy's birthday with some cake and got some rest to get ready for an awesome roadtrip followed by an awesome convention.

on wednesday we originally wanted to go to the st. louis science center, which i had been to & loved decades ago when i went to college in springfield illinois, but sadly it is not open on wednesdays! so instead we went to the st. louis zoo, which is apparently the biggest free zoo in the country? and i gotta say, it offers an experience that's pretty comparable to most non-free zoos i've been to. (also, yeah, i'm a bit ethically dubious about zoos, but my going to them or not going to them isn't really going to affect whether they exist or not, and from what i could tell this one was very well-run by people who genuinely care about the animals there.)

we saw a number of awesome animals, but i think my favorite part was probably the bird house as birds are among my favorite animals. we spent a few hours having a very pleasant (other than it being extremely hot outside) walk through the zoo, but eventually it was time to get on the road.

i'm not necessarily going to talk about everywhere we stopped for food, but i would be remiss if i didn't mention that our day 1 dinner stop was the burger king. no not a burger king, THE burger king, a tiny restaurant in a tiny town in illinois that won a lawsuit to keep its name because it existed before the larger chain that shares its name. (well, minus the "the.")

i will admit that while i lived in illinois for fully more than half of my life, and even having spent my college years in central illinois rather than the comparatively more progressive chicago area, i was somewhat unprepared to be back in a small town in the middle of nowhere where 90% of the population is white and it feels like you're being stared at when 3 of the 4 of you are very visibly trans. it kind of felt like being back home in a not entirely pleasant way, but no one was outright hostile. and to be honest if you like extremely unhealthy cheeseburgers you can do MUCH worse than the original burger king. the food was kind of incredible.

anyway, we got back on the road, and crashed at a hotel most of the way to indiana. this was another totally normal hotel that wasn't weirdly bad with a staff that was weirdly preemptive about it being weirdly bad. (foreshadowing is a literary dev--)

we got up super early thursday morning, and headed for the con. i've actually been to indianapolis for multiple conventions because when i used to live in chicago the two furry cons (yes i used to go to furry cons & it's not inconceivable that i will do so again at some point) it was the easiest for me to get to were midwest furfest (which was in chicago and huge) and indyfurcon (which was in indianapolis and not nearly as huge, especially considering i went to the first few iterations of it, no idea what it's like these days if it's still a thing). this is the first gencon i've ever been to, and it's markedly larger than any other con i've ever been to. i'm used to a con taking up a fairly large conference hotel or (at most) part of a city's convention center. gencon took up an entire convention center plus multiple nearby hotels plus a literal nfl stadium??? (see the pic above the cut lmao.)

that also wasn't even the only way in which it was larger than any other con i've been to before? it's also the first con i've been to that had a full slate of thursday events as well as the more typical all-day friday/all-day saturday/half-day sunday. heck, most furry cons i've been to don't even have all-day fridays since the first thing that happens is usually an opening ceremony in the early afternoon.

mommy & i booked a couple mtg events on saturday because of course we did, but i was really looking forward to playing a bunch of indie rpgs considering that we have a rather embarrassing pile of them at home considering we've never actually sat down and played one. (tbf i am working on a solo run of the almanac of sanguine paths, but i think that's the first rpg i've played that isn't d&d apart from playing like one session of shadowrun that ended up not going anywhere.)

the first thing mommy & grammy & i did on thursday was play a session of yazeba's bed & breakfast. already we were starting with a game that's drastically different than any i've played before. it's sort of a cozy, queer, story-heavy roleplay experience with predetermined characters & scenarios. you keep track of character progress by making physical changes to the book & character sheets with stickers and such, and you can "unlock" different characters & scenarios & features of the hotel as you play through various chapters.

the vibe of the game is very much that you're taking on roles of already-existing characters and playing through their choices in a storybook, and i have to admit that prior to playing this game i had never really understood the appeal of these sorts of games as creating a very specific character to express myself has always been a big part of the appeal for me with rpgs. this reminded me more of the kind of enjoyment i got from one of my favorite pc games, beacon pines. it's less of a big world where you have adventures and more of an already-written story that you get to participante in and shape with your choices.

the chapters in the book are intentionally given fairly arbitrary chapter numbers and arranged in the book in a pretty random order, which resulted in our gm saying the highly enjoyable words "we'll go ahead and start with the first chapter in the book, which is chapter 3."

each chapter starts with a pretty detailed prompt that reads like the opening few pages of a chapter in a book, ending with a jumping off point for the people playing to take over deciding what their character is doing. there doesn't seem to be any kind of initiative or turn order, but everyone at our table was pretty polite about making sure everyone was getting roughly equal chances to make their choices. the game is also diceless, with chapters having some kind of fixed way of resolving their various actions including taking & giving tokens, flipping coins, picking playing cards, etc.

after you've played through the chapter, there's a passage for the gm to read depending on how successful you were at whatever mechanic the chapter is based on, and you might unlock some boons for your characters, the hotel, or unlock new characters & chapters altogether.

the game also seems to actively encourage you trying out different characters. each chapter seems to have one or two mandatory characters and then allows you to pick any characters you've unlocked, though our gm was super nice and offered to let me use a character who wasn't technically unlocked yet because they had come up in my brief research of the game and i liked the sound of them, but i was too shy to take them up on that in our first chapter.

for the first chapter i played gertrude, and while she wasn't as natural of a fit for me, me playing a moody, anxious teenager also certainly wasn't the biggest stretch anyone's ever asked someone to make while roleplaying.

the character i really enjoyed playing, though, was the moon prince.

i know a big part of the game is probably "trying on" different characters, and i do genuinely want to give more of them a try, but i feel like if i get a chance to play this game a lot more i'll likely end up "maining" the moon prince in a similar way to how i mostly played mercy when i played overwatch but side-mained d.va or lucio at various points in my "career." (yeah, cannot imagine anyone else is out there comparing this rpg to overwatch, but it's the point of comparison i have for this specific aspect, leave me alone.)

i really do enjoy the vibes of this game so i do hope i get to play more of it! mommy did buy the book so there's a decent chance we'll be playing more of it. fingers crossed!

after this, which was our first scheduled game, we kind of flailed around looking for stuff to do. we did end up spending a good amount of time in the exhibition hall but that was hella overwhelming so i was only able to tolerate it for so long. we did get to see wyrmspan being demoed and i get what people are saying when they say it's more crunchy than wingspan. while "wingspan but draogns" is still a phenomenal concept for a game, i will admit that as i saw it being demoed no matter how cool the new mechanics seemed, i kind of found myself missing the cozy vibes & lightly educational aspects of wingspan? i especially wish they had replaced all the bird facts with fake dragon facts rather than just using the whole card for gameplay stuff, but ah well. i'm sure i'll enjoy it if i get around to playing it.

eventually we ended up checking out the "games on-demand" room, and ended up playing a game i've seen a bunch of times at work but never actually played, untitled ghost game.

this game is normally gm-less, but at the convention with players who had never played it before, we had a really awesome gm facilitating it for us. and honestly i think that was a big part of why the game went as well for us as it did, because mommy & i were matched up with an extremely normie couple one of whom unironically said "just don't call me late to dinner" when asked for pronouns which is basically the 20s equivalent of the 90s "i just don't see color" for those who are fortunate enough not to know.

that being said, we managed to tell a really great story together thanks largely to the guidance of our gm but also just... not to get too hippy-dippy (that's for a later game! you'll see.), but this really reminded me of the way games can often bring wildly different people together. everyone is just here to have a good time, and... i don't know, there's something really encouraging about that.

so yeah, basically you all take turns describing different aspects of the setting and then us as a ghost and then the person or place being haunted, you decide if you want to intensify the feelings that the person or place is having or if you want to help them overcome them, and then you flip a coin to see how you do. and in the case of our game we very quickly established an identity as a ghost who, while somewhat mischievous, really did want to help, and it ended up being incredibly wholesome.

i don't know that this is necessarily a game i'll come back to unless i end up thinking someone else will really vibe with it, but i really am glad i had the experience i had playing it. it was genuinely lovely.

once we finished that, grammy had finished her gm shift and it was time to meet up for dinner and chill until the first game all four of us were playing together, weird heroes of public access.

whpa is a 2d6 game in which the players take on the role of a host of a local public access tv host in a town that's about to experience some supernatural fuckery. your can host something like a cooking show, a variety show, a talkshow, etc. i named my character kenny kaiju and gave him a monster movie review show called kaiju kino.

our scenario saw the town being taken over by some kind of demon who was using the station to hypnotize its denizens into slaves. i had very normal feelings about this!

our gm (sorry, "station manager") was pretty cool and i had a lot of fun with this game. it wasn't my favorite of the weekend or anything, but i think it solidly delivered on its premise and i wouldn't mind playing it again sometime.

anyway, that was a wrap on day 1! i was pretty exhausted thanks to a combination of jetlag and getting up early to drive the rest of the way to indy, and i think all of us were in a similar boat (even though grammy & cj weren't dealing with jetlag, having only crossed one timezone). so we headed to the hotel which was... pretty awful tbh.

like, it's genuinely fine, it's not like we were going to spend much time there doing anything other than sleeping, but the weird preemptive defensiveness of the staff made it much worse. my favorite part was when we were surprised that there wasn't an elevator and the front desk clerk who was nowhere near us yelled that um actually this was built before the americans with disabilities act so it didn't need an elevator. um, ok, cool? really set a tone there. (they also made some really weird choices like actively removing chairs from the breakfast area on sunday like they were actively trying to shoo all the convention attendees out of the hotel faster. like, y'all, DON'T worry. we were NOT planning on lingering.)

again, it was fine, it wasn't wildly unsafe or anything, i don't want to come off like i'm being overly complainy. but i will say that it is NOT very obvious from their website that the hotel is completely inaccessible to anyone with mobility issues. which fortunately isn't really any of the four of us, but like... i've literally seen events be more clear about the accessibility of buildings they do not own than this hotel is about the place you're relying on being able to sleep at? (heck, i've ORGANIZED events at older venues that unfortunately weren't accessible, and we were always VERY clear about that in every form of advertising. as far as i can tell, literally the only way you can tell that about this hotel on their website is that there's a small tab on the features that's greyed out instead of white. i know most people with mobility issues likely check very closely for this kind of thing so hopefully no one has ended up in an unfortunate situation, but like... seriously, do better.)

and like, yeah i get that it would be kinda difficult to install an elevator in a building that wasn't meant to have one, but you know what's not difficult? adding as many power outlets as a modern hotel should have. having walls that don't have holes in them. having mattresses that aren't lumpy & stiff as fuck. bringing new towels a single time? or failing that, when we ask for more towels at the desk giving us towels rather than not being able to find any and just giving us bathmats instead??? having dressers that aren't literally missing all their drawers?????? this was a hotel owned by a large hotel chain. there is no reason it should be this crummy & depressingly poorly maintained.

again, it's fine, but absorbing all this while we were all super sleep deprived and overwhelmed from the con was kind of a... Moment. we did our best to take it in stride, though, and crashed to get ready for another day of gaming!

[confessions-official]

hot take: i dont like ted drews. i mean, the ice cream is good, but there is so much better at other places. i mean, oberweis, s&js, richs, etc. easily top ted drews for me. everyone touts ted drews as the best ice cream in st louis, but... i disagree. i keep this a secret from everyone i know. i go to ted drews and i eat the ice cream because it is good. but deep down, i know that there is better. i know it in my heart and nobody can take it away from me.

(i hope that literally anyone from stl or missouri in general finds this confession. can somebody back me up on this??? or am i crazy???)

while im talking about it, i might as well rank other missouri/stl food and traditions.

toasted raviolis: 10/10. life changing. you have to try these at least once in your life

gooey butter cake/cookies: 6/10. good taste, but very dense, buttery, and heavy for me. like they are so dense

stl pizza/imos pizza: 10000/10. everyone gets really fired up about stl pizza, which is very amusing to me. you either love it or hate it. listen to me when i say this: i know that stl pizza is abnormal. i know it is alarming. but just give it a chance if youre ever in town. please. trust me on this one.

provel cheese: 5/10. meh, im just kind of used to it. it doesnt really stand out to me. i only discovered a couple years ago that provel is a st louis thing. people claim that it isnt real cheese, but i think that is bullshit. what is paint if not a bunch of color mixed together? should painters only use home crushed berries to paint? no. embrace change. INNOVATION!

having to tell a joke/sing a song/do a dance before receiving candy on halloween: 0/10. WHO CAME UP WITH THIS. RICKY WHEN I CATCH YOU RICKY.... WHY. i am the most socially inept person out there. the LAST thing i needed as a kid was for old people to DEMAND i tell them a shitty knock knock joke before forking over one measly almond joy. to be fair, coming up with jokes was always one of my fondest memories of halloween. its just such a strange tradition and i dont care enough to research how it came to be.

anyways, this was a very big backed confession. but whatever. i hope that all my silly little missouri folks of tumblr find this post <3 missouri? misery? is there a difference? there is not.

 

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.15

Holidays

Angelman Syndrome Day

Annoy Squidward Day (SpongeBob Squarepants)

Battleship Day

Broken Hearts Day

Clifford the Big Red Dog Day

Commonwealth Day (Gibraltar)

Court of International Justice Day

Day of Ashakalia (Kosovo)

Day of the Mexican Woman (Mexico)

Decimal Day (UK)

Digital Learning Day

ENIAC Day (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

European Perioperative Nursing Day (EU)

First Connections Awareness Day (Rhode Island)

Galileo Day [also 2.29]

Hazel Day (French Republic)

Hazrat Alis Day (Uttar Pradesh, India)

International Angelman Day

International Bottom Appreciation Day

International Childhood Cancer Day

International Duties Memorial Day (Russia)

International Fanworks Day

International Green Wall Day

International Male Chastity Day

John Frum Day (Vanuatu)

Love Reset Day

Lui-Ngai-Ni (Manipur, India)

Memorial Day of Warriors—Intrnationalists

National Bad Breath Day

National Black Girl Magic Day

National Friendzone Day

National Plan B Day

National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day

National Side Chicks Day

National Wisconsin Day

Plastic Pollution Awareness Day (Georgia)

Remember the Maine Day

Sandlasting Day

Singles Awareness Day

Slap Day

Sretenje (Serbia)

Sticky Stamp Day

Stop and Smell Your Compost Pile Day

St. Skeletor’s Day

Susan B. Anthony Day

Total Defense Day (Singapore)

World Cholangiocarcinoma Day

YouTube Launch Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Burger Lover's Day

Cherry Garcia Day

Florida Craft Beer Day

Mustard Day

National Cheap Chocolate Day

National Chewing Gum Day

National Gumdrop Day

National I Want Butterscotch Day

National Lamb Day (New Zealand)

Nature Celebrations

Cedar Day (I Live For You; Korean Birth Flowers)

World Hippo Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Barbettia (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Dadingisila (Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Flag Day (Canada)

Liberation Day (Afghanistan)

Iustus (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Serbia (from the Ottoman Empire, 1804)

St. Louis (Establishment Day; Missouri; 1764)

3rd Saturday in February

Barley Wine Day (San Francisco) [Saturday before Presidents Day]

Community Pubs Week begins (UK) [3rd Saturday through 4th Saturday]

International Restaurant Day [3rd Saturday] (also May, Aug & Nov)

National Black Movie Day [3rd Saturday]

Red Sock Day [3rd Saturday]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sentimental Saturday [3rd Saturday of Each Month]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Steak Saturday [3rd Saturday of Each Month]

World Pangolin Day [3rd Saturday]

World Whale Day [3rd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 15 (2nd Week of February)

Hardee County Fair (Wauchula, Florida) [thru 2.22]

National FFA Week (thru 2.22) [Saturday to Saturday containing 2.22]

National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekend

Omaha Beer Week (Omaha, Nebraska) [thru 2.23]

Real Bread Week (thru 2.23) [2nd to Last Saturday to Saturday]

Festivals On or Beginning February 15, 2025

Asian American Expo (La Verne, California) [thru 2.16]

Arizona Strong Beer Festival (Phoenix, Arizona)

Bay Area Renaissance Festival (Tampa, Florida) thru 3.30]

Bayou King Cake Festival (Thibodaux, Louisiana)

Carnival of Acireale (Acireale, Sicily, Italy) [thru 3.4]

Cedarburg Winter Festival (Cedarburg, Wisconsin) [thru 2.16]

Chinese New Year’s Parade (San Francisco, California)

Color the Wind Kite Festival (Clear Lake, Iowa)

Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival (Cortez, Florida) [thru 2.16]

Florida Keys Seafood Festival (Key West, Florida)) [thru 2.16]

International White Wine Festival in Anderson Valley (Boonville, California) [thru 2.16]

Jupiter Seafood Festival (Jupiter, Florida) [thru 2.16]

Melodifestivalen (Västeras, Sweden)

Menton Lemon Festival (Menton, France) [thru 3.2]

Nice Carnival (Nice, France) [thru 3.2]

NYS Ice Wine & Culinary Festival (Fairport, New York)

Palm Beach Marine Flea Market and Seafood Festival (West Palm Beach, Florida) [thru 2.16]

Takeuchi Festival (Rokugo, Japan)

Writers Guild Awards (Los Angeles, California)

3rd Thursday in February

Energy Saving Day (Italy) [3rd Thursday]

Global Information Governance Day [3rd Thursday]

National Conductive Education Day [3rd Thursday]

Switch Off Thursday (UK) [Thursday of Go Green Week]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

World Anthropology Day [3rd Thursday]

World Cholanglocarcinoma Day [3rd Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning February 15

American Association for the Advancement of Science Week [thru 2.17]

National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekends [thru 2.18] (also in Apr, Sep & Nov)

Feast Days

Agape (Christian; Virgin Martyr)

Candlemas (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Chongwoldaeboreum (Korean Folk Festival)

Claude de la Colombière (Christian; Saint)

Drink More Wine Day (Pastafarian)

Faunus (celebrates animals helping humans)

Faustinus and Jovita (Christian; Martyrs)

Februata — Day of Juno Febuata (Pagan)

Festival of Naked Pan (Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Wolves (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Grigori Rasputin Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Guardian Angel Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Kamakura Matsuri (Snow Cave Festival; Japan)

Lupercalia (Festival of Lupercus; Festival of purification honoring Lycaen Pan or Faunusl Ancient Roman god of flocks and fertility)

Michał Sopoćko (Christian; Blessed)

Nirvana Day (Buddhist; Jain; Sikh)

Oswiu (Christian; Saint)

Parinirvana Day (Mahayana Buddhism)

Phaedrus (Positivist; Saint)

Quinidius (Christian; Saint)

The Raggmopps (Muppetism)

Sarkis of Armenia (Christian; Saint)

Sigfried of Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Sigfrid’s Day

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Tanco (a.k.a. Tatto; Christian; Martyr)

Thomas Bray (Anglican & Episcopal Church)

Walfrid (Christian; Saint)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 18 (Yi-Mao)

Day Pillar: Wood Rabbit

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Remove Day (除 Chu) [Auspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Susan B. Anthony (Politics)

Harold Arlen (Music)

John Barrymore (Entertainment)

Claire Bloom (Entertainment)

Norman Bridwell (Art)

Roger Chaffee (Astronaut)

Charles-François Daubigny (Art)

Galileo Galilei (Science)

Matt Groening (Art)

Douglas Hofstadter (Literature)

Harvey Korman (Entertainment)

Melissa Manchester (Music)

Sax Rohmer (Literature)

Jane Seymour (Entertainment)

Ernest Shackleton (Exploring)

Art Spiegelman (Art)

Charles-André van Loo (Art)

Alfred North Whitehead (Science)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Uncyclopedia Bad to Be Born Today (because so many reasons carrying on from the night before.)

Premieres

Alice’s Mysterious Mystery (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1926)

Alice Solves the Puzzle (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1925)

Alice’s Orphan (Disney Cartoon; 1930)

Angel and the Badman (Film; 1947)

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion (Animated Film; 2019)

Autumn (Silly Symphony Disney Cartoon; 1930)

The Bears and the Bees (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1932)

The Blue Danube, by Johann Strauss II (Waltz; 1867)

The Breakfast Club (Film; 1985)

Blue Moon, recorded by The Marcels (Song; 1961)

Broad City (TV Series; 2010)

Bugs Bunny’s Wild World of Sports (WB Animated TV Special; 1989)

Burn, by Deep Purple (Album; 1974)

Burr Gore, by Vidal (Historical Novel; 1973)

Cinderella (Animated Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Clifford the Big Red Dog, by Norman Bridwell (Children’s Book; 1963)

Corregidora, by Gayl Jones (Novel; 1975)

Cowboy Blues (Aesop’s Sound Fable Cartoon; 1931)

The Crackpot Quail (WB MM Cartoon; 1941)

The Crystal Maze (UK TV game Show; 1990)

The Deep Boo Sea (Caspar Cartoon; 1952)

Doom Patrol (TV Series; 2019)

Eastbound & Down (TV Series; 2009)

Eight Days a Week, by The Beatles (Song; 1965)

Elegy Written in. A Country Churchyard, by Thomas Gray (Poem; 1751)

11.23.63 (TV Series; 2016)

Escape from Planet Earth (Animated Film; 2013)

Felix Crosses the Crooks (Felix the Cat Cartoon; 1927)

Felix the Cat Rests in Peace (Felix the Cat Cartoon; 1926)

Fly by Night, by Rush (Album; 1975)

Flying Yeast (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1929)

Fun, Fun, Fun, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1964)

The Gay Anties (WB MM Cartoon; 1947)

Get Happy!!, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1980)

Glad All Over, by the Dave Clark Five (Song; 1964)

The Haunted Mouse (WB MM Cartoon; 1941)

The Heritage (Hearst-Pathe News Cartoon; 1918)

A Horse’s Tale (Sugarfoott Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1954)

Lifehouse, by The Who (Rock Opera; 1971)

Marlowe (Film; 2023)

Mechanical Man (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Orphan’s Picnic (Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Presidential One-Dollar Coin (U.S. Mint; 2007)

Professor Dabbler (Kriterion Kosmos Kartoons Cartoon; 1915)

Radio Riot (Fleischer Tarlkartoon Cartoon; 1930)

Red Dwarf (UK TV Series; 1988)

Return to Never Land (Disney Film; 2002)

Robin Hoody Woody (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1963)

The Screwball (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1943)

Shake, Rattle and Roll, recorded by Big Joe Turner (Song; 1954)

The Stars, Like Dust, byIsaac Asimov (Novel; 1951) [Galactic Empire #1]

Sucker Games (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1926)

Super Troopers (Film; 2002)

Take the A Train, recorded by Duke Ellington (Song; 1941)

Taking the Blame (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1935)

A Tuba to Cuba (Documentary Film; 2019)

The Umbrella Academy (TV Series; 2019)

University of Nebraska (School; 1869)

Vision Quit (Film; 1985)

YouTube (Video Sharing Website; 2005)

Today’s Name Days

Georgia, Siegfried (Austria)

Faustin, Onezim, Vitomir (Croatia)

Jiřina (Czech Republic)

Faustinus (Denmark)

Neidi, Tiina (Estonia)

Sipi, Sippo (Finland)

Claude, Georgina, Jordan (France)

Georgia, Jovita, Siegfried (Germany)

Evsevios (Greece)

Julianna, Lilla (Hungary)

Giuliana (Italy)

Džuljeta, Juliāna, Jūlija, Smuidra (Latvia)

Julijona, Julijonas, Tautvydas (Lithuania)

Jill, Julian, Juliane (Norway)

Bernard, Dan, Danisz, Danuta, Julianna, Symeon (Poland)

Pamfil, Valentin (Romania)

Anna (Russia)

Ida (Slovakia)

Juliana (Spain)

Julia, Julius (Sweden)

Cliff, Clifford, Clifton, Jeremiah, Jeremy, Sonnie, Sonny, Sunny (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Clementine Day

National Marcus Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 46 of 2025; 319 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 6 of Week 7 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 26 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 18 (Yi-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 8 Amshir 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Hackberry (Feb 9-18) [Day 7 of 10]

Hebrew: 17 Shevat 5785

Islamic: 16 Sha’ban 1446

Julian: 2 February 2025

Moon: 91%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 18 Homer (2nd Month) [Phaedrus)

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 57 of 90)

SUn Calendar: 16 Gray; Twosday [16 of 30]

Week: 2nd Week of February

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 27 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 3 of 30)

Schmidt Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 21 of 27)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 27 of 28)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Capricornus (Day 28 of 28)

[senorboombastic]

‘Limits of Language’ – Listen to episode 25 of ’60 Minutes or less’, the new podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast – featuring Field Music!

Words: Andy Hughes ’60 Minutes or less’ – the podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast – returns for episode twenty five and it’s a delight for us to welcome Field Music as our guests! The duo of David Brewis and Peter Brewis, Field Music are a band we’ve had the pleasure of interviewing a number of times over the years. The eagle-eyed amongst you might’ve noticed we’ve already had Peter Brewis…

[dancingsunflowers-ocs]

🐴 for Bianca?

Thank you so much @ginger-grimm!!! 💕 Gonna tag @rose-of-oz and @manyfandomocs!!! 💕

Their favorite musical: If we’re assuming an AU here, I think Bianca would really enjoy Meet Me in St. Louis.

Their first-ever Halloween costume: ​Halloween wasn't such a thing in the Enchanted Forest, and I don't think the residents of Storybrooke really celebrated it, but if they did, I can imagine Bianca dressing up as a cute little fairy.

Their favorite 2010s song: Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars.

Their favorite kind of weather: Bianca really enjoys the warm sunny weather, especially when she feels the sun against her face, the breeze against her skin, and the feeling of grass through her bare feet.

What extracurriculars they do in school: Bianca and her sister, Marlena, were homeschooled by their mother in the cottage that they both grew up together in, located in the Enchanted Forest, where Bianca learned how to cook, clean and mend her own clothing, whilst also learning to read and how to count out how much cups it would take, if she needed to bake cakes.

Their favorite word: Beaming.

About their first kiss: A few months after, the evil dwarf was mauled to his death, and the spell was broken. Therefore, Edward eventually transformed from a bear to a human again, and both Bianca and Edward were playing with their feelings for each other, and Bianca's sister, Marlena, tried every opportunity to get both Bianca and Edward alone together, and once she had them alone in the rose gardens at the prince's castle, Edward and Bianca accidentally brushed hands with each other, before grazing into each other's eyes, speechless, before sharing a gentle first kiss with each other, whilst Marlena and Lester were happily excited, lurking in the background, pleased that Marlena's plan had worked.

What kind of posters they had in their room as a kid: Bianca didn't really have any posters in the Enchanted Forest, as they weren't really such a thing. But she has very fond memories of her childhood growing up with her mother and sister in a beautifully decorated old cottage with traditional interiors, such as the hand-made blankets and cushions that she and her mother made, but if we’re assuming a modern AU here, I can imagine her having those old traditionally painted pictures of woodland animals, such as rabbits, foxes, hedgehogs and deer.

If they have a lucky object (and what it is): Bianca has a handkerchief that belonged to her father, before his death, when both she and her sister were young, and she has kept it ever since, and finds that it brings her luck during difficult situations.

Their saddest injury: When Bianca's mother sent her and her sister to the town to buy needles and thread and laces and ribbons. They noticed a large bird hovering in the air, only to notice that the dwarf that they had encountered earlier, as they both saw with horror that the eagle had seized him and was going to carry him off. After that, the two sisters took pity and at once took tight hold of the dwarf, and pulled it against the eagle so long that at last he let his booty go, leading them to fall from the heights, where Bianca broke her wrist, and the dwarf cruelly laughed at her, but the sisters were used to his ungratefulness at that point.

[klaudia2646]

Back in Waterloo. Yesterday we had a good day. We had lunch at Eggscellent Cafe with Michael and met his new girlfriend. We liked her, she’s very nice.

Right after lunch we stopped by the bakery where Little Bit is working now with her sister Cynthia, we got a small cake to celebrate my birthday which was last Wednesday.

I got dropped off at Sophie’s bridal shower. Evidently the groom’s mom did not want to play the regular games so instead we did some painting party thing 🙄 I can’t say that I enjoyed it but I got over it, it was fun to see everyone.

In the evening we went back to Janice’s house and met everyone there, had some pizza and cake, the little man was having too much fun playing with the toys that belong to Janice’s granddaughters.

After all of them left, poor Michael called and said that a Domino’s pizza driver hit his car. His new car. That’s so unfortunate. I guess it could had been worse but dang his nice new car. I feel bad for him.

This morning we got a late start, we were exhausted from the last couple of days but definitely had a ride than Friday. Stop to eat by Cracker Barrel in O’Fallon MO right after St. Louis. It was overcast most of the way and it rained on and off the last hour.

Tomorrow I’m working until 3:30, I’m not looking forward to it. We’ve been having problems with the evening receptionist, she didn’t go last week, she was supposedly sick Monday through Wednesday and Thursday no one had heard from her , later she said she was at home so she didn’t even bother to let anyone know she wasn’t going. Not sure what’s going on there so I’m wondering if she’ll show up tomorrow. She usually calls in Mondays or Thursdays.

[lee-romee]

Feast of St. Elisabeth of Thüringen & Hungary

Born in 1207, Elisabeth was a princess of Thüringen. She had a very happy & supportive marriage with her husband, before being widowed at 20. She turned her life to poverty, using her dowery to build a hospital for the poor and sick and became a part of the Franciscan Order. She served the poor and sick the rest of her life. Elisabeth died at 24, having been a wife, mother, ruler, and servant. Her identifying miracle happened before her husband's death (Ludwig der Heilige (St Louis)): While delivering bread to the poor, a secret, she encountered her husband and his hunting party. On asked to show what she had, suspicion from the party beside her husband being she was stealing, she opened her cloak & roses spilled from it. Her symbols are roses, bread, & the colour red; she is the patron of both bride & widows, of nurses, those falsely accused, & the homeless.

hungarian coffee cake

lángos (a very old hungarian bread, that Elisabeth may have eaten)

palacsinta (Hungarian crepes)

rose-shaped cinnamon bread

rose & cardamom shortbread

Painting: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Spinning Wool for the Poor --- by Marianne Stokes

[solarisii]

okay re: the tags on that st louis post, i've not heard of any of these foods before but am very curious to learn more because they sound tasty as hell

So there's toasted ravioli which is lightly battered and deep fried typically beef ravioli. they're so good!

Provel garlic bread is just cheese garlic bread but the cheese is St. Louis' Provel cheese, a processed cheese that "is a combination of cheddar, swiss, and provolone cheeses" according to wikipedia. It melts really good, very buttery, and is perfect for garlic bread or toasted sandwiches like the Prosperity.

it however doesn't take good pictures. I promise it's delicious, it's my favorite St. Louis food.

and finally i mentioned Gooey butter cake. Which is like a cake that has two layers. One layer cake like and one that's made from eggs and cream cheese so it's kinda like a custard? Idk it's hard to explain but it's really rich and sweet. The one i usually get is a lemon & blueberry one.

[schleyer]

Gooey butter cake. Live up to ur Missourian lineage.

(Please it’s the only thing we got going for us)

um excuse you we have toasted ravioli and st louis style pizza and we're also the birthplace of sliced bread